“What is this?” Wei Chang asked her. His face was expressionless.

  Liu-shi inhaled. For a short moment, her expression was flustered. She quickly adjusted her expression.

  adWithout any hurry, she smiled and asked, “Isn’t this an earring? It’s quite plain. Why did Master ask me to look at this?”


  Yes, it was quite plain. It was because of this reason that he had a deep impression of it. The things that were in his wife’s dressing room were all elaborate and gorgeous. Because it was rare for him to see an earring with a simple design, it made him pay more notice to that earring.

  Wei Chang wasn’t in any urgency to expose her.

  He tranquilly and even-temperedly asked, “I remember you had an earring that looks exactly like this one. Where is it? Bring it out for me to see.”


  Liu-shi’s smile remained calm. Her reply was waterproof, “I disliked its ordinary style, so I gave it to someone else in passing.”


  She asked with a bit of curiosity, “Master, what’s wrong? Why are you asking me this today? The meal has been warmed. Let’s go eat dinner first.”


  Wei Chang didn’t intend to allow her to pass over her deception. He grabbed her hand to walk toward the desk. He held her hand tightly and brought her to the front.

  “Whom did you give this to? Let that servant girl bring it here to see. Or do you want to say that you gave it to the fifth family’s servant girl?”


  Liu-shi’s face finally started to crack.

  She firmly stood and angrily said, “What does Master want to say? What’s wrong with you today? It’s only an earring. It isn’t worth you being so serious…”


  Before she could finish speaking, Wei Chang slapped her!

  A man’s strength was great, especially when he was angered. When he slapped Liu-shi’s face, she fell to the ground from the force. One side of her cheek quickly became as swollen as a steamed bun. Liu-shi kneeled on the groundwhile she clutched her cheek.

  She raised her head to look at him in disbelief, “Master.”


  At the same time, from the doorway, there came a fragile sound, “Mom!” Third Miss Wei Ya held the doorway for support. Her face showed surprise at the scene inside. Daddy had ferociously slapped mom to the point that her cheek was swollen. She was startled and afraid. Her lips trembled as she looked at Wei Chang.

  With hesitation, she went forward, “Daddy don’t hit mom…”


  Wei Chang was in a fit of anger. He always had a violent temper and when he was furious, no one was an exception from his mood.

  He glared at her and said, “Leave!” Wei Ya was frozen by his glare. She resolutely shook herself.

  Her eyes had tears. With uneasy and dread, she said, “Daddy…”


  Wei Chang didn’t continue looking at her. He turned his head and ordered the mama at the doorway to carry her out. He wouldn’t allow her to continue pleading for Liu-shi.

  Held by the mama, Wei Ya twisted and cried, “Mom… I want mom.”


  Originally, Liu-shi’s heart held resentment. Hearing Wei Ya’s cries, the resentment returned.

  She looked at Wei Chang with red eyes, “Did Master hear something when he was outside?

  Is that why you’re venting your anger on Ya-er and me? Otherwise, you wouldn’t act so unusual.”


  Even now, she was still pretending. Wei Chang’s gaze was coldly fierce. He ordered the servants to go outside to let her keep a little bit of face. “Speak. Were you responsible for the poison in Wei Luo’s bowl?”


  Liu-shi face slightly changed. She raised her head and said, “Poison? Wei Luo was poisoned?”


  Wei Chang reminded her, “Gingko. Nuts.”


  At this point, she couldn’t continue to pretend. The bag had a hole and she could only think of a way to make up for it. Liu-shi face was slightly pale.

  She haltingly said, “What happened? Ya-er frequently eats gingko nuts and she’s perfectly fine. Why should she be poisoned from gingko nuts? I thought all children like to eat gingko nuts. And since gingko nuts are beneficial for the body, I let a servant from the Pine courtyard add them to Wei Luo’s bowl…”


  If a woman weren’t proficient in medicine, it would be normal for her to not know. However, when he carefully thought about it, there were mistakes in her words. She never cared about Wei Luo previously. Why would she suddenly care about Wei Luo’s food now?

  Wei Chang sat down on a chair. He coldly fixed his eyes on her.

  Without any warning, he said, “Even if you harbor a grudge against Jiang Miao Lan, don’t take it out on her children. Those two children are innocent.”


  Liu-shi startled. She looked at him in disbelief, “What did you say?”


  Jiang Miao Lan’s name was a taboo in the Duke of Ying’s residence. When she was still here, everyone only secretly talked about her. After she left and vanished without a trace for so many years, she faded in everyone’s memory… but someone still remembered. After the seeds of jealousy and hate were planted in the heart, they would grow roots unless someone pulled out even the roots or ruthlessly strangled them.

  Wei Chang was probably disappointed in her, or perhaps he was deliberately teaching her a lesson.

  He continued, “Fifth younger brother doesn’t know what you and Du-shi did that that year, but I know everything.”


