Chapter 268

Chapter 268: So Love Can Disappear, Right?

Yu Zhi Yi did not plan to reveal that she was an official of the Imperial Court, because the Martial World and the Imperial Court were not on friendly terms at the moment, and Jiang Yu Chuan was the Martial Alliance’s second-in-command. If people learned that his daughter served the Imperial Court, it might cause him trouble.

Jiang Yu Chuan asked her opinion. When he sent a letter home, he did not say who she really was. He only wrote that years ago she was taken by bad men and later adopted by a family in the Capital.

He did not add more. The switched-daughters scandal in the Capital City had caused a big stir, and many crucial details were already public. If anything leaked, clever people could guess the truth.

Back when Yu Chun Yue confessed in the street, she had spoken honestly under the Truth-Telling Talisman, but many details were skipped, such as the Martial Alliance and Tian’an Commandery.

So most people present that day only knew that Yu Zhi Yi’s birth parents were from the Martial World. Only a few well-informed people knew what “from the Martial World” really meant.

Because of this, the Jiang Clan did not know Yu Zhi Yi’s true identity. They also did not know that she had once been the miss of an official household and that she was now a third-rank official of the current court.

As she put her foot on the small carriage footstool to step down, someone mocked her at once. The speaker was a teen about the same age as Jiang Liu Yun, a little shorter, arms crossed over a long sword, his narrow eyes full of scorn.

Before Yu Zhi Yi could speak, Jiang Liu Yun got angry and said: “Jiang Liu Bin, how can you talk to my sister like that?”

This was the third son of their Eldest Aunt, born only days apart from Jiang Liu Yun, the Martial Alliance’s Fourth Young Master.

Jiang Liu Bin snorted and said: “I always talk this way. Is this your first day finding out?”

With open disdain, he added: “Am I wrong? As someone from the Martial World, she gets out of a carriage using a footstool. She is shaming our Martial Alliance.”

He looked with heartache at the girl squeezed behind the crowd and said: “Look at Sister Xin Yue. She grew up in the Martial Alliance. Calling her our Second Miss would not be too much, and she has been frail since she was small. But she does not act so pretentious.”

Jiang Liu Yun let out a shocked laugh and said: “What do you mean calling her our Second Miss is not too much? The Martial Alliance has only one Second Miss, and that is my sister. As for Sister Xin Yue, yes, she grew up here, but she is neither your father’s daughter nor my father’s daughter. How could she be a miss of the Martial Alliance?”

At the center of the argument, Yu Zhi Yi felt nothing. [I gave up on family love long ago. I came back only to see that poor woman. Everyone else is extra. If they accept me, I will not slap a warm face with a cold one; if they do not welcome me, I will not force myself.]

She was about to tell Jiang Liu Yun to stop arguing when a soft girl’s voice sounded and said: “Liu Bin, Liu Yun, please do not fight because of me.”

As she spoke, the girl looked as if she would cry.

Jiang Liu Bin, seeing her like this, became even angrier and said: “Jiang Liu Yun, this is all your doing. You made Sister Xin Yue cry!”

Jiang Liu Yun’s anger faded a lot when he saw Chen Xin Yue’s reddened eyes. He was indeed mad at Jiang Liu Bin, but Chen Xin Yue had been dragged in for no reason. Also, although what he said was true, saying it in public did seem a bit too much. He glanced at Chen Xin Yue with some embarrassment and said: “Sorry, Sister Xin Yue, I did not mean anything else.”

He was a young man, and over the years Chen Xin Yue had taken very good care of his mother. He did feel some kindness toward her.

Chen Xin Yue dabbed the slight wetness at her eyes, forced a small smile, and said: “It is fine. You were not wrong. I am not truly of the Martial Alliance. I am only an outsider lucky to be raised here. Please do not fight because of me.”

Her eyes, almost without meaning to, slid toward Jiang Yu Chuan, full of hope that he would speak up for her. It was a pity he did not.

She lowered her gaze, and the disappointment in her eyes turned into resentment.

The eldest cousins and the others saw Chen Xin Yue’s wronged look. Their faces were not the same, but the same dissatisfaction rose in all their eyes. They had grown up with this young miss, and they had also seen how she had cared for Second Aunt all these years. So they were very displeased that Jiang Liu Yun, for the sake of someone he had known only a few days, had made Chen Xin Yue sad.

Suddenly, a warm male voice sounded and said: “Yi’er, let us go home.”

A young man as clear as the moon stepped out. His gaze was gentle as jade. He was clearly from the Martial World, yet he stood tall and elegant like a scholar. The mix of martial air and bookish air blended perfectly into a special charm. Reaching his hand toward Yu Zhi Yi, he lifted his lips in a faint smile.

His eyes seemed to speak, full of love and pity for the little miss before him.

Yu Zhi Yi looked at the hand held out to her, hesitated, then put her hand on it and said: “Brother.”

Jiang Liu Yi’s smile grew warmer as he answered: “Sister,” his gentle voice softened as if he feared startling the little miss.

Burned by the feeling in his eyes, Yu Zhi Yi looked away. [So this is how it feels to be missed and loved by family.] She lowered her gaze and let Jiang Liu Yi lead her back into the carriage.

This sudden change shut Jiang Liu Bin and the others up. Though Jiang Liu Yi was the Martial Alliance’s Second Young Master and above him stood the Eldest Young Master, son of the Alliance Leader, he always handled matters with care and tact, and his martial skills were among the best in the Alliance’s new generation. Do not be fooled by his gentle, harmless smile. If anyone tried to squeeze him like a soft persimmon, their hand would swell soon. The new generation of the Martial Alliance respected and feared him.

Inside her sleeve, Chen Xin Yue’s fingers squeezed her kerchief so hard she almost chewed it apart. All these years she had gone daily to care for the muddled Second Madam and had worked to please Jiang Liu Yi. She could earn his gentle smile. She had once thought that for one smile from him, she would die without regret. Now she suddenly saw that his smile was not a real smile at all, only a habit. The smile he had just given that wild girl was from the heart. Jealousy made her almost lose control.

No one cared about her jealousy.

Seeing the brother and sister board the carriage, Jiang Yu Chuan told his younger son to guide Marquis Wu’an’s heir apparent and the others up the mountain, then he jumped onto the carriage and took the coachman’s seat himself.

Left behind, Jiang Liu Yun stood there and thought: [So love can disappear, is that it?] He wanted to go home with his sister too. He wanted to visit Mother with her.