11 I want it.

The dark, navy-blue bed curtains cast a gloomier shadow over Madame Xie’s complexion. When she was suddenly confronted by a face so ignorant, dependent, and joyous, she tried to force a kind expression, but it came across as strained and bizarre.

When Yu Qingxue first entered, Madame Xie’s initial instinct was to come out, yet for some inexplicable reason, she hesitated. Perhaps it was the seed of doubt in her heart, or perhaps a desire to prove something. That momentary hesitation was like probing an unknown secret.

When Yu Qingxue offered to comb Shen Qinglü’s hair, Madame Xie breathed a sigh of relief, only to be struck by the words that followed. To an outsider, Yu Qingxue—a woman who had returned home after a failed marriage—would seem sensible and tactful. But to one who knew the truth, the impression was entirely different. This was not being sensible; it was having ulterior motives. It was not tact; it was pushing one’s luck.

Shen Qinglü ignored the flicker of shock and strain on Yu Qingxue’s face, continuing to gaze at her with bright, shining eyes. Her pupils, dark as lacquer, seemed to hold a brilliant, colorful luster. It was so pure, so clean, and the admiration and closeness reflected within were heart-wrenching, inexplicably moving one to tears.

"I have found Grandmother. Grandmother won't ever abandon me again, will she?"

"Ali, have you lost your mind? Mother, why are you here?"

Yu Qingxue, assuming Shen Qinglü was having a fit of madness, was cut short as she saw Madame Xie emerge from behind the bed. Madame Xie stood with pursed lips, watching her in silence. Yu Qingxue felt a jolt of alarm, stunned and bewildered.

Shen Qinglü seemed entirely oblivious to the tension, enthusiastically searching for Nanny Li and Xia Chan. Before long, the two were brought out as well. Watching them, Yu Qingxue’s alarm grew. What was happening? Was someone deliberately setting a trap for her?

She instinctively looked at Shen Qinglü, who was chatting with Xia Chan: "Xia Chan, I found you all. Am I not impressive?"

"Miss is truly impressive," Xia Chan whispered, praising her. She still believed that teaching Shen Qinglü to prioritize Yu Liuzhu was an act of a mother’s kindness, and she failed to understand the anger radiating from Madame Xie. Nanny Li, Madame Xie’s confidante, knew the history of years past but dared not show a trace of it on her face.

After a long silence, Madame Xie took a deep breath, instructed Xia Chan to take good care of Shen Qinglü, and then turned to Yu Qingxue. "Come with me."

The mother and daughter went to the main room. Madame Xie ordered all servants to stay back and shut the doors so they could speak plainly. This time, Madame Xie was truly furious, her tone unusually sharp and displeased. "Qingxue, Ali has only just regained her senses. How could you say such things to her? What do you mean by saying she 'basks in Tang'er’s light,' and forcing her to be grateful to Tang'er? What were you thinking? Did your conscience not prick you when you said that?"

"Mother, that’s not what I meant." Yu Qingxue would not admit to her own selfishness, defending herself with a look of grievance. "Ali looks like me, and she is beautiful. I was afraid that she would rely on her appearance and become arrogant, inviting gossip into the manor, so I intentionally kept her in check."

"She is a daughter of the Yu family. Who in this house would dare to suppress her?" Madame Xie’s chest heaved. She had raised this daughter; how could she not know her temperament? Even if she had seemed quiet and devoted to incense and prayer in recent years, she had always been the most headstrong and ambitious among them. Otherwise, she would never have threatened death to force those demands years ago. Every time she remembered the things she had been forced to agree to back then, she was filled with regret.

"Qingxue, you know full well how your brother and sister-in-law have treated Tang'er all these years. Even if you are biased, you should try to put yourself in their shoes. If your sister-in-law ever learns the truth, how do you think she will view you?"

"Mother, I know I was wrong." Yu Qingxue burst into tears. "I don't know how I ended up in this state. You taught me to read and write since I was a child, and I considered myself a woman of propriety. I never expected fate to toy with me so, marrying me to a traitor and bringing disaster upon my own daughter."

Hearing her mention the marriage into the Su family, Madame Xie’s anger instantly dissolved into guilt and sorrow. If the family they had chosen hadn't been the Su family, if she had been more careful, her daughter wouldn't have become the wife of a disgraced official, living a life of hardship for all these years.

"It is Mother’s fault."

"Mother, you are not at fault. It is my own ill fate. My life is ruined, but I only hope that my daughter can find a good match and live a life of fulfillment and peace."

Madame Xie, still doting on her, pulled out a handkerchief to wipe her tears. "Rest assured, your sister-in-law loves Tang'er and will surely arrange things well for her. In the future, pay more attention to Ali. If Ali does well, you won't owe so much."

Yu Qingxue nodded, tearfully, and once again proposed taking Shen Qinglü back to care for her personally. Madame Xie hesitated. "If Ali is willing to go with you, I will not stand in her way."

