"I hear Miss Shen hasn't been causing any trouble these past few days. It’s as if she’s turned over a new leaf. Why, then, does my heart feel so uneasy?"
Tinglan muttered to herself, walking alongside Shen Mingzhu.
Shen Mingzhu merely straightened her sleeves, entirely indifferent to the young maid’s grumbling. As they passed the small pond in the courtyard, she gazed at the shimmering water, lost in a fleeting moment of distraction.
"Eldest Miss, how can you be so unconcerned?" Tinglan stamped her foot in frustration. "I’ve heard that Miss Shen runs to the Marchioness’s courtyard three times a day. She looks as if she’s dying to move in permanently!"
Shen Mingzhu replied perfunctorily, "Fine, fine. I’ll visit Mother’s courtyard more often to keep her company next time."
But what good would more time do?
She was not, after all, the Marchioness’s biological daughter. As time went on, even the deepest affection would be ground down to nothing. In her previous life, her filial piety toward the Marchioness had never wavered, despite knowing they weren't related by blood. If anything, she had been even more grateful for those years of upbringing.
But what did that matter?
Had the Marchioness not gradually grown distant anyway? When she remained childless three years into her marriage to the Duke’s Estate, her husband’s family had said nothing, yet her mother had been the first to "earnestly" urge her to arrange concubines for her husband. She had never once asked if her daughter was struggling after marriage. Even when Shen Jiaojiao was going through hardship, the Marchioness had been deeply distressed, yet she never offered a single word of concern for Mingzhu. She would only speak of how difficult things were for "poor Jiaojiao," her every word a thinly veiled request for Mingzhu to help and uplift her sister. She never once considered Mingzhu’s awkward position in her husband’s house.
Later, when the Jian'an Marquis Manor was implicated in a legal case, Mingzhu had run herself ragged, pulling strings everywhere. When she finally secured their safety, the Marchioness accused her of being useless. She berated her, claiming that if she had only put in a little more effort, they wouldn’t have had to suffer months in prison.
Yet, during that time, Shen Mingzhu had sacrificed her own dignity, enduring countless insults and humiliations. For that, she had even lost her status as the Duchess.
That year, Shen Mingzhu was forty-five. The once beautiful young woman had become a bedraggled, broken old lady. Only then did she realize she had nothing left and nowhere to go. Her dowry and savings had all been spent on the Marquis Manor’s case; even her shops and villas had been sold off. Xiao Yi finally found a suitable excuse to divorce her. As for the Jian'an Marquis Manor, they felt she hadn't given her all, and having publicly revealed that she was not their biological daughter, they naturally barred her from their gates.
In that moment, Shen Mingzhu truly understood what it meant to be abandoned by everyone.
Dark clouds gathered, thunder rolled, and a torrential downpour drenched her. She hadn't eaten for days. Just as she tried to stand to find shelter, the world went black, and she collapsed.
When she opened her eyes again, she had returned to the time before her marriage, just as Shen Jiaojiao had first been found by the manor.
What would this life look like now?
In the reception hall, the Marchioness was chatting with Shen Jiaojiao. One could faintly hear Jiaojiao’s coquettish tone.
"Mother, look, my etiquette is no longer inferior to those noble ladies. I’ve nearly mastered the qin, chess, calligraphy, and painting as well. When will you announce to the world that I am the true daughter of the Marquis Manor?"
Shen Jiaojiao clung to the Marchioness’s arm, acting both obedient and pitiable. The Marchioness patted her head, heartbroken. "Jiaojiao, these things cannot be arranged so quickly."
Although Jiaojiao had been studying etiquette diligently these past few days and made few mistakes, she hadn't been raised properly since childhood. In terms of art and social grace, she certainly lacked the effortless poise of Mingzhu. Moreover, Jiaojiao was new to the Capital and unfamiliar with the intricate web of noble families and high officials. Thus, the Marchioness and the Marquis had decided not to rush the public announcement of her status.
"Jiaojiao, you and Mingzhu were born on the same day. How about we let her stay in the manor to keep you company? We can tell the world you are twin sisters. What do you think?" The Marchioness held Jiaojiao’s hand, testing the waters. This was the conclusion she and the Marquis had reached after several days of discussion.
Shen Jiaojiao buried her face in the Marchioness’s lap, her eyes flickering. When she looked up, they were filled with tears—the picture of selfless grievance. "Of course, I wish for nothing more than to be a sister to Mingzhu, but... what about the Shen family parents?"
"They have searched for Mingzhu for so many years. Now that they have finally found her, can Mother truly bear to see a family kept apart?"
The Marchioness faltered, instinctively tightening her grip on Jiaojiao’s arm as she pondered those words.
Shen Jiaojiao acted as if she hadn't noticed and continued, "I know Mother cherishes Mingzhu and cannot bear to see her return to a life of hardship, but we cannot prevent a reunion. It wouldn't be fair to the aunt from the Shen family."
As she spoke, Jiaojiao lowered her eyes and wiped away nonexistent tears with a handkerchief. "Mother doesn't know how hard the Shen aunt searched for her all these years. And she doesn't know... how hard I searched for my parents..."
