The beautiful mother-in-law’s face was full of emotion, tears welling up and misting her sparkling eyes.
She tugged helplessly on Mu Mianmian’s sleeve. “Mianmian… are you really not leaving?”
When she first entered the estate, she had seen Ah Ye—Ye Si Ming—crippled, and yet she had insisted on leaving.
“Hmm, I’m not leaving.”
Mu Mianmian patted her on the head. Such a beautiful person… but unfortunately a little dim.
Her intelligence was probably only that of a five-year-old.
She probably didn’t even understand what it meant to be exiled and have one’s house plundered.
Mu Mianmian stepped forward to check the Night King’s leg.
It was broken, but it could still be saved.
“Enough chatter. Change into coarse clothes and get ready to move.”
The soldiers shouted from outside.
“Officer, please, have mercy—let us rest for one night first! It’s late at night, it’s not safe to travel!”
The second lady, Lady Shen, pleaded.
The second and third wives all had families back in the capital, influential and powerful—they wouldn’t let their relatives die without a fight.
They needed to delay things long enough for their families to send some supplies; otherwise, they would starve on the road.
The soldiers were pragmatic. After some quiet arrangements made by the Shen family, they didn’t argue further.
The Ye estate was emptied, and once they confirmed nothing valuable had been hidden, their task was considered complete.
Besides, any hidden items would only complicate things—they could not seize everything, and those exiled would still need to appease the soldiers along the way.
After a moment, the soldier said, “Fine. But hurry. There’s only an hour until dawn. We depart at first light.”
The mansion was empty—there wasn’t even a wooden bed.
They could only sleep on the floor. Outside, soldiers guarded them; there was no escape.
Once the troops left, the second and third wives started contacting their families, gathering whatever food and usable items they could carry.
The eldest wife of the Ye family, “Meiniang,” was rather simple-minded—her name had been given by the old master. She had long since lost her natal family and was said to have been brought back by Ye Si Ming’s father during a war. Mu Mianmian, as a substitute bride, could not care less about her fate.
The first wife of the Ye family was the widow of the original master. The second and third wives were her children’s mothers. Each member of the Ye family hated Ye Si Ming intensely; even if there was food, they would never give it to the first wife.
The little three-year-old brother, Ye Si Jin, cried loudly from hunger, tears streaming down his watery eyes. “Mom, I’m hungry! I want meat… boohoo…”
Meiniang held the child, unsure what to do, awkwardly comforting him. “Ah Jin, don’t cry… don’t cry. When Brother Ah Ye wakes up, we’ll be saved!”
The teenage sister, Ye Si Yun, curled up silently in a corner.
Both of the household’s main pillars were unconscious.
Now, they had the injured, the weak, the foolish, and the young—everything at once.
Mu Mianmian looked at the scene in front of her. If she left, none of them would survive.
She had to find a way to survive first.
“Mom, you all rest for a bit. I’ll go find some food.”
“But there are people outside! You can’t go out!” Meiniang panicked, holding onto her. “They’re all bad people. Don’t go out. When Ah Ye wakes up, he’ll protect me.”
She also feared that Mu Mianmian might abandon them.
“I’ll be back soon. Keep quiet, alright? I need to get some medicine for Ah Ye.”
Looking at her bloodied son, Meiniang could only nod, trusting her.
“Mianmian… don’t leave us,” she whispered helplessly.
“I won’t.”
Mu Mianmian stood, glancing at Ye Si Yun, who said nothing. “Take care of Mom and Ah Jin.”
“Mm… how are you going out?” Ye Si Yun just nodded. She looked completely stunned, as if the terror had frozen her.
“I’m not going outside—just to the kitchen.”
Mu Mianmian didn’t say more.
She quietly slipped out through the window to avoid attracting attention.
The house was empty, cold, and pitch black.
The moment Mu Mianmian left, the family trembled in fear, their eyes filled with despair.
They thought she would surely run, abandoning them.
Who would willingly endure such suffering?
The mother and her two children huddled together, quietly crying. Ye Si Yun sobbed, “Father… Brother… please wake up soon! We’re so scared…”