The Return of the Seventh Young Lady-Chapter 68 - 67

Chapter 67

Mu Gongzhen was momentarily stunned before a smile emerged on his face, but that smile was full of bitterness. The two siblings spent a long time talking and adjusting their emotions until Mu Gongzhen could finally accept the truth. At the same time, a thought suddenly struck him. He looked up at his little sister with a serious expression.

"Ying’er, tell me honestly. Was the major incident involving the Su family your doing?"

"Yes," Mu Ying’er nodded. Since they were being open with each other, there was no reason for her to hide anything anymore.

"And what about the illegal salt trade?" Mu Gongzhen asked further, his heart racing wildly. Hearing his sister’s answer, he found himself holding his breath for a moment. "Well...yes, that was me too."

Mu Yingying tilted her head slightly, observing her brother’s reaction with curiosity. This wasn’t such a big deal; why was her brother reacting so strongly?

Mu Gongzhen didn’t know how long he had been holding his breath. His mind was blank, unable to think of anything. The more he looked into the innocent eyes of the girl in front of him, the more he felt like crying but had no tears to shed. Who would have thought that behind the major events that had caused the court officials in the capital to be so frightened, and the powerful factions to be so restless, was the handiwork of his ten-year-old little sister?...

For many years, Mu Gongzhen had always thought he would protect Ying’er. However, now that he knew everything, it seemed that Ying’er had been the one protecting him all along.

"Ying’er, how did you come to know people in Duan Wang Palace?" Mu Gongzhen took a deep breath and asked the question that had been on his mind.

In the previous incident involving the illegal salt trade, it was Duan Wang who had petitioned the Emperor. If Mu Yingying admitted it was her doing, then how had she managed to get the reclusive Duan Wang to cooperate?

"Oh, that," Mu Ying’er placed the teacup back on the table and rested her chin on her hand in a relaxed manner. "Several years ago, I once helped Miss Fei Yang. We became quite close, so I wrote her a letter asking her to deliver a message to Duan Wang."

"In that letter, I forged your handwriting and detailed the entire illegal salt trade operation. Although Duan Wang is known to be reclusive and uninvolved in political power struggles, he is still a court official and couldn’t ignore such a major issue."

"Moreover, I used the favor I earned from saving Miss Fei Yang’s life to persuade Duan Wang to cooperate. Eventually, Duan Wang submitted a petition to His Majesty,"

Mu Yingying explained the story in a calm and measured tone, as if recounting a trivial matter. However, Mu Gongzhen, upon hearing it, couldn’t help but be astonished at his sister’s abilities. Silently, he marveled at her meticulous planning and clever problem-solving skills.

Why had he never known that his little sister was so capable?!

“Ying’er, why didn’t I know before that you are so smart and talented...?”

Mu Gongzhen let out a deep sigh. The heaviness in his heart dissipated completely, though his voice carried a hint of regret. He, who had always been praised as a brilliant official, now felt that his own achievements were trivial compared to what Mu Yingying had accomplished.

“Perhaps...it’s because in many events of the past life, I was just an observer, able to see things more clearly than those directly involved.” Mu Yingying laughed softly, then lowered her gaze slightly to hide the flicker of emotion in her eyes. “Also, it might be because I had someone by my side, guiding me to see the truth in front of me.”

Even though that person was no longer here...

Mu Gongzhen didn’t dwell on Mu Yingying’s words, assuming she was referring to Uncle Wang. He took several sips of tea to calm his own nerves. Various emotions surfaced within his heart: joy, concern, and anxiety.

He was happy that his little sister was so intelligent that she could take care of and protect herself. Yet, he was worried that something might happen if she made a mistake. Each of her enemies was more terrifying than anything. Moreover, he felt anxious because he now seemed incapable of protecting his two younger sisters.

“Ying’er, can I ask something of you?”

Mu Gongzhen looked up at his little sister with a serious expression. Mu Yingying raised her eyebrows in curiosity, her big, round eyes sparkled with innocence. Mu Gongzhen reached out to hold her small hand and said,

“From now on, please don’t take such dangerous risks alone. There are three of us siblings. If any one of us gets hurt, the others would be heartbroken.”

Mu Yingying listened to her brother’s earnest plea, her heart trembling. She could clearly feel his concern. She also understood what it was like to lose loved ones. In her past life, she could do nothing but watch as her brother and sister passed away one by one. It was a great loss in her life and she still remembered vividly.