  Those words were like a heavy lightening bolt that ruthlessly struck Liu-shi! Liu-shi shook. She stabilized her upper body with great difficulty, but drooped to the ground. Her face was deathly pale.

  She did her best, but she still revealed a trace of trembling, “What exactly is Master saying? … The more I hear, the more I don’t understand.”


  Wei Chang knew she was pretending to not know. His gaze was cold. He curled up his lip in derision, “Even now, you still want to conceal the truth? You couldn’t tolerate her and Du-shi wanted to marry Wei Kun. You and her designed an act for Jiang Miao Lan to see, so that her heart would turn cold and into dust. So she would rather abandon her children in her determination to leave this sad place.” As he spoke, layer-by-layer, he breathed out his turbid anger.

  He coldly looked towards the woman on the ground, “Were my words, right? Do you also want me to explain how you two setup that scene?”


  So, he knew everything. Even under the circumstance of knowing everything, he lived with her for so long. Did his heart always think of her this way? Liu-shi could only feel that her face was painfully hot. She felt ashamed and resentful.

  So, this was why he wasn’t cold or warm to her all these years. Their only child was Wei Ya. Whenever she mentioned wanting another child, he showed no interest. It wasn’t that he was uninterested in sex. It was that he wasn’t interested in her.

  It was as if you thought you were wearing clothes, and then ten years later, suddenly, someone stopped you.

  He asked, “Why are you naked?”


  Liu-shi stood up. On the verge of collapsing, she asked with an empty voice, “When did you know?”


  “You don’t need to know this,” Wei Chang looked away from her line of sight as if he didn’t want to see her.

  He furrowed his eyebrows. After considering for a long time, he said, “Ya-er is still young. She needs a mother. For now, I won’t divorce you. But, I need to account for this issue with fifth younger brother. Wei Luo is still lying in bed. If this wasn’t discovered quickly, she might be close to death right now. You heart is too malevolent! Your days are too easy and comfortable. In the future, don’t leave the house. Stay in your room copying scriptures!”


  After he finished, he looked at the golden earrings on the table. He asserted, “Since you don’t like these jewelry, give away all the jewelry in the house. Since you wronged Wei Luo first, give these things to her to be used as her dowry later.”


  Liu-shi was a vain woman who loved beautiful things. To give away the jewelry she saved over many years to a child she loathed, it was worse than giving away her life! Liu-shi felt like her heart was cut out.

  She said, “Master… If I give those away, what will happen to Ya-er in the future? Ya-er will also need a dowry for her marriage!”


  This didn’t move Wei Chang. He waved his sleeve to brush her off, “Ya-er is a daughter of the Ying family. She will not suffer any grievances when she gets married.” He left the room without saying another word.

  Liu-shi’s heart was like cold ashes. She bewilderedly sat on the floor. Her mind kept going back to Wei Chang’s words. Until now, she had felt like she was in a dream.

  How did he know? When did he know? How would she still have the face to be near him in the future?!

  Then, she thought of all the jewelry that had taken her many years to collect. Box by box and piece by piece; it would have to be surrendered to Wei Luo. She wanted to beat her chest and stamped her feet in regret!

  —–


  Pine Courtyard.

  Wei Luo woke up the next morning. Last night, she had drunk the medicine prescribed by the doctor. She felt much better now with her headache and nausea was gone. She raised her head from the scarlet bedding. Her small, white as snow, delicate face showed curiosity. She blinked her delicate eyelashes. In the blink of a dark eye, she looked through the window.

  Outside her window, there were servants coming in and out the courtyard since early morning as if they were moving something. She didn’t know what they were doing.

  What happened after she was poisoned yesterday? She wanted to call Jin Lu inside to ask her, but when she opened her mouth, her voice was soft and quiet like a newborn. No one from outside would be able to hear her.

  “Wu.” (crying/whimpering sound)

  There was a cup near her bed. She could only push that white porcelain cup that had blue water lilies. The cup fell to the ground and produced a crisp, shattering sound.

  The people outside finally heard noise. Jin Lu quickly walked around the dividing screen to Wei Luo.

  Seeing that Wei Luo was awake, Jin Lu was delighted and startled, “Miss!”


  While pouring a cup of warm water, Jin Lu said, “Miss, drink some water for your dry throat.” She didn’t have time to clean up the shattered porcelain cup.

  Wei Luo raised her arm and drank a mouthful of water. She could finally speak, but her voice was like waxy like glutinous rice.

  With the voice of a person who just woke up, she asked, “Elder sister Jin Lu, what’s going on outside?”


  This was a long story that started from yesterday. Jin Lu placed a gold and silver embroidered pillow behind Wei Luo’s back, so that she would be more comfortable. Jin Lu wanted to vividly describe the situation last night, but she remembered that Wei Luo was only a child. Wei Kun had warned her to not say too much in front of Wei Luo to avoid her young heart becoming traumatized.

