The secondary wife slowly walked to the railing and lowered her gaze. For a brief moment, her eyes met Yu Lin’s, silently asking: Is it him?
Yu Lin wasn’t sure exactly who had died.
In her previous life, around this time, she realized that after all her scheming, she had ended up marrying a fool. Her unwillingness turned into anger, and she either insulted or beat him.
At first, the fool was frightened by her and endured being beaten twice.
But later, he suddenly went mad. When she insulted him again, he nearly beat her to death.
At that time, she had been lying in bed recovering, listening to the maids gossip, saying someone had died on Vermilion Bird Street. They said the scene was gruesome, going on and on…
Unfortunately, she had been too consumed with anger over being injured by a fool to pay attention to the details.
Seeing her remain silent for so long, the secondary wife began to scrutinize her suspiciously.
On the surface, Yu Lin stayed calm. She deliberately paused before looking at Xie Jinghong with fear in her expression.
“Brother Hong, what’s happening down there? Lin’er is scared…”
Xie Jinghong pondered for a moment and stood up. “Don’t be afraid. I’ll go take a look.”
After he left, Yu Lin glanced at Yu Mu’an and Aunt Zhao, who looked curious and were about to come over. She lowered her voice and spoke quickly “Just watch.
If heavenly secrets are leaked, can you bear the karmic consequences?”
The secondary wife frowned in displeasure but suppressed it and fell silent.
Yu Mu’an looked down and frowned.
The washed bluestone pavement was covered in vivid red, and the surrounding onlookers already looked fearful and uneasy.
In her previous life, she hadn’t heard that a scholar had died. If she remembered correctly, it should have been…
Liu Cuihua gasped repeatedly at the side, chanting “Amitabha.” “Madam, it looks like this scholar is about to be beaten to death.”
Yu Lin snorted lightly and said nothing.
“Make way!!!”
From afar, someone shouted in panic.
Hoofbeats thundered, horses neighed.
The crowd scattered in an instant, screams rising one after another.
Crack.
The crisp sound wasn’t loud, yet it silenced everyone present.
The stepmother took a step back in disbelief, her eyes wide.
Liu Cuihua trembled as she pointed downstairs. “Th-this…”
She turned to Yu Lin. “No wonder you wouldn’t say earlier… no wonder…”
The stepmother suddenly turned to Yu Lin. “Is that so?”
Yu Lin replied leisurely, “You can see for yourself whether what I said is true.”
Yu Mu’an raised an eyebrow.
Sure enough, Yu Lin had told the stepmother about her rebirth.
Downstairs, the first scream rang out.
“Ah someone’s dead ”
“Ahhh! The head flew off! The head flew off!!!”
“Report it to the authorities! Someone’s been killed ”
The timid had already fled far away, while the braver ones stood at a distance to watch.
Within the wide circle of the crowd, there was blood everywhere.
A shop waiter dressed in coarse clothes lay on the ground, his limbs still twitching.
His head was nowhere to be seen, and blood sprayed far from the severed neck.
A short distance away, a luxurious large carriage had just come to a stop.
Not because the driver wanted to stop, but…
He jumped down to check and found the rear wheel stuck.
After tugging at it for a while, he pulled out half a human head from between the wheel hub.
“Ah!!!”
The driver staggered back in fright and fell to the ground.
Another surviving waiter shouted, “It’s him! He’s the one who ran over He Er!”
That shout finally broke the silence in the VIP pavilion upstairs.
They watched as a group of people rushed out of Yuhua Tower, surrounding the luxurious carriage, shouting noisily.
The driver, likely experiencing something this absurd and horrifying for the first time, retreated in panic, waving his hands frantically.
The stepmother turned away from the railing. “Let’s go back, let’s go back. What bad luck.”
Yu Mu’an deliberately created an opportunity for the two of them. “Mother, I’m a bit tired. I’d like to go back and rest first.”
Yu Lin quickly added, “I can’t bear to part with Mother and Aunt Zhao. I’ll accompany them back first!”
As she spoke, she looked at Xie Jinghong with expectation in her eyes.
Xie Jinghong’s expression was grim.
He had just gone downstairs when the incident happened.
That head had rolled and stopped not far from him, and he had seen it clearly.
Even thinking about it now made him nauseous.
His throat bobbed. “No… I have an appointment to drink with colleagues.”
Yu Lin looked disappointed but still spoke obediently:
“Alright then. Husband, make sure to come home early. I’ll go back after seeing Mother off and wait for you.”
Yu Mu’an couldn’t be bothered to watch their act and turned to leave.
Her gaze casually swept downstairs, where the destitute scholar lay barely alive, ignored by all.
The city patrol arrived, shouting as they drove away the crowd.
Anxin helped Yu Mu’an onto the carriage and whispered, “Ju Hong has already gone over.”
Yu Mu’an nodded.
The secondary wife seemed shaken by what she had just seen, her complexion still somewhat pale.
Yu Lin watched coldly as she busied herself drinking tea and adjusting her clothes, pretending to be composed.
“Mother, do you believe me now? Or do you need me to ‘predict’ a few more things?”
The secondary wife glanced at her and snorted, looking away.
It was clear she already believed her, but she maintained the dignity of the main wife, unwilling to show weakness before a concubine’s daughter.
Yu Lin wasn’t annoyed, only letting out a light laugh.
“Mother, take your time to consider.
I’ve already married Brother Hong. In the future, I’ll be the honored General’s wife, a first-rank titled lady personally conferred by His Majesty. But as for the marquis’s household…
I wonder if you can afford to wait.”
After saying that, she instructed the coachman outside to take her back to the General’s residence.
The secondary wife’s expression changed. She instinctively grabbed Yu Lin. “What do you mean?”
Yu Lin revealed a meaningful smile. “Father’s illness has lasted quite a while, hasn’t it…”
Hearing this, the secondary wife could no longer remain calm. She stared intently at Yu Lin. “What do you mean? Yu Lin, explain yourself clearly!”
Yu Lin pulled her hand back and sneered. “My short-lived father his time is almost up.”
The secondary wife asked in panic:
“How could that be? The Marquis has been ill, yes, but the household physician said he’s been gradually recovering. How could he suddenly…?
Impossible, impossible. We even had an imperial physician examine him recently they all said he was improving… it can’t be…”
Yu Lin let out a soft laugh. “Then you should ask that Concubine Wang of yours.”
The secondary wife froze. “Concubine Wang? What about her?”
Aunt Zhao flew into a rage. “I knew that little slut wasn’t honest! Always trying to get close to the Marquis every day!”
Thinking of this, Yu Lin couldn’t help but laugh.
In her previous life, the secondary wife’s only son had been killed by Concubine Wang. Seeing the secondary wife cry her heart out had brought Yu Lin immense satisfaction.
But in this life, the secondary wife and the power of her natal family was useful to her.
So she would have to let that little wretch live on.
As for that useless father, it didn’t matter. If he was poisoned to death, so be it.
Yu Lin deliberately dangled the bait. “Recently, I heard something very interesting…”
The secondary wife’s expression turned fierce. “Speak!”
Yu Lin’s expression turned cold.