Chapter 90

Chapter 90

Rong Er was clearly her treasure, the child she had worked so hard to have... the closest blood relative to her in this world.

She loved him dearly; she wanted to give him the best of everything. How could she ever see him as a disgrace?

She didn't want to send him away, to a place where she couldn't keep an eye on him. She had no choice; everything happened too suddenly, disrupting all her plans.

Ying Shi, who had been relatively composed until then, suddenly felt extremely saddened by his words.

She didn't want to cry at such an inopportune moment, but her words came out anxiously, on the verge of tears: "No, no... how could I ever think he's a disgrace? I'm just scared, so scared... Shun Gong is back, he's alive..."

"I don't know how to face him now, elder brother. I promised to share the family responsibilities with you, and I might never go back to how things were with him... he must hate me, he must hate me, what am I to do? He must hate Rong Er too..."

As she spoke, her eyes filled with misty tears, the reddened corners of her eyes both pitiful and charming, like red plum blossoms in the snow.

Liang Yun felt a pang in his heart as he listened to her, hearing her mention Shun Gong over and over, Shun Gong, Shun Gong...

Listening to her, immersed in the pain of betraying Shun Gong, crying for Shun Gong, unable to stop.

All of this made Liang Yun's eyes almost unbearably heavy.

In his over twenty years of life, he had never felt such pain; his chest hurt so much he could hardly breathe...

And Ying Shi? What she feared was nothing else.

She was afraid that Liang Ji and Fu Fan had come back too soon.

On one side was her younger brother, whom she had raised as her own for many years. On the other side was her son, only three months old, with whom she hadn't yet formed a deep bond. His already tarnished reputation from the shared family responsibilities would worsen with Liang Ji's return.

They had come together because Liang Ji had left.

Now that Liang Ji was back... Liang Yun, who had always cherished his younger brother, his brother since childhood.

What would he do now? What choice would he make?

She wasn't afraid before, thinking she had six years to raise the child with him, she even planned that even if Liang Yun went to Hedong later, she would find a way for Rong Er to spend time with his biological father. Six years would surely outweigh Liang Ji, and everything would naturally fall into place.

But now, she was the one who had carried the child for ten months, endured all the hardships, and he had only been a father for three months.

Three months of emotion—for a man, is it easy to let go?

She wasn't sure; her heart was in turmoil, and she had to test him.

"Brother, you could have stayed out of this, but because of me, you can't face your brother in the future... You won't hate me, right?"

Would he resent her? Resent her existence for ruining his relationship with his brother?

Suddenly, she heard a very soft sigh beside her ear.

Liang Yun's eyelashes lowered, his breath heavy and cold, "I'm much older than you, at my age, I'm no longer a child. Every step I take comes with responsibility, and I never regret it."

Ying Shi's heart felt as if it had been struck violently, causing her body to tremble slightly.

She held back her sobs and said, "I just don't know what to do with Rong Er now, he was born with so much burden. Shun Gong won't like him, and Madam won't like him either. He hasn't done anything wrong, it's just because of my selfishness that he's in this state..."

Liang Yun looked at her tear-filled eyes, he wanted to hug her so much.

But he could only coldly and restrainedly extend his finger, gently wiping away the tears hanging on her cheek.

She never realized that if she just turned around, she would find another path behind her... but she couldn't see it.

She could only see Shun Gong, the man she had longed for all these years.

Shun Gong was her lover and husband.

Shun Gong had returned now, despite being flawed, despite no longer being perfect...

No... now she at least felt something for Rong Er, thinking about his future, even shedding tears for him.

Liang Yun said, "Shun Gong cannot treat this child as his own, it's natural instinct, and he already has his own child..."

He looked at her pale cheeks, his words turning clumsy, tinged with cautious probing: "But don’t worry, in this house, with me, no one will ever come before Rong Er."

Ying Shi's fingertips trembled; she naturally understood his meaning.

The favoritism in his words, directed at Rong Er, instantly eased her worries.

Was this his way of promising her something?

Ying Shi's expression became confused and uneasy.

Until the cold wind made the treetops rustle.

Ying Shi held Rong Er, her thoughts in complete disarray.

Liang Ji had arrived at some point, watching them for who knows how long.

