The thought that she was originally meant to be his wife, but her place was taken by the mediocre woman beside him, sent a pang of pain through him.
Seeing him lose composure in front of so many people, Master Mu, fearing gossip that could damage his daughter's reputation, coughed twice. He then came to his senses. Mu Fei had silently rejoined the crowd. The eldest young master of the Xu family couldn't help but glance back at her.
This time, he was much quieter and caused no more trouble. He respectfully performed the kowtow to the Old Madam Mu and then conversed with Master Mu. As lunchtime approached, he took the opportunity to slip out of the courtyard to search for his beloved. To his surprise, he encountered her not long after. Seeing her looking at him with a sorrowful gaze, as if she had a thousand words to say, he knew there was more to the story without asking.
From her expression, he could tell his feelings were not one-sided. If two people truly loved each other, why couldn't they be together? Especially since he was marrying her sister. If it were a woman of a different surname, he might have found a way.
"You like me too, don't you? Can you tell me why?" Although the eldest young master Xu didn't explicitly state it, he knew the other person understood his meaning.
"I dream of being with you, but..." She choked up here. After a moment, she calmed herself and sighed, "Forget me. Live well with your sister from now on."
"It's her? Right? It must be her causing trouble." The more the eldest young master Xu thought about it, the more he believed this was the reason. He had met her before and secretly confessed his feelings. Although she had refused him, he thought she was just shy and concerned about her reputation. Didn't she blush crimson at the time?
"It's not sister's fault. She is the legitimate eldest daughter, the true young lady of the Mu family. I am merely the daughter of a concubine." Her words, coupled with a wronged expression, made the eldest young master Xu believe she was being bullied in the manor. He secretly resolved to make the original owner's life difficult once he returned home.
The original owner knew nothing of these matters. Upon returning home, she looked at her husband's hateful gaze with some bewilderment. She tentatively inquired once, and he looked at her with a cold smile, "This marriage was something you fought tooth and nail for, so endure it well."
Not long after, the original owner found herself imprisoned. Apart from her personal maid, there was no one else in the courtyard.
She was flustered by this sudden turn of events. However, she had lived in the countryside since childhood and endured much hardship. The living conditions in this courtyard were better than anything she had experienced before. But her personal maid had been arranged by the madam after she returned to the manor, and was not loyal to her at all. Now, trapped inside, she was furious.
Fearing that the other party would implicate her, she rushed to the door, banging on it and shouting, "I am innocent, let me out..."
Alas, no one paid her any heed. From then on, people brought them food every day. Initially, the meals were decent, with three dishes and one soup, and life was relatively peaceful. But slowly, they noticed the dishes becoming fewer and the portions increasingly insufficient.
Her personal maid, Baohua, quickly confronted the old woman delivering the food. The woman looked at her with disdain. At first, they assumed the courtyard housed their legitimate eldest young madam, and that they had temporarily angered the young master. They didn't dare to be neglectful. However, as time passed, they realized no one would stand up for them, and their young master never visited. Knowing they had been abandoned, they gradually tested the boundaries, becoming more and more outrageous.
"Eat it if you want, don't if you don't. If you don't eat, I won't bring it next time, and I'll save some rations." She's just a maid, and the eldest young madam hasn't even spoken yet, yet this one jumps in front of me. The old woman secretly sneered in her heart.
"Are you trying to starve us to death? Regardless, she is the eldest young lady of the Mu family. If anything happens to her under your care, the eldest young master might be able to shirk responsibility, but you, as a servant, will undoubtedly be the scapegoat. Let's see what kind of end awaits you." Su Dan Novel Network.
Baohua's eyes were fierce. She felt she had suffered misfortune for eight lifetimes to have followed this useless eldest young lady and married into the Xu family. She had thought that as her dowry maid, she could be promoted to a concubine, but within days, she was confined to this courtyard. After so many days, she was almost driven mad, yet her mistress was unhurried and leisurely. This infuriated her, making her feel she was too useless.
The old woman snorted and locked the door. Although the meals she delivered from then on could not compare to their previous living conditions, they were better than they had been recently.
She couldn't remember how many years she spent in the courtyard. When she was finally released, she learned that her younger sister had become the exalted Empress.
She felt neither joy nor sorrow about this. She had never met her sister as a child and had seen her only a few times after returning to the Mu family. They had never spoken, so there was no closeness.
The eldest young master Xu had deliberately forgotten her for so many years. Now that she reappeared before him, the thought of the Empress made his teeth itch with hatred. He unleashed all his anger on her. From then on, she rarely left her room. Because if she went out, people would see her bruised and swollen face. To avoid becoming a laughingstock, she could only hide.
What she didn't know was that the servants had long since spread rumors and were secretly laughing at her. The original owner had suffered and despaired, completely unaware of her wrongdoing.
A new life quietly arrived in her belly, filling her with joy and a desire to protect it. Unfortunately, the eldest young master Xu discovered it. He refused to allow his legitimate son to be born from her. Even though the doctor said the fetus was large and taking abortion medicine would be life-threatening, he disregarded her pleas and struggles, and unhesitatingly forced it down.
Blood, blood all over the floor. It took not only the life of the child in her womb but also the life of the original owner. In the moments before her life ended, the original owner was filled with boundless hatred. She couldn't understand why she, who had never fought for anything in her life, had ended up this way. If there was a next life, she wanted revenge on the Xu family, and she wanted everyone who had harmed her to receive their retribution.
The carriage stopped at the side gate. Wu Caiwei, like the original owner in her past life, entered the Mu family unnoticed. She wasn't even seen by the masters of the Mu family and was assigned to a secluded small courtyard. Her attendant was still Baohua.
Knowing that her courtyard was secluded and rarely frequented, she instructed no one to approach her and to knock on the door if there was anything. In broad daylight, she directly closed the door, lowered the curtains, and began to meditate. No matter which world she transmigrated to, the first priority was to gain the ability to protect herself.
Since the mistress didn't require service, the servants had rare leisure. Baohua, however, had a mission. Naturally, she couldn't be like them, secretly peeking through the window. Unfortunately, she couldn't see anything. Later, she tiptoed in and quietly lifted the curtain. She saw her mistress sleeping soundly on the bed.