Wen Rugui’s expression was gloomy, his gaze passing over Lady Lin to land on Wen Hao’s face.

The sixteen-year-old maiden was like an unfurling willow—slender and beautiful.

But when Wen Rugui saw her, he felt only disgust.

This daughter, born unable to speak, had brought him nothing but loss of face. Now that she was growing older, she had actually learned the conduct of frivolous women.

“Ah Hao, do you know your error?”

Lady Lin recovered her wits and paid no mind to Wen Rugui’s anger: “Master, do you know? Our Ah Hao can speak now!”

Once her husband heard this tremendous joyous news, whatever anger he had would vanish.

Hearing this, Wen Rugui furrowed his brows, his tone growing even colder and harsher: “Since you can speak now, why don’t you respond? Or do you not feel you’ve done anything wrong?”

The extraordinary tale of Second Miss Wen being able to speak spread as soon as the banquet ended. Spreading along with it were also rumors that Second Miss Wen had climbed the wall to spy on Prince Jing’s Heir.

Upon hearing this, Wen Rugui was angered half to death and returned to the mansion to demand accountability.

Lady Lin was utterly perplexed by Wen Rugui’s stern voice and harsh expression: “Master, didn’t you hear clearly? Our Ah Hao can speak now.”

“I’m not deaf.” Wen Rugui’s tone was cold, an appearance Lady Lin had rarely seen. “Since she’s no different from ordinary people, she should understand propriety all the more. Your daughter made a mistake. As her mother, you don’t know to discipline her. Do you want to spoil her so utterly that she becomes lawless, ultimately harming others and herself?”

Wen Chan, who had remained silent all along, couldn’t help but advise: “Father, please calm your anger—”

“Parents are speaking. Don’t interrupt.”

Wen Chan pressed her lips together, her expression somewhat uncomfortable.

Furious waves surged in Wen Hao’s heart as she strove to maintain calm: “Your daughter was wrong. Your daughter shouldn’t have climbed the wall to investigate upon hearing Prince Jing’s Heir call for help.”

“Heard Prince Jing’s Heir call for help?” Wen Rugui sneered coldly. “That’s not what the rumors say.”

“What do the rumors say?” Wen Hao asked calmly.

Wen Rugui looked at the mother and two daughters and gave a cold snort: “They say you were spying on Prince Jing’s Heir with improper thoughts!”

This accusation was enough to ruin a young lady’s reputation.

Lady Lin’s face flushed red with anger: “Master, don’t listen to those loose-tongued people’s nonsense. Ah Hao is kindhearted and was worried something had happened to Prince Jing’s Heir.”

Wen Rugui laughed in extreme anger: “Foolish! Even if that were the truth, who in the world would believe it?”

What the world was willing to believe and spread were always those malicious and scandalous gossips.

Lady Lin looked at her furious husband, feeling somewhat unfamiliar: “What does it matter if the world doesn’t believe? Ah Hao has been misunderstood by the world. We should feel distressed for her—how can you be angry at Ah Hao instead, Master?”

“You!” Wen Rugui pointed at Lady Lin, so angry he flung his sleeve. “Truly a doting mother spoils her children!”

Lady Lin had devoted her whole heart to Wen Rugui, which made her all the less able to bear his accusations. She immediately began quarreling: “I think Master is the one who’s obstinate and pedantic, having read too many books…”

The two began arguing, their voices growing louder and louder.

Wen Chan quietly grasped Wen Hao’s hand, her expression uneasy.

Wen Hao instead became increasingly calm.

Many things didn’t happen suddenly but had early warning signs.

Her parents, who had appeared to treat each other with mutual respect, had quarreled particularly often this past year—simply because Grandfather had passed away, and the person Father feared was no longer around.

Without apprehension, there was less pretense toward the wife he didn’t love.

Before long, Father would bring back the cousin he kept outside into the mansion, along with a pair of children. The eldest son, Wen Hui, was even a year older than Elder Sister.

