Before we knew it, it was lunchtime.
In the Yi family mansion in the west of the city, the return of Yi Shangkun and Yi Shangyun made it a rare day for the whole family to reunite.
A large table was already laden with a sumptuous feast, and everyone was now taking their seats to prepare for the meal.
"Yun'er, come here, this is your favorite food, eat more. Look how much weight you've lost in just a few months in the palace," said Madam Nian. She picked up her chopsticks and reached for a plate of Dongpo pork that was neatly arranged like mahjong tiles, cooked until it was red and translucent, and the color of agate. She then picked up the largest piece and put it into Yun's bowl.
"Thank you for your concern, Mother," Yi Shangyun quickly picked up the bowl and plate to accept the gift, but then she just kept smiling with her lips pursed, her eyes fixed on the piece of Dongpo pork on her plate. She truly found it difficult to pick up her chopsticks, let alone eat it.
She thought to herself, how could the original owner of this body like such fatty and greasy food? She clearly remembered that 100 grams of Dongpo pork contained about 470 calories, and was too high in cholesterol and saturated fatty acids. In the 21st century, she would never dare to touch such a dish, but now… good heavens…
"Why aren't you eating? Hurry up and eat it while it's hot. Mother instructed the cook to simmer it for you over low heat for a long time before making it," Madam Nian urged when she saw that he hadn't touched his chopsticks for a long time.
Yi Shangyun's worries were interrupted, and she hurriedly replied to Nian Shi, "Oh, Yun'er is just not fully recovered yet, so she is still feeling a little unwell and doesn't have a good appetite. Please don't be offended, Mother!"
Just as Nian was about to ask where she was still feeling unwell, Yi Shangkun, unusually, spoke up, "She's not suited to eat these greasy foods right now."
“Oh, it was Mother’s oversight. Then you should eat more seasonal vegetables,” Mrs. Nian urged again.
Yi Shangxue, who had been watching the mother and daughter for a long time, finally couldn't stand it anymore and sneered, "Hmph... Could it be that after eating the delicacies of the palace for several months, you find the coarse food at home tasteless and hard to swallow?"
Yi Shangjun sat next to Yi Shangxue, casting a mocking and contemptuous glance at her.
"Shut up! You're supposed to eat and sleep without talking. Where have you learned these rules? As a young lady of the Yi family, look at yourself now. Do you have any semblance of a proper lady?"
At this moment, Aunt Lan began to scold, and Yi Shangxue pouted and immediately fell silent.
The room was silent, and then the only sound was the sound of each person sitting down and eating.
After lunch, snowflakes began to fall heavily outside again.
The entire Yi family moved to another seat and continued to gather together, drinking hot tea and chatting about everyday matters in the household.
Aunt Lan reported to Yi Shangkun on the expenses for food, clothing, and gifts during the New Year festival, appearing to be very meticulous and thorough in her planning.
Since Madam Nian didn't like to worry, she handed everything over to Aunt Lan, thus enjoying a carefree life.
After resting for a while, Yi Shangkun slowly got up and prepared to go out to the street to keep his appointment with his two or three colleagues for tea.
At this moment, Yi Shangyun saw Chao walk hurriedly to his side, take a fox fur coat brought up by a servant from the mansion, and personally help Yi Shangkun put it on.
Then, with a look of great concern, she said to him, "It's cold outside, Father, please take care of yourself. The days are short in winter, so you should come back earlier so that Mother and Aunt won't worry."
This was the first time in Yi Shangkun's life that he had heard his daughter care about him so much. Her tone was gentle and appropriate, completely unlike her usual timid and cowardly manner.
So he couldn't help but look up at her and say a very simple "I know," before walking away.
In truth, Yi Shangyun's true feelings were simply that after learning from Yan'er that her father wasn't as cold towards her as she had imagined, she wanted to try to get closer to him.
More importantly, she felt that by doing so, she might have a chance to tentatively uncover the secrets of that mysterious person.
As she seemed lost in thought, watching Yi Shangkun walk out of her sight, the instant she turned around, everyone in the living room stared at her in a daze. When did this useless, ugly woman suddenly receive such special treatment from the master?
But all she saw was a satisfied smile on Nian's face, clearly pleased with what she had just done.
Yi Shangxue looked at her arrogantly, her face full of contempt, and muttered, "Unsolicited kindness is either a trick or a theft."
Seeing his father's sudden change in attitude towards Yi Shangyun, Yi Shangjun was also quite dissatisfied. He sneered, "Ugly girl, don't think I don't know what you're up to. Do you think that saying a few nice words will make your father look at you differently? Why don't you look in the mirror and see what you look like?"
"Pfft," Yi Shangxue chuckled upon hearing Yi Shangjun's words. With the head of the family absent, Aunt Lan turned a blind eye, indulging her two children's unruly behavior, while she herself stared intently at the jade bracelet on her wrist, completely absorbed in its emerald green.
Yi Shangyun originally wanted to give the brother and sister a good scolding, but when she saw the bracelet, her eyes rolled and she looked down at her wrist.
