Chapter 099
Chapter 99: She Also Thought Herself Useless
Of course, even if he could endure it, it was useless.
She had already decided to borrow Prince Qi’s hand to deal with this wretched man, to take revenge for the pitiful self she had once been in the original plotline.
Now that Prince Qi could be used, there was no need for her father to take on the role of the villain.
Her father was already surrounded by wolves and beset by enemies. He couldn’t afford to draw more hostility, especially not from a scheming and venomous man like Pei Yu.
[Eh? What’s elder sister planning? I can’t figure it out.]
[So sleepy. I’ll stop watching for now, and take a nap. I believe in elder sister. She won’t lose to that man this time.]
[That’s right, I must believe in elder sister.]
The spiritual power withdrew.
Inside the room, Yun Wan Ning stretched out her little fists to rub her eyes, yawned lazily, then pushed away the bamboo butterfly that Hua Wu had been using to amuse her. Her eyes fluttered shut as she dozed off.
Hua Wu blinked. “…?”
Hearing the even rhythm of the little milk bun’s breathing, Hua Wu lowered her head to glance at the lifelike bamboo butterfly in her hand, unable to keep from laughing bitterly.
Why did it feel like the Fourth Young Miss’s earlier movements were saying: Don’t bother me, I’m going to sleep now?
…
In the front courtyard.
After hearing that string of heart voice listening, Yun Wan Yao looked up, sneaking a glance upward.
Had her little sister withdrawn her spiritual power?
Ugh, how shameful.
Her little sister had deliberately sent her spiritual power to this place, clearly expecting to watch a good show. But after waiting so long, Yun Wan Yao had done absolutely nothing. Her little sister must be disappointed in her.
Sigh… she also thought herself useless. She had no abilities, yet dared to dream too much.
“Yao…”
A low, anguished voice suddenly came from behind. It was exactly what she’d wanted—Pei Yu’s heart had been deeply pierced by her words.
His fists clenched tightly, veins bulging on the backs of his hands. His gaze was filled with suppressed pain, looking at her like a pitiful beast abandoned by its master.
Yun Wan Yao kept her back to him and silently rolled her eyes.
She hadn’t even done anything yet, and this man already looked like a wronged husband?
If someone who didn’t know the truth saw this, they might think she had betrayed and abandoned him.
“Oh, Big Brother Pei, you don’t need to feel guilty. I wasn’t blaming you. I was just reminding you, that’s all.”
“Well then, I still have things to do, so I’ll excuse myself. Big Brother Pei, make yourself at home.”
Twisting his meaning on purpose, Yun Wan Yao didn’t give him time to respond. She turned and left in a hurry.
“Yao—”
Pei Yu called after her, chasing a few steps forward, but all he could see was her retreating back, never once looking back at him.
Before long, even that haunting figure disappeared beyond the corridor.
His outstretched hand slowly dropped, his face darkening instantly, his eyes filled with a bone-chilling gleam.
Damn it. That Mo Yuan Hao—was he really that good?
He, Pei Yu, was the one who loved her most. So why couldn’t she see that?
No… he couldn’t just watch her marry Mo Yuan Hao. He had to act.
Pei Yu’s fists tightened again, a cold glint flashing across his eyes.
…
Completely unaware of Pei Yu’s schemes, Yun Wan Yao joyfully returned to the wet nurse’s room, arms full of brocade boxes, planning to give Yun Wan Ning her prize. But to her surprise, the little one was already fast asleep.
Yun Wan Yao let out a disappointed sigh.
“Sigh… little sister loves gold more than anything. This pair of golden armbands weighs nearly twelve taels. I wanted to give it to her and make her happy. But who knew she’d fall asleep so quickly?”
“Oh well, I’ll keep it for now and give it to her another time.”
To confirm her own suspicions, Yun Wan Yao pulled Hua Wu aside and lowered her voice to ask, “Hua Wu, while I was gone, did little sister stay here the whole time? Did you take her to the front courtyard?”
Though confused by the question, Hua Wu still answered seriously, “No, maidservant didn’t take Fourth Young Miss to the front courtyard. I stayed in the room the whole time and played with her.”
“But… Fourth Young Miss didn’t really pay me any attention. She had no interest in the toy I brought. It felt like she was daydreaming. After a while, she just fell asleep.”
Hearing this, Yun Wan Yao’s gaze flickered slightly.
So it was true. As long as her little sister’s spiritual power was extended and made contact with her, she could hear her inner thoughts no matter how far apart they were.
Little sister… is truly amazing.
…
After leaving the wet nurse’s room, Yun Wan Yao headed toward Moon Seizing Pavilion to look for Yun Wan Chen.
