Chapter 121

Chapter 121 A Couple Looking for Their Daughter

Qu Zhizhen’s ankle was not severely injured. He recovered pretty quickly and could walk already. As long as he didn’t walk too fast, he wouldn’t even feel pain.

“My lady, one day I saw a strange couple waiting at the back door of our mansion. Then Fourth Lady’s private maid named Yu Dong came out and talked to them. They seemed to have an argument. Then Yu Dong handed them a small bag and urged them to leave.”

“I found the whole thing very weird. I heard only a wet nurse was staying with Fourth Lady to take care of her. It should be people like a couple who served her. After Yu Dong left, I went to ask the old maid who guards the back door. She told me that this couple came several times these two days. And…and…”

“And what?” Qu Qiuyan asked in shock.

Behind the wall, Qu Zhizhen’a attention was caught by the maid’s words too.

“And the old maid told me that Yu Dong has been giving things to that couple. It started from a small bag and then became bigger. It sounded like Yu Dong tried to let the couple go away and never come back again. Yu Dong even threatened them that she would report them to the officials if they came again. Yu Dong was just saying it but never did it. Since the old maid stood a bit far away from them, she only heard a few things…”

“It sounded like this couple was here to look for their daughter.”

Qu Qiuyan was so shocked by Qing Ju’s last few words that she even fell into silence for a while. Then she said, “Does that mean they are Yu Dong’s parents?”

No one would care about a maid’s family background, especially Qu Moying’s maid. It was said that all her maids were recruited by herself.

One of them was even picked up by her on the street.

“If they are Yu Dong’s parents, there should be nothing to hide about. Moreover, a maid like Yu Dong shouldn’t have so many things to give to other people.” Qing Ju shook her head, looking confused. “I don’t know what was happening either. But the old maid was sure about one thing – that couple kept mentioning the Fourth Lady.”

“Don’t…don’t tell me…” Qu Qiuyan seemed to have a guess in mind and took a deep breath in shock.

“My lady, don’t tell me you never find the Fourth Lady weird. She never gets close to anyone in the mansion after coming back and even tries to frame you and the Second Madam. She doesn’t even act like the Second Master’s daughter. Maybe…maybe…” Qing Ju stopped talking and looked around with a flustered expression.

“That’s enough. This is nonsense. Father should know the truth better than anyone. Let’s leave here,” Qu Qiuyan pulled a long face and said.

“Yes, my lady. I’m only saying it in front of you. I will never tell outsiders about it.” Qing Ju nodded and left the parking lot with Qu Qiuyan.

Behind the wall, Qu Zhizhen had stayed silent, frowning. The young servants behind him lowered their heads to hide their expression from Qu Zhizhen.

The Fourth Lady might be a fake one? Was it what they meant? But after a second thought, the servants all found this theory acceptable since no one had ever seen the Fourth Lady’s face since she grew up in the village. Someone else might have pretended to be her since the Qu Family was still considered a noble family in the capital.

But this was too shocking!

How did the fake Fourth Lady sneak into the village and replace the real one?

“My lady, someone was at the side door connecting the parking lot and the outer yard! I heard many footsteps approaching, but they all stopped once you and the Third Lady started talking. When you left, they were still staying there,” once Qu Moying and Yu Dong got on the carriage, Yu Dong immediately reported to Qu Moying. He had a good hearing and noticed Qu Zhizhen’s footsteps at once.

“I know. It should be my father.” Qu Moying nodded. Her bad eyesight made her sense of hearing keener than ordinary people’s. When Yu Dong reminded her, she immediately felt some people were at the door and heard a cracking sound of a branch. Someone probably stepped on a branch on the ground and broke it by accident at that moment.

“My lady, then why did you not treat the Third Lady better just now?” Yu Dong asked in confusion. Since the Fourth Lady knew her father was behind the wall, why she didn’t collaborate with the Third Lady and pretend they had a close relationship?

“Qu Qiuyan is so dedicated to showing everyone that I’m a fake. I’m giving her a chance to do so!” Qu Moying’s lips curled into a sarcastic smile. After she knew the conversation between Qu Qiuyan and Pei Yusheng that day, she had already expected Qu Qiuyan to lead things in this direction. She might as well add some fuel to the fire.

Qu Moying didn’t respect Qu Zhizhen as her father anyway.

He never asked about her all the years when Yu left her in the village and even let Yu frame her. Father was merely a title for Qu Zhizhen. Qu Zhizhen never cared about Qu Moying, nor did she care about him.

“My lady, if the Second Master believes you are fake, will he do anything to you?” Yu Dong hesitated for a second and asked.

“Even if he doesn’t believe it, he won’t defend me anyway. What’s more, he will even watch Yu and her daughter insulting me and framing me. But if I still have value for him, he doesn’t care if I’m his real daughter or not,” Qu Moying said ironically.

