When Lin Shuang entered holding Wu Ling, her face was etched with worry.
Old Mrs. Wu and Wu Jiaojiao followed close behind, having clearly heard the commotion in the side courtyard and rushed over specifically to witness Jiang Xiu’s humiliation.
Yet upon entering, they saw Jiang Xiu shielding Wu Zhan in her arms, with Wu Xiong standing nearby, his expression frighteningly dark.
Old Mrs. Wu’s face immediately hardened.
“How dare you defy heaven itself!”
“The Marquis wants to take his own son to see a doctor—what right do you have to stop him?”
Wu Jiaojiao also snorted coldly, her gaze sweeping dismissively over Wu Zhan.
“Exactly. Who knows if this mute can really speak, or if someone taught him some unspeakable trick behind the scenes.”
Wu Zhan’s eyelashes trembled violently.
His small hands clenched Jiang Xiu’s sleeve, tears instantly rolling down his cheeks.
He wasn’t pretending.
He had never pretended.
He truly hadn’t been able to speak before.
But even now, he still couldn’t articulate these words clearly. A surge of grievances choked in his throat, leaving only trembling in its wake.
Jiang Xiu felt as if her heart had been violently wrenched.
“Jiaojiao, Zhan’er is your nephew.”
Wu Jiaojiao curled her lip.
“I have no such disgraceful nephew.”
No sooner had she spoken than a sudden “thud” sounded beside her.
Wu Che grabbed a wooden plaque from the table and hurled it fiercely at Wu Jiaojiao.
The plaque grazed the hem of Wu Jiaojiao’s skirt before clattering to the floor, startling her into a shriek.
“Ah!”
“This damned idiot has gone mad!”
Wu Che stood by the table, his eyes red, chest heaving up and down.
He didn’t know how to curse, nor could he form complete sentences.
He only knew that Wu Jiaojiao was bullying his mother and his brother.
His face flushed crimson with pent-up frustration. In his agitation, he patted his own chest, struggling for a long moment before clumsily forcing out a single word.
“Bad…”
Jiang Xiu’s tears fell instantly.
Her children were so ill…
Yet they still knew to protect her with all their might.
Fu Fu also paused, taken aback.
She looked at Wu Che, her tiny brow furrowing slightly.
【Big brother can get better too.】
【Though it’ll be slower, the poison in his body has already started to dissipate.】
【Spend a few more days with me, and he might just punch these scoundrels flying one day.】
Wu Che seemed unable to understand much, yet instinctively turned his gaze toward Fu Fu.
In his vacant eyes, a faint glimmer slowly emerged.
Wu Ling was also watching Fu Fu.
Huddled in Lin Shuang’s arms, her fingers tightly clutching her collar, her heart was filled with shock and doubt.
No.
This was all wrong!
In her previous life, Wu Zhan had never spoken a word until his death!
Wu Che had remained foolish and dull, allowing himself to be bullied without resistance!
And Jiang Xiu could never have been this bold!
But ever since this baby girl, who should have died in the womb, was born, everything had changed.
Wu Ling’s gaze settled on Fu Fu’s face.
The infant was still so very small, unable even to speak, yet for some reason, Wu Ling found her terrifying.
Like something that had forcibly barged in from beyond fate’s design.
Lin Shuang sensed her daughter’s stiffness and gently patted her, looking down.
Wu Ling quickly snapped back to attention.
No.
She mustn’t panic.
She knew every major event that would unfold in the future.
Even if Jiang Xiu had changed, even if this baby girl had survived, there was no way they could ever outmatch her.
She was several months older than this infant and could already babble a few simple words.
Thinking this, Wu Ling suddenly stretched out a soft hand, reaching toward Fu Fu’s direction.
“Sis…ter…”
She called out in a milky, childish voice.
Lin Shuang immediately seized the opportunity to smile. “Madam, look—Ling’er truly seems fond of the Third Young Miss.”
“The second young master suddenly being able to speak is a joyous occasion. The Marquis is simply overly anxious out of concern.”
“Why must our family make such an unpleasant scene?”
Her voice was soft and gentle.
Old Mrs. Wu’s expression eased slightly as she affectionately stroked Wu Ling’s little face.
“Ling’er is still the sensible one.”
“So young, yet she already knows to be affectionate toward her younger sister. Unlike some people whose children grow stranger with each one.”
Wu Ling blinked, continuing to reach out toward Fu Fu.
She wanted to touch this child.
If she could just make contact, perhaps she would be able to figure out what was so peculiar about this child.
Jiang Xiu instinctively moved away.