  Jin Lu only said, “Miss, you ate something yesterday that hurt your stomach because Third Madam accidently had someone put the wrong thing in your food. And so, third Madam wanted to apologize by sending over some items.

  But, the amount of items she sent was too much. At first, Jin Lu was shocked. It seemed as if all of the third branch’s jewelry were sent over here. Just now, she was outside counting and recording those items with Ye-shiso that later, there will be a record to trace. These gold and silver jewelry were all very expensive. There were agate, coral, gems, and pearls. Looking at these items, a person would be dazzled. Third Madam was very generous this time.

  —–


  Liu-shi wasn’t willing, but she had no choice. Her heart ached to the point of bleeding, but she had no way to prevent this. She could only watch as each item was carried outside. In the end, she couldn’t bear it anymore. Her eyes rolled back and she fainted.

  ——


  These items included part of Liu-shi’s dowry. And now, these items belonged to Wei Luo.

  Wei Luo had Jin Lu bring over the account book to look at the amount of jewelry. This Liu-shi was extravagant to the extreme! Was she not worried that so many head ornaments would bend her neck?

  Although Jin Lu didn’t openly say what had happened, Wei Luo could tell from guessing. Liu-shi’s heart harbored resentment and she wanted to hurt Wei Luo. In the end, she had only hurt herself. Wei Luo didn’t die and Liu-shi lost all of her jewelry and part of her dowry.

  Wei Luo sat on her bed and thought of the suffering she experienced yesterday. Her pitch-black eyes darkened.

  Since the third branch sent these items, it meant that Wei Chang planned to protect Liu——shi from her offence. Were they going to just forget this incident? If Liu-shi could harm her once, she could harm her again.

  Wei Luo also learned that Jin Ci’s tongue had been cut off and she had been sold off. This was convenient, now Wei Luo wouldn’t have to do anything. Jin Ci and Jin Ge were both people that had been bribed by Du-shi. They had only watched when she was taken and sold away that time. She had currently been worried about how to deal with them. Who would have expected that they would have dropped themselves on the knife’s blade? Wei Luo thought for a moment.

  Then, she innocently pointed at a spot on the account book and asked, “Elder sister Jin Lu, there are three pairs of these type of earrings, what are they?”


  Jin Lu walked forward to look. She had some lessons in reading and could recognize those words, “To answer Miss, these are gold-gilded jasmine earrings.”


  Wei Luo blinked, “Were they all given to me?

  Jin Lu nodded, “They were all given to you.”


  She said too much. In addition to those earrings, Wei Luo was also given many other types of earrings. Wei Luo touched her earlobe. Her mouth was distressed and she said, “But I don’t have pierced ears. I won’t be able to wear them. It would be better to give these to elder sister Jin Lu. Elder sister Jin Lu will look pretty wearing them…”


  Jin Lu was overwhelmed by this favor. She quickly kneeled down to thank her.

  —–


  Wei Luo also picked additional earrings to give to the other servant girls in Pine Courtyard to wear every day. She said it would look good if they wore them. The servant girls profusely kowtowed in thanks. They were thankful and touched. They couldn’t have imagined that Wei Luo had another purpose.

  It would be the best if Liu-shi saw the servant girls wearing her treasured collection. Her heart would feel the same pain that Wei Luo felt when she was poisoned yesterday.

  Ye-shi put away the account book after Wei Luo was done. The items she had just given away were only the tip of the iceberg. She still had many jewelry left from Liu-shi. After Ye-shi left, Jin Lu came in with a bowl of medicine.

  She sat on the bed and said, “The poison in Miss’s body hasn’t completely cleared. Drink another bowl of medicine. After you finish the medicine, you’ll recover from this illness.”


  Wei Luo disliked the bitter medicine. Just as she was about to get the box that held the sugar balls that Chang Hong had given her, she suddenly heard noise at the doorway. She stopped moving her hand to look outside her bed area.

  Jin Wu went around the room divider to report, “Miss, Prince Jing heard that you were sick and came by just to see you.”


  Wei Luo was stunned. Why would Zhao Jie visit her?

  Was it because she hadn’t gone to class for too long, so he came to see what the reason was? But he shouldn’t have personally come…


  While Wei Luo was puzzled, a navy blue figure walked into the room. His body was slender and his manners were noble.

  Zhao Jie slowly walked closer. Wei Kun was behind him.

  On the bed, there was an exquisite young girl. Her skin was white as snow and her big eyes were confused and helpless. Her face that showed the paleness that came from being sick made her seem more like a crafted, treasured doll. She was obediently sitting there.

  She raised her head to look at Zhao Jie and with a weak and lovable voice, she said, “Big brother.”


  The two words big brother was overly sweet. Originally, Zhao Jie only came here to see how she was recovering from her illness. He didn’t expect that seeing her would cause his heart to feel a bit sorry for her.