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Yue Ziyun smiled gently and said, "Master was very close to the Duke of Yan in his early years, both serving in the same court. When I got to know them both, suddenly I received a letter signed 'Yun You.' From then on, I began to have a relationship with Master. Later, Master told me that he wasn't good at expressing his feelings and was afraid of writing poorly, so he had the Duke of Wind 'ghostwrite' for him—"
Yue Clan paused, not continuing further, her eyes filled with happiness.
Yun Kexin suddenly felt a pang of heartache and nearly shed tears: Father was murdered, and Mother became a widow at such a young age. How did Mother endure those initial days? Surely what supported her was the purest and truest memories of Father. If Father had not passed away, they would have walked hand in hand for a hundred years; what a pity—
"Mother, you have suffered..." Yun Kexin stared intently at Second Madam, emotionally, as if completely forgetting the purpose of this visit.
Yue Ziyun knew that Yun Kexin's emotional turmoil stemmed from Second Master's death. She smiled gently to comfort her:
"Yun Kexin, just remember that Master has always lived on in my heart; I have not suffered."
Upon hearing this and recalling various childhood memories, Yun Kexin could not control her emotions. Her eyes glistened with tears. Yun Ke quietly stepped forward and took out a handkerchief to gently wipe them away.
"Silly sister, don't you see that we still have us children here?" Yun Ke held onto Yun Kexin's arm and said, "With me and Ninth Brother accompanying Mother at home, Fourth Sister and her husband often come back to visit and chat with Mother. Sister Seven can also come back to Second House with Young Lord in the future. Don't worry; with us around, Mother won't be lonely."
Yun Kexin felt somewhat better and sniffled as she said, "Thank you, big brother." Then she looked up at Yue Clan and asked, "Mother, do you mean to say that you absolutely trust the Duke of Yan's character?"
Yue Ziyun answered without hesitation and very affirmatively: "Yes."
At this point, Yun Kexin finally felt relieved but then thought of another matter. Cautiously, she recounted everything Yun Yang had said to her earlier to Yue Clan. As she spoke, she noticed Yue Clan's expression alternating between anger and cold mockery.
"Mother, Daughter remembers your words from back then. You must know who leaked the matter about the Brocade Box; please tell me."
Yun Kexin looked at Second Madam with a pleading tone and expression.
Yue Ziyun restrained her smile, lowered her gaze in contemplation for a moment, then raised her head and said lightly: "Kexin, Mother does not wish for you to accept that 'windfall.' One important reason for this," Yue Clan paused, her face turning pale as she took a deep breath and continued, "do I even need to ask?"
Yun Kexin suddenly stood up from her chair and exclaimed softly: "Mother, you are—"
"That's right," Yue Ziyun interrupted before Yun Kexin could finish. "I do not want to know his intentions; I only know that no amount of wealth can bring Master back to life."
Yun Kexin sat back in her chair, heartbroken and desolate. Dai Chun Ni was introduced as a concubine for Third House by Third Uncle, and the Dai Family had colluded with Fu Lianyin back then, making everything clear!
Whether Third Uncle intended to reveal the hiding place of the Brocade Box to Dai Chun Ni or not, he indirectly acted as an accomplice to both of them, leading to Father’s death!
Seeing Yun Kexin slumped in her chair, nearly crushed by pain and silent, her hands tightly gripping the armrests, Second Madam felt a pang in her heart and said:
"Kexin, don’t be sad. The past is behind us. I told you the truth because I didn’t want you to worry about this every year; it’s not good for your health, especially since you are pregnant now."
"I understand, Mother," Yun Kexin forced a smile. "Daughter will take care of herself; you should take care of yourself too."
Yue Ziyun smiled lightly: "Yun Kexin, if I’m not mistaken, Big Brother and Third Brother probably guessed something years ago but were unwilling to admit it. However, I didn’t expect Third Brother to investigate secretly and even find out about her."
The Yue Clan did not specify who "she" referred to, but Yun Kexin and Yun Ke both knew what it meant. Seeing a hint of appreciation on Mother’s face, Yun Kexin truly felt that her adoptive father lived up to Father’s nurturing of him back then. Her emotions gradually calmed down; although she did not express it, she already knew what she should do.
After chatting with relatives from Second House for a while longer, Feng Yinxiao arrived. Together with Yun Kexin, they bid farewell to the Yue Family and returned to Duke of Yan's Residence.
By the time they returned to Yihe Garden, it was already dusk. Yun Kexin took the supplements her mother had given her to the kitchen and instructed Mama Li to prepare some to send to the hall.
Feng Yinxiao dismissed several maidservants who had come to attend to them and took Yun Kexin to their bedroom. He went to the washroom and wrung out a towel for Yun Kexin, handing it to her: "Yun Kexin, here, wash your face first." Throughout their return journey, Yun Kexin was sullen, and he felt down as well.
Yun Kexin smiled faintly as she took the towel and wiped her face a few times before returning it to Feng Yinxiao.
"Fourth Uncle has told me everything," Feng Yinxiao said with a furrowed brow, initiating the conversation. "Yun Kexin, you did the right thing; don’t burden yourself too much."
