Wutong turned to Wang Ren and Qiuyan. "You two came out almost at the same time as I did. Tell me, did you hear Ma Liangpeng crying for help?"
Wang Ren and Qiuyan exchanged a glance. They had indeed heard him, but neither dared admit it in front of Hu Xiaotian. Confirming it would mean helping Wutong drag Hu Xiaotian into the water. If he survived this ordeal, how could he possibly spare them?
Hu Xiaotian burst out laughing. "Help? If you came at me with a knife while shouting for help, would that prove I was the one trying to kill you?"
His swaggering tone enraged Wutong. "Hu Xiaotian, stop acting so arrogant! You were the one harboring sinister intentions. Who knows what sordid business you and this slut were up to when Ma Liangpeng stumbled upon you? That was why you killed him to silence him!"
At that, Baobao gave a grief-stricken sob and fainted. Naturally, she was only pretending, putting on the appearance of someone unable to endure such humiliation.
Hu Xiaotian's eyes widened. In truth, Wutong's accusation was not entirely unjust, but even if she had guessed correctly, he could never admit it. He pointed straight at her nose. "You filthy bitch! How dare you slander my good name? I've already been castrated. How could I possibly engage in sordid business? You'll be the death of me!"
The Imperial Guards listening nearby could not help snickering to themselves. Some found it funny; others reveled in his misfortune. So what if Hu Xiaotian was the superintendent of the Palace Gardens Bureau? Surrounded by palace maids and consorts as lovely as flowers and jade, he could only look, never touch. That was what he got for missing that particular piece of equipment.
"There has never been any shortage