The ancient war between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law in a wealthy family

The post-party bustle gradually faded, and Zhan Yu and I hurried to the Zhan family's old house. This old house was used to handle matters related to the family inheritance, and it was where we would stay tonight. The car drove into a deep alley, with high walls on both sides, isolating the outside world from the outside world, leaving only an uneasy silence.

The door to the old house was a heavy black wooden door, with mottled marks on it that seemed to tell the vicissitudes of time. Zhan Yu held my hand tightly, gave me a comforting look, and pushed open the heavy door.

A damp, chilly air hit me, and I shuddered. The courtyard was overgrown with weeds, and the intertwined branches of several ancient trees blocked out the sun, adding to the eerie atmosphere. I held onto Zhan Yu's arm tightly, looking around anxiously.

"Master, Madam, I have been waiting for you for a long time." The speaker was the old butler of the Zhan family. He stood at the door with his head bowed, his face full of smiles, but it could not hide the shrewdness in his confused eyes.

The old butler, holding a lantern, led us into the old house. It was even darker than I'd imagined, and the air was filled with a musty smell that made it difficult to breathe. As we walked, the old butler introduced us to the various rooms, his tone calm, yet each sentence was tinged with eccentricity.

"This is the master's study, where important family documents from past generations are kept." The old butler pointed to a room at the end of the corridor and said, "Madam, would you like to go in and take a look?"

I was about to nod, but Zhan Yu said first, "It's getting late. Let's take a rest first. It won't be too late to take a look tomorrow."

The old housekeeper looked at Zhan Yu deeply, without saying a word, and silently led us to a guest room. The room was fairly neatly decorated, but the windows were always closed, and the air was filled with a lingering dull atmosphere.

"This room has the best lighting. You two should go to bed early." The old housekeeper put down the lantern and turned to leave, but suddenly seemed to remember something. He turned back and said in a low voice, "There are some rules in this old house. You two must remember not to walk around at night..."

He left with these words, then turned and left, leaving Zhan Yu and I standing there, staring at each other in bewilderment. The old housekeeper's back disappeared into the darkness, and I suddenly felt a chill on my back, and I couldn't help but shudder. There was something strange about this old house, and it made me feel increasingly uneasy.

"Don't be afraid, I'm here." Zhan Yu held my hand and comforted me softly. His hand was warm and strong, as if it could dispel the fear in my heart.

We simply packed our bags and went downstairs to the restaurant for dinner. There were already a few people sitting in the restaurant, and when they saw us come in, they all stood up, their faces full of hypocritical smiles.

"This is my third uncle, and this is my fourth aunt..." Zhan Yu introduced them to me in a low voice. I greeted them one by one, and they responded enthusiastically, but I could feel that there was a bit of hypocrisy and calculation in their smiles.

"My niece-in-law is so beautiful! No wonder Zhan Yu loves her so much." A middle-aged woman dressed elegantly and gracefully looked at me with a smile, a hint of subtle sarcasm in her tone, "When will we have a big fat boy in our Zhan family?"

My face immediately turned red with embarrassment. Before I could say anything, Zhan Yu stood in front of me and said lightly, "Fourth Aunt, we have something else to do. Please excuse me first."

After saying that, he pulled me out of the restaurant, leaving those people looking at each other in bewilderment.

"Ignore them, they're just here to watch the fun." Zhan Yu whispered, "There's no need to bother with them."

I nodded without saying anything. I knew that the battle for the inheritance had just begun.

After dinner, the old butler led us to the room where the documents related to the family estate were stored. The room was filled with boxes of documents and a musty smell filled the air. The old butler lit a few oil lamps, which brightened the room, but also made it seem even more eerie.

Zhan Yu was flipping through the documents while I sorted them. Suddenly, I noticed something odd about the order of the files in one of the boxes, as if someone had tampered with them. I calmly put the file back where it belonged, but a storm of emotions welled up inside me.

"What's wrong?" Zhan Yu noticed that something was wrong with me and asked in a low voice.

I shook my head and said, "Nothing, I just feel too stuffy in here and want to go out for some fresh air."

Zhan Yu didn't doubt it, put down the documents in his hand, and said, "I'll go for a walk with you."

I was about to refuse when my third uncle suddenly walked in and said with a smile on his face, "Zhan Yu, I have something I want to discuss with you. Come with me."

Zhan Yu hesitated for a moment, glanced at me, and said, "Then go out and get some fresh air first. I'll come find you later."

I nodded and turned to leave the room. As soon as I left, I heard a door close behind me. The dull sound echoed in the silent corridor, sounding particularly harsh. My heart tightened, and a sense of foreboding came over me.

I was walking aimlessly in the corridor when suddenly a strange whisper came from a room at the end of the corridor. I slowed down my pace, tiptoed closer, held my breath, and put my ear to the door, trying to hear what they were saying...

“…We must not let them find that document…”

"...By then, the Zhan family's property..."

Intermittent voices emerged from the crack of the door. Although muffled, they still made me shudder. What was "that document" they were talking about? Why couldn't Zhan Yu find it?

