Early the next morning, Yu Mu’an went alone to Wei Rui Xuan to pay her respects to her mother-in-law.
Inside Wei Rui Xuan, Yu Lin and her new husband were already there.
Seeing her arrive alone, Yu Lin covered her mouth and chuckled lightly: “Sister, why are you here by yourself?
On such an important day, why isn’t your husband accompanying you?”
Xie Jinghong looked at her. Though he said nothing, from Yu Lin’s smug yet secretly pleased expression, it was clear his petty jealousy was at work.
Sure enough, clearing his throat, Xie Jinghong put on a facade of concern:
“You refused to switch last night. From now on, there will be days you regret and cry.”
Yu Lin’s smile stiffened at his words. Her previously triumphant expression instantly shifted, her gaze toward Yu Mu’an turning venomous.
Hu Rui sat gracefully. After the two younger ones had their outburst, she spoke slowly:
“Alright. After all, she will be your elder sister-in-law from now on. You mustn’t be disrespectful.”
She looked at Yu Mu’an with concern:
“I heard after you returned last night, Yan’er went crazy again? Did he hurt you?”
Yu Mu’an pressed her lips together, her restrained frustration clear as day, perfectly showing the agony of “swallowing one’s suffering.”
She raised her eyes to Hu Rui, hesitated, then lowered her head again.
Seeing her expression, the three of them each thought differently.
Hu Rui and Xie Jinghong exchanged a glance, seemingly understanding each other, and both smiled faintly.
Yu Lin noticed a hint of remorse in Yu Mu’an, her face changed, and her smile completely vanished.
She sat upright, unconsciously gripping the armrest so tightly her knuckles turned white.
Yu Mu’an glanced at Yu Lin, expression calm, and lowered her eyes to reply softly:
“Thank you for your concern, Mother. Your daughter-in-law is fine; it’s just that my little maid was frightened and will be taking the day off.”
Hu Rui did not respond, her eyes full of undisguised disdain as she snorted lightly.
Xie Jinghong feigned concern: “My elder brother is capricious. He seems fine most of the time, but he often goes mad suddenly. His actions are unpredictable then. You must be careful to avoid him.”
Yu Mu’an nodded slightly toward him: “Thank you, younger uncle. I will remember.”
Hearing that title, Xie Jinghong’s expression stiffened.
Yu Lin spoke sarcastically: “Brother Hong is only saying that out of our childhood bond. Don’t think it means anything else.”
Yu Mu’an raised her eyes at her, expression calm: “Naturally.”
Though she said that, she deliberately glanced at Xie Jinghong once more, then quickly looked away.
Yu Lin’s anger flared, her face reddened, and she suddenly stood up: “You!”
Xie Jinghong frowned: “What are you making a fuss about now?! You complain even when An’er obeys you?”
Yu Lin was stunned by his sudden accusation.
She glared at Xie Jinghong, lips trembling: “Brother Hong? Do you like Yu Mu’an?! Is that it?
You weren’t after reputation at all. You… you simply like Yu Mu’an, didn’t you?!”
Xie Jinghong, annoyed, wiped his face without looking at her: “Can you stop being unreasonable? You didn’t want the switch. Now we’re not switching, okay? It’s already as you wished. What more do you want?”
Yu Lin’s eyes reddened, tears streaming down: “As I wished? I-It’s as I wished…
You promised to marry me yourself, said you only liked me!
Yet now it’s me making a fuss, and you’re just waiting for me to step aside to let you be with Yu Mu’an!”
Xie Jinghong’s thoughts were exposed, and he was furious. He stood up abruptly, glaring at Yu Lin: “You really don’t know what you’re doing!”
Yu Mu’an, fearing Yu Lin would truly clash with Xie Jinghong, quickly intervened:
“Younger uncle, calm down. My sister cares too much about you. She doesn’t mean to cause trouble. I hold no grudge against her.”
Hu Rui, watching them argue to the point of chaos, finally spoke: “It’s the first day of your marriage, and you’re yelling like this in front of me? Is this what you call true love?”
