The capital's residents, who had been constantly following the matter, suddenly lost interest. If the eldest young madam of the marquis's manor had truly wronged her husband, they wouldn't believe the Marquis's manor could remain so calm. Any man would find it unbearable, let alone the future marquis.
Wu Caiwei hadn't expected things to develop in this direction. She was summoned to Madam Jiang's courtyard for the first time, completely bewildered.
As soon as she entered, she felt the unusual atmosphere. Today, the Jiang family members were all present, with only one exception. Madam Jiang and Master Jiang looked at her with affectionate eyes. Even the usually composed Wu Caiwei was somewhat surprised.
"This must be the fifth young madam. You truly resemble me, no wonder people outside spread rumors that you are my illegitimate daughter." Seeing the daughter she had longed for, the First Madam hurriedly stood up, then seemed to realize it was improper and quickly sat down.
Wu Caiwei looked at the woman in confusion. She could see a mixture of affection and pity in her eyes. This didn't seem like someone who would ignore her. Why did the original host die so miserably? And why, after she had been in the capital for so long, had this woman never appeared, showing no concern for years? She quietly observed the unfolding events.
"Why are you standing there dumbfounded? Hurry and pay your respects," Madam Ye said, nudging her as she remained frozen.
Wu Caiwei curtsied. The First Madam could no longer sit still. Disregarding decorum, she stepped forward a few paces and slowly pulled her up, scrutinizing her from head to toe. Her eyes welled up with tears. For so many years, she had only dreamt of holding her child tightly in her arms, wanting to see what her child looked like. She had thought she would never have the chance in this lifetime, but that day had finally arrived.
The eldest young master, seeing his wife too emotional, quickly changed the subject for fear of arousing suspicion. "Since this child has a connection with us, why not adopt her as a goddaughter? We wonder if we have such good fortune."
Wu Caiwei was stunned once again. She had originally expected retaliation after her secret was exposed, but instead, they wanted to adopt her.
"This child must be so happy she's gone silly. How could she possibly refuse such a good offer?" Madam Ye quickly smoothed things over. The Third Madam and Fourth Madam were so jealous their eyes were turning red. How did all the good things fall into her lap? Earlier, they had mocked her as a country girl, thinking she would be out of their league. Even if she were adopted as a goddaughter by the marquis's manor, seeing how the future madam of the marquis treated her, it was clear she held an extraordinary position in their hearts.
Wu Caiwei, unaffected by the external reactions, looked at the First Madam with a scrutinizing gaze. As time passed, disappointment and sadness gradually surfaced in the other woman's eyes. Wu Caiwei slowly withdrew her hand from the First Madam's grasp and said apologetically, "Madam, I appreciate your kindness, but I cannot accept."
"Wh... why?" The eldest young madam was shocked at first, then found it hard to accept. Tears involuntarily fell, and she quickly wiped them away when no one was looking, afraid of revealing her vulnerable side.
"It is my fortune that Madam looks favorably upon me. If I refuse you today, others will say I am ungrateful. However, I have too many questions that remain unanswered, and I cannot agree. Perhaps in the future, I will agree. Will Madam still want to acknowledge me as a goddaughter then?" Wu Caiwei did not close the door entirely. She felt that the woman she met today was different from her imagination, and there might be hidden circumstances she was unaware of. She wanted to investigate thoroughly before deciding whether she was willing to acknowledge her.
The eldest young master quickly stepped forward and stood beside her. He smiled at Wu Caiwei and said, "We came today intending to ask you to be our goddaughter, which was indeed a bit abrupt. Since my wife has recognized you, it means you have a connection. The doors of the marquis's manor are always open to you."
The eldest young master, fearing his wife might do something out of line and reveal any clues, quickly took her away. Before leaving, he gave Wu Caiwei all the gifts he had brought as a token of their kinship.
Wu Caiwei thought for a moment, then, with her trusted maidservant, she hurried out of the Ye family's gate. This time, everyone saw the marquis's manor's regard for her, and even the servants' attitudes towards her began to change.
She spent a considerable amount of money and exerted all her effort to get into the prison. Many death row inmates were incarcerated there. Seeing someone arrive, they reached out, trying to grab her, and incessantly shouted, "I'm innocent, let me out, let me out..."
The Liu family trio, hearing the commotion, seemed to pay no mind. They were all from the capital, with families, relatives, and friends. What did they have? It was their first time in prison, and they didn't know if they would ever get out.
As they listened, something felt amiss. Why did it sound like footsteps had stopped in front of their cell? They quickly turned to look outside. When they saw the person standing outside the cell, they could hardly believe their eyes. Was this the once rustic Liu Yue?
"Quickly, save us!" Mother Liu rushed up to her, reaching out to grab her clothes. Wu Caiwei instinctively took a step back.
July looked at her attire with undisguised jealousy. She was here drinking thin porridge, living with these dirty criminals every day. And Wu Caiwei, dressed luxuriously, had taken so long to visit them, and she had come empty-handed, bringing no food, drink, or clothing.
Wu Caiwei saw the expressions on their faces and knew exactly what they were thinking. She wanted to ask for clarification and leave quickly. The place smelled unpleasant, and everyone seemed mentally unstable, always giving off an eerie feeling.
"I want to know about my origins," Wu Caiwei said, looking intently at them, not missing any change in their expressions.
"We are telling the truth. That madam handed you over to us to raise. We raised you so well, and what was the result? The other party not only denied us but sent us to prison. You're an obedient child, you'll help us, won't you?" Mother Liu looked at her with an eager gaze.
"It's not impossible to help you, but you have to tell me everything about what happened back then." Wu Caiwei wanted to know the truth, and their being imprisoned was not a solution. The original host had thought of them even on her deathbed. If possible, Wu Caiwei didn't want to deal with them, but she also didn't want to see them sent to their deaths. She could only send them back to their hometown and have them live their lives honestly.
"You won't lie to us, will you?" Father Liu looked at her with suspicion. The recent events had overturned his understanding of things, and now he trusted no one.
"Don't worry. As you said, you raised me for so many years, and I can't just abandon you to die. Of course, you also cannot lie to me. I want to know the full story from beginning to end." Wu Caiwei's face showed sincerity. She believed they would agree, as she was now their lifeline.