Chapter Thirty-One: So You Really Aren’t My Birth Mother!

The old matriarch stood outside the crowd with Madam Duan, her brows furrowed in displeasure as she surveyed the gathered onlookers. She walked over slowly and asked, "What happened here?"

"Madam, the people in your household are all bullying me!" Upon seeing the matriarch approach, Qi Rongzhi burst into loud sobs. She was unafraid of Lady Di, but she feared this old matriarch.

"She fell into the lake? Someone, take Miss Qi to change her clothes. What is all this crying and wailing about?" The matriarch had never liked Qi Rongzhi; seeing her cry, she spoke with a cold expression.

Indeed, in such circumstances, it was only proper to change clothes first and discuss matters later.

Madam Duan quickly summoned someone to help Qi Rongzhi change. Qi Rongzhi, feeling chilled to the bone, realized that lingering would do her no good, and so she rose obediently, wiping her tears as she was led away.

"You all, come with me!" The matriarch's gaze fell coldly upon Lady Di's face. With that, she turned and walked toward a nearby pavilion.

Lady Di hurried after her.

Qin Yuru and Qin Wanru followed closely behind, entering the pavilion together. The rest of the idle onlookers were dismissed by Madam Duan.

"What exactly happened?" The matriarch sat on a stone bench, her eyes coldly fixed on Lady Di as she spoke slowly.

"Mother, I truly don't know what happened. When I arrived, Miss Qi had already fallen into the lake. She said it was because of Wanru." Lady Di looked bewildered, though her words subtly cast suspicion toward Qin Wanru.

"And what does this have to do with Zhuozhuo? I heard she was the last to arrive, and that Yuru received a slap from Miss Qi, leaving her speechless. What really transpired?" The matriarch stared at Lady Di, unmoved by her words.

"I... I really don't know. I was a bit late..." Lady Di grew flustered. She hadn't expected the matriarch to know much about the incident before even arriving at the scene, making it too forced to shift blame onto Qin Wanru now.

Lady Di secretly clenched her teeth. Originally, she had hoped to use Qi Rongzhi to deal with Qin Wanru, but Qi Rongzhi had turned wild, lashing out at Yuru and herself.

"Grandmother, I don't know why Miss Qi struck me. She clearly came looking for my younger sister." Qin Yuru, seeing Lady Di at a loss, spoke up plaintively to support her.

"You don't know? Isn't it you who manages the rear courtyard? The incident happened some time ago, and you claim ignorance. Is this how you usually handle matters?" The matriarch ignored Qin Yuru's complaints, continuing to press Lady Di.

"Mother, I..." Lady Di, pressed hard, looked around anxiously, trying to excuse herself, "I did arrive late, but I know the general situation—it just hasn’t been investigated, so I dare not speak recklessly!"

"Why did Miss Qi come here?" The matriarch disregarded her excuses, her eyes narrowing as she spoke.

"She... she said she came to play with Wanru." Lady Di, having already claimed to know the general situation, hastily replied.

"If she wanted to find Wanru, why didn't she go to Wanru's quarters? Why is she here?" The matriarch continued to probe.

"She heard Wanru had come to the garden, so she followed." Lady Di, organizing her thoughts, answered cautiously.

Qin Wanru narrowed her eyes, hiding the coldness within. She stood quietly, listening to Lady Di's explanation. Like herself, the matriarch had never liked Qi Rongzhi.

"She is an outsider, accompanied only by a maid. How would she know that Zhuozhuo came to the garden, and how could she appear precisely at this spot?" The matriarch's expression was grim as she asked.

Lady Di was momentarily stumped. Qi Rongzhi had come to find Qin Wanru because Lady Di and Qin Yuru had sent her, but she dared not admit this before the matriarch.

"Word was that Miss Qi was with my elder sister earlier, but for some reason suddenly came to find me, chasing me into the garden. On the way, this maid beside Mother pointed out the direction to Miss Qi." Qin Wanru lifted her clear, cold gaze and pointed to the maid who was now cowering behind Lady Di.

At her words, Lady Di and Qin Yuru's faces changed. Qi Rongzhi had already pointed this out, so neither dared to deny it.

"Second sister, after Miss Qi chatted with me for a while, she said she wanted to play with you. Since you two have always gotten along, I told her you seemed to have gone to the garden," Qin Yuru’s face grew more aggrieved, unable to conceal her anxiety as she replied.

The matriarch was too calm, and she panicked!

"Madam, on the way I saw the second young lady, and Miss Qi happened to ask, so I pointed the way. I had no ill intentions, it was just a coincidence!" The maid, prompted by Lady Di, hurried to explain.

"When did you see me and Miss Qi getting along so well? Was it after she slapped me over a flower last time, or when she pushed me over a box of powder before that? Is this so-called 'getting along' nothing but Miss Qi attacking me?" Qin Wanru asked, her expression unchanged.