Until Ying Shi handed Rong Er to Liang Yun, she saw Liang Ji walking towards them.

Liang Ji was clearly upset, his brow deeply furrowed, his breathing heavy. His entire face radiated a cold, menacing aura.

But, unusually, he didn’t lash out or confront them.

Instead, Ying Shi jumped at the sudden presence behind her.

She wiped her eyes, not wanting to stir up rumors on his first day back, so she just lowered her head and explained, "I handed Rong Er to brother, and didn't want to get my eyes scratched by the branches."

Liang Yun glanced at Liang Ji, rubbing the faint tear stains on his fingertips, and stayed quiet.

Liang Ji glared coldly at Liang Yun, his eyes flickering with anguish and conflict.

In truth, he had long suspected Liang Yun’s motives, and now he had nearly caught him red-handed...

She was his sister-in-law; he was the elder brother. Weren’t there other servants nearby? The child’s wet nurse stood right there in the snow.

Did he have nothing better to do than brave the snow to wipe her tears?

How could he call himself an elder brother? Stealing his own wife so shamelessly... Couldn't he refuse? He had refused to marry for years, so why agree to this ridiculous joint succession?

Liang Ji clenched his teeth in silent fury. He didn’t dare dwell on the details.

But he wouldn't press further.

Continue to ask?

They even had a child together... in the two years he was gone, how many more intimate moments had they shared than just now?

To salvage a crumbling relationship, he had no choice but to feign ignorance.

Liang Ji hoped he could play dumb, and that Ying Shi might do the same just this once. They wouldn’t bring up the past and would make up... as if everything that had happened was just a bad dream.

The three of them fell silent, and Ying Shi was the first to break the unbearable tension. She handed Rong Er over to Liang Yun and turned away, refusing to look at the child.

To everyone’s surprise, Rong Er seemed to sense that this separation meant he wouldn’t see his mother as often. He squirmed, his soft limbs twisting as he tried to crane his neck anxiously over Liang Yun’s shoulder.

Liang Yun placed a hand on the child’s round forehead, gently nudging him back down.

He held the child effortlessly, his movements smooth and practiced.

Even though the child couldn’t understand, Liang Yun bent down and spoke to him earnestly, “Rong Er, do you miss your mother too much? She’ll come to see you often.”

Hearing this, Liang Ji’s veins bulged, and his knuckles turned white as he clenched his fists.

His gaze accidentally fell on the swaddled child, who was fair-skinned, with jet-black hair and bright, dark eyes.

Liang Ji’s pupils narrowed, and he quickly looked away, almost ashamed.

This was the first time he’d seen the child, a living reminder of the stain on their relationship, and yet the child looked exactly like the one he had once imagined having.

He couldn’t bear the tension in the air.

Liang Ji felt suffocated, his chest tightening as that familiar, painful sense of asphyxiation returned.

He slowly pieced together the root of their entanglement—or maybe he was still lying to himself—or perhaps his memories of her always lingered on the night he last went to Chen County, when the snow was even heavier than today, and everything around was a vast expanse of white.

She hated the cold, but the moment he tossed a pebble at the window, she slipped on her shoes and hurried to open it.

The wind and snow swept in, and snowflakes like goose feathers settled on her dark lashes and hairline.

The girl looked up, her face lighting up with joy at the sight of him, her eyes glistening with affection.

An affection so deep it seemed to overflow.

That kind of love doesn’t just vanish in two short years.

Ying Shi must still care for him.

A girl who once adored him—how could she ever love someone else? At most, it was just that she couldn’t bear to part with the child...

They’d grown up together, childhood sweethearts. What did his older brother even matter?

With him around, she and his older brother wouldn’t have a chance to see each other again.

If she couldn’t bear to part with the child, he’d raise him himself.

Liang Ji’s voice softened, tinged with gloom, “Ying Shi, I’ve thought about it now. Since it’s your child, let’s raise him ourselves. After all, he’s still young, and it’s not good to hand him over to others.”

We’ll raise him. Who’d even know who his real father is when he’s older?

He wasn’t about to leave a child with his older brother, giving her a reason to stay connected. He’d make sure the two of them severed all ties early.

