The manor had been in complete chaos yesterday, and Su Yun had fainted, so no courtyard maid had been assigned to Li Jinu. This, however, came as a relief to her.
Looking at the temporary courtyard before her, though not as large as Bright Moon Courtyard and with simple facilities, it was far better than the one she had in her previous life.
In her past life, she had entered the manor in disgrace. Su Yun’s gaze at her was like looking at a rat scurrying across the street, as if even a glance more would injure her eyes.
What had Su Yun said back then?
She said, “Your appearance, temperament, and virtue are all inferior to Jintang’s, and you’ve lost your chastity. Don’t you know that a woman’s purity is her most precious possession? Having lost your virtue like this, how dare you shamelessly return?”
Afterward, she was sent to the farthest courtyard in the manor, beginning her miserable years.
She felt wronged and unwilling to accept it.
Yes, why should she accept it? She was the one who suffered, the one who endured a living hell for over a decade, and just as she was about to escape her misery, Nian Cuilan completely destroyed her.
She had repeatedly insisted that it wasn’t her fault, that it wasn’t what she wanted, but no one listened to her explanations.
Her state of mind was easily exploited by those with ulterior motives. A young maid urged her to cause trouble and harm Ye Jintang, saying that if Ye Jintang died, she would become the manor’s only legitimate daughter.
But what was the result? She caused trouble, even once barging into the study when Imperial Censor Zhang was visiting, causing the Houye to lose face greatly.
She was punished by kneeling in the Ancestral Hall for a week, and from then on, her parents despised her even more.
She tried to poison Ye Jintang, but when discovered, Ye Zeyu kicked her so hard he broke two of her ribs.
Yet Ye Jintang softly comforted him, “Forget it, brother. After all, she is your own sister. I…”
“Hmph, she’s a rat on the ground—how dare she aspire to the moon in the sky?”
At that time, the way Ye Jintang looked at her was exactly like staring at a rat scurrying across the street.
From that moment on, she fully understood that she didn’t matter. And from then on, she became cautious and timid, trying to integrate into a tightly-knit family.
Memories are like this—every time they resurface, it feels like reliving the experience, the pain piercing to the bone.
Her past life was truly too bitter, so bitter that even the slightest recollection filled her heart with anguish.
Except for that one bit of sweetness, but that sweetness was the poisoned wine that took her life.
She was almost lost in the whirlpool of memories until the commotion from the main courtyard pulled her back to reality.
She stepped out of the courtyard and saw the steward leading two men in brown robes toward the rear courtyard.
How strange. Zhennan Hou usually placed great importance on rules—how could outsiders be allowed into the rear courtyard?
Just as she was thinking of going to see what was happening, a maid from Ye Siyuan’s courtyard approached.
The maid bowed respectfully and said, “Miss, the Houye requests your presence in the main courtyard. Please follow me.”
Li Jinu raised an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued, and she gladly followed.
On the way, she noticed a brand-new courtyard situated at the center of the rear courtyard, even larger than Bright Moon Courtyard.
She knew this courtyard had been completed just a few days ago. Originally intended to serve as a study, it was still being furnished.
Li Jinu’s eyes lit up, and a slight smile curved her lips.
This courtyard—she would claim it for herself!
If Ye Jintang found out that the courtyard she lived in was even larger than Bright Moon Courtyard, wouldn’t she be furious?
She had it all planned out: the new building had a solid foundation, making it convenient for her to dig tunnels and secret chambers.
The courtyard was spacious enough—she had no intention of planting flowers or shrubs. Instead, she would reserve a plot of land to grow vegetables.
Growing vegetables wasn’t the goal; her real aim was to get Ye Siyuan to till the land with her.
With the vegetables she planted herself as a lure, how could the Marquis not remember his own daughter?
She knew clearly that the entire Ye family belonged to the Marquis, so she intended to become his most beloved daughter in order to accomplish more.
At this thought, she suddenly remembered something from her previous life: Ye Zeyu had found some sorcerer from who knows where, claiming that she brought misfortune to relatives, friends, and the entire family—a Lone Star Fate rarely seen in a century.
In her past life, Ye Siyuan had always stayed out of household affairs, and Su Yun naturally believed her son. Associating the chaos in the household with Li Jinu’s arrival, she made the decision to expel her from the Marquis’s residence.
