"Why does sister-in-law look unwell?" Qi Zhenzhen asked casually after they got into the carriage.
It wasn't out of excessive kindness, but rather that Lin Fangruo's expression was so sour it was impossible to look at directly.
Lin Fangruo felt utterly miserable. Her sister-in-law was asking questions with full knowledge, and her mother-in-law was indulging her in doing so.
Yet, both of them appeared so open and aboveboard that she couldn't question them, nor could she dare to confront them.
"It's nothing, I just feel a bit stifled," Lin Fangruo forced a smile.
"Sister-in-law, you mustn't try to tough it out. If you feel unwell, you should quickly find the estate physician upon returning. You can't ignore even the slightest signal your body sends. Many illnesses develop to an irreversible stage because they weren't taken seriously at the beginning," Qi Zhenzhen said.
Lin Fangruo felt even more suffocated. Qi Zhenzhen was truly ruthless, cursing her with illness so openly.
But she couldn't say anything, which was incredibly frustrating.
"Thank you for your reminder, sister-in-law," Lin Fangruo managed to squeeze out.
Qin Tingxue patted Qi Zhenzhen's hand. "You are always so thoughtful and kind, my child."
Hearing this, Lin Fangruo used all her might to suppress the look of disgust from her face. They were doing this on purpose, this mother and daughter-in-law.
Lin Fangruo finally managed to endure until they returned to the estate. As soon as she alighted from the carriage, she hurried towards their courtyard, not even bothering to bid farewell to Qin Tingxue.
"Is she finding it too unbearable to hold back?" Qi Zhenzhen whispered.
"Likely so. After all, I, as her mother-in-law, have never accepted her from the bottom of my heart. And Madam Lu deliberately spoke so pointedly in front of her. It's quite remarkable she's held on this long," Qin Tingxue said.
"Then will she finally lose her temper?" Qi Zhenzhen asked.
"She might lose her temper internally, but outwardly, not yet, I think," Qin Tingxue said slowly. Her illegitimate son had always been one to endure humiliation. Although the Duke had promised him the position of heir apparent, until the imperial edict for his enfeoffment was issued, there were infinite variables. If she were to fall out with them, and his aspirations were to come to naught…
Heh.
"A'nian once said that in the beginning, he greatly envied that one. At that time, he craved the Duke's attention. He even thought more than once that if the Duke treated him like he treated that one, he wouldn't mind giving up the position of heir," Qi Zhenzhen said.
Qin Tingxue's hand, resting on Qi Zhenzhen's arm, tightened involuntarily. In the beginning, wasn't it only A'nian who longed for that? As his mother, she had also yearned for it, even neglecting A'nian because of it. She had even been willing to treat Gu Siya as her own child. She had made soup for him and mended his clothes.
But what had Gu Changwei done?
He had poured the soup out in front of A'nian, angrily accusing her of being poisonous at heart, of being unable to tolerate even a child. Those clothes, which she had painstakingly sewn with her own hands, he had cut to shreds with scissors. Ironically, at that time, she had still worried that Gu Changwei's actions would frighten Gu Siya. As it turned out, she saw schadenfreude and mockery in Gu Siya's eyes.
Later, she overheard servants gossiping that she had usurped Dong Ningwan's position, that she had caused Dong Ningwan's death, and why then pretend to be kind to the eldest young master? They said she clearly intended to harm the eldest young master.
These words had come from those serving Gu Siya.
She had once worried that Gu Siya would be led astray by those malicious servants, blinded by hatred. She went to talk to Gu Changwei. What had Gu Changwei said at the time? He said, "Stop pretending to be virtuous and benevolent. Are those words wronging you? Those servants are not wrong; they are loyal protectors. Gu Siya listening to them is not wrong."
At that time, she had argued with Gu Changwei. She had sworn to heaven that she had no ill intentions towards Gu Siya, but who believed her? Over time, even she herself began to think that she was meant to harm Gu Siya. Who was to blame for all this? Gu Changwei? Or should she blame her own stubbornness? If only she hadn't been blinded by that bit of affection back then…