Chapter Ten Survival

  Jin Shi whispered to Wen Xueyi, telling her all the things she had guessed, one by one. Her words were full of implicit and explicit requests for her daughter to behave with restraint, to guard her own peace, and not to fight for those empty reputations for the sake of her parents and younger siblings. Wen Chaoqing's eyes met Jin Shi's, and his heart skipped a beat as he saw the warmth in them.

  One of the six brothers, Wen Chaoqing's marriage was originally settled by his family with Jin Shi's second sister. The two families had already exchanged words and agreed on the beginning of the marriage arrangement. However, just as they were about to set a date, the Jin family suddenly changed their minds and betrothed Jin Shi's second sister to the third son of the Pingguo Duke's household. Wen Chaoqing married Jin Shi's younger daughter instead. Jin Shi was elegant in appearance and dignified in her actions, never interfering with the affairs of the Wen household. She was considered a kind and gentle person within the household.

  Wen Chaoqing and his wife had been married for over ten years, with two sons and two daughters. However, their relationship had always been lukewarm. Wen Chaoqing had a knot in his heart that he couldn't untie, but he also couldn't take it out on his innocent wife, Jin Shi. He endured for many years, feeling somewhat resentful, treating Jin Shi with only superficial warmth while actually being cold to her. It wasn't until after Wen Chunyi's incident that the couple gradually started interacting more because of their daughter. Unlike before, Wen Chaoqing would rarely enter Jin Shi's main room except on predetermined days each month; most nights, he preferred to sleep in his study outside.

  As Wen Chaoqing listened to Wen Xueyi's responses, he became increasingly satisfied with Jinshi. Jinshi was not a frivolous person and had been quietly guarding this courtyard for years. On that day, only when Wen Chunyi fell into the water did she rarely show her excitement and determination to find justice for her daughter. After the outcome of that incident, Jinshi remained silent for some days but later became even more considerate towards Wen Chunyi. Wen Chaoqing knew that there were often parents who disliked their not-so-intelligent children, let alone Wen Chunyi, who was once an extremely intelligent child. He secretly worried that Jinshi would be disgusted with her foolish daughter.

  Wen Chaoqing often went to visit his daughter, and as a result, he discovered Jinshi's thoughts. It turned out that she was glad her daughter had become foolish, thinking that only fools would have good fortune. Many things, once started with curiosity, will lead to further investigation. Wen Chaoqing gradually paid attention to Jinshi and found that he had never understood this woman who rarely spoke in front of him. Wen Chunyi felt that the relationship between Wen Chaoqing and his wife was lukewarm, but in fact, their relationship was changing. Compared to before, their relationship could be said to have entered a better stage. At least when Wen Chaoqing had free time, he would eat with them together.

  Wen Chaoqing used to only visit the Jin family's home on designated days, dining with them in silence before leaving immediately after. Now, he would exchange a few words with his two daughters before meals and linger for a conversation if there were matters to discuss within the household. Wen Chaoqing's gaze occasionally fell upon Jin's face, causing her to look up at him in surprise, only to see warmth in his eyes. Jin quickly looked away, having long given up on any romantic feelings towards this man after all these years of marriage; she was simply grateful that he had always fulfilled his duties as a husband and father.

  "Snowy, come with me to see your Third Aunt and check on Yueyi. We have to go take a look, or I won't be at peace." As Snowy glanced over at her father, Hearst Qing, Mrs. Jin looked at him thoughtfully and asked, "Fourth Master, Snowflake can't take any more frights, and Jun'er is still too young. Shall we leave them here and just the few of us go to Third Master's place to check on Yueyi?" Hearst Qing nodded, and Mrs. Jin got up and headed towards the inner room, with Snowy following close behind, leaving only the father-son pair sitting quietly in the room.

  Wen Chaoqing's eyebrows furrowed as he looked at Wen Xiuyue, who was standing up straight with a careful expression. She occasionally glanced up at him cautiously. When Wen Chaoqing met the gaze of his eldest son, he frowned and said, "Xiuyue, if you have something to say, just speak directly. A man's actions should not be like a woman's, so artificial. How can we face the eyes of others in the future?" Wen Xiuyue's expression changed slightly, and she quickly spoke up, "Father, let's take Xueduo with us to visit Yueyi sister. Whenever I meet her, she always asks about Xueduo and says she wants to see Xueduo. Yueyi sister is a good person, she doesn't despise Xueduo, and she always says it was her own fault that harmed Xueduo."

  Wen Chaoqing's eyes flashed with displeasure, and Wen Xiuyu's voice grew softer. Wen Chaoqing gave him a cold glance and said: "What's wrong with Snowflake that you need to find fault with her? Didn't you listen to your mother's words? Your sister can barely take care of herself, let alone Snowflake who is still young. How can she protect herself? Are you, as the older brother, able to keep her safe? You're thinking about others' goodness, but have you thought about your own younger sister's safety? Do you want to push her back into being a thorn in everyone's eyes?" Wen Xiuyu's face changed color, and it seemed that the situation with Wen Yue was not as simple as what people were saying.

  When Wen Chaoqing saw the frightened look in Wen Xiuyuan's eyes, he felt a pang of heartache. However, as a father, he couldn't just ignore the messy things that were happening and not warn his own son, especially since this son had already shown exceptional talent in his studies, which had caught the attention of everyone in the mansion. Wen Chaoqing thought about Jin Shi's desire for her children to be foolish, and at this moment, he also felt that such children might not cause envy, but they would bring worry until old age. He would rather have his own children be intelligent and capable, so that each one could take care of themselves in the future.

  Wen Chaoqing believed that his niece, who was only around ten years old, genuinely cared for Wen Chunyi. However, he didn't believe that Wen Yueyi, who would soon grow up, could remain unchanged and retain her innocence after this incident. No matter how innocent a child was, they would inevitably undergo some changes in their mindset. Wen Chaoqing sighed inwardly and decided to personally break the news to shatter his son's illusions about his family. Wen Xiuyu's face changed as she spoke in a low voice, "Father, I was wrong. Yueyi sister is older than Xueduo, but she still fell into the water for no reason. My younger sister has been confined at home for almost two years, and she's not as clever as before. I'm too young now, and I couldn't protect her completely."

  Wen Chaoqing's eyes showed a relieved expression, Wen Xiuyu was his eldest son, and he quickly reacted to this. He also felt delighted. Wen Chaoqing nodded and said: "Xiuyu, you are the eldest son, with younger siblings below you, they will all need you to take charge of things in the future. When doing things, learn to think three steps ahead. At your young age, there's no need to show off your abilities everywhere, remember to get along with people and leave a thread of human connection for the future. Your parents are not capable people in this mansion, we can't protect you." Wen Chaoqing's expression turned bitter, as a concubine-born couple, they had to humble themselves to survive in this mansion.