I suppressed my doubts and gently grasped the doorknob, trying to open it a crack to see who was inside. However, the door remained motionless, as if it was locked from the inside.

Unwilling to give up, I groped along the wall, hoping to find another entrance. Suddenly, my hand touched something cold and hard, like a metal handle. Curiosity drove me, and I gently turned it downwards.

There was a slight "click" sound, and before I could react, I felt my feet go empty and I fell uncontrollably.

"Ah!" I screamed and instinctively reached out to grab something, but I only grabbed a handful of cold air.

Just when I thought I was going to fall and get hurt, a strong arm grabbed my waist in time and pulled me out of the trap.

"Be careful!" Zhan Yu's anxious voice rang in my ears, with a hint of fear and blame, "Why are you so careless?"

I looked up in shock and saw Zhan Yu's face close to me, his worry evident in his expression. My heart suddenly calmed down, and all my fear and anxiety disappeared.

"I'm fine..." I shook my head, my voice still trembling. "I just heard some noise here and wanted to come and take a look..."

"It's very dangerous here. Don't come here alone in the future." Zhan Yu interrupted me and said seriously, "If you need anything, wait for me."

He helped me steady myself, then examined the trap carefully, his brow furrowed.

"It seems like down here..." He paused, as if considering something, "Let's get out of here first."

As he said that, he pulled me and quickly left the corridor.

I glanced back at the closed door, and a strange chill spread through my heart. How many secrets were hidden in this old house? And what were those eager relatives secretly plotting?

"What's wrong?" Zhan Yu noticed that something was wrong with me, stopped and asked with concern.

I shook my head, suppressed the uneasiness in my heart, and forced a smile: "Nothing, let's go back."

Zhan Yu didn't ask any more questions, but just held my hand and returned to the room in silence.

That night, I lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. Zhan Yu was already asleep, his breathing even and long, but I couldn't calm down.

The strange whispers in the corridor, the hidden mechanism in the room, and Zhan Yu's meaningful words, all linger in my mind...

I gently lifted the covers and walked to the window, gazing out at the inky black sky. Unease filled my heart. I knew that in this new environment, danger lurked everywhere, and tomorrow… That night, I lay in bed, unable to fall asleep. Zhan Yu was already asleep, his breathing steady and long, but I felt a turmoil in my heart.

The eerie whispers in the corridor, the hidden traps in the rooms, and Zhan Yu's profound words all linger in my mind. This old house is like a sleeping beast, and we, like prey that strayed into it, could be devoured at any moment.

I know that in this new environment, danger is everywhere, and what kind of challenges will be waiting for us tomorrow?

I turned over, looked at the moonlight coming in through the window, and prayed silently in my heart, hoping that everything would go well.

The next morning, I woke up early, only to find that Zhan Yu was no longer in the room. I walked to the window and looked at the servants busy in the garden, and suddenly a sense of uneasiness surged in my heart.

"Madam, you're awake." The old housekeeper appeared behind me at some point and asked respectfully, "Breakfast is ready. Would you like some now?"

"Where is Zhan Yu?" I turned around and looked at the old butler and asked.

"The young master is in the study, talking to his lawyer," the old butler replied. "He said you should come straight over when you wake up."

A lawyer? I thought, could it be something related to the family inheritance?

I hurriedly finished breakfast and went to the study. Zhan Yu was sitting at his desk, flipping through a document, his brow furrowed. Opposite him sat a middle-aged man in a suit and tie. He looked smart and capable, probably the lawyer the old housekeeper had mentioned.

"I'm coming." Zhan Yu heard my footsteps, raised his head, smiled at me, and motioned me to sit next to him.

I walked over to him and sat down, taking a curious look at the document in his hand. I saw the words "Zhan Family Trust Fund Management Regulations" written in large letters on it.

"This is Lawyer Wang, the family's legal advisor." Zhan Yu introduced me, "Lawyer Wang, this is my wife, Miss Bai."

"Hello, Miss Bai." Lawyer Wang stood up and greeted me politely.

"Hello, Lawyer Wang." I nodded and responded.

"Lawyer Wang came here today to discuss the family inheritance with us," Zhan Yu said straight to the point. "As you know, the family situation is quite complicated right now..."

Lawyer Wang nodded and continued, "According to the master's will, the Zhan family's assets will be established as a trust fund, jointly managed by family members. And you, as the master's only son, will have the greatest management rights and the right to profit..."

I listened intently, but my heart grew increasingly uneasy. Lawyer Wang's words sounded reasonable, but I couldn't help but feel something was off.

"Wait," I interrupted Lawyer Wang, "You mean other people in the family can also get a share of the inheritance?"

Lawyer Wang pushed his glasses up and replied, "Yes, Miss Bai. According to the master's will..."

"I don't understand," I frowned, "since Zhanyu is the only son, why..."

"Because..." Lawyer Wang was interrupted by Zhan Yu before he could finish his words.

"Because," Zhan Yu held my hand and said calmly, "Father has some illegitimate children..."

My heart sank suddenly and a chill spread from the bottom of my heart.