Chapter 180: Chapter 180: The Black Hand

If it were any other day seeing someone, Lin Youning would definitely stride out to greet them, but after hearing her aunt’s words today, Lin Youning hesitated and didn’t even know how to face the other person.

Thinking back over these days, ever since the rumors spread outside saying she wasn’t the Lin family’s daughter, her older brother seemed to have been keeping his distance from her courtyard.

She once thought her older brother also knew about her poor background, which was why he distanced himself from her.

Now after listening to her aunt’s words, she realized she had misunderstood her older brother. Her aunt had already discussed the matter with her older brother, and he must have felt that he didn’t know how to face her, much like her current self, so he avoided her.

Hailan saw the young lady starting to stand up to greet the Marquis but then sitting back in her chair. She opened her mouth to speak, but unlike Shanmoi, she didn’t ask anything.

“Miss, yesterday the Marquis had someone send pastries from Suzi House to you. The mansion hosted guests today, so I haven’t had the chance to inform you,” Hailan explained, thinking the lady was angry because the Marquis had been neglecting her lately.

Lin Youning knew she misunderstood, but she didn’t explain, “Bring it to the house in the evening.”

Hailan agreed with a smile, but she noticed the young lady seemed more low-spirited than usual and didn’t know what else to say. The Marquis had gone straight to the main room, and no more sounds came from within.

After all, they were in the side room and couldn’t hear the conversation in the main room. Shortly afterward, the Marquis came out, followed by Madam leading Lady Lin, with Lin Qining, who had red eyes, beside Lady Lin, and lastly, Sister Yue, looking quite dispirited.

Mrs. Dong, upon seeing the servants kneeling in the courtyard, said nothing and escorted Lady Lin and her daughter away. Tingxue Hall finally quieted down.

Knowing that her mistress disliked having her things touched by others, Hailan first sent the young maidservants to tidy up the house, replacing anything that could be replaced. Lin Youning also came out of the side room, her cold gaze sweeping over the servants in the yard.

“I’ve always been easygoing and never said much to you, nor did I intervene, thinking you, being born in the Marquis Mansion, would know the rules. But today’s incident revealed your ambitions for climbing high branches, so I can’t keep you here. Go and take up new assignments from Madam,” Lin Youning ignored their pleas for mercy, striding into the house.

The servants in the mansion were all assigned by Mrs. Dong. Would they dare behave so boldly without subtle hints from above?

Otherwise, why didn’t this happen before?

Reflecting on how Mrs. Dong was always aiming at her, Lin Youning finally understood the reason.

Perhaps she harbored thoughts similar to those Mrs. Kong had in the past?

After all, what woman would willingly share her man with another woman?

Upon entering the house, Lin Youning saw Gu Chaoxuan kneeling in the flower hall and was slightly taken aback, wondering why he hadn’t left.

Gu Chaoxuan heard footsteps too, and upon looking up, his previously lost eyes gradually filled with light, staring fiercely at the person entering.

Today, Gu Chaoxuan wore a white cotton robe, with a pouch and a jade pendant hanging from the jade belt at his waist. The young man, originally handsome, appeared as a graceful and handsome gentleman dressed like this.

However, the expression on his face was excessively stern, even with a hint of hatred, ruining his entire image.

If Lin Youning hadn’t been reborn, she would have been frightened by his gaze. But now she wasn’t afraid and even directly met his gaze.

“Brother Xuan, why are you looking at me like that? Do you think today’s incident is my fault?” Lin Youning spoke coldly.

This indifference was remarkably similar to her father’s.

This was Gu Chaoxuan’s first thought, looking at the bright and charming face before him, thinking he was so close to succeeding, even calculated it all. The little maid in the courtyard had said Lin Youning was in the room, so how did it end up being replaced by Lin Qining when he entered?

Gu Chaoxuan realized he was schemed against.

He wanted to scheme against Lin Youning, ruin her reputation. Now that she was no longer regarded as the Lin family’s daughter, ruining her reputation meant she could only marry him in the end.

Everything went so smoothly, yet it changed at the last moment. Or rather, he was the one who was schemed against.

Gu Chaoxuan sneered twice, “It’s my inability to match others’ scheming. I admit it. But no matter what, I’m still the illegitimate son of the Marquis Mansion, while Aunt isn’t even a young lady of the Lin family.”

Hailan stepped forward angrily to reprimand, “Young Master, you recklessly broke in and caused such a big issue, yet you blame it on our Miss. Our Miss, whether or not a Lin family young lady, was also raised by the old Madam. How dare you treat our Miss with such contempt?”

“We don’t even know where you came from.” Gu Chaoxuan only stared at Lin Youning and said.

Hailan wanted to retort, but Lin Youning stopped her, smiling faintly, “Brother Xuan, you mentioned you’re the illegitimate son of the Marquis Mansion, with dignity as the offspring of the Marquis Mansion. Don’t lose your identity. If you can’t match others’ scheming, learn to behave and stop thinking of scheming others all day.”

Hearing Gu Chaoxuan say ’unable to match others’ scheming’, Lin Youning suddenly realized what was going on.

Gu Chaoxuan didn’t barge in unintentionally but deliberately, and the target wasn’t Lin Qining, but her, Lin Youning.

Due to what I said at my aunt’s place last time, Gu Chaoxuan lost favor, so how could he not hate her in his heart?

Knowing she held the identity of the Lin family’s daughter, did he intend to scheme her?

Indeed, he couldn’t rise to the occasion, with thoughts only so dirty and vile, thinking he could scheme randomly just because she wasn’t the Lin family’s lady?

Lin Youning looked mockingly at Gu Chaoxuan, someone she never took seriously in her past life. She despised his illegitimate son background, thus never gave him a good face. After being schemed against, she even felt guilty at one point, thinking she implicated him.

However, Gu Chaoxuan’s life wasn’t difficult afterward, even becoming the only male heir of the Marquis Mansion, living comfortably.

In this life, Lin Youning saw through his intentions, not leaving behind any holdouts to be schemed against with him, hence provoking his grudge, bringing out his inherently lowly nature.

If truly of legitimate bloodline, how could one’s mind be so improper?

All of this thought occurred in an instant. Lin Youning took a deep breath, her gaze towards Gu Chaoxuan becoming colder, “Even if I wasn’t from the Lin family, a nobody from a nameless family, I wouldn’t harbor sinister intentions to harm others or ruin a girl’s reputation. What good is your status as an illegitimate son of the Marquis Mansion when your actions are disgraceful? How are you better than me?”

“Well said.” A voice of approval, as Gu Yifeng, who had previously departed, returned.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep