Although Gu Mang followed Murong Lian forward, he was puzzled and surprised that Murong Lian was going to see him.
Although he had very little memory of Murong Lian left, he knew very clearly that Murong Lian had never treated him kindly, much less bought a box of pastries to apologize to him.
A child’s love and hatred were not that complicated. If you pushed me today, I would hold a grudge against you, but if you gave me a candied hawthorn skewer tomorrow, that grudge would disappear without a trace. Therefore, Gu Mang firmly believed that he had absolutely never received that box of pastries from Murong Lian—if he really had received it, there was no way the relationship between him and Murong Lian would have become as bleak as it later did.
With this question in mind, he followed Murong Lian all the way until they arrived outside Auntie Lin’s little house.
A peach tree grew outside Auntie Lin’s house. It was currently in bloom, its blossoms lush and dazzlingly beautiful. Murong Lian stopped beneath the flowering tree, straightened his clothes and headwear, and gave two awkward coughs, making sure he had put on enough of the Young Master’s airs before raising his hand to knock.
But before his knuckles touched the door, he heard the voices of two women talking inside.
“How did he fall into such a state?” The first woman’s voice was dignified and imposing, filled with pressure. It was the voice of Murong Lian’s mother, Madam Zhao. “I asked you to look after the child, and this is how you looked after him?”
When Murong Lian heard his mother’s voice, an expression of awe and surprise appeared on his face. The little fist he had been about to use to knock on the door lowered.
Then Auntie Lin’s timid, gentle voice came from behind the door.
“…I’m sorry. I was careless.”
“I don’t think you were careless. I think you have no brains. Auntie Lin, in all the years you’ve stayed at Wangshu Manor, have I, Zhao Susu, ever mistreated you? The child suffered such serious injuries. Why didn’t you come and report it to me immediately? Did you think I wouldn’t help you?”
Auntie Lin hurriedly said, “No, no. That’s not it. I didn’t…”
Madam Zhao merely snorted coldly.
“Why bother explaining? I know you’ve always hated me. The whole Chonghua thinks I’m a jealous and petty woman. Are you really the only exception?”
“Madam…”
“Enough. There’s no need to say anything more.” Madam Zhao’s tone was stern. “I’m taking the child away. Do your own work properly, and stop wandering around under my nose.”
Auntie Lin said nothing, but the sound of rustling footsteps came from behind the door.
After a while, Madam Zhao’s voice suddenly rose, piercing through the wooden door—
“What are you doing now?”
Auntie Lin pleaded softly, “Madam, please. Please leave him with me. Don’t you see that A-Mang is actually very timid even though he’s always causing trouble? He won’t be able to rest properly at your place…”
“Am I a stranger?!”
“No…”
“Then why is he afraid of me? Am I going to eat him or poison him?”
“I didn’t mean that…”
“Then let go! What are you worried about? Even if I don’t like him, would I really harm him?”
“…”
“Auntie Lin, wake up. I am the head of Wangshu Manor, and he is, at the very least, a member of the Wangshu family!”
Silence.
A dull roar suddenly exploded inside Gu Mang’s head. He could hardly believe his ears.
What?
Who was a child of the Wangshu family?
Madam Zhao… What, what did she mean by that…? What was she saying?!
Amid the thunderous rush of blood in his ears, the little house door creaked open.
But Gu Mang inside the illusion was not the only one staring in shock.
Murong Lian was equally dumbfounded.
Murong Lian seemed to want to turn and run, but his entire body felt as though it had been filled with mercury. He could not move at all and simply stood stupidly at the doorway.
And so he came face-to-face with Madam Zhao.
“Mo, Mother…”
Madam Zhao was carrying the unconscious little Gu Mang out by the scruff of his clothes. The moment she saw Murong Lian, all the color drained from her face.
“Why are you here?!”
Murong Lian raised his pale little face, looking frightened as he stammered at his mother.
“I…I…”
But after Madam Zhao asked the question, she did not let Murong Lian answer. As though she had suddenly realized something, she raised a hand and stopped his voice.
Then she immediately closed the door, blocking Auntie Lin’s view.
Auntie Lin said, “Madam…”
“You are not allowed to come out!”
“Madam… A-Mang really is very timid… He’s always afraid of disturbing other people…” Although Auntie Lin knew she had made Madam Zhao dislike her, she remained timid yet stubborn. “You… you’ve treated his illness, so please don’t let him stay with you anymore… I will definitely…”
“Shut up!”
Madam Zhao slammed the door shut.
Bang!
