Chapter 46 A'Zhu "No matter how similar she is, she's not her."...
*
For a moment, everyone was looking at her.
Mu Hanshi's gaze met hers directly. Though calm and expressionless, it inexplicably evoked a sense of dread, as if he were gazing into the abyss. That abyss was as dark as a pair of sunglasses, clearly reflecting the demons and monsters in others' hearts, and also reflecting his own dark and treacherous nature.
"General Shen is too kind to ask me to bear witness to what happened today. I have taken note of everything you have said."
Upon hearing this, she nodded slightly, "Thank you, Lord Mu."
The words "Lord Mu" seemed to carry a different meaning each time they were uttered by her. For example, she spoke "Mu" slightly softly, while she emphasized "Da" more heavily, and the last "Ren" was drawn out with a slight lingering sound, as if she were mocking something.
Of course, apart from Mu Hanshi, perhaps no one else noticed.
Only Shen Qinglu could see the subtle fluctuations in his calm eyes. This contest of gazes was silent and implicit, but Shen Kunyao, a veteran of the battlefield, was able to sense it.
"Lord Mu, have you seen my Ali before?"
"I feel like I've seen you before, but I can't quite place it." Mu Hanshi's words were ambiguous, like the wind rising in the night or the snow falling in the darkness. "Or perhaps it's you, my niece, who has seen me somewhere before?"
Shen Kunyao subconsciously looked at Shen Qinglu, who honestly replied, "Last time at the Marquis's residence, I saw Sister Tang'er talking to Lord Mu. Afterwards, Sister Tang'er lied to me, saying that Lord Mu was a servant of the Marquis's residence."
"What exactly happened?" Gu Ruxu turned to ask Shen Linlang.
Shen Linlang looked very uncomfortable and whispered as she recounted what had happened at the Marquis's residence last time.
Now, when Gu Ruxu looked at Yu Liuzhu again, her gaze changed once more.
Yu Liuzhu naturally defended himself, using the same old excuse.
Gu Ruxu didn't believe her explanation at all, and even asked Shen Linlang, "You believe it?"
Shen Linlang was speechless for a moment. At that time, Hou Yuliuzhu was still her daughter. How could she not believe it?
"Ah Li, is that so?" she asked Shen Qinglu again.
Shen Qinglu shook her head. "I remember it was Sister Tang'er who told me to wait for her. She didn't come back for a long time, so I went to look for her and saw her talking to Lord Mu. At that time, I was still stupid and naturally believed whatever Sister Tang'er said."
Mu Lao Jiu put on a good act this time, giving her the perfect opportunity to confront him again about what happened before.
She pretended to be casual, but when her gaze drifted in that direction, it met Mu Hanshi's eyes again. She wasn't sure if it was just her imagination, but she felt that he was doing it on purpose.
Why?
"Tang'er, why did you lie?" Gu Ruxu asked Yu Liuzhu.
Yu Liuzhu would certainly not admit it, "Ali was still not well at that time, she must have misremembered."
"What a misunderstanding!" Gu Ruxu's tone changed as she said to Mu Hanshi, "Lord Mu, I'm really sorry to have dragged you into these trivial matters."
Mu Hanshi said nothing and calmly got up.
Shen Kunyao followed suit and solemnly thanked him, "Today's matter has truly troubled Lord Mu."
As they left one after the other, Gu Ruxu's expression changed little by little, finally turning cold and inhuman as she said to Yu Zhiheng, "Ali is kind-hearted and can't bear to see your family separated. You must treat them well from now on and not break the hearts of your wife and children."
Yu Zhiheng agreed repeatedly, secretly relieved. He couldn't stay any longer. After glancing at Shen Linlang, he made an excuse that he had to return to the Jixian Hall and quickly took his leave.
Before leaving, he gave his two sons a wink, and Yu Jingxian immediately followed. Yu Jingliang hesitated for a moment, but had no choice but to go with them.
As for Shen Changting, he was sent away by Gu Ruxu.
Gu Ruxu looked at Yu Qingxue with a cold expression and made no attempt to hide her disgust. "Whether you knew or not, you know it yourself, and we know it too. You must remember that we tolerated you entirely because of my Linlang and Ali."
Yu Qingxue lowered her head, neither replying nor refuting.
Facing Yu Liuzhu beside her, Gu Ruxu said the same thing, "I used to think you were a good person, but I didn't expect that you couldn't change your nature. You'd better take care of yourself in the future."
Yu Liuzhu looked at her and Shen Linlang with a resentful and distant gaze.
In her past life, after she married into the Marquis's family, her mother-in-law was enlightened and her great-grandmother was kind. They loved and were satisfied with her, praising her to everyone they met. At that time, she thought she was born blessed and would be pampered and loved for the rest of her life.
