"I... I didn't say that!" Ming Silian exclaimed urgently.
"Hehe." Ming Yuqian didn't say much more.
Ming Yutong wiped away her tears, shook her head silently, her disappointment written plainly on her face.
No one had forgotten how she initially spoke, and they remembered it well.
"Alright." Old Master Ming spoke up, "Jingshui, Qian'an, take Silian back home. Let her reflect on things properly. Think about how Yutong usually treats her, and if there's anything she needs to apologize for."
"And both of you," the old master continued, "I know you love your daughter and feel sorry for her, but you must also distinguish right from wrong. Yutong's character is known to us, but does Silian not understand? Questioning her integrity like this, will it not hurt the child's feelings?"
Ming Jingshui and Fang Qian'an remained silent.
After a while, Fang Qian'an hesitantly apologized to Ming Yutong, "Yutong, I'm sorry."
Ming Yutong smiled bitterly and shook her head, saying nothing.
But no one had the right to blame her for not forgiving immediately.
She had wholeheartedly helped Ming Jingshui and Fang Qian'an, yet in the end, she wasn't trusted.
Although Ming Silian failed to frame her, her malicious intentions were frightening—how could she easily forgive?
"Alright, go back now and don't come back for a while," the old master said again.
Ming Jingshui and Fang Qian'an were startled, then nodded, "Yes."
Ming Silian trembled with fear. Was she finished in this family?
Ming Silian stood up with her parents. She still felt somewhat unwilling.
Suddenly, she rushed to Ming Yutong's side, but Ming Yuqian immediately shielded Ming Yutong.
Ming Silian cried, "Sister, it's my fault this time. I'm sorry, can you forgive me?"
"That's enough!" Fang Qian'an snapped.
She was already ashamed enough, yet Ming Silian shamelessly persisted.
When people couldn't see why she was apologizing, was it sincere?
Fang Qian'an pulled Ming Silian away. Ming Jingshui, ashamed, said to Ming Yutong, "Yutong, we are sorry for what happened. I promise, this will never happen again. This is the first and last time we doubted you."
After the three left, the old lady gently touched Ming Yutong's forehead, "My eldest granddaughter has been wronged this time."
Ming Yutong shook her head tearfully.
"You still have a fever, go back to your room and rest," the old lady said, "Yuqian, call Dr. Huo to check on Yutong."
"Grandma, it's fine, just a slight fever. I'll take some fever medicine when I get home," Ming Yutong said.
"Aren't you resting here for a while?" the old lady asked.
"No, I just want to go back and be alone, sleep off this exhaustion," Ming Yutong said wearily.
The old lady didn't insist.
Once in the car, Ming Yutong immediately said, "Quick, give me a fever patch."
"Just now, I was pretending to be weak, but now I don't have to pretend anymore," Ming Yuqian chuckled.
Ming Yutong smiled triumphantly, "See, even when I act weak, I'm not worse off than Ming Silian!"
"Yes, you look much better than her when you act weak," Ming Yuqian replied with a smile.
After a while, Ming Yuqian's expression turned serious again. "Was it Fu Yinxiu who intervened last night when Jia Mingkai came? Only the Ming family and Fu Yinxiu knew about it."
Thinking about the grim scene when Ming Yutong emerged from Fu Yinxiu's room, Ming Yuqian frowned deeply. She couldn't find any gratitude for Fu Yinxiu.
Ming Yutong remained silent, unsure of Fu Yinxiu's intentions.
But Ming Yuqian voiced Ming Yutong's doubts directly, "What does he want to achieve? Slap you and then give you a sweet date? Does he think that can make up for it?"
"I don't know what he wants," Ming Yutong shook her head, becoming serious, "But Yuqian, promise me, don't go looking for him."
Ming Yuqian knew she couldn't match Fu Yinxiu. The entire Ming family couldn't. She wasn't afraid of what he might do, but she feared for Ming Yutong's safety.
Ming Yuqian understood Ming Yutong's implication, his handsome features creased in a frown.
"Though it's true, hearing it from you still hurts my pride," Ming Yuqian said with self-deprecation.
Ming Yutong rolled her eyes, seeing through his act.
Self-mockingly, Ming Yuqian said, "If it weren't for us not being his match, I would have taught him a lesson long ago. I wouldn't be so powerless now, watching you get bullied by him, unable to do anything, unable to even protect you!"
Ming Yutong's nose tingled with emotion. "It's okay, it's okay. You've protected me so much already. We can't provoke him, can't we avoid him in the future? I'll try my best to avoid him."
Reluctantly, Ming Yuqian nodded, but they both knew someone like Fu Yinxiu, if he was determined, could he really be avoided?
Moreover, between Ming Yutong and him, there was still Little Jingshi.
Even if Ming Yutong avoided Fu Yinxiu, could she avoid Little Jingshi?
Ming Yutong couldn't wait to see Little Jingshi. How could she avoid him?
But whenever she wanted to see Little Jingshi, she couldn't avoid meeting Fu Yinxiu.
This was a difficult problem.
Ming Yuqian hated himself again for not being strong enough. Otherwise, he could have simply taken Little Jingshi away, kept Fu Yinxiu away from Ming Yutong. But what could he do now?
Though silent, Ming Yuqian secretly resolved in his heart. He must become stronger, protect Ming Yutong, and never let her be bullied again.
***
By Sunday, Ming Yutong's slight fever had subsided. She spent the day at Ming Yuqian's house and was only sent home after dinner.