Do I Have a Funny Face?

[Tsk, tsk, tsk. What a picture of mother-daughter devotion. So gentle and considerate toward her adopted daughter, yet cold and heartless toward her own flesh and blood. A brainless mother who treats someone else's daughter like a treasure and her own like a weed truly doesn't deserve to be a mother.]

At those words, Duchess Su's face flushed with anger. If her biological daughter hadn't been coarse and rude, as stupid as a pig, incapable of learning anything, and an utter embarrassment to her, how could she have treated her so coldly? As though it knew what she was thinking, the voice rang out again:

[She despises her biological daughter for being coarse and rude, without even considering the bitter life the girl led in the countryside. She never had enough food or warm clothes, worked from dawn until dark every day, was beaten often, and was bullied by the village children, who forced her to eat pig swill. Growing up in an environment like that, how could she possibly have become a poised young lady from a distinguished family?]

[All she knows is how to compare her biological daughter to Su Miaoling, thinking Su Miaoling is so accomplished and refined. Why doesn't she consider how much care and effort she poured into Su Miaoling? Her own daughter suffered every hardship from childhood, without enough food or clothing, let alone lessons in the arts. If Su Miaoling had grown up in that environment, she'd probably be a good-for-nothing wild girl now too.]

Hearing this, Duchess Su couldn't help feeling a tightness in her chest. Her biological daughter, who should have grown up pampered, dressed in fine silks and fed delicacies, had actually grown up in such conditions...

While she was brooding, the voice sounded again. *[This Duchess Su isn't just a complete oddball; she's an idiot too. She thinks her daughter was switched by accident, but little does she know that it wasn't an accident at all. Her trusted maid, Xiu Yu, deliberately switched her daughter.*

Xiu Yu was Chunhua's younger sister. Back then, Chunhua had sticky fingers and stole Duchess Su's jewelry. Duchess Su caught her and threw her out of the Duke of Su's Estate in the middle of the night. With nowhere to go, Chunhua was raped by a gang of thugs. Unable to bear the humiliation, she took her own life, and Xiu Yu, who had come to the Capital to find her, happened to witness it.

Before breathing her last, Chunhua told Xiu Yu that Duchess Su was the one who had reduced her to this state. Xiu Yu and Chunhua were orphans who had relied on each other since childhood, and the sisters were deeply attached to one another. When Xiu Yu learned that Duchess Su had caused her sister's death, she decided to take revenge. So she sold herself into the Duke of Su's Estate as a maid.

*She worked diligently at the Duke of Su's Estate and was chosen by Duchess Su to serve at her side. She intended to poison her, but Duchess Su happened to be pregnant at the time. Xiu Yu then came up with the idea of switching Duchess Su's baby and making her raise someone else's child. She abandoned her plan to poison her and patiently waited until Duchess Su gave birth, then switched her baby.]*

At these words, towering waves surged through Duchess Su's heart, all manner of emotions clashing within her. Before she could react, Ning Sang-sang's inner voice rang out again-

[Xiu Yu didn't sit idle while Duchess Su was nurturing her pregnancy, either. Every single day, she spat into the nourishing soups and Beauty-Nourishing Soup Duchess Su drank, and she's never stopped all these years. Almost every bowl of soup Duchess Su has drunk at the Duke of Su's Estate over the years has had Xiu Yu's spit in it.]

Everyone looked at Duchess Su with peculiar expressions, casting sympathetic glances her way.

Hearing that Xiu Yu had been spitting into her nourishing soups all these years, Duchess Su felt so disgusted that she nearly retched. But she was proud and cared deeply about appearances. To avoid losing face, she drew a deep breath and forcibly suppressed the nausea and urge to gag.

At these words, everyone looked at Duchess Su with subtle, peculiar expressions.

Duchess Su's face was icy, and she felt sick enough to vomit.

Su Miaoling noticed that Duchess Su's mood was off and that everyone's expressions were rather strange. Her brows furrowed almost imperceptibly. Had something happened without her knowing? Why did the atmosphere feel so odd? No one was speaking; everyone was staring at that girl who had appeared out of nowhere.

After zoning out as she mentally feasted on Duchess Su's gossip, Ning Sang-sang came back to herself and found everyone staring at her. Duchess Su was looking at her with an ugly expression. She raised an eyebrow and muttered inwardly:

[Why is everyone staring at me? Duchess Su in particular looks so furious, as though she wants to eat me alive. Could I have gotten so carried away enjoying the gossip in my head that I accidentally said my thoughts aloud?]

Hearing this, everyone simultaneously looked away from her. This girl seemed unaware that they could hear her thoughts, so they had better act normal. Otherwise, if she realized they could hear her thoughts, she might stop muttering to herself.

"Ahem, ahem." Not wanting her daughter to keep rambling inwardly, Madam Jiang gave a few light coughs.

"Mother, what's wrong?" Seeing Madam Jiang cough, Ning Sang-sang asked with concern.

Madam Jiang said gently, "Nothing's wrong. My throat is just a little itchy."

My dear daughter, I just don't want you to keep talking. If she went on, Madam Jiang feared her daughter would expose the secrets of everyone here.

"Duchess Ning, your daughter seems like such an amusing girl. I really do like her immensely." Princess Yongle smiled at Ning Sang-sang and offered the meaningful compliment.

In all her years, this was the first time she had heard someone's inner thoughts. How fascinating. And it seemed everyone present could hear this girl's thoughts too.

Everyone understood the meaning behind Princess Yongle's praise, except Su Miaoling, who couldn't hear Ning Sang-sang's thoughts.

Hearing Princess Yongle praise Ning Sang-sang, Su Miaoling's brows drew together almost imperceptibly.

At Princess Yongle's words, Madam Jiang parted her lips and was just about to say something when she heard her daughter's inner voice again.

[Do I have a funny face? How do I look amusing, and why does she like me so much? Isn't this a mistake? Princess, you should be expressing your fondness for Su Miaoling. After all, Su Miaoling is your preferred choice for a daughter-in-law.]

Everyone felt deeply disappointed at these words. If Su Miaoling was the princess's preferred daughter-in-law, didn't that mean their own daughters had no chance?

Hurried footsteps sounded outside the hall, interrupting everyone's thoughts, and they couldn't help looking toward the entrance.

Hearing the footsteps, Ning Sang-sang also looked outside and saw a young girl in a pink dress jogging toward them.

Only when the girl entered the hall did Ning Sang-sang get a clear look at her: an oval face, willow-leaf brows, clear, lively eyes, a high nose, a cherry-small mouth, and fair skin.

"Mother," the girl called sweetly to Princess Yongle as soon as she entered.

Princess Yongle's eyes softened at the sight of her daughter. Smiling, she asked, "Where did you run off to play, you little rascal? I haven't seen hide nor hair of you in ages."

"Mother, I was playing with Cousin Yan and the others."

Then she turned to Su Miaoling and said with a smile, "Sister Miaoyi, so this is where you are. I've been looking everywhere for you."

"Commandery Princess Yunluo." Su Miaoling smiled and greeted her with a bow.

"Sister Miaoling, there's no need for such formalities between us." Pei Yunluo walked over to her with a smile and said, "Sister Miaoling, let's go play in the waterside pavilion in the garden."

Su Miaoling smiled and nodded.

"Sister Miaoling, you..."

Pei Yunluo parted her lips and was just about to say something when a clear voice rang in her ears.