Read Novel Full CHAPTER 48 PART1
CHAPTER 48 PART1
Don’t call me mother!
That one sentence struck Xiao Luanfei like a heavy slap across the face.
Her cheek stung with burning pain, her strength drained from her body as if sucked away. She stood there, swaying on her feet, her eyes locked on Xiao Yanfei, who was nestled in Madam Yin’s arms.
To Xiao Luanfei, the scene unfolding before her was like a nightmare repeating itself—past and present blurred into one in that moment.
Just like now, Madam Yin clung to Xiao Yanfei, sobbing uncontrollably, while she herself stood there like a fool, helpless and out of place. Her whole world had been turned upside down in an instant.
Xiao Yanfei again. It was Xiao Yanfei who had once again stolen everything from her!
Xiao Luanfei’s mind was in disarray. She no longer knew if she was living in this life or the last.
Biting down hard on her molars, her face twisted with anguish. She remained rooted to the spot for a long time, unmoving, like a statue carved of ice.
“Yanfei…” Madam Yin trembled from head to toe, her disheveled hair clinging to her sweat-drenched face. She clutched Xiao Yanfei tightly, her eyes locked on her, filled to the brim with longing.
In a trembling voice, she cautiously asked, “Can you call me mother? Just once?”
Xiao Yanfei: “……”
She looked at Madam Yin, throat tight with emotion. In that instant, she was overwhelmed by the original host’s emotions—her longing for her birth mother, her resentment, her sorrow…
“…Mother.” Xiao Yanfei whispered softly.
That one word—she spoke on the original host’s behalf.
As the word escaped her lips, her heart thudded violently twice in her chest.
She could feel it clearly: the original host’s release, her joy.
“Yan’er!” Madam Yin’s tears fell like rain, her sobs wrenching and broken. Her face turned pale, and deep within her, a voice cried out in agony—How did it come to this?!
The tender scene of mother and daughter reunited was like a blade to Xiao Luanfei’s eyes. She couldn’t bear to look at it.
Suddenly, she turned and walked out of the hall in silence. She didn’t look back, leaving only a resolute silhouette behind her.
It was Yin Wan who abandoned her first.
And now she had done it again.
Whatever little bond had once existed between them as mother and daughter—it was gone, completely wiped away.
Xiao Luanfei moved like the wind as she passed by Nanny Liao. The nanny instinctively glanced toward the west wing’s doorway, where Old Madam Yin stood pushing Old Master Yin’s wheelchair.
Old Master Yin raised a feeble hand and said, “Let her go.”
So much had happened in the span of a single afternoon—utter chaos. Even someone as composed as Old Master Yin felt overwhelmed and exhausted.
Xiao Luanfei, meanwhile, felt utterly cold inside.
Everyone in the Yin family was heartless and indifferent. Not a shred of familial affection remained.
Her pace quickened into a near-run, heading straight for the main gate—desperate to escape this place.
She was in such a hurry that she crashed directly into Xiao Shuo, who was walking in with a bamboo bow in his arms.
Startled, Xiao Luanfei stumbled, nearly losing her footing. Xiao Shuo reacted quickly and caught her left arm.
Their abrupt stop almost caused Xiao Ye, who was walking behind him, to bump into his brother’s back. He gave a small yelp: “Oof!”
“Big Sister?” Xiao Ye poked his head out from behind Xiao Shuo, curiously studying Xiao Luanfei.
Xiao Shuo, meanwhile, glanced back and forth between her and the others in the background, his expression thoughtful. He had already sensed that something wasn’t right.
When he first arrived, he had sent a servant back to the marquis’ estate to retrieve the broken bow. He’d been waiting at the gate when the servant returned—with not only the bow, but also Xiao Ye, who insisted on visiting their grandparents.
“Be careful,” Xiao Shuo said as he steadied Xiao Luanfei, his eyes lingering on her shadowed face. He didn’t know what had just happened here, but the tension in the air was unmistakable.
Xiao Luanfei’s panic, Madam Yin’s grief, Old Master Yin’s somber expression, Old Madam Yin’s disappointment… and Xiao Yanfei’s calm. He took all of it in.
Xiao Shuo was a clever boy. He had already guessed part of the truth back at the Tong County docks. And now, the painfully subtle tension between everyone confirmed his suspicions.
