Drama Queen Reborn as a Top Student!-Chapter 731 - 313 Sin Debt_2

At this moment, Wei Lai walked in: "Madam, Captain Wu is here."

Wei Zhuhua paused for a moment and slowly straightened her posture: "If he doesn’t come to find me, I’ll have to go find him. Let him in."

Wei Zhuhua composed herself; the Yu family had too many matters recently, and she could no longer afford to wallow in self-pity.

Wu Jun entered with his head lowered: "Madam."

"Are you here about the fire at Silent Garden?"

"Indeed." Wu Jun explained the suspicious points.

Wei Zhuhua furrowed her brows: "You’re saying there were no bodies found in the ruins?"

She had thought that in such a massive fire, survival would have been impossible.

That fire was unusual, and she had assumed it was Yu Fusheng venting his frustrations over Old Mrs. Yu’s illness, deliberately targeting the elderly couple.

Now it appeared there was more to the story.

"Dr. Zhu Keke is your person, isn’t she?"

Wei Zhuhua nodded: "She’s Housekeeper Wei’s distant niece. Does she have a problem?"

"According to the guards on shift that night, Dr. Zhu gave them wine and meat, and in their moment of folly, they drank and got drunk, neglecting their duties. That led to the disaster. Moreover, the Bamboo Green Wine from Weirui Pavilion was sent to the back mountain by Housekeeper Wei."

Wei Lai waved his hands nervously: "That absolutely didn’t happen! That night I was in the courtyard the entire time; I didn’t go anywhere. Madam, you can vouch for me."

"Indeed, that night he didn’t go to the back mountain."

Wei Zhuhua suddenly came to a realization: "Was it Zhu Keke who started the fire?"

Wu Jun looked toward Wei Lai: "Housekeeper Wei, are you certain she’s your distant niece?"

Wei Lai’s face turned anxious, "I’ll investigate immediately."

With that, he left in haste.

Wei Zhuhua pondered and said: "So, you’re suggesting that Dr. Zhu bribed the guards with wine, poisoned Guo Cui’s throat mute, left her in the snow on the back mountain, and then set a fire while helping the elderly couple escape?"

Wu Jun lowered his head: "All of it is only speculation."

Wei Zhuhua smiled faintly: "Captain Wu, if that’s truly the case, then your negligence is quite serious."

Wu Jun dropped to one knee: "I am willing to accept any punishment."

Wei Zhuhua asked: "Have you informed the master of this matter?"

Wu Jun replied: "I haven’t had the chance."

Wei Zhuhua took a sip of tea and said leisurely: "Then don’t ever tell him."

Wu Jun raised his head abruptly.

The madam’s beautiful face was veiled within the rising steam of tea, making it hard to see clearly.

"That person clearly had the opportunity to take the guards’ lives. Even Guo Cui—she wasn’t killed outright but merely silenced. Left to freeze for a night in a place like the back mountain, she still managed to survive. Do you think this was an accident?"

Wu Jun said: "She didn’t want to harm the innocent."

"Her goal from start to finish was simply to rescue the elderly couple. Then wouldn’t it be better for us to fulfill her wish?"

"But Madam, the fact that she could silently bypass the defenses of Four Seasons Manor is proof enough of her formidable ability. If we don’t investigate her thoroughly, she will remain a hidden threat to the Yu family."

"You can investigate discreetly, but don’t let the master know. Otherwise, do you think you can continue being the captain of the guards?"

Wu Jun wrestled with internal conflict.

Wei Zhuhua glanced at him lightly and said with a calm tone: "I know you’re loyal. The Yu family is fortunate to have you. But think about it—how many people in this world would possess both the skill and the conviction to rescue that elderly couple?"

Wu Jun thought for a moment before his eyes suddenly widened: "It’s Xiao...?"

Wei Zhuhua narrowed her eyes.

That surname, like a thorny taboo, was utterly forbidden in the Yu family.

Wu Jun swallowed the rest of his words, his mind beginning to connect the dots.

"Captain Wu, knowing shame encourages diligence. I actually feel this isn’t a bad thing—it reveals flaws in the Yu family’s defenses. Captain Wu, you’ve guarded the Yu family for many years, and the master trusts you. Instead of wallowing in guilt, shouldn’t you think about how to strengthen the defenses going forward to prevent further lapses? Isn’t that more befitting of the master’s trust?"

Wu Jun understood the implicit meaning behind Wei Zhuhua’s words.

Loyalty or personal motives—this matter must remain private and never reach the master’s ears.

"I will heed Madam’s teachings."

Wei Zhuhua smiled: "Captain Wu, you’re a smart man. You know the path to tread ahead."

Wu Jun bowed his head deeply in deference.

"Alright, you can leave now. Do not come to my courtyard unless it’s necessary."

After exiting the room, Wu Jun turned back to glance at the woman sitting serenely by the window.

The madam concealed so much; it was obvious she felt compassion for that elderly couple, wanting to let them go free. Otherwise, if the master were to scrutinize thoroughly, it would inevitably drag out a number of implicated individuals, and Wu Jun himself—being the captain of the guards—would be the first to suffer.

The ruthlessness inherent in the Yu family was something Wu Jun had understood long ago. Yet this seemingly delicate first lady surprised him.

She was soft and kind—so unlike the Yu family.

The woman sighed softly, her elegant brows and eyes carrying faint hints of melancholy, which only added to her graceful and demure beauty.

The first lady was utterly out of place within the Yu family, like a lamb trapped amid a pack of wolves.

Yet truly, the first lady was only outwardly gentle. Her words just now had revealed her inner strength and unyielding spirit.

Wu Jun abruptly realized he had already disclosed too many of his thoughts about the first lady, and his mind snapped back to attention as he quickly left.

Wei Zhuhua leaned against the pillow, her eyelids drooping.

Was it compassion for that elderly couple?

She wasn’t sure.

Looking at the Yu family now, it glittered with flowers and wealth, yet what was a momentary flourish? From top to bottom, from old to young, there wasn’t a single person of virtue. Like paupers suddenly rich, they greedily hoarded money and power, executing the phrase "bullying the weak" to perfection.

Old Mrs. Yu had enjoyed a lifetime of prosperity. Yet now, in her old age, she was tormented by epilepsy, sleepless nights, and a family of dutiful offspring and grandchildren with veiled motives. Who among them truly served at her bedside? It was always the servants cleaning up, caring for her. How much genuine heart was mixed into this filial piety?

Buddhist teachings say that cause and effect cycle endlessly; karma spares no one. Evil deeds bring evil retribution.

It’s not that justice doesn’t prevail—its time simply hasn’t come yet.

In her view, this was Old Mrs. Yu’s retribution. Though the payback came late, it had arrived nonetheless.

Old Mrs. Yu’s deepest concern was her descendants. Among the Yu family’s younger generation, there was only Ruohuan, the sole child—not even the grandson Old Mrs. Yu had longed for.

She felt that the grandmother would not live long enough to see a grandson.

Extinction—and this was the karmic retribution for the Yu family and Old Mrs. Yu.

She recalled Yu Fusheng’s secretive phone call from the night before. Clearly, something much bigger had happened within the Yu family.

She had a faint sensation that an intricate web was slowly being woven above the Yu family, ensnaring every one of them without escape.

She wasn’t particularly capable, but she wholeheartedly believed in karma. The only thing she could do was to use her meager strength to repay a minor portion of the Yu family’s sins—not for them, but for her daughter’s sake.

If heaven and Buddha were watching, she hoped her small act of benevolence might extend its blessings to her daughter, sparing her from this inherited curse.