Chapter 65: Separating the Di Mother and Daughter

That very night, Qin Yuru was sent away from the Tranquil Heart Nunnery. Such a scandal was more than the old matriarch dared shoulder; though she was Qin Yuru’s grandmother, she was not her blood kin. Matters like this belonged to Qin Huaiyong and Lady Di to resolve. Moreover, her heart was now heavy with both grief and disappointment toward Qin Yuru, and she had no intention of involving herself further. Since Yuru had not dragged Shui Ruolan into her troubles, the old lady simply ordered her trusted nursemaid, Madam Duan, to escort the girl away under cover of darkness and to inform Qin Huaiyong of all that had transpired. What happened next was none of her concern.

With Qin Yuru gone, Shui Ruolan and Qin Wanyu stayed to comfort the old lady for a while, tending to her until she was at last settled in bed. But the earlier events had left her agitated, and once she lay down, her coughing grew severe and uncontrollable. Seeing this, Shui Ruolan quickly sent for the abbess of Tranquil Heart Nunnery. After the abbess prepared a new prescription, a young maid was dispatched to boil the medicine in the corridor.

Shui Ruolan accompanied the abbess to the door, offering repeated thanks before returning. She saw Qin Wanyu stepping out and called her over with a wave. “Wanyu, come here!” she beckoned, turning toward a side room that was more secluded and safe from prying ears.

Qin Wanyu followed at her call, and once they stood apart from others, Shui Ruolan’s brows drew together in concern. “Wanyu, what truly happened here?” she asked. She was no fool; when all the details were strung together, something about the situation struck her as deeply suspicious. The sachet had gone missing, yet the one found was not hers—where, then, was her own? Aside from being bumped into, only Qin Wanyu had been near her at the time.

“Aunt Shui, here is your sachet. Please be more careful in the future,” Qin Wanyu said softly, a faint smile playing on her lips. She produced the sachet from her sleeve and handed it over so quietly that no one else could see.

Startled, Shui Ruolan hurriedly took back the sachet, slipping it into her own sleeve. “Aunt Shui, this was all eldest sister’s scheme against you. She brought this upon herself,” Qin Wanyu said succinctly.

Shui Ruolan fell silent, her eyes stinging at the corners as she gazed at the child before her, whose head barely reached her own shoulder. So young, and yet already willing to protect her. How could her heart not ache at the thought? Never had her resolve felt so unwavering—she would protect this child. In silence, she reached out and gently tucked an errant lock of hair behind Wanyu’s ear. A tide of emotions surged within her, making her eyes redden, but she could not find the words to speak.

Qin Wanyu did not return to her own room until the old matriarch’s cough had eased with the medicine. Shui Ruolan remained behind, instructing Wanyu firmly to go to bed.

Back in her room, after washing up, Qin Wanyu sat before her dressing table. Qingyue, wringing water from her mistress’ hair, asked uncertainly, “Miss, why did you save Eldest Miss?”

“If something truly happened to her, Grandmother would be held responsible—after all, Eldest Miss came up the mountain with her,” Qin Wanyu replied, passing a dry towel to Qingyue, who exchanged it for the damp one. If Qin Yuru truly met with misfortune, Lady Di would lose her mind—and who knew what she might do in her madness? For now, Yuru must not come to harm.

“But hasn’t something happened to her already?” Qingyue asked, half-understanding as she swapped towels.

“In a way, yes. But the matter was not laid bare; there is still a chance for Lady Di to save face. Still, many saw her in disarray, and among the visitors at the nunnery are the wives and daughters of local merchants—word will spread when they leave,” Qin Wanyu replied quietly.

“Miss, do you mean these women will spread the news?” Qingyue’s eyes lit up as she finally understood.

Qin Wanyu nodded, running her fingers through her damp hair. “Jiangzhou is far from the capital. Eventually, we will return to the city.”

In her previous life, Qin Huaiyong had performed well in his post and, with the Yongkang Marquisate as his backing, soon returned to the capital. Her words, though seemingly off-topic, made Qingyue blink and reflect upon the affairs of their household. Suddenly she understood: “Miss, do you mean that Madam and Eldest Miss will slander your reputation when we return to the capital?”

The suspicion made Qingyue’s face pale. She stammered, “But this is clearly Eldest Miss’s fault…”

“If they insist on shifting the blame onto me, and with Qi Tianyu’s testimony, who would know the truth when Jiangzhou is so far from the capital?” Qin Wanyu said with a cold smile. The girl in the mirror looked tender and youthful, yet her luminous eyes held a shadowy depth.

This was no baseless fear—it was reality from her past life. Yet some merchants did travel to the capital, and at the right moment, rumors could spread—or someone might point out that she was present at the time.

“Madam and Eldest Miss are truly… vicious!” Qingyue gasped, clutching her chest with the towel, panic rising. “Miss… what can we do? Won’t the general and the old matriarch speak the truth?”

