Aunt Wu had not realized what was going on earlier, but now, she understood what Madam Guan and Miss Guan were implying. She quickly seized the opportunity to turn the tables on Guan Xu Xu, offering a plausible explanation for being wrongly accused.
Sure enough, as soon as she spoke, Jiang Su, who had overheard, gave her a look of contempt, convinced she had a valid reason to defend herself.
"You're way too petty. Aunt Wu didn't do anything to you. Why make such a big deal on your first day back? You're nothing but a troublemaker..."
Before Jiang Su could finish his words, a cold, authoritative voice cut him off, carrying a faint pressure that made him instantly stop speaking.
"Jiang Su."
With just those two words, he found himself silenced, meeting his older cousin's gaze, which had lost its earlier warmth. He instinctively shrank back, not daring to speak further, though his dissatisfaction with Guan Xu Xu hadn't eased in the slightest.
With Jiang Su's support, Aunt Wu felt emboldened and straightened her back, her face filled with indignation at the wrongful accusation.
"If the Young Miss doesn't believe me, then let someone search my room! I've lived an honest life, and I'm not afraid of a search! Even though I'm just a maid, I can't stand being falsely accused like this!"
The scene had drawn a significant amount of attention, and several servants and housekeepers had gathered, though they dared not approach too closely. From a distance, they listened in, and many of them began to harbor some resentment toward this newly returned Young Miss.
Word had it that she came from a wealthy family, raised with high-class education, and now she appeared to look down on the servants. Naturally, no one appreciated being looked down upon, and the newly arrived Young Miss was starting to lose favor in their eyes.
Jiang Zhi Cheng, noticing the curious glances from the staff, furrowed his brow as he fixed his gaze on Guan Xu Xu. He was about to intervene and stop this "farce," but before he could speak, Guan Xu Xu calmly spoke up, her voice steady and clear.
"When did I ever say she stole money?"
At these words, everyone in the room froze for a moment.
Jiang Su was the first to react, unable to hide his disbelief. "You said Aunt Wu stole money just a moment ago. Now you're denying it?"
Guan Xu Xu glanced at him indifferently. "I said she stole Jiang family's wealth."
It wasn't money she had stolen; it was their fortune.
The confusion came from Lu Xuexi's misinterpretation. Whether out of a desire to mislead or simply a mistake, it was clear that everyone had been led astray by her words.
"Stealing wealth and stealing money are two entirely different things."
At least, you couldn't just search for wealth the same way you would for money.
Having this point in her favor, Guan Xu Xu was able to speak with more authority.
Jiang Su, still confused, muttered, "How can wealth be stolen? Don't try to tell me these mysterious things. You're just bluffing."
Jiang Huai shot a warning glance at Jiang Su, his eyes full of quiet reprimand.
Even if Guan Xu Xu was bluffing, it wouldn't matter. Given her background, what was the harm in using her words to intimidate others?
But there was something in her calmness that made Jiang Huai question whether what she was saying could indeed be true.
The high society had some respect for metaphysics and feng shui, and even the Jiang family knew a few well-known masters. However, his younger sister was only eighteen. Could she really understand all of this?
Jiang Huai's mind was filled with doubts, but unlike the others, he wasn't ready to dismiss Guan Xu Xu as a fraud.
Guan Xu Xu wasn't interested in debating further with the obviously biased Jiang Su. Instead, she turned her attention back to Aunt Wu and suddenly raised her hand, pointing to a specific spot.
"What did you bury over there?"
Her finger pointed to a flowerbed in the corner of the garden, the very spot Aunt Wu had been looking at earlier when she was distracted.
Aunt Wu, already nervous, felt a chill run down her spine as she noticed Guan Xu Xu's exact pinpointing. Her heart skipped a beat, and cold sweat began to form on her forehead.
No… No way. How could she possibly know…?
Jiang Zhi Cheng, seeing the change in Aunt Wu's expression, was suddenly convinced of something. He turned and motioned to the housekeeper, "Go check."
The housekeeper, eager to investigate, immediately walked toward the spot Guan Xu Xu had indicated. The surrounding crowd followed, curious to see what would happen. Jiang Su, still doubtful, walked along, his expression skeptical, as if waiting to see what kind of trick Guan Xu Xu was pulling.
The housekeeper bent down and began digging in the flowerbed with a small trowel. It didn't take long for him to uncover a small package wrapped in black plastic. As the housekeeper carefully unwrapped the plastic, a strong, foul smell wafted up from the package, causing several people to flinch.
The housekeeper tried to hide his disgust and was about to touch the paper inside when Guan Xu Xu suddenly stopped him.
"Don't touch it."
Everyone turned to look, and they saw Guan Xu Xu approaching. She had seemingly produced a yellow talisman from nowhere and placed it on the paper package.
The moment the talisman touched the package, the paper began to rapidly darken and age, as if it were being drained of life.
The housekeeper, seeing this, looked at Guan Xu Xu, who nodded to him. He carefully opened the package while wearing gloves, revealing a red piece of paper inside. The paper was covered with strange markings that looked like bloodstains, with a foul stench rising from it.
There were also several strands of hair inside, as well as a talisman decorated with odd symbols.
The sight of these eerie items made it clear to everyone that this was no ordinary package, and the symbols and hair pointed directly to a dark purpose. It was evident that these items had been buried deliberately, and combined with what Guan Xu Xu had said earlier, the purpose of these objects became apparent.
But the real question was: could this really steal wealth?
Jiang Su, witnessing the whole scene unfold, could hardly believe his eyes. He turned to Aunt Wu, his disbelief written all over his face.
Aunt Wu's lips trembled, and she quickly denied, "No, no, I didn't bury this! I've never seen these things before… Young Master, Miss, please believe me…"
Before Jiang Su could speak, Guan Xu Xu calmly said, "If you didn't bury it, the surveillance footage around the villa will prove it."
She had already checked, and the surveillance cameras covering the villa's perimeter made it easy to uncover the truth.
"This talisman was written with the blood of the person it is meant to affect. The hair is from a member of the Jiang family. It was used to steal Jiang family's wealth. Am I wrong?"
At her words, Aunt Wu's entire body trembled. She collapsed to the ground, her face ashen.
At this point, no one could deny the truth. It was clear that the package had been buried by Aunt Wu. As for the hair, having worked for the Jiang family for years, it was easy for her to obtain a few strands.
What remained uncertain was whose hair it was.
Jiang Su, still reluctant to accept the truth, muttered, "Even if she buried it, that doesn't mean she stole the wealth. There must be another explanation..."
But Jiang Huai shot him a cold glance, his tone sharp.
"Shut up. Don't make me say it a second time."