I am aging gracefully in the world of famous books

Facing Pei Xiangli's straightforward questioning, Aldrich suddenly breathed a sigh of relief. The girl's energetic eyes and healthy pink complexion made his tense muscles suddenly relax.

In just ten seconds, Aldrich's emotions fluctuated, from horror and anxiety to stupefied surprise, and then to gratitude at this moment.

——As long as you are not injured, other things... are secondary.

Just as Aldridge was about to speak, several gentlemen and servants who had heard the exclamation rushed over.

"What happened?"

"Miss Marianne, are you here...Mr. Deville? Oh, God, there's a lady here who's passed out..."

"Who is the fainted lady?"

Amidst the noisy voices, Pei Xiang and Aldrich, who was gradually approaching, looked at each other.The black-haired man nodded slightly, and then stood still half a step in front of her, separating Pei Xiang, the crowd, and the unconscious Rebecca like a guardian.

Neither of them spoke, but a tacit understanding was naturally formed in silent movements.Pei Xiang looked at the tall and straight figure in front of him, and slowly relaxed his eyebrows, knowing that this person was not going to tell the whole truth about what he saw.

Everyone was in a hurry, and Rebecca was carried to the nearest guest room by the servant.Seeing the bloody girl, the housekeeper hurriedly sent for a doctor, and then ordered someone to find the owner, Lester Sissel.

Lester came quickly, but his expression was a little weird.

To be honest, when he learned that Rebecca passed out near the library with blood all over her face, the first picture that popped up in his mind was that that incomprehensible fellow Aldridge regarded the beautiful woman who threw himself into his arms as He caught the enemy's attack, and then kicked the person away.

Of course, this absurd picture only existed in Lester's mind for a few seconds, and then he forced it down deep in his heart.

"Cough cough, that Aldrich... Oh, and Miss Marianne, by the way, Miss Marianne, are you okay? After experiencing such a terrible thing, you are frightened, sit down quickly, and I will ask the maid to help you Bring a cup of hot tea to calm your shock."

Pei Xiang showed a forced smile. She seemed to be trying her best to avoid fading her beauty, trying to maintain an elegant and demure ladylike demeanor.However, the pale face and the fear in the pupils couldn't be concealed, and she won the pity and concern of most people present without saying a word.

Aldridge once again inexplicably received Leicester's condemning gaze...

The unconscious Miss Rebecca and the terrified Pei Xiang were finally settled. Taking advantage of the time before the doctor arrived at the villa, everyone began to ask about the cause of the accident.

Pei Xiang took a sip of hot tea, and slowly said:

"After I finished my afternoon tea, I wanted to go to the library and look for a book. But before I could get to the library, Miss Rebecca rushed out of it, yes, she rushed out. , the very fast kind. I was startled, and I didn't realize what happened for a moment...that made a lady run in such a panic. I was a little frightened, so I just stood there motionless, Rebecca The lady seemed to be able to react after she passed the position where I was standing. Someone saw her emotional loss, and she exclaimed at that time. Then, um, she seemed to be tripped. I didn’t see this clearly, because everything It happened so quickly. Well, before I knew it, she bumped into the statue in the corridor, and then some gentlemen came running."

After Pei Xiang finished speaking, he looked at the gentleman who first appeared in the corridor with clear and sincere eyes:

"Mr. Rowntree, when you rescued Miss Rebecca, did you find out why she fell? I was standing obliquely behind her, some distance away, and I couldn't see what was under her feet. Is that right? Is there any obstacle in the rug, or has I tripped over the hem of the dress? Well, if I hadn't been stunned, I might have been able to warn Miss Rebecca."

Mr. Rowntree, who was asked by name, recalled carefully following Pei Xiang's guidance, and then said hesitantly:

"I was in a hurry to save people, so I didn't notice any extra things on the ground. This, I can ask the servants to check again. Miss Marianne, you are some distance away from the place where Miss Rebecca fell, plus The skirts of the ladies cover it, so you really can’t see the specific situation. So, please don’t blame yourself, in the face of bad luck, sometimes we are really powerless.”

Mr. Rowntree's words indirectly indicated that the position where Pei Xiang was standing was indeed some distance from the place where Rebecca fell.

However, the person who can best prove that Rebecca's fall has nothing to do with Pei Xiang is another black-haired gentleman who has been silent all this time.After all, there is still a short period of time between the accident and the appearance of everyone. Even if it is very short, it cannot be ignored.

