Chapter 008
Chapter 8: Yun Wan Ning Can’t Stand Xu Qing Qing, No Matter How She Looks at Her
Yun Wan Ning tried to curl her tiny mouth into a scowl of disgust, but her soft cheeks only produced a string of drool. “Ya,” she chirped.
[Oh, this is humiliating. I cannot even scowl without drooling. Life is hard for a baby.]
Madam Yun laughed quietly and wiped her lips with a silk handkerchief. Her curiosity was fully piqued now. What other vile things had Xu Qing Qing done.
Bootsteps sounded as Yun Zheng entered with Yun Wan Ye and Yun Wan Yao behind him. His face turned icy when he saw Xu Qing Qing. His sharp gaze landed on the little maid who had hesitated at the threshold, and the girl almost buckled.
Xu Qing Qing stiffened. Being labeled an idle outsider by the master of the house was a heavy slap. She quickly composed herself, dropped into a curtsy, and said with forced grace: “Qing Qing greets Uncle.”
“Do not scold Little Tao,” Madam Yun said coolly from the couch: “I allowed Qing Qing to enter.”
She cast Yun Zheng a subtle look. He adjusted at once, lowered his oppressive presence, and said mildly: “Yes, Madam is right.”
Yun Wan Yao covered her mouth with a smile at the loving exchange. Their warmth never faded. Yun Wan Ye only rolled his eyes.
[Father is hopeless. So fierce on the battlefield, yet meek the moment Mother lifts an eyebrow. A disgrace to men everywhere.]
[Forget it. When I grow up, I will never be like that. I would rather die than bow to a woman.]
He did not know yet that the future would be ruthless with his pride.
Madam Yun shifted on the couch and said as if in passing: “Your mother was caught stealing, so I had her locked up.”
The words struck like a hammer. Yun Wan Ye, Yun Wan Yao, and Xu Qing Qing froze. Even the twins, used to their mother’s gentle temperament, were stunned. What had Yang Xin’er stolen to make their generous mother resort to punishment. Ever since Yang Xin’er had moved in, Madam Yun had been kind. If she took a few valuables, their mother turned a blind eye. But this time, she had acted.
“Aunt, this must be a misunderstanding,” Xu Qing Qing stammered: “My mother is your cousin. How could she steal from you.”
“Oh,” Yun Zheng said as he stepped forward. With a sweep of his arm, he opened the red wooden chest at his feet and lifted a fistful of jewels. He turned and fixed her with a steely gaze: “Do these look familiar.”
They were the treasures Nanny Wang had uncovered, the ones meant to be turned into gifts for Little Fourth. They had not yet been sent to the goldsmith when Xu Qing Qing came knocking.
Xu Qing Qing’s face went pale. Every piece in that chest was familiar. They were the things her mother had hoarded over three years. Her hands trembled. Panic mixed with a deep ache. What right did these people have to search their chambers. What sort of treatment was this.
“Father, those must have been gifts. Mother and I gave them to Qing Qing,” Yun Wan Yao said gently as she slipped her arm through his. Her tone was soft, almost coaxing.
She had pieced together what was happening and did not want matters to escalate. Perhaps her parents were too harsh over mere possessions. Even she was surprised by the amount, but was it worth tearing apart family.
Her kindness received no gratitude. Bitterness bloomed in Xu Qing Qing’s heart like poison.
[This disgusting hypocrite. She is probably laughing inside. So what if she was born noble. Must she trample me to prove it.]
[She has everything, wealth, status, family, and she still has to humiliate me.]
[Oh no, Elder Sister, you are speaking up for her, but she is not thankful at all. She is cursing you in her heart.]
[The more you and Mother treat her well, the deeper her resentment festers. She envies you, envies that you were born noble, envies that you are engaged to Prince Qi, envies that even your handmaidens look down on her.]
[She envies your dresses, your jewels, your parents, your brothers, and even Seventh Uncle. You have everything she does not.]
[And worst of all, she wants you dead.]
[When the female lead appears, she becomes the heroine’s loyal dog and betrays you at the first chance.]
[She takes your trust, drugs you, leaves you among vagrants, and destroys your innocence so you cannot marry Prince Qi. Your tragedy begins because of her.]
The more Yun Wan Ning stared, the more disgusted she felt. In her previous life, reading the novel, she had not paid much attention to Xu Qing Qing. A side character, not likable, but not detestable. Now she was a Yun family daughter, and this so-called cousin had never held good intentions. In the original plot, Xu Qing Qing had schemed against her, against Yun Wan Ye, against Seventh Uncle, and even against herself. How could she feel anything but revulsion.
The room went still. The family listened to Little Fourth’s inner monologue. Their expressions darkened as their eyes turned toward Xu Qing Qing. So that was what she was.
Yun Zheng recovered first. He brushed away Yun Wan Yao’s hand and said sternly: “This matter does not concern you. Keep quiet.”
It was the first time he had spoken to her like that. Yun Wan Yao stood stunned, then lowered her head and took two quiet steps back. Her heart twisted with complex feelings. Before Little Fourth was born, she had always treated Xu Qing Qing as a real sister. She had given her dresses, shared jewelry, brought her into noble circles, and protected her from mockery. She had trusted her. Now, was this the truth. That trust had been twisted to betray her.
Her fists curled in her sleeves. Her breath caught. Her body trembled faintly.
[Mother, Elder Sister, you are both too kind.]
[Relatives who envy you will always hate to see you happy. Yang Xin’er and Xu Qing Qing, this mother-daughter pair just want to steal your light and tear you down.]
[The mother covets Father. The daughter envies Elder Sister. Rotten trees bear rotten fruit. Neither are worth pitying.]