The Return of the Seventh Young Lady-Chapter 67 - 66

Chapter 66

The servant glanced briefly at her mistress’s stern face before reporting the next matter. "Additionally, Uncle Wang has sent news for you, Miss."

"Hmm?"

Mu Yingying raised her eyebrows in surprise, her expression returning to normal. Her big, round eyes displayed a calmness that made it difficult for anyone to guess her thoughts.

"Several months ago, Eldest Young Master went to see Uncle Wang to inquire about the previous supply issue. Uncle Wang said the young master discovered several suspicious points and feared they couldn’t be concealed. He sent me to ask you how to proceed, Miss."

Mu Yingying thought for a long while. The transportation of supplies was rushed by her, leaving gaps for her eldest brother to detect suspicious activities. Given her brother’s nature, if she didn’t tell him the truth, he would surely investigate quietly.

Moreover, her brother probably wouldn’t trust Uncle Wang any longer. His tendency to distrust others was indeed frightening...

"Inform Uncle Wang that I will visit him in a few days. As for my brother, don’t take any action. I’ll handle it myself."

Mu Yingying spoke with a slight smile at the corner of her mouth. It seemed the time had come to reveal the truth to everyone.

With the future changing and new enemies emerging, they not only had to deal with old foes but also new ones. If the three of them worked together, it might be better than facing everything alone.

"Yes, Miss," the maid replied before leaving the room.

Seeing that her mistress had finished her business, Su Su walked in with some snacks. "These snacks were sent from the central kitchen. I heard the Eldest Young Master ordered the cooks to make them."

"My brother is so considerate,"

Mu Yingying laughed softly. Her small hand reached for a snack and took a bite. The sweet and rich flavor spread throughout her mouth, making her close her eyes to savor the delicious taste.

"Our people are now dispersed throughout the various quarters. If there is any unusual activity, they will report it immediately," Su Su reported while pouring tea into a cup.

Mu Yingying nodded while taking a sip of tea. "And what about Fei Ren? If nothing has gone wrong, the case of Cheng Bei Hou should be reopened. Within half a year, her brother will likely have his title restored, and Fei Ren will be reinstated to her former position."

"Our people have already delivered Fei Ren to Uncle Wang. He mentioned that he would have her go undercover at our Ma Jun Tea House. If the authorities conclude their investigation and start searching for her, it would be easy to locate her without raising suspicion."

Su Su placed the teapot on the table and stepped back to stand by her mistress’s side. She picked up a wooden fan and gently fanned the small figure, reporting as she did so.

"Additionally, when Lady Fei Yang heard of your arrival, she sent you a letter." With that, Su Su took a letter from her sleeve and handed it to her mistress.

Mu Yingying received the letter and opened it, the corners of her mouth tugged up several times as she read. Her big, round eyes softened, and the cold aura around her dissipated.

In the letter, Meng Liting expressed her joy at Mu Yingying’s arrival in the capital and invited her to a banquet at the palace so that the two sisters could reunite after four years of separation.

Seeing that Meng Liting was living happily, Mu Yingying felt pleased as well. She had finally repaid the kindness Meng Liting had shown her in their past lives, and she hoped that from now on, Meng Liting would no longer face any obstacles.

Mu Yingying rose from her daybed and moved to her writing desk, her small hand holding a brush and quickly writing a reply before folding the letter and handing it to Su Su.

"Have someone deliver this to Duan Wang Palace for Lady Fei Yang."

"Yes, Miss," Su Su replied, taking the letter and leaving immediately to give the order.

...

..

.

After Mu Yingying’s arrival in the capital, three days passed. During these days, Mu Yingying stayed within the manor, either resting in her quarters, visiting Mu Gongzhen and Mu Qingxuan’s quarters, or spending time in the main quarters with Elder Mu Furen. It was a time of peaceful relaxation.

Late this morning, Mu Yingying prepared to venture out of the manor for the first time. Mu Gongzhen and Mu Qingxuan volunteered to take her to the commercial district, and Elder Mu Furen did not object. The three siblings boarded a large carriage and set off.

As the carriage moved through the streets, Mu Qingxuan, watching her little sister eat snacks with affection, asked gently,

"Is there anywhere special you want to visit, Ying’er?"

"I heard the maids in the manor talk about Ma Jun Tea House. I want to go there,"

Mu Yingying replied with a wide smile, swallowing the last bite of her snack before sipping her tea. Mu Qingxuan nodded in agreement, reaching out to gently wipe crumbs from her sister’s mouth.

"Of course. I’ve heard that Ma Jun Tea House has exquisite snacks and tea."

Mu Gongzhen, listening, smiled at the corner of his mouth. That’s good then. Ma Jun Tea House was his territory. If Ying’er needed anything, he could easily provide it.

"To Ma Jun Tea House,"

He ordered the carriage driver in a calm voice. The carriage then turned in another direction, heading toward the large tea house.

Mu Yingying flashed a wide smile at her two older siblings, her cheeks nearly bursting with joy. Her small face retained its innocent look, but her big, round eyes briefly flashed a mysterious gleam.

Before long, the Mu family’s carriage arrived in front of Ma Jun Tea House. Mu Gongzhen stepped out first, then helped Mu Qingxuan down, and finally lifted Mu Yingying down. As soon as the attendant saw Mu Gongzhen, he immediately approached and offered special attention.

"Master Mu"

Mu Gongzhen nodded in acknowledgment and took Mu Yingying’s hand, leading her inside, with Mu Qingxuan walking on the other side. As the three siblings entered the tea house, they drew the attention of the guests with their elegance and stunning looks, making it difficult for anyone to look away.

However, none of this mattered to Mu Gongzhen. He led his two younger sisters upstairs to his usual private room by the window. Once they were away from prying eyes, they ordered tea and sweets to enjoy in the room.

While the three of them waited for their treats, a tea house employee came in and whispered something to Mu Gongzhen. He raised his eyebrows slightly before turning to his sisters.

"Wait here for me. I’ll be back soon."

"Yes, Brother," Mu Qingxuan and Mu Yingying replied in unison.

After making sure they were settled, Mu Gongzhen stood up and followed the tea house employee. Mu Yingying lowered her gaze slightly and pretended to frown, looking troubled.

"Sister Qingxuan...I...I have a stomachache."

"A stomachache? What’s wrong? Let me see,"

Mu Qingxuan’s eyes widened with surprise, immediately moved closer to her sister. But at the next words, she couldn’t help but laugh.

"I...I mean I need to use the restroom," Mu Yingying clarified in a soft voice, her cheeks flushing a delicate pink, as if feeling embarrassed.

Mu Qingxuan couldn’t help but smile at her sister’s endearing demeanor.

"Alright, I’ll take you."

"N...no need! If you take me and Eldest Brother returns, what will we do? I heard a guest asking about the restroom before we came upstairs. I can go by myself,"

Mu Yingying quickly refused her sister’s offer. Mu Qingxuan hesitated for a moment before nodding in agreement. Mu Yingying then hurried out of the room.

However, as soon as she left the room, her hurried steps slowed to a leisurely pace. The frown on her face relaxed, and her expression changed from troubled to calm. She had only lied to her sister. She didn’t need to use the restroom at all!

She had to lie because she had something to take care of...

Mu Yingying walked up the stairs to the third floor of the building. Ma Jun Teahouse only allowed guests to use the first two floors, with the third floor being a restricted area. As she ascended, she encountered the guards at the third-floor passage. The petite figure raised the badge at her waist, showing it to them. Immediately, they knelt down in respect and cleared the way for her.

"Miss,"

Mu Yingying waved her hand once, indicating that formality was unnecessary. She walked past them and headed to the third floor, where she found Uncle Wang waiting at the corner of the hallway. His eyes lit up with genuine happiness upon seeing her.

"Finally, you have arrived, Miss. This old man hasn’t seen you in so many years. You’ve grown so much," Uncle Wang said with a gentle smile, his eyes warmly assessing Mu Yingying.

"You look just as healthy as ever, Uncle Wang,"

Mu Yingying replied with an adorable, wide smile. Her eyes showed deep respect as she looked at the elderly man before her. She had never seen Uncle Wang as a mere servant but always as a close relative, a true uncle.

Uncle Wang chuckled joyfully at her compliment before leading her to the prepared room.

"You’re still as cheerful as ever, Miss. The eldest young master is already waiting inside. I’ll take you through the back door."

"Alright,"

Mu Yingying followed the old man into the room, heading towards the hidden door in the wall. When it opened, it revealed another room. Mu Yingying stepped through the secret door and walked to sit down on a soft chair.

In front of her was an intricately carved wooden screen that obscured her and another person, allowing only a shadowy silhouette to be seen on both sides. And that person on the other side was none other than Mu Gongzhen!

Earlier, she had devised a plan for Uncle Wang to summon Mu Gongzhen separately, so she could meet him. Mu Yingying had then found a way to excuse herself from Mu Qingxuan to come and see Mu Gongzhen as the mysterious benefactor providing aid.

Today, she had decided to reveal the truth to her brother, and this was the only way to have a private conversation with him.