Lisa's eyes were slightly red, she looked around at the people in the room, her voice was hoarse:

"Mr. de Vere, I know you are an upright and sincere gentleman. Not only do I think so, but Rebecca has always praised you like this all the time. When she went out today, she was so happy, and she took pictures over and over again. Mirror, I am afraid that there are imperfections. I know that she is looking forward to meeting you very much. It's just that I didn't expect that she went to the appointment with such longing and shyness, but got such a tragic result. Mr. Deville, please For the sake of Rebecca's sincerity, tell me what happened at that time."

Lisa's words immediately aroused everyone's curiosity, and they suddenly realized that what Miss Marianne said just now, she saw Miss Rebecca running out of the library, getting emotional, and then fell down.And when they rushed up, Mr. Aldrich Deville just came out of the library...

—Does this not mean that Mr. de Vere and Miss Rebecca were alone in the library before Miss Marianne arrived?

——Listen to this Ms. Lisa's words and descriptions again. It turns out that the pure and beautiful Miss Rebecca admires Mr. Deville.

——The lonely man and the widow live in the same room, and Miss Rebecca has such an identity...

Not only were everyone curious, but even Pei Xiang looked at Aldrich with burning eyes.

Of course, she did not suspect that there was any ambiguous relationship between Aldrich and Rebecca, but this did not prevent her from watching the fun.

——Come on, come on, after I was slapped on the body by Rebecca, Mr. Deville will also be slapped on the honor!

Aldrich glanced at Pei Xiang, and a look of helplessness flashed across his eyes.

"Miss Rebecca did talk to me in the library before the accident."

Lisa whimpered and said in a trembling voice:

"My poor Rebecca, Mr. Deville, please help her, she, she can count on not many people now, just, it depends on your friendship..."

Lester frowned and interrupted Lisa, and said in a deep voice:

"I knew that Rebecca was going to meet Aldrich, but I didn't know that there was a more intimate personal relationship, which was completely fabricated. Rebecca found me and said that I wanted to talk to Aldrich At that time, I can guarantee that my friend never met Miss Rebecca, let alone friendship."

Having said that, Lester looked at everyone present with serious eyes, and even took another look at Pei Xiang:

"Everyone should be clear that Aldrich has been looking for a few pieces of jewelry lost by the former Countess. The reason why Miss Rebecca asked to meet Aldrich is also related to this. She said that she knew the whereabouts of a necklace and must inform it in person. Aldrich, you must talk alone. That's why I arranged for them to have an interview in the library."

Aldrich nodded, his voice was a bit cold:

"Miss Rebecca talked about a lot of irrelevant topics. After I refused some of her rude and ridiculous requests, she ran out of the library. What's more, she didn't mention the whereabouts of the necklace from the beginning to the end, etc. When I chased her out to inquire, I happened to see her rubbing herself, and then knocking on the sculpture on the side of the corridor."

This explanation not only put aside his relationship with Rebecca, but also proved Pei Xiang's previous statement.

Lisa was unhappy, but she couldn't lose her temper with Lester and Aldrich, she could only act very sad, weeping, tender and helpless.

She thinks that she understands the sense of justice and responsibility of these gentlemen very well. No matter whether Aldrich had any intentions for Rebecca before, how could he have no sympathy for such a beautiful woman who was infatuated with him after being injured and unconscious. How can you stand by and watch with a heart of stone?

Sure enough, several other gentlemen present showed expressions of unbearable.

Just when Lisa was about to continue adding oil and vinegar, the maid in charge of taking care of Rebecca came out and said that the unconscious Miss Rebecca woke up.At the same time, the butler led Dr. Philip in.

So, everyone suspended the discussion and waited for the doctor's diagnosis.

"It was a coma caused by a blow to the head. It is a good sign that the patient woke up so quickly. However, she should feel dizzy, nauseous and lethargic afterward."

Lisa was most concerned about Rebecca's face: "Doctor Philip, please help Rebecca look at the wound on her face."

"Well, the wound on this forehead is a bit deep. Although the bleeding stopped in time, there is a great possibility that it will leave a scar. Later, this lady may have a low-grade fever and fever, and she needs to be taken care of carefully. Hey, the current weather If the wound worsens, please notify me in time, and I will adjust the treatment according to the changes in her condition."

Hearing that Rebecca's face was likely to be scarred, Lisa couldn't hide her disappointment, as if she was about to lose an important fortune.

She took a deep breath, and sincerely begged Dr. Philip to treat Rebecca's wound with all his strength, and try not to disfigure a young and beautiful girl.

