"What happened?" Sandy asked in a low voice.
Lan Haolin walked in, carrying the Marquis Bert. "Do I need to ask? It's all this old man's daughter's doing!"
Lan Haolin shoved the Marquis Bert into a corner and said sternly, "You still want to see your daughter? I'm telling you, if anything happens to my granddaughter, I'll make sure you and your daughter never see each other again in this lifetime!"
Sandy, with a dark expression, walked up to the Marquis Bert. "Is this how you educate your daughter?"
The Marquis Bert lowered his head, unable to speak of his grievances. "After I go back, I will educate her properly."
Lan Haolin snorted. "She can even lay hands on a child. You certainly need to educate her well. If you can't educate her well, I don't mind educating her for you!"
Bert looked up at him. "Could there be some misunderstanding here? Jenny is very timid. How could she possibly lay hands on a child?"
"I've already sent someone to copy the surveillance footage. I'll let you see for yourself how malicious your so-called timid girl is!"
As soon as Lan Haolin finished speaking, Lan Mushang walked in with a laptop.
Lan Mushang cast a sinister glance at Bert and projected the image onto the LCD TV.
In the video, Nana, Chaochao, Mumu, and Jenny were walking along the lake towards Nana's sleeping quarters.
The two little ones were sandwiched between Nana and Jenny, pointing at the koi in the lake and saying something. Halfway through, Jenny suddenly quickened her pace and reached out towards Mumu, who was looking at the fish. Just then, Chaochao reached out and pulled Mumu away. Due to the momentum, Jenny fell into the water with a splash.
Nan Xiao looked at Chaochao. "Chaochao, did you see Jenny about to push your sister?"
Chaochao said with a stern little face, "No, I didn't. I don't know she was going to push my sister. I just thought my sister was too close to the lake, so I pulled her back for fear she'd fall."
Nan Xiao wiped the tears from his daughter's face. "Before your brother pulled you, did you say anything to that woman?"
Mumu sobbed and shook her head.
Chaochao furrowed his small brows and said, "Are you scared silly? You didn't say anything to her, but you did say something to Aunt Nana, that no one was as pretty as her mother. It was probably because of what you said that she got angry."
Nana tugged at her hair. "It's my fault. I was the one who teased Mumu with that sentence."
Camino, who had been silent, frowned and scolded, "Why are you everywhere!"
Nana pouted. "I just asked Mumu if I was prettier or if her mother was prettier. Mumu just said that in this world, no one was as beautiful as her mother. Who knew Jenny would get angry."
Camino gave her a sideways glance and turned to leave.
Seeing this, Lan Mushang quickly followed him. However, after he went out, he slowed down. When he reached the lakeside, he saw Camino kick Jenny, who was curled up on the bank, into the water.
Lan Mushang walked over unhurriedly. Seeing that Jenny had choked on several mouthfuls of water, he then instructed the servants to rescue her.
Camino looked at him with great dissatisfaction. "Why are you still saving such a venomous woman!"
"If a life is lost in the imperial palace, what will outsiders say about you!"
"She just choked on a few mouthfuls of water, how could that be fatal?"
"Her heart is not good. Believe me, look."
Camino looked at Jenny's purplish lips and frowned slightly. "This sort of person is still going to marry into the royal family. The offspring she gives birth to will all be sickly."
Lan Mushang gave him a helpless look and beckoned to the servants, telling them to quickly carry the person to the side hall to be treated by a doctor.
Meanwhile, Lan Yuxi, after comforting Mumu, said to Bert, "Go and see Jenny. This matter is over. I will not pursue any responsibility for her."
Lan Haolin said coldly, "No!"
"Dad, perhaps Jenny didn't mean it. Please don't interfere with this matter," Lan Yuxi said, giving her father a look.
Lan Haolin looked at her, then at his granddaughter. Seeing that she had stopped crying, he waved his hand at Bert.
Bert thanked him as if he had been granted a pardon and dashed out.
Sandy frowned slightly. "Although Xi'er says this matter is past, it absolutely cannot end here! When the time comes, I will definitely have Bert come to your house with a heavy gift to apologize."
Nan Xiao said coldly, "No need. We don't lack anything from their family. From now on, just keep her away from my son and daughter."
Beth said apologetically, "This is my fault."
"Auntie, this has nothing to do with you." Nan Xiao looked at Sandy. "Uncle, we've talked about most of what we needed to today. We'll be leaving now."
Sandy was slightly taken aback. "Then what about tonight's banquet?"
"I'll take them back first, and I'll come back for the banquet later."
"I'm truly sorry."
"There's really no need to say that. This has nothing to do with you." Nan Xiao reached out, took Chaochao's hand, and holding Mumu, walked out first.
Sandy looked at Lan Haolin with guilt.
Lan Haolin signaled that it was alright, then left with Tang Wan and Lan Yuxi.
When Camino rushed back, Sandy had already led everyone in sending the Nan Xiao family out of the imperial palace.
In the car, Mumu leaned into her father's embrace and reached out to smooth his slightly furrowed brow.
"Daddy, I'm fine. Can you smile for me?"
Nan Xiao held her small hand and gently bit it. "You are not allowed to play near the water anymore, understand!"
"Okay." Mumu obediently nodded her little head.
Seeing his daughter agree, Nan Xiao turned to his son. "How did you make her lean forward?"
Chaochao pursed his small lips. "I kicked a stone at her knee. She was pushed forward by the external force and reached out to grab something, which gave outsiders the illusion that she was about to push my sister."
"And did you consider that if you hadn't pulled Mumu away, that woman might very well have fallen in with your sister?"
"I believe in myself, and I believe in my sister. This possibility would not have occurred."
Nan Xiao raised an eyebrow slightly. "How did that woman offend you so much that you had to deal with her like this?"
Chaochao pouted. "She has a deep hostility towards Mommy!"
Nan Xiao reached out and stroked his small head. "For the way you protect your mother, I won't scold you for today's incident. However, in the future, when you do such things, you must pay attention to your and your sister's safety, and remember, absolutely do not play by the water!"
Lan Yuxi looked at him. He had emphasized not playing by the water twice, showing how deep a psychological shadow it had cast on him.
Lan Haolin finally understood. It wasn't that his daughter and son-in-law were generous; it was that they had long known these two children were up to something.
Lan Haolin turned to Tang Wan. "Jenny and Xi'er didn't know each other before. Why does she have such great hostility towards Xi'er?"
Tang Wan gave him a look that said "Mind your own business" and then secretly glanced at Nan Xiao's expression.