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墨書 Inktalez
One year later...
One-year-old Yun Kexin could already run around the yard, her round figure always followed by the flustered Nursemaid, who was worried she might have an accident.
"Seventh Sister, slow down, the ground is slippery... Come, have a bite to eat."
The warm spring sun gently illuminated every corner of the residence. The early snow had melted, everything was coming back to life, and the courtyard was filled with fragrance. Yun Kexin was like a mischievous sprite, stumbling through the sunlit corridors, around the Rockery, and among the pavilions and towers...
Finally, she stopped under a peach blossom tree, looking up as the setting sun filtered through layers of petals, casting a golden glow on her lovely face that almost blended with the blossoms. She stood there alone in the golden twilight.
Although she would officially be adopted a year later, during this year she had not enjoyed a single day of happiness under her parents' knees. This was all because of the premeditated Fu Lianyin, who came to cultivate feelings with her "daughter," often forcibly taking her away while she was still in her innocent state. Every time she opened her eyes, she would always see that insincere and pretentious face.
Only occasionally did her biological parents come to visit the Nursemaid, or after she turned six months old did she have moments to enjoy familial affection with her biological parents and siblings. Yet even then, when she learned simple terms of address, under external influence, she still had to call them "Second Uncle," "Auntie," "Cousin," and "Cousin."
Moreover, these gatherings were brief; they would take her away with the Nursemaid. It was then that she realized the Nursemaid was also from "that side"—constantly reminding her in various ways that the people from the Third House were her "real parents."
No wonder she had such a faint impression of the people from the Second House in her past life—Fu Lianyin and various others were very good at putting on appearances. For instance, they would suddenly appear when Yun Kexin was interacting with her family, trying to get close and help "take care" of the child. In reality, they were subtly depriving her of emotional development with her biological parents.
They worried that this year would make the child dependent on her biological parents and unwilling to recognize her adoptive parents. However, if they frequently appeared before the child and kept her close, things would be very different—Fu Lianyin cleverly exploited the psychological trait that children become attached to those they spend time with! In her past life, she was naive and unaware; in this life, she saw everything clearly.
Rebirth—no one should expect me to become a puppet or marionette in someone else's hands!
Yun Kexin faced the sun as the lingering rays of dusk pierced into her eyes; she didn't even blink as her fingers gripping the peach tree trunk turned pale.
"Seventh Young Lady, Seventh Young Lady..." A voice from behind called out.
Yun Kexin turned to look in that direction; the plump Nursemaid was waddling towards her. She concealed her deep-seated disgust and laughed as she reached out her fair hand towards the Nursemaid's embrace.
"Ah, Seventh Young Lady, slow down," said the Nursemaid as she picked her up and gently stroked Yun Kexin's rosy cheeks with her calloused hands. "What are you doing over here? I had a hard time finding you... Third Lady sent me to bring Seventh Young Lady back."
"Nursemaid" refers to "Third House" where "Fu Lianyin" is. "Yun Kexin" is secretly anxious in the arms of "Nursemaid": tonight, the ancestral hall will be opened for the formal "Adopted" ceremony. Before that, she wanted to spend more time with her parents, "Elder Brother," and sister, but...
"Second Uncle, Second Aunt," "Yun Kexin" expressed her wishes with unclear words, "Cousin..."
"Nursemaid" wanted to coax her a bit more when seven-year-old "Yun Ke" took his six-year-old sister "Yun Yan" towards them.
"Nursemaid, Father asked me to bring Seventh Sister," "Yun Ke" said cautiously.
"And Mother," "Yun Yan" gently added.
Since the "Adopted" ceremony had not yet taken place, "Yun Kexin" was still considered part of the "Second House." "Nursemaid" had no choice but to put down "Yun Kexin," forcing a smile and saying, "Alright, Third Young Master and Fourth Sister can take Sister Xin to play."
"Yun Ke" and "Yun Yan" each took one of their sister's hands and went to the Southern Courtyard—the courtyard of the Second House.
At this moment, in the side room, Lord "Yun You" was arguing with his wife:
"Nonsense! How can we change what was promised initially?" "Yun You" stood in the center of the bedroom with his hands behind his back, speaking in a loud and serious tone. "How can I maintain my position and authority in the Yun Family in the future?!"
