7 Remain

The room was warm enough, thanks to the ample charcoal fire. In the balmy air, the sound of Yu Qingxue’s grievances filled the space, only to be cut short by a sharp gasp from Madam Xie.

Madam Xie stared in disbelief at the arms Shen Qinglü had revealed by rolling up her sleeves. The marks upon them—some dark, some bruised—were clearly the result of someone pinching her. Scattered across skin as pale and cold as jade, they were all the more shocking to behold.

"What is this?" she asked, her voice trembling, her gaze darting toward Yu Qingxue with a flicker of dread.

Shen Linlang caught her breath, signaling with her eyes for Yu Liuzhu to remain silent; in such a moment, anything she or her daughter said would be inappropriate.

Yu Liuzhu, however, seemed to ignore her. "Grandmother," she said, "we all know that Auntie has always cherished cousin Ali. Cousin Ali has been muddled for so long; perhaps she misremembered, attributing the cruelty of wicked servants to Auntie."

From childhood, though she had not seen her aunt often, she could not deny the genuine care and affection she had felt from her. Later, when she suffered a miscarriage and was neglected by her husband's family, even her own mother—who claimed to love her most—had not appeared. It was this aunt, who usually avoided society, who braved the cold looks of others to visit her. The pity she showed, the comfort she offered, and the tears she shed—Yu Liuzhu remembered them all vividly.

Her words seemed to serve as a prompt for Yu Qingxue. Yu Qingxue nodded quickly, "That must be it. Mother, these injuries must have been inflicted by that wicked servant, Dujuan."

Being her own daughter, Madam Xie wanted to believe this explanation. "Ali, did you remember wrong? These wounds were caused by those who served you before, weren't they?"

Shen Qinglü feigned confusion. Whether the original owner of this body truly had no memory or if she had only inherited fragments, she had only the faintest, scattered impressions of the past. But since mother and daughter were of one mind, it was not easy for an outsider like her to sow discord. Besides, without catching them in the act, Yu Qingxue’s excuse was plausible; if she insisted otherwise, she would only invite suspicion.

"Did I remember wrong? I don't know."

Yu Qingxue let out a sigh of relief and began to wipe away her tears. She turned to Shen Linlang and said, "Sister-in-law, Ali is not quite right in the mind. I hope she didn't cause you any trouble today."

Shen Linlang shook her head, remaining silent.

"That is good. I was so afraid she would be careless and ruin your affairs," Yu Qingxue said, reaching out to pull Shen Qinglü again. "Ali, you’ve had enough fun. Let’s go back."

Shen Qinglü allowed herself to be led like a marionette, but her eyes remained fixed on Madam Xie, the light within them dimming bit by bit. Madam Xie’s heart tightened; she opened her mouth as if to speak, but found no words.

As they crossed the threshold, no one saw exactly what happened. It felt as though Shen Qinglü had been tugged, then tripped over the doorsill, stumbling forward and striking the ground heavily.

"Ali!"

Madam Xie cried out in alarm. As she hurried over, she cast an unhappy glance at the stunned Yu Qingxue.

Yu Qingxue looked down at her own hands, her expression one of shock and suspicion. She had clearly done nothing; the wretch had tried to break free and had tripped on her own. "Mother, I didn't—"

"Ali." Madam Xie ignored her, looking at Shen Qinglü, who lay prone on the floor.

Shen Qinglü slowly raised her head, revealing a bloom of blood on her forehead. It was a shocking sight, yet strangely, hauntingly beautiful. In those wide, ink-black eyes, tears welled up. "Grandmother, it hurts."

Madam Xie’s heart felt as though it had been pierced by a blade. The child looked so much like Qingxue—could Qingxue truly have been innocent? "There, there, Ali. Grandmother will have someone apply medicine, and it won't hurt anymore."

"Mother, this is all my fault. I shouldn't burden you; I will take Ali back to apply the medicine myself." Yu Qingxue turned to Shen Linlang, "Sister-in-law, Tang'er must be frightened. You should take her back now."

A mother knows her daughter best; Madam Xie could see exactly what Yu Qingxue was thinking. She sighed inwardly, looking from the now-assisted Shen Qinglü to the clearly uncomfortable Shen Linlang.

Shen Linlang was indeed in a difficult position. As a daughter-in-law, she was the least suited to interfere in the affairs between a mother and her daughter, especially this kind. Hearing Yu Qingxue’s words, she silently noted her sister-in-law’s tact and left with Yu Liuzhu.

She was a woman who doted on her children, and she had poured her heart into raising them, especially her youngest daughter, whom she had treated like a precious gem. She had never even suffered a scraped knee, let alone a head injury. Thinking of the blood on Shen Qinglü’s forehead, she couldn't help but wonder how she would feel if it were her own daughter.