Naturally, Dr. Philip knew that this kind of thing was related to a girl's future happiness, so he quickly and solemnly promised that he would do his best to treat Miss Rebecca.

Pei Xiang asked curiously: "If a wound of this magnitude appears on the body, such as the back, shoulder, neck, etc., will it be the same as on the face, and there is a hidden danger of scarring?"

"This is natural. The degree of wound healing is related to the recovery ability of the injured person, and it is also related to the effect of treatment. No matter where the body is injured like this, there is a risk of scarring."

Hearing this, Pei Xiang raised his eyebrows and looked at the pale Rebecca, and looked back at her resentful eyes without any guilt.

——Since you are the first to harm others, you should be prepared to suffer the consequences yourself.

Lisa originally regarded Pei Xiang as an imaginary enemy, but now she was upset because of Rebecca's injury, and she couldn't control her temper.When she heard Pei Xiang and Dr. Philip's question and answer, she immediately taunted in a strange way:

"Miss Marianne asked these questions for what? If you really cared about Rebecca, why didn't you hold her back at that time, but watched her fall and slam into the sculpture."

Pei Xiang ignored Lisa's questioning, and only looked at Lester Sissel in the room.

She is his guest, Lisa is his female companion, the guest is accused of being rude, and the host needs to take a stand.

Lester nodded slightly towards Pei Xiang: "Sorry, Miss Marianne, Lisa is confused, please don't take her nonsense to heart."

"Lester..." Lisa was dissatisfied.

"Go and invite Ms. Lisa back to her own room." Lester pinched the bridge of his nose and ordered the housekeeper in a deep voice, "Ask the maid to pack Ms. Lisa's things. She is sick and should return to London to recuperate as soon as possible."

"Yes, sir."

So, even though Lisa was reluctant, she had to get up and leave with the tough housekeeper.

Afterwards, Pei Xiang, Aldrich and Leicester also left the guest room.

Lester explained Rebecca's illness to the people who stayed outside the room, while Pei Xiang leaned on Elinor who rushed over, saying that she had been greatly frightened today, and she couldn't support herself at this time, and needed to go to the have a break.

This is naturally a very reasonable request, who has made the delicate and fragile ladies deeply rooted in the hearts of the people.

In fact, for many people present, it is already very unexpected that the girl can persist until now and has not passed out.

——It’s as strong as a female warrior!

Elinor helped her sister go away, and she was very worried at first, thinking whether Mrs. Dashwood should be notified.But as soon as the two sisters turned around and left the crowd, she felt her "weak and weak" sister secretly poked her several times, and a small lively voice came from her ears:

"Elinor, I'm fine. That Rebecca wanted to frame me, so I used my strength to make her hit the sculpture. So, I'm not scared at all, don't worry about me."

Elinor: "..."

To be honest, she was even more worried.

At dinner, the "frightened" Miss Marianne naturally couldn't go downstairs to eat with a smile on her face, so she stayed in the guest room and ate alone.

After she finished eating the food on the plate to her heart's content, there was a knock on the door.

"Please come in."

Lester walked into the room with a smile, his voice warm and clear:

"Miss Marianne, I am very sorry that I did not see your charming smiling face at dinner. Although Miss Dashwood tried her best to ensure that you are in good condition, as the host, I must come to visit you, and I beg you to pay more attention. Eat some……"

Lester's smile and voice faltered for a moment at the empty dinner plate.

He believed that the well-trained servants of the Sissels would not fail to provide their guests with adequate food.

—It seems that Miss Dashwood is telling the truth, and Miss Marianne is really in good condition.

Pei Xiang nodded with the same expression, and thanked the host for his hospitality.

"How is Miss Rebecca? Did she say why she fell?"

Aldridge, who walked in behind Lester, said softly:

"She tried to tell another version, but as soon as she started, I told her the 'truth', and she knew the current affairs better than Lisa, and immediately realized what to say and what not to say."

"Huh? There's another version?"

Lester finally looked away from the empty plate, just in time to hear Aldrich's words, very surprised:

"No wonder you took the initiative to explain at that time. According to what I know about you, you should be too lazy to pay attention to that Rebecca. Hey, I was secretly surprised at the time, thinking that you finally understood how to be sympathetic. Concealment?"

Aldridge silently looked at Pei Xiang, and Pei Xiang smiled, not planning to hide too much truth from Lester:

"Mr. Sissel, in fact, the situation at that time was that I gave way to Rebecca who was running out, just next to the statue. But when Miss Rebecca passed by me, she suddenly fell towards me. I dodge subconsciously, causing Rebecca to crash directly into the sculpture."

