“The name my adoptive parents gave me was ‘Li Jinu’. They said I was born to be a slave fostered by the Li family, destined to serve as a slave for life.”As she spoke, her voice grew increasingly choked, inevitably carrying a tone of questioning: “Does Mother wish for me to keep the Li surname, or does she wish for me to remain a slave?””
Li Jinu watched Su Yun, who remained speechless for a long time, and marveled inwardly.
If she could see her past self, she would definitely boast:
With just one sentence, I’ve made Su Yun ashamed to face me!
Su Yun’s lips trembled slightly, swallowing back all the reprimands she had prepared.
Her face flushed crimson with extreme embarrassment.
Just as she reached the peak of discomfort, Ye Jintang appeared beside her unnoticed, gently patting her back with tender care and softly comforting:
“Mother, please don’t be angry. Sister didn’t mean it intentionally. If you harm your health from anger, your daughter would be heartbroken.”
Hearing this, Su Yun’s expression improved slightly.
Simultaneously, she couldn’t help complaining inwardly:
What kind of daughter says something that pushes her mother into such an awkward position without offering any comfort?
Her Jintang was so much more considerate.
Indeed, even if she had given birth to the other, since the child hadn’t been raised by her side, how could she compare to the daughter she had meticulously nurtured and cherished?
With this thought, her dissatisfaction with Li Jinu grew further.
By now, Li Jinu had stopped crying. She felt quite calm inside, after all, her current situation was much better than in her previous life.
Having endured such bitterness in her past life, Su Yun’s current cold attitude meant nothing to her.
Having performed her part in this act, it was now Ye Siyuan’s turn to enter the stage.
She lifted her head and spoke softly: “Father?”
Ye Siyuan looked into Li Jinu’s red, tear-filled eyes as if seeing bold characters written there:
The Empress Dowager’s people are displeased!
He snorted lightly, his gaze carrying a warning as he looked at Su Yun,
“Since she is this Marquis’s legitimate daughter, let her be called Wushuang.”
Ye Wushuang!
Li Jinu—no, Ye Wushuang’s—lips curved faintly.
In her previous life, after becoming a Shadow Guard, Ye Langting had bestowed this same name upon her—Wushuang.
He had said: You are the most skilled martial artist among women in this world, worthy of the name Wushuang.
Ye Langting was truly her benefactor,
In her past life, and now in this life as well.
At this moment, she suddenly remembered that in just a few days, her benefactor would face a great calamity. Although he would narrowly survive, his meridians would be damaged, forever losing his martial arts.
Thinking of this, worry grew in her heart.
No, Ye Langting must not meet with disaster—even surviving wouldn’t be enough!
In this life, she must prevent this incident at all costs, if only to repay the kindness from her previous life.
Calculating silently, she realized only a few days remained.
While preoccupied with thoughts of her benefactor, Su Yun’s voice sounded again,
“If she is Wushuang, then what is my Jintang? And what about the Family Tree?”
Ye Jintang chose that moment to sob aloud, large tears falling like pearls.
Ever since the Death Note incident had gone wrong, Ye Jintang had been terrified, once believing she would be sent back to some impoverished backwater.
But after several anxious days in her room, she discovered that aside from occasional comfort from her mother and brother, she hadn’t received any punishment.
Even the servants in the mansion remained as respectful as before. She still resided in Bright Moon Courtyard, lacking none of the luxuries she was accustomed to.
With that, her heart settled, and she entrusted her covert protectors to deliver a message that she was safe and there was no need for the Grand Prince to intervene.
Thinking this, she tightened her grip on Su Yun’s arm, signaling her mother to continue speaking.
Su Yun, observing her husband’s grim expression, finally grew uneasy and spoke in a flustered manner:
“In just a few days, Jintang will be of hair-pinning age. She’s reaching marriageable years now—if she can marry into a higher family, it would be a great support for you in court, my lord!”
“Nonsense! How could I, a dignified marquis, sell my daughter for personal gain!”
Ye Siyuan’s expression darkened considerably.
Though he rebuked her verbally, inwardly he shared the same thought.
To him, any daughter who could marry into a powerful family was a good daughter—he had raised Ye Jintang meticulously for over a decade precisely for this return on investment.
Had Ye Wushuang not already secured a more powerful patron in this matter, the one to be sacrificed would have been Li Jinu.
