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Yun Yang was somewhat surprised: Han Wangfu's disdain for Yun Ran was evident, especially from Fu Yihang, who had been troubled about how to first serve Fu Shizi and then let Fu Shizi interact with Han Wang and the princess. Unexpectedly, Fu Yihang had a sudden change in attitude, which was truly baffling. Could it be related to the Fu Family? Had she visited Han Wangfu?
Yun Yang couldn't help but glance at Third Madam, her expression filled with confusion and bewilderment.
Fu Lianyin had been on edge ever since her nephew made his abrupt request. Yun Ran's "infatuation" was originally a bargaining chip for her negotiations with the Three Elders and Water Concubine. She thought that once Yun Kexin returned home, she could half-jokingly persuade Fu Yihang in front of him. After all, a concubine was not the main wife; her nephew wouldn't be too stubborn about it. Worst case, he could treat her like Dai Chun Ni and "set her aside," then propose to Yun Yang to personally raise Eleventh Young Master, which would surely yield better results. However, before she could execute her plan, Fu Yihang's words genuinely shocked her.
"Nephew, what did you just say..." Fu Lianyin hurriedly asked before Yun Yang could speak up, "You want Fifth Sister to be a concubine?"
"Yes." Fu Yihang stood firm in front of the Three Elders and Third Madam, stating seriously.
"Why?" Fu Lianyin tried hard not to let any reprimanding words slip out, feigning extreme surprise as she said, "Wasn't Hang Er always—"
Fu Yihang did not answer directly but turned to glance at Yun Kexin before looking back and saying:
"In the past is the past; now is now. Aunt, are you not aware of the saying 'the times have changed'?"
He paused briefly and cleared his throat. "I have heard Seventh Sister mention Fifth Sister's feelings for me. Seeing that she is already sixteen and still unbetrothed, I wondered if it was because of me. If so, Nephew might as well do a favor and fulfill Fifth Sister's wish."
Yun Ran's face suddenly changed color as she bit her lip hard: Fu Yihang actually expressed his feelings publicly in front of so many people. Those who understood would comprehend; those who didn't would think she harbored "improper thoughts" at such a young age—how inappropriate!
More importantly, from Fu Shizi's tone, it seemed he only agreed to take her as a concubine out of consideration for Seventh Aunt's "favor," making her feel like a discarded object reluctantly accepted out of pity. After all, wasn't Fu Shizi doing this for Yun Kexin? Just thinking about it made her furious!
Yun Ran coldly laughed while standing silently to the side. However, Fu Lianyin couldn't sit still any longer and impatiently brought up Han Wang and the princess: "But Hang Er, taking a concubine is one thing; have you consulted Father and Mother? You should at least inform them..."
Fu Yihang suddenly smiled, but it was a smile that held deep implications, making others uneasy: "Taking a concubine is not marrying a main wife; why must I go through Father and Mother? As long as I am willing," he felt his words were too blunt afterward and softened his tone, saying, "However, I can ask Fifth Sister; if she is unwilling, this Heir Apparent will not force her."
With that, he cast a gentle and kind gaze toward Yun Ran.
Yun Ran was still fuming and wanted to refuse outright. However, upon meeting Fu Yihang's unusually sincere eyes, her heart raced. Moreover, considering that Fu Shizi proposed taking a concubine in front of the Yun Clan members also gave her some face... In an unexpected turn of events, she said:
"Young Master Xie, Ran'er will follow the arrangements of Father and Mother."
"Seventh Aunt and Seventh Uncle are returning today," Fu Lianyin did not expect her nephew to be so firm. Not wanting to ask publicly, she could only hastily make an excuse, "How about we discuss this another day—"
Before the words "let's discuss it later" could leave her lips, Yun Yang coughed lightly to signal and decisively said:
"Fu Shizi, I appreciate your affection for the young lady and fulfilling her wishes. As the Third Master, I will take responsibility for Ran'er. Once the 'Concubine Document' is prepared, we can bring Fifth Young Lady into the residence."
"After my nephew returns home, he can have someone handle this matter," Fu Yihang cupped his hands and slightly bowed, saying, "Thank you, Uncle and Aunt."
Seeing that things were not developing in the direction she had hoped, Fu Lianyin felt disheartened and did not want to look at Fu Yihang. However, after a moment's thought, she realized that without Yun Ran as a bargaining chip, it didn't matter much. As long as Seventh Young Lady did not interfere with the affairs of the Third House, she still had confidence in winning.
"What 'thank you'?" The Fu Family's thoughts changed quickly; previously they had icy expressions, but now they were like a warm winter sun. "We are all family; why be so polite?" The Fu Family seemed to intentionally provoke Yun Ran but smiled kindly as they said, "I think there’s no need for any 'documents'; just have someone carry Fifth Young Lady into Han Wangfu directly."
Yun Ran gripped the armrest of her chair tightly, trying to prevent herself from jumping up. Her lowered eyes were filled with blood-red anger: if there was no need for a 'Concubine Document', didn’t that mean the Third House wouldn’t even need to pay for selling a concubine? They were giving her away to Han Wangfu for free?! She could tell that this was the Legal Wife venting her frustrations on her! What a "generous" good Mother!
