Chapter 15: The Scheming Woman

She was protected by Yu Jingliang, while Yu Qingxue stood beside Yu Liuzhu. The two pairs faced each other, evenly matched.

Only Shen Linlang, caught in the middle, looked at her tear-streaked face, feeling an indescribable pain, and suddenly realized she seemed somewhat redundant.

She was shocked, completely unaware that her daughter, who had always been closest to her, had grown so intimate with her sister-in-law. Torn inside, unwilling to let go of her daughter, all her anger was directed at Yu Jingliang.

“Er Lang, how dare you speak to your aunt like that? Apologize to her right now!”

“I’m not wrong, why should I apologize?”

“You good-for-nothing, I tell you to apologize, so you apologize.”

Since childhood, whether it was his fault or not, it was always blamed on him—his mother’s heart was always biased!

Years of accumulated grievances and dissatisfaction made Yu Jingliang unwilling to endure any longer; he shouted, “I’m not wrong! I won’t apologize!”

His outburst infuriated Shen Linlang completely.

“Get down on your knees!”

Yu Jingliang clenched his fists tightly, veins bulging on his forehead, and though he finally knelt, he did so with great reluctance. “Mother, you’re always like this. No matter what Tang’er does, she’s right; no matter what I do, I’m wrong.”

“You— you good-for-nothing! You did wrong yourself and yet dragged Tang’er into it; she’s your own sister!” Shen Linlang was furious, her chest heaving wildly. Her youngest son was strong and sturdy from birth, like a little ox, while her daughter had always been weaker, so she favored her a bit more and took better care of her. Wasn’t that only natural?

“I don’t want a sister like that!” Yu Jingliang shouted again. “She’s a troublemaker! When she fell as a child, she insisted I pushed her. You didn’t believe me but trusted her, and even punished me physically.”

“Er Ge, that happened so long ago, how can you still remember it now?” Yu Liuzhu looked sad and distressed. “I was so little then, only two years old; I don’t remember anything. Whatever you say is what happened.”

Yu Jingliang was two years older, just over four at the time, but the memory had left a deep impression on him that lingered to this day.

Not only that incident, but another also gnawed at Yu Jingliang’s heart.

That year, both siblings had chickenpox. Shen Linlang, disregarding the risk of infection, personally cared for Yu Liuzhu, leaving him in the hands of servants. He remembered crying and calling for his mother, but Shen Linlang never once came to see him.

“I remember clearly, she fell by herself!”

“Er Lang, it’s been many years. Tang’er has forgotten. Why do you keep holding on to this?” Shen Linlang’s voice was a mixture of anger and helplessness.

Luckily, no outsiders were around, or it would have been humiliating.

“She forgot, does that mean it’s my fault?” Yu Jingliang had expected this answer. He forced a bitter smile, then slowly stood up.

The corners of the young man’s eyes were tinged with red, suppressing a grievance that might seem laughable to others. “I think my sister Ali and I are the real siblings—born of the same mother, but neither loved by her.”

Xie Shi hurried over just then and heard this exchange, her face suddenly turning pale.

She quickened her steps and, seeing Yu Qingxue and Yu Liuzhu on one side and Yu Jingliang and Shen Qinglu on the other, felt a complex mix of emotions.

“What’s going on? I could hear you all arguing from a distance. Don’t you find it embarrassing?”

“Grandmother,” Shen Qinglu said joyfully, her tear-stained face smiling like a flower, “I don’t know what they’re arguing about. She said I was shameful, even disgraceful.”

She pointed at Yu Qingxue, looking confused.

Yu Qingxue seethed inwardly. “Mother, I…”

“Grandmother, let me explain.” Yu Jingliang took a deep breath and said, “When I brought sister Ali to play, aunt was there but said she was running around recklessly. When Alin came to find me, sister Ali happened to be there too, and aunt scolded her without hearing either side. I couldn’t stand it and talked back.”

“Grandmother, aunt’s harshness comes from love.” Yu Liuzhu glanced subtly at Shen Qinglu, feeling that all faults lay with this cousin. “Sister Ali has such a temper; she’s always causing trouble. It’s really frustrating.”

“Sister Ali isn’t causing trouble; she’s well-behaved and sensible,” Yu Jingliang retorted without hesitation.

“Er Ge, how long have you known her? How can you know her character? Aunt has raised her since childhood; she knows her best...”

“Enough!” Xie Shi could no longer listen. Her gaze was sharp yet heavy with pain. She stared at Yu Qingxue for a long moment before signaling Shen Qinglu to come to her side.

“From now on, Ali will stay with me. No one else needs to worry about her.”

“Grandmother!”

“Mother!”

Shen Qinglu seemed frightened by the simultaneous voices of Shen Linlang and Yu Liuzhu and clung tightly to Xie Shi.

Xie Shi’s heart ached bitterly.

Born of a mother, but unloved...

Now, besides her as the grandmother, who else could protect this child?

Without waiting for anyone else’s opinion, she made her decision final. “My mind is made up. That’s settled.”