Taking a deep breath, he glanced guiltily at Ye Wushuang, cleared his throat, and declared:
“Regarding the Family Tree amendment: Lady Su previously gave birth to twins. The elder daughter was lost but has now been found and renamed Ye Wushuang.”
This decision had taken him several sleepless nights to formulate—he wanted to keep Ye Jintang. Having nurtured this fruit tree for decades, he refused to abandon it just as it was about to bear fruit.
As for previously involving Imperial Censor Zhang, it was solely for intimidation—
He wanted Ye Jintang to understand that he intended to protect Ye Wushuang, and that he was fully aware of her unsavory schemes. If she wished to remain as a daughter in the household, she would have to behave discreetly from now on.
But he was destined for disappointment, as Ye Jintang was currently immersed in overwhelming joy.
She had thought herself fortunate merely to remain on the Family Tree as an adopted daughter, never expecting that after all this, she would genuinely become a legitimate daughter of the Ye family!
She lifted her gaze to Ye Wushuang, her eyes filled with provocation.
Ye Wushuang, sensing the look, understood its meaning perfectly. She watched Ye Zeyu with amusement, her tone brimming with excitement:
“How wonderful! Now Jintang is also my brother’s blood sister, just like me! This is truly marvelous news!”
Ye Zeyu had initially been relieved that Jintang wouldn’t be sent away, feeling his recent suffering hadn’t been in vain.
But the moment Ye Wushuang uttered the words “blood sister,” they struck him like a thunderbolt, rooting him to the spot.
As he regained his composure, he realized:
If he ever wanted to marry Jintang, this would likely be his only chance in this lifetime. If he missed it, he would never fulfill his desire!
Almost instantly, he grasped the crux of the matter. Without pondering why Ye Wushuang would say such a thing, he stared directly at his father and stated:
“Father, I’m afraid this would be unfair to Wushuang.”
Everyone in the room except Ye Wushuang wondered if Ye Zeyu had lost his mind.
What was he saying? Wasn’t he always the one who protected Ye Jintang the most?
Ye Siyuan narrowed his eyes, as if trying to discern his eldest son’s true intentions, and asked flatly:
“Oh? Then tell us—how can we avoid wronging Wushuang?”
Though his tone was even, Ye Zeyu knew he would face severe consequences if he failed to provide a reasonable explanation.
Clenching his fists, he feigned calmness and spoke:
“Wushuang is my full-blooded sister. She has suffered greatly all these years while living away from home, but none of it was her fault.”
He glanced somewhat guiltily at Ye Jintang, his heart aching at the sight of his beloved’s reddened eyes. Yet for their future happiness, he pressed on:
“Meanwhile, Jintang has lived in comfort at the Marquis’ estate—all these privileges rightfully belong to Wushuang and should be returned to her. In my opinion, we should formally adopt Jintang as a foster daughter and make this publicly known.”
“You fool! Do you even realize what you’re saying?” Su Yun nearly fainted from rage. She tried to intervene, but seeing her husband’s gradually approving expression, she knew the matter was settled. She could only lean back in her chair, breathing heavily.
Ye Wushuang, however, was surprised. So Ye Zeyu understood all along—the hardships she endured in the Li family, he knew everything. That meant his treatment of her was pure malice. So be it. She wouldn’t hold back in the future.
Ye Siyuan felt mostly relieved. He had always valued his eldest son, but the boy’s arrogance had worried him—whether the Marquis’ estate could maintain its glory if passed down to him. But today, he saw that his eldest son still understood reason. Since the boy rarely showed such sensible thinking, he wouldn’t oppose it. No matter how accomplished a daughter might be, she could never compare to an heir in his heart.
After much internal deliberation, Ye Siyuan nodded approvingly. “Zeyu is right. Let it be so.”
Beside them, Ye Jintang swayed, the emotional turmoil making her dizzy. She couldn’t understand why her father and brother, who had always doted on her, would make such a decision today. Could over a decade of nurtured affection truly not compare to blood ties? She refused to accept it!
Resentment coiled around her heart like wild vines, squeezing out vicious schemes. Ye Jintang bit her lower lip hard until the taste of blood spread, helping her suppress her emotions and hold back tears.
With the naming settled, the discussion turned to living arrangements. Ye Wushuang breathed in contentedly. “Then where will I live from now on?”
Exhausted, Su Yun waved a hand. “Just stay in your current courtyard.”
Ye Wushuang’s expression twisted with conflict. “This… doesn’t seem appropriate, does it?”