17 The scheme (III)

"Sister Fu, how dare you to be late again?" Lu Mei stared at Fu Yixiao who just entered the dining hall. Frowning, Fu Yixiao checked the time on her phone: 6.50 PM. Obviously, she had come ten minutes early. Scanning the room, she realized that everyone was already there, looking at her with contempt. Surely, there were in cahoot to ploy against her. Did they have to make it so obvious? They might be thinking that she would be affected by this little play, but she wasn't. If they were thinking of plotting against her, then maybe playing along wasn't much of a trouble. Right?

"Miss Fu, for someone who had the gut to broke the rule the second time, don't you think that you owe everyone an apology?" Madam Chin spoke.

"Madam Chin, my young miss had clearly arrived ten minutes early and you actually accused her of breaking the household rule?" Liling refuted for she wasn't happy with the way her young miss was treated. Besides, she always hated the arrogant Madam Chin. It was only after seeing the calmness in her young miss that she held her anger or else she might have beaten the old woman. "You! A maid dared to speak in such a manner!" Madam Chin was furious. She rose from her seat and pointing her index finger, cursing her with all her heart.

"Liling, it is not wise to cover for your young miss. She had clearly broken the household rules." Lu Jing spoke as he tried to coax Liling with his smile, trying to pull her to his side. Jeering, Liling turned her head away, completely ignoring the snobbish man. This had humiliated Lu Jing's reputation as one of the men who boasted to never been rejected by any women. This woman, a maid on top of that, had dared to deny his charmed. Lu Jing felt his dignity being stomped to the ground.

"Tsk, so this is what she taught you huh?" Madam Chin who was enraged lose her patience and stormed toward Liling, her eyes gave away her malicious intent. She wanted to grab Liling's hair but Tony who was nearby stepped up and blocked her hand. "Madam Chin, Liling wasn't your maid. You have no right to scold her." Tony's big build shielded Liling's petite frame. His calm face sent Madam Chin into a frenzy however, Lu Mei quickly pulled her away before she went berserk.

"Liling! Tony! Supporting your young miss will implicate the two of you. It is not worth it!" Lu Mei tried to talk sense. She had been eyeing Tony since she entered the mansion, hoping that her grandfather would make him her bodyguard. However, she didn't get what she was hoping for. Then, she found out that Tony would be assigned to guard a certain young miss who had been missing for a long time. Once she discovered that the young miss was Fu Yixiao, she started to loathe her.

"Miss Lu, what we do have nothing to do with you." Lu Mei was taken aback as she felt that someone had stabbed her right to her heart. Tony's reply felt like a rejection of her. The loathe she felt toward Fu Yixiao had reached the highest point turning it into hatred.

"Fu Yixiao why haven't you speak anything? Was it really hard for you to apologize?" Lu Bei who had been observing her couldn't help but felt irritated at her calmness. Hearing her name being called, Fu Yixiao wiped her lips with a tissue. She sighed then she met the gazes of everyone in the room. "I just need to apologize right?" She asked. "Of course but knowing you...heh, do you have the..." Madam Chin couldn't continue her sentence when she saw Fu Yixiao bowed. "I'm sorry for coming late." After saying her apology Fu Yixiao smiled and said, "Is it enough?"

Madam Chin's face contorted in shock. She couldn't believe that Fu Yixiao had actually bowed and apologize to everyone. She was confident that she was the type that could be easily provoked hence, she wanted her to face them in the same manner as they did. Now, their plan had been ruin by her!

She glanced at Lu Bei hinting him to do something. Lu Bei nodded and a wicked smile appeared on his face. "Miss Fu, your apology would no longer have its effect. As the eldest in here, I have the right to implement the Lu Sanction." He said arrogantly. Fu Yixiao twitched upon hearing Lu Bei's self-proclamation.

"Mister Lu Bei, do you think I'm stupid? First of all, I believed that the family dinner is at 7.00 PM and I had reached here ten minutes earlier. Ignoring the fact that I haven't broken any rule, I did as per your request and apologized. Now, you want to use your power as the eldest to implement the Lu Sanction?" Fu Yixiao laughed as she shot a look of disgust toward him. "The fact that all of you have stayed in the mansion longer than I, your understanding of the rules are quite shallow. Should I invite Butler Bun to clarify the rules of Lu family to your all?" Liling and Tony who had been standing by her side were looking at each other, their eyes showed the pride they have toward their young miss. Her dominance over the matter had completely crushed their opponent.

"You....!" Lu Bei wanted to strike back but was interrupted by Fu Yixiao, giving him no chance to recover. "You shouldn't poke on the beehive, or else you'll get stung." She said as a matter-of-fact. She took a sip from her drink, enjoying the look of defeat in front of her.