She bit her lip slightly and blinked rapidly to dispel the tears that welled up. She nodded several times in response.

“Y...yes, I promise, Brother.”

Mu Gongzhen smiled with genuine relief, his eyes reddening uncontrollably. He reached out and gently pulled his little sister into a warm embrace. The warmth of her small body made him feel deeply moved, as if he had regained a loved one he had lost.

His Ying’er...she had come back!

Mu Yingying also nestled her face against her brother’s shoulder, feeling a deep sense of nostalgia. She didn’t know that in her past life, she had been deprived of this embrace for how long, but when she realized, she could no longer remember its warmth...

The two siblings embraced each other for a moment before holding hands and walking back down to the second floor. Mu Gongzhen had agreed to inform Mu Qingxuan about everything at once. This way, the three siblings would have no secrets between them and could clearly understand each other.

When Mu Qingxuan learned the truth, she couldn’t help but burst into tears of sorrow. She knew all too well the pain of living with the bitterness of past life’s grievances. Yet, Ying’er had to endure such a life, which made Mu Qingxuan deeply sad. However, after the three siblings had a long conversation to clear the air, their sorrows faded away, leaving only happiness and warmth that filled the room. The sound of their laughter and conversation occasionally leaked outside, creating an atmosphere of pure joy.

As the three siblings were walking down from the second floor to return home, Mu Yingying separated from them to see Uncle Wang and give some instructions. She followed them down afterward. While Mu Yingying was descending to the lower floor, she happened to cross paths with a group of young misses going up.

Mu Yingying, walking to the side, had tried to step aside, but one of the girls in the group wasn’t looking and bumped into her forcefully. Over the years, Mu Yingying had been diligently practicing martial arts, which made her body stronger than that of an average child.

When the girl bumped into her, she didn’t feel any pain, merely stumbling slightly to the side before regaining her balance. The girl who bumped into her also staggered to the other side.

“Ouch!”

“Don’t you have eyes? How could you bump into someone like this?!”

A shrill voice shouted. A girl in an orange-red dress contrasting with her fair, jade-like skin turned her fierce gaze towards the direction she had been bumped from, looking furious. The beautiful face of a fourteen-year-old girl froze instantly when she saw who it was.

Mu Yingying raised her eyebrows in surprise and then revealed a cunning smile. Her big, round eyes sparkled with amusement. She didn’t expect to meet an old acquaintance so soon after arriving in the capital...

“You! You filthy, disgusting child!”

Cheng Fuyuan pointed her finger at the small figure with fury, her eyes blazing like flames. If looks could kill, Mu Yingying would have died thousands of times already.

“Oh, it’s you, Young Miss Cheng,” Mu Yingying greeted her warmly with a smile. “It’s been a while. How have you been?”

“I was fine at first, but now that I see your face, I feel like vomiting!” Cheng Fuyuan grunted with displeasure. She still remembered the grudge well. Four years ago, she had fallen seriously ill because of this repulsive child!

If it wasn’t for Mu Yingying leaving her in the water for so long that she almost drowned, she wouldn’t have fallen so ill!

Moreover, her father wouldn’t have ignored her and her mother either!

The other young misses who had come with Cheng Fuyuan looked at Mu Yingying with curiosity. Some couldn’t help but ask out of curiosity, “Fuyuan...do you know her?”

“Hmph! Not only do I know her, but she is also my sworn enemy!” Cheng Fuyuan replied bluntly. As she scanned the area, she noticed that the other girl had no one close by. Right now, Mu Yingying was alone. Her eyes instantly gleamed with malice.

“You all don’t know this, but this girl is more devious than you think. She’s a rude country girl, probably just arrived in the capital. She’s cunning and deceitful. You all should stay away from her, or you’ll be seen as low-class too.”

Cheng Fuyuan pretended to warn her friends, but her eyes gleamed with undisguised contempt. As long as she spread rumors and the other young misses repeated them, Mu Yingying would never be accepted into high society!

There were a hundred ways in the capital to deal with this girl!

And now that she was older, she wouldn’t be as foolish as she was back then. She wouldn’t fall for this filthy girl’s tricks again!

“So, she’s just a country bumpkin. No wonder she bumped into Fuyuan and didn’t even apologize.”

“How rude, just as Fuyuan said.”

“She’s so young but already so ill-mannered. We should stay away from her.”

