Chapter 39: A Direct Confrontation

"I appreciate your concern, sister, and I accept your good intentions. However, the doctor has warned against taking supplements indiscriminately, especially those sent by others. My father-in-law and my husband care deeply for this child, so I hope you will understand." Her voice sounded so familiar—where had she heard it recently?

For five years, Yan Rulan had not seen Yan Ziyu and had long forgotten the sound of her voice. Hearing her speak so abruptly today, a faint sense of familiarity surfaced, which left her quite puzzled.

"It is only right to be cautious. However, as the saying goes, those destined for good fortune need not worry so much, while those without it—no matter how well they are cared for—will eventually lose what they cannot hold onto. Some things cannot be forced." Yan Ziyu glanced at Yan Rulan’s stomach, her words dripping with insinuation.

"It has been years, Ziyu, and your tongue has grown much sharper. It seems five years can truly change a person's nature." Mo Yunhao, displeased by her remarks about his child, retorted coldly. He continued, "But the world is full of strange coincidences. Just the other day at the Curio Pavilion, I saw someone who looked exactly like you—so much so that I couldn’t tell you apart. If I hadn't seen you here today, I would have truly mistaken you for the same person." Mo Yunhao probed, trying to determine if she was the one from yesterday's auction.

"What a coincidence. I, too, saw two people at an auction recently who looked remarkably like the Second Young Master and his noble wife. I almost went up to greet them, but fortunately, I didn't, or I would have made a fool of myself." Yan Ziyu smiled, her deep eyes shimmering with a cold chill.

"It was you—"

Yan Rulan suddenly remembered where she had heard that voice before. It was just the day before yesterday—she was the one who had humiliated them by bidding a single copper coin more, over and over again.

Facing Yan Rulan’s accusation, Yan Ziyu laughed.

Her face remained calm, showing no trace of panic. She walked naturally until she stood a few paces away from Yan Rulan and said softly, "And what if it was me? Has the Second Young Lady lost her mind, to the point where she doesn't even recognize me?"

"Come to think of it, as the wife of the Prime Minister’s second son, you are wealthy and powerful, so it’s no wonder you look down on a few copper coins. I imagine you never dreamed that those coins would one day turn the tables and humiliate those who looked down on them." Yan Ziyu’s words were a tacit admission of her identity. Since she had already been exposed, why bother hiding it? She had never intended to keep it a secret anyway.

It was just an auction at the Curio Pavilion—what did she have to fear?

She now possessed a defensive weapon; anyone who dared to touch her would have to think twice. She was no soft persimmon to be easily crushed.

***

"Crack—"

Yan Ziyu’s words caused Mo Yunhao’s expression to shift instantly. His face turned ashen as he glared at her. Her words reminded him of yesterday’s humiliation, and he gripped the armrest of his chair so hard that it snapped with a loud crack.

Yet, no one paid attention to the fate of the chair. All eyes were fixed on Yan Ziyu, everyone wondering what she had done to provoke such rage in the Second Young Master.

"It was you yesterday!" It was a question, yet it carried the weight of certainty.

"Congratulations, Second Young Master, on finally recovering your memory. As they say, there is no cure for a brain-damaged fool, so it is truly a joyous occasion to see your condition improve! I offer you this tea as a toast—I only hope that the child is truly your own flesh and blood, and that you aren't living in ignorance while wearing a green hat." Yan Ziyu picked up a cup of tea from a nearby table and poured it onto the ground in front of Mo Yunhao, her tone filled with mockery.

The crowd gasped. Yan Ziyu had not only insulted Mo Yunhao to his face and implied that the child in Yan Rulan’s womb was not his, but she had also performed the ritual of pouring a libation for the dead. This blatant insult was far worse than a slap across the face.

"You..." Before Yan Rulan could finish, Yan Ziyu cut her off.

"Second Young Lady, how does it feel to wear someone else’s cast-off shoes? The world is full of wonders; who knew someone would have such a hobby—liking to pick up the tattered shoes others have discarded, and wearing them with such joy as if they had found a treasure? Tell me, is the one wearing the shoes a fool, or is the shoe just too good at disguising itself?"

Yan Ziyu’s eyes narrowed, a cold glint flashing within them. Ignoring their fury, she cast a glance toward the incense pouch at her waist, a confident smile playing on her lips.

"Hahaha..." Mo Yunhao laughed in his rage, his face appearing twisted and terrifying.

After his laughter subsided, Mo Yunhao glared at her with a dark, sinister expression. "Very well! Ziyu, it has been a few years, and you truly have surprised me. However, it is a pity that the person you insulted is me. For the sake of our past, I will overlook yesterday’s affront, but today... this cannot go unpunished. For the sake of our families, if you kneel and apologize to both me and Lan’er, I will let this go. Otherwise—" His tone was icy, his eyes filled with malice.

"Otherwise what?" Yan Ziyu raised an eyebrow, looking at him with defiance.

***

Make her kneel and apologize?

Ha, what a ridiculous joke. If she were afraid of Mo Yunhao, she wouldn't have done what she did yesterday and today. They were underestimating her far too much. Besides, who knew that she had done all this intentionally?

To fulfill her agreement with Noble Consort Rou, she first had to establish herself in the General’s Mansion. Judging by the attitude of the maid this morning, if she just stayed on quietly, her days would be miserable. After much deliberation, she decided that establishing her authority was the first priority.

As for the targets for her display of power, Mo Yunhao and Yan Rulan—the couple who had harmed 'her'—were the perfect candidates.

"Otherwise, don't blame me for being heartless and ruthless, forgetting all past ties!" Mo Yunhao’s voice dropped, his eyes narrowed as he stared at her.

"Hahaha..." Yan Ziyu suddenly let out a cold laugh. As the crowd watched in confusion, she stopped laughing, fixed them with an icy gaze, and said coldly, "Are you not already heartless and ruthless? Back then, you two dogs hooked up behind my back. Fearing that I would expose the scandal and ruin your reputations, you heartlessly lured me up the mountain and pushed me off a cliff. If not for my good fortune and the help of a benefactor, I would have truly met the end you desired! With such deeds, how can you claim you aren't heartless, snake-hearted creatures? That is truly the funniest joke I have ever heard."

"You bitch, you're courting death!"

Yan Rulan was enraged. The husband she had gone to such lengths to steal was being belittled by Yan Ziyu, and the events of the past were being dragged into the light. Yan Rulan cursed in a fit of shame and anger. If looks could kill, Yan Ziyu would have died under her venomous glare long ago.

Because of her, she had become the wicked woman who stole her sister’s fiancé; because of her, she bore endless infamy; for years, she had failed to conceive, and her mother-in-law had repeatedly called her a barren hen to her face. All of this—every bit of it—was because of her, Yan Ziyu. How could she not hate her?

"Those who are base know it themselves. Who could be baser than someone who wouldn't even spare her own sister’s fiancé? What do you say, Second Young Lady?" A look of mockery appeared on Yan Ziyu’s indifferent face as she stared coldly at Yan Rulan.