Madam Zhao clearly did not want Auntie Lin to know that Murong Lian was standing outside as well. She lowered her brows and gritted out quietly,
“Come here.”
Murong Lian stood there motionless.
“Get over here!”
Murong Lian still could not recover from his shock. He looked up at his mother in fear and bewilderment.
“…”
Madam Zhao cursed inwardly. She simply grabbed him by the front of his clothes. Carrying Gu Mang in her left hand and dragging Murong Lian along with her right, she returned to her own room without looking back.
As soon as they entered, Madam Zhao dismissed all the servants. She tossed Gu Mang onto the bed, then turned to Murong Lian.
“How much did you hear?”
Murong Lian was still so young at the time. How could he have experienced such a situation before? He was so frightened that he could not even speak. He only stared wide-eyed, his eyes filled with terrified tears.
“I’m asking you a question. You’re a grown man in the making, yet you cry after two sentences. What kind of behavior is that?”
“I…I…”
Murong Lian was still clutching the pastry box. Pressured into desperation by his mother, he suddenly burst into tears.
“Am I not Mother’s son? Was I picked up?!”
Madam Zhao was momentarily stunned.
Once Murong Lian started crying, he could not stop. He looked at Madam Zhao, then at the unconscious Gu Mang on the bed, and finally seemed on the verge of sobbing himself breathless.
Madam Zhao thought about it for a while and finally understood.
First, she rubbed her forehead. Then she slapped the table.
“…Murong Lian! What on earth are you imagining? Someone as stunningly beautiful as me—how could I possibly give birth to such an ugly little brat?!”
Murong Lian’s narcissism was practically inherited directly from Madam Zhao. Based on this alone, it could be concluded that Murong Lian was absolutely Madam Zhao’s biological son.
Murong Lian wiped his tears with one little hand and sobbed,
“Then why did you just say… You said he was… he was…”
Madam Zhao narrowed her eyes.
Murong Lian felt the pressure coming from his mother. His voice became quieter, but he still finished in a low voice.
“He’s one of our family…”
This time, Madam Zhao did not immediately speak.
She walked over to Murong Lian and took the pastry box he was struggling to hold, placing it on a table covered with white-bird-patterned satin embroidered with golden thread.
Then she poured a pot of floral fruit tea and slowly drank a cup.
Her fingers, painted with vermilion nail polish, slowly turned the Ru porcelain cup. Madam Zhao raised her eyes, but she did not look at Murong Lian. Her gaze fell on Gu Mang.
After a long while, she finally said,
“Murong Lian, come here.”
Murong Lian approached her hesitantly.
Madam Zhao set down her teacup and thought for a while longer. In the end, she still placed her hands on his shoulders and said,
“…You were destined to know about this sooner or later. I originally intended to tell you when you were a little older. But since you’ve already heard it now, there’s no point hiding it from you anymore.
“However, this secret must remain buried in your heart. You cannot tell anyone. You are absolutely forbidden to tell anyone. Do you understand?”
Murong Lian nodded in confusion.
But how could such a young child know how to keep a secret?
Madam Zhao had considered this as well. She took Murong Lian’s palm, light gathering at her fingertips as she drew a spell seal into his palm.
It was clearly not a pleasant spell seal. Murong Lian immediately cried out,
“Mother, it hurts!”
“It’s only the pain of having the seal placed.” Madam Zhao said, “Once this seal is placed, before you become the master of Wangshu Manor, the secret you heard today will be destined to remain unspoken. If you say anything you shouldn’t, you will suffer pain far greater than this until you keep your mouth shut.”
As she spoke, she released his palm.
“Don’t blame Mother for being too ruthless. You were born into the Murong family. If you expose even the slightest weakness or make even the smallest mistake, you may lose your own life.”
Only after doing all this did Madam Zhao let Murong Lian sit down.
She looked at Murong Lian, who was clutching the back of his hand with tears hanging from his eyelashes, her expression complicated.
After a while, she carefully began to speak, trying her best to recount the past she had concealed in a way that a child could understand.
“Your father… his relationship with me…”
She considered her words, but in the end still spoke bluntly.
“Actually… it was never as good as you imagined.”
Murong Lian: “…”
Gu Mang had already heard about this from Mo Xi before.
The former Lord of Wangshu, Murong Xuan, had never loved Madam Zhao. Instead, he had favored a young woman who had come from Lin’an.
However, because of interference from the powerful noble families, Murong Xuan had ultimately been unable to marry her. Instead, he married the Zhao family’s daughter, a suitable match in terms of family status.
