The gatekeeper’s excitement left Ersi and Er’an dumbfounded.
Before long, a slightly plump, kind‑faced woman in a lilac jacket hurried out. When she saw Su Liuyue, her eyes instantly reddened. “Liuyue, it really is you! Why… why did you suddenly come? Has something happened? After the news spread that you attempted suicide some days ago, your uncle immediately sent someone to the Su household to ask after you. But those scoundrels wouldn’t even let him in! They only said… they only said your father had punished you with confinement, forbidding you from seeing anyone! Your uncle and I were terrified it might implicate you further. Though we worried endlessly, we dared not visit.”
This was the original Su Liuyue’s aunt, Madam Yun.
Seeing the anger and concern in her eyes, Su Liuyue’s lips curved faintly. “You and Uncle worried too much. I’m fine. Today I came especially to see you both, and I brought mung bean ice cakes and snowflake crisps from *Manyifang*…”
“Why pretend to be kind now? Were you rejected by the Zheng family, feeling wronged, and came here seeking comfort?” A sharp, mocking voice suddenly rang out. It belonged to a pretty young girl in a pink skirt, standing beside Madam Yun.
She slanted her almond‑shaped eyes at Su Liuyue, her lips curling disdainfully. “When my father and mother invited you to our home before, you treated us like beggars’ denizens. So why are you clinging to us now?”
“Wan’er! Be silent!” Madam Yun’s face paled as she quickly turned to scold her.
But the girl—Xue Lingwan—was never one to obey meekly. Seeing her mother’s reaction only made her angrier. She bit her lip and shouted: “Keeping silent won’t erase what happened! Father, Mother, how long will you keep deluding yourselves?! This woman has never respected our Xue family! Every time you visited her, she was either impatient or outright rude! Last time you and Father went to the Su household, she claimed she was in a bad mood and refused to see you at all! Now that she’s been humiliated outside, with everyone pointing fingers at her, suddenly she remembers us? Ha! Our Xue family owes her nothing! If you want to curry favor with this woman, do it yourselves. I’ll be watching to see just how she tramples you down!”
Madam Yun’s chest heaved with anger as her daughter stormed back inside. “This wretched girl—she grows more unruly by the day! She already came of age last month, and soon she’ll be betrothed and married. Just look at her! How can I feel at ease sending her into another household like this?”
The maid beside her quickly tried to soothe her, patting her back. “Madam, Second Young Lady only speaks out of concern for you and Master…”
Su Liuyue glanced at Xue Lingwan’s retreating figure and said softly: “Aunt, it was indeed my fault before. What Cousin said just now wasn’t entirely wrong…”
At those words, Madam Yun immediately softened her expression. “Liuyue, don’t worry. I’ll give that girl a stern scolding later. You are her elder cousin—how could she speak to you like that?”
Su Liuyue smiled faintly. “Cousin is angry right now. Anything you say, she won’t listen. Not only that, she’ll resent it even more. If Aunt doesn’t want the rift between us to deepen, then for now it’s best to say nothing. I’ll find a way to ease things with her myself.”
Madam Yun paused, staring in surprise at the graceful young woman before her, as if only now realizing her niece seemed different.
Su Liuyue could only be grateful that the original girl had so thoroughly rejected contact with the Xue family. Their interactions had been minimal, which gave her confidence that she could disguise her change in demeanor.
She coughed lightly and smiled. “Aunt, I’ve been running about all day and I’m a little tired…”
At that, Madam Yun forgot all else. She quickly took Su Liuyue’s hand. “Come inside at once, let’s talk properly. You don’t know how worried your uncle and I have been since the Zheng family affair!”
Madam Yun was straightforward and warm by nature. Once she had seated Su Liuyue in the main hall, she immediately began asking about the Zheng family incident and whether the Su household had made things difficult for her.
Su Liuyue answered every question openly. When Madam Yun heard that the Su family intended to marry her off to a lecherous and violent general, her eyes widened in fury. She slammed the table hard. “That Su Weili and Madam Guo are outrageous! Do they truly think you have no one behind you?! Liuyue, don’t be afraid. When your uncle returns, we’ll go to the Su household together and demand justice for you!”
“Aunt, don’t be hasty.”
Su Liuyue quickly said: “That general’s status is not ordinary. He is a commander in the Crown Prince’s elite Shenwu Army. My father is flattering him precisely because of that. As for marrying me to him, it’s only my suspicion for now. Even if it’s true, I don’t know how far my father and Madam Guo have already taken the matter.”
“If… they’ve already mentioned me to him, and then Uncle and Aunt suddenly make a big fuss, I fear it would offend him. At that point, he might claim you opposed the marriage because you looked down on him, and that could bring trouble upon the Xue family…”
As the saying goes: *a new emperor brings new ministers.*
With the new sovereign’s accession, officials throughout the court were trembling, afraid of being cast aside. To offend someone under the Crown Prince’s command at such a time would be tantamount to courting disaster.
Madam Yun had heard her husband complain often about the worries of court politics. Her fiery anger subsided, her brows knitting tightly. “But… we can’t just stand by and watch the Su family push you into a wolf’s den!”
