The Duke's Pampered Darling is So Scheming-Chapter 56: So Sour

Mrs. Gao’s brow furrowed. "So clumsy! What kind of behavior is this!"

The maid lost her footing and fell to the ground as she stumbled back. Her eyes, fixed on Mrs. Gao, were filled with shock and horror.

"Madam, your... your face!"

"What’s wrong with my face?" Mrs. Gao raised a hand to touch it, but the texture beneath her fingers felt strange.

Her once-smooth skin now felt bumpy and incredibly rough to the touch.

Her heart sank.

Just then, the attention of the other guests was drawn to them. When they saw Mrs. Gao’s appearance, they all froze in shock.

Sensing the shift in the atmosphere, Mrs. Gao panicked. She turned to Ye Heng for help. "Husband, I—"

Ye Heng’s eyelid twitched.

A dense red rash had appeared out of nowhere on Mrs. Gao’s face and neck!

Mrs. Gao felt a strange itch on her face and couldn’t resist scratching it.

Where she scratched, flat welts instantly appeared, visible to the naked eye. Their varying shades of dark red and purple were a horrifying sight.

The hairs on Ye Heng’s arms stood on end. He immediately took two steps back, keeping a wide berth as if Mrs. Gao were something unclean he was afraid of contracting.

"Someone! Escort Madam back to her room!"

Mrs. Gao still didn’t understand what was happening. Hearing Ye Heng order her away from the banquet filled her with panic.

She could feel the uneven blemishes on her face, and her voice trembled. "I... I—how could this be happening!"

It was manageable when she didn’t touch it, but the more she did, the worse the itching grew. A piercing sensation, like ants crawling all over her skin, assaulted her, compelling Mrs. Gao to claw at her face with increasing force.

The sight was utterly bizarre.

Ye Heng was mortified. ’So many of my colleagues are here! I can’t imagine the rumors that will spread after they’ve seen this!’

He barked at the maid, "What are you standing there for!"

The maid scrambled up from the floor. After a quick, horrifying glance at Mrs. Gao’s face, she timidly approached, her scalp tingling with fear.

But before the maid could touch Mrs. Gao, a gentle, clear female voice suddenly called out.

"Is Second Aunt having a sudden affliction?"

Mrs. Gao looked up in a panic, her gaze meeting a pair of dark, gentle eyes.

"Perhaps we should ask Doctor Zhang to take a look?"

This reminded Ye Heng, and he immediately cried out, "Doctor Zhang!"

...

Mrs. Gao was eventually moved to a side hall, with Doctor Zhang and the others following close behind.

Ye Heng didn’t follow, as he still had to entertain the remaining guests.

However, this small incident had already caused a subtle shift in the atmosphere of the banquet.

Xiao Wu, sitting beside Ye Chutang, tilted her head to glance toward the side hall, her expression timid.

Ye Chutang stroked her little cheek and comforted her in a low voice, "Don’t be afraid, Xiao Wu. Second Aunt just had a little incident. It’s probably nothing serious."

Many who overheard this recalled the sight of Mrs. Gao’s swollen, rash-covered face. When they looked at the exquisitely prepared dishes before them, they completely lost their appetites.

Who could have thought something like this would happen at a perfectly fine banquet?

Ye Heng was also miserable.

’Although Mrs. Gao wasn’t from a prominent family and could be rather petty, her saving grace was her delicate beauty. She took good care of herself, and one could still see traces of her youthful charm. Ye Shixian had taken after her, which was why she was so breathtakingly beautiful.’

’He had hoped to use this family banquet to build some connections, but who could have predicted this mess!’

’What would people think?’

’He had lost all face!’

...

「In the side hall.」

Mrs. Gao saw her reflection in a mirror and recoiled in terror.

"Wh-what is this!? How did my face become like this!?"

Panicked, she turned and gripped Ye Shixian’s hand tightly.

"Xian’er! Xian’er!"

A flicker of emotion crossed Ye Shixian’s eyes. She discreetly pulled her hand free and patted her mother’s arm with a handkerchief.

"Mother, please don’t panic. Doctor Zhang is right here. Let him take a look at you."

Only then did Mrs. Gao manage to calm herself slightly, though her heart was still pounding furiously.

