Chapter 264: Chapter 266 - Bitterness

Yuxi wanted to go back to the State Residence but was dragged by Zhou Shiya back to her Courtyard. Zhou Shiya also looked apologetic as she said, “Yuxi, I’m really sorry.”

Although Yuxi still had a stomach full of anger, she did not lose her temper with Zhou Shiya, but only asked, “Why did you give your maid to Zhou Shirui for no good reason?” Usually, one’s personal maids could not be given to others without any special reasons.

Zhou Shiya sighed and said, “In fact, this matter is very strange to me, to say the least. That day, when my Ba Mei came over and told me that she wanted to exchange her personal maid with my Xiao Ling, I disagreed. It was my mother who later asked me to give Xiao Ling to her.” Her mother had spoken up, so she didn’t insist. Xiao Ling was just her maid anyway.

Yuxi frowned. “Why would your mother tell you to give Xiao Ling to Zhou Shirui?” The Second Lady Zhou was not a person who was open to persuasion.

Zhou Shiya said, “I asked, but my mother wouldn’t tell me. If I had known that something like this would happen, I would not have agreed to give that person to her that day.”

When Yuxi remembered how Xiao Ling had reacted at that time, her heart felt extremely uncomfortable. Although she was not sure of the reason, nine times out of ten, the Zhou family was having internal strife, which somehow implicated Yuxi too. Yuxi said, “Forget it. If you don’t know, then you won’t know about it. I’ve been out for so long. My mother must be worried. I have to go back.” When she encountered such a thing, Yuxi was unwilling to stay in the Zhou family for much longer.

When Zhou Shiya saw Yuxi’s reaction, she begged pitifully, “Yuxi, this matter is all my fault. Don’t be angry with me, okay?”

Yuxi laughed a little as she comforted her, “This has nothing to do with you. Well, we’ll talk about it next time. My mother must be very anxious as I have come out in such a hurry. I must rush back.” After saying that, she glanced at Momo Quan, who had not said anything. She had been in too much of a hurry just now. Now that she had time to think back, Momo Quan probably noticed something wrong with Xiao Ling much earlier.

Zhou Shiya stopped obstructing Yuxi and sent her out the second door. Until Yuxi’s back disappeared from her sight, Zhou Shiya turned around and went to find Second Lady Zhou. “Mother, why did you give Xiao Ling to Zhou Shirui that day?”

Second Lady Zhou responded, “You don’t have to ask much about this. Mother has Mother’s own reasons for not telling you.”

Zhou Shiya was annoyed and said, “Mother, I must know the reason today.” When her mother told her not to ask that day, she didn’t ask any more questions. But now, she couldn’t help but ask. Even though she wasn’t the one triggering this incident, how would she explain it to Yuxi?

When Second Lady Zhou looked at Zhou Shiya’s insistent face, she could only sigh quietly. “I didn’t expect this to happen like this. If you want to know, I’ll tell you, but you can’t tell Yuxi about this.”

Zhou Shiya nodded and said, “Okay.”

Second Lady Zhou told her daughter the truth. “Xiao Ling is your Dabo’s daughter.” She also knew this by accident, which was shocking and difficult for her to accept at first. Once she let out this secret, her daughter’s face didn’t look good.

Zhou Shiya was so shocked that her whole body froze. “How could that be? Aren’t Xiao Ling’s parents the tenants of the hamlet? How could she be Dabo’s daughter?”

Second Lady Zhou replied, “You just need to know that Xiao Ling is your Dabo’s daughter. You don’t need to know anything else.” In fact, it was not much of a twist as the Eldest Lord Zhou was a lustful man. On a chance visit to the hamlet more than ten years ago, he fell in love with Xiao Ling’s lovely mother. If he had only taken advantage of her body and brought her back as a concubine, that would have been fine. However, for Eldest Lord Zhou, it was just a novelty, and he threw the matter beyond the highest heavens when he returned to the capital. Xiao Ling’s mother was not a fool. She knew that if she entered the Marquis’ household, it would be a road that would lead her nowhere, so she married her current husband. The Second Lady Zhou did not want to talk to Zhou Shiya about these kinds of things. She was afraid that talking about them would dirty her daughter’s ears.

Zhou Shiya frowned and questioned, “If Mother knew that Xiao Ling was my tangmei, why didn’t Mother tell Grandmother and Da Bomu?”

Second Lady Zhou stroked Zhou Shiya’s head and said softly, “It’s not something you can just admit. There’s a lot of things involved.”

Zhou Shiya asked, “Even if Xiao Ling knows about her birth, what does this have to do with Yuxi? Earnestly, why should Yuxi even be dragged into this matter?”

Second Lady Zhou answered, “I’m not sure about that.”

When Zhou Shiya looked at her mother, she knew that she wasn’t telling the truth. It was just that she was also clear that her mother was already at the limit of what she could say to her. “Mother, then how should I explain this matter to Yuxi? It’s our fault that this incident has put Yuxi in such a fright.” If something like this leaked out, the Marquis Residence would also have to suffer.

Second Lady Zhou could only smile bitterly. “That’s all we can do.” There was no way for them to give an account of this matter to Yuxi, even if it would leave a knot in her heart.

When Yuxi returned to the State Residence, she went to see Qiu Shi. Yuxi did not hide it from Qiu Shi and told her about it.

Qiu Shi was furious and questioned, “What’s wrong with this girl? Can such a thing be used as a joke?” After that, she asked, “What did the Zhou family do with that girl?”

Yuxi told how the First Lady Zhou had punished Zhou Shirui. Although Yuxi was unhappy with this punishment, she knew that this was the limit for the Zhou family.