Who knew that they would change their ways so suddenly, and their gazes toward her would no longer be gentle and loving, but rather complex and cold, just like the person in front of her now.
It wasn't like this just a few days ago. Just because she wasn't her mother's biological daughter, they were able to abandon their feelings of more than ten years, treat her like a stranger, and even despise her.
How could she possibly behave herself!
"mother……"
Shen Linlang resisted looking at her and turned her face away.
Gu Ruxu sighed, waved her hand, and signaled the servants to see them out.
After they left, he said to Shen Linlang, "You mustn't be soft-hearted."
Shen Linlang nodded, "I know."
Gu Ruxu gestured for Shen Qinglu to come over, "Ali, tell your aunt why you didn't let your father send your grandmother away? If she hadn't switched you with someone else, you wouldn't have suffered all these years."
“My father is a filial son, and I don’t want to put him in a difficult position. My mother values my father, and if he is in a difficult position, she will also be sad. I don’t want to create any rift between them.”
“Linlang, listen to this. This is your real daughter. She always thinks of you. Unlike some people, even if you raise her for more than ten years, treating her with the utmost care and luxury, in the end she will abandon her grandmother to plan for her own mother and disregard your relationship with your brother-in-law.”
Gu Ruxu sighed and added, "People are born like each other. Ali is as kind-hearted as you, while that child is just like her biological mother, with the same wicked intentions."
Shen Linlang was speechless, unable to tell whether she was disappointed or heartbroken.
After all, she was her sister-in-law whom she treated like a younger sister, so Gu Ruxu didn't say too many hurtful things. Instead, she changed the subject and turned to Shen Qinglu, saying, "Ali is your biological daughter. You can't be half-hearted in the future. You must never give away what belongs to Ali. You have to be ruthless when necessary, and don't create trouble for yourself."
"I understand."
Shen Linlang looked at Shen Qinglu with affection, "My Ali is a good child."
Gu Ruxu wholeheartedly agreed with this statement.
After chatting for a while, she saw the mother and daughter off. Before parting, she held Shen Qinglu's hand and said something meaningful, "Your aunt believes in you. You have your own reasons for doing things. Your mother is a sensible person, but she is too soft-hearted and sometimes acts against her will. If you have any difficulties, just come to your aunt, and your aunt will help you."
“I’ve remembered what my aunt said. Everyone has a heart, and my mother is a sentimental person, so it’s understandable that she’s soft-hearted. Some things really can’t be just thrown away; we should keep them under our noses and watch them deteriorate, rot, and stink before we can get rid of them completely.”
"He's a good kid."
She was very satisfied, patting Shen Qinglu's hand with undisguised affection and appreciation in her eyes.
Even after the person had gone far away, she was still standing in the same spot.
Shen Kunyao came over and asked her, "I've never seen you like this before. Why do I feel like you're treating Ali very differently?"
It's true that she used to value and cherish Yu Liuzhu, but the main reason wasn't Yu Liuzhu herself, but rather Yu Liuzhu's identity and her affection for Shen Linlang extended to her.
"Didn't you notice?" she retorted.
After thinking for a moment, Shen Kunyao said, "Is it because Ali suddenly became a better person and looks like a member of our Shen family?"
In his view, Shen Qinglu's love and boldness in playing with the hidden arrow for the first time were exactly in line with the Shen family's temperament.
Gu Ruxu shook her head and smiled slightly, "That child looks like me!"
*
The Da Xuan Kong Temple has a bamboo grove, behind which is a secluded guest courtyard. In terms of layout, it is very similar to the bamboo grove courtyard of the Marquis of Yongyi's residence.
A snow-white figure drifted in, like snow falling to earth.
Yang Zhen, who was making tea inside, immediately came out to greet him, "Your Majesty is back."
Mu Hanshi's expression was aloof as he asked the guard behind him, "Where has she gone?"
The guard replied, "The person has already entered the temple."
Yang Zhen was puzzled, but he didn't ask who they were talking about. When Yu Liuzhu's figure appeared at the edge of the bamboo forest, he subconsciously frowned, "How does Miss Yu know the master's residence?"
It was understandable that they knew the master's residence last time, since there were many people and gossips there. They either asked the servants or overheard the conversation by chance, so it wasn't surprising that they knew the master's residence.
This time, however, it's a bit hard to explain.
"My lord, shall I go and investigate?"
"No need."
Mu Hanshi stood behind the window and watched as Yu Liuzhu lingered outside the courtyard gate for a while before instructing, "Let her in."
Soon, Yu Liuzhu was invited in.
All her unease and hesitation transformed into anticipation and joy the moment she saw Mu Han. She secretly thought that even if they could do it all over again, even if they only met twice, she would still be the most special person to her Ninth Uncle from her past life.
