Chapter 34: A Mysterious Past Unveiled

After stepping down from the carriage, Rong Zhao turned to Sheng Mingyue and extended his hand toward her.

Mingyue looked surprised, confused by his gesture.

Rong Zhao raised an eyebrow, signaling her to take his hand. "The benefactor is injured and finds it difficult to move."

Under Yun Lai’s probing gaze, Mingyue forced a dry laugh and murmured, "Your Highness, I can manage on my own..."

"Cough, cough, cough..."

Seeing his master coughing again, Mingyue shivered and quickly placed her hand in his palm, whispering, "Your Highness, let’s hurry."

Rong Zhao felt pleased and, holding her hand, helped her down from the carriage, speaking gently, "If Jia An troubles you again, be sure to tell me."

Mingyue nodded slightly, cheeks flushed. Suddenly sensing something, she stopped in her tracks and glanced toward the street behind them.

Seeing her look, a woman standing at the street corner panicked and quickly crouched behind a nearby stall.

"Who are you? Shoo, don’t block my business!" the stall owner shouted, waving a handkerchief to scare her away.

The woman looked embarrassed, her smile more painful than tears, and reluctantly stood up, murmuring apologies.

Witnessing this, Mingyue frowned and whispered, "Aunt Lan..."

Following her gaze, Rong Zhao saw a woman of average build repeatedly apologizing to passersby. "Do you know her?" he asked.

Mingyue nodded softly. "She’s Wang Jinlan, the one I mentioned to Your Highness."

Upon hearing this, Rong Zhao narrowed his eyes and looked back at Wang Jinlan, speaking gravely, "It seems she came looking for you."

Mingyue pressed her lips together, hesitating before asking, "Your Highness, may I speak with her?"

Rong Zhao naturally agreed and nodded. "Go ahead. I’ll wait for you at the gate."

Mingyue wanted to refuse but remembered how every refusal caused her master to cough uncontrollably. She swallowed her words.

---

"Aunt Lan."

Wang Jinlan froze, stiffening and avoiding eye contact.

Mingyue sighed softly and whispered, "Aunt Lan, I recognized you."

Unable to evade, Wang Jinlan turned stiffly and smiled, forcing a light tone. "Mingyue, what a coincidence to run into you here."

Mingyue smiled slightly, suppressing amusement. "There are no coincidences. Aunt Lan, you came looking for me, didn’t you?"

Wang Jinlan awkwardly rubbed her hands, her patched and dirt-stained clothes making her look uneasy. "I’m leaving soon and worried about you. I just wanted to watch from afar, not disturb you, but you found me..."

"Leaving?" Mingyue asked absentmindedly. "Returning to your hometown?"

Wang Jinlan nodded and pulled a cloth bundle from her bosom, pressing it into Mingyue’s hand. She whispered, "Mingyue, your life has been hard. I can’t do much, but this hairpin was my mother’s dowry, passed to me, and now I give it to you."

Mingyue was taken aback and quickly declined. "Aunt Lan, this is too precious. I can’t accept it."

"Take it. It’s just a silver hairpin, but it carries my feelings," Wang Jinlan looked at her with unmistakable affection. "When I’m gone, you and your father must take care of yourselves."

Mingyue stared at her, the hairpin in her hand burning like a hot coal. After a long moment, she asked, "Aunt Lan, why are you so kind to me?"

Wang Jinlan was stunned, then chuckled softly. "You child, I have no sons or daughters—if I care for someone, I do it wholeheartedly. You never had a mother’s love growing up; I felt sorry for you and always wanted to be better to you."

"Your father stubbornly refuses my money, and Liu Cuixi will be released from prison soon. If you have time, visit your father so he won’t be alone..."

Mingyue lowered her eyes, gazing at the hairpin in her palm, whispering, "I wish I were your child, Aunt Lan..."

"What?" Wang Jinlan blinked, not catching her muttering.

Mingyue pondered briefly, then tugged at Wang Jinlan’s sleeve and asked softly, "Aunt Lan, if I were your daughter, would you treat me like Liu Cuixi does?"

Wang Jinlan shook her head instinctively. "If you were my daughter, I’d be so happy I’d laugh in my sleep. How could I ever be cruel to you?"

"Your father always wanted a daughter when he was young. On his days off, he’d teach village girls to read at the village entrance. I was always by his side then..."

Wang Jinlan’s lips twitched into a bitter smile as she murmured, "But sadly..."

---

Mingyue lowered her gaze, clutching the hairpin tightly. "Aunt Lan, do you still have feelings for my father?"

Wang Jinlan froze, then blushed deeply and stammered, "Child, why say such things? You haven’t married yet; it’s shameful to speak so!"

Mingyue grasped her hand firmly, forcing her to meet her eyes with sincerity. "Aunt Lan, please don’t leave the capital. To be honest… I’ve always doubted my own origins. I can’t believe that Liu Cuixi, who beats me daily and curses me to die, is my real mother."

Wang Jinlan’s eyes widened in disbelief, mouth slightly open, speechless for a long time.

Mingyue watched her silently, expression grave. "Aunt Lan, I heard from villagers that you and Liu Cuixi gave birth on the same day. Afterward… didn’t you have any suspicions?"

Wang Jinlan’s expression grew distant, memories drifting away.

That year, she was pregnant out of wedlock and refused to name the father. The village rumors made her lose her appetite, growing thinner by the day. On the day of birth, she was too weak to endure and bit her tongue to deliver the child.

She heard the baby cry once, then fainted. When she awoke, her parents told her the baby was stillborn—a boy.

But she clearly heard the baby’s cry!

Heartbroken, she nearly followed the child to death but then heard the Sheng family had joyous news: Liu Cuixi had given birth to a girl.

She had planned to see Sheng Qiming one last time before drowning herself. After her confinement, she brought eggs to the Sheng family, only to see the month-old baby girl smile and struggle to be held by her.

Wang Jinlan’s heart softened completely, inexplicably gaining strength to face life again.

Looking at the girl’s face, strikingly similar to Sheng Qiming’s, she forced a dry smile and muttered, "Child, don’t tease me..."

---

"Aunt Lan, please don’t rush to leave." Mingyue gripped her hand tightly, eyes full of pleading. "I’ve asked Your Highness to help investigate my origins. If I am really your daughter... if not, I’ll still call you godmother!"

Wang Jinlan looked up, her gaze drifting toward the mansion’s gate where a refined young nobleman stood.

Seeing her look, Rong Zhao smiled faintly and nodded politely.

A wild thought flashed through Wang Jinlan’s mind, her heart pounding uncontrollably. She swayed slightly, clutching Mingyue’s hand and whispering, "Child... is what you say true? Will the prince really help us?"