*

The chill of spring night was intense. Though the bright moon hung high, its boundless silver light was cold. The cold moonlight illuminated the quiet world and those who could not sleep.

The sound of wooden strikes came one after another. A young boy struck a wooden dummy with precise, forceful punches, looking like a diligent martial artist, though his blows seemed to carry a hint of venting frustration.

After an unknown length of time, Yu Jingliang grew tired and sat on a nearby stone bench to rest.

Suddenly, he heard footsteps approaching. Turning his head, he exclaimed, “Ali!”

Realizing something was wrong, he asked, “Why are you here alone?”

Shen Qinglu had come alone, with no one following behind.

“I snuck out. I didn’t want others to see, or they’d be unhappy,” she said solemnly, then took out several pieces of pastries wrapped in a handkerchief and handed them to Yu Jingliang. “Er Ge, these pastries are delicious. I’ve never eaten anything this good before.”

Though the moonlight was dimmer than daylight and the pastries were indistinguishable by sight, Yu Jingliang recognized the scent as lychee pastries. Yu Liuzhu liked them, so they were common desserts in the household.

He accepted the pastries, suddenly feeling even heavier in heart.

Perhaps some children in this world are truly born without their parents’ affection. He was such a child, and so was sister Ali.

Shen Qinglu sat beside him. Once seated, looking around in the moonlight, she felt a faint familiarity—as if from a dream she had once had, where she sat with someone and watched the moon and counted stars.

“Ali, thank you for coming to see me,” Yu Jingliang said sincerely.

In the past, when he was scolded and wronged, no one in the family comforted him.

Of course, outside the family, there was someone—for example, his uncle.

“When I was five, my mother hit me. My uncle happened to see it. To cheer me up, he took me to the best place in East Lin City to watch the stars. On nights like this, I was very happy.”

As he spoke, he suddenly brightened. “Ali, do you want to go to the highest place to watch the stars?”

Shen Qinglu naturally wanted to see it and nodded immediately.

*

The highest place in East Lin City was not the Forbidden Court’s Changming Palace but the Grand Xuankong Temple outside the palace.

The Grand Xuankong Temple was founded in a previous dynasty and had been a royal temple through successive reigns. Inside the temple was the Void Tower, the tallest building in all of East Lin City.

The temple was closed at night, but Yu Jingliang had his ways.

He led Shen Qinglu to climb the wall and enter stealthily, moving as if he were familiar with the place.

After walking some distance, they faintly heard the clashing of weapons and saw figures flying nearby. Shen Qinglu instinctively grabbed his arm.

He seemed to recognize someone among them; his expression and aura changed instantly.

“Ali, go south, find a place to hide, and wait for me.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he darted away.

Shen Qinglu had no choice but to do as he said.

The temple was suffused with Buddhist aura and the scent of sandalwood everywhere. The silence inside was eerie.

Strangely, while fierce battles raged to the north, there was not a sound elsewhere. The farther south she went, the quieter it became. She wasn’t very afraid; if anything, she feared that the Buddha might truly see through her—knowing she was a reincarnated spirit from another world.

She chose a Buddha tower concealed by trees and curled up to hide herself.

After an unknown time, footsteps approached, gradually drawing near.

“Did you go to the Yu residence again today?”

The voice was faint, like the first snow of winter, carrying a chill of solitude.

Another answered, “I went to find Yu Jingliang and also met that Miss Ali, as well as Madam Yu, Miss Yu, and Lord Yu’s sister.”

It was Mu Lin!

She instinctively leaned forward, wanting to hear more clearly since they mentioned her.

“No matter who it is, you’ve met them three times. You should know what kind of person they are.”

Mu Lin hesitated, then finally said, “Ninth Uncle, I think I may have misunderstood her. She’s not such a scheming person.”

The moonlight was like flowing water, just like the aura Mu Han exuded.

He said nothing, silently waiting for Mu Lin to continue.

Since Mu Lin had started, she naturally wouldn’t stop halfway. “I asked her if she remembered what happened three years ago when we met. She said she forgot, which proves she didn’t intentionally approach me.”

That was about her!

Shen Qinglu was surprised. Mu Lin and the original body had met three years ago. What was so important about that? Why the special explanation?

While pondering this, that snow-like, light and cold voice spoke again, “You’ve been to the Yu residence three times and met her three times. If you don’t think those are coincidences, then what are they?”

“I... I don’t know, but I just feel she’s not that kind of person.”

What kind of person was she?

Shen Qinglu chuckled inwardly. She was indeed a green tea (manipulative) type, but her three meetings with Mu Lin were probably coincidental. She might not know about the first, but she could swear on heaven that the other two were not deliberate approaches.

Who exactly was this Ninth Uncle?

He had never met her, never spoken to her or dealt with her, yet he knew her nature and hinted to Mu Lin that she was a schemer.

Instinctively, she wanted to see what this person looked like. Just as she moved slightly, that very faint voice asked, “Who’s there?”

In an instant, Mu Lin appeared beside her.

“Miss Ali?!”