A Beautiful Duchess with a Dark Heart – Chapter 16

Chapter 16: Something Sinister

With the matter settled, Wen Yu didn’t try to curry favor with her father anymore. She stood up, bowed, and excused herself.

Before the doctor arrived, Wen Qian personally picked up the tattered gifts and placed them on the table.

Wen Yu didn’t even glance at them again and left with half her face red.

Wen Qian sat there, watching her retreating figure, experiencing a sense of oppression he hadn’t felt in years.

Hong Xing followed behind Wen Yu with a complicated expression, her face changing colors, but she didn’t dare to say anything.

The young Miss had been gone for quite a while. Hong Dou paced back and forth anxiously at the courtyard gate. “Why hasn’t she come back yet?!” Her beautiful eyebrows were knitted together.

Suddenly, she heard footsteps and joyfully went out to greet her. At first glance, she saw the red handprint on Wen Yu’s face.

“Ah?! Miss, this is…” Hong Dou’s beautiful eyes widened in disbelief.

“It’s nothing,” Wen Yu said in a low voice, comforting her.

“He… they hit you?” Hong Dou’s tears welled up instantly. “There’s no father like that! I’m going to find him!” She turned to leave.

“Wait!” Wen Yu pulled her back and walked into the room, whispering in her ear, “I deliberately angered him. I have my reasons.”

“Miss… it really was him? Sob, sob, there’s no father in the world who’s so heartless.” Hong Dou gritted her teeth, tears streaming down her face uncontrollably.

Although she had never met her own father, at this moment, she felt fortunate. A father like this… it was better to have none!

The two entered the room. Hong Xing tactfully didn’t follow and returned to her own room, sneering at the main house. Got beaten, huh?! You deserve it! Poor me, my reward… It’s really gone down the drain this time.

“It’s okay, it’s nothing. If things go well… Hong Dou, I’ll give you a new name!” Wen Yu sat down, suddenly remembering something.

“Miss… you, what are you saying?!” The change of topic was too sudden, and Hong Dou didn’t understand for a moment.

“I remember Sister Fang said your mother’s surname was Yan. Why don’t you just take your mother’s surname! Let’s call you… hmm, Yan Zhu. Zhu for pearl. What do you think?!”

She had heard that Hong Dou’s mother was named Yan Huixin, a gentle and refined woman. She was pregnant when she accompanied her husband back home, but they encountered a storm and their boat capsized. Her husband disappeared without a trace.

Her grandmother and mother’s boat rescued her.

After Yan Huixin recovered, she gave birth to Hong Dou. She said that she had married her husband when he was in distress. After she became pregnant, her husband missed home very much and wanted to give the child in her womb a proper status, so he prepared to take her back to the capital. His family didn’t know about their marriage.

Her husband’s family situation was complicated, and now that he was gone, even if she went to them, it wouldn’t make much sense whether they acknowledged her or not. Her parents were gone, and she didn’t want to bother her brother and sister-in-law. So, she wanted to stay by her mother’s side.

Yan Huixin was gentle and understanding, and she was skilled at making soups.

Her mother got along with her more like sisters. When she got married, she brought both Yan Huixin and Hong Dou with her. The Wen family mistakenly thought that they were her mother’s servants, and her mother didn’t bother to explain.

Later, they all left…

Wen Yu had grown up with Hong Dou by her side. Although she was a year older, she had a very straightforward personality. Now, Wen Yu felt more like her older sister.

Thinking back to the past, Hong Dou had accompanied her without complaint in all her silly ideas… until she died tragically. Sigh, she never enjoyed a single day of happiness.

Two months ago, she had not only given all her jewelry and silver to her uncle but also Hong Dou’s. Now, apart from clothes, the two of them didn’t even have a decent piece of jewelry.

Currently, the shadow of Second Uncle had not yet dissipated.

To plan for taking over her mother’s dowry, she needed a lot of manpower.

It would be better to restore Hong Dou’s identity first. For things to go smoothly outside, she would have her move out and become a wealthy young Miss, saving her from being at the mercy of others!

Yan Zhu, with her delicate appearance but a carefree heart, laughed after hearing what the young Miss said, wiping her tears. “It sounds good! Pearl… Miss, I’m a pearl treasure!”

“Yes, you are a pearl treasure.” Thinking of the sparkle in her eyes when she saw Old Madam wearing the Eastern Pearl hairpin, Wen Yu couldn’t help but smile. “When we are rich, I’ll buy you an Eastern Pearl hairpin!”

