This slap completely shattered the false peace between the siblings.
Mu Wang's eyes were bloodshot, filled with a scarlet glare. He gritted his teeth angrily, "Why!"
Why had she always rejected their elder brother?
Why had their mother been beaten?
Why had she kept all this from him?
"This is none of your business!" Mu Yao's palm was numb. She subconsciously took a step forward to check on him but then stopped abruptly. "If you don't want Mother to suffer again, don't mention him!"
"So what?" Mu Wang tilted his head. There was still a clear handprint on the cheek that had been slapped. "So you treat me like an outsider and tell me nothing?"
Mu Yao's chest heaved violently. A rare look of grievance appeared on her usually sarcastic face. "Is it possible that I didn't tell you for your own good!"
Mu Wang sneered slightly. "Is this what you call being good for me?"
An eerie silence filled the air.
Mu Wang prodded the inside of his cheek with his tongue. The stubbornness of the young man was as tenacious as wild grass.
"Mu Yao, one day I will find out the truth."
The reason behind all of this.
Mu Yao smiled faintly, her strength leaving her. "Then Mother and I will die."
The more people who knew the secrets of the Mu Mansion, the more dangerous it would be.
She raised her hand and gently stroked Mu Wang's red - slapped cheek, calling him softly, "Wang'er."
"Remember, Mother won't harm you."
The overly profound meaning left Mu Wang with a riddle he couldn't solve for the time being.
His mind was stuck on interpreting this sentence, so he didn't even notice when the warmth on his cheek disappeared or when Mu Yao left.
When he turned his head, he only managed to catch a glimpse of her back.
Those purple shoes flashed by.
A similar scene suddenly flashed through Mu Wang's mind.
Why did she always have to wear those shoes?
The young man, who had been pampered since childhood, was always overly curious about the unknown.
He simply ignored Mu Yao's advice and was determined to find out the truth.
He glanced into the courtyard. The lamp was out.
Song Luo was asleep.
Mu Wang sighed dejectedly and finally didn't go any closer to disturb her.
He turned around and went back to his own courtyard. After entering the room, he threw himself onto the bed, but he tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.
On the same night, Qu Yue was also sleepless.
The gauze curtain fluttered gently, unable to hide the rapid rise and fall of the young girl's breathing.
Qu Yue sat upright on the bed. Her fair shoulders heaved continuously. The collarbones on her neck were deeply sunken, with drops of fragrant sweat collecting in them.
Her slender hands tightly grasped the bedding beneath her, trembling violently. Even her beautiful eyes were tightly squinted.
After a long time, Qu Yue's lips, bitten pale, parted slightly. "I... I don't want to be buried alive..."
Perhaps she had been too tired during the day. As soon as Mu Wang and Wen Wuyou left and she helped Liu Xu back to the courtyard, she fell asleep.
But the sweet sleep only lasted for a moment before the nightmare forcefully invaded.
She saw herself kneeling in the middle of the Marquis's Mansion. Countless hands pointed at her, and spittle from people's mouths kept splashing on her face as they condemned her for having an affair on the night of the mourning hall.
Not far away, the five suspects were looking at her indifferently.
She tried to call for help, but the scolding grew louder and louder, gradually merging into a sharp buzzing sound that stabbed her into the wall.
Cement was smeared on her face and body, squeezing into her nostrils, drilling into her lungs, and occupying all her breathing space.
She wanted to scream, but her mouth was filled with the taste of cement, which turned into despair and overwhelmed her.
When she woke up from the nightmare, Qu Yue was completely at a loss.
The look of shock in her eyes showed her confusion about the future, and the falling tears were a sign of her fear of being exposed.
She really didn't know who that person was on that night.
She had tried all four men, but it was still uncertain.
Suddenly, an idea popped into her mind.
"I maybe can ask her!"
Without hesitation, Qu Yue got out of bed and walked to the desk. She pulled open the drawer.
There were piles of letters in it, stacked like a mountain, emitting a faint smell of ink.
These were from her pen - pal whom she had known for many years.
After her mother, Princess Rouhui, was beheaded, she had to live with her father. The bitterness of being bullied all day long had nowhere to be expressed. By chance, when she was on the street, she heard about an activity called "making friends through writing".
It meant that they didn't meet in person but communicated through letters.
Except for paper and pen, there was no other way to contact privately. It was completely anonymous.
It could not only hide one's identity but also allow one to pour out the troubles that couldn't be told to others.
Qu Yue was intrigued.
Wasn't this tailor - made for her!
Little Qu Yue rushed into the crowd, her clear eyes full of curiosity.
After successfully signing up, she held the letter paper and eagerly awaited her pen - pal.
She had heard some girls complain that their pen - pals were villains who only knew how to flirt with innocent women.
But fortunately, her pen - pal seemed to be a gentle and intellectual woman.
The envelope was creatively sealed with a leaf. After tearing it open and taking out the letter paper, it was neatly folded in a square shape, exuding the smell of ink.
The handwriting was neat and elegant. Every stroke had a powerful curve, which vividly reflected the gentle and considerate character of the writer.
Qu Yue often imagined that her pen - pal must be a proper and generous young lady from a wealthy family, with gentle fingertips that showed pity for all things. Her smooth strokes engraved her self - cultivation and knowledge.
Moreover, the content of the letters greatly demonstrated the pen - pal's broad - mindedness.
No matter what difficulties Qu Yue encountered, she could always come up with the most accurate solutions.
That was why she wanted to ask for help from her.
But a woman's reputation was still very important. Qu Yue vaguely described what had happened to her on the night of the mourning hall. She only said that she was involved with these five men, but now she couldn't find the one who disliked her. What should she do?
Early the next morning, she went out to the post station to send the letter.
As soon as she returned to the mansion, she bumped into Mu Qing head - on.
He was sweating all over, with a towel hanging around his neck. "You went out this morning?"
Qu Yue stopped her cheerful steps, and her delicate figure trembled.
After seeing Liu Xu's miserable state yesterday, she was really afraid of this man from the bottom of her heart.
Moreover, she had taken away his reward. He must hate her even more. He might not even feel satisfied if he killed her.
Her clear and moist eyes rolled. Qu Yue subconsciously took a step back to keep a distance and curtsied. "Yes, Marquis Zhaoping."
But there was a sinister look hidden on Mu Qing's sweaty face. "Don't you call me Father anymore?"
"..."
Qu Yue lowered her head and eyes obediently but didn't reply.
After Mu Qing and Song Luo had tried to kill her openly yesterday, she had no intention of maintaining the superficial harmony with them anymore.
Mu Qing sized Qu Yue up and down. His shrewd eyes were full of calculation.
A smile appeared at the corners of his eyes, with a hint of threat hidden in the coldness.
"You pretended to be dead first yesterday. How can you still be angry with your elders?"
Qu Yue's gentle voice was filled with determination. "Marquis Zhaoping was present the whole time yesterday. You should know the whole story."
She wouldn't back down anymore!
Since they wanted to take her life, she should also fight back!
Protect herself and safeguard Mu Yuan's inheritance!
Mu Qing was surprised by her boldness. His eyebrows raised. "I didn't know you could be so sharp - tongued on normal days."
Qu Yue clenched her fists tightly by her sides. "I never thought you would be so cruel to me on normal days! You even wouldn't spare my maid!"
Mu Qing's eyes suddenly turned fierce.