“Don’t worry, Aunt. I already have a plan. My visit today isn’t only to see you and Uncle—it’s also for this matter.”
Su Liuyue smiled faintly. “After all, I am just a powerless young woman. There are many things I cannot do alone. Fortunately, I still have Uncle and Aunt behind me.”
Madam Yun looked at her in surprise, then couldn’t help but press her hand over Su Liuyue’s. “Liuyue, you truly have become much more sensible than before. That gladdens me greatly. But when I think of the reason you suddenly grew so wise, my heart aches.”
Her niece had truly walked through the gates of death and returned. Such growth was too painful, too cruel. Only family could still feel such tenderness for her after she had been hurt so many times.
Su Liuyue’s eyes softened. She said gently, “Aunt, those things are in the past. Don’t worry. From now on, I won’t let you be troubled again…”
“Liuyue… Liuyue, are you here?!” Suddenly, a hurried voice rang out. A man in a green official’s robe, of medium build, whose features still carried traces of youthful charm, strode quickly inside. When he saw Su Liuyue sitting in the chair, he froze for a long moment before realizing it wasn’t a dream. He rushed forward, eyes brimming with tears. “Liuyue, you… you really came! You’re actually willing to come to your uncle’s house! But… but have those scoundrels at the Su family bullied you? Your uncle will go right now to demand justice for you!”
Before his words had even finished, her uncle turned in fury and strode quickly toward the door, not even noticing that his official hat had slipped askew.
Su Liuyue felt both amused and helpless. She was just about to rise to stop her hot‑tempered uncle when a hearty laugh rang out: “Father, it’s nearly time for supper. Cousin must be hungry. If you storm off to the Su household now, how will she eat? Better we finish supper first—then I’ll go with you to tear down their walls!”
Another voice followed, similar in tone but far more refined and scholarly: “Elder Brother, a gentleman uses words, not fists. Cousin is still of the Su family. If you and Father act rashly, it will only make things harder for her. Instead of tearing down their walls, why not fabricate charges of corruption and misconduct against the Su family, write them into a dossier, and spread it quietly? In this climate, others will naturally step in to deal with them.”
Su Liuyue: “…”
Watching the two similar‑looking young men walk in side by side, her lips twitched.
The original Su Liuyue’s scant memories of the Xue family had never told her that her two cousins were each more ruthless than the other!
Madam Yun stood quickly, her face lighting up with joy. “Wenbai, Wenjin—you’ve returned as well!”
Xue Wenbai was her eldest cousin, currently serving as a minor military officer.
Xue Wenjin was her third cousin, still studying and planning to sit for the imperial examinations in the future.
Xue Chengyi looked proudly at his two sons, nodding repeatedly. “Good! Good! Both your ideas are excellent! The heartless Su family dares to bully my niece—I will never let them off easily!”
Su Liuyue hurried forward. “Uncle, Eldest Cousin, Third Cousin—I’m deeply touched by your concern. But as Third Cousin said, now is a precarious time. We mustn’t act rashly. I’ve already explained the stakes to Aunt. I don’t want the Xue family to suffer trouble on my account.”
The three men stared at her in disbelief.
Xue Wenbai, the simpler‑minded of the two brothers, suddenly stepped closer and touched her forehead, bewildered. “Mother, could Cousin have a fever? She not only didn’t despise me for being coarse, but even said she doesn’t want to bring trouble to our family! Mother, Cousin is actually caring about us!”
Xue Chengyi also looked Su Liuyue up and down several times, then suddenly turned away, muttering to himself, “It’s over, it’s over. Liuyue seems to have become rather abnormal. Little sister, your elder brother has failed you! I didn’t protect your only daughter properly!”
Su Liuyue: “…”
From the original memories, she hadn’t realized that her uncle and cousin were both such simpletons!
Madam Yun cast a reproachful glance at the father and son, just as she was about to speak when a maidservant rushed in, face full of panic: “Madam, Young Master, something’s wrong—the Young Madam suddenly began vomiting violently, bringing up everything she ate today…”
Everyone’s expression changed at once, their thoughts flying in different directions, especially Xue Wenbai, who immediately turned and ran out.
Su Liuyue recalled that her eldest cousin had only married last year. The “Young Madam” the maid referred to should be her eldest cousin’s wife.
Madam Yun, equally anxious, pulled Su Liuyue along, “Come, let’s check on your cousin’s wife. She’s just become pregnant, and lately her morning sickness has been severe—almost everything she eats comes back up. Recently, she’s had no appetite at all, growing thinner by the day, which has left your cousin terribly worried. She wanted to come greet you herself, but I insisted she stay put.”
Hearing this, Su Liuyue’s face showed a trace of thoughtful concern.
The Xue residence wasn’t large, just a three‑courtyard compound. Her cousin and his wife’s quarters were in the eastern wing of the outer courtyard. When Su Liuyue and Madam Yun arrived, they happened to run into Xue Lingwan hurrying over as well.
The moment Xue Lingwan saw Su Liuyue, her face darkened. She ground her teeth and snapped, “Why are you still here, woman! What are you doing coming to my sister‑in‑law’s room?”