Two guards were stationed outside the pavilion.
When they saw Yun Wan Yao, they immediately raised their arms to block her path without hesitation.
“Young Miss, the heir apparent has given strict orders: no one is to enter. Please don’t make it difficult for us.”
Yun Wan Yao: “…”
How long has it been already? That girl inside should be recovered by now, right?
Why was big brother still guarding so tightly?
Was he seriously planning to keep her here forever?
“Go tell my big brother I’m here to see him. I’ve got something important to discuss.”
The two guards looked at each other helplessly. “Young Miss, we’re not allowed to enter either.”
In other words, they couldn’t even go inside to inform him.
Yun Wan Yao: “…”
“Well, then step aside. I’ll go find big brother myself. I promise, even if I go in, big brother won’t blame you. Is that alright?”
The two guards exchanged another look, clearly uncertain what to do.
“Sigh,” Yun Wan Yao sighed dramatically, putting on a pitiful face. “Who would’ve thought that one day I’d be blocked from seeing my own big brother?”
Then her tone shifted as she suddenly thought of something. “What about Cang Yan? You two can talk to him, right? Let him pass on the message.”
“Uh… Cang Yan had some errands outside the residence. He hasn’t come back yet.”
Yun Wan Yao was speechless. “Fine, fine. I’ll ask one more time—are you really not letting me in? Then at least let me shout for big brother, right?”
“I’m warning you, if you won’t even let me yell, I’ll bring father here and have him tear down every wall of this place!”
The guards sighed in defeat, utterly frustrated. “Ahem, well… Young Miss, you can shout.”
“Hehe, thanks a bunch!”
Yun Wan Yao grinned and nodded, then leaned her head into the archway and shouted at the top of her lungs.
“Big brother! Big brother! I need to talk to you! Can you hear me?”
Before she even finished yelling, Yun Wan Chen stepped out from the room, standing on the steps and gazing at her from afar. Clad in snow-white robes, bathed in the glow of morning light, he looked like a deity descending to the mortal realm.
“Come in.”
“Now can I go in?” Yun Wan Yao didn’t step forward immediately. Instead, she turned to the guards and raised her eyebrows triumphantly.
“I told you, my big brother wouldn’t stop me. But you just wouldn’t believe it. Do you believe me now?”
The guards quickly lowered their heads. “We believe, we believe. Please go ahead, Young Miss.”
“Hmph, that’s more like it.”
Chin lifted proudly, Yun Wan Yao strode inside. When she reached Yun Wan Chen, she looked up and grumbled with dissatisfaction.
“Big brother, why didn’t you tell them not to block me? It took so much effort just to see you. My throat’s practically hoarse from yelling!”
Yun Wan Chen smiled faintly, showing not the slightest trace of guilt.
“Forgotten? Then I must ask Yao’er to forgive me.”
“What? You forgot? How could you forget something like that?”
Yun Wan Yao frowned, her voice laced with annoyance.
Seeing her puffed cheeks and sulking expression, Yun Wan Chen chuckled softly and reached out to smooth her hair with a fond touch.
“Yao’er rarely comes to find me. I truly forgot for a moment. What brings you here today?”
“It’s something important.”
At the mention of serious matters, Yun Wan Yao could no longer hold onto her anger. She climbed the steps in a few quick strides and hooked her arm around his.
“Big brother, let’s talk inside.”
“Alright.”
The brother-and-sister pair returned to the room, and the door was quietly shut behind them.
…
In the side chamber, a soft voice called out, “My lady, it’s time to apply your medicine.”
Apricot had already prepared the ointment. But when she turned around, she saw Su Qian Yue standing by the window, her gaze lost in the view outside.
[Still watching the heir apparent, is she?]
Apricot paused, unsure whether to remind her.
Just as she hesitated, Su Qian Yue turned and walked over, sitting down and beginning to untie her gown. Apricot hurriedly stepped forward with the ointment and began applying it with care, her voice gentle and warm.
“My lady’s wounds have all scabbed over. A couple more days, and they’ll be fully healed. And the new skin is smooth—no trace of scars at all.”
“I really don’t know where the heir apparent found such a miraculous ointment.”
Hearing that, Su Qian Yue felt a soft joy rising in her heart. She said, “Truly? That’s wonderful news.”
“Indeed. My lady’s skin is like cream and jade—smooth and delicate. If it had scarred, even I would have felt it a great pity.”
Su Qian Yue smiled faintly, then suddenly asked, “Apricot, is there any other young lady of marrying age in Duke Ning’s manor besides Miss Yun?”
Apricot didn’t think too much of the question. She replied with a smile, “None now. There used to be a visiting cousin with the surname Xu, around the same age as the young miss, but she and her mother angered Madam and were thrown out long ago.”