These days, the more she thought about Qu Zhizhen, the more she felt he was just a cold-hearted person. His indifferent attitude was not only toward Qu Moying’s mother Yue but also toward his own daughter. No matter what, Qu Moying was just a powerless girl who only needed the Qu Family to pay for her dowry when getting married. It was so unnecessary to make his ex-wife’s daughter suffer so much.

She was just a blind and dumb daughter who didn’t have any value for him. The only useful engagement she had had long become Yu Qingmeng’s because of Yu’s effort. Or to say, even if she married Xu Lipeng, she was still an abandoned blind girl who had no value for him.

In Qu Zhizhen’s mind, even his niece Yu Qingmeng was probably more useful than Qu Moying. After all, Yu Qingmeng grew up in the Qu’s Mansion and was close to the Qu Family. If Yu Qingmeng could become Young Master Yongning’s wife, she would be much more valuable than Qu Moying in the same position. Moreover, Xu Lipeng liked Yu Qingmeng instead of Qu Moying.

For this reason alone, his niece Yu Qingmeng had much more value than his own daughter Qu Moying.

Qu Zhizhen treated his ex-wife so coldly, probably for the same reason. Maybe, in the beginning, he wanted to like her as his daughter. However, Yu made Qu Moying blind and sent her away from the Qu’s Mansion. Even the tutor said Qu Moying was just an ugly and dumb girl who couldn’t learn anything. In Qu Zhizhen’s eyes, Qu Moying had lost her last bit of value, and this was probably the real reason why he gave up on her!

It was just his reason was too cold-hearted and selfish.

Meanwhile, Qu Qiuyan’s biggest value for Qu Zhizhen was Lord Jing’s affection for her. Qu Qiuyan marring Lord Jing meant more power for the Qu Family.

For Qu Zhizhen, everything was about one thing – benefit.

Since then, why would he care if his daughter was close to him and respected him as her father?

“My lady, will the Second Master investigate you?” Yu Dong felt pity for his master, thinking Vice Minister Qu was really selfish.

“It’s okay. Let them take their time to do whatever they want. I’m looking forward to the fake identity they make up for me,” Qu Moying said carelessly. There was no need to be flustered about the situation. She was sure about one thing – there was never a fake Qu Moying. She had always been the real one.

She would see how Yu and her daughter made her become a fake.

“My lady, I’ve been giving money to that couple as you said. But that couple clearly doesn’t hold a good intention. They are even unwilling to leave.” Yu Dong nodded and started to mention the thing Qu Moying asked him to deal with at the back door. Once he talked about it, he immediately felt irritated.

He found the whole thing just absurd. That couple lived in the village. They somehow got the address and came to look for Qu Moying, asking for her help to find them jobs. Qu Moying indeed recognized them and agreed to help them ask around. She asked them to wait for some time, but they kept coming to look for her, saying that they lived outside and didn’t have clothes to wear.

Qu Moying then asked Yu Dong to hand them some clothes, but they came again shamelessly. So, Yu Dong had to give them what they wanted again.

Qu Moying only thought this was just a small accident, but now everything was clear.

They came twice these two days. Apparently, this was prepared for her.

“Ignore them if they come again. Send people to investigate them and see if they once had a daughter who went missing,” said Qu Moying as her eyes darkened. Yu and her daughter surely did some hard work to prepare such an annoying couple for her.

If she didn’t hear Qu Qiuyan and Lord Jing’s conversation, she wouldn’t figure it out so quickly.

This was a trap set exclusively for her, and they probably started to make the preparations when she was still in the Eastern Palace.

Naturally, Qu Qiuyan must’ve mentioned it when Qu Zhizhen hid behind the wall before.

“My lady, you mean…” Hearing Qu Moying’s words, Yu Dong understood it immediately. His face grew solemn as he nodded at her. “Don’t worry, my lady, leave it to me. I will gather all the information about this couple as soon as possible.”

As they talked, the carriage gradually slowed down. Yue Wenhan’s voice came from the front, “Cousin, here we are! Let’s wait here for a second.”

“Thank you, Cousin!” Qu Moying nodded and said to the window.

Yue Wenhan jumped off his horse outside the carriage and passed the reins to a young servant. Then he asked another one to give his name card to the person guarding the gate. The gateman had already recognized Yue Wenhan since he came several times these days. Every time Yue Wenhan came to see the earl but ended up not meeting him. The order the gateman received from the Ji Family was telling the First Master immediately when Mr. Yue arrived.

The gateman rushed inside. Soon, the First Master of the Ji Family, Ji Yong’an, strode out from inside. He hurriedly walked up to Yue Wenhan and bowed to him, “Mr. Yue!”

At this moment, white cloth was hung everywhere in the Earl Ling’an’s Mansion while Ji Yong’an had put on mourning clothes. His eyes looked red, and his voice sounded hoarse like he had suffered from a great shock.

But everything in Qu Moying’s eyes was just an ironic joke, stained by blood…