Song Zhiyao decided not to tangle with Lu Yanzhi for the time being.
His disgust didn’t matter.
What concerned her more was the fear in the little girl’s eyes.
Her daughter was afraid of her.
The urgent matter was to figure out what had happened in these past five years.
She stared at Zhi Mo Courtyard, then tugged at the wrist Lu Yanzhi still held. “Let go.”
Only then did he release her.
As Song Zhiyao turned, hurried footsteps came from behind. “General, the herbs prescribed by the doctors are missing one—one thousand-year ginseng.”
“I have it! It’s in my dowry,” Song Zhiyao said immediately.
Lu Yanzhi’s gaze lingered on her, full of undisguised suspicion.
“It’s really there. You can check yourself later—it’s definitely fine,” she insisted.
He looked to his guards and commanded, “Prepare the horses.”
Then he said to her, “Go get it now.”
Song Zhiyao’s dowry was stored in a small warehouse at Gui Pu Courtyard, guarded by a devoted housekeeper.
She took the key from her chest, but the moment she opened the door, she froze again.
When she married, her dowry had consisted of 108 full-sized chests, filling the warehouse to the brim. Now… it looked like it had been raided.
The room was a mess, and almost all the boxes were empty.
Where was her dowry?
The flustered housekeeper arrived and, hearing Song Zhiyao ask for the ginseng, immediately knelt. “Madam, that ginseng… you gave it away a year ago.”
Gave it away?
Song Zhiyao pressed, “To whom?”
She still had a full, intact thousand-year ginseng—more than enough to risk her life if needed. Perhaps she could claim it back.
The housekeeper hesitated and instinctively glanced at Lu Yanzhi by Song Zhiyao’s side.
Lu Yanzhi understood.
Song Zhiyao’s eyes narrowed. “Speak!”
“It… should be… Second Young Master,” the housekeeper replied weakly, uncertain.
In the Lu household, only the head of the family could be referred to as “Second Young Master” without a surname.
The second son she had been originally betrothed to five years ago—the one who had fled his wedding—Lu Jin Yu?
Lu Yanzhi scoffed, then strode away.
Song Zhiyao thought for a moment and decided she needed to confront Lu Jin Yu herself—Jian Shen was still waiting for the medicine.
She went straight to Lu Jin Yu’s courtyard.
The gatekeeper tried to stop her, smiling politely but with eyes full of contempt and disdain.
“Madam, you’re here. Please enter. Young Master and Lady Lin are expecting you.”
Song Zhiyao frowned. As the elder sister-in-law entering her younger brother-in-law’s courtyard, it felt improper.
But hearing that women were present, she stepped inside.
The moment she entered, her suspicion and confusion deepened.
“Sister-in-law.”
A sweet, soft voice rang out. “You haven’t thanked me yet for saving my Yan’er.”
The woman emphasized “my Yan’er,” clearly staking her claim.
She frowned lightly, her tone softening as if to console. “But after all, it was just child’s play. Although Yan’er was pushed into the ice lake by Jian Shen, you saved him in time.”
“Sis-in-law, you really didn’t have to push Jian Shen into the ice lake. He’s been unconscious all this time… I’m still heartbroken,” the woman added.
Song Zhiyao froze.
She… pushed Lu Jian Shen into the ice lake???
No. It had to be the person who had been controlling her body these past years.
No wonder Lu Yanzhi treated her the way he did. No wonder her daughter was afraid of her.
If she had once suspected that her five years of unconsciousness weren’t just sleep, now she was certain: someone had lived her life in her place.
And that person had done outrageous things using her body!
Song Zhiyao’s gaze swept over Lin Guan Guan, taking in the woman dressed in her dowry, and a cold light flashed in her eyes.
She brushed off Lin Guan Guan’s hand and looked at Lu Jin Yu, who sat in the main seat. “What about the thousand-year ginseng I gave you?”
Lu Jin Yu hadn’t even acknowledged her as his elder sister-in-law, so she paid him no mind.
He frowned. “Why are you asking that?”
Ah, so it was there.
“Jian Shen is unconscious. The ginseng is needed for the medicine,” Song Zhiyao patiently explained.
“Sis-in-law…” Lin Guan Guan looked troubled. “I’m afraid it can’t be given.”
Song Zhiyao stared at her.
Lin Guan Guan continued, “Even Yan’er was shaken badly. The doctors said it would be best to use the thousand-year ginseng to calm his spirit.”
“You should know what’s more important,” she added gently.
Song Zhiyao laughed bitterly.
Of course, her own son was more important!
“Weren’t you just heartbroken a moment ago? Or is it that your own son is now unconscious, hanging by a thread?” she pressed.
“Song Zhiyao!” Lu Jin Yu shouted angrily. “Are you cursing Yan’er?”
“That ginseng was yours to give me in the first place. Now it’s mine. I refuse to hand it over. What will you do?” Song Zhiyao said.
“Then you’ll see the court,” she added.
“What—what?”
Lu Jin Yu froze, stunned.
Song Zhiyao continued, “There are three copies of my dowry list. One with me, one with the Song family, and one with the authorities.”
“If my dowry was stolen, I can only file a report with the court.”
Lu Jin Yu hadn’t expected Song Zhiyao to be so shameless. “But you yourself accepted it back then…”
“The Huanghuali tables and chairs in this room, the Tianqing kiln vases, the Jiao Yue silk she’s wearing, the jewelry and hairpins—all gifts from me, yes?”
“Would anyone give you a treasure like thousand-year ginseng for no reason?” No one would believe her!
Her body may have given it, but it wasn’t truly her.
“The matter will be judged by the authorities,” Song Zhiyao said, then turned to leave.
“Brother Jin Yu!” Lin Guan Guan exclaimed in alarm.
Of course, she knew all the gifts had been from Song Zhiyao.
But if it went to the authorities, everyone would know, and they would gain a reputation for scheming to steal the elder sister-in-law’s dowry—how could they live with that?
Lu Jin Yu didn’t expect Song Zhiyao to be so ruthless. In the end, he had no choice but to concede, shouting angrily, “Take it, then! Song Zhiyao, don’t regret this!”
His gaze was icy, like a final warning. “And don’t ever expect me to look at you again!”
Song Zhiyao: “…Who cares.”
Even Lu Jin Yu thought she was disgusting.
Even the person who had been occupying her body, along with this woman and Lu Jin Yu, were no good.
Lin Guan Guan reluctantly handed the ginseng to Song Zhiyao.
Song Zhiyao checked it carefully—it was indeed the ginseng from her dowry—then turned to leave.
Lin Guan Guan frowned as she watched her go. “Brother Jin Yu, what’s wrong with Song Zhiyao?”
All sorts of fine things had flowed to her before; this was the first time she demanded something back.
Lu Jin Yu snorted. “Who knows what’s wrong with her?”
Lin Guan Guan’s eyes flicked. “Maybe it’s another trick to catch your attention.”
“You’re not… attracted to her, are you, Brother Jin Yu?”
He gave a dry laugh. “Guan Guan, do you know the thing I’ve never regretted in my life?”
“What’s that?”
“Six years ago, I chose to flee my wedding. That’s my greatest relief.”
After securing the thousand-year ginseng, Song Zhiyao headed straight to Zhi Mo Courtyard.
But just as she reached the gate, someone blocked her path. “Madam, you cannot enter.”