Song Chuning rarely encountered matters she couldn’t hold in the palm of her hand, and whenever she did, Song Chuyi’s handiwork was invariably involved. She sat by the window listening to Song Yi’s slightly excited voice, yet her thoughts involuntarily drifted along with the snow outside the window.
The palace wanted to find companion readers for the princesses, and all the Song family young ladies of appropriate age had to return to the capital for selection—this originally such dignified and unassailable reason nevertheless made Song Chuning smell deep malice within it.
She did have memories of this elder sister who had become a consort. Back then in her dream she was still a young girl, and this elder sister was no different from others, only seeing Song Chuyi born of Cui Shi in her eyes, while looking down on her at every turn.
At that time she had felt both embarrassed and angry, thinking that one day she would make Consort Song see who was truly the sister who would disgrace her, and make her pay the price for looking down on people with her dog’s eyes.
Later she had indeed achieved this, step by step turning Song Chuyi into someone increasingly detestable, becoming the laughingstock of the entire capital. She had also watched how Consort Song had the misfortune of dying suddenly while pregnant.
Now this Lady Consort suddenly said she wanted her to become the Eleventh Princess’s companion reader—she didn’t dare go.
She had been away from the capital for so long, who knew how those two old bastards from the Song family had spoken of her to Consort Song. Song Chuyi had certainly grown even closer to Consort Song. Perhaps this time Consort Song had listened to Song Chuyi’s instigation and was specifically coming to eliminate her.
She thought for a moment, looking at Song Yi with a face full of fear and grievance: “Father, I don’t dare go. In the Earl’s manor, Grandfather and Grandmother don’t like me, and Elder Sister even less so. If I go back, I’m afraid I’ll never see you again.”
Her pitiable appearance was identical to Li Shi’s. Song Yi’s whole body shuddered with a cold tremor. For some reason, he suddenly recalled those testimonies again—written in black and white describing the entire process of Li Shi plotting to harm Cui Shi.
He felt both alarmed and guilty, actually turning his head away, not daring to look into Song Chuning’s eyes anymore—if it was truly as his parents said, that beneath Li Shi’s pitiable exterior lay such a terrifying and frightening heart, then what about Song Chuning, who was born and raised by Li Shi?
But this hint of misgiving was quickly cast aside by him—Song Chuning was clearly obedient and gentle, and could never be that kind of person.
He steadied his mind, smiled, and comforted her: “Since the family said to have you enter the palace for the companion reader selection, how could they still dislike you? These days Father has often written letters home to explain. Your grandfather and grandmother’s misunderstanding of you has surely been greatly reduced. Don’t frighten yourself.”
Judging by this tone, he clearly was very much in favor of this idea.
Song Chuning inwardly mocked for a while. No matter how much Song Yi claimed on the surface to dote on and feel sorry for her, wasn’t his heart still influenced by the capital’s Earl’s manor? Hearing there was intention of reconciliation from the capital side, he was happily floating on air.
When Song Yi heard no response from his daughter, he couldn’t help but turn to look at her. He saw tears brimming in her lashes as she sat blankly by the window in a daze. Sighing in his heart, he made his tone even gentler: “Father has no other meaning. It’s just that you are, after all, a person of the Earl’s manor, and in the future you will marry out from the Earl’s manor. How can having only Father suffice? Your grandfather and grandmother’s side absolutely cannot be cast aside. This time there’s finally an opportunity—if you properly show filial piety to your grandfather and grandmother, those misunderstandings will all be resolved, and Father can worry less about you. Don’t you agree?”
Could he truly refuse to acknowledge his parents for the sake of his daughter?
One or two years he could still endure, but three or four years—even if other people’s spittle didn’t drown him, he himself would die of shame. The Song family elders had painstakingly given birth to him, raised him, and taught him—could he truly become an unfilial son?
Originally he had planned to return home at the end of this year no matter what to apologize to his parents. Now with such good news coming from the palace, it was simply perfect. How could he refuse?
Song Chuning sneered coldly in her heart—how had she forgotten what kind of person Song Yi truly was? Whether in the dream or in reality, he was nothing but a coward without courage who only knew how to evade responsibility.
Before, his heart had been holding onto a grudge against the Cui family, and his conscience couldn’t get past it. Wanting to barely convince himself to feel better, he had chosen to believe that both Li Shi and she had been slandered and misunderstood. Now that the Song family had slightly revealed an intention to reconcile, he was rushing to send himself back. Fundamentally, from beginning to end he was simply afraid of trouble. Once the Song family elders had finished their tantrum and calmed down, he no longer dared offend them, while this daughter of his, though wronged in his view, should also go back to fulfill her filial duties.
She suddenly understood why Song Chuyi had used this move—she too had seen clearly through Song Yi’s weak, indecisive nature and fear of trouble, which was why she used this move against her.
Thus Song Yi finally experienced for the first time the terrifying aspect of this daughter whom he had always held in his heart and thought was a gentle, harmless little lamb.
When she looked at him, her eyes were hollow and lifeless, as if she were looking at a tree or a flower outside with no difference whatsoever. Her pitch-black pupils reflected his face, making him involuntarily shudder.
Song Chuning wore a trace of cold, indifferent smile as she turned her eyes to look outside the window. As if suddenly no longer afraid of the cold, she even reached out her hand to catch the rainwater mixed with snowflakes falling outside. After a long while, she squeezed out a sentence word by word: “Father truly wants me to go?”
Song Yi heard her tone—clearly flat and level without fluctuation, yet somehow seeming to contain towering resentment within. He hesitated for a moment before saying with somewhat insufficient confidence: “For you, this is also a good thing. Returning to the manor can also resolve the misunderstanding. If you’re truly fortunate enough to be selected as a companion reader female official beside the princess, your status in the future will also rise accordingly. For your future husband, this is also a good thing. Why wouldn’t you go?”
Song Chuning, with her back to him, nodded and pushed open the door, walking out decisively.
Although she had very much disliked Song Yi in the past, in the end it was also Song Yi who saved her, gave her shelter, and maintained complete trust in her. Though there was also an element of her manipulation in this, Song Yi had nevertheless once truly loved her.
She had originally wanted to spare him for this reason.
But she hadn’t expected this father would insist on rushing forward to seek death himself.
Back then, if he hadn’t been unable to control himself despite already having a wife, Li Shi wouldn’t have had no way out, and wouldn’t have killed Cui Shi. She wouldn’t have grown up in such a deformed and oppressive family, and it would have been one thing not to receive Song Yi’s complete love, but she couldn’t even fully possess Li Shi’s love either.
She often felt that Li Shi conceiving and bearing her was nothing more than a bargaining chip to bind Song Yi.
Her father and mother—not one of them had truly hoped for her to come into this world, and not one of them had treated her with genuine sincerity.
Since it was like this, they should all just die.