The Marchioness trembled at these words. The thought of her own daughter, who should have been pampered and adored, wandering aimlessly for years filled her with pain and guilt.
"But you are new to the Capital, and I fear you won't adapt. Why not let Mingzhu stay for a few more months to help you settle in?"
"Is Mother worried that I won't be able to handle the banquets? Don't worry. In these few days, I have already begun to grasp the tangled relations among the nobles."
Shen Jiaojiao longed to demand that her mother kick Shen Mingzhu out of the manor immediately. But she couldn't; if she did, her mother would only view her as ill-mannered and impulsive, and she certainly wouldn't drive Mingzhu away—just like in her previous life.
Back then, when she had first arrived at the manor, Jiaojiao had found Mingzhu an eyesore and tried every way to push her out. The result? The Marchioness and the Marquis decided she lacked grace and skill, so they declared them twins instead.
*Why? Why should she, Shen Mingzhu, occupy the nest of the magpie for so many years and then continue to hog the position of the Marquis Manor’s true daughter? Why should she, the only true daughter of the house, be relegated to a supporting role?*
If not for Mingzhu, would her father have ever agreed to let her marry a penniless scholar? It was bad enough the family was destitute; she even had a sharp-tongued, mean-spirited mother-in-law! At the thought of that unreasonable old hag, Jiaojiao felt a sharp pain in her chest.
In this life, she *must* drive Mingzhu away and become the sole daughter of the Jian'an Marquis Manor!
As for that husband from her previous life, she didn't even want to mention him. Why could Mingzhu marry into the Duke’s Estate as the young mistress, while she had been blind enough to choose a pathetic scholar who achieved nothing for decades? In this life, she would seize the opportunity first. The titles of future Duchess and second-rank noble wife would be hers alone!
Come to think of it, Mingzhu was truly pathetic. For all her good fortune, she couldn't even give birth to a single child for the Duke’s Estate, forced to watch her husband take concubines one after another. In this life, she would marry into the Duke’s Estate and certainly wouldn't live as spinelessly as Mingzhu had. But all of this depended on Mingzhu leaving the manor! She wanted to see how Mingzhu would fare without the halo of being the daughter of the Jian'an Marquis Manor!
She took a deep breath and put on a smile. "I do wish for Mingzhu to stay and keep me company, but if you keep her here, the Shen family aunt will think our manor is using our power to bully them and refusing to give their daughter back."
She shook the Marchioness’s arm gently. The Marchioness pondered this; Jiaojiao did have a point. She looked at Jiaojiao, pinched her cheek lightly, and smiled with relief. "Jiaojiao, you have truly grown these past few days."
Although she wanted to keep Mingzhu by her side, she did not want to be seen as a bully.
"The Eldest Miss is here. Please, go on in, the Marchioness is waiting," the head maid outside announced.
Shen Mingzhu nodded.
As she stepped into the hall, Shen Jiaojiao had already stood up and seated herself. However, the way her hands had been clasped with the Marchioness made it clear they had just been pouring their hearts out to one another.
Shen Mingzhu bowed. "Mother, did you summon me?"
The Marchioness gestured to her. "Come, sit down."
Once Mingzhu was seated, the Marchioness looked at her. "How have you been resting?"
"Thank you for your concern, Mother. I have rested quite well."
The Marchioness nodded, weighing her words for a moment before speaking slowly. "Your father and I have discussed it. We originally wanted you to stay in the manor to keep Jiaojiao company, but after much thought, we realized it is unfair to your biological parents. We cannot let our own selfishness keep you from your true family."
Shen Mingzhu remained silent, listening quietly.
The Marchioness studied Mingzhu’s face, and seeing no hint of displeasure or sadness, she continued. "Therefore, your father and I intend to make your true identities public and swap them back. It will put your biological parents' hearts at ease."
Even if they didn't return Mingzhu, the Shen couple would have no recourse, but the Marchioness couldn't help but put herself in their shoes; if someone refused to return her own child, she knew she wouldn't be able to stay indifferent.
Shen Mingzhu masked the surprise in her eyes and nodded. "I have no objections. I will do as Father and Mother wish." She paused, then corrected herself: "I will do as the Marquis and the Marchioness wish."
This was close to her original plan, though she hadn't expected the Marchioness to bring it up first. This shift from her previous life made Mingzhu glance at Shen Jiaojiao.
Even though the Marchioness was prepared, hearing the daughter she had raised for nearly twenty years suddenly address her so coldly as "the Marchioness" left her feeling breathless with a mix of shock and heartache.
Shen Jiaojiao was also surprised by Mingzhu’s compliance. She hadn't expected Mingzhu to accept the facts so easily. This was better; it saved her the trouble of wasting her breath. However, seeing the Marchioness's reaction, Jiaojiao’s eyes darkened.
She stood up and went to the Marchioness, patting her back gently. "Mother, you should be happy for Mingzhu. She can finally be reunited with her biological parents, just as... I am with you and Father."
Jiaojiao’s radiant smile masked the calculation behind her words. "Sister Mingzhu is so filial, she must be dying to leave the manor and reunite with the Shen aunt, right?!"