“I’m fine,” Xiao Luanfei muttered after a brief pause. Then she abruptly pulled her arm from his grasp.
She cast him a dark, unreadable glance. Without sparing even a glance at Xiao Ye, she clutched her skirt and hurried away.
This time, she didn’t stop.
“What’s wrong with Big Sister? She’s like a whirlwind,” Xiao Ye mumbled, tilting his head as he watched her retreating figure.
But Xiao Shuo’s gaze drifted toward the main hall—toward Xiao Yanfei.
The sky had grown darker with dusk. Lanterns were lit inside the hall, bathing the room in bright light.
Outside, under the oppressive, low-hanging clouds, it felt like she and he were in two separate worlds.
A cool evening breeze fluttered at the edge of the boy’s robe.
He stood tall, gentle and elegant like a bamboo stalk.
Xiao Shuo clutched the bamboo bow tightly. Under the looming clouds, his eyes were deep and shadowed.
He suddenly felt ridiculous.
He had actually questioned Second Sister about ignoring their mother…
He had even dared to say those words to her.
Now, recalling the things Concubine Cui had whispered to his father that day at Tingyu Pavilion, Xiao Shuo felt as if ice water had been poured over his head. All those things that once didn’t make sense—now they did.
No wonder Concubine Cui had shown no affection toward Second Sister.
The joke was on him. He had truly believed Concubine Cui cherished Second Sister.
What a fool he’d been.
Xiao Shuo laughed bitterly at himself. He quickly composed his expression and strode over to where Xiao Yanfei and Madam Yin stood.
He raised the broken bow for all to see.
In front of Old Master Yin and Madam Yin, he spoke directly: “Mother, it was this bow. When its string snapped, it struck Second Sister in the face.”
“After that, the rumor that Second Sister had been disfigured began to spread like wildfire…”
Calmly, he explained everything that had happened in recent days. Then he handed the bow to Madam Yin.
“The string was tampered with—likely by Father,” he said, voice tight with difficulty.
After speaking, he stood still. His delicate face—still touched with youthful softness—wore a faint smile. Lantern light gently illuminated his features, outlining them in exquisite clarity, his eyes quietly dim.
Everyone had always praised him as gifted and sharp, with a perfect memory. He had taken pride in that. He had thought himself clever, assuming the world around him was full of simple minds. He thought he could see through everyone’s petty schemes.
But today, he realized how arrogant he had been—how shallow his understanding really was. He had only glimpsed the surface of things.
He was still too young, still too powerless.
And now, he was afraid.
Afraid that Madam Yin would despise him because of what Concubine Cui had done…
Xiao Shuo looked straight at her, frozen in place. Memories surged—how she used to guide him, teaching him right from wrong when he was small.
Madam Yin stared at the broken bow for a moment. Then she smiled gently and said, “Good boy.”
Her eyes were slightly red, faint tears still shimmering within. She reached up and softly stroked his head.
Xiao Shuo: “…”
He hadn’t let anyone touch his head since moving to the outer courtyard at age seven. But now, he didn’t resist or move away. He simply gazed at her—
And quietly accepted the warmth and gentleness of her touch.
A soft smile tugged at the corners of his lips, warm and gentle like a spring breeze.
“He’s such a fool,” Xiao Yanfei chuckled softly as she took the broken bow from Xiao Shuo and gave Madam Yin a light shrug.
“Fool?” A voice piped up from outside the hall—Xiao Ye came running in, his little legs pattering as he dashed over with cheerful energy. “Who’s the fool?”
“Who’s the fool?!” Xiao Shuo’s voice overlapped with his brother’s at just the right moment, and like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, he instantly bristled.
The room fell briefly silent.
All eyes turned to Xiao Shuo. The corner of his eye twitched as he completely forgot his earlier melancholy. “I’m not a fool!” he declared.
“I know everything.”
Xiao Yanfei laughed even more brightly, her smile dazzling.
The previously tense and stifled atmosphere in the hall lightened with the sound of her clear laughter.
Not far away, Old Master Yin exchanged a knowing glance with Old Madam Yin, both smiling quietly.
He liked this version of Xiao Yanfei—like a wildflower blooming freely on a mountainside, not only beautiful, but bursting with vibrant, untamed life.
