Lu Jingyan stood on the staircase as she heard the statements Leng Yumo friends made. She knew something doesn't feel right. They've never seen her nor met her before. And they didn't know that she is Leng Xuanmo wife unless Yumo mentioned it to them. And the statement they made were like accusing her of harming Yumo.
The first question was how do they know Yumo is sick? Unless someone told them about it and they decided to make the statement about her.
"Do you know me?" Lu Jingyan voice rang out and the girls looked back
The soft click of heels echoed through the grand hall as Lu Jingyan appeared at the top of the staircase. Her posture was impeccable, shoulders straight, exuding a quiet authority that seemed to command the room without a word. A strand of her dark hair caught the sunlight, brushing her sharp jawline, while her eyes calm, calculating, and unflinching swept over the visitors below.
She wore a sleek, tailored dress that hinted at elegance without ostentation, the hem flowing with each measured step. Every movement was deliberate, graceful, yet carried a subtle weight, as if the very air shifted in her presence. The friends' chatter faltered, a nervous tension creeping into their voices, realizing they were no longer in control.
By the time she reached the last step, Lu Jingyan's gaze had pinned each of them, not with anger, but with a steady, unwavering certainty that made them shrink under the weight of silent judgment.
The moment Lu Jingyan reached the last step, the friends froze mid-whisper. Their confident chatter collapsed into uneasy silence as their eyes met hers. One of them opened her mouth, then shut it again, stammering, "I—I… we just—" Her words trailed off into nothing.
Another fidgeted with her fingers, her lips pressed into a thin line, trying to muster an insult but finding her voice gone. Their poised, judgmental smiles from moments ago had vanished, replaced with a nervous heat spreading across their cheeks. They shifted uneasily from foot to foot, exchanging glances heavy with confusion and intimidation. Even the boldest among them a girl who had sneered openly just moments before sputtered incoherently, caught between disbelief and fear.
Lu Jingyan's gaze didn't waver, holding each of them in silent judgment. Her calm yet commanding presence left no room for argument. Slowly, the tension built like a tightrope about to snap. Finally, one whispered, "Maybe we… should go…"
As if on cue, they stumbled backward, tripping over themselves in their haste. Whispered apologies and nervous excuses fell from their lips as they bolted toward the front doors, practically pushing one another out of the manor. The grand hall fell silent again, the echo of hurried footsteps fading.
Upstairs, Leng Yumo peeked from her doorway, a small smile breaking through her worried expression. She knew the truth—Lu Jingyan's quiet strength and unwavering presence were shields that no rumor, no cowardly accusation, could penetrate.
"Sister in law sure is great" Yumo said.
She had heard everything her friends had said and she was planning to go help her sister in law until she saw what happened. Just a look from Lu Jingyan and her friends scurried away
"Yumo you should be in bed" madam Leng said
"Granny cold. I have been in bed since yesterday. I wish to see Xinyan" Yumo said
"Rest some days more" Leng Xuanmo said
"No. I want to get out of this room today" Yumo said adamantly
"You" madam Leng said
"Alright. I will ask Xinyan to come see you in your room" Xuanmo said
"Alright" Yumo said as she laid back on her bed