Chapter 434: She Was the Marquis Manor’s True Favored Daughter
Everyone, including Chang Huilan, subconsciously let out a sigh of relief. No one noticed the intense hatred in Yu Yingying’s eyes as she remained curled up in the corner.
No, her gaze wasn’t just filled with hatred—there was also deep jealousy.
It had been nearly half a year since she had last seen Yu Luo. The last time was when their grandmother faked her death and framed Yu Luo’s family, leading to them digging up her grave.
At that time, Yu Luo had dressed decently, but nothing remarkable. But today—today, Yu Luo stood before her draped in a fiery red fox fur cloak, golden hairpins adorned with pearls and jade, her features even more exquisite than before, exuding a regal aura. Her posture was proud and untouchable, her curves accentuated by a luxurious dress. Every single detail of her appearance was a source of jealousy for Yu Yingying.
Once, aside from her elder sister, she had been the favored daughter of the Marquis Manor, the most noble young lady.
But now, she was nothing.
Both of them were prisoners of exile, yet while Yu Luo resided in a grand city, she was confined to a freezing cave, wrapped in old, thin blankets, sleeping on a bed of dry grass. Even though her father had just brought back a new cotton robe from the capital, it was plain and ugly—how could it compare to Yu Luo’s fox fur cloak? To her exquisite gowns?
No!
Yu Luo’s arrogant, untouchable demeanor, her poised and graceful stance in the cave—everything about her was enough to make Yu Yingying choke with jealousy.
She was crippled. No matter how fine the clothes she wore, no matter how expensive the jewelry, she was still a cripple.
“How could this be? Did they really come all the way here just to ask about that wretched woman?!”
After a long silence, Chen finally muttered, realizing only now that the clothes she wore were soaked in cold sweat.
Her eyes were vacant, her face a mixture of surprise, relief, and lingering fear.
Hearing her muttering, Chang Huilan cast her a cool glance before turning and leaving.
There were now many caves in the Stone Mountain area. To avoid being ordered around by Chen, she had moved into a separate cave as soon as Chen returned.
Now, she avoided coming into this cave unless absolutely necessary—just seeing Chen made her blood boil.
But out of respect for her husband, and due to the circumstances, she had never openly displayed her resentment toward Chen.
“What else could Grandmother expect?”
Yu Xiaoxuan gazed at Chen, feeling inexplicably stifled.
Perhaps it was resentment toward how Chen had treated Yu Luo’s family back in the Marquis Manor—because of that, they were now suffering in a cave while Yu Luo lived in the city lord’s mansion.
The contrast was too great. And people often sought to absolve themselves of responsibility by shifting blame onto others.
That was exactly what Yu Xiaoxuan was doing now.
In his mind, it was all Chen’s fault that things had spiraled beyond repair.
Chen looked up blankly, meeting her grandson’s questioning gaze, suddenly feeling an odd sense of guilt.
“I-I… what else can I do? No, no! You little brat, what kind of attitude is that?! Have you all stopped respecting me? Yu Xiaoxuan, do you even acknowledge me as your grandmother anymore?!”
“Grandmother, if only you had always been like this.”
Yu Xiaoxuan’s expression remained unchanged as he stared at her for a long moment before finally uttering those words and turning to leave.
Cough, cough, cough!
Chen was so furious that her coughing, which had just subsided, flared up again, wracking her body and leaving her gasping for breath.
Yu Meiyao hesitated, unwilling to get too close for fear of catching whatever illness her grandmother had.
“Father, it looks like we’ll have to make a trip to the Northern Kingdom.”
“I was already considering it. But you’re not the one going—we’ll send someone to investigate first. In this era, finding someone is like searching for a needle in a haystack. All we have is a name—it won’t be easy.”
Father and daughter strolled through the snow on their way back to Luo City, snowflakes settling lightly on their hair.
Yu Luo knew she couldn’t leave for now. The situation with Feng City was still too uncertain—what if they retaliated?
If they recruited the Beast Tribe again to send another wave of wild beasts against Luo City, the city could end up just like Feng City without her presence.
Yu Haojie sighed and nodded.
“Let’s do what we can and leave the rest to fate. If we find her, we find her. If we don’t, we don’t. After all, my mother—if she is alive—is quite ruthless. To abandon you and never look back for so many years… But according to Chen, I still don’t understand—how could a woman like my mother willingly become someone’s concubine? Could there be more to this story?”
“This happened so many years ago—only Yu Hui and Shen Chuxue would know the truth. But no matter what, let’s consider it fulfilling the original host’s wish. From his memories, he often longed for his mother.”
“Yu Luo! Where have you two been? You’re covered in snow.”
As they walked through the bustling city streets, Ye Lü’s voice rang out.
Father and daughter looked up and saw that Ye Lü was accompanied by A Zan—as well as the Sixth Prince of Xi Mo, Linghu Zhi.
Linghu Zhi was around the same age as Ye Lü. Though not as strikingly handsome, he had an air of refined nobility.
Dressed in a black robe embroidered with golden patterns, he and Ye Lü walking side by side created an impressive sight.
“Lord Ye, Lord Linghu.”
Upon arriving in Luo City, everyone had agreed to forgo formal titles—something Linghu Zhi had specifically requested.
“City Lord Yu, Miss Yu.”
After exchanging pleasantries, Ye Lü wasted no time in getting to the point.
“These past days, I’ve been enjoying your hospitality. I came by earlier to bid farewell, but neither of you were home.”
Father and daughter exchanged a surprised glance.
Based on Ye Lü’s previous remarks, it seemed the Sixth Prince of Xi Mo had planned to establish a business here.
Ye Lü had wined and dined him for over ten days—who would have thought he still wouldn’t stay?
But they understood.
Luo City was in its off-season. Few travelers were coming in, and business on the streets had declined.
Moreover, after the disaster at Feng City, there were too many uncertainties. It made sense for Linghu Zhi to hesitate.
“If Lord Linghu is leaving so soon, we must at least hold a banquet in your honor.”
Yu Haojie chuckled, not bothering to persuade him further.
“You are too kind, City Lord Yu. I am already grateful for your hospitality. Luo City is truly deserving of its reputation as a food capital. From the very first day, Lord Ye led me on a culinary tour—every meal was different! If not for pressing matters, I would have loved to stay longer.”
(End of Chapter 434)
