Madam, don't do this!

Chapter 495 Sister (6500 words)

The last glimmer of red on the horizon disappeared, and the sky turned gray-black.

The moon has not yet risen.

Lights were already lit under the eaves of the Marquis of Champion's mansion, and a gentle breeze carried the hazy glow of the lights.

No one spoke in the living room; only their heavy breathing filled the air.

Everyone had different thoughts in their hearts. For example, Luo Tianyi had previously suspected that this girl was a romantic entanglement that her brother-in-law had gotten into sometime during their relationship. Who would have thought that she would actually be her brother-in-law's sister? Her cheeks were slightly red, probably because she was a little embarrassed. However, her eyes were still filled with suspicion. She was obviously not quite sure about the relationship between Lin Xue and Song Yan as siblings. After all, siblings should have some similarities in appearance. How could Lin Xue and Song Yan be so different that there was almost no resemblance between them?

Lin Xue, for example, had her long eyelashes trembling rapidly. Her originally sharp eyes had softened, and her two small hands were intertwined. She would steal glances at Song Yan from time to time, her eyes filled with both trepidation and anticipation.

People like Hua Lianyue looked utterly helpless.

Although Hua Lian Yue had left the Hehuan Sect and established the Su Nu Pavilion, the influence the sect had on her was not so easily erased… Hua Lian Yue was not the kind of woman who indulged in unrestrained behavior, and she had never been with another man before Song Yan. However, she did not place particular importance on reputation or social norms. In Hua Lian Yue's heart, Song Yan was her husband, and also the grandmaster of many female disciples in the Su Nu Pavilion. Although there was a generational difference between them, the *Hundred Flowers Treasure Mirror* that Song Yan cultivated was the only way to neutralize the cold poison of the *Extreme Yin Su Nu Scripture*.

Since that's the case, it's only natural that Song Yan would go to the trouble of detoxifying the female disciples of Su Nu Pavilion.

The terms "master," "master," and "disciple" are not important.

After all, within the Hehuan Sect, it's perfectly normal for masters and disciples to be like grandmasters and grand-disciples.

Since we're not related by blood, there's no need to worry about so much.

But who would have thought that Lin Xue was actually Song Yan's older sister, her own sister.

What should we do? How can we cure this poison?

Even though the Hehuan Sect has a relatively open-minded view, it's still not possible for siblings to be together. Even though Hua Lianyue is very intelligent, she felt completely overwhelmed at this moment.

Song Yan's mind was buzzing. At this moment, he finally understood why the atmosphere in the guest room had been so strange and complicated.

This eerie silence continued.

Every minute, every second felt like an eternity.

This feeling was especially unbearable for Lin Xue, like awaiting judgment; with each breath, the fear in her heart magnified. She didn't know how much time had passed, but just as Lin Xue was about to reach her breaking point, Song Yan rubbed his cheeks with a slightly helpless expression and finally spoke: "Miss Lin... Miss Lin..."

Upon hearing this address, Lin Xue's face suddenly turned pale for a moment.

"I'm sorry, although you said you're my sister... to be honest, although I know I have a sister, my impression of her is very weak."

Lin Xue bit her lower lip with her pearly white teeth, understanding Song Yan's words. After all, Song Yan was only three years old when she was sold. How much could a three-year-old remember? Even she herself had very vague memories of her childhood. She couldn't even remember what her mother looked like, let alone the even younger Song Yan.

"You say you're my sister, and I believe Miss Lin has no reason to deceive me, but... is there anything that can prove your statement?" Song Yan asked somewhat apologetically, knowing that such a statement would sound rather cold and heartless.

But what can he do?
He can't just accept any family member who comes along and claims kinship with him, can he?

Lin Xue pursed her lips, her eyes filled with confusion and helplessness. She pondered, "I was only six years old when I was sold."

"Although I can no longer remember what that old woman looked like or her name, I still vaguely remember that she searched me from head to toe. Even if I had any tokens on me, that old woman took them away."