"Your cousin Ali fell into the water only yesterday, and now she has suffered such a fate. I truly don't know how your aunt can be so careless," she sighed.

Yu Liuzhu frowned, "Cousin Ali is not right in the mind. If she weren't dragging Auntie down, Auntie wouldn't have to live such a hard life." If not for Ali, given her aunt’s beauty, she could have found a good match after her divorce, rather than wasting her life away.

It was the first time mother and daughter had disagreed. Shen Linlang recalled how Yu Qingxue had insisted on keeping the child, thinking that since it was her choice, shouldn't she care for her wholeheartedly? But she loved Yu Liuzhu too much to argue, though a strange, inexplicable unease lingered. Almost against her will, she glanced back and caught Shen Qinglü’s gaze—a look so piteous and tear-filled.

For some reason, her heart twisted with an indescribable, sour ache. She thought privately that the girl was a pitiable creature, but as the daughter of a disgraced official, that stain could never be removed. No matter how much she sympathized, she could not afford to get too close. With that thought, she hardened her heart and looked away.

Shen Qinglü watched their retreating backs—so close, so affectionate—her piteous gaze slowly turning cold, eventually fading into a dark, empty void.

The side chambers flanking the main hall of Ruian Abode were elegant. The left chamber, serving as both a study and a resting area, was filled with bookshelves, desks, and tasteful ornaments, all reflecting the scholarly air of its owner.

The physician arrived quickly, dressing Shen Qinglü’s wound with practiced efficiency before giving Madam Xie and Yu Qingxue instructions. Madam Xie looked from time to time at Shen Qinglü, who was remarkably compliant and showed no signs of being mentally impaired, feeling more and more convinced that the girl had truly recovered.

"Ali, did you hear the doctor? The injury is nothing serious and will heal in a few days. Remember, do not let it get wet, and do not eat fish or other irritants."

"I have never eaten fish."

How could a child forced to eat a vegetarian diet from birth ever have the chance to eat fish? Madam Xie was stunned, but she held her tongue. She told Shen Qinglü to rest, instructed the maid Xia Chan to look after her well, and signaled for Yu Qingxue to follow her out.

Once they entered the main room and dismissed everyone, Madam Xie’s face turned cold. She did not immediately question Yu Qingxue, but instead gazed at her daughter with a look of profound disappointment and visible reproach.

Yu Qingxue did not defend herself, but began to sob softly. After a long while, she choked out, "Mother, I remembered your words. I didn't intend for her to follow a vegetarian diet with me. But the household is full of gossip, and I feared that if my courtyard didn't remain strictly meat-free, others—even sister-in-law—would misunderstand me."

"Then why have you never said anything all these years? If Ali hadn't become a bit more lucid, would you have kept it from me forever?"

"Mother, it is my fault. I only wanted peace in the family, thinking it was better to avoid unnecessary trouble. Ali was born with a deficient spirit; I have lived in constant anxiety all these years. Who would have thought there would be such a mishap? I have failed you..."

"It is not me you have failed." Madam Xie, still harboring love for her daughter, sighed. "Your sister-in-law was here today; she saw with her own eyes that Ali’s head was broken. If she chooses to pursue this later, how will you explain it?"

"Mother," she choked, "I will beg for her forgiveness when the time comes. I will do whatever she asks."

Hearing this, Madam Xie felt only more sorrow. Which mother does not cherish her child? As a mother, she only wished to ensure her children’s well-being. "You look tired lately. Let Ali stay with me for a while."

"Mother..." Yu Qingxue wanted to object, but after a moment’s hesitation, she nodded. "Then I will trouble you, Mother. Please rest assured, I will come every day to help take care of her."

Madam Xie did not object.

Outside, a drizzle had begun to fall, pattering against the ground as if the heavens were weeping. As soon as Yu Qingxue stepped out, Mother Qin immediately raised an oil-paper umbrella, and the two walked out of the Ruian Abode, leaning on each other.

When they were out of earshot, Mother Qin whispered, "Mistress, did the Old Madam keep the young lady there?"

Yu Qingxue murmured an assent, her expression darkening. "She says she cares for me, but from childhood to now, in her heart, I am far less important than my brother, and my child is nothing compared to his. If I do not fight for myself and my child, we will be trampled into the mud, and my child will end up just like me—a stepping stone for the Yu family."

Mother Qin dared not respond to such bitter words and remained silent.

After a while, Yu Qingxue sneered, "The most important thing now is Tang'er’s marriage. Once she is married into the Marquis’s estate, everything will be complete."

Whatever the Yu family owed her, she would take back every bit of it.