Chapter 29: I Made You Worry

"Alright, Yaoyao, since you claim this jade pendant is yours, then take it."

Mrs. Xu, sensing that Xingyue was likely lying, could not bear to see her daughter embarrassed in front of others. She stepped in to smooth things over, adding, "I’ll buy Xingyue a new one another day."

Mrs. Xu just wanted to put this matter to rest as quickly as possible, hoping to avoid any further complications.

"No need." Lu Yao saw through Mrs. Xu’s intentions and flatly refused. "This jade pendant is mine to begin with; I don't need you to yield it to me. Xu Xingyue, you owe me an apology."

She had wasted so much time here for the sole purpose of getting an apology from Xu Xingyue. Otherwise, why would she bother talking to them at all?

"Mom!" Xu Xingyue grabbed Mrs. Xu’s hand, acting spoiled. She could not apologize to Lu Yao, for doing so would confirm that she had gone into her room and stolen the pendant.

"Alright, alright, I will talk to her." Unable to bear the thought of her daughter being wronged, Mrs. Xu turned her gaze back to Lu Yao. "Yaoyao, this must be a misunderstanding. Xingyue likely has a pendant identical to yours, which is why she was mistaken. Can’t you just let it go for our sake?"

"Sister Yaoyao, the pendant I lost earlier is actually the same as yours. Just as Mom said, I might have misidentified it," Xu Xingyue whispered.

"Yaoyao, Xingyue is younger than you. If you knew what was going on, why didn't you just tell us privately?" Mr. Xu interjected. "Look at the scene you’ve caused now!"

"If I had told you privately, would you have believed me?" Lu Yao retorted. "No! You would only have sided with Xu Xingyue, accusing me of being jealous and wanting to steal her things, and then you would have scolded me."

Mr. and Mrs. Xu both fell silent. That was indeed how it had always been.

"Right now, we are talking about Xu Xingyue stealing my jade pendant," she emphasized repeatedly and earnestly. "Mr. Xu, instead of disciplining her, you are pushing all the responsibility onto me. Isn't it just because you think I am alone, without any backing, and therefore easy to bully?"

Mr. Xu’s face turned a mixture of blue and red from the sarcasm.

"Mr. Xu, Miss Lu is now under the protection of Young Master Xiang," Cheng Gang, who had been standing by for some time, realized this family was truly insufferable and spoke up sternly. "If you insist on siding with your other daughter while slandering someone who belongs to Young Master Xiang, he will be very angry when he finds out."

"Assistant Cheng, you’ve misunderstood," Mr. Xu hurriedly explained. "I only meant that Xingyue also had a pendant like this. She has no witnesses, and no one can prove the origin of this piece. Yaoyao, how can you claim that Xingyue took it from her room?"

"Sir, I can testify." At this moment, Wu Ma, who had finished her work in the kitchen and learned of the situation in the living room, stood up after much deliberation.

Upon seeing Wu Ma, a flash of panic crossed Xu Xingyue’s eyes. "Why aren't you staying in the kitchen doing your work? What are you doing here?"

Wu Ma had seen her enter their room that day. She absolutely could not let her stand out and accuse her. "Mom, hurry and send Wu Ma away!"

Mrs. Xu’s expression was complex. "Wu Ma, you’ve been with the Xu family for over thirty years. We have never treated you poorly, have we? This is where we entertain guests; what are you doing here? Get out!"

"Auntie Wu!" Lu Yao looked at Wu Ma in shock.

Wu Ma untied her apron, walked over to Lu Yao, and gently patted her hand in comfort. "Sir, Madam," Wu Ma said, nodding respectfully before speaking earnestly. "Today, shortly after Miss Yaoyao left, Miss Xingyue said she wanted to give her a surprise and then went into the room shared by Miss Yaoyao and me. That jade pendant must have been taken from the room during that time."

"You’re lying!" Xu Xingyue cried out in shame and anger. "Mom, Wu Ma is framing me! Look at how close she is to Sister Yaoyao. It must be that after Sister Yaoyao came back, she gave her some benefit, and they conspired together to frame me. Yes, that must be it!"

Wu Ma had worked for the Xu family for nearly thirty years. Mr. and Mrs. Xu knew her character well; she was certainly not the type of person Xu Xingyue described—someone who would frame others for a small favor. However, the matter now concerned Xu Xingyue’s reputation and the face of the Xu family. Even if it was true, as Wu Ma claimed, they could not admit that Xu Xingyue had done it.

"Wu Ma, you had better think carefully," Mr. Xu threatened. "Xingyue has only been with our family for a few years. While she may not be as worldly as an adult, she is kind at heart. You say you saw her enter the room, but how can you prove she took the pendant? Did you see it with your own eyes?"

"I… I didn't see it with my own eyes!" Wu Ma faltered under Mr. Xu’s questioning.

It was true that Wu Ma had not seen Xu Xingyue in the act of stealing the pendant. But only Wu Ma and Lu Yao lived in that room. Wu Ma hadn't taken it, and Lu Yao hadn't taken it; only Xu Xingyue had entered the room in the meantime. Since the pendant was now around her neck, who else could have taken it?

"Since you didn't see her take it with your own eyes, how can you prove it?"

"I!"

"Wu Ma, I never expected you to be this kind of person," Mrs. Xu interrupted with feigned grief before Wu Ma could explain. "For your own selfish reasons, you would actually frame Xingyue. Our family truly misjudged you."

"No, Madam, I am not lying," Wu Ma explained in a panic. But Mrs. Xu did not want to listen.

"Wu Ma, out of respect for the thirty years of employment with our family, we will not pursue this matter further today," Mr. Xu said sternly. "But from today on, collect your pay and do not come back. Our family has no need for someone who bites the hand that feeds them."

Wu Ma’s face turned pale, and she looked as though she might collapse. Had Lu Yao not been there to support her, she might have crumbled to the floor from the blow.

"Are you alright, Wu Ma?"

Wu Ma gathered herself and shook her head. "I'm fine. Miss Yaoyao, I’ve worried you."