Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Her face was cold, but her hand was warm.

She shielded me behind her and met Zhou Huaixu’s eyes without the slightest fear.

“If there is a next time, what do you intend to do?”

Zhou Huaixu did not recognize her. Impatient, he said, “What does this have to do with you?”

The True Daughter shot back, “Then what does Cui Mingzhu’s illness have to do with her?”

Zhou Huaixu’s voice was icy. “If she hadn’t said such ugly things, how would Mingzhu have fallen ill from brooding over it?”

The True Daughter gave a cold laugh and mocked him without mercy.

“Cui Mingzhu brooded herself sick over a few words because she is petty-minded. You ought to advise her to broaden her heart, not bully someone else here!”

Zhou Huaixu’s face turned livid. He seemed not to have expected the True Daughter to speak so sharply.

“You! You are simply being unreasonable! Twisting right and wrong!”

With that, he lifted his foot to leave, only for the True Daughter to block his path.

“Apologize!”

Zhou Huaixu ignored her and still tried to leave.

The True Daughter kicked him, and Zhou Huaixu dropped to one knee on the ground.

Her voice grew even colder. “Apologize!”

Zhou Huaixu’s brows locked tight, but he refused to open his mouth.

The True Daughter grabbed him by the hair and forced him to look up at me.

“And here I thought Lord Zhou was some formidable figure. Turns out you’re nothing but an embroidered pillow! Today, if you don’t apologize, don’t even think about leaving…”

“What are you doing!”

Mother’s stern rebuke cut off the True Daughter’s words.

Before she could speak, Cui Mingzhu broke free from Mother’s embrace and threw herself toward Zhou Huaixu, who was kneeling on the ground.

Cui Mingzhu lifted her face, weeping bitterly. “Changpu! If you resent me, then take it out on me! How has Young Master Zhou offended you, that you would humiliate him like this?”

Mother ached for Cui Mingzhu, yet she did not forget to cast a disappointed look at me and the True Daughter.

“Changpu, you and Mingzhu were switched because that foster mother of yours was a wicked woman. Mingzhu was only an ignorant infant then. She is innocent too. Why must you hate her?”

Changpu. Mingzhu.

One was a lowly reed.

The other was a precious pearl held in the palm.

Cui Mingzhu’s accusations and Mother’s disappointed reproach poured into my ears.

Changpu’s back remained straight, her expression unchanged.

Her gaze was indifferent, as if the two of them had nothing to do with her.

In a calm voice, she asked, “Are you finished?”

When no one answered, she continued, “If you are, then it is my turn.”

“The one-month deadline has arrived. I know your answer now.”

Mother still tried to keep her. “Changpu, Cui Manor having one more daughter won’t affect you at all. Why must you be so absolute?”

She suddenly smiled. “Cui Manor does not lack daughters either. Why should I stay and be an eyesore? There is little affection between you and me. From now on, we can simply treat each other as strangers. Why force you to be torn between us?”

Her words were truly heartless, and a wounded look actually appeared in Mother’s eyes.

“You are my daughter. How can you… how can you say such things to hurt my heart?”

Changpu was expressionless. “Madam Cui, mind your words. Changpu is but a commoner. I am not worthy of making you heartbroken.”

Mother stared at her in disbelief. She seemed truly hurt; her eyes reddened.

“You are the child I carried for ten months and gave birth to!”

Changpu looked at me. “She is also the child you carried for ten months. I have not seen you show her much love either.”

Mother instinctively retorted, “I gave birth to her and raised her. I let her live a life of wealth and comfort. Ask her yourself-how have I ever treated her badly?”

Mockery curled at Changpu’s lips. “Is that so?”

I did not know whom she was asking.

I opened my mouth, wanting to say something, but in the end, I could not.

I should have said that Mother had actually treated me well.

But had she really?

I thought for a long while. In my memories, it seemed she had rarely ever smiled at me.

Most of the time, there had only been blame.

Changpu stroked the top of my head and sighed. “You do not actually love her. If you loved her, you would not bully her.”

I lowered my head, my eyes stinging, my chest tight and bitter.

I had been slow-witted since childhood. Even after living two lifetimes, there were still some answers I could not quite figure out.

Mother and Zhou Huaixu should have been the people closest to me.

They were clearly both smarter than I was, so how could they disregard right and wrong and blame me instead?

Now, I finally had the answer.

Love is unreasonable protection.

But they did not love me.

Because they did not love me, they could blame me and bully me as if it were only natural.