Chapter 441: Softening the Heart?
As soon as Shu Suhua finished speaking, Yu Qiang immediately chimed in, his tone laced with impatience.
Seeing Yu Qiang’s bloodshot eyes, Yu Luo understood that his resentment toward Chen Shi and the rest would never fade.
Indeed, when the Guoan Marquis Residence was thriving, Yu Qiang’s third branch never got a taste of the wealth. But when the marquisate was confiscated, they were dragged down with them just the same.
Even now, despite the first branch’s redemption, they hadn’t even bothered to inform the second and third branches—not even out of common courtesy.
No wonder Yu Qiang wanted nothing to do with them anymore.
“Granduncle, grandaunt, don’t be upset. It’s cold, so try not to go out too much. Once we finish handling the paperwork, we’ll bring it to you. If you do decide to return, I won’t let you go alone. I’ll arrange for people to escort you back—after all, the journey is long, and without skilled fighters for protection, I’d be worried.”
“Xiao Luo, your family is too kind. Thank you in advance. We’ll discuss things among ourselves, and if we do decide to leave, we won’t hesitate to trouble you. With so many old and young people in the family, we really can’t afford to take risks.”
Shu Suhua held onto Yu Luo’s hand, her eyes welling up with unshed tears.
Who wouldn’t be emotional? Even Yu Luo herself hadn’t expected Yu Family to be exonerated so soon.
Returning to the city lord’s manor, Yu Xiangxiang had already heard the news.
Seeing her red-rimmed eyes, Yu Luo knew this girl was struggling the most internally.
During their exile, losing some of the detestable people didn’t matter, but Yu Xiangxiang’s suffering was the most unjust.
At a youthful, blossoming age, her once beautiful face had been cruelly scarred by her own grandmother—just to avoid bringing shame upon the Yu Family.
“System, do I still have some points left?”
【Host, are you feeling sentimental?】
Yu Luo smiled bitterly. “I guess so. Since coming to this world, I haven’t been a saint. But Xiangxiang has served my mother loyally all this time, and I’ve seen it. She’s a good girl, kind-hearted too. If I can help her restore her appearance and find a good husband, she can finally leave her suffering behind. If she wants to return with her father and marry into an ordinary family, I’ll let her go.”
The money spent buying Yu Xiangxiang was trivial to Yu Luo.
True kindness wasn’t about arranging someone’s life but about giving them opportunities and letting them choose for themselves.
Yu Luo wanted to give Yu Xiangxiang a fresh start.
If she chose to return, Yu Luo would wish her well. But if she chose to stay, she wouldn’t hesitate to treat her well.
【Fine, since the host rarely wants to do a good deed, I’ll gift you a bottle of scar-removal cream. However, this isn’t an instant remedy. It will take at least six months for the scars to fully fade.】
“As long as it works.”
As soon as Yu Luo finished speaking, a golden bottle appeared in her palm. Without hesitation, she walked over to Yu Xiangxiang and placed it in her hands.
Yu Xiangxiang stared at the golden bottle in shock, unable to believe her eyes.
“Mi—Miss… Is this gold? Why are you giving this to me?”
“Sister Xiangxiang, have you forgotten again? I told you not to call me Miss—just call me Xiao Luo.”
Yu Xiangxiang dumbly nodded, then hurriedly grabbed Yu Luo’s hand to return the bottle.
“I can’t, I can’t take this! Madam and Second Uncle have already treated me too well, giving me food, clothing, and even a monthly wage…”
“This isn’t gold. It’s for applying to the scars on your face. Use it morning and night, and in six months, your scars will completely fade.”
Yu Xiangxiang gasped, touching the uneven scars on her face in disbelief. Her eyes shone with hope.
For months, Ye Jiamei had been using the best medicinal herbs to treat her, but due to the harsh conditions of exile, Yu Xiangxiang’s scars had set in deeply.
To make matters worse, she had a tendency to scar easily. The wounds had left twisted, centipede-like marks on her face.
Despite using top-grade medicine, the scars had barely faded over the months.
Yu Luo didn’t want to wait any longer.
Even though Ye Jiamei could perform skin grafts, she was heavily pregnant. Yu Luo and Yu Haojie didn’t want her to go through the stress of surgery.
“This… This is amazing! It must be very precious! M—Miss—no, Xiao Luo, you and Madam have already done so much for me. I can’t let you spend more on me!”
Yu Xiangxiang was always like this. Yu Luo was used to it.
She didn’t want to argue further and simply shoved the bottle back into Yu Xiangxiang’s hands, her expression turning stern.
“I got this for you. If you don’t take it, I might as well throw it away. Don’t overthink it.”
With that, Yu Luo turned to look at Ye Jiamei before shifting her gaze back to Yu Xiangxiang.
“My mother has probably already told you about Yu Family’s exoneration. My father and I just informed your family as well. What are your plans now?”
Yu Luo didn’t give her much time to think, pressing the question immediately.
Sure enough, as soon as she asked, Yu Xiangxiang’s face twisted in hesitation. The sudden demand for a decision clearly overwhelmed her.
“I—I already belong to you. Naturally, I will follow you wherever you go.”
“Sister Xiangxiang, that’s not what I meant. I bought you back because your mother never truly cared for you. But I know your father loves you, and your brother and sister-in-law cherish you. If you want to return, I will let you go back to them.”
Yu Xiangxiang knew her place in her family.
She loved her father, her brother, her sister-in-law, and her little niece. Over the past few months, she had secretly given part of her salary to Huang Xiaojun, her sister-in-law.
She knew that with her gone, her sister-in-law would suffer even more under her mother’s abuse.
Even though her sister-in-law tried to refuse the money, Yu Xiangxiang insisted on giving it.
Taking a deep breath, Yu Xiangxiang thought about her future. The hesitation in her eyes faded, replaced by resolve.
“Xiao Luo, Madam, I want to stay. I know you truly see me as one of your own. Even though you bought me, you never treated me as a servant. But I really want to stay. If I return home, my mother will just marry me off to some random man. I’d rather stay with you and never marry than let her control my life again.”
(End of Chapter 441)
