Hearing her mother, Sun Xinrou, say this, Chu Ruoyu nodded obediently, her eyes filled with joy; the fright from being rushed by a crowd of people earlier had vanished. However, five-year-old Chu Yunyun had a trace of sorrow in his eyes. Even at his young age, he understood that being an illegitimate child was not something to be proud of, and being a child of a mistress was even less so. In their daily lives, Father also seemed to favor his sister more.
Regardless of the mood of the three, they eventually reached their destination. Guided by Wenmei, they moved through the estate, their eyes darting around uncontrollably. Every new sight only deepened their inner excitement. When they arrived at the room where the Marquis of Wenxuan, Chu Mochen, was recuperating, Chu Yunyun and Chu Ruoyu rushed directly toward him.
“Father…”
Lin Yanran cast a mocking look at Chu Mochen, the meaning clear: No manners upon greeting—such poor upbringing.
Feeling he had lost face before his wife, Chu Mochen immediately scolded the two children: “What is this panic? Have you forgotten the manners you were taught?”
Sun Xinrou first looked in disbelief at Chu Mochen lying on the bed, then at the noble woman sitting on the chaise lounge. She guessed that this must be the Marquise; in her heart, she fantasized about one day becoming the Marquise herself. With a thousand thoughts racing, she smiled and excused the children: “My Lord, older sister, please forgive us. Yun’er and Yu’er were simply worried about the Marquis and forgot their manners for a moment; it is just the filial heart of children.”
Lin Yanran slapped her across the face before she could blink, then played with her own hand and warned calmly, “Not just anyone is qualified to call me ‘older sister’.”
Chu Yunyun and Chu Ruoyu were terrified and ran toward Sun Xinrou. “Mother!”
Sun Xinrou hugged the two children, and the three of them knelt on the floor looking pitiful, turning toward Chu Mochen for help. Even under their gaze, Chu Mochen dared not say that Sun Xinrou could call Lin Yanran “sister.” He could only fake a cough: “The Mistress is the daughter of the Grand Princess Changning and has royal blood flowing in her veins. You indeed cannot call her ‘sister’; just call her ‘Mistress’.”
Thinking he had smoothed things over, Chu Mochen beckoned to the children, “Yun’er, Yu’er, come over and pay your respects to your mother!”
Lin Yanran raised a hand to stop them. “I have yet to drink the tea offered by their concubine-mother, so they cannot call me ‘Mother’.”
Sun Xinrou, who had remained kneeling, saw her envy and jealousy toward Lin Yanran turn into hatred. The desire to replace Lin Yanran took deep root in her heart. Meanwhile, Chu Yunyun and Chu Ruoyu stood by Chu Mochen, too terrified to make a sound.
Chu Mochen knew Lin Yanran was being difficult, but he also knew that it was customary for a concubine to serve tea to the legal wife upon entering the house. He could not afford to fall out with Lin Yanran over this. “Sun Xinrou, you go forward and serve the tea.”
As he commanded, Muqing brought the tea. The moment Sun Xinrou’s hand touched the cup, she retracted it with a sharp hiss. Seeing this, Lin Yanran’s expression turned into one of pure mockery.
Chu Mochen felt his face burning with shame; he had never realized his mistress was so dim-witted and clumsy. He gritted his teeth and looked at her: “Muqing is my trusted subordinate.”
Muqing immediately bowed in apology, “It is my fault, I brewed the tea too hot. I will brew another cup immediately.”
When Sun Xinrou presented the tea again, Lin Yanran warned, “This dress of mine is worth a fortune. If you dare spill the tea on me, the only place you’ll be going today is to see the King of Hell.”
Chu Mochen felt he had lost all his dignity today and did not want to see Sun Xinrou cause any more trouble. His wife had frequented the palace since childhood; these theatrics would only strike her as laughable. Thus, he warned her: “Serve the tea properly. Any more nonsense and it will mean you have no place in our Marquis’s estate.”
Chu Mochen used the singular “you,” not “you all,” and Sun Xinrou understood the implication: if she were cast out, she would go alone; the children would not be returned to her. She didn’t understand why the man who had been so caring outside the estate was now so indifferent to her within it. The more fearful she grew, the steadier her hands became as she held the cup.
Lin Yanran took the cup, pretended to take a sip, and set it aside. She then signaled Wenmei to hand a “Child-Bestowing Guanyin” statue to Sun Xinrou.
“Since you are now a concubine of the Marquis’s estate,” Lin Yanran instructed, “you must uphold the duties of a concubine, serve the Marquis well, and bear him many children. That will be your contribution.”
Sun Xinrou was surprised that she was only a regular concubine, not the “noble concubine” the Marquis had promised, but facing a mistress who struck at will, she dared not make a scene. She could only wait to ask the Marquis in private. “I will humbly follow your instructions, Mistress.”
Seeing the ceremony concluded, Chu Mochen signaled Muqing to bring the two children forward to pay their respects. Looking at the two kneeling before her, Lin Yanran felt no inclination to spare them, as they were the beneficiaries stealing resources from her own children.
Lin Yanran drank the tea they offered and stated: “As your mother, I have only one requirement: in the future, if your Big Brother or Second Brother bully you, you are to simply accept it.”
Chu Mochen expressed his dissatisfaction: “Mistress, how can you say that? They are my… and your children.”
Lin Yanran did not live by the glory of Chu Mochen, but by the glory of the royal family. “There is a distinction between the legitimate and the illegitimate. These concubine-born children cannot be compared to my Xuan’er and Heng’er.”
Seeing her assertiveness, Chu Mochen retreated a step: “Xuan’er and Heng’er are indeed noble, but Yu’er is my only daughter, and you have no daughter of your own. How about having Yu’er raised by your side?”
Before Lin Yanran could refuse, Sun Xinrou and Chu Ruoyu clung to each other tightly. Sun Xinrou knocked her head on the ground again: “Mistress, I only have this one daughter. You can have anything else you want. Please, have mercy, don’t take my daughter!”
Chu Ruoyu then launched herself at Lin Yanran like a cannonball. Lin Yanran did not flinch, simply pushing the girl to the floor. Though she held back her strength, it was still a fall.
Lin Yanran sneered at the mother and daughter: “I dare not raise such an unfilial girl. She dares to attack me now; who knows what kind of ingrate she will be in the future?”
After mocking them, Lin Yanran walked away, not even glancing at the performers on the floor. Watching his daughter cry, Chu Mochen realized that after this scene, his wife would never agree to raise Yu’er by her side.