But outsiders only knew one side of such matters. Only the person who had actually experienced it could tell the complete truth.
As Madam Zhao recounted the past, the truth of what had happened finally began to surface little by little.
It turned out that although Madam Zhao had been born into a noble family, she had not lived in the capital when she was young. Her father was an important minister stationed at the eastern border. Her entire family lived in their fief year-round, and only during the annual end-of-year ancestral ceremonies would Marquis Zhao bring his wife and daughter to the royal city to pay their respects.
It was during one such New Year banquet, when Zhao Susu was in the bloom of youth, that she saw Murong Xuan playing the qin and performing for the ruler.
From then on, she fell in love with this young and promising nobleman.
However, she was proud by nature. When others saw through her feelings, she became embarrassed and desperately denied them. She even deliberately acted as though she looked down on Murong Xuan, practically looking down her nose at him.
As a result, Murong Xuan did not have a particularly good impression of her, much less develop any romantic feelings for her.
Madam Zhao was also an extremely self-satisfied woman. She firmly believed that even if she rolled her eyes at Murong Xuan every time they met, he would still discover her beauty and fall at her feet.
The result was naturally miserable.
Murong Xuan did not take a liking to her. Instead, one year, while hunting, he happened to encounter a young woman who had fled from Lin’an.
For some unknown reason, that young woman had apparently suffered an injury to her head in the past and could not remember many things. She only knew that her surname was Chu. As for anything else, she could remember only scattered fragments.
But aside from that, everything about her was wonderful.
Not only was she gentle and captivating in appearance, her temperament was also extremely mild. As the two spent more time together, Murong Xuan unexpectedly developed feelings for her.
In fact, if one calmed down and thought about it carefully, this was a romance whose dead end could be seen at a glance.
Miss Chu’s origins were unknown, her status was lowly… Everything about her demonstrated how mismatched she was with Murong Xuan.
But Murong Xuan had been too young at the time and thought far too optimistically about everything.
So, in a fit of passion, he went to the ruler at the time—his older brother—and confessed his feelings, asking the ruler to grant him and Miss Chu a marriage.
Originally, this was not an absolutely impossible request.
Unfortunately, the ruler had just accepted Marquis Zhao’s marriage proposal and promised to marry his daughter, Zhao Susu, to Murong Xuan.
The marriages of these pure-blooded noble families were mostly arranged by the ruler. The ruler had never expected Murong Xuan to already have someone he favored.
A ruler’s word could not be taken back. For the sake of the royal family’s dignity, he naturally rejected Murong Xuan’s request outright and demanded that Murong Xuan sever ties with Miss Chu.
But Murong Xuan and Miss Chu were deeply in love at the time. How could he agree?
The usually refined and gentle Murong Xuan actually argued with his royal brother in open court.
The ruler was irritated by him. At the same time, he did not want to make things too difficult for his younger brother.
In the end, suppressing his anger, he reluctantly offered a compromise.
If Murong Xuan truly could not let go of Chu, then after marrying Zhao Susu and having a son or daughter, he could make an exception and elevate Miss Chu’s status, allowing her to marry Murong Xuan as a concubine.
The former ruler thought he had already taken a major step back.
But he had not expected his normally sensible younger brother to be so stubborn this time, refusing to yield even an inch.
In the end, the ruler flew into a thunderous rage.
At that point, Yue Juntian, the Prince of Lin’an, submitted another memorial.
He claimed that he had investigated Chu’s identity, and there was no woman surnamed Chu in Lin’an at all. A woman of unknown origins like this was either a spy or a demon.
Burning with anger, the ruler had Miss Chu imprisoned in the Bureau of Arcane Arts under the charge of using demonic arts to confuse people, where she was made into a test subject.
Things had reached this point, and Murong Xuan could only agree to fulfill the marriage contract and marry the Zhao family, using this as a condition to beg for Chu’s life.
In fact, according to the ruler’s original intention, he had never believed that Chu was a spy.
He knew that Yue Juntian had taken advantage of the opportunity to slander her merely because of a personal grudge.
His original plan had simply been to use Chu to pressure Murong Xuan. Once Murong Xuan obediently married and satisfied the demands of the important Zhao family, he could naturally spare Miss Chu’s life.
But the Zhao family did not think that way.
Aside from the extremely narcissistic Zhao Susu, who did not take any of the rumors outside seriously and did not think there was anything remarkable about her husband and that Chu woman, the rest of the Zhao family considered Chu a thorn in their side that absolutely had to be removed.
With Yue Juntian fanning the flames from the side, the Zhao family became increasingly restless.
