Chapter 445 - 445 Is She the One Who was in Your Heart

“Lady, it appears that Madam Yu has obtained some evidence. She intentionally hit the wall and went to find the Second Master.” Yu Dong entered and reported, but she arrived late, so the information she received was not detailed.

A lamp illuminated the room where Qu Moying was reading a book, still awake. Upon hearing Yu Dong’s arrival, her watery eyes lifted, exuding an elegance and tranquility that matched the ambiance of the room. Yet, there was a hint of inscrutable depth in her gaze.

“Do you know what evidence it is?”

“I do not know, but when the Second Master arrives, we may find out. Madam Yu intends to show it to him. She mentioned… she mentioned you, Lady…” Yu Dong paused for a moment, glancing at Qu Moying, hesitant to continue.

The authenticity of Madam Yu’s words had shaken her, and she wasn’t sure if this matter could be true.

“What about me?” Qu Moying responded, picking up a pair of small scissors from her nearby table. With a graceful and unhurried motion, she snipped at the flickering lamp flame.

Her actions were elegant and natural, showing no signs of anxiety.

Observing Qu Moying’s composed demeanor, Yu Dong’s heart also settled. Just moments ago, she was truly unsettled, as this matter seemed too perplexing to comprehend.

“Lady, according to Madam Yu’s implications, it seems that she claims Madam Yue and Minister Liu were acquainted in the past. Madam Yu even has evidence suggesting that she and Minister Liu met each other during that time. Furthermore, she asserts that the timing of your birth coincides with their meeting. It appears that Madam Yu is insinuating that you are… Minister Liu’s daughter.”

Yu Dong collected her thoughts and disclosed everything that had been weighing on her mind.

“Minister Liu?” Qu Moying arched an eyebrow. Today marked her first encounter with Minister Liu, who had indeed shown some curiosity toward her. He had glanced at her a few times with a gentle expression, but that was the extent of it. There was no other excitement or intense emotions involved. Therefore, the so-called evidence provided by Madam Yu was simply impossible.

If her own background was truly related to Minister Liu, he didn’t seem like a clueless person. But looking at Liu Jingyu’s actions today, it’s evident that she had been guided by him. Being able to maintain decorum in such a situation, denying any misunderstanding and even accepting her apology could be seen as an attempt to calm the situation.

This Minister Liu was certainly not ordinary.

Considering how he has suppressed figures like Qu Zhizhen, it’s clear that he possesses genuine power.

To become one of the Six Ministers at such a young age implied more than just having influential connections.

If such a person indeed had a connection with her mother, he wouldn’t remain inactive like this.

However, she had no favorable opinion of Qu Zhizhen, her so-called father. In fact, she would be delighted if she didn’t have to recognize him as her father.

But that was impossible!

“Yudong, go and listen again, find out how my father actually resolved this matter.” Qu Moying put down the scissors, walked to the window, opened it, gazed at the night sky, and calmly spoke.

She remained unperturbed by Yu’s evidence. Liu Jingyu left her maid inside the house today, indicating that something was amiss. Now, it appeared that this evidence, supposedly given by Liu Jingyu to Qu Qiuyan, needed to be examined to ascertain its significance and observe Qu Zhizhen’s reaction…

Qu Zhizhen was indeed attending to official matters. Upon hearing that Yu had hit a wall, he wasn’t inclined to come. To him, Yu was already a dead person, causing no ripples in his emotions.

However, upon further consideration, Qu Zhizhen decided to bring his two servants and a lamp to investigate.

After all, his son and daughter were still present. Especially his daughter, who was now engaged to Lord Jing and would soon be taken to Lord Jing’s residence during the New Year’s celebrations.

Although she wouldn’t hold the title of a consort or a side consort, having a few tables set for the banquet would grant Qu Qiuyan a sense of dignity. At this moment, Yu must not die.

If this spoiled Lord Jing’s mood, he would be furious.

The courtyard gate stood wide open as Qu Zhizhen furrowed his brow and entered. Just as he reached the inside, Hai Lan rushed out, wailing when she saw him, “Second Master, please come and see quickly, Second Madam… she couldn’t bear it… she hit the wall…”

She continued sobbing.

Qu Zhizhen coldly reprimanded, “Silence.”

With his servants in tow, he walked further inside. Upon entering, a musty and decaying atmosphere, accompanied by a hint of blood, permeated the air, casting a more gloomy and nauseating feeling.

Qu Zhizhen wasn’t as fragile as Qu Qiuyan. As he turned into the main room, he saw Yu leaning on the bed, radiating both disgust and resentment towards Qu Qiuyan.

Yu’s head had been bandaged, and now she weakly half-lay on the bed. When she saw someone enter, she faintly opened her eyes. The flickering figure turned out to be Qu Zhizhen, which instantly filled her with joy. She reached out and tapped the bed’s hollow, calling out in surprise, “Second Master.”

Qu Zhizhen’s face darkened, and he waved his hand, gesturing for the maid to retreat.

Hai Lan had also entered by this point and, after observing Yu on the bed and Qu Zhizhen’s gloomy and angry expression, she didn’t dare linger any longer. She withdrew as well.

