Chapter 18: Playing on Emotions
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Ever since Shen Yishu had brought Liu Xin’er back to the Marquis’s Residence, she had been rubbing her fists in anticipation.
She waited eagerly for Dou Hongyan to make the first move—to lose patience and come looking for trouble.
When that happened, she, the Marquis’s true love, would surely crush Dou Hongyan completely.
Yet apart from being sharply rebuked on the first day and enduring the Old Madam’s contempt the next, Dou Hongyan had made no further move at all.
The most anxious person had once again become Liu Xin’er herself.
This could not continue…
She already had no advantage. If Dou Hongyan continued to ignore her, Liu Xin’er might truly become invisible with time.
By the third day, Liu Xin’er could sit still no longer.
Clenching her fists and digging her fingertips into her palms, she gritted her teeth and rose, leaving her secluded Listening to Rain Garden.
She would take the initiative and provoke Dou Hongyan! She refused to believe that Dou Hongyan would not become angry. As long as Dou Hongyan lost her temper, it would be the perfect opportunity for Liu Xin’er to show herself.
Holding Shun by the hand, Liu Xin’er began working up her tears before she had even reached Dou Hongyan.
The moment she saw Dou Hongyan, mother and son began pleading in unison, looking utterly pitiful.
“Madam, Shun is no longer a child. We cannot let him waste his time like this and squander the Marquis’s bloodline.”
She dabbed at her tears, her face filled with remorse.
“It was my fault for giving birth to the Marquis’s heir. I know you must dislike me, Madam… but the child is innocent!”
She was still making veiled—and not so veiled—attempts to obtain a place at the Imperial College.
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Liu Xin’er’s sobbing gave Dou Hongyan a splitting headache.
She had already changed into an outfit suitable for going out, and the time was nearly upon them. The city gates would soon welcome the victorious army returning from the northern frontier, and she had to hurry to receive Xiao Ze.
Otherwise, that petty man would find some new grievance to hold against her.
At this point, Liu Xin’er was not merely blocking her way—she was fighting Xiao Ze for the next several days of her life.
“Madam, Shun has been clever since childhood. If you do not believe me, why not test him? Shun is certainly no worse than Heng.”
“No worse than him? Then why was it not he who passed the examination?”
Dou Hongyan tossed out the remark casually, leaving Liu Xin’er utterly humiliated.
But Liu Xin’er quickly recovered. Shamelessly clinging to Dou Hongyan, she dragged Shun down with her and knelt at Dou Hongyan’s feet.
Wiping away her tears with pitiful little sobs, she pleaded, “Please, Madam, for the sake of Shun’s being a son of the Marquis’s household, spare the two of us!”
It was precisely then that the Old Madam came looking for Dou Hongyan.
The moment she stepped inside, she came face-to-face with Liu Xin’er, who was kneeling on the floor and carefully working up her emotions. The Old Madam’s body stiffened at once, and she wished she had never appeared.
She had arrived at the worst possible moment!
Yet when Liu Xin’er saw the Old Madam, a flash of carefully calculated delight crossed her eyes, as though she were congratulating herself on choosing the perfect time.
That strange expression did not escape Dou Hongyan’s notice. Her gaze darkened, and she immediately understood.
So Liu Xin’er’s actions had all been calculated from the beginning.
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No wonder she had suddenly come here to cry. She had been counting on the Old Madam to uphold justice.
The corner of Dou Hongyan’s lips curled coldly.
Then she let the expression fade with disdain and quietly watched the two women staring at each other, curious to see how the Old Madam would respond.
“Mother… Old Madam.”
Having learned from her previous lesson, Liu Xin’er no longer dared address the Old Madam as Mother. After calling her softly by her title, she pushed Shun forward and pleaded, “He is your own grandson. I know my status is lowly and would never dare presume upon the Marquis’s household. But for Shun’s sake—and for the sake of your son—I beg you to let him have the opportunity to study.”
“I cannot bear to see the Marquis’s bloodline buried!”
And besides…
As though merely offering an idle reminder, she added, “Heng is, after all, an adopted heir. It would be better for Shun to know who his true grandmother is, so that he may filialize you in the future.”