“Grandmother’s health is failing… My father, well, he cares for me, but Eldest Sister is his only blood daughter.” A trace of irony curved Qin Wanyu’s lips.

When it was just the two of them, Qin Huaiyong was kind enough—a man not without gratitude—but when it came to his only daughter, he would not put another’s child before his own. No matter his guilt, he would stand by and watch. In her past life, she had seen this all too clearly.

When there was no conflict of interest, her father showed her fatherly love. But when she clashed with Qin Yuru, he always compromised with Lady Di.

“What… what should we do, then?” Qingyue nearly dropped the towel in her hands, overwhelmed by the loneliness of their predicament. In the entire general’s manor, her mistress was so isolated—there was not a single person to protect her.

“Don’t worry. From now on, we have Aunt Shui.” Qin Wanyu’s gentle smile in the mirror reassured Qingyue. After tonight, whatever doubts Shui Ruolan had must be gone; she, too, found herself with no escape once Lady Di began her schemes. Qin Wanyu had deliberately produced the sachet to make this clear.

They were both isolated—Shui Ruolan lacked legitimate status, and she herself was too young for her words to carry weight; adults would dismiss them as childish nonsense.

“Will Miss Shui protect you?” Qingyue asked, unconsciously pressing the towel to her chest for comfort.

“She will. Aunt Shui will protect me and Grandmother, and I will protect her and Grandmother as well,” Qin Wanyu replied with a nod. In her last life, the vulnerable ones died young; this time, she would not be bullied. Had she not been reborn, her fate would likely have repeated itself.

A girl with no one capable of shielding her was as insignificant as a blade of grass in this world.

Seeing her mistress so determined, Qingyue felt a sudden ache in her heart—a deep sorrow. Had Second Miss not been so clever, she might not even have survived.

“That’s why I must become capable,” Qin Wanyu said, her long lashes casting uneven shadows over her eyes—a touch of desolation in the movement. Her lips, vividly red, curled into a faint, bitter smile.

In her previous life, powerless, she had been swept along by fate, trampled into a sea of blood, dying a wrongful death with not even her bones left behind.

This time, she would not retreat.

Qingyue looked at Qin Wanyu sitting at the dressing table; her delicate little face was imbued with an adult’s gravity, yet it did not seem out of place. Instead, Qingyue felt a sense of reassurance, as if this Qin Wanyu truly could protect those around her. The anxiety faded from her expression.

Sensing Qingyue’s growing calm, Qin Wanyu lifted her head and offered a gentle, reassuring smile. Qingyue was loyal—she would need her support on the path ahead. She did not want Qingyue to doubt or panic because of her. She would give Qingyue confidence and courage.

“Second Miss, what will happen with Eldest Miss now?” Qingyue asked, looking at her mistress with an unconscious air of respect. Though not yet of age, Qin Wanyu already held a quiet authority in Qingyue’s eyes.

“She will be sent to the capital,” Qin Wanyu said approvingly, standing and smoothing her hair.

“To the capital? So soon? I thought even the general didn’t know when he’d be going back?” Qingyue put down the towel and pressed Qin Wanyu to sit as she began combing her long, jet-black hair.

“It’s not Father who is going—it’s Qin Yuru. She cannot stay in Jiangzhou any longer.” A mocking smile curved Qin Wanyu’s lips. In her past life, Qin Yuru had not gone to the capital ahead of time, but this time was different. Now, Yuru’s reputation in Jiangzhou was utterly destroyed; staying would only bring further harm. Sending her to the Yongkang Marquisate in the capital to lie low was the only logical move.

“What about Madam?” Qingyue asked.

“She will stay. Aunt Shui is here—she won’t feel at ease leaving.” Seeing her hair was now smooth, Qin Wanyu rose and spoke gently. If not for Shui Ruolan’s presence, Lady Di would likely have left too; but now, she had no choice but to remain. Separating mother and daughter—this was always her next step.

Lady Di and Qin Yuru were not the same. Yuru was merely a young lady from a noble family, her parents not nearby. Even if she wished to defame Wanyu, she could only speak to a handful, and in veiled terms, or through servants. Lady Di, on the other hand, held the formal title of mother and was a senior in the household. The Yongkang Marquisate was her natal home; she knew many people in the capital and could spread rumors freely. If she went first, she would stir up trouble and seize the advantage, which would do Qin Wanyu no good.

Splitting up Lady Di and her daughter was always part of Qin Wanyu’s plan.

After Qingyue withdrew, Qin Wanyu lay in bed, pondering quietly until sleep finally overcame her.

Though the days of autumn still held the last fierce breath of summer, the nights had grown cold, enough to make one shiver. The windows had been closed early to ward off the chill. Yet in the stillness of midnight, that tightly shut window gave a faint click and silently slid open…