Yan Zhu narrowed her eyes, overjoyed.

She hoped everything would go as planned!
…

On the other side, Wen Qian sat alone for a while. Without waiting for his wife to return, he got up and went to find Old Madam.

Old Madam was surprised to see her eldest son’s gloomy face. “Is something the matter?”

“Mother, I’m here to talk about Wen Yu.”

Old Madam absentmindedly hummed in response.

✿✿✿

“Just now… I called her over.” Wen Qian had never dealt with such a matter before and didn’t quite know how to broach the subject.

“It’s like this… The gifts Huan Jie’er bought weren’t quite to Wen Yu’s liking… They got into an argument. Wen Yu spoke harshly, and I couldn’t hold back…”

Wen Qian felt embarrassed, but he had to defend Wen Huan.

Old Madam composed herself, waiting for him to continue.

“…and slapped Wen Yu.”

“…” Old Madam was genuinely startled. “She’s a young lady… How could you be so impulsive?”

Wen Qian turned his head away and remained silent.

Old Madam’s face darkened. “All these years, this girl has been quite well-behaved. She’s always been cheerful towards me, her aunt, and her younger sisters… Even if she’s been wronged, she’s endured it herself and never caused me any trouble. She didn’t even make a fuss when we didn’t hold a coming-of-age ceremony for her. How could she make a scene over some gifts?”

Wen Qian didn’t speak.

“If this gets out, how awful would it sound? What’s your status now? How could you lay a hand on your own daughter?!” Old Madam grew increasingly angry as she spoke.

“Her reputation is ruined, but will yours be any better?” Recalling some past events, her voice suddenly rose.

“Mother, I was impulsive.” His mother’s agitation was somewhat beyond his expectations, so he quickly admitted his mistake with a sincere attitude.

“Hmph! It’s your precious wife and precious daughter who went too far, and you’re covering up for them, aren’t you?!” Old Madam said with a sneer.

“Not really, Mother…”

Old Madam slammed the table. “You’re still defending them?!”

Wen Qian was taken aback. His mother rarely lost her temper at him like this.

“Wen Yu is your legitimate eldest daughter. She’s beautiful, diligent, always has a smile for everyone, and her personality isn’t unpleasant. She often does this and that for me… But why did I, her grandmother, treat her like that?!”

Wen Qian lowered his head and remained silent.

“Neglected her; didn’t nurture her; didn’t elevate her; provided for her food, clothing, and necessities barely; even said she had a bad fate; never treated her as the legitimate eldest daughter… Just barely raised her to adulthood! Why? Hmm?!”

Wen Qian blushed under his mother’s questioning.

“Isn’t it… because you didn’t want her to have a chance to rise above?” No matter what, she was her own granddaughter, and she was so outstanding. Old Madam felt uneasy about it in every aspect.

“She’s already at this age, how many more days can she stay at home? Gifts… It’s just a matter of a few taels of silver, and it turned into this! All these years, hasn’t Yuan Xijun’s life been comfortable enough?!”

She was truly furious. This woman had her son completely under her thumb.

How much had she done for her?!

Those things could ruin her son’s reputation!

The old man at home hated her and suppressed her son! He had borne the burden of his parents’ feud since childhood, studying, taking exams, seeking employment, and doing his duties. How hard was it for him to achieve what he had today?

But for this woman, he was willing to take such a big risk…

And now, he was still sticking up for her!!

As a wife, she didn’t serve her mother-in-law but could follow her husband around. A while ago… A friend came to their house and said they had run into their family of five boating on Xuanwu Lake!!

She, as a mother, had put her heart and soul into raising him. But even now, she mostly worried for him and hadn’t received much filial piety from him!

That bitch Yuan Shi… It was simply outrageous!

Wen Qian felt uncomfortable listening to his mother’s words. He had returned home full of pride, but his daughter had embarrassed him, his younger brother had mocked him, and now his mother was scolding him.

He hadn’t been treated like this in years. So, he said indifferently, “Mother, let it go! I’ve already talked to them. Do you know that Wen Yu’s uncle is back?”

“…Her uncle is back? When did this happen?!” As expected, Old Madam’s attention was diverted.

“Wen Yu said so. Uncle Chen is back, and he’s contacted her.”

“When? How is that possible?” Old Madam was puzzled. After a moment of thought, she said, “Even if he’s back due to a general amnesty, he’s without an official position or property. For his whole family to gain a foothold, they need connections and money, right? Why didn’t he look for you but went to her, a young lady?”

He had contacted this girl without going through him. This was fishy!

Could it be…