Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Witless Eighth Miss

When she returned to her old room, the one she had lived in before her marriage, she found it blanketed in dust. Clearly, since her departure, no servant had set foot inside to clean. Well, it seemed she truly was someone no one cared about.

With a self-mocking smile, Yan Heru set down her bundle and began tidying up. She would be staying here for several days at least, and this room could not be endured in its current state.

She was only halfway through the cleaning when someone arrived, intent on putting her in her place.

“Oh dear, Sixth Sister, it’s filthy in here, all covered in dust.” Yan Heqi stood just outside the door, holding a handkerchief to her nose and mouth.

Yan Heru put down the cleaning rag and stepped outside. “Seventh Sister, since you know how dirty it is, why have you come?”

“I heard you’d returned, so I thought I’d invite you over for a cup of tea,” Yan Heqi replied, her smile insincere.

“I have tea here as well. Why not stay and have a cup with me?” Yan Heru returned her false smile with one of her own.

“Oh, never mind. I had planned to invite you, but seeing you like this, you probably don’t even have a clean set of clothes to wear. I suppose you wouldn’t be able to come to my rooms. If Mother knew I’d let something so filthy into my chambers, she’d have me punished, I’m sure.” Yan Heqi laughed with exaggerated delight, then left. She had merely come to see how wretched Yan Heru’s circumstances had become.

So what if you married the Ninth Prince? You’re still just one useless person paired with another. Mother is already arranging a match for me, and the Sixth Prince is the most likely to become Crown Prince. Once I become the Sixth Princess Consort, let’s see how arrogant you can still be.

Yan Heru could not have imagined what was running through Yan Heqi’s mind; she did not think herself arrogant at all. Yet, compared to the previous owner of this body, her behavior was indeed quite different. To Yan Heqi, this change must surely be due to marrying the Ninth Prince, leading her to act out.

No sooner had Yan Heqi left than Yan Hemiao arrived.

Yan Hemiao and Yan Heqi were both considered beauties, but only in a rather ordinary sense; they were not breathtakingly lovely. Yan Heru, on the other hand, possessed a beauty that could topple kingdoms. It was not a boast; it was simply the truth. Countless suitors had pursued her, but because of certain matters, she had long refused to accept new affections. Still, she had been widely recognized as a great beauty.

Yan Heru sometimes wondered why there was such a marked difference between herself and her two sisters. She had little memory of her birth mother and could not recall her appearance. Perhaps her own beauty came from her mother…

“How dare you come back?!”

Yan Heru, distracted by her own musings, was abruptly jolted back by Yan Hemiao’s furious shout.

“I thought you’d never dare return after defying me last time!” Yan Hemiao stormed forward, intent on slapping Yan Heru, but Yan Heru caught her wrist.

Yan Hemiao was stunned; she had not expected resistance. She glared at Yan Heru in disbelief. “You’re getting bolder. I thought you only dared act out because the Ninth Prince was backing you, but now, even without his support, you still dare defy me!”

She raised her other hand for a slap, only for Yan Heru to catch her off guard and strike her instead.

“You—!” Yan Hemiao clutched her cheek in outrage. “Shameless woman! How dare you hit me! Don’t you know you’re the object of everyone’s scorn now?”

At this, Yan Heru frowned slightly—not from anger, but because an idea had suddenly come to her about where she could start finding clues.

Yan Hemiao was unlike Yan Heqi, who at least had some sense. Hemiao, spoiled by Madame Cheng and the Master of the Yan family, was willful and thoughtless. Perhaps she would be the fastest route to answers.

“Eighth Sister, what makes me the object of everyone’s scorn? You shouldn’t make such accusations without proof. I am the Ninth Prince’s wife, after all. If you want to slander me, you should at least produce some evidence.”

This was precisely the kind of tone Yan Hemiao could not bear.

“Of course I have evidence! I have a pile of disgraceful things you’ve done. You truly are shameless!” Hemiao sneered, then broke into a smug laugh. “Just thinking about your misdeeds disgusts me. You’re utterly ruined. Just wait!”

Yan Hemiao left, satisfied, as Yan Heru watched her go, hoping to probe further. But for some reason, Hemiao seemed all too pleased and left without another word.

So there really is evidence. No wonder Cen Changjing was so fearless when I confronted her. She must possess some of it herself. Someone in the Yan family must be colluding with her—but who?

Clues had to be gathered bit by bit; there was no way to find all the evidence in one go. For now, however, her living situation was a more pressing concern.

Her room, covered in dust, was still uninhabitable.

Sighing deeply, she resigned herself to continue cleaning.

Once the room was finally in order, she didn’t allow herself any rest. She deliberately had Mo Yi spread the news that the Old Madam Yan was ill. That would provide her with ample reason to remain at the Yan residence.

Everyone in the capital knew that Old Madam Yan treated her best.

She had been pondering what excuse she might use to stay. Now, the perfect one had fallen into her lap.

That evening, Yan Heru waited in her room for a servant to summon her to dinner. She waited and waited, but as the mealtime window passed, no one came.

Only then did it dawn on her. She smacked her own head in frustration. “What’s wrong with my brain? Was it clogged by all that dust? The people in this household wish me dead. Aside from the Old Madam putting on a show of kindness, who would bother inviting me to dinner?”

Shaking her head, she decided to go to the side hall herself. That was where the Yan family always dined.

Since no one was going to call her, she could very well take the initiative. It wasn’t as if she had come here expecting familial warmth.

As she approached the side hall, she heard laughter and cheerful voices from within. She sneered to herself and stepped inside.

She was genuinely curious to see the expressions on their faces when they saw her.