They schemed several times, bypassed the ruler, and bribed cultivators in the Bureau of Arcane Arts.
They had a fake Miss Chu released while keeping the real Chu behind in the Bureau of Arcane Arts as a test subject whose life could be taken at any moment.
They had thought this would smooth out the obstacle in their daughter’s path to love.
But there was no wall in the world that could keep out every wind.
The Zhao family’s conspiracy soon reached Murong Xuan, who was on the front lines at the time.
Murong Xuan had already been in a very low state of mind during that period. Upon hearing such news, his mind immediately became chaotic.
As a result, he was severely wounded by the enemy during a decisive battle and ultimately died of illness on his way back to the city, breathing his last beside the Fu River.
The Zhao family had never expected that their attempt to help their own daughter would backfire so terribly that they would instead leave Madam Zhao a widow for life.
When the terrible news arrived, Madam Zhao was already seven months pregnant.
Overcome with grief and shock, she went into premature labor and painfully gave birth to a baby boy.
That baby was Murong Lian.
After giving birth, Madam Zhao became depressed, sinking into her grief over her husband’s death.
She had no idea that on their wedding night, Murong Xuan had actually been tricked into drinking a love potion. He had never had any feelings for her.
She had believed that the two of them had been deeply in love as husband and wife, only for them to become separated by life and death.
It was only after her health had somewhat recovered that she went to her late husband’s study to secretly shed tears while sorting through his belongings.
There, she discovered a stack of letters that her husband had exchanged with Chu while he was alive.
As those lingering emotions and gentle words flowed from between the lines, Madam Zhao finally realized, belatedly, that it had all been her excessive self-confidence from beginning to end.
The rumors had all been true.
The man she called her husband had never loved her.
He had loved that lowly refugee woman surnamed Chu instead.
How could someone as proud as Madam Zhao not be humiliated and enraged?
She had a huge quarrel with the senior members of the Zhao family who had concealed the truth from her and only cared about marrying her into the Murong family.
She smashed tables and doors, yet still could not swallow her anger.
And when she thought of that Chu woman, she became even more furious.
She had unknowingly become a laughingstock.
And all of it was thanks to the Zhao family, who had treated her as a pawn, and that despicable woman surnamed Chu!
After making a scene at the Zhao family, how could Madam Zhao possibly spare Chu?
After making inquiries, she finally learned that Miss Chu was being held in the Asura Chamber of the Bureau of Arcane Arts.
So she went to the Bureau of Arcane Arts filled with resentment.
At that time, Chu was being taken by cultivators who had been bribed to undergo medicinal experiments.
The “fox-like seductress” Madam Zhao saw in the Bureau of Arcane Arts was actually a body frozen inside a spell formation.
Her face was disfigured beyond recognition.
Her body was emaciated.
And…
Her abdomen was clearly swollen with pregnancy.
“She’s been pregnant for several months, but she’s been frozen inside Profound Dark Ice this entire time. A year inside there is equivalent to only two or three days outside.”
The cultivator explained to her, “Your father originally wanted to kill her directly, but that would have been too obvious. He was afraid it would arouse the ruler’s suspicion, so he had her frozen first.”
“Madam, do you want to kill her now?”
Madam Zhao: “…”
She was somewhat dazed.
Earlier, she had looked at the love letters her husband had written to this woman, and her heart had been filled with jealousy and hatred.
But now, through the layer of profound ice, she looked at the woman inside, who was about the same age as herself.
Simply because she had not been born into a good family, she had been unable to marry the person she loved.
Her face had been ruined.
Her life was hanging by a thread.
Even her child could not be protected.
And all of it had been caused by Madam Zhao’s own family.
She and this woman were the same.
Ultimately, they were both pieces on a chessboard.
Two sacrifices.
Madam Zhao’s heart was filled with complicated emotions.
Then she looked at the belly carrying a new life.
She had never been a particularly compassionate person, but she herself had only recently given birth. Her heart was inevitably softer than before.
After hesitating for a long time, she ultimately could not bring herself to do it.
So she rescued Miss Chu.
Zhao Susu concealed Miss Chu from everyone, hiding her in a secret chamber within Wangshu Manor.
She also hired a trustworthy midwife to care for her until the child was safely born.
To conceal her identity, she also changed Chu’s surname, taking only half of it and giving her the surname Lin.
From that point onward, the woman named Chu no longer existed in this world.
And Wangshu Manor gained an ugly old maid.
That was Auntie Ni, Gu Mang’s “mud aunt.”