Wu Ling’s hand froze mid-air, her eyes instantly reddening.
Seeing this, Lin Shuang’s face showed a hint of grievance.
“Is the Madam looking down on Ling’er?”
Wu Xiong frowned as he looked at Jiang Xiu.
“Ling’er is just a child. Why must you act this way?”
Before Jiang Xiu could speak, Fu Fu was already sneering inwardly.
[Just a child?]
[This little thing has more schemes than there are holes in a mass grave.]
[Wants to touch me? Is she even worthy?]
[Carrying stolen fortune, so foul it’s almost making me spit up milk.]
Almost the moment this inner voice faded, Wu Ling’s fingertip finally brushed the corner of Fu Fu’s swaddling clothes.
In the next instant, her entire body stiffened violently.
A piercing chill seeped from her fingertip into her very bones.
Her vision suddenly went dark.
For a moment, it was as if she saw again the Yellow Springs path she had walked after her death in her previous life.
A sinister wind howled, and malevolent ghosts wailed.
Countless rotting hands reached out from the bloody waters, gripping her ankles tightly, dragging her deeper into the abyss.
And at the far end of that darkness, a pair of pitch-black eyes stared coldly back at her.
Wu Ling screamed in terror.
“Ah—”
She jerked her hand back, throwing herself into Lin Shuang’s arms, crying as if her heart were breaking.
Lin Shuang, startled by her, quickly held her tight.
“Ling’er! Ling’er, what’s wrong?”
Old Mrs. Wu was so distressed her face turned pale.
“My dear, why are you suddenly so frightened?”
Wu Ling trembled as she cried, unable to speak, only burrowing deeper into Lin Shuang’s embrace.
Old Mrs. Wu sharply turned her gaze toward Fu Fu, her eyes venomous.
“I told you this child is sinister!”
“Ling’er was perfectly fine, but just from touching her once, she’s been frightened like this!”
“Jiang Xiu, how dare you still claim she isn’t a freak?”
Jiang Xiu held Fu Fu tightly, looking coldly at Old Mrs. Wu.
“Mother, please watch your words.”
Old Mrs. Wu trembled with anger.
“Watch my words? Look at how terrified Ling’er is!”
Wu Jiaojiao also chimed in, shouting, “This child didn’t cry when she was born, and now she’s frightened Ling’er like this. If she isn’t a freak, what is she?”
Wu Xiong watched Wu Ling crying so hard she could barely breathe, his expression darkening.
Just as he was about to speak, hurried footsteps suddenly sounded from outside.
A matron rushed in, flustered and panic-stricken, her face deathly pale.
“Marquis! Old Madam!”
“Something terrible has happened!”
Old Mrs. Wu, already seething with anger, snapped, “What now?”
The matron wailed, “The people from Huaxiang Pavilion have come again, saying the bill for the rouge and cosmetics the young lady and Concubine Lin bought yesterday hasn’t been settled!”
“And the kitchen is also pressing for payment.”
“They say if we don’t pay by tonight, the household will only have plain porridge and pickled vegetables to eat tomorrow.”
Old Mrs. Wu’s vision darkened.
Wu Jiaojiao’s face also changed.
Lin Shuang’s arms tightened slightly around Wu Ling.
Wu Xiong felt a throbbing pain at his temples.
And the matron wasn’t finished yet.
She cautiously glanced at Jiang Xiu, then lowered her head.
“The people from Huaxiang Pavilion also said…”
Old Mrs. Wu said sharply, “What else did they say?”
The servant woman steeled herself and replied, “They also said that in the past, all accounts were sent to the madam, and she never delayed payment. Now that the old madam is managing the household, how could the very first bill be defaulted on…”
The room instantly fell silent.
Old Mrs. Wu’s face flushed a deep, liverish red.
Wu Jiaojiao was both ashamed and furious.
Wu Xiong’s face burned with humiliation.
Just moments ago, they had been cursing Fu Fu as a freak, yet now they couldn’t even afford a few boxes of rouge and cosmetics.
Jiang Xiu said nothing, only gently patting Fu Fu in her arms.
Fu Fu comfortably narrowed her eyes.
[Karma sure comes quickly.]
[They just finished calling me a freak, only to realize they can’t even pay for cosmetics.]
[Who’s more embarrassing now?]
The corner of Jiang Xiu’s lips lifted almost imperceptibly.
She raised her eyes and looked at Wu Xiong and Old Mrs. Wu, her voice calm and mild.
“Since Mother is now in charge of the household finances, I will not interfere in these matters.”