Free Web NovelChapter 82: Chapter 82
Chapter 82
A long silence enveloped the place. Yueqian smiled at her husband. She gently touched him with her little body, signaling him to follow her quietly.
“Uh... Miss, where are you going?” The servant who had been leading them cried out in a panic. She feared that the Eldest Young Miss might cause trouble again, and ultimately, she would be the one punished. The head of the family had instructed her to bring the Eldest Young Miss to see the First Furen, but now, without even meeting her, Yueqian was already planning to leave.
“What are you so startled about? My mother is still resting. Wait until she wakes up and then call me. My husband and I will be sitting over there,” Yueqian snapped, her voice filled with irritation. The small servant trembled in fear, closing her eyes tightly out of instinct. Only after Yueqian had left did she let out a sigh of relief.
The servant had only been with the Qin family for less than a year. However, she had been around when the Eldest Young Miss was still living in the Qin Manor and had heard quite a bit about how this woman seemed almost insane. On any given day, she might suddenly lash out and beat someone if they irritated her. She would order them to be flogged and sold off to the slave market.
This fear had haunted her ever since. She never thought that when the Qin family traveled here, she would be the one chosen to serve. Thus, she constantly prayed not to do anything that would displease the Eldest Young Miss. She didn’t want to be sold into the slave market; if she got a good master, that would be fortunate, but if she ended up with a lecherous or insane one, no one would know how she died.
Even though living with the Qin family meant being wary of the Eldest Young Miss, the servant felt that avoiding the Qin Manor would help her avoid the dangers everyone spoke of. The status of Master Qin was significant, everyone feared and interested in everything he did, and First Furen Qin wasn’t inherently cruel. She had her own people. So, serving the Qin family was still much better than other alternatives.
Earlier, the servant thought the Eldest Young Miss might lash out. Unexpectedly, Yueqian only shouted and then took her husband to sit elsewhere, just two of them. The servant, who had braced herself for a beating after daring to call out to her, was safe.
Could it be that the Eldest Young Miss wasn’t as terrible as everyone said? fɾēewebnσveℓ.com
Inside the manor where "First Furen Qin," or "Li Ailing," resided, a frail woman who had once suffered a miscarriage was sitting and embroidering a pattern on fabric in reserved manner.
Soon, a middle-aged woman, who looked only a few years older than Ailing, rushed in.
"Has she arrived?" The calm, authoritative voice filled the room. Li Ailing’s upturned eyes shifted from her cloud embroidery to the newcomer, her eyes were calm as if she were above everything, causing people to sense a commanding presence.
"Yes, First Furen. The Eldest Young Miss has arrived."
"Mmm..." The beautiful woman, whose looks had not faded with time, said. Her eyes flickered with longing. However, the recent actions of her foolish daughter made it impossible for her to show kindness.
Her little Yueqian was foolish. From a young age, Yueqian believed her choices were right, but in reality, life was not that easy!
Does she plan to escape? Well, she must see if her wings are strong enough to fly.
Does she plan to hide? Then she must see how she can find a mountain where no one else will discover her.
A bird in a golden cage is like this. If it’s not tame, it must be beaten. If it’s too tame, it becomes boring. But if it seeks freedom... perhaps only death can provide that escape.
“Uh... First Furen, should we let the young miss in now?” The close servant asked, knowing how much her mistress loved her daughter. The young miss was her only daughter, even though she had taken in the Eldest Young Master to raise, there was only one true lineage of hers. Despite any displeasure First Furen might feel, the young miss was still her daughter.
Otherwise, why would she have given such a large dowry of thousands of taels?
The servant remembered how much arguing First Furen had to do with the master to secure that dowry for the young miss. That night, the master had smashed several expensive vases because First Furen had defied him.
Sigh... She was also getting old. She didn’t know what was in the minds of these two mistresses, a mother and a daughter. She only knew that neither of them was as foolish as the rumors say, but for some reason, one pretended to be indulgent, making the other spoiled, while the other acted as if she was willful. But when they were in private, their conversations could be quite intimidating.
“No need. Let them sit and rest for now.” The owner of the narrow, upturned eyes was lowering her gaze. She looked at her hand, the once she used to embroider. Now there were some patterns on the fabric, revealing how it would look like.
“Rest? But the young miss might think you don’t want to see her. If Eldest Young Miss gets upset and leaves...”
“She won’t leave,” Ailing smiled. She knew her daughter well. Yueqian wouldn’t come here without intending to meet her. frёewebnoѵēl.com
“.........” The servant sighed, recognizing the confidence. Before they could continue their conversation, another servant hurried in.
“First Furen, the Eldest Young Miss is waiting under the big tree, awaiting your permission. What should we do?” The two exchanged glances before the middle-aged woman spoke up.
