"Pu Ying prides herself on being a distant cousin of the Duke Xiao Manor, doesn't she? As an elder, Madam Xiao cannot easily speak out to deny this far-fetched connection, but you can."
"I can? Won't Madam Xiao think I'm meddling?"
"Of course not," Shen Mingzhu continued. "Since Madam Xiao gave you that bracelet, for whatever reason, you have clearly left a good impression on her. If you step up to put Pu Ying in her place, Madam Xiao won't blame you; in fact, she will be even more pleased with you."
"How so?" Shen Jiaojia was confused. She could understand Madam Xiao not blaming her, but being *more* pleased? Shen Jiaojia found that hard to believe.
"Madam Xiao may not like Pu Ying flaunting her 'cousin' status all day, but as an elder, it isn't proper for her to bicker with a young girl. If you do what she finds inconvenient to do herself, don't you think she'll be more pleased with you?"
Shen Jiaojia’s eyes lit up. "Are you saying Madam Xiao doesn't like that Pugongying either?"
"Pu Ying claims to be a cousin of the Duke Xiao Manor to everyone. If one day she does something shameful, it will implicate the manor's reputation. Do you think Madam Xiao would like that?"
"That makes sense," Shen Jiaojia mused, rubbing her chin. Great noble houses prioritized interests over sentiment, and they guarded their reputations above all else. Pu Ying could bring the manor no profit, had no real ties to them, and was a liability to their name. Of course, Madam Xiao wouldn't like her.
Shen Jiaojia could already see herself as the young mistress of the Duke Xiao Manor! She chuckled aloud.
"Don't be so happy yet," Shen Mingzhu said, dousing her enthusiasm. "Pu Ying is not as simple as she seems. The fact that she was able to outmaneuver me wasn't just a matter of my miscalculation or underestimating her."
"Oh, please. You were just bitten once and are now afraid of every rope," Shen Jiaojia said with a dismissive wave. She was just a common girl of no consequence—how dangerous could she really be? Still, she shouldn't be underestimated. Shen Jiaojia frowned slightly.
Shen Mingzhu stood up and walked to the window. "If I was underestimating her, what about Madam Xiao? Don't forget, even Madam Xiao was played by her."
***
On her sickbed, Madam Xiao was gaunt, her cheekbones protruding and her breathing so shallow it seemed she might stop at any moment. She gripped Shen Mingzhu’s hand, her dim eyes filled with deep regret. "It... it is the Xiao family that has failed you..."
Shen Mingzhu held Madam Xiao’s hand in silence. She wanted to say that the Xiao family hadn't failed her. But was that true?
She had been married into the Xiao family for over a decade. Xiao Yi had never touched her, and there were no children. Others envied her as the young mistress of the Duke Xiao Manor, thinking her mother-in-law treated her well and her husband was considerate, but behind her back, they whispered about her lack of virtue and her inability to bear children. If it were strangers, she could ignore it, but even Madam Shen, the mother who raised her, had hinted repeatedly that she should seek medical help.
Shen Mingzhu suffered in silence. Madam Xiao knew the truth and felt guilty, but she could not—and would not—allow the Xiao line to die out. Thus, concubines were brought into Xiao Yi’s chambers one by one. At first, Xiao Yi refused to touch them. Desperate, Madam Xiao forced Shen Mingzhu to persuade him. Shen Mingzhu had sat in their room for a day and a night. The next day, she went to Xiao Yi’s study.
It seemed everyone had reasons for doing things they otherwise wouldn't. Like Madam Xiao, like herself. She was the young mistress of the Duke Xiao Manor; from the moment she married, the manor's honor and shame became her own. She could not, and would not, allow her own selfishness to end the Xiao lineage.
Years later, illegitimate children were born one after another. Madam Xiao picked an intelligent son and registered him under Shen Mingzhu’s name. She became the enviable, flawless Shen Mingzhu again—the young mistress of the Duke Xiao Manor. Madam Xiao no longer feared for the family line, and Xiao Yi lived in harmony with his concubines. A child of humble origins had leapt up to become the legitimate eldest son. It seemed everyone had gotten what they wanted. Only she, who seemed to have everything, actually had nothing.
She could not say the Xiao family hadn't failed her.
Madam Xiao, seeing through her, understood the resentment. With tears in her eyes, she patted Shen Mingzhu’s hand. "You are a good person. In the next life, do not marry into the Xiao family again. It is our family that has failed you..."
But that was all in the past now. Shen Mingzhu only wanted to know one thing: "Did Pu Ying really die back then?"
Madam Xiao was startled, as if she hadn't expected the question. Her expression was complex; she was silent for a long time before speaking softly, "I don't know."
"Madam Xiao doesn't know either?!" Shen Jiaojia couldn't sit still anymore. "Isn't that a bit exaggerated?"
Shen Mingzhu raised an eyebrow. "Do you still think she’s just an insignificant girl?"
Shen Jiaojia went silent. If someone could trick Shen Mingzhu, it might be due to a miscalculation, but if even Madam Xiao didn't know if the girl was dead or alive, then she was truly formidable.
"But what are we afraid of?" Shen Jiaojia said, regaining her arrogance. "Since we know she's no simple character, we'll just be extra careful. I refuse to believe that a woman with absolutely no background can stir up such a storm!"
Shen Mingzhu tapped her fingers against her cup, suddenly remembering something. "Speaking of which, are you really that confident you can become the young mistress of the Duke Xiao Manor?"
Shen Mingzhu smiled as she spoke, a smile that made Shen Jiaojia’s skin crawl.
"Shouldn't I be? Unless you still want the position, it has to be mine! Of course, if you really want it, we can each rely on our own skills!" Shen Jiaojia lifted her chin. "I won't necessarily lose to you!"
Shen Mingzhu laughed at herself. "I certainly don't want that position anymore. If you want it, you can have it. I just wanted to tell you: Xiao Yi seems to have been reborn, too."
"What?!"