Chapter 172
She was beautiful and lovely, with her large, glassy eyes filled with tears, making her look extremely endearing.
Song Yue recalled how Bei Banban had been so gentle to her, a new maid, when she first came to the He family six years ago, and how much more she loved the son and daughter she had given birth to.
Duan Lingwu is mild-mannered and not very old, so she has more influence than Duan Lingwu when it comes to He Tinglan and He Tingyao's affairs.
And He Cheng also trusted him...
Thinking of this, besides feeling sorry for He Tingyao, she also felt a touch of inexplicable shyness.
He Tingyao saw it clearly. Although her eyes were gloomy, her face remained innocent. Because Song Yue had ignored her for a long time, she said aggrievedly, "Waaah, does Mommy really not like Yaoyao anymore?"
Song Yue snapped out of her daze, bent down, and stretched out her arms, intending to pick up He Tingyao.
Ke He Tingyao, wiping away her tears, took a step back and refused in a childish voice:
“Mom doesn’t like Yaoyao hugging other people. Yaoyao hugged Aunt Song, so Mom doesn’t like Yaoyao anymore.”
As for Song Yue, whose hands were frozen in place, an awkward expression appeared on her face. After she sheepishly withdrew her hands, she vented her resentment on Ling Wu.
“Madam, why are you so petty? I must talk to the master when he returns, otherwise Miss will become petty too.” Song Yue said with displeasure.
She had said this kind of thing countless times over the past five years, and the servants in the villa were already used to it.
But today, a cold male voice rang out from behind:
"What right do you, a hired servant, have to comment on what kind of person the lady is? If you can't do the job, I'll pay you your wages today."
There are plenty of people willing to pay 100,000 a month, not to mention that being a servant in the He family not only comes with a high salary but also countless benefits.
Song Yue's face paled, and she was about to retort when she turned around and saw Jiang Du, at which point she immediately fell silent.
Compared to Jiang Du, she was practically an outsider in front of He Cheng.
Jiang Du glanced at Song Yue before bowing to He Tingyao and extending his hand, "If Miss misses Madam, I can take Miss to visit Madam."
He emphasized the pronunciation of the word "visit".
This stopped He Tingyao, who was still wiping away her tears, from crying. She sniffled and asked, "Uncle Jiang, is Mommy sick?"
Jiang Du's expression was stern. After listening, he nodded, "Yes, Miss. Madam may not be able to come and pick up Miss and Young Master in person for a long time."
"I want to see my mother!" He Tingyao said urgently upon hearing this.
If she gets very sick, it wouldn't be good for her father to find a new mother.
Jiang Du glanced at the small hand resting on his, his eyes cold.
As he took He Tingyao's hand and moved away from Song Yue, the gold-rimmed glasses perched on his nose inexplicably gleamed with a cold light.
For some reason, Song Yue felt a sense of panic, but she clutched the hem of her clothes and dared not utter a sound.
What's wrong with poor people wanting to climb the social ladder?
Moreover, she was just...
She only did this because she felt sorry for Tinglan and Tingyao, and that's why she didn't let them have any contact with Duan Lingwu, that wicked stepmother!
She just wanted to repay Bei Banban!
It was early spring, and from Lingwu's perspective through the window, she could see the new buds sprouting from the green plants in the courtyard, apart from the evergreens.
The sky was clear and bright, with a lush green landscape beneath the light blue sky. Occasionally, a few birds would fly by, fluttering their wings and skimming over the courtyard, accompanied by soft chirps.
She sat quietly, her gaze distant, seemingly lost in the past, revealing only her profile kissed by the soft light.
Jiang Du recalled the olive branch she had just extended to him.
It's against the rules to take two salaries, but she calmly explained that her father was a gambler and the family desperately needed money, even saying she could help him deal with the debt collectors.
But he kept this a secret very well, and even He Cheng didn't know.
So, he compromised at the last minute.
Looking at that serene and gentle face now, he couldn't help but recall that fair complexion from yesterday, and her gentle, mocking gaze as she looked down at him.
Gentle and pure, yet alluring and dangerous—these two completely contradictory complex personalities collide within her, driving him mad like a sweet poison.
He remembered what Ling Wu had told him, so he only said one sentence to He Tingyao along the way:
"Madam wants to go home."
In that instant, he saw the tension and disbelief on He Tingyao's face.
It's like a toy in your hands suddenly wanting to escape, causing the owner a moment of panic.
He didn't know where this illusion came from, after all, the child, who was not even as tall as his legs, was not even 6 years old.
He suppressed his heart palpitations, stepped back and turned around, leaving space for the "mother and daughter" in front of him.
“Mom…” He Tingyao hesitated for a moment, but her young face still showed affection.
Ling Wu ignored her and continued to look out the window, her gaze following the bird until it flew out of sight. Only then did He Tingyao, who was now completely afraid that Ling Wu would leave, slowly turn her gaze away.
"Mommy." Her voice was so sweet and childlike that it was easy to melt anyone's heart.
Ling Wu didn't look at her, but instead lowered her eyes to look at her own fingers, whose nails had been cut short in order to take care of the twins.
Her voice was soft, yet it was heartbreaking: "Does Yaoyao hate me?"
He Tingyao was still young, and with Ling Wu asking such a question, many things Ling Wu had done for them suddenly flashed before her eyes.
She made little pendants for her and her brother by hand, knitted scarves for them in winter, got up early to make them breakfast, and told them stories. When they were sick and their father wasn't home, she was always there for them...
There are so many more...
“Yaoyao loves her mother!” she said firmly, then added in her mind: But Yaoyao loves the real, beautiful mother that Aunt Song and her brother talked about even more.
But Mom in bed seems to be the most beautiful...
No! Aunt Song said that the biological mother is the most beautiful!
He Tingyao fumbled with her little hands helplessly. She had finally regained her composure, but then she became nervous again when she saw a tear hanging on Ling Wu's chin.
"Mother……"
Lingwu interrupted her, "I know that neither you nor Lanlan like me, so I've been trying my best to be a good mother."
"Before I married He Cheng, your biological mother passed away not long after giving birth to you. Because of this, I feel even more sorry for you..."
Ling Wu paused, waiting for He Tingyao's question:
"Did she not want us? But..." She remembered Song Yue saying that she couldn't tell anyone, so she stopped talking.
But Lingwu chimed in, "But they all say that it was because of me that your biological mother left Hecheng and abandoned you, right?"
He Tingyao stared wide-eyed, but still refused to nod.
Seeing this, Lingwu smiled, but large tears fell from her eyes.
"So that's what Yaoyao thought too..." Lingwu's eyes were a little red, and there was already a wet patch on the quilt.
This was the first time He Tingyao had seen Ling Wu cry, and she was so flustered that she could only shake her head, "No! No..."
Ling Wu glanced at her sideways, her eyes filled with disappointment, and she shook her head slightly, making her look quite desperate.
“I didn’t know He Cheng when your biological mother left.”
“After all these years, even Yao Yao doesn’t believe me. Tomorrow I’m taking all my things, divorcing He Cheng, and never coming back.”
Finally, Lingwu wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes and smiled brightly, "Now Yaoyao should be happy, right?"
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