“Let the young miss wait there for now. When Furen orders, I’ll invite her in myself. Go back to your post at the entrance.”
“Understood,” the servant said before exiting, leaving the First Furen and her close servant in silence.
Meanwhile, Yueqian had brought her husband to sit under the big tree. She leaned back and closed her eyes, appearing completely untroubled by the unfolding situation.
“Mother didn’t let us in, yet you don’t seem sad,” Mu Heng gently cradled Yueqian’s head against him. He didn’t want her to get a headache from sitting too long.
“It’s not a sad matter.”
“Hmm? Really?” Mu Heng raised an eyebrow. He could tell from her demeanor that Yueqian wasn’t stressed, but why? Despite her mother’s apparent opposition, she remained at ease?
“You don’t need to worry about it. Mother’s refusal to let us in isn’t genuine opposition. It’s just a show to make it seems like she’s against me,” Yueqian said, closing her eyes. She knew this performance would take some time, at least two hours. A nap during that seemed like a good option.
“A show?”
“Yes. Mother has to show her stance that she doesn’t approve of my marriage to you. Otherwise, Father might think she’s supporting me. The issue of marrying the Young General is too significant. She can’t bear the consequences. So, she pretends to play hard to get, like now. The daughter takes a son-in-law to come to visit, but she makes us wait for two or four hours. This makes it clear to others that she’s against it and shows her displeasure.”
“Does your mother really approve of the marriage?”
“I don’t know. Mother and Big Brother are alike; they always irritate me. But even if they know my plan, they won’t try to ruin it. So, I think they will let me choose my path. However... if I fail, I’ll have to follow her plan.” Yueqian felt a bit fearful. Her mother had a path laid out for her, and she was well aware of it.
Many times, her mother had warned her, not directly but implying that she was a small bird that could never truly escape. In the end, she would always be put back in a golden cage.
But at that time, Yueqian didn’t believe it. She did everything according to the novel’s plot, too confident in her knowledge. She never realized how terrifying the butterfly effect could be.
While some things still mirrored the novel, situations like the Qin family coming to take the villainess back didn’t happen. Even Mu Heng’s connections with important figures from other kingdoms, which could make him the next governor, were never mentioned in the novel.
She discovered these small details after living through them herself, and because of these small changes in detail, it eventually affected the larger narrative.
“If Qian’er’s plan is to stay with me, then it won’t fail as long as I’m alive,” Mu Heng narrowed his eyes. He earnestly spoke. He had sworn to have only one wife in this life, and now that he had her, he was determined to protect her with his life when she planned to rely on him like this. As long as he lived, he wouldn’t let Yueqian return to a place where she had suffered.
“But you won’t die until I die first,” Yueqian laughed softly.
The beauty pretended to joke, but deep down, she knew with her heart how sincere his words were.
Every time she spoke of death, Yueqian never feared it. She had died once before. Yet now, she feared dying, she feared Mu Heng dying.
Perhaps it was the happiness she had received, even in this short time, that she cherished so much. From a life she thought was pointless, she now wanted more time together to build a happy life.
Mu Heng fell silent. Yueqian’s half-joking, half-serious words warmed his heart. However, he had his own thoughts. If he were to let Yueqian die alone, he would consider himself a truly evil man. If she were truly to die, he might live on to deal with those who dared to harm her, then follow her into the afterlife, to be together in the same realm.
Two people with two thoughts, but their goals were astonishingly aligned. Amid the gentle cold breeze, the towering willow tree began to sprout new leaves, swaying with the wind like a witness to their love. Yueqian’s small head rested on the man’s broad shoulder, as if she had entrusted her entire life to him.
"Miss, the First Furen has called you to meet her." After exactly two hours, the close servant of Yueqian’s mother came out to summon her.
Yueqian’s narrow eyes were still somewhat drowsy. The one to blame was this peaceful atmosphere that was perfect for sleeping. Mu Heng gently supported his little wife in his arms, the two of them taking care of each other in the eyes of many onlookers.
"Mm, is that you, Aunt Sisi? It’s only been a short while, but why do you look so much older? Look, your face has more wrinkles now. Ah, and your hair has changed color too," Yueqian greeted the middle-aged woman in front of her with excitement. However, the face of the one who was greeted started to pale with each word. Being teased about her insecurities by the Eldest Young Miss reminded "Sisi" of Yueqian childhood when Yueqian had vowed to take revenge after being smacked. She never expected that even now, as adults, the Eldest Young Miss would still hold a grudge against her!
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Note: Bullying others is not a behavior to emulate. This is merely a portrayal of a character seeking revenge. Please do not imitate such actions in real life.