The murmurs and gossip from the other young misses rose in a cacophony. They all looked at Mu Yingying with disdainful eyes, as if she were a piece of disgusting trash. Cheng Fuyuan watched the scene unfold as she had hoped, feeling triumphant. Seeing that her enemy didn’t respond, she grew even more smug and pretended to cover her mouth and speak in surprise.

“Oh! I almost forgot. It’s not entirely her fault for being so rude. It’s because she has no mother to teach her any manners!”

At this, Cheng Fuyuan and her group burst into loud laughter. Their laughter was full of ridicule, drawing the attention of the other guests in the tea house. They all turned to see what would happen next.

Mu Yingying, who had remained silent throughout, suddenly revealed a mysterious smile. Her big, round eyes gleamed with a chilling light. If Cheng Fuyuan had only picked a fight with her, she might have let it go. But bringing her mother into it was another matter.

It seemed Cheng Fuyuan had been living too comfortably these past four years...

“Young Miss Cheng, you say I am rude. However, I greeted you politely earlier, yet you did not think to greet me back. Instead, you kept insulting me. So, I ask you, what manners should you have?”

Mu Yingying asked with a smile, her innocent face shining like a naive child. Her clear voice echoed through the tea house, loud enough for all the guests to hear. Cheng Fuyuan’s group immediately fell silent at her words.

“You say I am ill-mannered because I have no mother to teach me. But what about you, who has a mother to teach you? Are your manners not even worse than mine?”

“Yo...You!” Cheng Fuyuan was so angry that her face turned green. Her face burned with rage. She opened her mouth to retort but found herself speechless.

"Furthermore, all the young misses here are older than I am, yet you gather to condemn me even though I have done nothing wrong. Is this what you call having manners?" Mu Yingying tilted her head and asked innocently, causing those who heard her to feel ashamed of their actions.

Originally, these young misses were just timid girls without much courage. When criticized in front of a crowd like this, they felt greatly humiliated. They glared at the little girl in front of them with fierce eyes as if wanting to devour her flesh and blood.

The tea house guests, on the other hand, nodded in agreement with the child’s words. Many started discussing the rude behavior of these young misses who bullied a small child.

"Well said!"

A cold voice suddenly rang out, drawing everyone’s attention. When the young misses looked towards the source of the voice, they saw a tall, well-known young man. However, Cheng Fuyuan’s face immediately turned pale as she inwardly exclaimed that this was bad!

Mu Gongzhen, who had been waiting for his sister outside the tea house for a while but still saw no sign of her, decided to come back in to check. He arrived just in time to witness the group of young misses bullying his sister.

The tall figure walked through the crowd and approached Mu Yingying, gently patting her head with affection. "Ying’er, what you said is absolutely right."

"Even though our mother passed away early, behavior is up to the individual. Manners are not just words to be spoken, but actions to be demonstrated. You young misses claim my sister lacks manners. In that case, I must apologize for my own lack of manners."

Mu Gongzhen cast a cold glance at the young misses before stopping his gaze on Cheng Fuyuan. The pressure emanating from him was so intense that she found it hard to breathe for a moment. "You all should reflect on your own actions before criticizing others."

The young misses’ faces turned pale one by one. They never expected the little girl they bullied to be the younger sister of Master Mu, and also the reason that they were reprimanded by Master Mu in front of everyone. How would they ever show their faces again?!

Mu Gongzhen focused his gaze on Cheng Fuyuan and left her with a parting remark. "If Young Miss Cheng truly wishes to discuss manners, then perhaps another time...I will seek guidance from Master Cheng."

With that, Mu Gongzhen took Mu Yingying’s hand and walked away without looking back. Cheng Fuyuan’s knees went weak upon hearing his remark, and she felt as if all her strength had left her body momentarily. If this matter reached her father’s ears, she and her mother would undoubtedly face his wrath once again!

As Mu Gongzhen helped Mu Yingying into the carriage, he turned to give some instructions to Ma Jun Tea House’s staff, passing along orders to Uncle Wang. His handsome face revealed a chilling expression that looked quite frightening.

"From now on, our business will no longer serve the families of those young misses, especially the Cheng family! No business dealings or transactions with those families are allowed!"

Mu Gongzhen couldn’t directly punish those young misses, but he could teach them a lesson they would remember without hesitation. Since they dared to bully his Ying’er, it was his duty to protect his sister.

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