Su Yunmo pursed her lips and clenched her fists. She seemed relieved, yet her heart felt empty.
It was as if a warm piece of her heart had been carved out. It didn't hurt, but her longing was gone.
It was a strange feeling, hard to describe, only leaving a bitter taste.
"The Marquis's household people personally witnessed the second young lady going mad only after interacting with this child. Although it was an accident, she bears undeniable responsibility."
Dou Ying spoke with a sanctimonious air.
"Fourth sister-in-law, I'll speak frankly. This child is most likely a jinx. Look at how many incidents have occurred in the manor since she arrived."
"Why not cast her out? It would be better for everyone."
Keeping her around was simply an annoyance.
Su Yunmo lowered her eyebrows and looked at Zhou Wanyou.
It was an undeniable fact that the Marquis's daughter was injured after interacting with her. If the Su family elders wished to distance themselves and expel her, it wouldn't be entirely unreasonable.
Zhou Wanyou's gaze was steady, her tone unwavering: "I am in charge of the General's Manor. Not even my father-in-law has the right to decide who stays and who goes."
"Insolent!" Su Qing slammed the table heavily. "Who gave you the audacity to speak to your elders like this? Either she leaves today, or you all get out!"
He had long found this daughter-in-law displeasing. If his rebellious son hadn't insisted on marrying her, this General's Manor wouldn't be hers to command.
Zhou Wanyou's lips curved into a cold smile.
They hadn't come solely for Mo'er this time; they were also targeting her. It seemed her father-in-law hadn't abandoned his dream of becoming the Emperor's father-in-law over the years.
If that were the case...
"I gave her this audacity. Any problem?"
A man strode through the doorway. He was still in his armor, and though only thirty, his face was etched with the hardships of the frontier.
Sharp, heroic eyebrows, long, narrow, piercing black eyes, thin, tightly pressed lips, and a tall, lean, yet not coarse physique – clearly, a hardened exterior forged by life on the border.
"Brother Yi?" Zhou Wanyou's eyes flashed with both surprise and delight. "Weren't you due back tomorrow noon?"
Su Qingtian walked forward, not bothering with the onlookers. He held Zhou Wanyou's hand intimately. "I missed you, so I rushed back."
Dou Ying cleared her throat, interrupting their moment, but still stepped forward to greet him, saying, "Fourth brother has returned?"
Su Qingtian's gaze swept over her, and he merely uttered a monosyllabic "Mm."
Dou Ying's expression immediately soured, but she dared not say anything.
Su Qing let out a cold snort, showing no leniency.
"You've returned at the perfect time. Your wife is becoming increasingly unruly, indulging the child and disregarding rules. What use is such a woman? You should divorce her."
Su Qingtian's hand remained clasped with Zhou Wanyou's. "My wife doesn't need to abide by rules. In the General's Manor, she *is* the rule."
A Cai had told him everything when he entered the manor.
No matter how severely the Marquis's second young lady was injured, it was an internal affair of the Marquis's household. If so many servants couldn't rescue her in time, could they expect a child to?
To put it mildly, the Marquis's household hadn't even voiced a complaint, and they were already eager to disown their own kin.
Su Qing was momentarily stunned, his old face flushing with anger. "Nonsense! If you don't drive this mother and daughter out today, I will never set foot in your house again!"
How could such a grand General's Manor be ruled by a woman? He wasn't afraid of being gossiped about in the capital for being henpecked!
Su Qingtian glanced at him and said in a deep voice, "Guards, please escort Father out."
A man in black, Xi Tian, entered from outside. He stood before Su Qing with a chilling aura and coldly uttered, "Please!"
Su Qing's expression changed instantly, his face shifting from ashen to red. A father being driven out by his son was unheard of in the entire capital.
"Fine! Now that you're grown and your wings are strong, you dare treat your father like this for a woman! I'll wait for the day you regret this!"
He slammed the table heavily, stood up, and walked out with his hands behind his back. As he passed Su Qingtian, he loudly cursed, "Rebel son!"
Seeing Su Qing defeated and unable to say more, Dou Ying also left in dejection.
Only the family of three remained in the hall.
Once the outsiders had left, Zhou Wanyou, disregarding pleasantries with Su Qingtian, pushed Su Yunmo towards him, introducing her like a prized possession.
"Brother Yi, look, this is Mo'er."
Su Qingtian scrutinized Su Yunmo from head to toe. There was no joy on his face; instead, he frowned slightly.
It was a subtle movement, noticed only by Su Yunmo.
Zhou Wanyou patted Su Yunmo's head, encouraging her, "Mo'er, quickly call him Daddy."
Su Yunmo lowered her brows. She felt that this man didn't seem to want to be called Daddy.
As expected, Su Qingtian interrupted her subtly.
"My dear wife, I've just returned. Won't you take me to see our chambers? I can see the children anytime, but my longing for you needs to be satisfied immediately."
Her husband, having been away for a long time, had finally returned. Zhou Wanyou was happy and didn't think too much of it, merely giving him a shy glare and calling him "improper."
Then, she coaxed Su Yunmo, "Mo'er, go play by yourself for now. Daddy and Mommy will take you to play later."
"Okay." Su Yunmo didn't want to intrude on their private time. Frankly, she had only been placed in the manor temporarily.
Whether in soul or body, she wasn't entirely part of this family.
Having a General's wife dote on her was already a stroke of luck. She didn't expect Su Qingtian to treasure her.
She left the hall and walked aimlessly down a small path.
She had been in the General's Manor for over half a month, but it felt as though she had never truly looked around. Every plant and tree now seemed unfamiliar.
"Sigh~"
If she really thought about it, it wasn't just the flowers and trees that were unfamiliar.
"Sighing at such a young age is unbecoming. Why the long face?"
Su Yunmo looked up and saw Su Sizhuo reading under a pavilion not far away.
He closed his book and walked over, tapping Su Yunmo on the head with the rolled-up book. "You should learn something good, not this gloomy sighing. You deserve a spanking."
"Big Brother~" Su Yunmo called out softly. For some reason, the usual address carried a hint of inexplicable grievance.
Hearing these words, Su Sizhuo's expression softened, but he still maintained a stern face as he lectured, "A child should behave like a child."
"Cry when you're hurt, eat when you're hungry, sleep when you're tired, and ask for help when you encounter problems. Keeping everything bottled up inside, where does that leave the people older than you?"
With such slender shoulders, how could she carry mountains?
Su Yunmo's heart tightened. Normally, she wouldn't discuss matters with others, let alone a ten-year-old child, but today, she couldn't help herself.
"Big Brother, Daddy seems to dislike me. I'll be sent away." Her tone was full of childish grievance.
Perhaps it was due to spending too much time in this body, her thoughts had become childish.
Su Yunmo thought to herself.
Su Sizhuo had anticipated this and wasn't surprised. He reached out and ruffled her hair, "Don't be afraid, you have Big Brother."
Now that she was in the General's Manor, their sister was theirs, and no one could take her away.
His simple words, spoken in a calm tone, lacked any imposing force, but they soothed Su Yunmo's mood.
Perhaps her Big Brother in the General's Manor was no worse than her Big Brother in the Marquis's household.
This thought flashed through Su Yunmo's mind.