"Father, how could Brother-in-law be an assassin? He's a good person! He's always been so gentle and kind. How could he possibly try to kill someone? There must be some kind of misunderstanding, right?"
Next to Su Changkong, the Patriarch of the Su Family, Su Qingyao couldn't hide the worry and anxiety on her flawless, jade-like face as she asked the question.
Although everyone else in the Su Family looked down on Lin Fan as a live-in son-in-law—sometimes treating him worse than a servant—she was the only one, pure and kind-hearted, who always called him Brother-in-law.
She believed that since Lin Fan had performed the wedding ceremony with her older sister, he was her brother-in-law. That would never change, no matter what.
Whenever Lin Fan returned from an outing, he would pass by her courtyard and bring her delicious candied haws, various preserved fruits, and many fun little trinkets. He also brought her fragrant sachets and cosmetic cases.
The Su Family was very strict. To ensure Su Qingyao could focus on her cultivation, they rarely allowed her contact with the outside world.
Lin Fan knew this, so he was always discreet, making sure no one else in the Su Family found out. It became a little secret between the two of them.
As a result, Su Qingyao felt close to Lin Fan and treated him like a true brother-in-law. She would even give him advice, telling him about her sister's interests and how he could win her affection...
"This is very complicated."
Su Changkong's brow was deeply furrowed. Looking at the scene before him and piecing it together with what he had heard from Su Qingyao's handmaiden, he had a general idea of what had happened.
'But I never would have imagined Lin Fan was this powerful. He didn't just force his way into the Snow Moon Pavilion; he caused a massive commotion.'
'All these years, I completely misjudged him.'
"Father, please, you have to save Brother-in-law," Su Qingyao pleaded, her small face tilted up, full of hope.
Su Changkong sighed internally. 'If this isn't handled well, I'm afraid the entire Su Family will be dragged into it. No matter what, Lin Fan is still the Su Family's son-in-law.'
'There's no way the Su Family can escape unscathed.'
Even Su Qinghan, who stood beside Jiang Lan, kept her eyes downcast and remained silent. It was clear that the situation was likely beyond even her ability to resolve.
"Young Master Jiang, could there be some misunderstanding in this matter?"
"Lin Fan can be reclusive and tends to do as he pleases, but he's an honest, good-natured man. He doesn't have a malicious bone in his body. How could he possibly be an assassin sent to kill you?"
"Do you know what might have caused this? Perhaps we could first investigate the full story to understand what happened?"
But at this moment, Su Changkong had no choice but to take a deep breath, brace himself, and step forward, asking with a cupped-fist salute.
Watching this, Zhao Tianhe sighed internally before speaking up as well. "Young Master Lan, if you wish to handle this according to the laws of Great Xia, then shouldn't we follow due process? We should determine the cause of this incident before proceeding. Otherwise, how can this outcome be seen as just?"
"What's this? Is Elder Zhao trying to shield the assassin who attacked me?"
Jiang Lan ignored Su Changkong completely. He unhurriedly skimmed the tea leaves in his cup with its lid and said casually, "My guards, whom he injured, are right here. If not for Ying's protection, I'm afraid I would have already fallen prey to this monster's deadly attack."
"The evidence is right before your eyes. What more is there to say, Elder Zhao? Are you trying to ignore right and wrong and twist the facts?"
Zhao Tianhe's expression soured. He had to suppress a surge of rage; it was obvious that Jiang Lan knew this was all a misunderstanding.
And yet, he stubbornly insisted that Lin Fan had intended to assassinate him.
'If he weren't so conscious of his own status, he would have cursed Jiang Lan for being so shameless.'
"Jiang Lan, don't take this too far! You heard what was said. Young Master Lin mistakenly believed you had sent people to abduct his sister-in-law, Su Qingyao. That's why he impulsively forced his way into the Snow Moon Pavilion..."
"If you hadn't taken liberties with his wife first, he never would have attacked you in a rage."
Zhao Dieyi, her face showing a flash of anger, spoke up in Lin Fan's defense.
After all, Su Qinghan was Lin Fan's wife in name only, while Jiang Lan, the only son of the Prime Minister, was a man of notorious repute throughout all of Great Xia.
It was hardly surprising that he would make advances on Su Qinghan.
When Lin Fan burst into the Snow Moon Pavilion and saw his own wife being accosted by Jiang Lan, how could he possibly have restrained himself?
"And as for her sister," Zhao Dieyi continued, "she probably came to the Snow Moon Pavilion because she also mistakenly thought her sister had been abducted by you. Then you must have threatened her, forcing her to endure your advances."
Zhao Dieyi's clear eyes shone, her exquisite face unable to hide her anger as she spoke with complete conviction.
Given her intelligence and her understanding of Jiang Lan, it wasn't difficult for her to piece together the whole story.
Jiang Lan inwardly wanted to applaud Zhao Dieyi for her quick wits. 'She really lived up to her role as the beautiful confidante who helped Lin Fan so much in the early parts of the original story.'
'To be able to deduce the entire sequence of events under these circumstances was impressive.'
"Just... don't take this too far."
When she saw Jiang Lan looking at her with what seemed to be a faint smile, a dark memory from her past surfaced in Zhao Dieyi's mind. Her tone involuntarily weakened, softening considerably.
"What do you mean, *I'm* taking it too far? It seems, Zhao Dieyi, that spending all those years cultivating at the Jasper Pool Sect has addled your brain."
The smile vanished from Jiang Lan's face. "I'm the one being falsely accused and misunderstood," he said deliberately. "I'm the one who was nearly killed by this man. And in the end, *I'm* the one taking things too far?"
"Perhaps I should be the one to apologize to him, then?"
Hearing Jiang Lan call her by her full name—a stark change from his usual "Sister Dieyi"—
Zhao Dieyi was stunned for a moment, finding the change strangely unsettling.
His words, however, made her freeze. She subconsciously wanted to argue, but though she opened her mouth, she couldn't find the words to refute him.
'Because the facts... seemed to be exactly as he'd said.'