6. Mu Lin

Standing beside the small grove of bamboo at the orphanage was a boy of thirteen or fourteen. He was already beginning to develop the slender, graceful physique of a young bamboo, his skin fair and his features refined.

His parents had told the director that they would adopt whichever child he took a liking to. The news was electrifying, and all the children were filled with excitement—including her.

She had been abandoned at birth and had already spent eight years in the orphanage. Any child who remained in an orphanage for eight years without being adopted was either sick or disabled.

And she was sick—suffering from a severe congenital kidney disease.

As she grew older, the chances of her being adopted became increasingly slim.

It was almost laughable; heaven had given her a broken body, but a mind far sharper than others. Even at only eight years old, she was acutely aware of her advantages.

She was pretty, quiet, and well-behaved.

While many of the other children crowded around the boy to showcase their talents, she stood in a corner, crying silently, her pale little face tilted upward, watching him with longing eyes.

Especially when the boy glanced her way, she made herself look even more pitiful.

In the end, she got her wish. She met a god with a soft heart and finally had a home of her own, loving adoptive parents, and… a brother.

Everything within her line of sight was steeped in antiquity; the objects were so, and the people, too.

For a moment, she could not help but feel dazed.

The boy in the blue silk robes seemed to sense something, and as he instinctively turned to look, his gaze met hers. On his handsome, delicate face, surprise was quickly followed by a shy, joyful radiance.

At this moment, Shen Linlang was in a state of shock.

Not only were Mu Lin’s clothes exactly as Yu Liuzhu had described, but the stains on the hem of his robe were identical down to the last detail.

Horrified, she shifted her gaze to her second son to hide her discomposure.

Only then did she notice that her own son’s clothes were also stained, and in more than one place. A headache immediately took hold; she thought to herself that this child was truly exhausting.

Seeing her eyes fixed on him, Yu Jingliang brushed off his hem nonchalantly. "It rained two days ago, and there were puddles in the garden. I wasn't paying attention and stepped in one, splashing mud all over myself."

As for the stains on Mu Lin, it had been an unmerited disaster.

Hearing this, her headache only worsened.

This second son of hers…

There couldn't have been any puddles on the main path. He must not have been walking properly, which was how he ended up stepping into water hidden in the grass or bushes.

In front of outsiders, she naturally wouldn't scold her son, so she merely cast a reproachful look at Yu Jingliang.

Yu Jingliang had been mischievous since childhood and was used to the disdain of his parents, so he didn't take it to heart. "Grandmother, Mother, look at this. A man should go to the border, galloping across the battlefield and spilling his blood. If you had let me go with Ah Lin three years ago, I would surely be just as imposing as he is."

He spoke with envy, his tone clearly laced with regret.

Lady Xie laughed. "You little monkey, look at Ah Lin—see how steady he is? You really ought to learn from him."

Yu Jingliang chuckled, scratching his head. He resembled Shen Linlang, with spirited, gallant brows and eyes, the very image of a carefree youth, his personality open and straightforward to the core.

While scratching his head, he nudged Mu Lin with his elbow. "No matter how steady you are, you'll still have to call me 'older brother' in the future."

Hearing this, a flush spread across Mu Lin’s handsome face, and he instinctively looked toward the folding screen.

"Look—" Yu Jingliang was only halfway through his sentence when he suddenly spotted Yu Liuzhu entering. He paused, stunned. "Tang’er, why are you… why are you dressed like this today?"

Today, Yu Liuzhu wore no makeup, was dressed in a simple green gown, and had no floral ornament on her forehead. It was a stark departure from her usual attire, making her appear somewhat lackluster.

***

Yu Jingliang’s words stirred Shen Qinglü’s heart. She leaned out, her gaze fixed intently on Mu Lin, taking in every change in his expression.

The moment Mu Lin saw Yu Liuzhu, his reaction was not one of surprise or excitement, but of astonishment.

He blurted out, "Tang’er? Are you Miss Yu…"

If this was Miss Yu, then who was the sprite-like, beautiful girl from before?

When he looked toward the screen again, Shen Qinglü had already retreated, her dark, ink-like eyes reflecting unfathomable emotions.

That surprise was clearly the look of seeing a stranger. Even if they looked somewhat alike, it couldn't be the person she thought—take Yu Liuzhu, for example; she looked four or five parts like her, yet she was not her.

She had died, and that was why she had come to this place. Her own family members were all living well in another time and space; how could they appear here?

Yu Jingliang was quick-witted. Having sensed someone behind the screen, but failing to fully process the situation, he walked around it and found himself face-to-face with her.

Because of Yu Qingxue’s intentional avoidance and Shen Linlang’s warnings and deliberate actions, they had barely seen each other since childhood. He studied her for a long time before asking tentatively, "You… you… are you Ah Li?"

Not to mention Shen Linlang, even Lady Xie nearly pressed a hand to her forehead.

This second son of hers was truly reckless!

Lady Xie had no choice but to say, "Er-lang, bring Ah Li out."

Yu Jingliang, being thick-skinned, did not hear the helplessness in his grandmother's tone. As if coaxing a three-year-old, he said to Shen Qinglü, "Ah Li, I am your second brother. Don't be afraid."

Shen Qinglü’s vacant eyes suddenly brightened, and she called out to him, "Second brother."

Hearing this, Lady Xie felt a complex mix of emotions.