Liang Yun lowered his eyes to look at the child in his arms, his face expressionless. He didn’t seem the least bit angered by his brother’s words. He merely reminded him casually, “Grandmother just asked me what exactly happened in the outer courtyard. Shun Gong, since it’s your own mess, you’d better go and explain it to her.”

A flicker of resentment and pain passed through Liang Ji’s eyes. He knew Liang Yun was deliberately bringing this up in front of Ying Shi, but he had no time to continue arguing with him.

He looked at Ying Shi in confusion, baring his wounds as he explained to her, “Those two years, I really don’t remember anything, Ying Shi. Do you know? I was badly injured back then, and I couldn’t remember anything. My head hurt every day, and I thought... I thought that was my original life... Later, when I remembered, I came back to find you...”

He still thought she only resented him for being with another woman. As long as she knew his pain and his helplessness, she would surely soften.

The past was too heavy with pain, and Ying Shi felt a deep-seated disgust and fear whenever she saw him. But these feelings surfaced at the worst possible time. Ying Shi could only endure, suppressing her overly repulsed gaze.

She avoided him with visible weariness: "So much has happened today, I can't process it all at once..."

She spoke so clearly, yet he didn't understand. Like a dog that wouldn't leave her side, he kept following her, asking questions.

"Don't you recall the love locks we fastened on the Matchmaker's Bridge? And the Kongming lanterns we released during the Lantern Festival..."

"But I remember all of these. These fragments helped me piece together my memories... Those were the happiest moments of my life. You don't know, I was shot with several arrows back then, and I fell off a cliff, breaking many bones. It hurt so much, it still hurts now. I wasn't supposed to survive, but I kept thinking of you, I couldn't leave you waiting alone... I came back."

That was his only belief to keep living. He finally returned, but she seemed to have changed. Everyone had forced her to change—

Ying Shi looked down at his unguarded expression of grief, the pain and sorrow on his face, the heavy and complex emotions.

She felt no empathy; instead, she remained detached, calmly watching him—watching him descend into madness from his suffering.

Wasn't she once like this? Was he in pain? How long had he been in pain? Couldn't he bear it anymore?

Ying Shi looked at his face, so close. This face, once deeply admired in her youth, now only filled her with repugnance.

Back then, he could have simply let her go, making a clean break. She wasn't the type to regret a lost love for a lifetime.

But his selfishness took control.

Even though she had long hated him, even though they despised each other, he just wouldn't let her go.

Let her go...

It was these people, united, who pushed her to her death.

Seeing the figure in the distance, Ying Shi almost imperceptibly curled her lips.

...

For the next two days, the mansion was a scene of utter chaos.

Since Fu Fan was diagnosed with pregnancy that day, she had been making a scene ever since she woke up. Later, Madame Wei persuaded her and arranged for her to stay in a quiet courtyard in the mansion to rest.

Apart from being unsettled, Fu Fan lived quite comfortably over the two days.

Madame Wei looked down on this village woman, but she couldn't bear to mistreat her unborn grandchild.

She promptly arranged for six maids and two matrons to attend to Fu Fan, with an endless stream of delicacies and luxurious fabrics pouring into her quarters.

The room's shelves were laden with rare treasures Fu Fan had never before laid eyes on—jadeite, smooth and vividly green, carved Hetian jade ornaments, and those glassware she had never seen, each piece, crystal clear and undoubtedly priceless, was casually displayed.

Fu Fan unrolled a scroll of calligraphy and looked at it again and again. Since discovering her pregnancy, her fiery temper had somewhat mellowed. Even if she didn't understand the art, she aimed to refine her temperament.

Fu Fan sighed, reflecting on how this child had accompanied her all the way to the capital, suffering hardships even before being born.

But she was proud, never forgetting the scornful words A Niu had uttered, which made her angry every time she thought of them.

He had reclaimed his heritage, but what of her and the child?

Fu Fan sat by the window, watching the flying eaves and the snowflakes falling on the windowsill. She waited the entire afternoon, yet A Niu never appeared.

Fu Fan couldn't help but scold the child in her belly: "Your father looks down on your mother now! He doesn't want you either!"

