Chapter 328 - 327: Betrayal

Chapter 328: Chapter 327: Betrayal

"I... I’m not a widow..." Lady An cried softly, "I’ve never been married..."

Du Yunluo was taken aback.

No one expected that the first thing Lady An would say would be such a statement.

Madam Wu’s eyebrows furrowed.

Whether a woman is a maiden or a wife, experienced elders can tell. When Mu Yuanjing returned to the Capital with Lady An, Madam Wu never doubted Lady An’s widow status, because Lady An indeed was not a maiden anymore.

However, now, Lady An claims she is not a widow and has never been married.

A thought flashed through her mind, and Madam Wu’s gaze briefly glanced over Mu Lianyu, then fiercely locked onto Mu Yuanjing.

Mu Yuanjing’s face remained expressionless.

"It was Madam who made me serve the Master, not as a concubine nor a mistress. Except for Madam and Master, no one knew." Speaking of the past, Lady An’s voice trembled.

Madam Wu sighed.

Indeed...

Mu Yuanjing was capable of involving Lady An with her in the madness with Mu Lianyu, having done something similar in the past.

A maid serving the master’s husband was originally normal, but Mu Yuanjing never gave Lady An any title, leaving her unclear and undefined.

That was unusual.

"I didn’t want to..." Lady An sniffled, "Madam helped Master force me, I had no choice, after all, he was the Master..."

The hidden relationship lasted for years, until Mu Yuanjing’s husband passed away.

Lady An thought that was the end, but she was mistaken, Mu Yuanjing did not let her go.

Without a man, Mu Yuanjing dragged Lady An down with her.

Lady An initially resisted, but later resigned herself — she was Mu Yuanjing’s maid, with nowhere else to go, what choice did she have but to comply?

"Even after returning to the Capital, it was the same until..." Lady An stopped there, biting her lower lip hard until it bled, murmuring, "until Mr. Si also..."

That was last year.

When Lady An first discovered Mu Yuanjing entangled with Mu Lianyu, she fainted.

The uncle-niece affair was entirely different from the past matters.

Lady An couldn’t accept it; she tried to persuade Mu Yuanjing, but Mu Yuanjing not only ignored her, but also had Mu Lianyu possess her as well.

Humiliation, anger, reluctance, disgust — all kinds of emotions enveloped Lady An, far more intense than before.

She was utterly confused, clueless about her path, only repenting before the Bodhisattva, over and over again.

But, chanting scriptures didn’t calm her heart.

One day, upon hearing that the Lian Family was arranging a marriage for Mu Lianyu, fear engulfed her.

Once Mu Lianyu was married and under Fourth Granny’s watch, he would no longer visit Manhe Garden. What would Mu Yuanjing do then? Would she become even more excessive, or find a third man?

The more Lady An thought, the more frightened, and the more frightened, the more resentment grew.

Her life had become a mess because she was linked to such a master, to the point of losing the will to live.

"I’ve been wanting to die, all these days, I’ve been wanting to die..." Lady An laughed tragically, tears streaming down her lips.

Madam Wu lowered her gaze to look at her.

Lady An was personally chosen by her to serve Mu Yuanjing, watching Lady An blossom from a lively mimosa to a grown woman.

The eighteen-year-old girl who left for Shu returned to the Capital with little to say.

Madam Wu assumed it was the result of young widowhood, never imagining this was Mu Yuanjing’s doing, driving her to such a point.

"Such sin..." Madam Wu lamented.

It was the sin of Mu Yuanjing, and her own.

Mu Yuanjing, who hadn’t spoken for a while, glanced at Lady An and said, "If you want to die, then why live? To betray me?"

Lady An’s body stiffened.

After a long pause, she slowly straightened, turning to face Mu Yuanjing with a sweet smile, as bright as a child’s: "Indeed, I’ve been waiting, I waited, Madam, your葵水 was late, you didn’t notice, did you?"

Mu Yuanjing’s eyes suddenly sharpened, she stood up abruptly, "You!"

Madam Wu gasped, raising her hand to smash the teacup on the ground.

Mu Lianyu suddenly looked up, staring at Mu Yuanjing, muttering, "Wasn’t there medicine?"

The Lian Family’s gaze fell on Mu Yuanjing’s belly, their vision white, body tilted and fainting.

Madam Wu, gasping, had Mu Yuanmou move the Lian Family to the bed, forcefully pinching the person awake.

The Lian Family awoke slowly, gritted their teeth, eyes blazing at Mu Yuanjing.

Du Yunluo asked word by word, "What medicine?"

Lady An giggled, "When in Shu, obtained a recipe by chance, using it could prevent pregnancy, all common herbs. Obtained some from the household, some brought by Mr. Si from outside, just enough."

The Lian Family and Mu Yuanmou breathed a sigh of relief. If Mu Lianyu accidentally found out about the recipe they were using, and it got exposed, the matter would be huge.

Du Yunluo felt a flash of disappointment.

"Madam, when I prepared the medicine, I adjusted the recipe, what you drank was different from mine," Lady An stood up, smiling with relief in her expression, "It’s been over ten days late, it’s certainly there. While alive, you never let me go, now that I’m going to die, I won’t let you go either."

Mu Yuanjing grabbed a footstool, about to smash it at Lady An.

Mu Yuanmou rushed to snatch it away.

"You are helping her?" Mu Yuanjing screamed.

Mu Yuanmou replied coldly, "Take care of yourself first!"

Lady An turned to Madam Wu, "Madam, I won’t dirty your place."

Madam Wu’s eyelids twitched slightly, nodding slowly, "Go, Ah Dan, take her."

Nanny Shan responded respectfully.

Nanny Shan followed Lady An back to Manhe Garden; the rain once again drenched Lady An’s clothes.

Lady An peacefully changed into plain clothes, did her hair, took out a belt from the box, and tossed it over the beam...

Nanny Shan pressed her hands together, recited a Buddhist chant, exited the room, and closed the door.

Except for a few who went to report the news, the night patrol old women stayed at Manhe Garden.

With many people, punishment couldn’t be meted out all at once, but if they recklessly spread gossip, it would be asking for death.

Nanny Shan instructed solemnly, "Wait for now, Madam will have arrangements."

In Baijie Hall, Madam Wu rubbed her forehead, sighed, "Yuanjing, what do you say?"

"What does mother want me to do?" Mu Yuanjing retorted.

Madam Wu sneered, "Will you do whatever I want?"

"You wanted me to marry to Shu, didn’t I marry?" Mu Yuanjing raised her eyebrows, snorted, "I listened to you, that’s why..."

"Yes, it’s my fault..." Madam Wu interrupted Mu Yuanjing, her voice utterly weary, "I spoiled you, causing you to lose sight of right and wrong, ignoring ethics! This time, I’ll deal with you personally, you don’t need to blame others, hate me entirely!"