24 Who Is Whose Mother

With a sharp "snap," Yu Liuzhu felt as if her own heartstrings had shattered. She sensed the gazes of Lady Xie and Shen Linlang—filled with incredulity and a trace of suspicion—and it felt as though she had been transported back to the most desolate days of her previous life.

The way those people had looked at her then was exactly the same.

She instinctively sought something different, and the moment her eyes met Yu Qingxue’s, her own turned instantly red. So, it was true; only her aunt truly loved her unconditionally!

"Grandmother, Mother, there is something I haven't told you. Earlier, when A-Li and I were walking through the Marquis's gardens, she suddenly ran off, and Young Master Mu was even more anxious than I was. I felt it wasn't appropriate, and fearing that A-Li, in her ignorance, might invite gossip, I felt compelled to remind her of her status. I told her that if she were truly caught dallying with a man, she would likely be reduced to a concubine."

Shen Linlang’s expression softened slightly; she felt that while the words were unpleasant, they were the truth. "Mother, Tang'er speaks with reason. A-Li has such an appearance and is so naive in nature; she truly should be cautioned."

Yu Qingxue acted as if she were the one at fault, immediately admitting her error. "Sister-in-law is right. I will certainly be more attentive in the future and guide her properly."

Lady Xie looked at her with an extremely complex expression, then frowned and glanced toward Yu Liuzhu. "A-Li is a daughter of the Yu family; there is no reason for her to ever be a concubine. Do not let me hear such words from either of you again."

"Grandmother, don't be angry." Shen Qinglv patted her hand, with the air of a child playing at being an adult. "A-Li is very well-behaved and capable. Sister Tang'er told me to wait for her, but when she didn't come, I went to look for her. Am I not clever?"

"Tang'er..." Lady Xie asked instinctively, "Where did you go? Why did you make A-Li wait for you?"

Yu Liuzhu naturally would not admit it. In her mind, Shen Qinglv was just a simpleton with a fractured mind. What a fool said was indistinguishable between truth and falsehood; there was nothing to fear.

"Grandmother, little sister A-Li misremembered. I lost sight of her for a moment, and she wandered off somewhere, causing me to search everywhere for her."

"A-Li, did you remember wrong?" Yu Qingxue asked, feigning concern.

Shen Qinglv shook her head. Looking as if she had been frightened by Yu Qingxue, she hid behind Lady Xie and said timidly, "Grandmother, A-Li did not remember wrong. A-Li is not lying. It is Sister Tang'er who is lying. I even saw Sister Tang'er talking to a servant of the Marquis's estate. That servant was very handsome, and his clothes were as white as snow."

Except for those in mourning, no servant in the entire East Ridge City would wear white, let alone white as pristine as snow.

"A-Li must have seen wrong," she said dryly, wishing she could cover Shen Qinglv’s mouth.

Seeing that Yu Liuzhu was about to speak, Shen Qinglv cut her off again. "Grandmother, I even heard Sister Tang'er call him 'Ninth Uncle.' Is Ninth Uncle a servant?"

The name "Ninth Uncle" reminded Shen Linlang of the most singular person in the Marquis’s household. That one fleeting glimpse from the past was truly unforgettable.

Yu Liuzhu was secretly annoyed that Shen Qinglv hadn't mentioned hearing her speak to Ninth Uncle Mu earlier. She thought to herself that a fool was indeed a fool; failing to finish her story at once had caught her off guard. But having lived a second life, how could she be left without a solution?

"When I was looking for A-Li, I bumped into Ninth Uncle Mu. Later, when A-Li asked, I was afraid she would go around talking nonsense, so I lied and told her he was a servant of the estate."

This explanation was, at least, reasonable.

Shen Qinglv wore a look of partial understanding, appearing somewhat dull and vacant. This state confirmed to Yu Liuzhu that she was indeed a fool, while she secretly fumed at being nearly cornered by one.

Lady Xie furrowed her brows, looking back and forth between them, but ultimately did not press the matter further and let it pass.

Shen Linlang, however, took it to heart. Once they returned and dismissed the servants, she asked Yu Liuzhu privately, "Tang'er, tell Mother honestly, how do you know the Ninth Master of the Mu family?"

Yu Liuzhu saw the skepticism in her eyes. Thinking of how her mother had stopped visiting her in her final days in the previous life, a wave of disappointment and sorrow washed over her, mixed with resentment.

"Mother, haven't I told you about the dream I had? In that dream, Ninth Uncle Mu helped me."

It was only a dream, yet it felt so real.

Shen Linlang was torn. "So, did you intentionally leave A-Li behind just to see him?"

Yu Liuzhu felt the sting of having her true intentions exposed. She should have felt guilty, but instead, she felt only resentment. Along with that resentment came a touch of defiance. "Mother, why don't you believe me? My aunt is A-Li’s own mother, and she believes me—why can't you?"