Yu Lin, having already lived a previous life, realized her emotions had gotten the better of her earlier.
Chastened by the reminder, she immediately softened her previously aggressive attitude: “I’m sorry, Brother Hong. I just…
The thought that you might have another woman in your heart pains me so much I can hardly breathe, nearly driving me mad…
I’m sorry, Brother Hong. Lin’er was just too afraid…”
She knew exactly how to play to Xie Jinghong’s tendencies, otherwise she wouldn’t have controlled him so well in her previous life.
Sure enough, Xie Jinghong’s expression softened immediately. Suppressing his irritation, he took a deep breath: “You’re overthinking!”
Yu Lin obediently nodded, lowering her eyes in tears: “Lin’er remembers. Lin’er will behave.”
Yu Mu’an lowered her eyes and smirked coldly.
In her previous life, she had seen this trick from Yu Lin too many times to be surprised.
She silently withdrew, keeping her posture proper.
The rest, she would let them figure out on their own.
Back in the courtyard, the maid Anxin, feigning illness, mysteriously pulled Yu Mu’an back inside, whispering proudly: “Miss! I’ve bought her back!”
Yu Mu’an raised an eyebrow: “Bought?”
Anxin complained indignantly: “She was so pitiful! Sold herself to bury her father, and some villain wanted to force her back without paying!”
Hearing this, Yu Mu’an recalled the previous life.
Last life, this had happened. She had heard that the villain was killed, but his accomplices took revenge and disfigured the girl with acid, leaving her a terrifying ghost-like figure.
“Where is she now?”
Anxin blinked: “I-I don’t know…”
Yu Mu’an: “???”
Anxin pointed with her finger: “She was very cold. On one hand, she said, ‘Since you paid, I will be yours from now on.’
On the other, she said, ‘You go back first; I will come find you myself.’ Before I could speak, she vanished in a flash!”
Yu Mu’an: “…” Very familiar behavior…
Just as she was speaking, there was a soft tap-tap at the bedroom’s rear window.
Yu Mu’an’s eyes flickered. She gestured for Anxin to stay at the door and keep others away.
She went to the inner room and opened the rear window.
A girl with delicate features stood outside, staring straight at her.
Yu Mu’an froze at the unfamiliar face.
“You…”
The girl quickly glanced around, then back at her: “May I come in and speak?”
Yu Mu’an stepped aside, allowing her in.
The girl nimbly climbed through, shut the window behind her, turned, and knelt. Then, she bowed deeply, forehead hitting the ground: “Servant, ‘Scoundrel Dog,’ is grateful for Madam Xie’s rescue. If Madam will not despise me, I will serve you faithfully, even to death.”
Yu Mu’an: “Ah…”
So she really was the “Scoundrel Dog”!
Yu Mu’an looked at the respectful girl kneeling at her feet, feeling deeply moved.
In the previous life, this girl had caused her a lot of trouble.
She served Yu Lin quietly but loyally.
It was thanks to this seemingly ordinary maid that Yu Lin managed to escape the bandits and be rescued by Xie Jinghong.
This unremarkable-looking, silent maid handled many covert tasks and was skilled in hand-to-hand combat.
By intercepting her before Yu Lin, she not only removed Yu Lin’s important ally but also because this girl was genuinely capable.
“Who gave you this name?” Yu Mu’an asked.
“Madam, it was my father,” the girl replied.
Yu Mu’an: “…”
Knowing some people dislike girls was one thing, but this malicious name was unprecedented.
A father who could name his daughter like that could have just sold her into servitude or thrown her to the wild dogs after her father’s death.
Yu Mu’an: “From now on, you’ll be called Ju Hong. How about that?”
Ju Hong immediately kowtowed: “Thank you, Madam, for giving me a name!”
Yu Mu’an nodded in approval.
“Find a chance, and I’ll make your identity official. For now, I need you to help me with something very important.”
Ju Hong immediately straightened her back: “Madam, please command me.”