The fact that this child called out to Er-lang so naturally meant their bond was perhaps forged in blood.

She watched as Shen Qinglü followed obediently behind Yu Jingliang.

Yu Jingliang introduced her to Mu Lin: "Ah Lin, this is my sister, too. Her name is Ah Li."

Mu Lin finally saw Shen Qinglü in her entirety. Her flawless, jade-like appearance, her innocent and charming expression, and the radiance that unconsciously flowed from her were like a red lotus emerging from the water. It stirred his heart, yet it also filled him with an indescribable sense of melancholy.

He had thought…

So, he had been mistaken!

At this moment, Yu Liuzhu was watching him as well.

The awe in his eyes and the disappointment he displayed were like two thorns piercing her heart.

She clearly remembered their wedding night, when he had poured out his heart to her. He had said that the first time he saw her, she was in red, and the begonia flower on her forehead had made her unforgettable—she was exactly as he had imagined. That was why she had deliberately dressed this way today, without any adornment, hoping he would be disappointed.

But she never imagined that this cousin, Ah Li, would also be here!

Shen Qinglü was watching them too. These two faces—one resembling herself, the other resembling the person she cared about most—were a coincidence so uncanny it felt bizarre.

Life is but a dream; everything was so grotesque.

Dressed in the same simple green, she looked like the freshest, most tender bamboo shoot—plump, vibrant, and endearing. In contrast, Yu Liuzhu looked lackluster beside her, and her complexion didn't seem very good either.

Shen Linlang’s expression was also less than pleasant, partly because of her daughter’s dream and partly because of Mu Lin’s reaction. Mu Lin’s gaze was clearly more focused on Shen Qinglü; he had barely looked at Yu Liuzhu twice.

"Er-lang, didn't you say that when Ah Lin returned, you would show him the bows and arrows you've collected over the years?"

Yu Jingliang tapped his own head, then patted Mu Lin on the shoulder. "Ah Lin, come, let me show you the treasures I've collected over the years."

Mu Lin was distracted, but he nodded.

***

Before leaving, his gaze swept across Shen Qinglü’s face once more.

Shen Linlang was even more displeased, not knowing who to blame.

There was no fault in a youth's admiration, and even less fault in natural beauty. She could blame neither Mu Lin nor Shen Qinglü. She took Yu Liuzhu’s hand, her heart aching. "You aren't feeling well, why did you come? What is the meaning of this outfit today?"

Yu Liuzhu lowered her eyes, her voice faint. "I thought that since Young Master Mu is not an outsider, he should see what I look like originally."

It was true that she did not want to rekindle their past, but she also did not want to be overshadowed by someone else—especially someone living as a guest in their Yu household. Her heart was already wounded by the past, and feeling frustrated at having been outshone, she felt a thousand kinds of bitterness.

Shen Linlang had always doted on her and felt even more upset. She understood that her daughter had dressed this way to avoid marrying Mu Lin, hoping he wouldn't take a liking to her. Yet such tactics were self-defeating; instead, it only made others look down on her.

"Tang’er…" she stroked her daughter's hair with affection. "Mother told you, no matter what happens, Mother will make the decisions for you."

She looked up inadvertently and saw Shen Qinglü watching them. Those pitch-black eyes were as desolate as a silent night, making her feel inexplicably uneasy, and she couldn't help but frown.

This child was truly unsettling to look at!

Seeing Shen Qinglü staring longingly at the mother-daughter pair, with an expression so pitiful and filled with yearning that it tugged at one's heartstrings for no reason, Lady Xie sighed at the tragedy of it all and beckoned to her. "Ah Li, come here."

She walked over obediently, her eyes still lingering on the mother and daughter. "Grandmother, is she a mother, too?"

Lady Xie was baffled, as was Shen Linlang, while Yu Liuzhu instinctively frowned.

As they stood there with varied expressions, she added, "Grandmother, why are the mother and the mother different?"

Hearing this, Lady Xie’s heart hammered against her ribs.

And Yu Qingxue, who had just stepped into the room, felt her heart nearly leap out of her chest. She hurried over to Shen Qinglü and grabbed her without a word.

"Ah Li, how can you be so unreasonable? Didn't I tell you not to run around?"

She was still looking at Shen Linlang and Yu Liuzhu, as if she hadn't heard a word, and murmured, "This mother is good. I want a mother like this."

The statement shocked everyone present, and their expressions all shifted.

Yu Qingxue gritted her teeth, trying her best to appear gentle. "Ah Li, be good. Let’s go back, shall we?"

Shen Qinglü finally turned her head to look at her directly.

That dark, deep gaze made her feel an involuntary urge to dodge. "Ah Li…"

"You are a bad person!"

"Ah Li!" Lady Xie’s voice broke from the shock; her heart was pounding like a drum against her internal organs. "She is your mother…"

"She is bad. She doesn't let me eat my fill, and she hits me." Shen Qinglü spoke clearly, and although there was little emotion in her tone, it was chilling to hear. "Grandmother, can I not have this mother anymore?"

Lady Xie’s heart twisted painfully.

She looked at the two similar faces before her, unable to speak for a moment.

Yu Qingxue would never admit it; her eyes reddened, as if from anger or the grievance of being misunderstood. "Mother, these past few years I have wanted to pour my heart out for her. She was confused before, I don't know why she would say such things about me…"

Shen Qinglü sneered inwardly.

Was it evidence she wanted?

She had it!