However, Qu Zhizhen’s two servants remained, standing obediently behind him, their heads lowered respectfully.

“Second Master!” Yu cried out again.

“What’s the matter? Why all this commotion? Do you want to disrupt Qiuyan’s marriage? Are you unsatisfied with her position as a concubine?” Qu Zhizhen sneered, his gaze unkindly fixed on Yu.

Yu raised her head blankly, unable to comprehend Qu Zhizhen’s words. “What… concubine? Who… who… is a concubine?”

“Who else could it be other than Qiuyan? His Highness Lord Jing wants her to enter the Mansion during the New Year. Right now, there’s no official mistress in the his mansion, so she will be the official mistress.” Qu Zhizhen said impatiently, “You’re causing a scene now, are you not planning to let her marry into the mansion?”

“She is going to the Lord Jing’s Mansion? Is she… the consort, not a concubine?” Yu didn’t understand clearly, and after a moment of confusion, she suddenly realized that it was as the consort. Her heart was filled with immense joy, and her smile beamed from the corners of her eyes and eyebrows.

In the past, Yu herself was a beautiful woman who naturally made people feel delighted by her smile. But in the current situation, under the dim lighting, Qu Zhizhen couldn’t help but feel that the Yu before him resembled more of a vengeful spirit. He frowned with disgust, growing even more disdainful towards Yu.

“You don’t need to worry about this matter. I will handle it. Tell me, what exactly is causing all this commotion?” Since Yu didn’t know about this matter, it must not be the reason for the scene. Qu Zhizhen changed the subject and asked.

“Qiuyan…” Yu was still having trouble snapping out of her ecstatic emotions for a while.

“If there’s nothing else, I will leave. Don’t create any additional troubles for her during this time.” Qu Zhizhen turned to leave.

“Second Master, wait! Let me show you something. After you see it, you won’t think I’m talking nonsense!” Yu reached out and retrieved a piece of paper from under the pillow. She smiled and handed it to Qu Zhizhen.

This statement was quite abrupt, and Qu Zhizhen couldn’t immediately grasp its meaning. However, he gestured for the servant to approach and receive the note.

Qu Zhizhen didn’t take the note himself but signaled the servant to open it. After glancing at its contents, his expression drastically changed.

“Second Master, I previously mentioned that Minister Liu seemed overly interested in prying into the affairs of our household. Occasionally, he would come to the residence with you, but there was no connection between the two households. One time, he even encountered Yue in the backyard. The two of them had a conversation. At that time, I told you about it, but you didn’t believe me. Now, take a look at this. It’s the proof!”

Yu smiled triumphantly. This incident happened a long time ago.

When Yu had just entered the mansion, she intentionally deceived Yue and brought her to the backyard, where she coincidentally met Minister Liu, who had come to find Qu Zhizhen. When the two met face to face, she, along with a few servants, witnessed their encounter and overheard their conversation. Afterward, she went back and embellished the story to Qu Zhizhen, adding fuel to the fire.

But Qu Zhizhen scolded her for making baseless claims since there were so many witnesses. Yu became increasingly dissatisfied and even mocked Yue in her words.

Yue had a good temperament and didn’t say anything. However, Qu Zhizhen found out about it later somehow. He specially called her over and reprimanded her severely, even losing his temper. Since then, Yu didn’t dare to bring up this matter again.

“Second Master, you see, I wasn’t wrong, there is something between them. Look at the dates on this paper. Second Master, do you remember? At that time, she wasn’t pregnant with the fourth Lady. But after a month, she suddenly discovered she was carrying a child. How coincidental, don’t you think?”

Seeing Qu Zhizhen momentarily speechless, Yu became even more smug. Her thin eyebrows arched up, exuding an eerie and malevolent air, although she was oblivious to it.

“What are you trying to imply?” Qu Zhizhen finally raised his head, his expression cold but composed.

Seeing him so composed, Yu froze for a moment, but then gritted her teeth and said in a resentful voice, “Second Master, don’t you understand yet? That girl isn’t yours; she was the child of Yue and…”

“Shut up!” Qu Zhizhen grabbed a cup from the edge of the table and fiercely threw it at Yu.

Yu instinctively leaned to the side, causing the cup to fall onto the quilt in front of her. It rolled down slowly, eventually landing on the floor and shattering into several pieces.

Yu’s eyes widened in shock as she looked at Qu Zhizhen, unable to believe what had just happened. Her voice trembled as she said, “Second Master… you…”

“Moying is my child, I’m well aware of that. In the future, there’s no need to bring up baseless things like this. Yu, you better stay here and avoid causing trouble for your children.” Qu Zhizhen laughed coldly, snatched the note from the servant’s hand, tore it into pieces with a few swift movements, and then turned and left with large strides.

From behind, cries of despair and anguish came from Yu, “Qu Zhizhen, are you still yearning for her? Is she the one you truly love? I and Yue… I and Yue…”

The voice then choked up and couldn’t continue, as if someone had covered her mouth.

“Keep a close eye on her. Don’t let her talk nonsense!” Qu Zhizhen’s voice echoed from the entrance, carrying a chilling hostility.

Behind the concealed window, Yu Dong cautiously huddled up, not daring to reveal the slightest trace…