"However, I know a little about what happened when we were kids, but... you might not remember it."

Song Yan nodded subconsciously. For some reason, looking at Lin Xue opposite him, he suddenly felt a chill and had a bad feeling.

Sure enough, Lin Xue's voice rang out again the next second: "I remember that when you were little, you grew up faster than other children. When you were seven or eight months old, you could walk on your own, sometimes even running. You would bend your legs and try to jump, but of course you couldn't."

The voice was soft and melancholic, carrying a hint of longing and nostalgia.

"I remember it was winter, and it snowed."

"Your little hands were frozen red, yet you still managed to mold a ball of snow into the shape of a chick, and you even insisted on pointing at the chick and calling it something like 'Kun'..."

“When I asked you what Kun was, you spoke in an old-fashioned tone, saying it was some old friend you would never see again.”

Song Yan's eyes dimmed slightly for a moment. Yes, some people and things are indeed gone forever.

"Parents usually potty train one-year-old babies."

"But even though you were so very young, you had a stubborn streak. Even though you were still wobbling, you insisted on standing up by yourself and peeing like a grown man." As she spoke, a slight smile appeared on Lin Xue's face, as if she were recalling a funny thing from her childhood: "Back then, it was already winter, the snow was thick, and you were already wrapped in a thick cotton coat..."

"stop!"

"No need to say anything, you are my sister."

Song Yan's expression changed instantly, and he quickly stopped Lin Xue from continuing. A dark line appeared on his forehead as images he had deliberately tried to forget suddenly surged up and attacked his consciousness.

Taking a deep breath and trying to suppress the terrible memories in his mind, Song Yan basically believed Lin Xue's words. She must really be his sister, his blood-related sister... Only his mother, sister and he knew what happened in the courtyard. His mother had already passed away, and Song Yan regarded those memories as his dark history, which he would never tell a third person.

Ha... I have to say, my sister is truly a terrifying creature. She has the potential to dig up your darkest past that you'd rather take to your grave and expose it to everyone.

Its deterrent effect is comparable to publicly available browser records.

A look of joy appeared on Lin Xue's face, her cheeks flushed with excitement.

Just then, Luo Tianxuan smiled and stood up: "My husband has never had any relatives. Now that he has finally found his elder sister, this is a good thing." Looking at Lin Xue, Luo Tianxuan's smile deepened: "Now that elder sister and husband have recognized each other, just treat this place as your own home. Don't be shy. I'm sure you two siblings have a lot to talk about. I'll go to the kitchen and prepare a few dishes for dinner. Let's have a family gathering."

"Tianyi, come help me."

Luo Tianyi pouted, seemingly somewhat unwilling.

She wanted to hear more embarrassing stories about her brother-in-law's childhood from Lin Xue, but she dared not disobey her sister's orders and reluctantly followed Luo Tianxuan out of the guest hall. Hua Lianyue and Gao Yang, being clear-headed women, quickly understood and made up an excuse to leave, leaving only Song Yan and Lin Xue in the large guest hall.

Song Yan and Lin Xue both understood that this was the others giving them time alone.

Both of them seemed a little awkward.

The scene of their reunion was very different from what Lin Xue had imagined. None of the scenes she had envisioned—their embrace, their tears, and even their wailing—occurred. Instead, the two simply sat facing each other, both feeling somewhat awkward.

They wanted to break the stiff and oppressive atmosphere, but for a moment they didn't know how to start.

Finally, Lin Xue pursed her lips and broke the silence first: "Mother..."

"Yang Miaoqing poisoned you three years after you were sold." Song Yan sighed, his tone tinged with melancholy.

Where is she buried?

Song Yan shook his head, a slightly cold smile on his lips: "After my mother died, the people of the Duke's mansion buried her in a mass grave with just a tattered straw mat. After I left the Duke's mansion and went to live with the Luo family, my mother... my mother-in-law sent people to renovate my mother's grave."

Lin Xue nodded slightly and helped repair the grave of the son-in-law's biological mother. This alone showed that the Luo family valued her younger brother, which made her feel a little more at ease.

