Brother Chi, Sweetie doesn’t deserve you!

Chapter 073: Brother Chi, Tiantian Is Not Worthy!

Before Fang Rulai could even allow herself a sliver of hope that Liu the Cripple might miraculously prevail, Liu, who had leaped into the air, was riddled with arrows after a few failed dodges and fell to the ground like a porcupine.

"A-Cripple!" Mother Mu cried out in horror and rushed to his side.

Blood was gushing from every wound on Liu the Cripple's body, staining Mother Mu's white dress a vivid crimson in an instant.

"Sun! Chi!" Mother Mu spat each syllable with gritted teeth.

All she received in return was a mocking laugh from Sun Chi. "Tiantian, it's just shooting down a turtle slave—why are you so upset? Or is it that this turtle slave also has something going on with you? Hmph, a woman like you dares to blame your bastard on me, your master, so casually?"

He kicked Mu Zhijin, who had fallen behind, sneering, "Frankly, he looks more like the turtle son you had with that slave!"

Mu Zhijin collapsed, face to the ground, his tightly shut eyes bearing the lifeless air of death.

Zhu Xishi brandished a butcher's knife and leaped forward. "Sun Chi, I'll fight you to the death!"

"Wife!" Mother Mu, now regaining her composure, quickly pulled her back. "You mustn't." The archers opposite were all highly skilled; even Liu the Cripple, a man of martial prowess, had been felled in a single exchange—what chance would Zhu Xishi stand?

Sun Chi's laughter became even more brazen. "Oh, little widow, aren't you well? What now, do you truly love this little courtesan? By all means, come save him! I won't even order my men to shoot—quite the contrary, I'll treat you both very well."

Zhu Xishi was so furious that she screamed incoherently, hopping up and down. If Mother Mu hadn't kept her firmly in check, she would have charged forward already.

Mother Mu pushed Zhu Xishi behind her and said to Sun Chi, "So you don't believe Zhijin is your son?"

"Do I need to believe it?" Sun Chi lounged in a grand armchair, sipping hot tea with an air of utter indifference, a far cry from the righteous county magistrate he had played during the day.

A chill ran through Fang Rulai. When someone no longer even bothers to pretend, it means they hold some unbeatable trump card. What, then, was Sun Chi's ace?

Sun Chi's voice continued, "Tiantian, if you want to save your son, you could have just come and asked me. For old times' sake, I might have considered it. But instead, you slander my reputation so wantonly—if I don't respond, won't all the city folk misunderstand me?"

"Oh? Then how do you plan to respond?" Mother Mu stood tall, pointing at the encircling sharpshooters. "Order them to shoot me as well? Go on, do it if you dare!"

The frightened young women burst into tears. "Mother Mu, don't do this." "If you do, how will we survive?" "Mother Mu, please, don't abandon us!"

The group of girls crowded around Mother Mu, Fang Rulai among them. Passing Liu the Cripple's prone body, she deftly snatched an arrow from him.

Mother Mu steeled herself, pushing the girls aside to step forward. "Twenty years ago, on the night when the sunflowers were in full bloom, you secretly crept into my courtyard after I'd bought my freedom. You didn't leave until dawn. Sun Chi, have I said anything false?"

"Twenty years ago, before your redemption, you had no fewer than a hundred admirers under your skirts. Afterwards, you kept a bookish scholar in your courtyard. You dare claim the child born then is mine?" Sun Chi raised his hand. "Ready!"

The archers nocked their arrows.

Mother Mu advanced instead of retreating. "Over twenty years ago, you knew better than anyone how proud and aloof I was. There may have been many at my feet, but only you ever shared my bed. That scholar lived in my back courtyard, and I had hoped to marry him if he passed his exams, but you never removed your spies from around me—you know we were always innocent."

"Spies? Even with them, you managed to slip away and buy your own freedom. Innocent? If a whore born and bred in a brothel dares call herself innocent, then I must be the most incorruptible official in Yao Tian Kingdom!" Sun Chi's hand fell. "Fire!"

At that very instant, Mother Mu shouted, "Zhijin has three hair whorls on his crown!"

The arrows were loosed, their speed so fierce that nearly all the girls shut their eyes. Thus, they missed what happened next: Sun Chi reached Mother Mu even faster than the arrows.