Just as Yun Ran was seething with resentment towards Fu Lianyin and wanted to retort, she heard Yun Kexin say:
"Father, Mother, please allow Kexin to speak," she stood before the Three Elders and Third Madam and said, "I believe it’s not good to skip the 'Concubine Document' because Elder Sister Five is not an ordinary girl; after all, she was born in Duke of E State Mansion's Third House. Father is a high-ranking official; even if she is his Concubine Daughter, there should be proper procedures to follow. Otherwise, wouldn’t it lower our status…"
Yun Kexin understood well that Fu Lianyin wasn’t entirely wrong because Bastard Concubine Daughters had no status and were often looked down upon by even servants. In some wealthy families, Concubine Daughters were given as concubines to friends as a favor; this was not unusual. Her reason for speaking up was not out of righteousness but simply because she didn’t want the Fu Family and Han Wangfu to be self-righteous. No one expected Yun Kexin to speak up for herself; Fu Yihang thought Yun Yang would voice an objection but never imagined it would be Yun Kexin. In his impression, the two had always been at odds. Filled with suspicion, Fu Yihang looked at Yun Kexin, trying to find any hint of mischief or false sincerity on her face. However, there was none; Yun Kexin remained calm and composed as she spoke slowly before retreating beside Feng Yinxiao in silence.
"Seventh Aunt is absolutely right," after a moment of shock, Fu Yihang came back to his senses. Although he found this title awkward and uncomfortable, he forced himself to use it. "Fifth Sister is still Duke of E State Mansion's Concubine Daughter; there must be a procedure." He paused briefly before addressing the Three Elders and Third Madam again. "Uncle, Aunt, Nephew guarantees that this matter will be handled without losing face for either family."
Yun Yang nodded with a smile: "That sounds excellent; in fact, what Seventh Aunt said is exactly what I was thinking. Let’s proceed this way."
Only then did Yun Ran feel somewhat relieved but only because this matter went smoothly thanks to Seventh Aunt's support. This made her feel dissatisfied and resentful as she gritted her teeth but forced a smile as she approached Yun Kexin: "Seventh Sister, thank you."
Yun Kexin remained silent but nodded slightly: "No reward without merit." She wasn’t thinking about Yun Ran’s lifelong happiness; she simply didn’t want to see Yun Ran cause trouble for the Third House or lead Yun Xiao astray. If she was so infatuated with Fu Yihang, then why not let her create some noise in Han Wangfu?
Fu Lianyin was filled with hatred, her heart cold and her teeth chattering. She had originally intended to humiliate Yun Ran, wanting her to be looked down upon at Han Wangfu, to be as lowly as dust. At the same time, she wanted the Duke of E State Mansion to be "one rank lower" in front of Han Wangfu. However, she did not expect that a single casual remark from Yun Kexin would turn the situation around. Although she could not understand Seventh Aunt's intentions, it truly infuriated the Fu Family that she would "interfere" in Third House's affairs.
Witnessing all of this, Water Lily felt a flicker of hope reignite in her heart, but the smile that had just surfaced in her eyes faded when she noticed Yun He obediently nestled in Fu Lianyin's arms, causing her to worry again.
Yun Kexin was no fool. From the moment she returned, she had noticed the Eleventh Young Master who was "never far from" Third Madam. Seeing Water Lily's listless and sorrowful expression, she suddenly understood a few things. In a moment of realization, she saw her past self in Yun He, who was also being "carried along" by Fu Lianyin's "mother-daughter affection." Just like Yun He, she had been inseparable from the Fu Family, yet the final outcome had been disastrous!
Yun Kexin was now keenly aware that the air above Third House was once again filled with schemes of usurpation and replacement! How could she resolve this without leaving traces and prevent Yun He from repeating the tragedy of her past life? Telling her that Fu Lianyin was as venomous as a snake was clearly inappropriate; Yun He was too naive and did not understand. In this situation, she believed even more in the Fu Family. If things went wrong, it would only lead to Fu Lianyin hearing about it, making matters even worse...
Lost in thought, Yun Kexin pretended to casually smile at Water Lily and said:
"Water Concubine, you seem to be increasingly eager for a comfortable life. You don’t take care of the child and let Mother do it instead."
Water Lily was anxious for an opportunity to discuss Yun Kexin and Yun He's matters. Hearing Yun Kexin say this made her overjoyed, but she maintained a calm demeanor.
Fu Lianyin felt her heart leap into her throat—despite all precautions, Yun Kexin had still caught on to something. This Yun Kexin had always been sharp-witted; how had she overlooked this? At that moment, having Yun He beside her and sitting in such a conspicuous position for the clan elders to see could serve as an excuse—demonstrating her affection for the Bastard by personally raising him seemed easy and straightforward. However, it became complicated when Seventh Aunt saw it. She wanted to make a few jokes to divert Yun Kexin's attention but realized it was too late when Water Lily spoke up:
"Concubine dares not!" Water Lily stepped forward to stand before Yun Kexin, bowing respectfully and saying, "He Er is favored by my sister and insists on being raised personally. I thought this was the Legal Wife's unique affection for the Bastard. Moreover, since the Legal Wife is esteemed, I agreed without considering anything else... Seventh Aunt, I acknowledge my mistake."
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