Yun Kexin nodded slightly and then suddenly leaned into Feng Yinxiao's embrace, saying with double meaning: "Feng Yinxiao, hold me; I’m exhausted."
Without hesitation, Feng Yinxiao wrapped one arm around her shoulder and held her head with the other hand, occasionally stroking her hair:
"Alright, I’ll hold you. If you’re tired, just lean on me."
Yun Kexin wrapped her arms around Feng Yinxiao's waist and suddenly said, "I'm sorry, Feng Yinxiao, I doubted you."
Feng Yinxiao was taken aback. "Doubted?"
"It's about my Father. I've always suspected that you weren't telling me the truth, or that you were hiding many things from me to cover up Duke's guilt. I was wrong."
Feng Yinxiao seemed to understand and smiled slightly, saying, "It's no wonder you would doubt me. Because of my trust in your Father, I didn't explain much. I just wanted to wait until I found out the truth behind this before telling you everything." Feeling Yun Kexin's hands tightening around him, Feng Yinxiao couldn't help but pull her closer, but then his expression changed. "Yun Kexin, did you hear something from Lord Yun?"
"Yes," Yun Kexin replied softly, "and also what Mother told me..."
"Mother-in-law?" Feng Yinxiao asked curiously. He recalled when he picked up Yun Kexin from the Second House and noticed her slightly reddened eyes, which startled him.
Yun Kexin shyly recounted what Yue Ziyun had said about the Duke of Yan acting as a matchmaker. The more Feng Yinxiao listened, the wider his smile became. Finally, he simply lifted Yun Kexin out of his embrace and cupped her cheeks, laughing as he said:
"Mother-in-law doesn't know everything."
Yun Kexin was puzzled. "Doesn't know everything? What do you mean?"
"If I tell you, don't be too surprised, because there are some things that Mother-in-law may still not know."
Yun Kexin's curiosity was piqued, and her earlier gloomy mood lifted significantly. She stood up, wrapping her jade-like arm around Feng Yinxiao's neck, staring at him intently. "Feng Yinxiao, I'm also curious about the friendship between my parents and the Duke. How much do you know? Tell me quickly."
Feng Yinxiao was stirred by Yun Kexin's affectionate gesture and couldn't help but kiss her lips lightly. He smiled and said:
"My Father actually admired Mother-in-law back then, but when he saw that your grandfather and Mother-in-law were already in love with each other, he chose to support their union."
Yun Kexin opened her mouth in surprise but was momentarily at a loss for words due to the unexpected revelation. Her eyes sparkled with delight. "Is that really true?"
After a while, Yun Kexin smiled and murmured something before her eyes brightened. "Feng Yinxiao," she said excitedly, "I remember now! When I was a child, I indeed heard Father mention Mother. If it weren't for the Duke stepping aside back then, they wouldn't have had their bond. So Mother must know about this; it's just that she hasn't mentioned it."
"Mother-in-law is so gentle and virtuous that it made Father admire and favor her greatly," Feng Yinxiao chuckled softly. "Do you know? Grandfather was the first to learn about Father's feelings. When he went to propose to your mother’s family, Father hurriedly stopped him before later marrying Mother."
"Does the Duchess know about this?" Yun Kexin asked like a child eager for a story, clinging to Feng Yinxiao. "Feng Yinxiao, tell me, I want to know more and more."
"Alright, I," Feng Yinxiao said indulgently as he pecked Yun Kexin on the cheek, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Mother didn't know at first. She accidentally discovered Father hiding a portrait of Mother-in-law in the cupboard."
Yun Kexin immediately covered her mouth with her hand and exclaimed softly, "A portrait?! Was the Duchess very angry?"
Feng Yinxiao gently shook his head and smiled. "No, Mother always pretended not to know and treated Father as usual, dedicating herself wholeheartedly to the Duke of Yan's Residence."
"The Duke must have been moved by the Duchess, so he let go of Mother and treated the Duchess with devotion and respect."
"There's another reason," Feng Yinxiao said slowly. "Father never mentioned past matters in front of Mother, nor did he neglect Mother because of old feelings. Father's affection for Mother-in-law has always been 'hidden in his heart and expressed through courtesy.' His demeanor and character won Mother's heart."
Yun Kexin suddenly realized the root of Mother's trust and respect for the Duke; he truly was a gentleman of high moral character... She couldn't help but lean into Feng Yinxiao's embrace.
"Feng Yinxiao, I have such good parents-in-law, yet I was unaware of my blessings and almost misunderstood my father-in-law. How foolish of me."
"Silly girl, what do you mean by 'foolish'?" Feng Yinxiao gently caressed Yun Kexin's silky hair, his hand uncontrollably brushing against her graceful curves. "Yun Kexin, I'm actually very grateful that Father helped unite my father-in-law and Mother-in-law back then; otherwise, where would we be now?"
Yun Kexin felt shy, not only because of Feng Yinxiao's words but also due to his "improper" hands. Her arm that had originally wrapped around his neck hurriedly slipped down to press against his wandering hand, softly warning, "No."
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