Chapter 252: Chapter 252: Whose Side Is He Really On?

The statement shocked everyone.

"Someone Aunt Xu was familiar with?"

Everyone’s gaze fell upon Lu Lan.

Lu Lan quietly clenched her fists, her back drenched in a cold sweat. Her heart seethed with hatred.

’She had calculated every possibility, but she’d never expected her eldest brother to return today.’

’If he hadn’t returned, she would have already sent Zhi Wan to prison...’

She suppressed the hatred in her heart and faced the crowd’s suspicious gazes. "Come to think of it," she said indignantly, "Zhi Wan could also be considered someone my mother was familiar with. My mother must have let her guard down around Zhi Wan, which is how she was ambushed and killed!"

Seeing that she was still trying to pin the murder on Zhi Wan even at this stage, Lady Wei rebuked her angrily, "Lu Lan, don’t try to muddy the waters. The official said it was someone Aunt Xu was familiar with and *valued*. In this entire household, who would Aunt Xu value besides you? Only if you, her own daughter, were the one to strike would Aunt Xu not resist and allow you to kill her.

Zhi Wan and Aunt Xu were barely acquainted, so how could she be someone Aunt Xu valued?"

Lu Lan said with grief and indignation, "Aunt values Zhi Wan, so you’re trying every way to clear her of suspicion. What a fine scheme, Aunt."

Lady Wei laughed in anger. "Of course I value Zhi Wan. She has always been kind-hearted and could never do something so monstrous. Don’t even think about framing her for Aunt Xu’s death!"

"Mother, do you see? Your daughter can’t even get justice for you. I’m so useless..." Lu Lan knelt by the bed, collapsed next to Aunt Xu’s body, and broke into heart-wrenching sobs.

Lady Wei sneered.

’I really underestimated this little bitch, Lu Lan. Seeing the situation turn against her, she deliberately puts on this frail act to gain sympathy and divert everyone’s attention.’

"What’s happened? Why is everyone gathered in Yaoguang Pavilion?"

Just then, Old Madam Lu’s voice sounded from outside the door.

Immediately after, Old Madam Lu, Lu Jingsi, Lady Lou, and Lu Jun walked in.

When they saw the breathless body of Aunt Xu on the bed, all four of them were stunned.

Old Madam Lu and Lu Jingsi, in particular, cried out in shock and anger, "Who killed Lady Xu?"

"How could this happen?" Lu Jun was also shocked. Seeing that Lu Zhan had unexpectedly returned, he was surprised and hurried forward to ask, "Big Brother, what is going on?"

Looking at Lu Lan, who was collapsed over Aunt Xu’s body and sobbing, a frosty look covered Lu Zhan’s face. He said in a deep voice, "Lu Lan killed Aunt Xu!"

"What?" Lu Jun froze on the spot, his face a mask of disbelief. "H-How is that possible?"

Lu Lan cried even more sorrowfully, choking out, "Big Brother, even if you want to protect Zhi Wan, you shouldn’t pin this crime on me! This is my mother, my birth mother! No matter how unfilial I am, I would never go so far as to kill my own mother..."

Lu Jingsi snapped back to his senses and glared at Lu Zhan, demanding, "Lu Zhan, how can you slander Lan’er like this? Lady Xu was her birth mother! How could she do something so monstrous?"

Lu Zhan said coldly, "Lu Lan knows perfectly well whether she did it or not. There’s no need for you to rush to her defense, Second Uncle!"

"Indeed, Second Master Lu. All the evidence points to Miss Lu. She is a person of great interest," the official couldn’t help but add.

"Bullshit! What evidence?" Lu Jingsi flew into a rage. "Lady Xu died perfectly fine in Zhi Wan’s room. In my opinion, *she* is the biggest suspect in Lady Xu’s murder."

"By that logic, Second Uncle, if a thief plants stolen goods in your room, does that make you the thief?" Lu Zhan’s handsome face darkened.

