Chapter 49

Su Jinyuan, just a wall away, was also stunned: “Leave?”

“What? You really intend to stay in the Xiao family forever?”

Su Heng, who usually speaks with a gentle smile and a refined manner, added a note of icy severity when his brows darkened: “Xiao Yunxi is dead, and your marriage contract is null and void.”

“You once said you eloped because you felt guilty toward the Xiao family—that you didn’t want to betray them and longed to share their hardships. I understood that. But now, having unraveled their predicament and rescued them from trouble, you’ve already repaid past grievances.”

“Even if the Xiao family never regains its former glory, the palace will undoubtedly bestow favor upon them, and they won’t need you to do anything further for them. So why do you continue to remain in the Xiao family? Do you really plan to be Xiao Yunxi’s widow forever?”

Su Jinyuan opened her mouth as if to reply, “I…”

Wang Yin interjected with urgency: “Ah Yuan, I know you are deeply loyal—but you’re still so young! Even if you did wrong by the Xiao family before, what you’ve done now is more than enough. You can’t possibly stay in the Xiao family forever, serving as that burdensome eldest daughter-in-law.”

Xie Yunyan clenched his fists tightly. He had intended to listen to Su Jinyuan’s response, but suddenly, a pang of fear seized him. Hastily, he turned and glanced at the people behind him, signaling for them to push him away. Yet before he could even move, Su Jinyuan’s voice came from beside him:

“Being the eldest daughter-in-law of the Xiao family isn’t a bad thing.”

Wang Yin cried out in alarm, “What nonsense are you spouting? Xiao Yunxi is dead…”

Seeing Wang Yin getting all worked up, Su Jinyuan quickly hushed her, insisting, “I know he’s gone, and I know exactly what the Xiao family is like nowadays. But I still want to stay here. I love the Xiao family—I love everyone in it—and I don’t want to leave.”

Su Heng regarded her intently. Then Su Jinyuan continued: “Big Brother, you should know that after I came back this time, I hurt Aunt and even forced Uncle to give me money. After such defiance, Uncle can no longer treat me as he did before.”

“Don’t worry—I’m here for you.”

“But you, ultimately, must get married, and you will have your own family one day. You cannot shield me forever.”

Speaking her mind directly to Su Heng, Su Jinyuan confessed, “Moreover, Big Brother, I harbor resentment toward Aunt. Even though Lu Zhuo is now in jail and has paid dearly for his deeds, that doesn’t mean I can simply forget what happened.”

She could not forget the pain of her past life nor the way she had been transformed into someone neither fully human nor ghostly because of Lu Zhuo. She could not erase the terrible things Madam Yu once did to her.

“I have already shown the greatest tolerance by not taking revenge on Aunt. If I were forced to return and live under the same roof with her, I’m afraid I wouldn’t be able to help but lash out at her.”

“Big Brother, I’m not a good person.”

Wang Yin fell silent, about to offer more comforting words, while Su Heng’s lips moved. He said, “I can arrange for a separate residence outside, return the belongings left by our elder uncle to you, and let you be the head of the household.”

But Su Jinyuan refused outright, “What’s so good about living alone out there, isolated?”

“I love the Xiao family. Grandmother has treated me exceedingly well; the various sisters-in-law live in harmony, my younger siblings are respectful and caring, and the Eldest and Second Madams are exceptionally kind. Here, I feel like I’m in my own home—as if my father were still with me, with people who protect and trust me without any reason.”

“I don’t want to risk never finding such a wonderful place again in the future, nor do I want to settle for a life dictated by society’s expectations of marriage and childbearing after leaving the Xiao family.”

“Staying here, upholding the Xiao family—this is the life I was meant to have.”

“I just want everything to return to the right path so I can do what I truly want.”

Su Heng quietly watched Su Jinyuan. The little girl—once only as tall as his shoulder, who would feel wronged when bullied and cry with reddened eyes when scolded—now had her own ideas. It was as if she had grown up overnight, exuding an unfamiliar maturity.

With a steady gaze, Su Heng asked, “Have you really decided?”

Su Jinyuan simply replied with a hum, “I have.”

Looking at her with resolute eyes, Su Heng suddenly felt there was no more need to persuade her—some matters simply cannot be swayed by anyone else. He reached out and ruffled her hair, saying, “Since you want to stay, then stay. But remember, you still have me as your brother—no matter what happens, I will always be your fallback.” He added, “Whenever you decide you want to leave, just come find me, and I’ll take you home.”

Hearing this, Su Jinyuan’s heart warmed as she grinned broadly, “Alright!”

Wang Yin chimed in excitedly, “Ah Yuan, remember that I’m also your fallback. My father is being transferred back to the capital in two months, so by then, I’ll have a solid backing too.” She continued, “If the Xiao family treats you poorly, just come to me and I’ll have my father take you in as his daughter—after all, my mother likes you a lot.”

Su Jinyuan exclaimed in surprise, “Uncle Wang is being transferred back to the capital?”

Wang Yin nodded, “Yes, the transfer order has already been issued. In two months, he will return to the capital to assume the responsibilities of a guard officer.”

She added with urgency, “I’ll be staying in the capital from now on as well, so if you ever have a problem and don’t tell me, I’ll be really angry—a kind of anger that can’t be soothed!”

Su Jinyuan was especially surprised to hear this. While it wasn’t unusual for Wang Yin’s father, Wang Guangzhong, to be transferred back to the capital, his being appointed as one of the Nine Ministers—a leap to become the guard officer in charge of the Jindingwu—was rather astonishing. Could it be that the Wang family has now gotten involved in the struggle for succession? Suppressing her doubts, Su Jinyuan gently said, “Alright, I won’t hide it from you.”

Still needing to keep vigil with the younger members of the Xiao family, Su Jinyuan remained behind while Su Heng and Wang Yin didn’t stay long. When they left, Su Jinyuan personally saw them out of the residence.

After the two had gone, as Su Jinyuan turned to return inside, one of the gatekeepers said, “Madam, there’s a carriage parked over there, and the people inside have been furtively peeking in our direction.”

Curious, Su Jinyuan looked toward the street corner—and suddenly, she encountered a familiar face. Su Wanquan never expected her to look this way suddenly. In a panic, he quickly pulled down the carriage curtain and hid inside.

“Madam, shall I go fetch him? He’s been skulking there for ages, and I have no idea what he plans to do,” he offered.

After a brief pause, Su Jinyuan, regaining her composure, said flatly, “No need; if it’s someone I don’t know, I don’t care.”

While Su Wanquan was hiding in the carriage, he wondered how he should speak if Su Jinyuan approached—should he first lecture her until she softened, then try to persuade her to go back? But after a while, no sound came from outside. When he secretly lifted the carriage curtain to glance toward the Xiao residence, he saw the back of Su Jinyuan turning and entering the mansion. His expression froze.

“Master, are we going into the Xiao residence?” one of the Su family servants asked timidly. The servant—the one in charge of driving the carriage—was visibly nervous; he had just witnessed how the people from the Qi family were driven out earlier—Madam Qi’s face was swollen like a pig’s head. They won’t start fighting again now, will they?

“Since the eldest young master and Miss Wang have both left, perhaps we should go back and ask the eldest young master first,” the servant suggested.