"Sister Fu, you are really distorting the fact." Lu Mei walked over when she stumbled making her body fell on top of Fu Yixiao. Suddenly, there was a scream of pain resounded in the room. Lu Mei stood up, screaming and crying as she held her bleeding hand. Red blood had stained her white dress. "Mei Mei!" Lu Jing shouted in shock and ran towards Lu Mei who was crying. Madam Chin was shocked when she saw her daughter's bleeding hand. She looked at Fu Yixiao with bloodlust, trying to kill with her eyes.

"You dare hurt my daughter! You dare!" She screamed and ran over to harm her, however, Tony was there, protecting his young miss from the coming danger. "Fu Yixiao! How dare you hurt your own family!" Lu Bei gave her the look of disbelief showing his disappointment over what she had done.

Fu Yixiao closed her eyes and inhaled through her lungs, she felt that the whole room had turned quiet, making her mind clearer. She recalled the incident that had happened earlier where Lu Mei had purposedly stumbled and fallen on top of her. At that time she was still holding her glass which Lu Mei had crushed using her own hand. That was the caused of her injury something that she had nothing to do with. However, from the schemer's eyes, she had attacked Lu Mei by using the coincidence as an opportunity.

"Miss Fu, right now you had completely broken the most important rule in the Lu family." Lu Bei declared, looking at her with a disgusted look. "Since that had happened, I have no choice but to call an elder here." He continued then as he finished talking, a man in his seventies entered the room. "What is this commotion here?" The man asked. Lu Bei clasped his hand and explained the whole situation to him. "Elder Lu Bai I suggest that we implement the Lu Sanction. This is an extreme offense to the Lu Family."

Fu Yixiao watched the whole pandemonium as if looking at a play performed by the best actors and actresses in the city. In this play, there is a girl weeping in the embraced of her mother, a man who took the role of upholding justice discussing the solution of a serious case with an authoritative figure and finally, the bystanders who adding spice to the whole play with their appalling expressions directed to the villain. Their roles were well executed except for the villain; who since the beginning failed to execute her roles properly. Fu Yixiao chuckled for she knew she was the villain.

"Miss Fu, this is our first meeting right?" Fu Yixiao focused her attention toward Elder Lu Bai and nodded. She knew from Butler Bun that the Lu Family had four elders that acted as the family's advisors. However, they were figures that rarely made a public appearance and this made her curious at how the perpetrator had persuaded him to make an appearance in this ordinary dinner time.

"As an elder, my role is only to advised the family's Master, but due to Master Lu's absence, it is only normal for me to handle cases like this." Elder Lu Bai explained. Everyone in the room nodded in understanding.

"Therefore, regarding tonight's incident, I hereby announce that Miss Fu will be sent to the dark chamber for one night." Then there were gasps from everyone that present. Fu Yixiao frowned and glanced at Liling and Tony only to see their look of horror.

"Elder Lu Bai, Liling requested to replace my young miss." Liling kneeled. "No, Elder Lu Bai, please let me shoulder the punishment instead." Tony followed suit. Looking at the duo, Fu Yixiao felt her stomach tightened. She had no idea what the dark chamber was but looking at their expressions she knew that it wasn't a nice place to stay and yet the two who have only been with her for a day were willing to suffer for her.

"Elder Lu Bai, I would like to clarify that I didn't hurt Miss Lu Mei. It was an accident." Fu Yixiao tried to sound as calm as she can. She was hoping that the elder had a sense of justice or at least allow her to explain the whole situation. "Elder, she's lying!" Lu Mei who was weeping screamed. Her face was pitiful, enough to incite sympathy from everyone else.

Fu Yixiao sighed and observed the elder's expression when something shattered her last hope. She felt a sharp pain in her cheek. She looked up and met the elder's eyes demanded an explanation. "Miss Fu, do you think that I will believe some stranger's word over my dear Lu Mei? To send you to the dark chamber is already me holding back and now you dare to say that this is only an accident?" Elder Lu Bai sneered, revealing his real face.

Fu Yixiao laughed, this man had hit her bottom line. Venting her anger, she said, "I see. Then, there is nothing for me to say since that is already the case. I will go to the dark chamber however, I would like to remind all of you, no one is allowed to touch Liling and Tony, not even a strand of hair should be missing. If something happened to them, I will make sure each and every one of you meets your doomed."

Silence. No one spoke as they felt extreme fear crept into their soul, slowly consuming and torturing them. Lu Mei who was weeping in the corner choked on her own tears, she felt a heavy force pressing her body when she listened to Fu Yixiao's warning. Her hurting hand felt like a hot iron was pressed on it. She looked at Fu Yixiao in fear.

"Miss, you must not go!" Liling and Tony grabbed Fu Yixiao's leg. "Let us go instead!" they said in unison. Fu Yianxiao squatted and smiled. "I will be fine." She assured. Then, she reminded them not to mention a word about the incident to her grandparents. She wanted her grandpa to undergo the surgery without any worry.