"Changhe, is the rumor about Miss Li true?" Fang Xuehua asked her young uncle-in-law cautiously.
"Why would sister-in-law ask that?" Zhang Changhe replied indifferently.
"Lately, whenever I go out, I hear people gossiping about Miss Li. They say such nasty things that several times I couldn't help but step forward to argue with them. Not to mention Li Shiyun has nothing to do with Miss Li, but even if they were related, what difference would it make? I've seen Miss Li for what she is – she's as kind as can be. When she was a prostitute, she had no choice. She's shown you her true heart, and you can't turn your back on her because of that, can you? That would be too much for her to bear."
Regardless of what others said, in Fang Xuehua's heart, Miss Li was her great benefactor. Fearing that he might distance himself from her because of this, she quickly explained.
"Sister-in-law, please rest assured. I would never betray her in this life. For the next while, everyone should go out less. In the future, if you encounter such things, sister-in-law, don't step forward to argue with them. Even if you silence one or two people, what can you do to silence the endless gossip? Miss Li's businesses have been developing well recently. She's encroached on others' territories and infringed upon their interests, so it's inevitable that she'll stir up trouble. It will pass in a while."
Zhang Changhe understood the truth of the matter. He knew that her past as a prostitute had been exposed, and people would look at her with strange eyes, causing her businesses to plummet. More importantly, the people lurking in the shadows would succeed in their schemes, which was something they did not wish to see.
To have the matter spread like wildfire in just two days, Wu Caiwei didn't believe the Xu family wasn't fanning the flames. She felt it was time to teach the Xu family a lesson. Old Master Xu, knowing full well that she had changed her appearance, was still secretly resorting to petty tricks. He must be tired of living; she wouldn't mind helping him on his way.
As the matter developed in the direction she had hoped, Old Master Xu couldn't help but feel smug. Who told her to disregard his words? Now he had caught her red-handed. Although there was no concrete evidence to prove that Li Shiqin was Li Shiyun, sometimes people's suspicions and spit could drown a person.
Old Master Xu truly didn't take Wu Caiwei's few shops seriously. With so many merchants, if it wasn't her, it would be someone else. What he truly coveted was Wu Caiwei's formulas. He had deliberately visited her shops and bought some, testing them and secretly praising them. No wonder she could establish herself in Yangcheng in such a short time.
In his youth, Old Master Xu had been ambitious and wanted to achieve great things. He had traveled to many places, but without connections or strong abilities, he couldn't establish himself. After losing a lot of money, he had sheepishly returned to Yangcheng, his base, and honestly inherited the position of family head. For many years, although he had been maintaining the status quo, he had been secretly accumulating strength, waiting for the right opportunity to expand the Xu family.
Wu Caiwei's arrival gave him hope, and the desires in a certain corner of his heart surged once more. He knew that the formulas were the result of generations of accumulation. He didn't dare to directly ask to purchase them, but he had tried to drive her out of Yangcheng and failed.
At first, Wu Caiwei's words had indeed frightened him. But as time passed, Old Master Xu felt that perhaps she was deceiving him. Besides, fortune favors the bold. Perhaps she was just a paper tiger. If he pushed a little harder, maybe he could get his hands on those formulas and the wealth of the Xu family.
He then sent people to Blue City to inquire about Li Shiyun's fate. To his surprise, the last time people in Blue City saw her was at the docks. Li Shiqin had also arrived in Yangcheng around that time. Sometimes, too many coincidences pointed to the truth. Although he felt the situation was somewhat unbelievable and the common people might not believe it if it spread, sometimes you didn't need concrete evidence to ruin someone's reputation and make them unable to stay in Yangcheng, thus achieving his goal.
What he never expected was Wu Caiwei's strong psychological resilience. Facing public condemnation, she could walk down the street with a calm face. If it were him, he would have definitely hidden in his mansion for a while, trying to divert everyone's attention and suppress the matter. Her bold appearance, facing the gossip with a smile, made people curious and also began to suspect if the rumors were false. If she had truly been a prostitute, how could she face such gossip so frankly?
While admiring her, Old Master Xu once again regretted that such a capable person was not a member of the Xu family. If Wu Caiwei already knew of his actions, she had to fight him to the end, otherwise, nurturing a tiger would lead to disaster, and one day she would become a stumbling block for the Xu family.
If this couldn't defeat her, then tomorrow he would find a group of assassins. That would surely make her disappear from this world. He went to the room of his most beloved concubine as usual, and after some intimacy, just as they were about to sleep.
The concubine looked outside with a terrified gaze. Old Master Xu was startled and followed her gaze, almost screaming. He never expected the person he most wanted to disappear from this world to suddenly appear before him and his concubine, sword in hand.
The concubine, flustered, hid behind the master. She didn't understand how this woman had entered their room. The moment she saw the way the woman looked at her master, she knew the visitor was not friendly. While panicking, she also sighed about her bad luck.
Old Master Xu was old enough to be her grandfather, and she naturally had no feelings for him. She married him for power and money, wanting to live a good life with him. Little did she expect that after only a few days of good life, she would witness such a terrifying scene. The more she thought about it, the faster tears flowed. She truly regretted sending her maid to bring soup to her master today, hinting that he should come to see her.
"Miss Li, if you take another step forward, I will shout for help. Even if you kill us both, my servants will arrive soon. As soon as they see your face, you won't be able to stay in this city anymore. I know why Miss Li is here. Don't worry, the rumors will stop tomorrow, and something new will overshadow it."
Old Master Xu had been in the business world for a lifetime. He was very smooth in his dealings, adaptable and flexible. Realizing he had met his match, he combined threats and promises, trying to make her abandon any dangerous thoughts. It was better to keep a low profile and wait for a better opportunity.
"Old Master Xu speaks lightly. Some damage has already been done. Even if you want to make amends, it's too late. Don't worry, although I can kill you both silently today, I won't resort to taking your lives over such a small matter." Wu Caiwei said, approaching him meaningfully.