Uncle Wang, who had entered the room from the front door, bowed to Mu Gongzhen and said,

"Young Master, the person you were expecting has arrived."

Mu Gongzhen squinted at the shadowy figure before him. He didn’t know who it was, but judging from the lightness of the footsteps and the sound of the breathing, he suspected it was a woman.

Mu Yingying signaled to Uncle Wang to remove the screen, revealing her identity. As the screen was moved, Mu Gongzhen stared intently at the person opposite him. However, the moment he saw her true face, his body froze. It felt as if time had stopped, He felt completely disconnected from the outside world.

Ying’er?

How could it be Ying’er?

Was Uncle Wang playing a joke on him?

No...Uncle Wang wasn’t that kind of person!

So, was what he saw before him real or fake?

But when he heard the voice speaking, it was as if lightning had struck his head, snapping his drifting consciousness back to reality. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

"Brother..."

Mu Yingying spoke while tilting her head slightly. She looked at her brother’s incredulous expression with amusement. Just as she had predicted, if her brother knew the truth, he would surely be shocked.

"Yi...Ying’er?" Mu Gongzhen called out, wanting to be certain.

"Yes, it’s me,"

Mu Yingying’s broad smile spread across her face. She casually poured herself some tea and sipped it, showing no sign of panic or surprise.

Mu Gongzhen remained confused for a long time, unable to comprehend what was happening. Seeing this, Mu Yingying decided to start the conversation to help her brother understand better.

"Brother, there’s no need to be confused. Everything was orchestrated by me. Both Uncle Wang’s involvement and the delivery of supplies were managed by me. Didn’t you want to meet the person behind all this? Here...I’ve come."

"Wait a moment!"

Mu Gongzhen, finding the situation increasingly unbelievable, raised his hand to stop his sister from speaking further. "Ying’er, some things shouldn’t be said so carelessly."

Mu Yingying raised her eyebrows slightly and continued nonchalantly, "You probably don’t believe me. In that case, I’ll explain in detail. The previous evidence of Wei family’s embezzlement of military funds and the secret support the Bai family gave to the rebels—it was me who tell Uncle Wang to provide those as a congratulatory gift for you passing the imperial examination as Zhuangyuan."

"As for the military supplies, I instructed Uncle Wang to cover up the news about the stolen supplies and ordered my people, scattered across various cities, to gather twenty wagons of provisions to send to you in Jingyuan City."

"These matters might be hard to accept, but I’m not the same person as before, Brother. I am Mu Yingying with memories from a past life...just like Sister Qingxuan."

Finishing her statement, Mu Yingying watched Mu Gongzhen’s reaction carefully, and he did not disappoint her. Upon hearing that she was like Mu Qingxuan, he immediately looked up at her, his eyes first showing shock, then turning serious.

Mu Yingying saw this and immediately understood the situation. Earlier, she was just testing her brother to see how much he knew from their sister. Upon seeing his surprised and understanding reaction, she realized that her guess was correct. The story from two months ago that the maid had told her,

About the night her brother and sister had a conversation in the quarters, likely involved her sister confessing the truth to her brother. Otherwise, why would his attitude have changed so drastically, and why would he not go after the Emperor?

For the past three days, Mu Yingying had been observing both of them. She noticed that they talked comfortably with each other, as if they had no worries in their hearts. Sister Qingxuan seemed to be herself, unburdened, like someone who had removed a heavy stone from their chest.

This made Mu Yingying constantly assume this fact. Until just now, she risked testing her brother. If her guess was correct, then everything would be much simpler...

Mu Gongzhen stared at his little sister in shock. Her words just now had made his heart sink. Upon closely examining the small figure in front of him, he realized that Ying’er was indeed different from usual. Though she looked youthful, she exuded a calm and composed aura. Her big, round eyes, which usually sparkled, now held traces of hidden pain.

His strong body felt weak for a moment. So...the little sister he had always wanted to protect was someone who had returned from a past life. She was the Ying’er who had experienced painful memories once before!

His heart ached as if it were about to shatter. Not being able to protect his two sisters was already a source of guilt etched in his heart. But knowing that Ying’er had been carrying painful memories with her made him feel even more devastated.

Ying’er, who should have grown up beautifully, was constantly reminded of a painful past. How could she be happy under such circumstances?...

"Yi...Ying’er,"

Mu Gongzhen called out to his little sister in a soft voice, his eyes clearly showing his pain. Mu Yingying was slightly taken aback. She reached out to hold his large hand in comfort.

"Don’t be distressed, Brother. I told you the truth not to make you sad, but to make you happy that I have the chance to start anew."

"We three siblings will start over and change those past events!"

To be continued in Volume 3

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