Chapter 791: Chapter 791: Can I do something for you?

Li Qiao shifted her gaze away from Yin Mo’s face, her lips curving into a smile, “The Xiao family is always around, but it isn’t easy for us to meet.”

The things she wanted to know would come to light sooner or later.

Compared to the Chairman Family, she was more interested in Yin Mo’s current situation.

After a moment, Yin Mo regained her composure, her voice steady and unruffled as she said everything she wanted to say.

In this world, probably only Li Qiao could make her act recklessly without thought of the consequences.

Elsewhere, Shang Yu crossed his long legs in front of him, fiddling with a lighter. He lifted his eyelids and spoke in a deep voice, “Not planning on going back yet?”

He Chen sat opposite him, his handsome face bearing a frivolous smile, “What’s the matter? Does my staying in British Imperial inconvenience you?”

The man’s cold gaze flickered towards him as he curled his lips in amusement, “Addicted to being a spy?”

“Yeah, addicted,” He Chen said, his eyes inadvertently glancing at Yin Mo. After pondering for a few seconds, his smile deepened, “Interesting.”

Shang Yu’s gaze swept past Yin Mo, his deep voice reminding, “You know her relationship with Qiaoqiao.”

He Chen stretched out his long legs and shook his ankle, wobbling his leather shoe, “Do you control the heavens, the earth, and now also people’s love affairs?”

The Scripture Pavilion was already very quiet; He Chen’s words inappropriately reached the ears of Li Qiao and Yin Mo, plunging the surroundings into a death-like silence.

Liuyun and Luoyu, not too far off, turned towards the voice, their looks towards He Chen filled with strangeness.

Li Qiao couldn’t help but raise her eyebrows, an expression intriguing and suggestive.

Yin Mo’s face tensed, her demeanor nonchalant as she shook her head, “Don’t listen to his nonsense; we’re not close.”

“Oh,” Li Qiao caressed her notebook, her tone seemingly amused but not quite, “It seems he didn’t specify who he’s having a love affair with…”

Yin Mo was taken aback, a hint of embarrassment flashing in her eyes, “Anyway, it’s not me.”

Li Qiao nodded to herself, slightly suppressing her amusement, and returned to the previous topic, “So, you’re saying the main reason Uncle Yin refuses to leave Charlman Manor is what?”

Yin Mo’s eyes revealed confusion as she slightly furrowed her brow, “I don’t know. He is too blindly loyal to the Old Duke; every time I bring up leaving, he flies into a rage.”

And more than that, he would even hit her.

Yin Mo never understood why, as a servant, her dad held such deep-rooted loyalty to the Old Duke.

Even though Charlman Manor had given him his deserved status and wealth, at the end of the day, it was all benevolence from above.

Of course, aside from matters of principle, Yin Zhihong indeed was a good father.

Yin Mo spread out her hands and rubbed her cheeks, her voice slowly seeping through her fingers, “There’s no helping it, I’ve tried. My dad is the confidant of the Old Duke and has done many things for him over the years. To be fair, if I were the Old Duke, I wouldn’t easily let my dad go either.”

Li Qiao didn’t respond, genuinely sensing the difficulty of Yin Mo’s situation.

She could overlook the Chairman Family but couldn’t neglect her parents.

At that moment, Yin Mo looked up, her tone solemn as she cautioned, “Qiaoqiao, don’t trust anyone from the Xiao family, and be especially careful if you ever meet the Old Duke.”

This was probably the first time Li Qiao had heard about the affairs of the Old Duke.

Yin Mo said, “He’s elusive and his methods are exceedingly vile; he’s claimed to be seriously ill these years, but it’s all been a lie. Three years ago…”

At this point, she paused for a few seconds, looking intently into Li Qiao’s eyes, probing, “Has Xiao Yehui ever spoken to you about the incident from three years ago?”

Li Qiao gently shook her head, her expression calm, “Let’s hear it.”