"I'd like to go and pay my respects later."

"Well, I'll take you there then. Maybe we'll be able to see Song Hongtao. If we're lucky, he should still be alive."

As they talked, the awkward and stiff atmosphere gradually dissipated.

"By the way, I heard that in the years after Mother passed away, you had a very hard time at the Duke's mansion. In those nine years, Yang Miaoqing poisoned you more than a hundred times, set fires dozens of times, and tried to push you into the water dozens of times..."

Song Yan couldn't help but laugh out loud: "Who told you that?"

"That's what everyone's saying at the Jingguan (a mound of dead bodies) outside Dongling City." Lin Xue tilted her head and then remembered the tea seller, who charged one tael of silver for a cup of plain water, a heartless man.

Song Yan shook his head: "That's just a rumor. Although I did have a very bad time in the Duke's mansion, and Yang Miaoqing, Song Zhen, Song Yun, Song Huai, Song Jing and those people did want to kill me, it was definitely not that frequent. How could they poison me more than a hundred times? It's not like I eat it."

"It's mostly just that some people spread rumors, and as the rumors spread, they always become more exaggerated than the truth."

"However, the fact that they did target me is undeniable."

"Of course, their fates weren't much better. Song Yun had all four limbs broken by me and died in excruciating pain in the pouring rain... As for Song Zhen, I put him in death row, and in just half a month, he was already a grotesque, inhuman creature." As if she had finally found someone to confide in, Song Yan rambled on about everything that had happened during this time: "Didn't Yang Miaoqing dote on Song Zhen the most? So I killed Song Zhen right in front of Yang Miaoqing." "The ridiculous thing is, before Song Zhen died, he actually thought of betraying Yang Miaoqing to save his life. I wonder what Yang Miaoqing was feeling at that moment."

"And then there's Song Zhe. My mother's death is inextricably linked to Song Zhe. Although it was Yang Miaoqing who did it, it was Song Zhe who instigated it from behind. Song Zhe's end was also very tragic. First, he was turned into a eunuch, and then someone shot an arrow into his buttocks."

“I found a way to get him into the dungeon of Dongling City, and he died that very night.”

"All the bones in my body were crushed."

Lin Xue listened quietly, a faint smile playing on her lips, but she felt a pang of sadness in her heart. She could sense that her younger brother's personality had become somewhat twisted, and the root of this twistedness was the torment he had endured since childhood. That was why he would retaliate against her at all costs, no matter how cruel or perverse the methods were.

Of course, Lin Xue didn't mean to criticize Song Yan; she knew very well that her younger brother needed to vent.

If Song Yan cannot release all the repression, grievances, and pain she is enduring, she may end up going insane.

"Oh, right, you didn't know this, did you? Yang Miaoqing gave birth to eight sons for Song Hongtao, seven of whom are not Song Hongtao's children. Six of them are Song Jincheng's..."

puff!

Lin Xue, who had always gazed at her younger brother with gentle, tender eyes, finally couldn't hold back when she heard these words. She spat out a mouthful of saliva, followed by a violent cough.

Good heavens, this news is truly explosive; the Duke's mansion is really playing dirty tricks.

"He doted on the bastard son born to Yang Miaoqing as his own son, and watched helplessly as his illegitimate sons were killed one after another by Yang Miaoqing. After learning the truth, he hated everyone. The deaths of Yang Miaoqing, Song Yun, Song Zhe, and Song Zhen were partly orchestrated by Song Hongtao."

“He wanted to kill all of Yang Miaoqing’s children. He expelled Song Huai, Song Yi, Song Jing, and Song An from the family genealogy one by one, took back his mistresses, and made the children born to his mistresses the heirs… He had someone secretly push Song Lu into the Yi River, and had someone cut Song Lu’s leg in the muddy water, turning Song Lu into a cripple.”

