Chapter 2: 2. Chapter 2: A Mysterious Origin

Chapter 2: A Mysterious Origin

"You are not my daughter!"

The icy voice, accompanied by the chilling first snow, sounded even more ruthless.

Lang Jiuchuan's heart tightened. She instinctively looked into Lady Cui's eyes. They say mothers and daughters share a soul connection—could she really tell at a glance that I had returned in another's body?

No, that wasn't right.

There was no fear or doubt in Lady Cui's eyes, only determination and obsession, with a hint of disgust, irritation, or even grievance?

As a mother, such a gaze was far too complex.

Lang Jiuchuan was somewhat puzzled, but if it wasn't, then it wasn't. She wasn't her daughter to begin with, so she simply gave a faint, indifferent "oh."

Lady Cui froze slightly.

The nanny felt a splitting headache and said to a maid, "Jianlan, take Miss Jiu to the memorial hall first."

Jianlan immediately stepped forward and bowed slightly to Lang Jiuchuan. "Miss, please follow me."

Lang Jiuchuan turned around without lingering and followed her through the moon gate of the small courtyard. The nanny's voice drifted over on the wind: "Madam, more than ten years have passed, and the young lady is about to reach her coming-of-age ceremony. Why must you do this?"

Lady Cui did not speak. She stared in the direction where Lang Jiuchuan had disappeared, her brow furrowed as she pressed a hand against her chest, trying to suppress a strange sense of discomfort in her heart.

It felt as if she had lost something.

On the path leading to the memorial hall, Lang Jiuchuan still felt a sense of strangeness. Looking at Lady Cui's look of disgust, was she truly incapable of liking her, or had she truly seen something that made her believe she wasn't her daughter?

Yet, she had clearly felt a faint connection between the two.

It was a pity; when she entered this body, not only had the original owner died a miserable death, but even her soul had vanished completely, making it impossible for her to absorb the body's memories.

However, this body was indeed the Ninth Miss of the Lang family, raised at the manor—that much had been confirmed by the Judge.

"Miss, please do not take it to heart. It hasn't been easy for Madam all these years." Seeing Lang Jiuchuan's somber expression and the chilling aura she emitted, Jianlan—after her gaze drifted toward her several times—couldn't help but speak up awkwardly. "You have only just returned home. Once you've settled in, it will be fine."

Lang Jiuchuan looked at her. The maid appeared to be about eighteen or nineteen, with a steady and calm demeanor; she was likely a highly capable head maid serving Lady Cui.

Prompted by a sudden thought, Lang Jiuchuan asked, "Why did she say that?"

Jianlan felt a wave of embarrassment. She had been in the Sunset Courtyard for ten years, rising from a lowly maid to a first-class head maid in charge of Lady Cui's clothing and jewelry. From her very first day in this courtyard learning the rules, the nanny and her senior sisters had repeatedly warned her: never mention the Ninth Miss, especially in front of Madam.

She had always found it strange. Wasn't the Ninth Miss the only young lady of the second branch and the only flesh and blood of the Second Master? Not only was she forbidden from mentioning her, but she hadn't even met the young mistress. It was only after serving for a long time that she gradually learned the truth: Madam loathed this daughter because the Second Master had died on the battlefield when she was born, leading people to view her as an ill omen.

However, Jianlan had heard from her cousin, who had once been Madam's head maid, that it wasn't quite like that. It was because Madam had become obsessed with the Second Master's death, insisting that the young lady was not her biological child. There were even times when she had nearly smothered the girl. It was precisely because of this hatred that the Old Madam had taken charge and sent the girl to be raised at the manor, to prevent conflict between mother and daughter and to avoid the human tragedy of a mother killing her child.

She hadn't expected that even after more than ten years, Madam still held this belief. Even though the Ninth Miss's features bore a resemblance to hers, how could she not be her daughter?

Madam had been a widow for too long and simply refused to emerge from her obsession.

Jianlan forced a smile and gave a dry reply, "You have been away from the manor for many years and are simply unfamiliar with things. Besides, Madam has had trouble sleeping lately and must keep vigil in the memorial hall; she is exhausted."

Lang Jiuchuan was indifferent to this ambiguous answer.

If Jianlan refused to speak, it didn't matter. Whatever the truth was, she would eventually find out; she was merely a little curious.

Could a mother truly be so heartless as to send her daughter away from childhood simply because of loathing?