“Uncle Mu, I didn’t mean to follow you. I was just afraid you would misunderstand me, so I was trying to explain to you. I didn’t expect to end up following you all the way here.”
What are you trying to explain?
“I really wanted to share my parents’ burdens before, and I didn’t think too much about it. I didn’t know that people sent to Shansi Nunnery wouldn’t live long. I thought it was the safest place to go.”
The words "Shansi Nunnery" came out of her mouth with an indescribable strangeness.
In fact, she had learned about this place not only from Gu Ruxu's casual conversations, but also from her mother-in-law in her previous life. The reason her mother-in-law mentioned that place was because she had privately discussed with her great-grandmother the possibility of sending her there.
They didn't just abandon her, they wanted her dead!
Fortunately, God had eyes and gave her a second chance at life.
“I’m no longer the eldest daughter of the Yu family. It seems like everyone has become prejudiced against me overnight. No matter what I say or do, it all seems wrong. I originally intended to act according to my conscience and not care about other people’s opinions, but for some reason, I don’t want you to misunderstand me. I don’t know what’s wrong with me…”
The way Mu Hanshi looked at her was clearly different from how he looked at others. She felt his focus and gentleness, but she didn't realize that his gaze had passed right through her and was looking somewhere else.
She lowered her head slightly, her cheeks flushed, looking both shy and timid, and her heart was beating fast.
Yang Zhen, standing to the side, was quite surprised. After glancing at her, he looked at his master.
In this Buddhist sanctuary, the scent of incense and candles permeated the air. The man with the snow-white, divine face seemed like a divine child descended from heaven, as if receiving offerings of incense from the mortal world. His face was so stern and composed that it seemed he would never be disturbed by worldly affairs.
If you have a clear conscience, you don't need to care about anyone else's opinion.
“I…” Yu Liuzhu lowered her head even further, “I don’t care about others, I just don’t want you to be disappointed in me. It’s as if I’ve met you more than twice, as if we’ve known each other in a past life.”
A light suddenly shone in Mu Hanshi's eyes, and he instantly appeared close by. His voice, as soft as falling snow, suddenly became heavy, "You remember things from your past life?"
Of course she remembers!
In her past life, when she was in dire straits, it was this Uncle Nine who helped her out of her predicament and even punished the scheming matriarch who had been making things difficult for her. She was grateful and thought of thanking him privately.
That night, she went to the bamboo grove courtyard alone and saw people in the bamboo grove from afar.
Under the moonlight, the man, as cold and aloof as snow, gazed at the bamboo forest, murmuring with a mixture of suppressed emotion and pain: "A-Zhu, A-Zhu, A-Zhu..."
Her name is Yu Liuzhu. Besides her, who else is Azhu?
"How could I possibly remember anything from my past life? I just feel a sense of familiarity with you..."
A moment later, Mu Hanshi was several steps away again, saying, "Speaking of Shansi Nunnery, I have an idea. Why not build a charity hall in the city to take in some abandoned or wandering children? It would be a way to accumulate good karma. How about we call it..."
He paused for a moment and looked at Yu Liuzhu.
Yu Liuzhu was overjoyed, thinking to herself that the man was even telling her about something like this and asking for her opinion, so he must value her highly. She immediately replied, "How about we name it Jifutang?"
“It’s not Jifutang.” The light in his eyes had completely dimmed, returning to a void of silence. “You have an excellent appearance, and you should be a kind and serene person. Do not let a moment’s lapse of judgment lead you astray and ruin your appearance.”
"I...I had no other thoughts. If it weren't for my sister Ali reminding me, I would never have thought of those things..." Yu Liuzhu's voice gradually faded under his calm gaze, and a sense of fear arose inexplicably. "I was really presumptuous today and disturbed you."
Yang Zhen, being very perceptive, immediately came over to see the guest out.
When Yu Liuzhu's figure disappeared into the bamboo forest, he turned back and stood silently behind his master.
Mu Hanshi stood by the window, gazing at the bamboo forest, his eyes calm and distant. "The thatch on the distant mountain may look like bamboo at first glance, but it is never the same as bamboo."
"Does Your Majesty think Miss Yu resembles someone else?"
"No matter how similar she is, she's not her."
Upon hearing this, Yang Zhen knew that her feeling all along was correct.
He had been by Mu Hanshi's side for ten years. When he first met him, he immediately knew that this master was no ordinary person. Despite his young age, he seemed to have a vast and profound mind, hiding too much knowledge.
And that Miss Yu must look very much like someone the Lord once valued, like the young master of the Marquis's mansion.
*
The atmosphere throughout the Jade Mansion was oppressive and strange.
