After my luck was stolen, I led my whole family to defy fate and change our destiny.

Su Xiuran glared at Gu Yu'an, but she knew it was indeed time.

With Gu Yu'an's help, she returned home, looking back repeatedly. She didn't know how long it would be before they met again after this meeting.

……

The cold moon gradually faded, and a touch of brightness appeared on the horizon.

Chunhe was helping Su Xiuran wash up and get dressed.

Gu Linglong was also dressed up by the maids.

"Madam, you went to see the master yesterday, so you can rest assured now. You look quite haggard lately."

Su Xiuran smiled faintly: "You haven't seen the master; he's the one who's truly haggard."

Chunhe seemed to remember something, and her combing slowed down, her eyes filled with conflict.

Su Xiuran noticed her unusual behavior: "What's wrong?"

"Madam, there's something about Master that I'm unsure whether I should tell you."

【Huh? My dad's hiding something from my mom?】

Upon hearing this, Su Xiuran's gentle face grew increasingly serious.

"You slept in the master's bed?"

Chunhe was so frightened that her legs went weak and she immediately knelt down, saying aggrievedly, "Madam, I've been with you since I was a child, how could I possibly betray you?"

"What's there to hide? Why are you kneeling? Get up!"

Chunhe wiped away her tears and choked out, "Master forbade me to say it, otherwise you would be heartbroken, Madam."

I hope my dad hasn't been going to brothels.

Su Xiuran's brows gradually furrowed. After so many years of marriage, she thought she knew her husband very well. What was there that she didn't know?

Afraid of hurting yourself?

She recalled a few idle words she had overheard at a tea party for court ladies.

Whose master has booked out the entire brothel?

And so-and-so, who looked like a gentleman, didn't even have a concubine at home, but in the end, he kept a bunch of mistresses outside.

Afraid of hurting her feelings? Could it be that the master was keeping a mistress outside, and Chunhe caught him?

Thinking of this, Su Xiuran felt a tightness in her chest, and propped her head up with one hand.

"What's wrong with talking about our family's current situation?"

"Madam, please don't be angry after hearing this."

Su Xiuran said calmly, "Yes, go ahead."

Gu Linglong also quietly pricked up her ears, ready to watch the drama unfold.

Chunhe continued to do Su Xiuran's makeup, saying as she did so, "At Miss's full moon banquet, Miss Lin caused quite a scene, so I wanted to say something."

"Lin Xiaoxiao?"

"Yes, about a year ago, Madam asked me to fetch Master some clean clothes. When I was halfway there, Miss Lin stopped me and said she was passing by and would deliver them."

"At that time, Miss Lin hadn't gotten together with the Second Master yet, so I didn't suspect anything. I just told her to give the clothes to Xiaodeng. The Master didn't like maids serving him when he bathed. Then I remembered that I still had something to tell the Madam, so I went back to return them."

"Then I saw Miss Lin run out, her clothes disheveled and completely soaked."

"The master was furious and forbade us to tell anyone. We only found out after asking Xiaodengzi that Miss Lin had tried to seduce the master, and ran away after being scolded and crying."

"Then, not long after, I heard that Miss Lin and the Second Master had become lovers."

So, Lin Xiaoxiao only tried to seduce Gu Minghai because she couldn't get with my dad?

I wonder what Gu Minghai would think if he knew.

"Snapped"

Su Xiuran slammed her hand on the table, her body trembling slightly.

She even treated Lin Xiaoxiao as a good sister-in-law and best friend, always thinking of giving her a share of the good things.

On her way back to the Duke's mansion, Su Xiuran encountered Lin Xiaoxiao selling herself to bury her mother. She was dressed in mourning clothes, and a sign in front of her read "Selling herself to bury her mother, ten taels."

At that time, her face was as clear and pale as a white lotus flower about to wither.

She knelt there, surrounded by onlookers who pointed and whispered, but no one came to her rescue; many more mocked her.

A woman wearing a red flower in her hair looked Lin Xiaoxiao up and down, nodded slightly, and dropped a money bag.

"Young lady, here's ten taels of silver. Come with me."

Lin Xiaoxiao raised her head and asked timidly, "May I ask which noble family you belong to, Madam? Did you buy my daughter to be your slave?"

The woman chuckled, covering her mouth with her handkerchief. "Oh my, no one has ever called me a noblewoman before. I'm the madam of the brothel, pack your things and come with me."