Suddenly, she put on a look of delight and stepped forward to grab Aunt Lan's wrist, saying, "Wow, Aunt Lan's jade bracelet is so smooth and delicate, it feels so silky to the touch, it's full and elegant, it's truly remarkable."
Aunt Lan was startled by Yi Shangyun's unusual and sudden behavior. Just as she was about to raise her eyes to reprimand him sternly, she was first attracted by the seven-colored gold and jade bracelet that Yi Shangyun deliberately showed in front of her.
Her naturally greedy eyes widened instantly, and her voice softened as she said, "Auntie's bracelet is truly a vulgar thing. Yun'er's seven-colored gold-threaded jade bracelet, on the other hand, is so vibrant and full of spirit. This is the first time in my life that I have ever seen such a rare gold-threaded jade bracelet. This is truly a top-quality piece."
As she spoke, she turned her hand over and took Yi Shangyun's hand in one smooth motion, while using her other hand to gently caress the seven-colored gold and jade bracelet on her wrist. In her heart, however, she thought, "You, Nian Shi, dare to hide such a treasure. I wonder how many other things you have that I don't know about."
Yi Shangxue and Yi Shangjun both raised their eyebrows and looked over at the same time, but in the end they could only look at each other with furrowed brows and jealousy.
Upon hearing this, Nian hurriedly glanced over, but after seeing clearly, he quickly looked away, his eyes darting around nervously.
Seeing that Aunt Lan seemed to know nothing about the bracelet, Yi Shangyun immediately glanced at Madam Nian beside her and saw her looking guilty and evasive. She thought to herself, "Just as I expected, Madam Nian must be hiding a lot of things."
However, she then said to the vain woman in front of her, "Auntie, you have a really good eye. Yun'er's bracelet is indeed very spiritual. Unfortunately, it is an ominous object that only brings bad luck."
"No way?!" Aunt Lan asked, her face full of doubt.
“Auntie, look if you don’t believe me. Yun’er’s face was born as white as jade, but because of this bastard, she has become this inhuman and ghostly appearance today.” Yi Shangyun pointed to the tumor on her face, her performance quite vivid.
Aunt Lan couldn't help but show a hint of fear on her face, and Yi Shangyun was even more certain that Aunt Lan was completely unaware of this matter. A secret that even Aunt Lan didn't know must not be an ordinary secret.
"If it's so strange, why do you still carry it with you all the time?" Suddenly, Yi Shangxue asked loudly from the side.
“Sister Xue’er is absolutely right. So today I will destroy this damn thing in front of the whole family, so that it can never harm anyone again,” Yi Shangyun said, then secretly glanced at Nian Shi, who had been silently enduring the pain.
Then, he ripped the jade bracelet off and held it high above his head, his eyes wide and his brow furrowed, as if he wanted to smash it to the ground.
Just as everyone was watching with wide eyes as this extremely rare treasure was about to be destroyed, Madam Nian rushed forward, grabbed her hand, and stopped her, saying, "This jade bracelet cannot be destroyed!"
"Mother, hasn't it harmed Yun'er enough? Disfigurement, broken engagement, endless humiliation... everything is because of it, isn't it? If we don't destroy this wretched thing today, who knows what other disasters it will bring in the future?!" Yi Shangyun also pretended to be angry with all her might.
She did this today to see if the Nian family would reveal the truth.
“No, Yun’er, this jade bracelet really can’t be destroyed. This jade bracelet is a keepsake given to you by one of your father’s benefactors before his death. It is the only thing your father left for you in his life. If you don’t like it, your mother will keep it for you for now.” As she spoke, Madam Nian reached out to take back the jade bracelet.
Yi Shangyun quickly hid the hand holding the jade bracelet behind her back and continued to ask, "If you are my benefactor, then why did you poison my daughter's face, preventing her from showing her true face and turning her into a monster that everyone fears?"
"Poisoning?!" Aunt Lan and her two children exclaimed in unison upon hearing this.
Lady Nian was also astonished, wondering how Yi Shangyun knew these secrets that no one else in the Yi family knew except for her and Yi Shangkun.
Mrs. Nian's eyes darted away rapidly, and she muttered, "Poison? What poison? Mother doesn't know what you're talking about?"
"My daughter was poisoned on her face when she was born, which is why she has this tumor, isn't it? But if he could be so cruel to my daughter, why did he give her this jade bracelet?" Yi Shangyun continued to question her relentlessly.
However, Madam Nian remained tight-lipped, only saying, "Mother said that benefactor has passed away. Back then, without her, your father wouldn't be where he is today, and you wouldn't exist either. So, no matter what, this bracelet absolutely cannot be destroyed. Don't ask anymore. You just have a birthmark on your face, it's not a tumor, so don't listen to slander anymore. I...I..." As she spoke, Madam Nian, in her anxiety, fainted.
Yi Shangyun rushed forward to support her, shouting, "Someone, quick, someone, help the lady back to her room, quick!"
In an instant, only Aunt Lan and her two children remained in the living room, standing there dumbfounded, looking up at the departing figures of the others with blank expressions.
"Mother, what exactly happened?" Yi Shangjun asked after a long while.
However, Aunt Lan only looked at his face and shook her head slightly, offering no comment.
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