Chapter 4

“You said you were the heir’s daughter lost outside the household. Surely you brought proof.”

Wet Nurse Qian had been waiting for me to say exactly that.

She immediately took three things from her travel bundle.

An old swaddling cloth.

A silver lock.

And an old woman close to sixty.

The swaddling cloth was worn, but its corners were embroidered with the Ji family’s hidden pattern.

A tiny character, “Yue,” was engraved on the back of the silver lock.

As for the old woman, she introduced herself as Granny Zhou, who had once served Madam Shen, the heir’s wife, during childbirth.

Granny Zhou knelt on the floor and spoke in a trembling voice.

“Back then, Madam Shen gave birth prematurely at a villa outside the city. At that very moment, bandits caused chaos, and the residence fell into disarray. This old servant carried the baby out to safety, but people forced us through a back gate and separated the group.”

“When we eventually found the child again, the swaddling cloth had been changed.”

“This old servant was afraid of being blamed and didn’t dare speak up. A few days ago, I met Miss Wanning and saw the cinnabar birthmark behind her shoulder. Only then did I realize Heaven had eyes and brought the real young lady home.”

She sobbed bitterly, her voice full of grief.

Ji Mingyi swayed slightly.

I reached out to steady her.

Su Wanning saw this and spoke gently.

“Elder Sister Mingyi, don’t be afraid. I didn’t come back to blame you. You were only a baby at the time. How could you have known what was happening?”

“I only want to come home.”

Ji Mingyi lowered her head, her face growing even paler.

I picked up the swaddling cloth and slowly ran my fingers over the stitching.

“Granny Zhou, you said the incident happened at a villa outside the city?”

Granny Zhou nodded immediately.

“That’s right.”

“Which villa?”

She faltered.

“Of course… the one at Xishan.”

I glanced at Auntie Du.

Auntie Du understood and replied quickly, “Miss, when the heir’s wife gave birth, the Xishan villa had not yet been registered under the marquis’s household. The marquis bought that property three years later as a place to spend the summer.”

Granny Zhou’s face shifted slightly.

Wet Nurse Qian immediately interrupted. “The old woman is advanced in years. It’s only natural she might remember the location incorrectly. But the swaddling cloth and silver lock can’t be wrong.”

I picked up the silver lock.

“The character ‘Yue’ on this lock is indeed my eldest brother’s name.”

Hope lit Su Wanning’s eyes.

But I continued, “This isn’t the longevity lock the heir’s wife prepared for her daughter.”

Wet Nurse Qian frowned. “Why would Miss Peiyao say that?”

“Because I’ve seen this lock before.”

I set it on the table.

“Ten years ago, my eldest brother gave it to the grandson of Nurse Sun.”

“Nurse Sun’s husband was surnamed Yue. The boy’s childhood name was Yue’er. My eldest brother thought it was a pleasing coincidence, so he had this character engraved on the lock.”

“Later, Nurse Sun’s whole family left the residence, and the lock went with them.”

The color drained from Su Wanning’s face.

She instinctively looked toward Wet Nurse Qian.

Wet Nurse Qian hurried to say, “Then perhaps it fell into the wrong hands after she was lost, and the Su family found it. But the cinnabar birthmark on her shoulder can’t be fake!”

“I’m not saying she must be an impostor,” I said indifferently.

At that, Su Wanning froze instead.

I looked at her.

“You brought in these dubious proofs, sat in the seat of honor the moment you entered, looked through the marriage contract, and tried to seize the betrothal gifts.”

“Who taught you to do that?”

Su Wanning’s face turned pale.

“No one taught me.”

“Is that so?”

I folded the swaddling cloth neatly.

“Then how did you know the Duke of Jingguo was sending betrothal gifts today?”

Her throat tightened.

“Everyone in the capital is talking about it.”

“It’s true the marquis’s household is receiving betrothal gifts today, but the two families only decided yesterday exactly when they would arrive.”

I tapped my fingers lightly on the table.

“You arrived at just the right moment. The moment you entered, you came straight to the main hall. You knew exactly where the dowry inventory was and where the marriage contract was kept.”

Tears fell from her eyes again.

“If Paternal Aunt doesn’t believe me, why keep questioning me?”

Wet Nurse Qian joined in, crying, “What a wretched fate our young lady has! Her own flesh and blood returns home, and she’s interrogated like this. Had we known, she might as well have died outside!”

Ji Mingyi’s face grew even paler at those words.

I smiled again.

“Whether she lives or dies can wait.”

“My eldest brother, Ji Huaiyue, never had a daughter at all.”

“My sister-in-law Shen risked her life giving birth. The child she bore was a boy.”

7

Wet Nurse Qian shrieked first.

“That’s nonsense!”

She nearly jumped off the floor, pointing at me, her hand shaking.

“How can the heir have no daughter? Wasn’t Miss Mingyi raised in the household for sixteen years?”

Su Wanning’s face paled too. She shook her head.

“That can’t be true.”

Tears clung to her cheeks, as though my words had wounded her deeply.

“Even if Paternal Aunt doesn’t want to acknowledge me, you shouldn’t lie to me like this.”

“If I’m not Father’s daughter, then what is Elder Sister Mingyi?”

Ji Mingyi stood beside us, her face even paler than Su Wanning’s.

I looked at Ji Mingyi but said nothing further.

My eldest brother would have to tell the story of the past himself.

Seeing that I didn’t answer, Wet Nurse Qian immediately thought she had found a weakness to exploit.

“Look! Now you have nothing to say, do you?”