Warning
“So by your logic, your courtyard belongs to me now?”
Yu Shuwan calculated seriously, “When are you leaving?”
It had to be said that this proposal was quite tempting.
Once she had some silver on hand, she could hire someone to kill Yu Guiwan.
Wouldn’t that make everyone happy!
Yu Shuwan’s eyes sparkled slightly, leaving Yu Guiwan stunned.
This wasn’t quite how she imagined the battle between the real and fake young ladies would go.
Shouldn’t Yu Shuwan now say: No, that’s not what I meant.
Then, by submitting to her and staying away from Grandmother Yu, she could openly suppress her and obtain the fortune she desired?
“What, were you just saying it without meaning it?”
“How could you force your elder sister like this?”
Su Jintang couldn’t take it anymore. She let out a sharp cry, “Yu Shuwan, you truly don’t know what’s good for you!”
“I’m still here. Who are you to lecture her?”
Grandmother Yu grew impatient. “Once you’re done making a scene, go back. Shuwan doesn’t want to leave, so Changhong Yuan will be her courtyard from now on.”
Yu Fangyi didn’t actually see anything wrong with this, but his wife’s resentful gaze forced him to muster his courage and say, “Mother, Jintang and Shuwan are just unfamiliar with each other. They still need more time together. Otherwise…”
“Actually, I think it’s fine for each to find their own mother.”
Yu Shuwan interrupted Yu Fangyi, her eyes dark and deep. “Sister, when are you prepared to meet Liu Chunlan?”
This single sentence effectively silenced both Yu Guiwan and Su Jintang.
After they left, Yu Shuwan refilled Grandmother Yu’s teacup. “Grandmother, since you’ve been coughing lately, you should drink some mint tea. Why get angry over them?”
“Are you truly not hurt?”
Grandmother Yu sighed. “They are your birth parents.”
“The debt of birth was repaid long ago. As for the debt of upbringing…”
Yu Shuwan smiled, kneeling beside Grandmother Yu and gently massaging her legs with a small ivory hammer. “Grandmother, I’m afraid there will be many such incidents in the future.
I have no intention of stirring up trouble, but even if a tree desires stillness, the wind will not cease. It’s inevitable that Houye and his wife will be hurt.”
Knowing that Yu Shuwan harbored resentment in her heart, Grandmother Yu felt conflicted.
How could Yu Fangyi and the others fail to see such a good child?
The first day at the Houfu passed in this manner.
On the second day, there was a simple family banquet in the estate.
Except for Yu Jingzhou, who was still training in the military camp and couldn’t make it back, everyone gathered for an awkward meal.
Su Jintang had initially assumed Yu Shuwan would be crude and unrefined, but when she glanced up unintentionally, she saw her movements were elegant and fluid, leaving her momentarily stunned.
Seeing Su Jintang looking at Yu Shuwan, Zhi Qiu cleared her throat and said, “I taught the young lady etiquette yesterday. She has a good understanding and practiced late into the night. To be able to perform like this today truly shows talent.”
“So what? Our Guiwan is no less capable.”
For some reason, Su Jintang couldn’t stand hearing anyone praise Yu Shuwan and immediately retorted.
Zhi Qiu had intended to let Su Jintang see Yu Shuwan’s merits but ended up making things worse instead.
Yu Shuwan knew Zhi Qiu meant well, but she didn’t mind. She continued eating the food in her bowl as usual.
These etiquettes were things she had long mastered. Yu Shuwan didn’t even need to make an effort to perform them.
Grandmother Yu was most annoyed by Su Jintang’s petty and narrow-minded demeanor. With a stern face, she asked, “Have you prepared all the invitations as I instructed?”
Hearing this, Su Jintang reluctantly replied, “This matter is known to us alone. Why must we invite everyone? Not only will Guiwan feel uncomfortable, but it will also sound unpleasant if word gets out.”
“If you haven’t prepared them, then there’s no need to prepare them at all.”
Grandmother Yu directly instructed Zhi Qiu to fetch the head stewardess. Su Jintang quickly interjected, “It’s not that I don’t want to prepare them!”
Seeing that Grandmother Yu paid her no heed, she reluctantly conceded, “I’ll fill in the date this afternoon after consulting the Huangdao Jiri.”
“The day after tomorrow is an auspicious date. What do you think, Grandmother?”
Yu Shuwan turned her head and asked with a cheerful smile. Naturally, Grandmother Yu wouldn’t dampen her spirits.
Su Jintang grew increasingly displeased with this daughter who had appeared out of nowhere.
After the meal, Su Jintang excused herself, claiming she would take Yu Shuwan to the storeroom to select some fabrics. In reality, she dismissed the servants and coldly stated, “I don’t know what your intentions are, but Guiwan will always be my daughter. If you behave obediently, I won’t treat you unfairly. But if you continue to oppose Guiwan, don’t blame me for disregarding our mother-daughter bond!”
Yu Shuwan spoke slowly, “So, you never truly considered me your daughter, did you?”
“Guiwan has been raised by me for fourteen years. She is my daughter.”
Hearing Su Jintang’s resolute words, Yu Shuwan couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Alright, alright, why so tense?”
Her expression suddenly relaxed. “Even though I already knew the answer, I still wanted to confirm it.”
This way, when the time came to take action, she wouldn’t be held back by so-called familial bonds.
Su Jintang didn’t quite understand her words and was about to press further when Yu Shuwan lazily said, “Madam Su, let’s speak plainly. I have no interest whatsoever in how close you and your daughter are. If you miss me, try to overcome it. It’s best if you don’t miss me at all—then we can coexist peacefully. As for me and Yu Guiwan, as long as she doesn’t provoke me, I certainly won’t provoke her. Understood?”
Casually picking up a large, exquisite pearl nearby, Yu Shuwan curled her lips into a smile. “Didn’t you say I could choose something I like? I really like this one. Thank you.”
With that, she turned to leave.
Su Jintang was stunned. When she regained her senses, she rushed forward to snatch the pearl back. “You can’t take this!”
Yu Shuwan, agile and quick, had already slipped out of the storeroom. From a distance, she held up the pearl and waved it at Grandmother Yu. “Grandmother, I really like this!”
She remembered in her previous life, when she first returned, Yu Guiwan had gifted her this pearl. At the time, she thought Yu Guiwan genuinely welcomed her. But less than half an hour after receiving it, Su Jintang had angrily sent someone to snatch it back. To this day, she still remembered Su Jintang’s icy glare: “This is something Guiwan has liked for a long time. How dare you take it from her?”
Later, Yu Shuwan learned that after Yu Guiwan gifted the pearl, she began to cry, skillfully implying that Yu Shuwan was stealing her belongings. What she failed to make others believe in her previous life, Yu Shuwan was determined to make a reality in this one.
Yu Guiwan’s expression shifted slightly. “This pearl…”
She bit her lip, as if steeling herself, and watched as Yu Shuwan approached. In a delicate, timid voice, she said, “Sister, Mother intended this as a birthday gift for me. Did you choose it on purpose?”
Before Yu Shuwan could respond, Yu Guiwan’s expression turned somewhat somber, forcing a smile as she said, “But if my sister likes it, I’m willing to give it to her.”