“Now, aside from Miss Yin Shuang, who lives near Seventh Lord’s quarters, and the maids of the manor, there’s only our young miss.”
Su Qian Yue’s eyes shimmered faintly.
She had heard before that Madam Yun’s maternal cousin had been widowed and cast out by her husband’s family, and out of pity, Madam Yun took her and her daughter in. She hadn’t known they’d already been sent away.
As for that other girl she’d seen earlier—her demeanor and attire didn’t seem like those of a servant. In that case, she must be Yun Wan Yao, the biological younger sister of Heir Apparent Yun.
At the thought, a quiet breath of relief slipped from her lips.
Then, in a seemingly casual tone, she said, “The heir apparent and Miss Yun seem very close.”
“Of course. Our Duke Ning’s manor isn’t like other noble households,” Apricot answered with a proud little tilt of her head. “In other families, it’s the sons who are favored. But here, it’s our young miss who’s most beloved.”
“Not just His Grace, Madam, and the Seventh Lord—all the young masters dote on her as well. Among all the noble girls in the capital, no one is more cherished than our young miss.”
“Miss Yun is truly blessed,” Su Qian Yue murmured softly, eyes filling with envy.
Her thoughts turned inward.
Her mother had once encountered Su Jian during a time of hardship and, mistaking him for a man of honor, gave him her heart. Only after it was too late did she learn that he already had a wife.
A once proper maiden from a respectable family, her mother was forced to become a concubine in a noble household.
Because of that, from the moment she was born, Su Qian Yue was merely a daughter born of a concubine.
Her mother, unwilling to remain a concubine, tried many times to leave, but every attempt ended in failure. Tormented by regret and sorrow, she wasted away in misery and died not long after giving birth.
Perhaps Su Jian had once loved her mother, but in the end, both of them dumped all the consequences and pain onto her alone.
Madam Su despised her as living proof of betrayal. Su Jian hated her for not being born a son, unable to elevate her mother’s status. And her mother… whether she hated her or not, she’d never know.
But one thing was certain—her mother had never given her warmth.
If there was anything she left her, perhaps it was the chance to be born into this world… and meet him.
At that thought, Su Qian Yue’s lips curled into a bitter, mocking smile.
She hated her mother’s lack of self-respect, hated that she’d become a concubine to Su Jian and ruined them both.
But why, despite that hatred, was she still so pathetically drawn to him? So desperate to be near him, even if it meant being a concubine herself?
Heh…
If one day, she too had a child, would that child hate her as much as she hated her own mother?
…
“So, tell me—what did you come for?”
In the quiet room, Yun Wan Chen picked up the teapot and poured a cup of tea, gently sliding it across the table to Yun Wan Yao.
Yun Wan Yao looked around the room, about to lift the cup when he pressed it down with his hand.
“Wait. It’s hot.”
“Oh.”
She reluctantly let go, propping her cheek on one hand as she stared at him.
“Big brother, that girl’s injuries should be mostly healed by now, right? Are you really planning to keep her here?”
“There’s been too much happening at Su Manor lately. If they notice she’s missing, things will get complicated.”
Yun Wan Chen looked at her and said softly, “Su Jian is still unconscious. Su Qian Xue keeps stirring up trouble. Madam Su has no time to bother with her.”
“Give it a few more days. I’ll send her back. But you—did you really come just to ask me this?”
“Of course not,” Yun Wan Yao shot back immediately. “I was just checking in on you out of concern. I have something else to say.”
“Mhm.”
Yun Wan Chen gave a quiet hum, settling into a posture of full attention.
“Big brother, Pei Yu is back, and he even brought me a gift. Do you know, as soon as little sister heard his name, it was like something clicked in her memory—she started talking about him nonstop!”
She held out her hands and made a dramatic gesture to show just how much was said, making Yun Wan Chen laugh.
“And then?”
“And then I heard a lot of things that made me so mad! Big brother, little sister said Pei Yu likes me. Did you ever notice anything like that?”
Yun Wan Chen sighed, “It’s probably only you who didn’t notice.”
“…What?”
She widened her eyes, astonished. “So you all knew Pei Yu had those kinds of thoughts about me—and no one said a word?”
“What good would it do to tell you? What he feels is his business. As long as you don’t like him, it doesn’t matter.”
Yun Wan Chen’s tone was calm. The Yun family, no matter how overbearing, couldn’t stop someone from harboring feelings.
“But how could it not matter? If someone had warned me, I would’ve ignored him! At least he wouldn’t think I like him too.”
“Tell me, big brother, is it true that you men think a woman is interested in you just because she smiles at you?”