A Murderous Heart

Lin Yunyi left quickly, his steps stiff as he went.

Tao Ye asked worriedly, "Young Madam, what did you and Yun Young Master Yi talk about?"

Lin Yunwan did not reveal a single word.

A few days later, Lu Chang'gong and Qing came to pay their respects to her.

They said they were paying their respects, but they were actually trying to persuade her to go back.

Qing said, "Mother, the Old Madam and Father all miss you and want to see you. Your son also... misses you too."

He was always good with words, and he leaned closer and said, "Mother, it's better for your sons to Filial Piety you when you're in the mansion, but now that you're in the nunnery, your sons can't come to see you as often as they like."

Lin Yunwan knelt before the Buddha, closing her eyes and striking the wooden fish.

Lu Chang'gong watched his mother from the side without saying a word.

Qing, having been instructed to do so, whispered to Lu Chang'gong, "Elder Brother, please try to persuade Mother..."

Lu Chang'gong knelt down and said, "Mother, your son will chant scriptures with you."

He had never read Buddhist scriptures, but he had overheard them recited by chance, so he simply repeated those few lines: "When Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva was practicing the profound Prajnaparamita, he perceived that the five aggregates are all empty..."

Qing felt extremely ashamed.

The Old Madam and father clearly instructed them to persuade their mother to come back, so why didn't the Elder Brother listen?

He had no choice but to kneel down as well, and then he was even more unable to read aloud; he couldn't read a single word, and he just kept his head down, rubbing his arms.

It's too cold in the Buddhist hall, unlike the warmth of home.

"Get up, all of you."

Lin Yunwan put down the wooden fish and stopped chanting herself, saying to the two children, "You're still too young, why are you chanting sutras with me?"

Tao Ye helped Lu Chang'gong and Qing up one by one.

Lu Chang'gong said calmly, "My son chants scriptures not for any other reason than to share the same heart as his mother, simply to pray for the well-being of our elders."

Qing quickly chimed in, "Elder Brother is right, that's what I think too!"

Regardless of whether his mother still paid attention to him or not, he couldn't afford to offend her. He would just repeat whatever his Elder Brother said that was nice.

Lin Yunwan told them to go to the east Side Room, and said directly, "Go back, don't waste your time, I'm not going back."

Both of them lowered their heads.

Lu Chang'gong also hoped that his mother would return, because the life in the nunnery was too difficult.

Needless to say Qing... Only after his mother returned home did the family find peace.

"Qing, do you know why I don't want to go back?"

Lin Yunwan suddenly asked.

Qing looked up at her blankly and said, "Son... I don't know."

Lin Yunwan said gently, "Because of your birth mother, Qing, you were originally my Legitimate Son, and I was your legitimate mother. Our family was harmonious. But because of your birth mother, you became Concubine-born Son, and I had no choice but to hide in this nunnery."

Do you know what people will say about you and how they will treat you when you grow up?

Lin Yunwan paused for a moment, then said, "You don't need to wait until you grow up. You'll understand when you go to the Clan School."

Qing felt a pang of panic, pursed his lips, and asked, "What... what will they do to me?"

Lin Yunwan silent.

Qing couldn't sit still any longer. He went up to Lin Yunwan and pleaded, "Mother, you are my legal mother! I have always considered you my legal mother! Mother, please don't despise me, please come home!"

"I will definitely be as Filial Piety to you as my Elder Brother!"

Lin Yunwan pushed his hand away coldly and said, "Qing, it's not that I want to dislike you, nor that you're annoying. Think about it carefully, if your Concubine hadn't coincidentally fallen into the water on your birthday, would we be like this now?"

"It's okay if you don't understand now. You have plenty of time to think about it, a lifetime to think about it. One day you will understand what is truly good and what is harming you..."

Qing suddenly remembered the day his birth mother fell into the water on his birthday.

Could his mother have... never fallen into the water that day? Would he... be forever his stepmother's legitimate Legitimate Son?

There was also soup for Nanny Yan; he knew it was no ordinary soup.