He swept her up in one arm, the other hand elegantly swatting the arrows aside. If not for their enmity, Mother Mu could almost have mistaken this man, still handsome and vigorous for his age, as someone who still cherished her deeply.

Yet the scent of blood on him was a constant reminder: any affection was a lie.

Sun Chi spun with Mother Mu in his arms and landed by his chair, demanding urgently, "Is it true?"

The Sun family had a tradition: direct descendants always bore three hair whorls on their crowns. In Ping City, from ancient times, only the Sun family ever produced children with three whorls. Sun Yao had died without much sorrow from Sun Chi; he had no whorls and was adopted after Lady Xu proved barren for many years. Sun Ming, though simple-minded, was beloved for his three whorls, born to Lady Xu after three years of careful nurturing.

Sun Chi was now past forty and had had no more children since Sun Ming. If there really was a legitimate heir, how could he not be ecstatic?

Mother Mu wrenched herself from his grasp, cradling Mu Zhijin in her arms with deep grief. "It's a lie! There are no whorls! Go ahead and kill us both!"

Her wide sleeves nearly covered all of Mu Zhijin. In a choked voice, she wept, "Zhijin, my son, it was bad enough that your mother is of low birth—how could your father be no better than a beast..."

At the thought of the shameful marks left on Mu Zhijin, Sun Chi, unaccustomed to reproach, showed rare embarrassment and turned away.

In that instant, Mother Mu swiftly slipped a small pill into Mu Zhijin's mouth.

Sun Chi quickly turned back; he still needed to verify the truth.

"Tiantian, stop this. If he truly is my son, how could I harm you both? Let me see the three whorls!"

Mother Mu slapped away his hand with a scowl. "Get lost, bastard! The farther the better! No need to look—I lied to you just now to save my son. Don't believe a word of it!"

People are strange: when they don't want to believe, nothing will sway them; when they do, anything will suffice.

Recalling how Mother Mu had faced death with composure, and how he himself had once forced the famed Mu Tiantian under his thumb, Sun Chi wavered. Could Mu Zhijin really be his?

"Tiantian," Sun Chi softened his tone, draping his cloak around Mother Mu's shoulders, "Brother Chi apologizes, all right? I acted rashly without asking you first—it was my fault. Forgive me, and I'll make it up to you."

Fang Rulai, busy inspecting the arrows, nearly jabbed one into Liu the Cripple at this. To think that Mother Mu could restrain herself under such circumstances—her strength far surpassed Liu's feigned death.

Mother Mu struggled to suppress the urge to slap him, reminding herself of Fang Rulai's instructions: only show a tormented love-hate passion. "Forgive you? A moment later and our child would have died before us—how am I to forgive you? What compensation could offset the years I spent raising your son?"

Her words, tough but tinged with resentment, made Sun Chi beam. So it really was his son? In that case, what could he not give?

"Zhijin will be recorded in the Sun family line at dawn, and Tiantian, you will be my official wife!"

"Truly?" Mother Mu blushed, revealing a maiden's shyness. "I—I was raised in the Hundred Flowers Pavilion. Can I really be the main wife..."

Before she could finish, Sun Chi interrupted, "Of course! Ping City is my domain—who could object if I want you as my wife? Rest assured, Tiantian, I will—"

Thinking he had finally convinced her, Sun Chi kept pouring on the sweet words, but his hand stealthily reached under the cloak. There, Mu Zhijin's unmoving head lay. Even if he couldn't see, he could feel for the three whorls. He didn't care about the main wife position; Lady Xu had died, and so could Lady Mu. But a true heir must never be lost.

Just as his fingers nearly touched Mu Zhijin's crown, a sharp cry split the dawn air.

"Sun Chi, if she is the wife, then what am I?"

Lin Wan'er—no, now she was Lady Xu.

At the moon gate, Lin Wan'er, supported by Guan Shiyin with a lantern, approached with measured steps. Though she moved slowly, each step was heavy, clearly conveying Lady Xu's displeasure.

The real Lady Xu was indeed dead, but this could not be made public yet. So, her stand-in's appearance, whether Sun Chi cared or not, had to be acknowledged for the sake of appearances.

Fang Rulai and Guan Shiyin exchanged a distant glance. Perfect timing!

Not good—my wife is in a dress for the first time and I can't have her all to myself; you'll have to pay for this. And what kind of wig is that? If it's fake, at least pick a prettier one so your husband can...

