Yun Chu approached step by step.

She lowered her head slightly, leaning close to Madam Zou’s ear: “Madam Zou, when you sleep at night, does that daughter you strangled to death come back to find you?”

Madam Zou’s face instantly drained of all color.

Her lips trembled involuntarily: “You—what nonsense are you spouting?”

“Madam Zou, why keep pretending in front of me?” Yun Chu smiled slightly. “The Zou family’s legitimate eldest son should actually be the Zou family’s fourth young lady, shouldn’t he?”

This matter wouldn’t be exposed until about seven or eight years later in her previous life, causing quite a storm throughout the capital.

The Zou family’s legitimate eldest son wasn’t actually of Zou family blood—Madam Zou had strangled her own fourth daughter back then and found a peasant woman to adopt a replacement son from.

She had lost a pair of children.

Yet someone could strangle their own flesh and blood.

At the time, she had sighed over it for a long time.

“You, you, you…”

Madam Zou pointed at Yun Chu, her throat seemingly gripped by someone’s hand, unable to utter a single word.

Yun Chu sat leisurely in a chair: “Such a huge secret—how could I easily reveal it? Madam Zou, you know what you should do.”

Madam Zou gritted her teeth: “Yun Chu, do you truly intend to oppose the Zou family over a mere bastard son?”

“You’re wrong.” Yun Chu picked up the tea Qiutong brought and took a sip before saying, “If I tell Minister Zou about this matter, the Zou family will thank me.”

The several women nearby didn’t know what the two were discussing and showed suspicious expressions one after another.

A few even prepared to step forward to listen.

Madam Zou’s heart tightened. Taking a deep breath, she said: “Miss Yun, I was wrong earlier. I shouldn’t have had my maidservant lure your son to this courtyard, much less had the maidservant lock that room, and certainly shouldn’t have had someone release rats inside…”

Yun Chu’s heart sank.

She had thought the rats were already in the room, never imagining they had been deliberately released there.

Come to think of it, someone who could strangle her own newborn daughter—how could she have pity for someone else’s child…

“This matter was indeed my mistake.” Madam Zou lowered her head. “We’ve known each other since childhood. I was just playing a joke, but accidentally went too far. Miss Yun, I apologize. Let’s just consider this matter settled.”

“Madam Zou’s apology lacks sincerity.” Yun Chu shook her head. “Perhaps Madam Zou should also experience what it feels like to be locked in a room with rats…”

Madam Zou was so frightened her scalp went numb.

Rats were such disgusting creatures—she dared not even imagine such a scene.

She clenched her teeth and ruthlessly slapped herself across the face: “Is this acceptable? Have you calmed down?”

The several women behind her were all stunned.

They and Madam Zou all came from similar family backgrounds, forming their own small circle. They knew all too well what kind of person Madam Zou was.

Such a face-conscious person was actually slapping herself in front of Yun Chu?

What exactly had Yun Chu said to make Madam Zou so humble?

The expressions of this group of women fluctuated.

Seeing Yun Chu remain silent, Madam Zou could only steel herself to slap herself several more times.

Her powdered face turned red from the slapping.

“Why is Madam Zou slapping herself?” Only after she stopped did Yun Chu speak. “I cannot accept such sincerity.”

Madam Zou’s hand paused.

She had already slapped herself so many times, and this wretch only now said she couldn’t accept it—deliberately tormenting her, wasn’t she?

But she dared not say a single word, because her life’s greatest weakness was now in Yun Chu’s hands…

“What exactly do you want?”

Madam Zou forced out a sentence through gritted teeth.

Yun Chu smiled slightly: “Between adults, we only discuss interests.”

“You!” Madam Zou’s rage flared up, then she suppressed it herself. She removed the hairpin from her head and the thumb ring and bracelet from her hands. “These—consider them compensation for Young Master Xie’s fright.”

Yun Chu curled her lips and stood up, striding toward the exit.

Madam Zou knew.

If she didn’t tear off a piece of her own flesh, this matter wouldn’t pass so easily.

“I have a dowry estate outside the city that yields over a thousand taels of silver annually.” Madam Zou’s heart felt like it was dripping blood. “Tomorrow I’ll have someone deliver it… no, tonight I’ll have someone deliver it to Miss Yun.”

“Madam Zou is too kind.” Yun Chu patted her shoulder. “I know Madam Zou was just joking with the child. Let’s consider this matter settled.”

After speaking, she led her maidservants out of the courtyard.

Madam Zou was so angry her features twisted. She wished she could tear Yun Chu apart alive.

The several women nearby crowded around.

“What on earth happened?”

“Why did you apologize to her? The Yun family has already fallen—why should you fear her?”

“And you gave away an estate? Have you gone mad?”

Madam Zou was so angry her head spun: “Yes, yes, I have gone mad!”

She pushed through the crowd and stormed away.

Yun Chu returned to the courtyard and saw Chu Hongyu sitting in the yard playing with the captured butterflies, thoroughly enjoying himself.

She couldn’t help but shake her head. This silly little fellow—frightened because of butterflies, yet still able to play so enthusiastically.

She walked over and sat down beside the child.

“Mother, you’re here.” Chu Hongyu pointed at the butterflies in the jar. “So many butterflies—which one does Mother like best?”

“This white one is quite nice.” Yun Chu pinched the butterfly’s wings. “Later, let’s take all these butterflies back and raise them in the courtyard’s flower garden, alright?”

The little fellow immediately nodded.

“Yu’er, we must both learn a lesson from today’s events.” She continued speaking. “I shouldn’t have let you play alone—this was my negligence as a mother. You should also remember not to easily trust any strangers.”

Chu Hongyu lowered his head: “I understand, Mother. It won’t happen again.”

Yun Chu patted his head.

After Chu Changsheng woke up, the mother and her two children set off to return home.

The carriage traveled back to Yulin Lane.

Dinner at the residence had already been prepared. After the two children finished eating, they each busied themselves with their own activities. Chu Hongyu obediently studied in the study, while Chu Changsheng followed Yun Chu in reading the Three Character Classic.

Just as the sky turned dark, Tingxue entered and presented a land deed: “Delivered by someone arranged by Madam Zou.”

Yun Chu glanced at it. The estate wasn’t in a remote location and occupied a large area. An annual profit of a thousand taels was indeed not a lie.

Since Madam Zou had already paid the price, she naturally wouldn’t meddle in other people’s business.

She had Tingxue put away the land deed, then led the two children to wash up before holding one on each side to coax them to sleep.

This time each day was the most relaxing. She would either sing or tell stories, feeling the two children gradually fall asleep in her arms. This process was beautiful.

Once the two little ones were asleep, she carefully covered them with blankets and couldn’t help but kiss each child on the cheek.

She was truly so grateful to Prince Pingxi—grateful that he had raised the children to this age, grateful that he was willing to let the children live with her without needing to scheme for anything…

At this thought, Yun Chu furrowed her brow.

During the day, Prince Pingxi and Chengxu had gone to suppress bandits not far from the capital outskirts. Why hadn’t they returned at this hour?

She draped an outer robe over herself and walked to the doorway, knocking. There was no response from the other side.