Was Mother really doing all this for his own good?

He didn't know, he didn't know...

"Young Madam! You don't need to say such cruel things to a child!"

Ge Bao'er rushed in, and even the maids couldn't hold her back.

She glared coldly at Lin Yunwan, hating her to the core!

So this is how Lin Yunwan spoke ill of her to Qing when she wasn't around!

The people in the Side Room were all looking at her, very impatiently.

Qing also became somewhat wary, pursing his lips and not approaching her.

Ge Bao'er said nervously, "Qing'er, don't listen to her nonsense! Mother has never harmed you! Falling into the water was... it was an accident!" Of course, she couldn't admit that she had deliberately fallen into the water.

Qing lowered his head.

Lin Yunwan, not wanting to hear Ge Bao'er's commotion, stood up and asked them to leave, "You should all go back."

Lu Chang'gong bowed and said, "Mother, please take care of yourself. Your son and brother will be heading back now."

Qing also said, "Take care, Mother. I'll take my leave now."

His tone was very gentle.

He didn't know why, but whenever his stepmother treated him a little better, he couldn't help but get close to her. It even made him forget how harsh his stepmother had been to him; he was still thinking... thinking that he could win his stepmother back.

The two brothers left together. Qing only hurriedly called out "Concubine" before not speaking to Ge Bao'er again.

Ge Bao'er chased after Qing, watching his retreating figure, her heart aching.

This is her son! How can he be so close to Lin Yunwan!

What is he thinking about her right now? Has he believed Lin Yunwan's instigation?

"Young Madam, please don't say things like that in front of Qing anymore. He's just a child!"

Ge Bao'er said coldly.

Lin Yunwan smiled and retorted, "Am I not telling the truth? You don't think that if I don't say it, he won't guess that you're the one who made his legitimate Legitimate Son become Concubine-born Son, do you? You're the one who made him the target of everyone's condemnation."

"Qing is very smart and growing up very quickly. It won't be long before he understands everything."

Ge Bao'er felt a chill run down her spine upon hearing this.

In a few years, her son will start to hate her!

Back inside, she picked up a pair of scissors and brutally stabbed the pillow she had brought with her.

"Lin Yunwan, if you don't die, Qing will truly hate me!"

She looked at the east Side Room and smiled, completely ignoring the Old Madam's warning.

"No matter what I've done, as long as I get the Jade Pendant back, what can the Lu family do to me?"

"The Jade Pendant... Go ahead and hide it. What good is it if you hide it tightly? I don't believe you can take it with you to your coffin when you die!"

Late at night.

After Lin Yunwan finished reciting the sutra, she got up from the prayer cushion. The Buddhist hall was filled with the light of candles.

Tao Ye stayed with her the whole time, and as she helped her back to her room, she said, "Concubine hasn't gone to sleep yet. When you came out, she looked into the Buddhist hall."

Lin Yunwan said, "Let her see it, just pretend you didn't see it."

Tao Ye Ge Bao'er might have bad intentions, Tao Ye secretly kept watch for several nights, then told Lin Yunwan, "Every night when you came out of the Buddhist hall, your Concubine secretly watched you!"

Lin Yunwan remained unmoved.

Lu Chang'gong came over to pray with her. She always went back to her room to sleep at the Zi hour, and he stayed with her the Zi hour as well.

"It's getting late, you should go to your Side Room and go to sleep."

"Yes."

When Lin Yunwan was about to leave the Buddhist hall, she noticed that several candles on the shelf had gone out. She went over and replaced them with new candles before returning to her Side Room.

Ge Bao'er waited until Lin Yunwan entered the house before opening the window to look openly.

Over the past few days, she has figured out what time Lin Yunwan gets up, what time she rests, how many hours she stays in the Buddhist hall, and when her maid is present and when she is not.

She waited until the lights in Lin Yunwan's room went out before closing the window.

In the darkness, Lu Chang'gong stood not far away, his gaze fixed calmly on the window of Ge Bao'er's room.

He gently closed the window, becoming the last person to fall asleep in the nunnery.