The days that followed went without saying—branded with shame, she ended up in a brothel.
In her previous life, despite being humble and cautious, she had still provoked Ye Zeyu’s vicious schemes. So in this life, when Ye Jintang’s position was precarious, Ye Zeyu would surely try to frame her again.
The matter of fate seemed like an inescapable trap. She clenched her hands tightly, pondering how to break this deadlock.
Their footsteps were swift as they stepped over the threshold one after another. There, they saw Ye Siyuan, his expression unreadable, standing by the bookshelf and addressing two men who looked like wealthy merchants:
“Since you two are experts in this field, please carefully examine whether these two manuscripts were written by the same person.”
Li Jinu raised her eyebrows and glanced at the desk. One of the manuscripts was Ye Jintang’s handwriting, while the other was the Death Note.
Of course, the Ye family wasn’t foolish enough to openly expose their family shame to outsiders.
On the desk were only a dozen or so harmless characters, but that was already enough.
Li Jinu looked up at Ye Zeyu’s expression and couldn’t help but narrow her eyes.
This scoundrel cared deeply for his dear sister. Since she was still ill, why wasn’t he at Bright Moon Courtyard?
Could it be that these two men had been bribed?
But even if it were eventually proven that Ye Jintang had been framed, it wouldn’t matter. After all, the contents of the Death Note were true, and her father knew it—that was enough.
No matter what, this matter wouldn’t implicate her. The one to suffer would only be Ye Jintang.
She knew clearly that ever since the Death Note fell into the Marquis’s hands, she had already secured an unbeatable position.
All she needed to do was quietly watch the drama unfold and occasionally add fuel to the fire.
Moreover, if these two men had indeed been bribed, it would be even better—she had her own ways to make them confess to taking bribes.
At this thought, she curled the corners of her lips.
It had been several days since she last killed someone, and her hands were itching for action.
She couldn’t help but take a step forward, observing the two men’s reactions and analyzing their personalities.
While she was observing, Ye Siyuan was also watching her.
Ye Siyuan couldn’t help but recall the incident at Great Compassion Temple.
He had wanted to speak with Li Jinu about Qian Gugu but found her absent from her room.
At the time, he had thought simply, assuming his daughter was just curious and had gone out to see the scenery, so he didn’t pay it much mind.
It wasn’t until this morning, after his anger had subsided and rationality returned, that he began to sense something amiss.
Ye Jintang had always been somewhat cunning—he knew about her schemes against the illegitimate children, but he didn’t care.
His daughter was destined to marry into a noble family. What prominent household didn’t have its share of dirty secrets? It was good that his daughter had some cunning from a young age.
He had always known that Ye Jintang was clever.
So why would such a clever person abandon a life of wealth and luxury over unverified accusations? Even to the point of leaving a Death Note, as if exposing herself.
Moreover, compared to Li Jinu, Ye Jintang was the one with the advantage. There was no reason for her to act this way.
Thus, a truth slowly began to emerge in his mind:
Ye Jintang intended to gain the Marquis household’s sympathy through suicide while simultaneously making Li Jinu despised within the residence.
She had indeed left a Death Note—just not the one before them now!
To unravel something that defied logic was simple: one needed only see who stood to benefit from it.
With this thought, Ye Siyuan’s gaze toward Li Jinu grew more complicated.
Sensing her father’s stare, Li Jinu lifted her head and offered a faint smile—docile and endearing.
Ye Siyuan took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Though he didn’t know how Li Jinu had accomplished it, that didn’t prevent him from drawing conclusions.
Yet beneath his conflicted emotions lay a sliver of relief.
If both daughters were clever, even someone as cold-blooded as him would naturally favor his own flesh and blood.
He was human, not a beast, nor was he bewitched by evil arts. Such simple logic, he understood.
Just as father and daughter tacitly averted their eyes, the two examiners exchanged glances, cupped their hands, and declared:
“Though these two writings bear resemblance, we who specialize in this craft have detected subtle discrepancies. They were not penned by the same hand.”
Ye Zeyu quietly released a breath of relief. Without concrete evidence, and with his and his mother’s protection, Jintang would remain unharmed.
She would still be the most esteemed young lady in the household!