"They locked Song Lu back in the small courtyard where we used to live, and made him live a life worse than pigs and dogs. Finally, they beat Song Lu to death. It wasn't until Song Lu was about to die that Song Hongtao finally learned that Song Lu was actually his only biological son, and that the son of his mistress was not his biological child at all."

"It seems that this blow was too great for Song Hongtao, and he couldn't bear it. He became paralyzed and has been lying in bed motionless for several months now."

Song Yan's face was filled with a strange excitement. There were some things he couldn't say in front of Luo Tianxuan and Luo Tianyi, but he felt that Lin Xue should be able to listen.

Although a long time has passed, whenever Song Yan recalls Song Hongtao's expression at that time, he feels as if his thoughts have been cleared up.

The smile on his face gradually faded. Song Yan tilted his head and looked at Lin Xue with some suspicion. Lin Xue had gotten up at some point and slowly walked up to him. She gently bit her lower lip with her white teeth, and her dark eyes were filled with tears.

For some reason, that expression made Song Yan slightly irritated.

He knew that he hadn't had a very good life before, but he didn't need any pity.

Lin Xue didn't say anything, but silently reached out and gently embraced Song Yan's head.

Between her nostrils, there was the pure fragrance of a young girl.

It was a slightly burning body temperature.

Even through the thin fabric of the long dress, Song Yan could feel Lin Xue's flat stomach and amazing elasticity.

The girl's chin rested on the top of his head.

His body stiffened slightly. Lin Xue placed her small, white hand behind Song Yan's head, sliding down his hair again and again: "These years... you've suffered so much."

Tears clung to her eyelashes. Lin Xue simply couldn't imagine what kind of life her younger brother had endured after she was sold and after their mother's death, to have twisted his personality into this way. The Duke's mansion, the Yang family… they all deserved to die, they all deserved to die, they all deserved to die!
Song Yan didn't know what he was feeling. He was probably somewhat enamored with this warmth, but he knew he couldn't indulge in it. In just a few breaths, Song Yan broke free from Lin Xue's embrace, smiled, and his expression had completely returned to normal, as if the slightly crazy person from before wasn't him at all.

"I've told you almost everything about myself." Song Yan shook her head. "I still don't know what Lin... uh, what my sister has been through all these years, how she suddenly became the eldest daughter of the Lin family in Chu?"

"If I remember correctly, the Lin family should be an extremely prominent family in the Chu Kingdom, right?"

Lin Xue felt a little dejected. She could tell that although Song Yan had acknowledged her as her sister, she still harbored some resistance to the closeness of her relatives.

However, Lin Xue quickly adjusted her mindset. It was already excellent that their relationship had recovered to this point. There was still a long way to go, and she had enough time and confidence to repair their relationship, just like when they were children.

With a smile, Lin Xue sat down in the chair next to Song Yan: "As for me, I don't have much to say."

"As you know, merchants in the four kingdoms of the Central Plains are all of low social status, and most people look down on them, especially nobles... But powerful families cannot maintain a decent life without merchants. The Lin family is the same. Although they are a Duke's family, if they only rely on the old Duke's salary and rewards, it is not enough to support the entire Duke's mansion. Not to mention the three sons and daughters-in-law, it is not even enough to pay the wages of the guards, servants, and maids, or even the daily expenses for social interactions."

"Therefore, wealthy families like the Lin family would engage in private trade to supplement their household income. Ordinary nobles would choose to open shops, but the Lin family was different. They had connections and a caravan that traveled between Ning and Chu. Although a round trip often took several months, the money earned from one trip was more than all the shops in the Duke's mansion combined."

"The Chu Kingdom is all inland. Places like Ningping in Ningguo are by the sea, and sea salt and seafood are very popular in Chu. Just when Yang Miaoqing was about to abandon me in the deep mountains, the Lin family caravan happened to pass through Ningping. The caravan manager's surname was Zeng, and he was an old man in his fifties at that time, without a wife or children."

"Perhaps because I looked so cheerful at that time, they bought me for one hundred taels of silver, and I followed the caravan all the way to the State of Chu."

Lin Xue spoke very casually.

