Lan Yan continued, "But I don't think I was mistaken. The figure from last night was you, Butler." Her eyes were fixed on the butler, waiting to see what he would say.
The butler suppressed the anger in his eyes and, with a smile, replied, "Last night, I was in my room the entire time. The lamp was on all night. Please don't say such things again, Lan Yan. I have other matters to attend to, so I'll be going now."
He then walked towards the corridor, the hatred evident in his eyes.
Lan Yan muttered, "Sooner or later, I'll catch your true colors." She had merely been suspicious before, but the butler's deliberate evasion now solidified her thoughts.
She then went to find Jun Yelan. Upon reaching the door, she saw Jun Yelan with a doctor, his complexion still not good. She swallowed the words on her tongue and walked in.
Seeing her arrive, Jun Yelan waved the doctor away.
"Jun Yelan, how is your body? Does the wound still hurt?" Lan Yan had slept too soundly last night and had forgotten that Jun Yelan, a patient, was alone.
Jun Yelan looked at Lan Yan's tightly furrowed brow, feeling an urge to smooth it out. However, he was too severely injured to even lift his hand, so he could only pat the side of the bed.
Lan Yan sat down, her gaze still fixed on Jun Yelan, her eyes full of worry.
"Don't worry, the doctor just examined me. I'm fine," Jun Yelan said softly, his complexion softening.
Lan Yan breathed a sigh of relief, pulled the blanket up to Jun Yelan's neck, and cautioned, "But you still need to rest well, especially now that it's cold. It's easy for your condition to worsen."
"If you have any matters to attend to, please wait," she added, anticipating that Jun Yelan might handle official business while still ill.
Jun Yelan had indeed intended to do so, but upon hearing Lan Yan's words, he nodded. "Alright." He noticed that Lan Yan hadn't asked why he was injured and said, "Aren't you going to ask?"
"There's nothing to ask," Lan Yan replied. She arranged the medicine bottles left by the doctor, poured a pill into Jun Yelan's hand, and then brought him a cup of water. "Your task now is to recover. As for the person who harmed you like this, I believe you will get revenge once you are well."
Jun Yelan was slightly taken aback. He swallowed the pill and responded, "I was ambushed by those people. I will find them and uproot them one by one."
He also suspected an informant within the manor, but he didn't mention it to avoid worrying Lan Yan.
"Good. You should sleep for a while longer. I'll go to the kitchen to cook some porridge for you," Lan Yan said with a smile as she stood up. She walked to the door, closed it, and called out, "Jun Yelan, you must be obedient!"
Jun Yelan listened to the sound of her departing footsteps, a slight smile appearing on his lips as he leaned back against the headboard and closed his eyes.
Lan Yan arrived at the kitchen and saw the cooks standing on either side. She approached Hui Niang and asked, "What happened here?" She had only been away for a short while, and now something else had occurred.
Hui Niang shook her head. "I don't know. The butler suddenly brought people here, saying they were looking for something, and it's related to what happened to the Director."
"What?" Lan Yan frowned. What was this butler up to?
There was movement from a room inside. The butler emerged with his men, holding an ugly doll with needles stuck in its back. He scanned the room and asked, "Whose is this?"
Lan Yan looked over, not recognizing the doll at all, and glanced around.
However, a cook stepped forward, her body trembling, and called out, "I've seen that doll before. It belongs to Lan Yan. That room is also the one Lan Yan has been using, and no one else can enter."
Lan Yan was momentarily speechless. Meeting the butler's gaze, she declared, "This is a frame-up. I've never seen it!"
A flicker of triumph crossed the butler's eyes. He pointed at the cook and said, "Lan Yan, with both a witness and evidence, what reason do you have to deny it? Guards, escort Lan Yan out of the manor!"
Since his actions had been discovered, he had to strike first.
Lan Yan looked at the approaching guards and glared at the butler. "Butler, you should think carefully. This manor is not run by you. If I didn't do it, then I didn't do it. It's you who has problems."
Seeing Lan Yan about to reveal something, the butler shouted again, "Quick, escort her out!"
As Lan Yan was about to be dragged away, a voice called out from the doorway, "Stop."
Jun Yelan appeared at the entrance, his face pale but exuding an undeniable cold aura. He glanced at Lan Yan, reassuring her with his eyes.
Then, he turned his attention to the butler and said coldly, "Whom do you intend to escort out?"
The butler trembled and handed over the doll. "Director, this belongs to Lan Yan. It's a prohibited sorcery. She was cursing you, which is why you were injured."
"Hmph," Jun Yelan sneered. "I have never believed in such things. The injuries I sustained were at the hands of others. Lan Yan is my person, and no one can dictate her affairs."
His eyes fixed fiercely on the butler, and then on everyone present.
The butler quickly lowered his head, remaining silent, hiding the panic in his eyes.
Seeing this, the others did the same. They hadn't wanted to harm Lan Yan in the first place, but they couldn't defy the butler.
Jun Yelan walked over to Lan Yan, supported her arm, and asked, "Are you alright?" His voice held a hint of anxiety, and his grip on her arm was slightly firm.
Lan Yan, who had intended to say she was fine, felt a surge of grievance. "Director, let's go back first." She felt a strong urge to leave, lest she be tempted to beat the butler.
"Mm," Jun Yelan replied, supporting Lan Yan as they walked towards the door. He would deal with those who wished to harm Lan Yan!
Seizing the opportunity, Lan Yan recounted what she had seen the butler doing the previous night. "Director, the butler's haste indicates the gravity of his actions. You must be cautious."
Jun Yelan turned to look at Lan Yan, wondering why she wasn't calling him by name anymore. His eyes darkened slightly before returning to normal. "By acting this way, he has revealed his hand. Let him continue to act rashly out of desperation."
His gaze deepened as he thought of a good plan.
Lan Yan nodded. "Director, if you need any help, don't hesitate to ask. He targeted me this time, and I won't let him get away with it. Director, don't let my appearance fool you, I'm actually quite vengeful."
Jun Yelan suppressed a smile. "Alright, I'll leave it to you." Seeing Lan Yan's cheerful demeanor, his own gloominess lessened.
Subsequently, Lan Yan emerged from Jun Yelan's room, holding a letter. She deliberately passed by the front courtyard and handed it to Song Cheng. "This is the evidence Director has collected this time. Please keep it safe."
"Yes," Song Cheng replied. Although he didn't understand why the Director had done this, he took the letter and left.
Lan Yan also departed, glancing back at the butler who was hiding behind her, a smile playing on her lips.
The butler quickly returned to the manor, wrote a note, and hurried towards the back gate. He had already aroused Jun Yelan's suspicion and needed to transmit the message quickly to seek his master's protection.
He slipped the note under the door, turned to leave, and then froze as a group of people appeared before him, his pupils dilating in shock!