"That's no excuse! And you said there's no photographs? What did he do to those things? Toss them into the garbage?" Yue Niang exclaimed heatedly.
"He had most of her things burnt, despite his sons' objections. I only managed to salvage some pictures to give to her sons." Lady Yu said sadly as she recalled Jingwei's devastated face.
"That fucking bastard!" Yue Niang declared, clenching her fists so tightly her knuckles turned white. Her husband was also furious.
"Which hospital is he in? I'm gonna strangle him!"
"He's unconscious!" Lady Yu exclaimed. "You can't do that!"
"Just watch me," Yue Niang growled out. "I'll rip out Sun Haowei's throat with my bare hands!"
After that pronouncement, Yue Niang stormed off towards the exit, presumably to do as she said. Her husband was a lot calmer.
"You're not chasing after her?"
"She'll come back when she's less angry, you know her behaviour better than anyone. She won't rush out without a plan." Tai Cheng said, shrugging. "Besides, it's been a while since I've raided the kitchens."
Lady Yu let out a polite, amused scoff. "I remember. Do you still know the way?"
"Yes, don't worry. Do you want me to steal you a lemon cake like old times?"
"No, thank you." Lady Yu said with a wan smile. This man hadn't changed much.
=======
Behind a corner, Jingwei and Xue Ning turned to each other, with equal looks of shock on their faces. They dared not speak up until they saw Lady Yu and Li Tai Cheng depart in opposite directions, then everything burst out of them as though a dam had broken.
"Did you hear -"
"They know each other - "
"Raiding kitchens - "
"Lemon cakes- "
"Your mom has no tablet - "
"Your mom is going to kill my dad - "
"Fuck," Xue Ning said, with incredible feeling. The puzzle pieces were forming an incredibly damning picture. Lady Yu used to work for her mom. Her father had been to the Sun family mansion before.
Her mom knew Jingwei's mom!
"Jingwei, what was your Mom's status?" Xue Ning asked hurriedly. "Was she a normal person that married Sun Haowei?"
"No normal person would marry my father," Jingwei replied. "They'd run away screaming the moment he lifted their veils."
"I mean, was she some rich young lady? Or was she some poor soul that Sun Haowei fell in love with at first sight?" Xue Ning asked, half-rolling her eyes.
"Of course she was rich. My father wouldn't have married anyone that didn't come from a powerful family, love or not."
"Fuck," Xue Ning said again, rubbing her temples. The picture was now in high definition. "So my mom had Lady Yu as a servant and knew your mom, who was also a rich young lady. What does that sound like to you?"
"It sounds like your mom used to be a rich young missus! Wait, does it mean that she left everything behind to marry your father? That's romantic!" Jingwei said, looking delighted.
"You would think so," Xue Ning said, shaking her head. "I'm sick of all these secrets."
"Let's just ask Lady Yu then." Jingwei said. "She's not going to hide things from us!"
======
"Lady Yu, psss, over here." Jingwei whispered, his head popping out from a wall. "Are you feeling better? I noticed you weren't feeling too good, and some of the maids are saying you were upset."
Lady Yu stopped, turning around in surprise. She couldn't help the fond smile that crept over her mouth as she watched Jingwei. He had grown up to be a pretty good man, all things considered. Now that he was happily in love, he seemed to be at peace.
Next to him, Li Xue Ning was also waiting for her with a hopeful look on her face.
"I'm fine. Why were you both looking for me? Did you run out of condoms already?" She asked.
"No?" Jingwei squeaked. Meanwhile, Xue Ning's face rapidly alternated between paling and flushing. Fuck, they forgot to use condoms! She began to panic, her mind reeling from the realisation that she could be a mom.
Surely it wouldn't be enough to get pregnant right? Her cycles weren't regular anyway.
She vowed to eat more pineapples. 'Dear God, don't get me pregnant now!' She internally pleaded. 'I'm not ready to be a Mom!' But surely she wouldn't be so lucky to get pregnant from one attempt! It was one in a million!
And with all of Jingwei's drinking, his swimmers wouldn't be that good anyway. She rationalised to herself. She would be fine.
"That's not why I'm looking for you. We actually have something we want to ask." Jingwei said hesitantly.
"What is it?"
"Xue Ning?" Jingwei elbowed her, hinting at her to talk. She was the one that wanted to know about her mom.
"Yeah - yeah - right. My question," Xue Ning said, clearing her throat. "Was my mom some rich lady in the past?"
"Why do you think so?"
"Jingwei and I heard you talk to my parents. I know all of you knew each other back then. You worked for my Mom. If my Mom wasn't someone wealthy, how could she afford you? And my Mom knew Jingwei's Mom!"
Lady Yu startled, her mouth falling open in surprise. She didn't expect the truth to be out so soon!
"Please don't lie," Jingwei pleaded. "We're both old enough to deserve to know the truth. How are Xue Ning's parents related to mine? And to you?"
Lady Yu stared at them both, immensely troubled. This wasn't her secret to tell, but her heart was still pissed over how Li Yue Niang treated her earlier.
"Please Lady Yu, I'm tired of being kept in the dark." Xue Ning said wearily. "I've only found out recently my Mom had the skills to gouge out human eyes. She claimed she used to work for someone rich, but they pissed him off so badly they had to hide in the countryside. Is this the truth?"
Lady Yu let out an unladylike snort.
"Your mother is still terrible at making up stories!"
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