Rejected Beauty Practices the Villain Play
Chapter 159: The Orphan

Chapter 159: Chapter 159: The Orphan

Feng Shu felt very conflicted too. Her younger sister lied to her for the sake of Xie Xun, and it wasn’t the first time she’d tried to deceive her so skillfully.

"You have no official ties nor familial connection with Xie Xun. Do not act too intimately, lest you attract rumors." Feng Shu didn’t actually care about others gossiping about her and Xie Zhang.

Firstly, she had an engagement with Xie Zhang, and secondly, neither of them minded it at all.

But she minded others talking about Fengyu. She thought her sister was the most obedient and best sister in the world and hoped others would feel the same and love her.

"Got it." Fengyu secretly cursed the little marquis, then cuddled up to Feng Shu, acting coy. "If he dares to act presumptuously next time, I’ll hit him."

Feng Shu raised an eyebrow slightly, why is there a next time?

Fengyu was already excitedly telling Feng Shu about their father’s upcoming appointment as National General, and Feng Shu’s expression grew more subtle. Even such things the little marquis also told you?

"You and Xie Xun..." Feng Shu faltered; this issue had weighed on her heart, but she never broached it. She always wanted to talk to Fengyu, but feared Fengyu would evade or distract her.

If Fengyu didn’t want to talk about something, she could come up with logically consistent reasons to cover it up.

"Never mind," Feng Shu said with a gentle smile, "Ayu, as long as you’re happy, whatever you do, your elder sister will agree."

Fengyu felt warm inside, moved and tender, and became more resolved that she wouldn’t do anything to put her sister in a difficult position. After a few words with her sister in the corridor, Feng Shu took her to Songhe Garden to accompany their grandmother and announce the good news.

The eldest grandson and youngest son were the apple of the old lady’s eye. The old lady couldn’t escape tradition; compared to Feng Changlin, who resembled her husband and had a gentle temperament, she liked the stubborn and straightforward Feng Changqing more.

Feng Changqing fought in wars for many years, with long separations and dangerous battlefields. The old lady worried and prayed, not wishing for his promotion, but only praying for his safe return.

Half past 17:00, Feng Changqing and Su Yuejiao returned home. The old lady, Feng Changlin, and the whole family waited in the courtyard. As soon as Feng Changqing entered, the old lady’s eyes turned red, and, with Mrs. Rong’s support, she eagerly went to meet him.

Clad in military garb, Feng Changqing called out to his mother, filled with emotion, and knelt down to offer his respects, "Your son is unfilial and has made you worry."

Su Yuejiao, also in military attire, knelt and followed suit with a head bow.

The Capital City and Ningzhou were thousands of miles apart; even with letters from home, it was hard to ease worries. Now, safely returned, the old lady, Feng Changlin, and Feng Changqing tearfully exchanged words of maternal and fraternal love.

The four Feng Family girls also paid their respects. Su Yuejiao, with eyes still red, focused on Fengyu. Feng Shu had just returned from Ningzhou, and Feng Changqing and Su Yuejiao had met her. She was more worried about Fengyu, whom she hadn’t seen in years. Feng Wan and Feng Ling, moved by the atmosphere, were teary-eyed, while Fengyu was more curious than tearful.

Feng Shu subtly nudged Fengyu toward Su Yuejiao. When Fengyu lowered her head, her eyes moistened, and she softly called out "Mother." Su Yuejiao, overcome with emotion, hugged her tightly.

"Ayu, Mother missed you so much." Su Yuejiao held her face, both relieved and guilty, knowing she had missed most of Fengyu’s growth and all the significant moments in her life.

"Ayu missed Mother too."

Holding Fengyu’s face tenderly to the point of breathlessness, Su Yuejiao had been groomed by Su Ming from a young age as an heir, endowed with extraordinary intelligence, mastering Ningzhou’s complex military logistics over years. Her keen eye couldn’t miss Fengyu’s... aloofness.

Her little daughter had little emotional attachment to her parents, merely fulfilling her sister’s wishes, speaking insincere words of longing, shedding tears she didn’t truly feel.

Wiping her tears, Su Yuejiao thought it didn’t matter; with the Beiman peace talks settled, Ningzhou now peaceful, she had plenty of time to slowly nurture a bond with Ayu.

Boisterous Feng Changqing didn’t notice anything; seeing his daughter as beautiful as a flower, he could hardly hide his joy, carefully embracing her, even lowering his voice a bit to avoid scaring her: "Ayu is even more beautiful than I imagined, hahaha, indeed my daughter."

Fengyu: "..."

After meeting the emperor, Feng Changqing was promoted to Second-ranking National General, and Su Yuejiao to Fourth-ranking General of Ningyuan, the highest-ranking female general in the Yanyang Dynasty.

The elder matron felt complex emotions, glancing at Feng Changlin, who felt honored rather than displeased or envious, basking in the shared glory.

The old lady led her son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughters to worship their ancestors. The Feng Family held a grand banquet, filled with joy. Even Fengyu was caught up in the celebration and sipped a few glasses. Not being able to handle her drink, Qiuxiang and Chunlu supported her to rest. Su Yuejiao’s gaze followed Fengyu; as soon as she left the table, Su Yuejiao’s heart went with her.

Fengyu returned to Meiyuan, thoroughly exhausted. After Xie Xun took her out of the city for a half-day horseback ride, she grew tired, having also forced herself to enjoy familial joy, which drained her mentally.

Qiuxiang and Chunlu assisted her with her bath, and Fengyu lay in the tub, drifting into sleep. After taking the medicine, she became even drowsier, half-asleep when she heard Su Yuejiao and Feng Shu’s voices.

They came to see her after leaving the table, and Fengyu felt someone tuck the blanket around her and gently stroke her face. She heard Su Yuejiao’s voice, "It’s all my fault, letting Ayu suffer."

Fengyu knew she should open her eyes and comfort her mother, playing the part of a sensible and obedient daughter. But her body and spirit were exhausted to the extreme, unwilling to say anything insincere.

She breathed evenly, pretending to be asleep.

Gently, Feng Shu said, "Mother, you and Father must be tired from your long journey; rest first, there’s plenty of time ahead."

Persuaded, Su Yuejiao left with Feng Shu. The window was slightly open, the night breeze carrying floral scents into the room. Fengyu saw her mother and sister talking under the porch, the swaying lanterns, and heard their sighs mingling with the fragrance. She closed her eyes.

While in Ningzhou, her parents returned home only a few times a year. As a child, Fengyu envied Feng Wan and Feng Ling for having parental company. Whenever her parents came home, she sat obediently under a tree, waiting.

Even as a child, she knew to feign illness and behave cutely to melt her parents’ hearts. To make them stay, she once stood in the cold wind all night, falling ill with a high fever the next day.

Though her mother was distressed and wept, she never stayed for her.

Her sister explained, "Father and Mother fight on the battlefields to protect many children like her." As a child, Fengyu couldn’t understand.

All she felt was sadness and disappointment.

At the age of five, she was kidnapped and kept for two whole years. Naively, she’d told her captors: "My father is a mighty Great General; if you kidnap me, he’ll kill you."

The kidnappers cruelly threw her to the ground, knocking out a tooth and filling her mouth with blood.

Afraid of pain since childhood, she cried loudly, receiving another beating. The young Fengyu couldn’t comprehend why her parents, such great heroes, couldn’t protect her.