But Song Yan could sense Lin Xue's fear at that time.

In the end, she was just a six-year-old girl. How could she not be afraid when she was inexplicably being sent to a completely unfamiliar place with a group of strangers? Even when Song Yan suddenly traveled to this time and space, the first thing that came to her mind was not curiosity or excitement, but horror.

Lin Xue stretched out her arms lazily and yawned: "And so, I became Old Man Zeng's adopted daughter."

"In such a large Duke's mansion, the sudden appearance of me makes no difference whatsoever."

"But my life is not bad. Old man Zeng has some status and position in the Lin family, so he is not bullied."

“Compared to the Song family, my life was so much better. I could eat three meals a day, and I was full at each meal. I had new clothes to wear all year round. At that time, I felt that such a life was not bad. I even thought that it would be great if I could bring you and Mother to the Chu Kingdom.”

"I told Old Man Zeng about my idea and begged him to buy you and Mother next time he went to Ningguo. Then Old Man Zeng, who is usually very nice to me, scolded me. He said that all the wealth he has earned will be mine in the future, but I have to promise to take care of him in his old age. As for other things, don't think about them. If I don't want to be his daughter, he won't force me. There are plenty of people who are willing to be her."

“Since then, I have known that my identity has not actually changed. I am still weak and can do nothing.”

“I thought my life would just pass by like this, but then a little problem arose…” Lin Xue’s expression turned strange: “You should know something about the Lin family of Chu, little brother.”

Song Yan nodded. The Lin family was a family of military merit in the Chu Kingdom.

The patriarch of the Lin family was one of the two dukes of the Chu Kingdom, holding a transcendent position in the kingdom.

"Old Master Lin spent his life on the battlefield, and in his old age he just wanted to enjoy the company of his grandchildren and experience the joys of family life."

"Old Master Lin has three sons, each with one wife and three concubines, totaling twelve daughters-in-law. By all accounts, the Lin family should have been expanding, but who would have thought that even though the three sons have been married for many years, none of the twelve daughters-in-law have conceived."

Uh.

Even Song Yan didn't know how to respond to these words.

Three sons, twelve wives and concubines, and not a single one of them got pregnant... Could it be that there's something wrong with his genes? Or is he just born with a destiny of being childless?

"Old Master Lin is so worried that his hair is about to fall out. He worked so hard to earn the title of Duke, hoping to bring glory to his ancestors. But if he doesn't even have a grandson, what kind of glory will he bring to his ancestors? When he gets to the underworld, he might even be scolded by his ancestors for being unfilial."

"There was nothing else to be done, so the old master of the Lin family went to a very popular temple in the Chu Kingdom. According to the head monk, the old master had fought all his life and committed too many killings, so he had little affinity with his descendants." Lin Xue smiled and continued, "Of course, there are ways to change one's fate. Adopting a son or a daughter might bring in more descendants."

"When Old Master Lin returned to the mansion, he happened to meet me playing in front of the mansion gate. After making some inquiries, he learned that I was the goddaughter that Old Man Zeng had bought to take care of in his old age. So he spent another thousand taels of silver to buy me from Old Man Zeng. Then he called over the eldest branch of the Lin family, pointed at me and said: This is your eldest daughter."

It's like cargo.

Throughout the entire process, no one paid any attention to Lin Xue's opinion.

However, this should be considered a good thing for Lin Xue.

She went from being the daughter of the steward to becoming the eldest daughter of the Lin family's main branch.

"Actually, Old Master Lin didn't really take me seriously either."

"After all, he was a decisive old general who didn't really believe in ghosts and gods. He only came to the temple because he couldn't find a cure. The old monk said so, so he did it to put his mind at ease."

"In fact, the entire Lin family didn't seem to care much about it, and my life wasn't much different from before." Suddenly, Lin Xue's expression turned strange: "Then, just a month later, my stepmother..."

"pregnant."

Song Yan's expression was also somewhat strange, and a strange thought suddenly popped into his mind: Could it be another Song Hongtao?
(End of this chapter)