Chapter 2676 — Framing Wei Zhao

"Yu Yi, something terrible has happened at home—Xiaoning has been abducted by Wei Zhao! Go and inform Father at once!" Yu Xiaochen said to Yu Yi.

"Ah! Yes!" The moment Yu Yi heard this, cold sweat broke out on his forehead, and he turned to hurry off and notify the Rain family patriarch.

Just then, the patriarch's voice rang out from within, and the next moment he appeared before Yu Xiaochen. "Xiaochen, what did you say? Wei Zhao has carried off Yu Ning? Is it true? Are you certain? Wei Zhao broke into our Hidden Rain family's old castle?"

"Father, here is how it happened—it was Yushan..." Yu Xiaochen then quickly recounted how, after the meal, Yushan had wanted to go out for a turn and had Yu Ning push his wheelchair outside, and then how Yushan had fallen unconscious and, upon waking, declared that Wei Zhao had taken Yu Ning.

"And this is all according to Yushan?" The Rain family patriarch, wise with age, was anxious but far more composed than Yu Xiaochen, and he immediately detected the inconsistencies. "What were they doing at the back mountain? Why go to such a remote place? And if Wei Zhao abducted Yu Ning, why leave Yushan alive? Why not kill him too? Weren't they enemies before?"

"That..." Yu Xiaochen, hearing this, grew somewhat doubtful himself. "I don't know why they went to such a remote spot either. Shall I go and ask again? But as for Wei Zhao not killing Yushan, one could understand it as him not wishing to make an enemy of our Hidden Rain family—after all, he is fond of Xiaoning, so it would be awkward to kill her family..."

The patriarch nodded noncommittally and said, "Come. Let us go and question Yushan together!"

"Yes!" Yu Xiaochen and Yu Yi hastily followed behind the patriarch, and the three of them went down the mountain together.

Seeing his plan succeed, Yushan was secretly delighted, though on the surface he still wore a look of utter helplessness. Yu Qi had already assigned people to widen the search, and nearly every hand in the Hidden Rain family had been sent out, yet still there was no word of Yu Ning.

Yushan knew. Zhao Qibing must have gotten away safely. The deed was done.

"Yushan, why did you and Yu Ning go to that remote back mountain?" Yushan was still gloating when the patriarch's deep, thunderous voice exploded behind him, startling him so badly he nearly fell out of his wheelchair!

"Ah, Grandfather..." After his recent period of despondency, Yushan had learned to keep his emotions off his face. Adjusting his mood, he turned with a look of fearful reverence. "Grandfather, my sister and I were saying a few things to smooth over our old grudges. Some servants were walking about nearby at the time. I was afraid they might overhear our family affairs and gossip, so I scolded one of them and told him to keep his distance. But Xiaoning has a kind heart and spoke up for him, not letting me scold him further. Then she pushed me to the back mountain, because there are fewer people there and it is easier to talk..."

Yushan shifted all the blame onto Yu Ning, clearing himself of responsibility.

"Oh? Which servant?" the patriarch asked.

"Ah? The one not far from the gate, the servant tending the flowers. I don't even know his na—

"me..." Yushan said with a feigned start, then a bitter smile.

Yet the fact that Yushan did not know this servant's name actually lessened the patriarch's suspicions somewhat. Had Yushan immediately produced the witness, that would have been truly suspicious!

"Yu Qi, go and ask. See whether this is how it happened!" the patriarch ordered Yu Qi.

"Yes!" Yu Qi answered, then hurried out. Before long he returned with a servant.

And that servant was indeed the one Yushan had scolded earlier. Frightened as he was, he dared not conceal anything, and recounted what had happened—it matched Yushan's account exactly. Only then did the patriarch nod and believe Yushan's words.

"You say it was Wei Zhao who abducted Yu Ning?" the patriarch asked, waving for Yu Qi to take the servant away, and continued questioning Yushan.

"That I am not certain of either. I only vaguely saw that the man seemed to be Wei Zhao—I did not see clearly. I don't know whether it was really him..." Yushan shook his head and said uncertainly.

"Very well. Yu Qi, take Yushan away for now..." The patriarch glanced at Yu Qi and gave him a meaningful look.

Yu Qi had already sensed the patriarch's suspicions about Yushan, and now he naturally understood the patriarch's meaning—to keep Yushan under watch for the time being—so he quickly responded, "Yes!"

Then Yu Qi pushed Yushan out of the hall. Yushan understood as well that his plan had far too many holes. Earlier, Yu Xiaochen, worried about Yu Ning's safety, had not had time to think it through carefully, but the patriarch was different—meticulous in his thinking, he had surely spotted the flaws, which was why he had asked those questions.

Being put under watch now was only natural, and Yushan did not mind. Once Zhao Qibing succeeded, his own goal would be achieved: he would have disgusted Wei Zhao, brought the Rain family down with him, and had his revenge.

After Yu Qi led Yushan away, the patriarch turned to Yu Xiaochen. "Xiaochen, what do you make of it?"

"Yushan's story, though nothing seriously wrong with it, is still worth questioning." Yu Xiaochen pondered a moment before speaking. Only he, the patriarch, and Yu Yi remained in the hall now, so there was no need to be guarded—they could speak their minds freely.

"Quite so. Yu Yi, call Yu Shu now and ask where Wei Zhao is?" the patriarch said with a nod, then turned to Yu Yi.

"Yes! Old Master!" Yu Yi answered, then took out his phone and dialed Shen Yushu's number.

Yushan could never have dreamed that the patriarch had another card to play—that he could learn of Wei Zhao's movements at any time! In truth, though, it would not have mattered even if he had known. Zhao Qibing had already left the Hidden Rain family's search area; so long as Yushan held firm and brought Yu Ning down, the situation would be beyond repair. What did it matter if they learned it was not Wei Zhao's doing?

At that moment, Wei Zhao, Gu Mengyao, Shen Yushu, and Wang Xinyan had just gotten out of school not long ago. The group had finished dinner; Wei Zhao and Wang Xinyan had returned to their room to cultivate, while Gu Mengyao and Shen Yushu were on the living room sofa watching television.

Suddenly, Shen Yushu's phone rang. She picked it up lazily, glanced at the caller ID, and her heart gave a sudden leap! (To be continued.)