"I..." Shen Linlang’s heart gave a strange, painful tug. "I am only worried about you..."

"I told you I did not want to marry Mu Lin. If you were truly worried about me, you would resolve this betrothal instead of promising to stand by me while still intending to preserve the engagement."

"Tang'er..." Shen Linlang was shocked by her cold tone, looking at her in disbelief.

Realizing she had let the bitterness of her past life bleed through, Yu Liuzhu said sadly, "Mother, I am tired. I want to go back and rest." Without waiting for Shen Linlang to reply, she bowed her head and withdrew.

The room was filled with burning charcoal, as warm as early summer, but Shen Linlang’s heart felt as if it had plunged into winter, falling into a frozen abyss of snow, leaving her cold to the bone.

After some time, someone lifted the curtain. Expecting it to be Yu Liuzhu returning, she looked up with hopeful eyes, only to meet the worried gaze of Nanny Yu.

"Madam, have you and the eldest young lady had a quarrel?"

As soon as the word "quarrel" left her lips, Nanny Yu realized she had spoken wrongly. Everyone in the household knew how much the Madam cherished and valued the eldest young lady, holding her in the palm of her hand and never letting her suffer even the slightest grievance.

"The servant saw the eldest young lady crying just now..."

"She was crying?" Shen Linlang began to blame herself. No longer concerned with her own distress, she prepared to leave for the Liufang Pavilion immediately.

*

The Liufang Pavilion was built by the water, like a pearl resting on a silk cushion. On the opposite bank, separated by the water, lay rockeries, small pavilions, pine trees, and exotic stones. In a few more days, patches of greenery would emerge, and by midsummer, it would burst into a riot of vibrant, multi-colored flowers. It was a landscape for all seasons, the most exquisite corner of the East Courtyard.

Near the path to the Liufang Pavilion, Yu Qingxue looked at the teary-eyed Yu Liuzhu with immense heartache. "Tang'er, why are you crying? Have you suffered some grievance? Tell me, and I will stand up for you."

"I am the eldest daughter of the Yu family; who could possibly make me suffer a grievance?" Yu Liuzhu lifted her chin, filled with pride and arrogance. Suddenly, a hidden thought stirred within her—perhaps out of a desire to test, or perhaps out of malice. "Aunt, if you had to choose between me and little sister A-Li, who would you choose?"

"You, of course!" Yu Qingxue replied without hesitation. To her, this was not even a choice.

Yu Liuzhu was deeply moved. The tears she had been holding back finally streamed down her face as she embraced her. "Aunt, I knew you were the only one who truly loved me. No matter what happens, you will always side with me."

"Tang'er, the only wish I have in this life is for you to be safe and successful. As long as you are well, my life will have been worth it."

"Aunt..." Yu Liuzhu, unaware of the deeper meaning behind her words, was profoundly touched and felt a sense of injustice on her behalf. "If it weren't for little sister A-Li, you wouldn't have to suffer so much."

Shen Linlang, watching from afar, felt as if a thorn had suddenly pierced her heart, and simultaneously, as if a piece of her own flesh had been carved away. It was a feeling of inexplicable panic, as if her own daughter were being snatched away by someone else, or perhaps, as if she had already been lost.

She did not step forward. Instead, as if she had glimpsed something she was never meant to see, she instinctively hid behind a rockery. Pressing a hand to her chest and gasping for breath, she found herself unable to stop watching them.

They were embracing, so closely, so intimately...

Like a mother and her own daughter!

As this thought crossed her mind, she was startled by her own imagination. When she turned, she met a pair of dark, ink-black eyes, and she nearly screamed in terror.

"A-Li, why are you here?"

Shen Qinglv’s eyes were wet, like a pathetic, abandoned child hoping to be picked up. "She doesn't like me. She only likes Sister Tang'er."

"She," of course, referred to Yu Qingxue.

"She is your mother. How could a mother not love her own child? Don't overthink it..."

"Then why does she never hold me? Why does she always favor Sister Tang'er? She won't let me wear red, she won't let me show my forehead. Is she my mother, or is she Sister Tang'er’s mother?"

Hearing this, the inner turmoil Shen Linlang felt was beyond words. The thought that had just surfaced, which she had forcibly suppressed, rose again. It was so absurd, so incredible, yet it refused to fade.

"Look at her; she really looks like Sister Tang'er’s real mother."

Shen Qinglv murmured, sounding like child's talk, yet every word struck like a thunderclap.

Shen Linlang looked into her eyes, which were misty with moisture, as if they held a thousand words to tell—a mix of the heartbreak of being cast aside and the resentment of a narrow escape.

The girl approached timidly, carefully clutching Shen Linlang’s arm, and tilted her small, pitiful face upward. "I really wish you were my mother."