Lu Jingsi snapped, "I am your elder! How dare you speak to me like that?"

"You were the one being unreasonable first, Second Uncle!" Lu Zhan’s voice was cold.

"Second Brother-in-law, you don’t understand anything. You just arrived and you’re already trying to absolve Lu Lan, even trying to pin the crime on Wan’er. If that animal Lu Lan kills you one day, don’t come crying back with regrets!" Lady Wei said furiously.

Old Madam Lu struck her cane heavily on the floor. "All of you, shut up!" she said, her voice filled with grief. "Aunt Xu is the one who’s dead! Does anyone here feel any sympathy for Lan’er? Lan’er has lost her birth mother. She’s pitiful enough as it is. Are you really going to accuse her of matricide?"

Lady Wei said sarcastically, "The one to be pitied is Aunt Xu, not Lu Lan! Being murdered by her own daughter is what’s truly pitiful!"

"Wei Minghui!" Old Madam Lu struck her cane on the floor heavily again and snapped, "Don’t be so harsh. You say Lan’er killed Lady Xu. What evidence do you have?"

"You’ve hit on the key point, Old Madam. Of course we have evidence. We wouldn’t say Aunt Xu was killed by Lu Lan otherwise. The Forensic Doctor has already examined the body, and Ah Zhan and this official have also inspected the scene. All the evidence points to Lu Lan," Lady Wei said, her voice firm and resolute.

Old Madam Lu’s expression darkened. "What evidence?"

Lu Jingsi also said with a grim face, "Sister-in-law, you can’t just make things up!"

Lady Wei snorted and pointed toward the bed. "If you’re not blind, you should be able to see that Aunt Xu died on this bed, yet the bedding is perfectly neat, not disheveled in the slightest.

This shows that when Aunt Xu was killed, she didn’t struggle at all. She willingly allowed the murderer to kill her.

Furthermore, her expression is peaceful, without a trace of pain or terror. She even looks somewhat gratified. This indicates that her killer was someone she knew and cherished.

Why would she be gratified?

Because she fulfilled her daughter’s wish, she could die without regret!"

"That’s complete nonsense! Lady Xu is dead, so of course you can say whatever you want," Lu Jingsi retorted angrily.

"No, Father, I think Aunt has a point," Lu Jun, who had been examining the bedside, spoke up. "Aunt Xu looks very peaceful, and the bedding is perfectly neat and not disheveled at all. This means she really didn’t struggle or feel any pain when she was killed. But when someone is being murdered, how can they not struggle or feel pain? Unless... they were willing to die."

Hearing this, Lu Jingsi shot him a fierce glare.

’This bookworm... whose side is he on, anyway?’

"A scholar’s mind is indeed sharper than most. Jun’er’s studies haven’t been in vain," Lady Wei said with praise.

Lu Jun scratched his head. "But why would Aunt Xu be willing to die? Why would she look gratified? What kind of wish did she help her killer fulfill?"

"Good question!" the official from before also said approvingly, his gaze shifting between Lu Lan and Zhi Wan. "This brings us to the matter of what sort of grudge exists between you two young ladies. And according to what Mr. Lu just said, Miss Lu has harmed Miss Zhi in the past?"

Lu Lan wiped her tears and sobbed, "There’s no grudge. I’ve never harmed Zhi Wan."

Zhi Wan shot her a sarcastic glance and spoke up, "Sir, allow me to explain."

"Please, Miss Zhi," the official nodded.

"The grudge between Lu Lan and me began when she was sullied by someone," Zhi Wan said calmly.

Those words, "sullied by someone," pushed Lu Lan’s hatred to its peak. She clenched her fists tightly and cried out, "Zhi Wan, I’ve always treated you like an older sister! Do you have to tear open my wounds to be happy? Is that it?"

Old Madam Lu’s face fell. She suddenly raised her cane and swung it at Zhi Wan. "How can you be so vicious?"