Xu Yuan lifted her eyes.
In her past life, she had long known that Old Madame Shen, the mother of Shen Yunan, was relentlessly critical of her. No matter how perfectly she managed the affairs of the Marquis's Estate, the Old Madame would always find fault. She had once naively believed that people were made of flesh and blood, and that even the coldest stone could be warmed in time. She never expected that, in the end, she would be met with such betrayal, with those she trusted kicking her while she was down.
Reflecting on it now, she suspected that Old Madame Shen had known all along that her child had a different biological father. Everyone in the Marquis's Estate had been acting out a farce just for her benefit.
Meeting Xu Yuan’s clear gaze, the Old Madame faltered, then brought her cane down heavily against the floor. "And what if I did! Lady Xu, I am your mother-in-law. You would do well to watch your tone!"
"To fall into a faint just from giving birth—truly, you are nothing but a spoiled young lady from a sheltered house. Pleasant to look at, but useless!"
"Old Madame, how could you..." Cuiliu began to protest, but Xu Yuan signaled for her to stop.
"Cuiliu, step back."
Xu Yuan turned her gaze back to the Old Madame. "Mother, from now on, there is no need for you to trouble yourself with the affairs of my courtyard."
"Lady Xu! Are you accusing me of meddling?"
The Old Madame grew incensed, but just as she was about to lash out, a man walked in quickly from outside.
He looked around the room, and upon seeing the angry Old Madame, he spoke without waiting to ask for the reason, "My Lady, why must you provoke Mother again? Her health is already poor—cannot you yield to her a little?"
The Old Madame let out a heavy huff. "Yunan, take a look for yourself. This is the wife you married. Relying on the fact that she has just given birth, she dares to make me angry. I think that back then..."
"Mother."
Shen Yunan hurriedly interrupted her, then signaled to the servant woman standing to the side. "Take the Old Madame and leave."
The Old Madame looked at Xu Yuan, expecting to see the usual reaction. However, she found her expression unchanged, devoid of any emotional fluctuation, which left the Old Madame momentarily stunned. In the past, Xu Yuan would have already changed her tune, apologizing and begging for forgiveness. Today, however, was different. Though she felt a flicker of surprise, she did not linger, though her gaze became increasingly malicious.
"My Lady, you as well—why must you be this way with Mother..." Before Shen Yunan could finish his complaint, Xu Yuan asked, "Does the Marquis also believe that I am the one at fault?"
"May I ask, where were you at the time of my labor?"
The calm, retaliatory question hit Shen Yunan like a heavy hammer, causing a tremor in his heart. When he met her eyes, he felt a strange, inexplicable difference in her, which made him feel inexplicably guilty.
"My Lady, I hurried back the moment I received news of your labor. You know how busy I am with official business."
"Busy with official business," she thought. It was more likely he had been busy accompanying Lu Rou, whom he kept on the side, waiting until the child had been successfully swapped before he saw fit to return!
"I am tired. Marquis, please leave."
Seeing Xu Yuan turn her head away, Shen Yunan froze, a look of impatience flickering across his face. The concern he had feigned hardened into a ruthless mask before he veiled his eyes.
"My Lady, I know you are weak after giving birth. I will have the kitchen send over some medicinal tonics for you; see that you drink them."
Having said this, Shen Yunan turned his gaze toward Cuiliu, his tone cold and sharp. "I have official matters to attend to. You are to remain here and tend to your mistress well. If there is even the slightest mishap, you as a servant will be held fully responsible!"
Cuiliu bowed her head, hurriedly agreeing. After Shen Yunan left, she closed the door and approached Xu Yuan, her expression heavy with worry. "My Lady, has something happened?"
Having served her since childhood, she knew Xu Yuan’s heart better than anyone. Every time the Marquis returned in the past, her mistress had been overjoyed, yet just now, she had clearly seen coldness and detachment in her eyes.
Cuiliu’s heart tightened. "My Lady, are you still grieving over what the Old Madame said?"
Xu Yuan looked back at her. After a long moment, she let out a long breath, her pale face and frame trembling slightly.
"Cuiliu, my newborn child has been swapped."
Cuiliu was the person closest to her. In her past life, she had taken the lashings meant for her and had eventually died from her injuries. Thinking of this, Xu Yuan’s voice was hoarse, her grief mingled with the hatred from her previous life.
Cuiliu froze, stunned into place. "That cannot be. Before I came in, I saw the midwife take the child to the side room. Besides, the Marquis's Estate is heavily guarded; even if the midwife had the intention, she wouldn't have had the opportunity."
"What if someone helped her?"
Xu Yuan lowered her eyes. "Don't forget that the midwife was brought in from the outside by the Old Madame’s people."
"My Lady, are you saying the Old Madame had a hand in this?" Cuiliu’s eyes widened in disbelief. "But although the Old Madame often speaks unkindly to you, the child you bore is the Marquis's own flesh and blood—her own grandchild. What sense would it make for them to orchestrate this? My Lady, do you know something?"
Cuiliu lowered her voice, terrified of being overheard, her heart filled with both shock and fury.
Xu Yuan’s expression was unreadable. "To confirm if the child was swapped, go to the side room and look for a small, sesame-sized mole behind the child's left ear."
That was the one detail that could best distinguish the child from Lu Rou's.
"Remember, you must not speak of this to anyone. You must do this in secret."
"Yes!" Cuiliu did not hesitate; she took the order and hurried away.
Xu Yuan laid back down. The exertion had drained the little strength she had managed to recover; otherwise, she would have gone to confirm it herself.
Before long, the door was pushed open again. Cuiliu stumbled inside, looked around, and shut the door and windows tightly, her eyes full of horror.
"My Lady, I saw the infant, and there is no mole behind his left ear. Does this mean..."
Xu Yuan nodded. Though she had already guessed the answer, now that it was confirmed, her heart still constricted involuntarily, and she clenched her fists.
"These people are utterly detestable! My Lady, do you know where your child was taken? I will go and tell the Marquis at once!"
"Since this matter involves the Old Madame, do you think Shen Yunan is unaware?"
Xu Yuan’s gaze grew frigid. "Cuiliu, go to a nearby pharmacy and buy these herbs for me. I have a great use for them. Just like before, make sure you do not alert anyone."
"Rest assured, my Lady!"
After Cuiliu left to carry out her task, Xu Yuan looked at the empty room, her eyes burning with intense hatred. In her past life, these people knew the child had been swapped and watched her sink into despair. In this life, why shouldn't she turn the tables on them?
The next day, as soon as Xu Yuan was able to stand, she had Cuiliu bring the swapped child to her.
"My Lady, on my way back, I heard that the Old Madame and the Marquis are both away from the estate."
Xu Yuan held the child. She was not the least bit surprised. At this exact time in her past life, that mother and son were busy taking Lu Rou to purchase a residence in the capital, planning to move her from her small suburban courtyard into the city.
And her own child, meanwhile, had been abandoned by Lu Rou in that small courtyard, uncared for by anyone...