Are you even human?!

Ruan Lanruo cursed loudly, her eyes blazing with anger.

Xiao Qingyin scoffed.

“He was neither my son nor my son. I gave him a coffin, prepared his body, and arranged his funeral. I have done all the benevolence and righteousness I could ask for.”

"Do you think that using money obtained through fraud to build bridges and roads is considered a good deed, while arranging cremation for unclaimed child corpses is an unforgivable crime?"

Ruan Lanruo's face paled.

Xiao Qingyin added, "Anyway, this child has nothing to do with you, so why do you care so much? You should think carefully about where you hid the stolen money. Handing it over will give you a few more years to live."

After saying that, he waved to Yi San and Yi Wu: "Let's go."

As Ruan Lanruo watched the small coffin being lifted and carried toward the prison gate, she seemed to see it being placed on a fire and burned to ashes.

How much pain must a soul be in when it is burned by raging fire?

Kun'er is most afraid of pain. Even a mosquito bite will make her cry loudly, and she needs to be held and comforted for a long time before she calms down.

If the person in this coffin is truly Kun'er...

Just thinking about it makes her feel breathless.

Just as the small coffin was about to be carried out, she hurriedly shouted, "Wait!"

Xiao Qingyin paused and turned around.

"Have you figured out where the silver is?"

Ruan Lanruo said with a stern face, "Let me see the child."

Xiao Qingyin instructed Yi San and Yi Wu to carry the coffin back to the prison cell.

Ruan Lanruo knelt on the ground, her hands trembling as she pushed open the coffin lid.

The child lay inside silently, just like before, like a rag doll.

She reached out and touched the child's face.

It's cold.

There were no visible seams around the face, so it didn't look like someone was wearing a mask.

Now look at the toes of the right foot.

There was a barely perceptible scar.

She was very familiar with the shape of the scar.

After the stitches were removed, she applied medicine to Kun'er every day, praying in her heart after each application, hoping that it would recover as Xiao Qingyin had said.

It was as if a huge hole had opened in her heart, from which endless emptiness and desolation surged forth, engulfing her completely.

What did she do?

Mingming wanted to give himself and Kun'er a good life, so that no one in the world could look down on them, despise them, or bully them anymore.

How did it turn out like this?

Wasn't Granny Jin and the others frantically accumulating wealth in order to push Kun'er to the top?

Why did they kill Kun'er?

Why!

If she hadn't accepted Granny Jin's suggestion and had instead lived a simple life with Kun'er, clinging to her meager savings, the two of them would be enjoying spring outings, admiring flowers, watching fish, and observing birds right now.

Kun'er could have lived a life of leisure and wealth.

She ruined him.

This is retribution, retribution indeed!

"Ah! Kun'er—"

Ruan Lanruo picked up the child from the coffin and cried out in heart-wrenching sobs.

She held the child tightly, wishing she could melt the child into the gaping hole in her heart, so that her heart wouldn't ache so much, wouldn't feel so desolate.

But it can never be repaired.

It has lost a part of itself forever.

Xiao Qingyin watched her cry silently, without saying a word.

After a quarter of an hour, Ruan Lanruo's crying gradually stopped.

She kissed the child's forehead, carefully placed him back in the coffin, and meticulously tidied his clothes.

Then slowly close the lid.

The moment the child's face was covered, her hands felt as heavy as a thousand pounds.

But I still put it back together, despite the heartache.

"Kun'er, wait a moment, don't be afraid, Mother will come to you soon."

She said softly.

After saying that, he collapsed to the ground and told Xiao Qingyin everything he knew.

"Granny Jin came to me and said that she was entrusted by the imperial family and a group of ministers who support the Situ bloodline to help me and Kun'er."

She was Situ Sheng's wet nurse, and Situ Sheng always respected her, so I didn't doubt her words.

At the time, I was in a bad situation and had a lot of resentment in my heart, so I was tempted.

After that, I listened to her and opened a tea shop, doing exactly as she suggested.

You know what happened next.

Most of the money earned by Zhilanxuan was given to Granny Jin, with only a small portion remaining in my hands.

I'm not entirely sure where she hid the silver.

However, I overheard her conversation with someone who came to see her. They said that it was almost summer, and transporting coal would arouse suspicion, so they should switch to something else.

They guessed they might have hidden the silver in the coal pile and transported it elsewhere.

Xiao Qingyin pressed further: "Did Granny Jin give you a list? The list of members of the imperial family and ministers?"

"Granted."

Ruan Lanruo replied.

"However, I have only seen a few of them."

Xiao Qingyin thought that probably only the few she had met were connected, but she still asked her for the full list of people.

After asking a few more questions, Xiao Qingyin stood up from the ground.

"That's all for today. I'll come find you again if I think of anything else."

"good."

Ruan Lanruo also stood up.

She looked down at the small coffin on the ground, her eyes filled with deep sorrow.

"In consideration of my cooperation, could you please give Kun'er a proper burial?"

Xiao Qingyin bent down and opened the coffin lid, then used her silver needles to prick several acupoints. The child opened his eyes with a cry of "Ah!"

Ruan Lanruo was deeply shocked.

"Kun'er is still alive?!"

"He should still be alive."

Xiao Qingyin replied.

"We haven't found him yet. This child isn't Kun'er."

As she spoke, she lifted a thin layer of "skin" from the child's neck and ripped off the entire hood.

Ruan Lanruo: "..."

So now it seems that face-changing is no longer fashionable, but head-changing is?

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!