Yin Mo clenched her fingers and sighed softly, “I don’t know much. Three years ago, shortly after I returned to the British Imperial, I was passing by the Old Duke’s study and accidentally overheard an argument.”

That day, through the door, she heard Xiao Yehui’s roar: “I’ve already returned, if you dare to harm them again, you might as well kill me too.”

The study’s door was originally soundproof, but Xiao Yehui’s shouting could be heard through it, indicating just how loud he had been.

Li Qiao heard this statement without any reaction.

Next, Yin Mo revealed another crucial clue, “Also, the border incident that year, those mercenaries were acting under someone’s orders.”

“The Old Duke?” Li Qiao narrowed her eyes, the temperature in her gaze continued to drop.

Yin Mo pursed her lips, speaking with difficulty, “It’s very likely him. Because before the incident, Xiao Yehui had said he didn’t want to return to the British Imperial to inherit the dukedom prematurely.”

Li Qiao understood, and the events from three years ago began to connect in her mind.

Yin Mo glanced furtively at Shang Yu not far away and leaned in again, adding in a tone only the two of them could hear, “Did you know? Xiao Yehui didn’t want to leave the border at that time, and it was Madam Xiao who was helping him conceal his whereabouts.”

Li Qiao raised her eyebrows in surprise, “Madam Xiao helped him?”

It was odd, was it merely the care of a stepmother for her stepson?

Then, Yin Mo resolved her confusion, “I heard my mother mention in private that years ago, when Madam Xiao was pregnant with her second child, the Old Duke joked that if it was a boy, he might consider bestowing the dukedom on Madam Xiao’s child.”

“I see.”

Yin Mo nodded affirmatively, “My mother wouldn’t speak carelessly. I was only in my teens at the time and didn’t pay much attention, but I remember clearly that Madam Xiao married into the family less than a year after the Duchess passed away.”

Such past events were only known by those personally involved; to others, it was like trying to glimpse a leopard through a tube.

Li Qiao narrowed her eyes in thought, tapping her fingers one by one on the table, “What was the cause of the Duchess’s death?”

“They say it was a myocardial infarction,” Yin Mo mused aloud, “The Duchess’s death was sudden, and it happened to coincide with the Royal Family Crown Prince’s grand wedding. Due to the royal ceremony, the burial had to be rushed.”

Li Qiao thought for a moment, finding many suspicious points, “The Duchess’s death, unknown to the outside?”

Yin Mo laughed mockingly, “She was buried overnight in the nobility’s cemetery, and it wasn’t announced until after the royal celebrations were over. For this, the Royal Family even specially summoned the Old Duke to express their condolences and renamed the original city to Charlman City as compensation for his consideration of the royal ceremony.”

…

Twenty minutes later, Li Qiao and Yin Mo concluded their conversation.

Neither looked particularly happy, especially Yin Mo, who seemed preoccupied.

She bit the corner of her mouth, staring straight at Li Qiao, her eyes gradually becoming steadfast and resolute.

At this point, Li Qiao seemed to guess what was on her mind. She picked up the notebook, flipping it open again and advised unhurriedly, “Second sister, what happened to Yun Lih wasn’t your fault, there’s no need to do anything foolish.”

Yin Mo took a deep breath, looking at her toes, with a flat tone, “I may not be smart, but I have some advantages. Don’t worry, I won’t be rash. Xiao Yehui is not interested in medicine, and with my understanding of him, he doesn’t have the ability to concoct poison yet. The prescription must have come from someone else. Qiaoqiao, leave it to me, I’ll find it.”

Li Qiao frowned, preparing to decline Yin Mo’s offer.

Her own situation was concerning enough; acting rashly in the manor could easily arouse Xiao Yehui’s suspicion.

However, before Li Qiao could speak, Yin Mo leaned forward and took her hand, “Qi Zai, trust me this once, consider it giving me a chance to do something for you all, okay?”