Her blunt words left Qin Yuru speechless, panic-stricken and glancing toward Lady Di.

Qi Rongzhi and Qin Wanru seemed destined to clash; whenever together, conflict was inevitable, with Qin Yuru always stirring trouble behind the scenes.

"Wanru, no matter Miss Qi's faults, she is a guest. How can you speak like this?" Lady Di's face darkened, rebuking her.

"So Mother means that whenever Miss Qi picks a quarrel and strikes me, I should willingly endure it, praise her for it, and next time, let her beat me again? Mother, I truly find it hard to believe you are my birth mother, allowing an outsider to strike me repeatedly and expecting me to greet her with a smile. Am I truly your own child?" Qin Wanru’s gaze was icy cold.

Lady Di could not answer, especially with the matriarch present. The claim of being her birth mother was merely a deception after hiding the truth from Qin Wanru.

The matriarch snorted coldly from the side, but said nothing.

"Second sister, how can you speak to Mother like that? She is only thinking of our household, having to accommodate the Qi Prefect’s family. Do you think she enjoys it?" Seeing Lady Di unable to respond, Qin Yuru hurriedly defended her.

"Since we are both daughters, why doesn't Mother let you take the blows to please the Qi Prefect’s family?" Qin Wanru replied slowly.

This retort flushed Lady Di's face red.

If Lady Di were truly Qin Wanru's birth mother, her actions would be mere favoritism. But she was not, making her intentions malicious—tormenting a child who was not her own.

Qin Wanru repeatedly steered the conversation this way, forcing Lady Di to admit to everyone that she was not her birth mother.

Without the status of birth mother, Lady Di could no longer openly treat her unjustly.

"Mother... Mother only asks you to accommodate Miss Qi because of your father!" Lady Di attempted to explain.

"Mother, I do not know why I must accommodate Miss Qi. Father and the Qi Prefect are equals in rank, not superior and subordinate, so there is no need for excessive deference. Even though Elder Sister’s engagement to the Qi Prefect’s eldest son was broken off, the Qi Prefect said nothing. How could my minor quarrels with Miss Qi affect Father?" Qin Wanru coldly exposed Lady Di's lies.

Her voice was clear and cold, with a chill that contrasted sharply with her sweet and gentle appearance—precise and incisive.

Her words forced Lady Di and Qin Yuru into a corner.

Even the humiliation of a broken engagement could be endured, so what else could the Qi Prefect not tolerate? This proved the General’s Mansion had no need to accommodate the Qi Prefect’s family, nor to let a daughter be beaten to please their young mistress.

"You... What do you mean by this? Are you rebuking Mother? How dare you be so disrespectful!" Qin Yuru suddenly looked up, glaring angrily at Qin Wanru.

But Qin Wanru kept her gaze on Lady Di, ignoring Qin Yuru’s angry, blustering face and words.

The entire scene fell eerily quiet.

Everyone awaited the matriarch’s verdict.

"Lady Di, how do you explain yourself?" After a long silence, the matriarch finally raised her head, her gaze thoughtful as it lingered on Qin Wanru, and she sighed softly.

Hearing the matriarch’s sigh, Qin Wanru's heart slowly eased. Grandmother had agreed.

"Mother, I... I have no explanation. It’s all because of the General..." Lady Di, hearing the matriarch’s words, truly panicked.

"Wanru may not be your own daughter, but what did you promise at the time? You swore you would treat her as your own, yet look at yourself—what have you done?" The matriarch spoke slowly, her eyes full of reproach as she looked at Lady Di.

"Mother, I..." The truth was abruptly exposed to Qin Wanru, leaving Lady Di flustered and pale. In the past, she had always lied to Qin Wanru, claiming to be her birth mother and never to harm her.

Now with the truth torn open, not only could she no longer use that claim, but all her past words were proven false—deceptions to Qin Wanru.

Lady Di had not expected the matriarch to expose the truth so mercilessly before so many people; she was in utter chaos.

"Mother, so you are not my birth mother, but only Elder Sister’s." Qin Wanru’s face showed no surprise. She looked calmly at Lady Di, pronouncing each word clearly.

As if this was always within her expectations.

Why was it expected? Because she had long suspected, or deduced it from Lady Di’s habitual actions.

There was no surprise, no heartbreak—she spoke as if discussing someone else’s affairs. Only a trace of sorrow flickered at the corner of her eye, reminding everyone she was still a child, a child without a mother’s love, suffering Lady Di’s jealousy and malicious schemes.

"Zhuozhuo, come here. You still have your grandmother!" The matriarch, heart aching, beckoned to her.

Qin Wanru bit her lip and walked over. The matriarch embraced her, gently patting her back and soothing her in a soft voice, "Zhuozhuo, be good. Even if you lack a mother’s affection, you are still your grandmother’s beloved granddaughter!"

When the matriarch finished speaking, Qin Wanru suddenly burst into tears...