Grandmother would come charging to the door to stand up for Mother, but Father would say that after achieving success in the imperial examinations, he had been forced by Grandfather to marry Mother. At that time, he had already married his cousin, and Grandfather had threatened that if he didn’t agree to the match, his future would be ruined and his cousin harmed.

Left with no choice, he could only agree to the betrothal.

When Grandfather was young, he had occupied a mountain as its lord and been a forest outlaw. Some people didn’t believe this account, while others did.

Twenty years ago, Old General Lin had still been Duke Dingguo. With this man’s bandit temperament, in order to have his beloved daughter marry the man of her choice, he might very well do such a thing.

Grandmother would angrily denounce Father for spouting nonsense, but Father would produce witnesses—one was the book boy who had accompanied him to the capital for the examinations that year, the other was a clan brother who had just come to the capital from their hometown.

This would confirm Father’s words.

Grandmother would be attacked by fury, unable to catch her breath, and die with hatred in her heart. Mother would draw her sword to perish together with Father, wounding him.

Father would have a reason to divorce Mother, and would even be praised by the world for his righteousness in not casting off his wife. Afterward, he would submit a memorial confessing his crime of stopping his wife to remarry that year. Considering he had been coerced, the emperor wouldn’t pursue the matter.

Next, Cousin Chang Shi would legitimately become her stepmother.

Mother, unable to withstand such a blow, would become deranged. Father would take Mother back to the mansion to care for her in her old age, an act that would naturally win him considerable praise.

Even Elder Sister, though she felt distressed for Mother’s circumstances at the time, could understand Father’s difficulties.

Only she, after meeting Stepmother Chang Shi several times, learned the truth.

Before Father went to the capital for the examinations, he hadn’t married Chang Shi at all!

His mouth full of lies, slandering Grandfather, was nothing more than insatiable greed—wanting Mother to make room for the woman he loved, wanting his only son to possess the status of legitimate eldest son.

She only hated that she couldn’t speak and was closely watched, unable to expose the truth.

Thinking of these things, Wen Hao felt hatred to the bone.

A loud bang of a door slamming pulled Wen Hao’s thoughts back.

Lady Lin stared blankly at the swaying door curtain, her lips pale.

Wen Chan grasped Lady Lin’s hand and gently consoled her: “Mother, don’t be angry. Father just hasn’t thought it through for the moment—”

Wen Hao interrupted her words: “Mother, don’t you feel Father has changed?”

Elder Sister’s comfort could indeed make Mother feel somewhat better, but it would only allow the festering sore to be covered up. What she needed to do was let Mother be somewhat prepared, so that when matters came to a head, she wouldn’t be thrown into chaos like a bolt from the blue.

This time, Father could forget about living comfortably in the grand residence Grandfather had procured with his beloved wife and children. She would make him get lost as far away as possible.

“Why does Ah Hao say this?” Because Wen Hao couldn’t speak before, Lady Lin didn’t find it unusual that she would say such things now. Instead, she had more patience to listen.

Wen Hao’s hands hidden in her sleeves clenched tightly as she tried her best to appear calm.

If she wanted to change those events, she needed to be sufficiently calm. Only then would the words she spoke be taken seriously rather than dismissed as a young lady throwing a tantrum.

“In your daughter’s memory, Father and you haven’t had a single quarrel all these years. But this past year and more, Father has lost his temper with you several times.”

Lady Lin froze, saying reflexively: “It’s because your grandfather passed away and Mother has been in poor spirits, which is why I’ve kept quarreling with your father.”

Wen Hao shook her head: “Mother experienced the pain of losing Father. Father should be all the more understanding. How could he argue with you instead?”

Lady Lin couldn’t help but be stumped by this question.

On the way back, when there were no outsiders around, Wen Chan leaned close and whispered to Wen Hao, who was lying on a maidservant’s back: “Second Sister, don’t say such things to Mother in the future, lest Mother and Father develop a rift.”

Wen Hao looked at Wen Chan in silence for a while, then asked softly: “Elder Sister, would you believe my words?”

Wen Chan curved her lips in a smile: “Naturally I believe them.”

“Then come with me to Luoying Residence, Elder Sister. I have something to tell you.”