The further west they went, the stronger this feeling became. Even the servants who cleaned the mansion wished they could stay far away from the place where those troublemakers lived, and cursed their bad luck in secret.
Shen Linlang stood not far from the Jingxin Courtyard, her face etched with worry.
Yinping came over from the other side and reported, "Madam, I asked Dengzhi, and she said that Miss Tang'er left alone halfway and did not let her follow."
"Madam, please don't worry. Miss Tang'er is probably just looking for a quiet place. She'll definitely come back on her own," Granny Yu comforted her.
Shen Linlang remained silent, her expression growing even more unpleasant.
She gazed in the direction of Jingxin Courtyard, her heart filled with complex emotions that no one could understand.
After an unknown amount of time, Yu Liuzhu finally appeared. It seemed that Lu must have come in through the back door. Such an obvious act of sneaking around made her inexplicably annoyed.
"Tang'er, where did you go?"
Upon hearing her voice, Yu Liuzhu felt no guilt whatsoever; instead, tears welled up in her eyes before she could even speak.
After all, this was a child she had cherished for over a decade, and her heartache welled up uncontrollably, almost instinctively softening her heart.
"No matter where you go, you should have someone with you."
“Mother… I’m so glad you’re still willing to take care of me.” Yu Liuzhu cried out, “I’m just feeling sad and want to walk around by myself. I’m afraid you’ll be upset if you see me. I’ve even thought about leaving and never coming back, but as I walk, I don’t know where to go.”
I was born and raised in the Yu family. I've never left you since I was a child. I don't know how I could live without you. Mother, tell me, what should I do?
Shen Linlang also wanted to know what she should do.
Only she knows how much effort she put into this child. In all her future plans, this child held a very important place.
They were once mother and daughter, but now even the kindness of raising her seems so pathetic.
"Don't overthink it. You are a cousin of the Yu family. What is rightfully yours will be yours, and what is not yours... don't fight for it."
Now that things have come to this, what is left that truly belongs to me?
Yu Liuzhu suddenly felt that her current situation was even worse than in her previous life. In her previous life, at least she had a generous dowry and the title of the wife of the Marquis's heir. But now, apart from a few clothes, she had nothing at all.
“Mother, I just can’t understand it. How could I not be your daughter? You said that when you were pregnant, you had a dream about a little girl who looked like me. You heard someone call her ‘A Zhu’, so you named me Liu Zhu. You also said that we are mother and daughter destined by heaven, a fate arranged in a previous life. Why does Grandmother say that I am not her? Am I really not her?”
Behind a tree not far away, Shen Qinglu slowly raised her eyes, and stars shone faintly in the dark darkness.
The sky is clear with clouds, like mist, like gauze, like duckweed. From one time and space to another, the clouds seem to have found their home, gradually converging in the same direction.
"Don't bring up the past anymore. Take care of yourself from now on." After saying this, Shen Linlang turned and left, afraid that if she hesitated any longer, her heart would be torn apart.
You'd better watch yourself!
"Mother, I won't get better, I'll never get better." Yu Liuzhu cried and grieved as she looked at her back.
She didn't turn around, so she naturally couldn't see Yu Liuzhu's expression at that moment.
As if seeking revenge, Yu Liuzhu unabashedly unleashed her hatred, twisting her beautiful face into a grim expression, transforming her sickly appearance into a dark and gloomy one.
"You look really bad." Shen Qinglu emerged from behind the tree and approached step by step. "Your face shouldn't look like this. It's really unbearable to look at."
She may be a manipulative woman, and she may be hypocritical and deceitful, but she never harbored any resentment towards anyone in her past life, not even her so-called parents who abandoned her.
This Yu Liuzhu has a face that bears a striking resemblance to hers, yet she shows no gratitude towards her adoptive mother who raised her for over a decade; instead, she harbors hatred. It's truly distressing to look at her.
If only it were a mask, then she could find a chance to take it off.
"Shouldn't I be like this?" Yu Liuzhu wiped her face. "I know you were faking it all along. You pretended to be crazy and fooled everyone. Aren't you very proud of yourself?"
"It's rare that you actually figured it out." Shen Qinglu showed no panic at being exposed and nonchalantly played with the sleeve dart that she hadn't taken off her wrist.
"You were faking it all!" Yu Liuzhu said, as if he had caught her red-handed, his tone tinged with excitement. "Aren't you afraid I'll tell everyone?"
“You can tell others, my grandmother, my mother, my father, or your mother, let everyone know that I was faking it all along!”
Are you really not afraid?
"What do I have to fear?" She smiled indifferently, her dark eyes fixed on the spot. "I'm not afraid to tell you that I'm going to take back every single thing you took from me before."
Including names!
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