Lester opened his eyes wide, and immediately turned to ask Aldrich for confirmation.

Aldridge nodded: "I happened to see the whole process. Rebecca deliberately bumped into Miss Marianne. If it succeeded, Miss Marianne's back and shoulders should be injured, and even dangerous. After all, the sculpture The figures on the screen are armed with swords and spears. It is fortunate that Miss Marianne escaped with luck and did not allow the plot to succeed."

Mentioning this matter again, Aldridge clenched his fists quietly.

When the accident happened, he was walking out of the library, and when he looked up, he saw the danger approaching.Everything happened in the blink of an eye, and he didn't even have time to remind him, let alone stop the accident from happening.

At that moment, his heart stopped suddenly, and he subconsciously rushed out to rescue him, but the next development made him stay at the door of the collection room again.

Fortunately, the girl he cared about had the ability to save herself, not only successfully escaped from danger, but also punished the perpetrators.

Aldridge's narration caused Lester's expression to change rapidly. After a while, he seemed to have digested the shocking truth, and stood up abruptly.

"Such a dreadful thing . . . I'll have that Rebecca sent away."

"Lester, don't be impulsive."

Aldrich's brows were flat, making it difficult to detect his real mood swings.

"What reason do you use to send him away? According to the explanations I made with Miss Marianne, it is reasonable for Rebecca to stay with you to recuperate from her injuries. If you send her away, you will inevitably be accused and criticized."

Lester felt that if he was braver, he would definitely shake his friend Aldrich's shoulder and ask him:

"Do you still want to win Miss Marianne's heart? If you continue to speak and act indifferently like this, you will be a bachelor for the rest of your life!"

However, Lester lacked a little courage, so he could only wink wildly at Aldridge, signaling him to say something about the same hatred.

Aldrich ignored Leicester's hint, and suddenly changed the subject:

"Lester, I remember that you laughed at me before, saying that I didn't understand the style, and that Rebecca came to me because she wanted some kind of special asylum, but I thought there was a conspiracy in it."

"...Yes." Lester's voice was a little weak.

"So, it turns out that I was right. I now recall that Rebecca's words and deeds, especially when she deliberately bumped into Miss Marianne...the reaction afterwards shows that she is not an ordinary girl. Her reaction speed and agility are rare for ordinary people, even better than some of my recruits. From this, I think the real identity of this Rebecca is not simple."

"Aldrich, are you sure? Are you delusional? If she is really the kind of woman who has undergone secret training, how can she let her head be smashed? There is even a risk of leaving scars. Haha, she Even if you can't be framed, you should stop the loss in time, why are you clumsily putting yourself in."

Aldridge lowered his eyes in silence.

Pei Xiang drank tea in small sips.

Lester finished the analysis on his own, completely unaware of the subtle silence of the indoor atmosphere, and then asked a question:

"Also, since it was Rebecca who deliberately harmed people, why didn't you tell the truth? It would be nice to just tell the truth, why bother to cover up her crimes?"

Pei Xiang waved his hand and said frankly:

"Because I don't want to get involved with her too much. Although from my point of view, she deserves the harm she deserves, but there is never a shortage of 'good-hearted people' in this world. They may accuse me. Since they can escape, why not Give Rebecca a hand, she is just a little girl, she was confused for a while, but she shouldn't pay such a big price, anyway, um, I was not hurt. Even Rebecca can turn black and white, saying that I tripped on purpose Push her, push her. Once this kind of thing quarrels, it’s hard to tell, it’s better to calm down like this, I think Rebecca thinks the same way.”

——What deters Rebecca the most is actually my skill and Aldrich's attitude of defense.

——As Aldrich said, Rebecca's identity may not be simple, so she will take more things into consideration, and of course she will not completely tear herself apart when she can't figure out the enemy's cards.

——But, this Rebecca seems to be very smart and knowledgeable about current affairs, why did she suddenly want to frame me on a whim?It was absolutely accidental that I appeared in the corridor, so Rebecca's behavior should also be improvised. What is she planning?

Pei Xiang tried to analyze Rebecca's motives, but Aldrich felt that he had a lot to talk to Pei Xiang alone, but the timing was not right.

Lester touched his chin, suddenly realizing something unusual.

——From the time of the accident to the present, no matter whether it’s lying or covering up, why did Aldridge and Miss Marian suddenly have such a tacit understanding?