There was no witness, no hard evidence—only suspicion. Legally, it couldn’t stand.
But Old Master Yin had sharp eyes. Back at the Tong County dock, he had already sensed Xiao Luanfei’s guilt.
If he truly wanted to erase any lingering hope his daughter held for Xiao Luanfei, she would have to see and hear the truth for herself.
Ah, this girl Yanfei—sharp, steady, and clear-headed.
With just a subtle nudge from Nanny Liao, she figured it out. She knew her mother was hiding behind the screen.
Such composure and clarity—it reminded him of himself in his youth.
Old Master Yin’s expression softened, and his mood brightened considerably.
Old Madam Yin began pushing his wheelchair toward the others.
Hearing the creak of the wheels, Xiao Ye looked over curiously. “Is that Grandfather and Grandmother?”
He quickly bounded forward and, without waiting for a reply from Madam Yin, cheerfully bowed with a bright smile. “Grandfather, Grandmother—I’m Ye’er!” he introduced himself without a trace of shyness, his lively manner drawing hearty laughter from the two elders.
They liked the boy instantly and gave him a welcome gift. The more they looked at him, the more they adored him.
Madam Yin’s lips curved faintly. She never once let go of Xiao Yanfei’s hand—her grip firm and reluctant to release, her eyes constantly drifting toward her daughter, as if afraid she’d vanish the moment she looked away.
Just like fifteen years ago. If she hadn’t fainted back then, her daughter wouldn’t have been taken from her side.
I’m here. Xiao Yanfei gave her mother a reassuring smile, hoping to ease her heart.
But that simple smile shattered the fragile composure Madam Yin had managed to maintain. She began to sob again, tears streaming down her cheeks, the veins in her neck pulsing visibly with emotion.
Her face flushed red, her breathing quickened—overwhelmed by sorrow she could no longer hold back.
Xiao Ye, holding the gift he had received, was just about to show it to his mother when he noticed her crying. He grew anxious. “Mother, why are you crying?”
Xiao Yanfei held her mother steady, gently patting her back and softly wiping her tears with a handkerchief. Her voice was light, even teasing, as she coaxed her, “Mother, be careful or Ye’er will laugh at you.”
The moment she called her “Mother” again, Madam Yin’s heart surged with warmth. Her tear-washed eyes grew even clearer, yet she continued to gaze intensely at Xiao Yanfei.
“I would never laugh at Mother,” Xiao Ye quickly corrected her, his small face tilted upward with seriousness. “Is it because you’re so happy to see Grandfather and Grandmother that… you cried tears of joy?”
“…” Madam Yin gave a watery chuckle and nodded.
Xiao Ye looked completely vindicated and turned to the elder couple. “Grandfather, Grandmother! I prepared gifts for you—they’re in the carriage. Wait for me!”
“Second Brother, come with me!” he added, grabbing Xiao Shuo’s hand and dashing off, leaving everyone in the room chuckling again.
Watching the little boy’s lively figure disappear from view, Old Master Yin felt the fatigue melt away.
These children, he thought, thankfully, are nothing like their father.
He sighed inwardly. His right index finger idly traced along the wheelchair armrest before he spoke calmly: “The Marquis of Wu’an chases after fame and profit. He’s obsessed with appearances, reputation, and personal gain.”
It was a blunt but fair assessment of his son-in-law Xiao Yan. There was no personal grudge, no emotion—just a clear-eyed statement of fact.
Old Madam Yin nodded.
Though she hadn’t seen her son-in-law many times, his behavior over the years made his character easy to judge.
After a pause, Old Master Yin added quietly, “He was never a good match.”
He had only one daughter—Yin Wan—and had originally planned for her husband to marry into the Yin family. His daughter would one day take over their household. No one had expected that incident to happen.
Even then, he hadn’t been willing.
She’s not a match for him.
When the Marquis’s family proposed, he refused.
But…
In this world, merchants were inherently seen as lower status. Even if the Marquis’s household had fallen on hard times, they were still titled nobility.
Back then, the family he’d originally chosen for a matrilocal marriage hesitated, then came to him in embarrassment, saying the Marquis had approached them.
Then, their family businesses began facing increasing trouble from local officials under various pretenses.
Later still, ships returning from overseas were detained by the Maritime Trade Office…
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