Chapter 3: Leaving This Home

Chapter 3: Leaving This Home

The Yun family members turned to the source of the sound.

There, on the ornately carved spiral staircase, they saw a young girl descending slowly from the second floor.

The girl was dressed in a white shirt and black pants, both stained with blood. Her long hair, like seaweed, cascaded down to her waist.

Her pale face lacked any hint of color, and her eyes were cold and emotionless, resembling an empty and desolate icy pool. Underneath the loose shirt, her slender figure bore faint signs of intertwined scars.

Upon seeing her, everyone was stunned.

Who was she?

The old butler stepped forward, astonished, and asked, "Young Miss? Is that you?"

Yun Mu looked down at the Yun family members from her elevated position.

A mocking smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

"You are really Mumu?"

Lin Wanqing gazed at the young girl before her, stunned and unable to believe her eyes.

Wasn't her daughter supposed to have a face marred with scars, and be foolishly dull-witted?

Otherwise, she wouldn't have been forced to send her own flesh and blood to a mental institution for five years, all in the name of preserving the Yun family's reputation.

Now, upon closer inspection, Lin Wanqing truly felt that her daughter had become an entirely different person.

Flawless features, chillingly serene eyes.

Not a hint of foolishness in her demeanor!

Despite the myriad of questions swirling in her heart, she was, after all, the mother who had given birth to this child. Witnessing Yun Mu's tormented scars and frail body, Lin Wanqing's eyes suddenly welled up with tears.

She stepped forward, her voice choked with emotion, "Mumu, it's wonderful that you've come back!"

Behind her, Yun Shuiyao's face paled abruptly, and her heart sank slightly.

She hastily rushed forward before Lin Wanqing could.

"Big Sister, is it really you? You're finally back! How could you sneak out all night and return with injuries? Did someone bully you?" Yun Shuiyao asked with concern, her words implying a story from the previous night.

She reached for Yun Mu's hand, but Yun Mu pushed her away.

After all these years, this woman's tactics remained unchanged!

Hypocrisy at its peak, utterly disgusting!

"You stole my fiancé, I suppose you'd be delighted if I died outside!"

Yun Mu's gaze was contemptuous, looking down on Yun Shuiyao as if she were an ant, trash!

Yun Shuiyao covered her mouth, tears shimmering as they rolled down her cheeks. "Big Sister... I didn't mean it. Jinzhou and I have feelings for each other. You'll understand, won't you..."

Back then, it was always like this.

With just a few tears and a pitiful act, Yun Mu's belongings would be snatched away by her.

The naive and ignorant Yun Xiaosha back then wouldn't get angry at all; instead, she'd happily call her younger sister.

But the current Yun Mu stood firm, her gaze piercing and intimidating.

She scoffed. "What am I supposed to forgive you for? Mutual love? To put it so elegantly when you're the third party is truly shameless! You stole my position as the lady of the house, took my man, and now you want me to marry a sickly man in your place? Yun Shuiyao, how audacious of you!"

Her icy gaze fell upon Yun Shuiyao as she continued, "Yun Shuiyao, have you worn the facade of a Yun family lady for too long that you've forgotten whether you're human or a ghost? You stole everything that belonged to me when I was in a vulnerable state, and now you still want to squeeze out the last bit of value from me?"

Tears welled up in Yun Shuiyao's eyes as she shook her head. "Sister, how can you say such things..."

Feeling the invisible pressure emanating from Yun Mu, Yun Shuiyao grew fearful and retreated step by step.

What was happening?

How could that fool of yesteryear possess such chilling eyes and pose such articulate questions to her?

And wasn't she disfigured? Could it be that makeup was concealing it?

The wedding procession from the Huo family is approaching, and the Yun family, gathered downstairs, watches on.

She couldn't simply sit idly by and wait for her fate!

A fierce glint flashed in Yun Shuiyao's eyes; her gaze flickered as she lunged toward Yun Mu once more, seizing her hand tightly and bending her knees, preparing to kneel in apology.

"Sis, I never intended to compete with you for anything. My love for Jinzhou is genuine, but if it makes you unhappy, I can give him back to you. Today, as I marry into the Huo family, let it be my repayment to the Yun family and to you, sis..."

"I hope you'll appreciate this gesture."

In an unseen corner, Yun Shuiyao's smile turned sly and sinister.

In the next moment, she lifted Yun Mu's hands, cried out in alarm, and her tottering figure tumbled down the stairs.

Her white dress fluttered, and the sight of blood was horrifying.

"Yao'er!"

"Second Miss!"

Upon witnessing this scene, Lin Wanqing cried out in shock and promptly rushed over. "Yao'er!!"

The ground was stained with blood, dyeing Yun Shuiyao's white veil crimson.

Yet, with her ashen face, she wept in pleading. "Mommy, don't blame Sister, it was my fault... I, I'll marry..."

Before she could finish her words, she lost consciousness completely.

Her pitiful, understanding demeanor pierced through Lin Wanqing's heart.

Slap!

A sharp slap harshly struck Yun Mu's pale face.

Yun Mu turned her head from the blow, her black hair veiling her cheek.

With blood at the corner of her mouth, she smiled nonchalantly.

This fearless and trouble-making young girl only fueled Lin Wanqing's anger. Disappointed, she said, "How could you do this? Yao'er is your sister. How could you lay a hand on her? You've truly disappointed me!"

Yun Mu lifted her cold gaze. "I didn't push her!"

"You dare to lie!" Tears rolled down Lin Wanqing's cheeks as she made up her mind. "Starting from today, you're no longer worthy of being my daughter! You're heartless and cruel!"

"When have you ever treated me like your daughter? In your eyes, I've always been nothing but a disgrace!"

"You!" Lin Wanqing trembled with rage. "Get someone here, now! Take her down and bind her if you have to. Bring her to the Huo family!"

Yun Mu's beautiful eyes narrowed slightly, her smile sinister. "No need. I'll leave on my own!"

She didn't care about this family.

Not only had she returned to avenge Yun Xiaosha,

but she also intended to take Yun Xiaosha away from this nightmare of a place!

Yun Mu stood tall on the elevated platform, her spine straight and eyes filled with the melancholy of a world seen through. Her voice echoed with emptiness and solitude, "Let this proxy marriage be my repayment for your upbringing. From now on, I am debt-free from the Yun family!"

She had no interest in the position as the Yun family's eldest daughter!

Didn't they adore Yun Shuiyao, that pretended innocent? Let her be their beloved daughter then!

With a bright smile, she wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth and turned to ascend the stairs to prepare herself.

Watching her resolute figure, Lin Wanqing's heart ached, longing to follow and clarify the situation.

She hadn't anticipated Yun Mu's words.

Her daughter had changed; she was no longer that naive child.

She had been wrong to strike that slap!

Yet, before she could take a step, a weak little hand tugged at the hem of her dress.

Yun Shuiyao's face was pale, a mix of panic and agony. "Mommy, it hurts so much..."

Lin Wanqing's heart softened instantly. "Yao'er!"

She couldn't afford to be too cautious anymore. Yao'er had been pampered since she was young; when had she ever experienced such hardship? Now, her life hung by a thread, and she needed to be rushed to the hospital immediately!

"Call an ambulance right now!" Lin Wanqing urged anxiously.