The maids serving her were arranged by Madame Wei. They knew that although this lady had no official status, the child she carried would be a precious young master once born. Madame Wei had ordered them to serve with utmost care, ensuring no errors occurred.

How dare they upset Fu Fan?

Seeing Fu Fan cursing and complaining again, they all rushed over to coax her, saying, "Third Master had official business and went straight to the court upon his return. He has been going to the court these past two days. When he has a moment, he will surely come to see you, Madam."

Fu Fan snorted lightly, "Don't think I don't know—does A Niu have another wife? Did A Niu go to see her?"

The maids dared not gossip and could only say comforting things, "Third Madam rarely leaves the garden, spending her time only with the young master."

This shocked Fu Fan; her eyebrows shot up, and her voice turned sharp, "Young master? Where did she get a young master? Didn't she join the family after A Niu's death?"

Realizing they had said too much, the maids dared not speak further.

Fu Fan kept pressing for details about the Third Madam, whom she had never met, but no one answered her questions. She couldn't help but get angry, "If it weren't for your Madam keeping me here, why would I even care about these things? If A Niu still doesn't come to see me, I'll leave on my own! But this child is mine—I'll take it with me, and whatever happens in the future won't concern you!"

This alarmed the maids, who quickly soothed and flattered her, saying how precious the child in her belly was.

When Madame Wei heard Fu Fan was causing a scene about leaving again, she rushed over.

Madame Wei guessed Fu Fan's thoughts and came to persuade her with kind words, "If this building isn't to your liking, I'll find you another place. For now, focus on resting and taking care of your pregnancy here in the mansion. In the future, when you give birth to a child for our family, how could we not reward you handsomely?"

Fu Fan already knew the child in her belly was a treasure.

But even a treasure couldn't ease her worries.

Everything in this mansion was too extravagant, and there was also the Third Madam looming over her! She had no one to rely on and didn't know what the future held!

As a mother, she had to secure her child's future.

Fu Fan's eyes reddened as she pleaded with Madame Wei, "Could you call A Niu here? I really need to see him..."

Madame Wei said, "Ji'er isn't an ordinary man—how could he have time to spend with female relatives every day? My son is a general. After surviving a great ordeal, he must report to the emperor in the inner court, and there will surely be many rewards. He probably won't be back for a few days."

Hearing this, the sadness in Fu Fan's eyes slowly faded, and she couldn't help but feel admiration.

She thought, with A Niu's strength and build, how could he be just an ordinary man?

But...

Fu Fan frowned, biting her lip, and directly asked Madame Wei, "They say A Niu has a son? How can he already have a child? Didn't they say that girl was part of a ghost marriage? Then what does that make my child when it's born?"

Madame Wei suppressed her temper and coaxed her, "Don't worry, that... that child is irrelevant. The child in your belly is my true grandson..."

Speaking of this, Madame Wei felt embarrassed, but now, regarding the issue of heirs, she and Fu Fan were of one mind.

Madame Wei thought it over and could only sigh, "You don't know, the mansion's matriarch thought Ji'er was dead, and felt sorry for A Ruan being widowed at such a young age, so she came up with a way for her to continue the family line. Sigh... that's how she had a child."

Fu Fan felt like she had heard a shocking secret, and her long-held tension suddenly relaxed.

She let out a long sigh of relief and couldn't help but mutter, "You should have said so earlier."

If she had known earlier, she wouldn't have had to treat her as an enemy every day.

Madame Wei added, "Because of this, Ji'er feels guilty towards her. After all, that child agreed to continue the family line for Ji'er. We had to acknowledge that child and treat him as the legitimate eldest son."

She had saved up silver in her private coffers for decades, and in the past year, to comfort Madam Ruan, she had sent countless good things to her since she became pregnant, even giving away two estates.

Fu Fan muttered after hearing this.

That stubborn A Niu, why does he feel guilty towards her? Didn't she willingly marry into the family? No one forced her.

Fu Fan gritted her teeth and thought, if she were in her place, she would have already left with her child in disgrace, not making the whole mansion feel awkward.

How could she have the nerve to stay in the mansion?

"In our hometown in the countryside, only poor families who can't afford a wife would have several brothers marry the same woman! How could your mansion do such a shameful thing?"

Why should her child be overshadowed by an illegitimate child?