Chapter 44: Throw Him Out
This novel is translated and hosted only on Bcatranslation
Madam Yu’s sudden summons left Yu Zhi Yi with no doubt as to the reason—even her toes could guess it. Surely, Yu Jiao Jiao had gone back crying and tattling yet again.
To return now would be asking for trouble, a senseless move she wasn’t inclined to make. Besides, she had no interest in entangling herself further with those people. A clean break was preferable—a life where their paths would never cross again. Alas, such an ideal was but a fleeting dream.
Yu Zhi Yi’s gaze turned frosty as she looked at the young man barging into her courtyard. “Yu Zi Xuan, has all your upbringing been swallowed by dogs?”
Yu Zi Xuan, the fifth son of the Yu family, was fifteen years old and the only brother to the two Yu daughters. Yu Zhi Yi’s eyes rested on his bold, youthful face, and for a moment, a different visage—one guileless and kind—flashed in her mind. It dissipated like scattered starlight, leaving only Yu Zi Xuan’s sneering expression.
“You’re the one with audacity!” he snapped. “What right do you have to lecture me?”
Yu Zhi Yi gestured for a chair, reclining lazily as she crossed one leg over the other. “And who are you to trespass into the Chancellor’s Mansion?”
Yu Zi Xuan stiffened, his indignation evident. Since Yu Jiao Jiao’s return to the family, their parents and brothers had gradually distanced themselves from Yu Zhi Yi, none more so than Yu Zi Xuan. The reason was simple: Jiao Jiao had saved his life. Compared to Jiao Jiao, Yu Zhi Yi was nothing but an impostor, a thief who had stolen ten years of Jiao Jiao’s happiness and now sought to rob her of her credit.
The thought of having once called her sister for a decade disgusted him.
“Even if I don’t want to admit it, you’re still my nominal elder sister,” he declared with arrogance. “I have every right to be here.”
This self-righteous attitude mirrored the past. They despised her yet used familial ties as a leash. Back then, she had clung to a sliver of warmth and endured. But now…
“If you don’t want to acknowledge me, then don’t,” she replied coldly. “I certainly have no desire to claim a wolf in sheep’s clothing as my brother. Guards, throw him out. If he refuses…” Her tone turned icy. “Show no mercy.”
Yu Zi Xuan’s eyes widened in disbelief. “You wouldn’t dare!”
He soon realized she not only dared but followed through without hesitation. Staring at the tightly shut gates of the Du Mansion, he rubbed his nose, sore from the slam of the door, and stomped his feet in fury. “Yu Zhi Yi, how dare you call me a wolf in sheep’s clothing? You’re the real wolf here!”
He hollered at the gates, “If it weren’t for you conspiring against Jiao Jiao, do you think I’d want to see you? Just wait—without the Yu family backing you, you’ll regret this!”
…
The Yu family was in shock. None had expected Yu Zhi Yi not only to refuse an apology but to outright eject Yu Zi Xuan from the mansion.
Yu Jiao Jiao had been crying dramatically while waiting for Yu Zhi Yi to come groveling, hoping she’d beg forgiveness and return the money taken by Red Luan. Instead, after sobbing her eyes swollen, she was greeted only by Yu Zi Xuan’s sour face.
As the others stared, confusion etched their features, Yu Zi Xuan’s expression darkened. Grinding his teeth, he spat, “She’s gotten bold since marrying into the Chancellor’s family, relying on Du Zi Heng’s support. She’s refusing to return.”
He omitted his humiliating eviction, deeming it too embarrassing to recount.
The Yu family fell silent. Even Yu Jiao Jiao, too stunned to cry, couldn’t reconcile this version of Yu Zhi Yi with the one she knew.
In her previous life, Yu Zhi Yi had cherished family above all. Even after becoming the wife of a Marquis, she had helped the Yu family through hardships, aiding her brothers in achieving illustrious careers. But now… everything had changed.
A thought struck Yu Jiao Jiao, filling her with unease. Unless… Yu Zhi Yi had been reborn, too?
Her heart raced as she struggled to dismiss the notion. Yet the growing fear made her deaf to her brothers’ discussions.
…
Yu Meng Qin, the eldest brother, set his teacup down with a cold clink. “If she won’t come back, so be it. Let her stay away forever.”
The second brother sneered. “Don’t count on it. It won’t be long before she crawls back, crying for our help.”
The family had heard rumors: Du Zi Heng, far from the virtuous image he projected, had a lover before his marriage. Forced by his mother to marry Yu Zhi Yi, he had no choice but to comply. The lover, they speculated, would soon become a problem.
“She’ll learn her place,” Yu Ming Quan added. “Once she realizes she’s nothing more than a pawn, she’ll have no choice but to rely on us.”
Yu Ning Gui, seated in his wheelchair, frowned. “She is still our sister. We should at least warn our brother-in-law to keep things in order.”
The others scoffed. Why waste effort on someone like her? Resigned, Yu Ning Gui fell silent.
Yu Zi Xuan turned to Yu Jiao Jiao. “Don’t worry, Jiao Jiao. This time, we’ll crush her arrogance.”
…
Yu Zhi Yi hadn’t expected her rare outing to lead her into an unintentional eavesdropping session. She stood quietly, watching the two figures not far away, realizing with calm detachment that the subject of their gossip was none other than herself.