Fang Rulai turned away, refusing to process any unrelated information.

Meanwhile, Sun Chi was momentarily taken aback, pondering how to coax Lin Wan'er back to the rear courtyard.

Mother Mu seized the opportunity, shrinking away with Mu Zhijin, out of Sun Chi's reach.

"Wife," Sun Chi had no choice but to greet Lin Wan'er first, reaching out to support her, only for Lin Wan'er to slap his hand away.

A flicker of annoyance crossed Sun Chi's eyes. Was he to be slapped by every woman today?

Lin Wan'er, playing the dignified official's wife, seated herself grandly in the armchair. Sun Ming stood behind her, grinning. "Father, Er Ming heard what you said just now. Am I going to have another brother? That's great! Where is he? Er Ming has to tell him—he can play with me, but he's not allowed to take Sister Wan from me."

Hearing this, Sun Chi immediately quashed any thought of kind persuasion. Just another scheming woman dirtier than Mu Tiantian—why bother giving her face? If he wished, she could keep playing her little role; if not, she could follow the real Lady Xu to the grave.

Sun Chi snorted coldly and lowered his voice. "You have the time it takes for an incense stick to burn to get back to the rear courtyard."

Lin Wan'er lowered her voice to match. "And if I don't?"

Her body had already been given to Sun Yao, who died before her; to Sun Ming, who, though simple, was sometimes helpful, sometimes a hindrance—like now; and to Sun Chi, who had promised her a place in the Sun family genealogy. But after Fang Rulai revealed that Sun Chi had acknowledged her as a goddaughter ten years ago solely for his own use, her loyalty had long since vanished.

The killing of Lady Xu was Sun Chi's idea. He had told her that until Fang Rulai was dealt with, the magistrate's household could not collapse. She, as the fake Lady Xu, was both needed and necessary. After Fang Rulai was taken care of, Sun Chi would marry her as his official wife.

But now, before the night was out, her promised position had been maliciously usurped?

Hmph, if Sun Chi could be heartless, Lin Wan'er could be ruthless too!

She pulled Sun Ming close and burst into tears. "Ming, your father wants to marry another woman and recognize another son. He doesn't want us anymore. Oh, how will your mother go on?"

Sun Ming glanced at Lin Wan'er, who was sobbing and sniffling, a flash of disgust in his eyes, but replied in utter simplicity, "Who is Father marrying? Sister Wan? No way, Sister Wan is Er Ming's!"

In the crowd, Fang Rulai almost burst out laughing—what a perfect jab!

Lin Wan'er froze. She'd made a mistake: she should never have hastily used the simple-minded Sun Ming as a shield; it was bound to ruin her plan.

Sure enough, Sun Chi's face darkened further at these words. Even the fool Sun Ming, upon hearing of his father's plans, immediately thought of Lin Wan'er; what sort of relationship had she boasted about to him? Such a loose-tongued woman could not be kept.

Murderous intent flashed in his eyes, and Lin Wan'er caught it immediately.

"Wife..." Sun Chi called, taking a step closer, palm surreptitiously gathering force.

At the same time, Lin Wan'er suddenly stood up. "Sister!" she cried, addressing Mother Mu.

Sun Chi was stunned as Lin Wan'er bypassed him and rushed to Mother Mu. "Sister, we are both women—why make life harder for one another? It's true you bore the master a son, but I have borne him two. Ah, and today I lost one. Can you bear to see a grieving sister lose her position as wife as well?"

Mother Mu wore an expression of saintly benevolence. "No, sister, if Zhijin's life were not at stake today, I would never have revealed this twenty-year secret."

She paused, as if making a difficult decision, then turned her gaze to Sun Chi, eyes brimming with emotion. "Brother Chi, this is the last time Tiantian will ever call you so. Please, don't ruin your own happiness for someone as unworthy as Tiantian."

With a pained expression, she closed her eyes, a single tear slipping down her cheek. She quickly turned away, as if afraid Sun Chi might see it. "Girls, help the young master up. We are leaving!"

Thank you to dear Manman! ^_$ and Fengyun191 for your encouragement—I love you both~mua! mua!

I’ve truly received your support since early February in boosting Qingye’s rank—thank you, thank you! May everyone find happiness~

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