Chapter 609 - Chapter 609: Chapter 615 (2/2)
How could there be rouge—a substance unique to a woman’s face—on Han Yu’s clothes? And not just at the spot she initially saw, but also some on the sleeve. It was hard for Su Wenyue to convince herself that it happened accidentally in casual contact with others.
Who was Han Yu? His usual aloof and unsociable demeanor had earned him the title “Cold-blooded General.” Especially given her consistent display of disapproval towards other women’s involvement with Han Yu, he was even more reserved around women. Even if some woman deliberately sought to get close to him, Han Yu would avoid it.
But the rouge stains on today’s clothes made Su Wenyue less certain. With someone else, it might have been an accidental transfer, but Han Yu was meticulous and disliked women approaching him. Even if it was unintentional, the woman involved must be no ordinary person. An average woman couldn’t get close to Han Yu’s person, let alone leave rouge at such suggestive places on his clothes.
Knowing this only made Su Wenyue’s heart more uneasy. She felt she trusted Han Yu, but the rouge on the clothes was inexplicable.
“Madam, what’s wrong?” Shu Xiang saw Su Wenyue holding Han Yu’s clothes in a daze, with a troubled expression, so she looked down at the clothes and didn’t miss the red marks, feeling somewhat heavy-hearted herself.
They were servant girls sent from the Su Mansion, and even though they now belonged to the Han Mansion, they sided with their mistress between the General and Madam. Not just that; after such a long time together, the mistress was a truly benevolent and good master to them. They had grown deeply affectionate towards her, and red stains like those on the clothes sparked inevitable suspicions. They did not wish for other women to come between the General and the Madam.
Caught by Shu Xiang’s question, Su Wenyue snapped out of her reverie, suppressed the emotions in her heart, and handed the clothes over to Shu Xiang.
Seeing Su Wenyue’s face remain expressionless, Shu Xiang grew even more worried. After a moment’s thought, she said, “Madam, don’t worry. All of us servants have seen the General’s affection for you, and then there are the three young masters. Even if the General truly… , he won’t treat Madam poorly.”
Although Shu Xiang was on Su Wenyue’s side, polygamy was a common practice for men of that era. And with the General’s growing power, even Shu Xiang thought it impossible for him to remain solely devoted to Madam. Hence, she could only try to console Madam. With three intelligent and promising young masters, and the Madam being the legal wife, no other woman could surpass her. As long as the Madam didn’t act rashly to a point of disdain from the General.
Shu Xiang’s concern was also because of Su Wenyue’s previous actions. The Madam had resorted to such blunt methods before, and Shu Xiang couldn’t gauge what her reaction would be. She wouldn’t go as far as to personally grab a stick and hit someone, would she?
She wasn’t worried about those vixens outside getting beaten by Madam, but more so that Madam’s excessive reaction could anger the Master and cause estrangement. At such times, it would be easy for ill-intentioned women to take advantage of the situation.
“Madam, even if the General has truly… those kinds of women are not worth your personal retribution. There are plenty of ways to teach them a lesson…”
“I have my own judgment, go on with your work,” Su Wenyue interrupted Shu Xiang before she could finish, waving her hand dismissively.
Leaving aside what the truth of the matter might be, which was still unclear, the marks on the clothes didn’t prove anything; they merely prompted some speculation. She remembered the promise she made to Han Yu: no matter what happened, she would confront him directly for clarification, not succumb to random suspicions or arbitrary conclusions.