“You rebellious girl! You contradict everything I say! Did you return just to anger me to death?”
Su Yun felt she must have gone mad—why had she ever agreed to bring back this wretched creature?
Nothing but trouble! Not even half as considerate as her dear Jintang!
Her Jintang, that gentle child, would always softly express gratitude whenever given anything, saying “Mother, you’ve worked hard,” and would constantly attend to Su Yun’s feelings with tender care.
Thinking of this, she shot her son a glare. If not for his careless remarks, how could Jintang have suffered so much injustice!
Ye Wushuang had matters to attend to. After acquiring the Ink Garden, she needed to quickly dig tunnels and replicate keys at night. She was far too busy to waste time on tedious arguments.
Wearing a slightly troubled expression, she turned to Ye Siyuan: “Daughter is only considering Father’s interests.”
Ye Siyuan raised an eyebrow, feeling uneasy. He could guess his daughter probably had ulterior motives.
But whether he responded mattered little, as Ye Wushuang continued: “Since younger sister is an adopted daughter, if this legitimate daughter’s residence isn’t at least comparable to hers, it would reflect poorly on Father’s official reputation.”
Su Yun dismissed this unconcernedly: “As long as you don’t speak of it, likely no one in the mansion would spread such matters.”
Su Yun seethed internally—she knew this rebellious girl would be nothing but trouble!
Ye Wushuang shook her head, maintaining her concerned demeanor: “Daughter would never speak of anything that damages the mansion’s dignity. But with numerous servants in the household, some might have ulterior motives. Such news could easily spread.”
Meeting Su Yun’s murderous glare, the last trace of hope in Ye Wushuang’s heart dissipated. Her final words held no mercy: “If even legitimate heirs could be swapped back then, what more a mere piece of news?”
Su Yun’s face turned ashen, her breathing becoming uneven. This rebellious girl was accusing her of poor household management! All that talk about considering the Marquis was actually blaming her for losing her all those years ago!
“You… you…!”
But what happened back then wasn’t her fault—she had known nothing about it!
Watching Su Yun’s anguish brought Ye Wushuang no satisfaction, but she felt no regret either. This was what Su Yun deserved—let her taste the bitterness of neglect too.
“Mother, every word daughter speaks comes from the heart, witnessed by heaven and earth!”
In this mansion, aside from the Ink Garden, no vacant courtyard was larger than the Bright Moon Courtyard.
She feigned hesitation: “Alternatively, I could move into the Bright Moon Courtyard while younger sister takes a smaller residence. Ultimately, we shouldn’t cause difficulties for Father in court.”
If she could move to the Bright Moon Courtyard, it would be even more convenient!
She glanced at Ye Jintang and noticed the other biting her lip hard, looking at her with tearing hatred.
How strange, Ye Wushuang pondered. Ye Jintang was usually so adept at acting. In their previous life, whenever parents grew angry, she would always tear up and gently say: “Father, Mother, please don’t hurt elder sister for my sake. All this rightfully belongs to her. I’ve enjoyed these years undeservingly—perhaps I should leave the mansion instead!”
This strategic retreat never failed—not only making Ye Jintang appear understanding, but also framing Ye Wushuang as insatiably greedy. Moreover, Ye Jintang always gained more possessions and affection afterward.
But in this life, at such an opportune moment, why wasn’t Ye Jintang speaking up?
Ye Wushuang understood almost instantly—
Because in her previous life, Ye Jintang knew that even if she said such things, she would lose nothing, gain more comfort, and have Li Jinu punished.
But in the current situation, even if Ye Jintang fought hard, she couldn’t guarantee she wouldn’t be abandoned. How could she dare to say such words again?
Once she grasped the key, Ye Wushuang sneered in disdain.
How despicable!
She looked at the silent crowd and spoke softly:
“Auntie Qian once taught her daughter that since ancient times, there has been a distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children, and the hierarchy must not be disrupted. I wonder, Father, do you think Auntie Qian’s words hold any truth?”
What could Ye Siyuan say? Could he refuse?
If he refused…
Refusing would mean certain death!
Auntie Qian was the Empress Dowager’s confidante!
By invoking Auntie Qian, even if Ye Wushuang wanted a larger courtyard, or even the main residence, he would have to obediently move out!
He cast a resentful glance at his daughter.
“Wushuang speaks reasonably. From now on, you shall reside in the Ink Garden.”
These words struck like a thunderbolt, causing Ye Zeyu’s face to pale.
“Father, that was meant to be your study! How is she worthy of it?”
The Ink Garden—the finest courtyard in the estate! Ye Zeyu had coveted it for so long but never dared to ask. How could this lowborn woman from the countryside deserve it?
Ye Siyuan wasn’t angered; instead, a smile even appeared on his face.
“Zeyu makes a fair point. If the Ink Garden is to be my study, then you shall vacate your courtyard for Wushuang. You can move into Wushuang’s current residence.”
Ye Zeyu’s expression shifted several times, his lips trembling, until he finally managed to utter a coherent sentence:
“Upon further reflection, the Ink Garden is indeed suitable for Wushuang.”
As the masters exchanged veiled remarks, the servants in the room held their breath, not daring to make a sound.
Though they were not part of the game, they could see the situation more clearly.
This newly returned eldest miss, though a country bumpkin, spoke with precision and reason, always seizing the advantage.
Even under the mistress’s displeasure, she managed to gain the upper hand at every turn—truly remarkable!
Rumors were misleading! This eldest miss was far from an illiterate rustic; she was sharp-witted, perceptive, and deeply cunning!
They all made a silent resolution: even if they didn’t curry favor with the eldest miss in the future, they must never offend her!
At this moment, Ye Zeyu, having suffered a setback, was quietly comforting the tearful Ye Jintang.
Ye Jintang’s tears were not feigned this time—she was genuinely aggrieved.
Watching each tear fall, Ye Wushuang felt immensely pleased.
With just a glance, she suddenly noticed a wisp of Black Aura on Ye Zeyu’s forehead, even denser than Su Yun’s, immediately catching her eye.
One instance might be a coincidence, but two? That was peculiar.
She casually glanced at Ye Siyuan and the others in the room.
After repeating this a few times, she could confirm:
For now, only Su Yun and Ye Zeyu possessed this Black Aura.
Recalling how, in both her past and present lives, these two had mindlessly shielded Ye Jintang, and connecting it to the Brown Box that Nian Cuilan had obtained by trading twenty years of her Lifespan,
She began to form a vague suspicion: these strange phenomena were undoubtedly linked to that box!
If she could destroy this bizarre object, would these two then treat her kindly?
She couldn’t say for sure, but she was certain of one thing: destroying it would bring her no harm and would certainly bring no benefit to Ye Jintang!
There was still some time before nightfall. She needed to return to the Bright Moon Courtyard as soon as possible.
While she was still plotting, Su Yun spoke up:
“Tomorrow the Minister’s residence is holding a flower appreciation banquet. Wushuang, you shall go with Jintang tomorrow. Remember not to be impolite!”
“Yes.”
Yet again, it was that flawless, impeccable etiquette. Su Yun felt her breath catch in her throat, utterly frustrated.
Compared to this, she’d rather the girl were some shameless rogue—that way she could openly punish her instead of feeling so infuriated.
What a truly rebellious daughter! She only returned to cause her distress!
Speaking of banquets, Ye Siyuan suddenly spoke up:
“Wushuang, your coming-of-age ceremony is in a few days. When do you plan to send word to Phoenix Cry Mountain to invite the Empress Dowager as our guest?”