’The memory of the ghastly face she’d seen in the mirror made her want to die!’

Ye Shixian took a step back to make way for Doctor Zhang. "We’ll have to trouble you."

Doctor Zhang stepped forward to take Mrs. Gao’s pulse. He contemplated for a long moment, his brow knitting tighter and tighter.

"It appears to be poisoning, but I’ve never seen... Madam, did you eat anything you shouldn’t have earlier? Or perhaps touch something you shouldn’t have?"

Mrs. Gao’s mind was a mess. "No, nothing!"

’She had been busy with the banquet all day and hadn’t done anything else!’

Doctor Zhang looked hesitant. "Well... could you think again?"

Mrs. Gao suddenly remembered something—

"Ye Chutang! It must have been her!"

Doctor Zhang was taken aback. "What?"

Mrs. Gao fumed, "I haven’t done anything all day! The only thing was brushing hands with her just now. If it wasn’t her, who else could it—"

"Mother." Ye Shixian immediately cut her off, glancing quickly at Doctor Zhang.

’How could she be so blunt in front of an outsider!’

"Mother, perhaps you’re mistaken? There are a lot of people here today. It’s entirely possible you touched something unsanitary without realizing it."

Doctor Zhang stared at the floor, feigning ignorance and acting as if he hadn’t heard a thing.

’The Ye Family wasn’t nearly as close to this recently-found niece as they appeared on the surface.’

’An orphaned girl was an easy target. Even if they squarely placed the blame on her, she’d have no recourse.’

’But... the Heir of Duke Dingbei is here!’

’Anyone could tell from his earlier words that he was protective of Ye Chutang and her siblings!’

’To rashly offend Ye Chutang for the sake of Mrs. Gao would be idiotic!’

Doctor Zhang stroked his beard and said with some difficulty, "My medical skills are limited, and I have truly never encountered a case like yours. Perhaps I can write a prescription for you to try? If not, you may need to seek a more capable physician."

...

With Mrs. Gao’s condition, the family banquet couldn’t continue and was cut short.

The guests had no desire to linger, and it wasn’t long before people began to get up and bid farewell.

Ye Heng wanted to ask them to stay, but he knew they had no wish to do so. Besides, with Mrs. Gao’s situation still uncertain, he was too frustrated to care.

’This meticulously prepared feast, all wasted.’

Ye Heng suppressed his anger and personally saw his guests out.

Xu Fengchi approached Ye Chutang again. He had many things to say, but the words caught in his throat.

Today’s events offered a clear glimpse into the situation Ye Chutang and her siblings faced in the Ye Mansion.

Although he could help, he couldn’t watch over them day and night.

In the end, he could only say, "You’ve just returned, so be sure to rest and take care of your health. When you have some free time, come visit us. You’re always welcome."

Ye Chutang curtsied. "Thank you for your concern, Uncle Xu."

Xu Rongqing took a few steps away, then turned back to look at Ye Chutang, saying in a low, concerned voice, "Take care, Chutang."

The corners of Ye Chutang’s lips curved slightly as she gave a small nod. "I will."

After the Xu family’s carriage departed, Ye Chutang heard familiar footsteps behind her.

She turned around. "Farewell, Princely Heir."

Shen Yanchuan, who had one foot over the threshold, was speechless.

’He’d only lingered to ask Ye Heng a couple more questions, and he’d returned just in time to be eagerly shown the door.’

"You’ve only just returned to the capital, Doctor Ye, yet you’re already mired in turmoil. If you ever need assistance, please do not hesitate to ask."

Ye Chutang met his gaze.

’Could any of this turmoil be more trouble than he himself was?’

She politely refused, holding out the carved nanmu wood box. "Thank you, Princely Heir, but you have already paid my consultation fee. You owe me nothing. Please, take this gift back."

Shen Yanchuan raised an eyebrow.

"How could that be? While looking after your younger brother and sister, you also had to treat a patient like me. It was an arduous task. A proper thank-you is only right."

Ye Chutang was speechless.

Lian Zhou stared at the ground and wrinkled his nose.

’Wait a minute, why is this suddenly so... saccharine...’

"Ye Chutang!"

A figure came rushing toward them—it was Ye Mingze.

His face contorted with fury, he pointed at Ye Chutang and roared:

"It was you!"