When they returned, Shen Qinglü saw at a glance that they had reached an agreement. A faint, mocking shadow crossed her otherwise hollow eyes. Yu Qingxue approached with red eyes, coaxing her, "Ali, your grandmother is getting old; she cannot look after you properly. Come home with Mother. I will grant your every wish from now on. You can do whatever you want, alright?"

Shen Qinglü did not look at her, acting as if she had heard nothing. Yu Qingxue pinched her palm and softened her voice even further. "Mother knows I neglected you before. I promise I will treat you well from now on. Won't you come home with me?" As she spoke, she reached out to pull Shen Qinglü.

Shen Qinglü, like a bullied child who had finally found a relative she could fully trust, looked pitifully at Madame Xie. "Grandmother, are you abandoning me?"

Madame Xie’s heart felt as if it were being pricked by countless needles, aching instantly. "Ali..."

"Sister Ali, what are you doing?" Yu Liuzhu’s voice rang out from the doorway, and she quickly lifted the curtain to enter. She had returned to her usual attire—a vibrant pomegranate-colored skirt paired with a begonia flower painted on her forehead, appearing like a bright splash of spring. The only flaw was that her complexion was slightly poor, struggling to carry the weight of her clothes and makeup.

*Just in time,* Shen Qinglü thought. If one path is blocked, I will simply take another!

She stared blankly at Yu Liuzhu, murmuring, "Your clothes are truly beautiful, and the flower on your face is beautiful, too."

Yu Liuzhu had not expected her to speak. She was stunned for a moment, then stared back at her. Even in her grey-green dress, with her injured forehead and bangs covering it, Shen Qinglü could not hide her extraordinary beauty. Especially when being looked at so earnestly, Yu Liuzhu felt a strange sense of unease, as if she were being stripped bare, with a vague, indescribable feeling that Shen Qinglü would snatch away everything she possessed.

"Sister Ali, now that you are better, you must not be as ignorant as before. All these years, Aunt has suffered so much for you. How could you hurt her heart?" Yu Liuzhu frowned, her tone heavy.

Shen Qinglü seemed not to hear a word. She kept staring at the dress, her eyes full of joy and envy, becoming so entranced that she reached out to touch it. Before her hand could make contact, Yu Liuzhu dodged away in disgust. Shen Qinglü’s entranced face showed bewilderment, followed by a hint of grievance. She looked helplessly at Madame Xie. "Grandmother, am I not allowed to touch it?"

Madame Xie’s heartache deepened. One was in grey-green, bangs thick and hiding a wound, looking pitiable. The other was in pomegranate-red, with a flower painted on her forehead, clearly a pampered child. It should not have been like this; it should have been the exact opposite!

"Of course you can touch. Be good, Ali. Grandmother will have someone make you several new sets of clothes."

Yu Qingxue pinched her palm and hurriedly tried to dissuade her. "Mother, Ali doesn't go out. If she dresses too elaborately, it will only draw attention."

Madame Xie looked at her with clear disappointment. But she was her daughter, and even her rebukes were softened. "Ali is grown and knows she wants to be beautiful. I remember when you were her age, you had seven or eight new outfits every season, not to mention the cosmetics. If your eldest brother hadn't already begun his career and your eldest sister-in-law hadn't joined the family and favored you, how could you have had all those things?"

So, who was really the one receiving favors?

Shen Qinglü’s dark gaze remained fixed on Yu Liuzhu, who felt a chill run down her spine. Being stared at like that made her increasingly uncomfortable. What was even more unbearable was when Shen Qinglü leaned in, tugging at her dress, a strange light flickering in her dark eyes. "I want clothes like these, and I want to paint a flower on my face."

That hollow voice sounded like a starving ghost rejoicing, as if she wanted to strip away her clothes and scratch up her face. Terrified, Yu Liuzhu nearly screamed. When Shen Qinglü’s cold fingertips touched the floral decal on her forehead, she could bear it no longer and shoved her away.

In the art of false accusations, once there is a first time, there is a second!

Shen Qinglü took advantage of the push and fell hard onto the floor. Yu Liuzhu looked at her own hands in disbelief, then at Shen Qinglü on the ground. She opened her mouth to defend herself, only to find there was no defense. Having lived two lives, even if the situation was currently unfavorable, she could not sit idly by and wait for her doom. She hurried to help Shen Qinglü up. "Sister Ali, it is all my fault for being careless. Are you alright?"

Shen Qinglü did not look at her, gazing pitifully at Madame Xie for rescue. "Grandmother, she won't let me touch."

"Grandmother, it is my fault. I will apologize to Sister Ali right now." She offered an olive branch, as if deigning to lower herself. "Sister Ali, I will have someone send two sets of clothes over for you, alright?"

*Of course that is alright.* But it was not enough.

Shen Qinglü pointed at her dress and said bluntly, "I want one just like that."