"My lord, Consort begs you," "Yue Ziyun" stood in front of "Yun You," grasping his clothing with tearful eyes. "Yun Kexin is a piece of flesh that Consort dropped; I truly can't bear it... You must let Sister Xin only recognize me as her Mother and cling to me, not wanting to go anywhere..."
"Nonsense!" "Yun You" rarely lost his temper, his eyes wide open. "Sister Xin has been calling Third Brother and Third Sister-in-law 'Father' and 'Mother' since she started babbling. She calls us 'Second Uncle' and 'Auntie.' Everyone in Duke's Residence knows this; Madam, you are just slapping yourself in the face and making a fool of yourself!"
"So I am unwilling—" gentle as water, "Yue Ziyun" also sharply retorted for once. "Why does Sister Xin call them that? Isn’t it because someone taught her? Otherwise, what would a child understand? After a year of being 'Adopted,' before that, Sister Xin was a child of the Second House. What right does Third Sister-in-law have to arbitrarily change her title before Sister Xin is adopted? The Third House is too much!"
"Shut up!" The veins on "Yun You's" forehead bulged; his face turned from iron blue to pale white. "Yue Ziyun, do you know what you're talking about? If this gets out, how am I supposed to live?! Let me tell you, it was I who agreed with Third Brother and Third Sister-in-law to do this..."
The crying of "Yue Ziyun" abruptly stopped. She stared at him with tear-filled eyes, her face flushed as if looking at a monster. After a while, suddenly like a mother beast robbed of her young, she fiercely questioned:
"Agree? On what basis! The Marquis promised the clan elders without consulting me due to pressure; I don't blame you. I worked hard, carried the child for ten months, and gave birth to a Daughter, yet I have to Adopt Third House. This is simply suffering for someone else... Fine, I accept all of this, but in the end, can't I even hear a single 'Mother'? Do I have to let some scheming people get ahead—"
"Yue Ziyun!" Yun You was truly furious to the point of calling her by both name and surname as a warning, yet he was clearly at a loss for words. He could only use his presence to silence her. "Look at yourself now; where is the appearance of a virtuous wife or a capable mistress of the household? You should know that during your pregnancy, when you couldn't manage the household affairs, it was Third Sister-in-law who took care of everything. Once you gave birth, she willingly handed back the responsibilities, yet you labeled her as 'scheming'..."
"Marquis, then let me make it clear today," Yue Ziyun said boldly, wiping away her tears with her delicate fingers. "During my previous pregnancy, she Fu Lianyin managed the household affairs and unfortunately had a miscarriage. But when it came to carrying Sister Xin, everything went 'smoothly'." Just thinking about the underlying issues made Yue Ziyun filled with resentment; her words became increasingly sharp. "Her 'scheming' is an understatement. If the Marquis cares for Third House, why not take a concubine? In the future, if they want to Adopt more children, they can have as many as they want. After all, there are plenty of people to suffer for them; just don't set your sights on me!"
"You... I..." Yun You's eyes turned green with anger, his teeth clenched in rage. He raised his hand as if to slap her but saw Yue Ziyun's beautiful face marred by tears and deep lines of sorrow. Her large almond-shaped eyes showed no hint of fear; instead, they were filled with resentment as she glared back at him. For a moment, his heart felt like it was in turmoil. Yun You lowered his hand and softened his tone as he retorted repeatedly, "Yun'er, do you think I want to do this? Do you think it feels good to watch my own daughter call someone else 'Father' and 'Mother'? Do you think you're the only one who cares for our daughter?!"
He suddenly turned his face away.
The room fell into an unbearable silence that felt suffocating, as if the air itself was solidifying.
"Husband, I'm sorry; Consort shouldn't have confronted you," Yue Ziyun realized that it was too late for regrets and that no amount of arguing would change anything. She stepped forward and took Yun You's hand gently, saying softly, "I just feel unwilling; some words have been stuck in my heart for far too long..."
Seeing his wife no longer so aggressive and even taking the initiative to mend things, Yun You felt no more rifts between them. He pulled her into his embrace and whispered, "Yun'er, Third House has indeed faced difficulties in terms of offspring these past few years—either difficult births or stillbirths. We should be more understanding. After all, they are Adopted children of our own brothers; we are still Sister Xin's Second Uncle and Auntie. It won't be hard to meet them later! Also, did Madam forget the premise promised by the clan elders before Sister Xin was born? Although they are Adopted by Third House, with that premise in place, we can still fulfill our responsibilities as parents."
Yue Ziyun nodded obediently and said nothing further.
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