Zhou Wan You watched the child's small arms and legs, bruised and swollen, and felt a surge of bitterness. She held back tears and turned her head to wipe them away.
Of the three children in the family, the eldest was sensible, the second was intelligent, and only the third was mischievous, getting injured every few days.
However, that boy was tough. No matter how badly he fell, he would grin like an idiot and never cry.
Mo Mo was different; seeing this child only filled her with heartache.
Such a young child, so well-behaved, why must he suffer so much?
The woman's reddened eyes stirred an unusual emotion in Su Yun Mo's heart.
When her mother died, she was still young, with nothing left but a glazed lock.
Those years, struggling to survive alone in the Marquis's mansion under the third concubine, she had slowly forgotten her mother's appearance.
But she could vaguely recall that when she was little and fell or bumped herself, her mother would also stay by her side, shedding tears.
Su Yun Mo reached out a small hand to touch Zhou Wan You's face. "Mother, don't cry. Mo Mo doesn't hurt."
This feeling was strange; she couldn't describe it. Perhaps it was... a mother-child connection.
The more sensible and well-behaved she was, the more unbearable it became for Zhou Wan You. She reached out, pulled the child into her arms, and patted her gently, full of concern.
"It's all mother's fault for not watching you properly. Mo Mo, be good. Mother will never let you get hurt again."
Su Yun Mo knew she truly cared for her and didn't want her to suffer for her sake. "Mother, don't argue with Father. Mo Mo isn't worth it."
Actually, she understood Su Qing Tian. She had long heard about the great commotion caused by Wu Qian back then.
Lord Wu was impeached for corruption, making Wu Qian a descendant of a criminal.
Under these circumstances, if Wu Qian and Su Qing Tian had consummated their marriage, those who disliked Su Qing Tian in court would naturally not miss such a good opportunity.
If not for the Emperor's favor, Su Qing Tian would have been dismissed long ago.
Even so, when Wu Qian discovered she was pregnant, she went to the military camp, the general's mansion, and even the Zhou family's doorstep, causing a scandal that spread far and wide, ruining Su Qing Tian's reputation.
Now, although Wu Qian was dead, with her own blood relative returning to the general's mansion, Su Qing Tian naturally disliked it.
Zhou Wan You affectionately stroked her hair. "Mother has her own plans. Mo Mo just needs to eat well and go to school; you don't need to worry about anything else."
Seeing her persistence, Su Yun Mo could only nod in agreement.
The next day, it was time to return to school. Because Su Yun Mo was injured, Zhou Wan You was worried and asked for a few more days off until the swelling subsided.
During these days, Su Qing Tian, apart from attending court, stayed outside the Zhou mansion day and night. He had a talk with Zhou Zi Yu.
Zhou Zi Yu already knew the whole story.
Although he didn't have a good impression of Wu Qian's daughter, he respected Zhou Wan You's choice and stated that this was their family's matter, implying he would not interfere and would let them fend for themselves.
Su Qing Tian was at his wit's end and wailed outside Zhou Wan You's room for several days.
On the day Su Yun Mo returned to school, he took the opportunity to break in and see Zhou Wan You.
When he came out, he was dejected, and there was a slap mark on his face.
Even Su Yun Mo couldn't help but sigh: "Truly pathetic."
Su Yun Mo returned to school. Su Si Yuan came to visit. Seeing that she was fine, he let her finish school.
When it was time for lunch, she avoided Su Si Yuan and went to the East Courtyard.
At this hour, Ye Jing Yu was sitting at the dining table, suffering.
Qian Xue stood guard outside the door, sighing. Suddenly, she saw Su Yun Mo and was both surprised and delighted. "Little Miss, you're here?"
Since her identity was already exposed, Su Yun Mo was too lazy to pretend to be a child in front of these two servants and walked directly into the room. "Is he eating again?"
Qian Xue sighed. "Fortunately, you came today. Otherwise, I would have wanted to jump into the river."
