Where in this world could there be a stepmother who truly liked the children left behind by the first wife?

Li Shi rubbed her facial muscles, which had grown stiff from smiling, and couldn’t help complaining, “Blocking my view every single day—she doesn’t even need to provoke me. I disgust myself to death first!”

The expression on her face showed displeasure, bearing not a trace of the gentle kindness she had displayed when facing Song Chuyi earlier.

“After so many years, how do you still have this temperament?” A middle-aged woman with an elongated face, wearing an autumn-fragrance colored robe with a dark-incense colored vest over it, slowly stepped forward to massage Li Shi’s shoulders. She glanced back at Su Xin and the others, jerking her chin to signal them all to withdraw before saying, “You really must change this temper of yours. If these complaints spread and someone heard them, wouldn’t all these years of hard work have been in vain?”

“Hmph!” Li Shi snorted coldly but showed no intention of blaming the woman. Instead, she continued, “Don’t you think what I said is correct, Nanny Yu? She didn’t come from my belly, yet I must greet her with smiles and show her meticulous care. Even I find it sickening to think about.”

Nanny Yu gently massaged her shoulders, and upon hearing this, coaxed her as if soothing a child. “But this is what you sought for yourself. You waited so many years before finally obtaining such a fine match with our Second Master. Surely you don’t regret it now over one little girl?”

How could she possibly regret it?! Li Shi shook her head without hesitation. Back when she was still unmarried, she had already become deeply infatuated with Song Yi. Later, she had exhausted every scheme to marry him as she wished. How could the word ‘regret’ even exist?

“Precisely so.” Nanny Yu smiled with relief. “Moreover, our Second Master truly cares for you attentively. These past years, even though you haven’t yet borne him a son, he’s never uttered half a word of complaint, has he?”

Mentioning this brought Li Shi both joy and bitterness. The bitterness came from having been married for over five years—aside from giving birth to Song Chuning in the first year, her belly had shown no movement since, failing to bear Song Yi another son. The joy came from the fact that even without bearing Song Yi a son, he had never treated her coldly. On the contrary, he remained attentive and considerate, always treating her with mutual respect, discussing matters with her.

“Speaking of this makes me even more worried.” Li Shi’s willow-leaf eyebrows knitted together, her face showing obvious concern. “That foolish woman Cui Shi at least bore Master a son… Even if I give birth to a son later, what of it? Won’t he still have to rank behind?”

If she still couldn’t bear one, then Song Yan, whom Cui Shi had borne, would remain Song Yi’s only son, his position self-evident. What troubled her even more was that even if she bore a son in the future, his position would still be beneath Song Yan’s.

Cui Shi was truly a thorn in her heart. She had stolen Li Shi’s beloved back then, and now her son and daughter were coming to compete with her for position.

Nanny Yu moved her fingers to Li Shi’s temples, pressing them with practiced familiarity, lowering her voice to comfort her. “It won’t happen, it won’t. How could it? Cui Shi held every advantage back then, yet didn’t you still pull her down in the end?”

As she spoke of these matters, all those past events that had nearly been forgotten surged into Li Shi’s heart, making her both irritated and smug.

Cui Shi came from an illustrious family, but Li Shi herself was equally distinguished.

The Cui family produced exceptional talents generation after generation, but the Li family was also a household of scholarly tradition spanning generations.

She was the legitimate second daughter of Li Ruzong, the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy. She too had been raised with utmost care and respect from childhood, yet she had fallen for Song Yi at first sight when he studied at the Imperial Academy under Li Ruzong’s tutelage.

The Song family was also a household of loyal heroes. Over a hundred years ago, the Song family’s ancestor had followed the Grand Ancestor through life and death, establishing tremendous merit. Later, he was enfeoffed as a marquis in one stroke, achieving success and fame.

Unfortunately, the second-generation Marquis Changning who inherited the title later fought with his brothers over the estate during the period of national mourning. As a result, he was demoted from marquis to earl, and the iron certificate with vermillion writing nearly confiscated as well. Since then, the family’s vitality had been severely damaged.

By Song Yi’s father Song Chengru’s generation, they had learned to keep their heads down. Fortunately, he was quite capable. Although the family had been severely weakened by the estate dispute, he managed to pass the imperial examination through his own efforts. He both inherited the title and gradually worked his way up to his current position as Minister of Revenue.

Having experienced estate disputes, demotion of title, and other matters, Song Chengru himself became increasingly cautious and meticulous. He was even more demanding toward his own four sons, teaching them strictly. As a result, all four Song sons actually possessed official credentials, with not a single wastrel among them.

The legitimate eldest daughter of First Master Song Ren had even been selected to serve at the Emperor’s side, becoming a consort, elevating the Song family’s status another level.

Such blazing prosperity and tremendous wealth naturally moved the hearts of many noble young ladies in the capital at that time.

Naturally, Li Shi was no exception then, but she wasn’t pursuing the Song family’s wealth—she was pursuing Song Yi himself. Song Yi had taken Li Ruzong as his teacher and often came to the Li household to seek instruction. She had known him early on, making them childhood sweethearts of sorts.

Originally, she thought everything would flow naturally to completion, but unexpectedly Cui Shi appeared out of nowhere.

The Cui family of Boling had experienced four dynasties, always having someone serving as an official at court. The Cui family producing talented individuals had nearly become customary. At that time, Old Earl Song Chengru had personally requested the Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices to act as matchmaker…

Thinking of past events gave Li Shi a headache. In annoyance, she swept the teacup beside her hand to shatter on the floor.

It was fine milk-white porcelain from the official kilns. With one broken, the whole set became unusable. Back in her natal family, such fine things couldn’t be broken carelessly, but breaking one now didn’t pain her heart in the slightest.

Nanny Yu jumped in fright and hurriedly waved off Su Xin, who had entered to investigate the situation. She turned back to clean up the fragments. “If Miss truly finds it unbearable to endure, why not simply treat her coldly? Though it wouldn’t sound good if word spread, looking across the entire capital, there aren’t many who treat children left by the first wife well.”

Unbearable to endure? Of course it was unbearable. The character for ‘endure’ had a blade over the heart—she truly felt stabbed in the heart daily.

But saying it was unbearable, actually it wasn’t so impossible to bear.

Back when Song Yi married Cui Shi, that had truly been unbearable. That night she had stood in the swirling snow for an entire night and nearly froze to death.

Yet she couldn’t cry, nor could she summon hatred.

The image of that young scholar in plain robes, elegant in bearing, carrying books as he walked—that scene remained forever carved upon her heart, causing her agony like ten thousand ants boring into her heart.

Later, when she went to Qingliang Temple to offer incense, she had seen Cui Shi. She was delicately exquisite, with eyebrows painted like distant mountains and a pair of eyes that rippled with light, inspiring admiration at first glance.

Song Yi had also changed from initial reluctance to eager pursuit, casting Li Shi aside to enjoy harmonious bliss with Cui Shi…

Was it unbearable? Did it hurt? Of course it hurt—hurt enough to make one unable to sit or stand in peace.

Now, though she had to face the son and daughter left behind by that foolish woman Cui Shi, she could ultimately remain by Song Yi’s side, seeing him daily, enjoying marital harmony. This was incomparably better than those years.