Chapter 168
Huo Yunyao looked at Zhu Maosheng charging towards her, her eyes filled with hatred. This damn little brat!
Before, when she thought he was her own, she hadn't liked him.
Now, knowing he was the bastard child of Zhu Yunxian and Du Qiuniang, she detested him even more.
Thinking of this, Huo Yunyao's eyes instantly turned crimson as she glared at Zhu Maosheng. His very existence was her disgrace.
With that thought, she lunged forward in a swift step and clamped her hands around Zhu Maosheng's slender neck.
"Mother?" Zhu Maosheng rasped, looking at Huo Yunyao with confusion. He didn't understand why his mother was treating him this way.
Before, Mother hadn't liked him either, but she had never laid a hand on him.
Was it because he had pleaded for Father?
But when he thought of how Father had always been the kindest to him, he didn't want anything bad to happen to Father.
"Second Sister, what are you doing? Why take it out on the child?" Without a second thought, Huo Yunxuan stepped forward and pried Huo Yunyao's hands open.
In his view, no matter what, Zhu Maosheng was still his second sister's child. Even if Zhu Yunxian was a scoundrel, she shouldn't vent her anger on the child.
Seeing her own younger brother protecting that bastard, Huo Yunyao felt a bitter ache in her heart. She wanted to say that wasn't her child, but with so many onlookers, she still wanted to preserve a shred of dignity for herself.
Gritting her teeth, she didn't reveal Zhu Maosheng's true parentage.
"Cough! Cough!" Zhu Maosheng coughed lightly. Faced with such a Huo Yunyao, he was terrified. Yet, when he caught sight of his father being held by others to the side, he mustered his courage again, stepped forward, and knelt beside Huo Yunyao.
"Mother!" Zhu Maosheng pleaded, looking at Huo Yunyao.
However, the moment Zhu Maosheng's hand touched the hem of her robe, Huo Yunyao kicked him away in disgust, shouting angrily, "Get lost!"
Caught off guard and with Huo Yunyao showing no mercy in her kick, Zhu Maosheng was sent flying back.
"Maosheng!" Du Qiuniang's heart ached. She broke free from the servants restraining her and rushed forward to pick up Zhu Maosheng.
"Sister, if you're angry, direct it at me! It was me who was shameless, who shouldn't have coveted Brother-in-law. But Maosheng is innocent. He is your own flesh and blood! How can you be so cruel? He's just a child!" Du Qiuniang knelt to the side, holding Zhu Maosheng, speaking with unbearable distress.
Zhu Maosheng looked somewhat puzzled at Du Qiuniang, who was crying her heart out beside him, not understanding why she was so saddened by his injury.
Yet now, nestled in Du Qiuniang's warm embrace, he felt an intense longing he couldn't resist. He had never known what a mother's hug felt like. And now that he was feeling it, it wasn't from his own mother.
Still, he wished this embrace could hold him a little longer.
Huo Yunyao nearly laughed out of sheer rage at Du Qiuniang's words.
How was this her child?
This was clearly the bastard spawn of those two vile people's illicit affair!
And they still expected her to raise this little bastard for them?
Were they even worthy?
"My, although Madam Du's character leaves something to be desired, she does care for the child. She has a kind heart after all."
A certain lady, moved by the sight of Du Qiuniang rushing out without regard for herself to protect the child, spoke up.
"Speaking of which, Madam Du is also a pitiful soul. Even in her own state, she still thinks of the child."
Another lady quickly chimed in.
"Second Miss Huo, considering how Madam Du protected your child for you, even though she has committed such a scandalous act, she poses no real threat to you. Why don't you, on behalf of Second Master Zhu, take her into the household as a concubine? Wouldn't that be a gracious act?" Soon, someone stepped forward to suggest.
Huo Yunyao was practically exploding with fury upon hearing this!
These two shameless people had carried on right in her own family home, and she was supposed to swallow her anger and bring the woman into her household?
"Wife, I was wrong. I was momentarily possessed. Please forgive me. Qiuniang isn't the type to be ostentatious either. Why not take her into the household today? In the future, you two can address each other as sisters. Wouldn't that make your relationship even closer?" Hearing this, Zhu Yunxian also thought it was an excellent idea.
"Sister, please allow this humble one to serve you and Second Master Zhu from now on!" Du Qiuniang quickly prostrated herself on the ground, kowtowing and begging.
Although her original intention wasn't to become Zhu Yunxian's concubine, there was no better option at the moment.
Furious, Huo Yunyao pointed at these two shameless individuals who dared to beg for her forgiveness and even wanted to call her sister?
"Zhiwei, do you think Second Master Zhu can really take this concubine home?" Shen An'an asked, full of gossipy curiosity.
"Do you think Second Miss Huo would allow her into the Zhu household?" Li Zhiwei hadn't expected Zhu Yunxian and Du Qiuniang to be so... helpful.
Originally, she had been worried about how to counter Huo Yunyao, but these two had delivered themselves right to her doorstep.
"Second Miss Huo, it's perfectly normal for a man to have multiple wives and concubines. You and Madam Du were like sisters to begin with. Now, taking care of Second Master Zhu together, wouldn't that bring you even closer?" A lady with some distant relation to the Zhu family smiled persuasively.
"Exactly. Keeping her under your own watchful eye, they won't be able to stir up any trouble even if they want to. Besides, even if you reported this to the authorities, they probably wouldn't accept the case, right?" Another lady also offered well-meaning advice.
Huo Yunlan frowned. Strangely, she found these words somewhat reasonable.
"Second Sister, you're not actually foolish enough to really let her enter the household, are you?" Hearing this, Huo Yunzhi was displeased.
If this really happened, what if her own Chen Lang followed suit later? How humiliating would that be?
Huo Yunyao gritted her teeth and looked at Zhu Yunxian, saying furiously, "Zhu Yunxian, how dare you utter such shameless words? Hmph! You've palmed off this worthless thing on me for five years. Do you dare tell everyone where my real child is?"
Huo Yunyao pointed angrily at Zhu Maosheng beside Du Qiuniang and demanded.
The ladies who had been about to persuade Huo Yunyao all turned their gazes towards Zhu Maosheng.
A single question mark formed in their minds: Could Second Miss Huo be implying that this child is actually the offspring of Zhu Yunxian and Du Qiuniang?
Hearing this, Zhu Yunxian's heart skipped a beat. Had this secret been exposed too?
Several ladies who had just clearly understood the whole story had been standing to the side all along, watching everything with looks of disdain.
By the time Xu Heming arrived at Jiyun Manor, the news that Li Zhiwei had been caught in a compromising situation with someone in the rear courtyard was already spreading like wildfire through the banquet.
All of this had been arranged in advance by Huo Yunyao.
"Have you heard? That eldest daughter of the Li family was caught dallying with someone in the rear courtyard just now?"
"I heard. The other party was even a beggar. Who knows how poor that Miss Li's taste is? She didn't want the fine young Master Huo, but instead took a fancy to some stinking beggar." Another lady said with contempt.
"Who knows if she has some peculiar preferences? Perhaps the beggar is smelly, but she just likes that smell?" As they spoke, both couldn't help but cover their mouths and giggle.
As if they had witnessed the event with their own eyes.
Xu Heming clenched his fists tightly. He didn't believe Li Zhiwei would do such a thing. Someone must be framing her!
