Wei Zhuhua’s expression turned cold.
Though she had a soft temper, years of managing the household had endowed her with authority.
The maid asked, "Should we inform Old Madam Yu about this?"
"No need," Wei Zhuhua said calmly.
"Old Madam Yu isn’t in good health. Let’s not disturb her with trivial matters."
If Old Madam Yu truly found out, this old couple might not survive through the winter.
Wei had seen firsthand just how ruthless that person could be, especially when dealing with Second Uncle.
The sound of the maid’s footsteps gradually faded into the distance.
Cold wind battered the windows, but the room was as warm as spring.
Wei Zhuhua held the book in her hands, but not a word from its pages reached her mind. Her thoughts wandered.
The Yu family wielded vast power, but how much filth had been exchanged for it?
Spending too long in a vat of dye—perhaps one day, she would be stained with an undesirable color.
Everyone envied the luxurious lifestyle, with its finery and abundance, but who truly knew the filth and ugliness hidden beneath the splendor?
On the page in her hands, a line stood out.
"A house that accumulates good deeds will reap blessings; a house that accumulates evil will et disaster."
Wei Zhuhua’s pupils contracted. Her grip on the book tightened, creasing its pages.
The Heavenly Dao carries debts; karma spares no one.
She herself didn’t matter, but she couldn’t let her daughter bear such a fate.
She eagerly read on.
"To avoid misfortune, one must accumulate good deeds to build blessings for their descendants and practice sincere spiritual cultivation to escape the consequences of karmic debts."
"Accumulate good deeds, cultivate spirituality..."
Under the warm lamplight of the late night, the woman murmured to herself, staring at the page and sinking into deep thought.
~
In a lavishly decorated bedroom, i Qingdai caressed the matched jade cups in the box, reluctant to let go.
"Eldest Sister-in-law truly has a lot of good things."
At that mont, a maid walked in and whispered sothing into i Qingdai’s ear.
i Qingdai’s eyes lit up. "Really?"
"Absolutely."
i Qingdai slowly closed the lid, her fingers gliding over the zitan wood cover. "Eldest Sister-in-law, oh, Eldest Sister-in-law, your greatest weakness is being too soft-hearted."
Last ti at the pear garden, Helian Yu had bluntly pointed out her sister-in-law’s weakness, advising her to exploit it.
It worked perfectly, after all.
Each ti she tested, her sister-in-law retreated. This gave i Qingdai an inexplicable thrill.
One day, she would grip the entire Yu family tightly in her hands.
It was ti to sow so discord about her sister-in-law in front of Old Madam Yu.
Being too soft-hearted would never allow her sister-in-law to survive in the Yu family.
Despite all her years here, how could she still be so naive?
i Qingdai smiled faintly, her eyes brimming with reckless ambition.
~
The maid exited i Qingdai’s bedroom and returned to the servants’ quarters in the attic.
The triangular roof felt cramped and oppressive, making it hard even to stand up straight.
But having a private room of her own already made her better off than other Yu family servants.
The maid discreetly glanced at the green plant in the corner.
Caras covered every corner of the Yu family mansion.
She grabbed a towel and walked into the bathroom.
The bathrooms, presumably, were the only places in the mansion without caras.
Turning on the shower, the sound of running water filled the room.
She lifted the lid of the toilet tank and retrieved an object wrapped securely in a waterproof bag. Layer after layer of copper foil was unwrapped, revealing an old-fashioned cellphone capable only of making calls and sending texts.
The woman pulled a small round black device, slightly larger than a pinky fingernail, from the care label of the towel. She switched it on, and a soft blue light began to blink.
It was a signal blocker, designed to shield the phone’s signal from the Yu family’s audio detectors.
In the Yu family, servants were forbidden to use cellphones. Being caught would result in severe punishnt.
The woman reached into her bra and retrieved a small SIM card, swiftly inserting it into the phone before switching it on.
Crouched on the toilet, her fingers flew over the keypad as she typed line after line of symbols.
Monts later, she hit send.
The ssage was successfully delivered.
Ten minutes later, the woman erged from the bathroom, her hair damp from the shower.
Everything returned to normal.
The Yu family mansion was eerily quiet at night.
Old Madam Yu often suffered from nightmares and had fragile nerves. She couldn’t tolerate any noise at night. Because of this, even the guard dogs—said to have accompanied Old Master Yu on the battlefield in their pri—had been dealt with years ago.
Maidservants were instructed to tread lightly when walking at night.
The woman stood by the window, gazing out at the serene and tranquil courtyard in the distance. Her lips curled into a mocking smile.
~
Shen You’an watched as Xue Qingfang walked into the gated community.
"Driver, to Spring Gardens near the academy."
Shen You’an withdrew his gaze.
The taxi driver started the car but couldn’t help glancing at the rearview mirror.
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