Returning to Lin Wanru’s own Furui Courtyard, before Ouyang Zhi, whose face was already dark with anger, could explode, Nanny Wang had already ordered all the servants in the room to leave. With a thud, Lin Wanru knelt before him, her expression resolute. “Husband, it was all my fault today. I angered Mother.”

Ouyang Zhi, ignoring Ouyang Ke’s presence, coldly rebuked, “So you do know you were wrong! You failed to discipline the servants properly. What use is it to say these things now?”

Lin Wanru’s tears flowed like a broken dam as she pleaded sorrowfully, “Zhi Lang^[1]a form of address of a woman to their beloved to show affection, similar to my dear or my darling, you must allow me to explain!” Her voice trembled with grief.

Ouyang Zhi was momentarily startled, but his expression remained resentful. “What is there to explain? Are you telling me that the chaos in Jue’er’s courtyard was not your responsibility?” Thinking back to the incident in the garden that day, it was indeed possible that Lin Wanru could not escape blame!

Lin Wanru gently wiped away her tears and spoke mournfully, “I never dared to interfere with Mother’s decisions, but at least allow me to clarify the truth! When I first entered the household years ago, the servants whispered behind my back, saying that I, a concubine-born daughter, had replaced my elder sister and stolen what was originally hers. I do not know where Jue’er heard such things, but he has always treated me with cold indifference. I once thought these were merely the ignorant words of lowly servants and that, as a child, Jue’er would one day understand my sincerity when he grew up. I dared not trouble you with these trifles and endured them in silence, believing that truth would prevail and rumors would fade. But I never expected…… never expected that even you would doubt me!”

As she spoke, her tears cascaded down like scattered pearls. She wiped her face with her pale jade-like fingers, sobbing bitterly. “Husband, Jue’er has long resented me as his stepmother. No matter what I do, he believes I have ulterior motives. That year, I stayed up three nights in a row to sew him a pair of shoes, and he threw them straight into the lake. When Mother found out, she told me to stop meddling in his affairs. Since then, I have barely dared to interfere with Songzhu Courtyard, fearing that Jue’er would misunderstand my intentions. Who knew that vile people would take advantage of this and turn the place into chaos? Nanny Xin has been a trusted servant in this house for over a decade and was personally assigned to Jue’er by my elder sister. I thought entrusting the courtyard to her would be safe, yet even she indulged the unruly servants and disrupted order. Now, all the blame has fallen on me!”

With that, Lin Wanru began crying again, her sobs filled with grievance.

“Even so, do you truly believe you bear no fault at all?” Ouyang Zhi snorted coldly, though his voice had lost much of its previous fury.

Lin Wanru crawled a few steps forward, her beautiful face streaked with tears as she choked out in a trembling voice, “If I say I have no fault at all, that would not be true. I feared worsening my relationship with Jue’er, so I did not take charge as I should have. If I had been firm in managing the household, perhaps today’s situation would not have occurred. I was only afraid of being labeled a stepmother who meddles too much in her stepson’s affairs. I was wrong, but if anyone dares to accuse me of deliberately indulging the servants to harm Jue’er, even if I were to stand before King Yama^[2]known as the lord of death in Hinduism and Buddhism, I would never admit to such a thing! After all, I am his biological aunt— could I truly have no sincerity toward him?”

Ouyang Zhi listened, his expression gradually softening. He sat in silence.

Ouyang Ke observed from the side, smiling faintly. By logic, even if her father had suspected her mother, without concrete evidence, he could not truly act against her. Her mother did not actually need to kneel and plead, yet by doing so, she had successfully erased all of her father’s doubts.

Lin Wanru sobbed twice more, her voice pitiful and trembling as she said, “Husband, I was born a shu daughter in a marquis’s household. My entire life has depended on you. If you were to cast me aside, I might as well die right now. I know I angered Mother and made her unhappy. She resents and dislikes me— I understand that and dare not argue. I only hope that one day, I too can bear a son for the Ouyang family, so Mother will finally accept me!”

Ouyang Zhi had always known that his mother’s greatest dissatisfaction with Lin Wanru was that she had yet to bear a son. Hearing this now, he suspected that his mother had merely used Ouyang Jue’s accident and the servants’ misbehavior as a pretext to vent her frustrations on Lin Wanru. If that were the case, then Lin Wanru was truly innocent. His heart softened with pain and he hastily pulled Lin Wanru to her feet. “What nonsense are you saying?”

Lin Wanru lifted her tearful eyes to look at him, filled with boundless sorrow and tenderness. Seeing her like this, Ouyang Zhi could not bear it and sighed. “Enough, no one is to mention this matter again.”

Ouyang Zhi left.

────ρя

This translation is by Pocketrobbin at S h a n g h a i f a n t a s y . c o m

Back in the inner chamber, Lin Wanru found that the maid, Lixiang, had already placed a small sandalwood table and set out a steaming cup of tea. However, Lin Wanru kicked the table over, sending the tea splashing across the floor.

Lixiang was startled and immediately knelt down. Nanny Wang gave her a heavy kick. “Why are you still here? Clean this up and get out! Close the door behind you!”

Once only Lin Wanru, Ouyang Ke, and Nanny Wang remained, Lin Wanru’s expression darkened with fury. “Tell me, has Ouyang Nuan lost her mind? Why is she suddenly opposing me at every turn?”

Ouyang Ke shook her head. If anything had changed, it was her elder sister’s eyes. They were too calm and clear, her smile too genuine, but her actions and words had grown sharp and ruthless. Ouyang Nuan had changed into someone unreadable.

“Madam, perhaps the eldest miss acted on impulse. She has always been useless. In this lifetime, she will never escape your grasp.” Nanny Wang flattered, her tone ingratiating. She had been Lin Wanru’s trusted confidante, following her from a lowly shu daughter of a marquis’s household to the esteemed lady of the Ouyang family. Many of Lin Wanru’s underhanded dealings had been orchestrated by her. “Perhaps someone is advising her behind the scenes. That old hag, Nanny Fang, is quite cunning. Should we—”

Lin Wanru scolded, “Foolish! Ouyang Jue just had an accident. If something were to happen to Ouyang Nuan right after, the old madam and the master would surely suspect me! This is all your fault for not being thorough back then and cutting the weed at its roots! If only, back in the garden—”

Ouyang Ke hurriedly stepped forward. “Mother, be careful with your words.”

Nanny Wang chuckled. “My miss, this entire courtyard is under Madam’s control. You need not worry.”

Lin Wanru sighed, her expression dark and brooding. “I once thought she was foolish, but I was mistaken. That girl has deceived me for years.” Pulling Ouyang Ke to her side, she whispered, “My daughter, back in my natal family, I was an unloved concubine-born girl. All the prestige belonged to my elder sister. No matter how outstanding I was, I could only serve as her backdrop. From the moment I married into this household, I swore that my daughter would never live under Ouyang Nuan’s shadow!”

A fleeting look of hatred crossed Lin Wanru’s gentle and affectionate gaze. She chuckled softly. “Fortunately, you were born exceptional, skilled in all the refined arts. My Ke’er is a phoenix among birds, while Ouyang Nuan is nothing more than a dull, ordinary sparrow. Other than her status as the eldest daughter, what does she have that compares to you? If she had remained obedient, I would have let her be. But now that she dares to stand against me— hmph, I will utterly destroy her!”

“Mother, that may be so, but…… I keep feeling that something about Sister’s gaze…… I cannot quite explain it, but it unsettles me.” Ouyang Ke murmured, recalling Ouyang Nuan’s gentle and sincere smile. Yet, an inexplicable chill crept up from the soles of Ouyang Ke’s feet.