An eight-year-old kid emptied his scumbag father's warehouse and followed his grandparents into

"However, you may not know that your only son, so-called, is probably no longer alive." Jing Chunxi's voice was as cold as ice in the coldest days of winter, capable of piercing through the walls of this hellish prison. "Your Chu Xuan lineage is completely extinct, without descendants! Haha!"

She laughed again, her laughter filled with the pleasure of revenge and icy hatred.

The narrow window on the high wall, the only light that could penetrate, cast a faint ray of light that happened to fall on Chu Xuan's face. At this moment, the last bit of vitality in his face seemed to be drained away bit by bit, leaving only the ashes of despair.

He widened his eyes in fear and stared at Jing Chunxi, his face distorted like a dead man who had just crawled out of a grave.

"You...what did you do to him?" He finally used up all his strength and squeezed out this question from between his teeth, his voice as hoarse as a broken gong.

"Me?" Jing Chunxi scoffed, gracefully brushing off the nonexistent dust from his sleeves. "Didn't you give up on him first? I'm not so vicious as to personally attack a child only a few months older than me. Wouldn't that dirty my hands? Even though he was once just as vicious to us as you."

She took two steps forward, approaching the fence, and whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear, "I simply... let someone 'accidentally' know his true identity, and found out what a heinous criminal his biological father was."

She understood from the beginning that as long as Fu Ge'er's identity as a fugitive was exposed, and his father was a wanted criminal of the imperial court who later became a bandit, then even if the government did not issue a warrant for his arrest, he would no longer have a place to stand in this world. He would have to hide like a rat in the gutter, and even the lowest beggars and gangsters could bully him at will.

"You...you...you have such a vicious heart!" Chu Xuan pointed his finger at her with trembling hands. Due to extreme anger and despair, his blood rushed to his heart and he suddenly spit out a large mouthful of dirty blood.

"Poison?" Jing Chunxi stood up straight, looking down at him condescendingly, a cold smile on his lips, "Don't push the blame onto me. All of this, from beginning to end, is your own fault, Chu Xuan! This is karma!"

"You schemed so hard to deceive the General's Mansion, using sweet words to trick my mother into marrying you. Perhaps you could say you were unscrupulous in pursuit of a better future. But you absolutely shouldn't have been content to enjoy the generous dowry my mother brought you, while at the same time committing the evil act of harming the three of us, mother and son! You treated us like worthless grass, like enemies!"

Seeing Jing Chunxi's resolute attitude and no room for maneuver, Chu Xuan was completely desperate.

He no longer begged or argued, but just leaned dejectedly against the fence without saying a word. He was trying hard not to collapse completely, as if he was still trying to maintain his last pitiful self-esteem that had long since disappeared.

"Oh, right, I forgot to tell you." Jing Chunxi seemed to suddenly remember something, and his tone became lighter, but every word was like a knife, piercing Chu Xuan's heart. "Pu'er, you are now the legitimate Earl of Rong En. He is diligent and studious, and has already become a student. Now he is personally taught by the headmaster of Wenhua Academy and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. Even if he doesn't have the title of nobility, his future is bound to be limitless."

She paused, admiring the twitching of Chu Xuan's facial muscles, and continued slowly, "There's one more important thing I forgot to mention. My mother is now the legitimate mistress of Prince Jing's mansion and is deeply respected. And my current father is Lord Xu Dingchun, a second-rank deputy governor of the imperial court. He treats my mother like a treasure and even promised that he would be with her forever and never take another woman."

"My mother gave birth to two younger brothers and a younger sister in one pregnancy. They are now five months old, healthy, lovely, and intelligent. The Emperor himself bestowed upon my mother the title of 'Heroic Mother', bestowing upon her a royal decree and bringing her the highest honor. Did you hear all this?"

Chu Xuan completely collapsed, like a rotten straw that had been drained of moisture, lying on the ground, only breathing out but not breathing in.

Jing Chunxi's calls of "my dad" were clear and loud, but to his ears, they were harsher than the most vicious curse and full of endless irony.

"Tomorrow is the day of execution at the Meridian Gate." Jing Chunxi took one last look at the man who had given her life but also brought her endless pain, her tone returning to a cold calm. "I'll tell the jailer later to skip your farewell meal tomorrow. For someone like you, it would be a waste of food."

After she finished speaking, she turned decisively and walked out of the cell, leaving behind one last, cold sentence that echoed in the gloomy dungeon: "Don't expect anyone to come and collect your body. There are many wild dogs and wolves in the mass grave outside the city. They will chew you clean, leaving not even a single bone intact."

It was not until she walked out of the dark corridor and saw the reassuring light at the prison door, and saw the familiar figure standing there, waiting for her patiently and worriedly, that Jing Chunxi let out a long and complete breath of air that had been pent up for two lifetimes.

All her hatred and resentment finally found vent at this moment. Having achieved her revenge, she felt everything around her, including the air, become fresh and beautiful.

Outside, the sun was shining brightly, its warmth covering the earth and dispelling the last bit of haze in her heart.

When I got home, I went to Qingqiu Courtyard where my mother lived. The yard was quiet, with only a few birds singing.

Entering the inner room, I saw my mother busy with her younger brothers and sisters. She would lean over to check if Zhao Zhao was swaddled properly, then turn back to comfort Heng Ge'er, who was about to wake up. She shuttled back and forth in the room, but she didn't seem to be in a panic.

What surprised me was that despite the complexity of the affairs, my mother's face was always calm and peaceful, with a gentle smile on the corner of her mouth. That smile came from the bottom of her heart, making her brows and eyes relax.

Perhaps it was because she had taken good care of herself these days and was in a good mood, she looked even younger and slimmer than a few years ago, and the fine lines at the corners of her eyes were filled with a satisfied glow.

Jing Chunxi looked at his mother like this and couldn't help but sigh: This is what it means for a woman to marry the right man. She doesn't need luxurious clothes or overwhelming power; all she needs is a soulmate who understands and cherishes her. Mutual respect and care is the best way to maintain youth and vitality.

Mother was now so busy in the inner chambers, and less socially engaged than before, which was actually a good thing. She believed that her stepfather would definitely protect her mother well, shielding her from the ups and downs of the outside world and preventing her from being troubled by gossip.

After all, the real culprit in this incident was her mother's ex-husband. What did she have to do with it? Thinking of this, she felt even more grateful to her stepfather.