Qiu Shi sneered as she said, “The Zhou family is indeed getting worse over time. Don’t go to the Zhou family anymore in the future.” Who knew if there would be another prank next time.

Yuxi felt that Qiu Shi was venting her anger on those who should not be blamed, but Qiu Shi was also doing this for her own good, so she could only nod and assure her, “Mother, I know.”

Back at Taoran House, Yuxi let everyone out and took only Momo Quan into the study. When they entered the study, Yuxi asked, “Momo knew that there was something wrong with Xiao Ling. Why didn’t Momo tell me?” She didn’t suspect Momo Quan. She just didn’t quite understand her action.

Momo Quan asked her back, “What did Miss expect me to say? That there’s something wrong with Xiao Ling?”

As soon as she heard Momo Quan’s tone, Yuxi took the initiative to admit her mistake. “It was me who was too impulsive. If I had only thought more about what happened today, she wouldn’t have fooled me.” Although she was still unclear as to what this incident was all about. It was not like anything particular had happened despite being tricked into coming to the Zhou family residence.

Momo Quan asked another question, “If something like this happens again next time, will Miss still become this impulsive?” Yuxi had learnt a lot, but what she had learnt was all theoretical and hadn’t experienced much. It would be good for her to undergo more situations right now instead.

Yuxi did not answer immediately but lowered her head and thought seriously for a moment before saying, “No. Even if something truly happened to Zhou Shiya, I should have spoken to my mother first, instead of rushing off by myself.”

Momo Quan nodded her head. If Yuxi hadn’t even thought to tell her that she would do the opposite, she would have been very disappointed. There were many things that one could only know whether one could do it after one had thought about them carefully.

Yuxi still asked the same question she had just asked before, “Momo has long seen that there is something wrong with Xiao Ling, but why didn’t Momo tell me?”n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Momo Quan said, “Do you know why masters release their apprentices after they have learned their master’s craft for them to set up their own business?” Momo Quan was talking here about a liberal-minded master who honestly thought of his apprentice’s interest. [+]

Yuxi knew that Momo Quan would not say such things for no reason, and at that moment, she fell into deep thought. After a while, Yuxi answered, “Just by following the master’s side, there will always be a dependency on the master, and the apprentice cannot grow. By letting the apprentice go, is it the master’s hope that his apprentice can make his way outside and become an independent person in the future?” After saying this, Yuxi understood why Momo Quan had not told her that there was something wrong with Xiao Ling. If Momo had told her today that there was something wrong with Xiao Ling, she would have been angry, but not this furious.

Momo Quan nodded gently and said with relief, “The fact that Miss can figure this out proves that some of my hard work has not been in vain. However, Miss has not yet realised Miss’ biggest problem.” Had Yuxi been reminded, she would not have been able to teach her such a profound lesson.

Yuxi froze for a moment and asked, “My biggest problem?” She thought her biggest problem was that she wasn’t observant enough and had been too impulsive at times. But looking at Momo’s expression, it seemed like that wasn’t the utmost mistake of hers that Momo had laid out.

Momo Quan explained, “Today, Miss’ biggest problem was that Miss had no guard against people and was not cautious in Miss’ actions. If Miss is a little cautious, Miss won’t have fallen for it. It never occurred to Miss that if someone tried to kill Miss in the name of someone Miss cares about, like today’s situation, that person would have succeeded.” [T/R]

Yuxi admitted that she had been too impulsive today, but she was still a little hesitant when she heard Momo Quan’s words. “Momo, Zhou Shiya is a good sister of mine. When I heard that there was something wrong with her, I was so anxious and angry that I didn’t think much about it at all.”

Momo Quan looked pale as she reminded, “Miss, even good sisters can become enemies in the twinkling of an eye.”

Yuxi’s face froze, but she knew Momo Quan’s temper and wouldn’t say these words for no reason. “Momo might as well say to me directly what Momo wants to say.”

Momo Quan nodded a little and said, “In the future, Miss shouldn’t get too close with Miss Zhou.”

Yuxi was stunned. After a moment, she asked, “Why?”

Momo Quan replied to Yuxi with only a few sentences that pointed out that their sister relationship was unworthy. “I have heard Zisu talk a lot about you and Miss Biao Zhou. Over the years, Miss has treated Miss Biao Zhou like Miss’ own sister. But as soon as the Miss encountered a difficult situation, Miss Biao Zhou avoided Miss.”

Yuxi knew that Momo Quan was talking about when Han Jingyan kicked her out, and Zhou Shiya had made no further contact with her. “Shiya was also kept in check by Second Lady Zhou. There was nothing she could do about it.”

Momo Quan smiled a little. “Miss might want to think about it from a different perspective. If Zhou Shiya was the one who had been kicked out of her house, what would Miss have done?” Seeing that Yuxi was silent, Momo Quan continued, “If Zhou Shiya were kicked out in the end instead, Miss would certainly think of ways to see her, and even if Miss couldn’t, Miss would have someone send a letter to her. Miss Zhou is the Second Lady Zhou’s biological daughter. As long as Miss Zhou had the heart to do so, there was no way she couldn’t even send Miss a letter. Miss, only when one encountered misfortune could one see a person’s true nature.” From what happened last time, one could see that Zhou Shiya was not someone worthy of a sincere friendship. It was still worthwhile for Yuxi to improve her evaluation of people.

Yuxi felt that her mouth was full of bitterness.

Momo Quan did not go on, but she decided to stop talking instead. One could think about it oneself in such matters, and it was useless for others to say more about it.