Chapter 163

Muxu fell backwards into a kneeling position.

Why did she know everything? Had she known about all of her betrayals since the beginning? Why did she know that she was going to take action against her unborn baby? If she had felt suspicious about her since the lost money from the cold cream, why didn’t she say anything? Had she been observing her for such a long time?

Too frightening.

Muxu looked at Nie Sangyu fearfully. She instinctively wanted to retreat.

“I’ll always be lenient towards my own people.” Ji Man smiled. “You don’t have to be afraid.”

Dazed, Muxu closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled. She moved forward to kneel in front of Nie Sangyu and said, “This servant can’t outwit master and is willing to admit defeat.”

Ji Man raised her eyebrows. “I’ve always been wondering; shouldn’t you secretly hate me? I didn’t treat you well for several years and frightened you into this shy and mumbly state. It seems that I wasn’t overthinking. You truly do hate me.”

Nie Sangyu had been extremely cruel to Muxu in the original novel. Ji Man wasn’t surprised about Nie Sangyu’s habit of beating and scolding Muxu at the slightest pretext. It was only to be expected that a woman that didn’t receive love for several years to become slightly disturbed.

But, since she had transmigrated here, when had she ever treated Muxu even slightly bad? When she had stolen a chicken, she had shared half with Muxu. When she had earned money, she had given her some to spend. Why did she still betray her? Moreover, Muxu’s method had been so ruthless each time, ah. Whether it was last time or this time with wanting to harm the unborn baby, the consequences would have been very serious for her if she hadn’t been careful and Muxu had succeeded.

Muxu frowned and bitterly laughed. “With master’s memory, is it possible for you to forget how you treated this servant in the past?”

“You really don’t have many options,” Ji Man lightly said, “Your future is under my control. If you insist on protecting your hidden master, then I’ll tell Old Madame to drive you out of this household.”

Muxu lowered her eyes and said, “This servant can only accept that outcome. It was this servant’s own choices that led to it. If Madam isn’t magnanimous and can’t tolerate this servant, then this servant can only leave.”

Seeing Muxu’s attitude of not caring because she had nothing to lose, Ji Man sneered. “Are you thinking that since Li Zixiu is deeply in love with you and you treated his sickly mother well, he’ll still marry you if you go to him and cry that the marquis forced you?”

Muxu froze in shock.

“I forgot to tell you.” Ji Man took out a scrap of paper. “Doctor Li sent a note to you yesterday to watch the meteor shower with him last night. Unfortunately for you, at that time, you went to the study with me to bring the marquis chicken soup. Dengxin had thought the scrap of paper was trash and threw it away.”

“Also, when you were recently kneeling outside and crying that you sincerely love the marquis, Doctor Li was standing at the courtyard’s entrance and watching the show.” Ji Man smiled and continued, “Muxu, I’m guessing that it took a lot of sweet words from you to get him to hide the truth about my pregnancy from me, right?”

This woman had guessed everything correctly. Muxu’s lips trembled. She raised her eyes and looked at the woman in front of her, “You aren’t Nie Sangyu...”

She had served Nie Sangyu for six years. How could not know Nie Sangyu’s intelligence and conduct? But, it was exactly because she had always been following after her and knew that this person had to be Nie Sangyu that she never felt suspicious despite the strange change in her behavior. She had thought her personality had just drastically changed from being confined for too long.

However, a person’s brain couldn’t be changed. Nie Sangyu had originally been such a foolish woman. It wasn’t possible for her to become clever just because she had suffered shock. This woman wasn’t Nie Sangyu!

Still kneeling, Muxu scooted backwards. Her eyes were full of fear.

Ji Man stood up, straightened her clothes, and leisurely said, “If you want, you can go out and run around the marquis’s residence three times while shouting that I’m not the real Nie Sangyu. Do you think anyone will believe you?”

Muxu shook her head. Feeling the wall at her back, she stopped retreating. Her face was deathly pale.

“Don’t be so anxious. You know that you can’t outwit me. Why are you still struggling?” Ji Man said, “Even if you don’t say anything today and make the huge sacrifice of ruining your own future in order to protect your hidden master, I’ll still find out her identity sooner or later. You couldn’t hide from me and neither can she.”

“However, if you’re willing to tell me who she is, I won’t ask you to be loyal to me in the future or tell anyone that you were the one that told me. On the contrary, I can personally help you up into the position of an honored concubine.”

After showing her enough of the negative consequences, it was time for sweetness. This sweetness was incomparable. As a person that was used to being a servant, Muxu didn’t have any defenses against this type of reward.

“Y-you’re lying to me.” Muxu’s eyes showed that her firm resolve had wavered, but she still felt somewhat guarded.

Ji Man covered her lips and smiled. “Why would I lie to you? Are you doubting my ability? Or, do you think I’ll suffer a loss if you become an honored concubine? Don’t forget, you’ll always be my person in the eyes of others.”

Muxu’s heart moved. Although the woman in front of her was terrifying, she didn’t have any other paths to take. If she followed this type of master, as long as she didn’t act against her, she would be able to live a lavish life and no longer have to serve anyone.

Ji Man didn’t rush her. She sat down and leisurely drank her tea as she waited for Muxu to decide.

After enough time had passed for an incense stick to burn down, Muxu let out a long sigh.

T/N: To summarize rambling note below, I’m so sorry for the late chapters. I wasn’t feeling well last week, but I feel much better now. I’ll be posting at least two extra chapter parts each day by 11:55 PM EST until I catch up on late chapters.

Sorry for disappearing. I’ve been busy with personal stuff (finally done as of Sunday night, yay), and I haven’t been feeling well until yesterday. I always feel disappointed when a translator or author only post an announcement that they’ve been sick/busy or some other reason and will post sometime in the future, so I didn’t want to post before I had an new translated chapter.

Anyways, at minimum, I’ll be posting two extra chapter parts each day by 11:55 PM EST until I catch up on late chapter parts from last week. Late chapters will be made up by November 30th 11:55 PM EST.