"I haven't eaten either. Prepare an extra pair of chopsticks," Su Yun Mo said as she walked into the room, then added, "Never mind, no need to prepare. One pair of chopsticks is enough."
Hearing her say this, Qian Xue felt relieved and did not follow her into the room.
Inside, Ye Jing Yu was staring blankly at his chopsticks. Hearing her enter, he spoke, "Your injury healed really fast."
On the table were four dishes and a bowl of rice. There was soup, but only half a bowl had been drunk; the rest had not been touched.
Su Yun Mo walked over, jumped onto a chair, snatched the chopsticks from his hand, and put a mouthful of rice into her mouth, chewing. "How did you know I was injured?"
Ye Jing Yu glanced at her, said nothing, and after a moment of contemplation, removed his mask and set it aside.
Behind the mask was a fair, delicate, and refined young boy's face.
Su Yun Mo raised her eyebrows in astonishment, then smacked her lips and mocked, "What a face full of bitter resentment."
Eating was like eating poison for him.
Ye Jing Yu glared at her. "It's stuffy, Your Highness just wants some fresh air!"
Su Yun Mo rolled her eyes, thinking she hadn't asked him. "I came to find you to ask you about something else. Why did Ye Jing Cheng try to kill you?"
She had thought about it carefully. Only Ye Jing Cheng could be the one to openly assassinate a prince and have no repercussions afterward.
Moreover, she remembered that the first time she met him, he was also pursued to the general's mansion, branded as a 'rebel.'
Ye Jing Yu clasped his hands and looked at her. "And you? Why did you make an enemy of him?"
Killing the people Ye Jing Cheng sent and taking over Li Man Lou caused quite a stir.
Such a small person, she truly had the ability.
It was just that she didn't know why she was doing this.
"You investigated me?" Su Yun Mo narrowed her eyes dangerously. Ye Jing Yu was nonchalant.
They looked at each other, sparks flying between their gazes.
After a moment, Su Yun Mo broke eye contact first, shrugging indifferently.
Anyway, he wouldn't be able to find anything. This body had no connection with Ye Jing Cheng.
Su Yun Mo picked up a piece of food and brought it to his lips. "How about we exchange information?"
As the saying goes, the enemy of my enemy is my friend.
Ye Jing Yu pondered for a moment, opened his mouth, and bit down, enjoying it somewhat. "You've already been inside the Zhao family. Besides Zhao Xun Cheng, there's one more person you can meet."
Su Yun Mo took his unfinished soup and drank it in one gulp. "Who?"
"Zhao Feng Chen, Zhao Xun Cheng's younger brother. Both of them serve Ye Jing Cheng, but Zhao Feng Chen does not engage in officialdom," Ye Jing Yu said, frowning and turning his head away.
He did not eat the fish that Su Yun Mo had offered with her chopsticks and gestured with his eyes for her to give him vegetables.
Su Yun Mo pouted, thinking how difficult this person was to serve, and picked up a piece of green vegetable to hand to him.
Ye Jing Yu continued. "He amasses wealth for Ye Jing Cheng in the capital. Recently, he acquired businesses on two streets, indicating a major move."
This person was not easy to deal with, not because of his business acumen, but because he was unscrupulous.
As long as he coveted a business, regardless of who the owner was, he would use all means to seize it.
With the Zhao family backing him, no one dared to intervene, no matter how much trouble he caused.
Su Yun Mo raised her eyebrows.
The wealthiest families in the capital must have financial dealings with court officials. The interests involved were complex, making it difficult for Ye Jing Yu to act.
But that was good; she could use this as practice, lest Ye Jing Cheng live too comfortably.
Ye Jing Yu ate a few bites of vegetables, his gaze falling on her slightly reddened eyes. He paused and suddenly said, "Some people can be deceptive. Don't trust too easily."
Su Yun Mo didn't understand what he meant, but she was sure he wasn't referring to the Zhao brothers.
She remembered the night of the lantern festival and lowered her gaze, wanting to ask something.
Ye Jing Yu stood up first. "I'm tired and need to rest. You should leave."