Lin Xiaoxiao's face turned deathly pale. "Thank you, sir, but I will not sell myself into prostitution."

The woman clicked her tongue.

"You've been kneeling here for three days straight. Do you think anyone else but me will buy you? Hurry up, or your mother's corpse will start to rot!"

Tears welled up in Lin Xiaoxiao's eyes as she slowly reached for her money bag.

Su Xiuran watched all this from the carriage and was moved with compassion.

Chunhe gave her ten taels of silver and left without buying her. However, Lin Xiaoxiao chased after her to the Duke's mansion, saying she wanted to repay her. Su Xiuran only let her stay in the mansion for a few days and said there was no rush to sign a contract of sale.

After all, women in the world already have it very hard. If they weren't truly desperate, who would actually sell themselves into slavery or go to those places?

Lin Xiaoxiao said at home that she admired her eldest brother for his business acumen, and even went to serve him in his courtyard for a few days.

Back at the Gu residence, Su Xiuran found her to be quite good, both in terms of embroidery and work.

They planned to buy her and keep her in the mansion, but later she got together with Gu Minghai, so the matter was naturally dropped.

Unexpectedly, she seduced her own husband, and may have even seduced her own older brother.

Su Xiuran felt increasingly distressed as she thought about it. What a tragic story of the farmer and the snake.

I was truly blind and foolish before, bringing such a scourge upon the Gu and Su families.

After the chill in her heart came deep self-reproach. She clutched her aching chest.

If she hadn't been overcome by inappropriate compassion, and if she hadn't misjudged people, perhaps none of this would have happened.

It turns out that the root of all this trouble lies with her...

……

At breakfast, Su Xiuran told her three sons how she met Lin Xiaoxiao and how Lin Xiaoxiao seduced Gu Mingtang.

Gu Yu'an's hand holding the spoon tightened slightly: "I never imagined that Lin Xiaoxiao had actually seduced my father."

Gu Liyao slapped his forehead, his eyes clearing. "I know! Lin Xiaoxiao originally wanted to seduce my uncle, but he didn't take the bait, so she tried to seduce my father. But my father didn't take the bait either, so she finally went after my cheap second uncle."

Gu Yu'an nodded: "I'm afraid Lin Xiaoxiao started to hate our Gu family from that time on."

"While this matter concerning her father wasn't something she, as a woman, could decide alone, she certainly played a significant role in pulling the strings behind the scenes."

Gu Ziming, his mouth greasy from eating, remarked, "Indeed, the prettier a woman is, the more likely she is to lie."

Gu Linglong listened intently. The original novel didn't explain in detail why Lin Xiaoxiao was targeting the Gu family, and she couldn't remember many of the details clearly.

Is it really because his attempt to seduce her backfired and he harbored resentment?

This woman is so strong... Mother shouldn't have saved her back then.

Su Xiuran lowered her head and lowered her eyes. A strong sense of self-reproach washed over her, and her fingers trembled slightly under the table.

She's the one who caused the massacre of the Gu and Su families; she's a sinner...

Gu Yu'an noticed that Su Xiuran was acting strangely and gently placed his hand on her wrist.

"Mother, this has nothing to do with you. You did nothing wrong by saving people; the one who's wrong is the other person. It would be wrong of you to hurt yourself for someone who isn't worth it."

Gu Liyao: "Yes, my mother is both beautiful and kind-hearted. Even without Lin Xiaoxiao, Gu Chenshi would still have framed our family."

Gu Ziming got off the bench and hugged Su Xiuran's waist. "Mommy, hug me. Mommy is the most beautiful and best person in the world."

Gu Linglong: [Yes, Mommy is the best, Mommy love you so much~]

Su Xiuran felt a sudden sense of relief, as if sunshine had entered her heart.

She paused, then looked at the children. "You should all learn from your mother's experience. Kindness must be selective, depending on the person and the situation."

"I shouldn't have been soft-hearted when Lin Xiaoxiao wanted to sign a contract selling herself into servitude."

"A kind and compassionate heart must have a sharp edge and a sense of boundaries, otherwise it will harm both oneself and others."

The three brothers answered in unison, "Yes, Mother."

Gu Linglong: [I know, Mom. I only have soft spots for men who are over 185cm tall and have eight-pack abs.]

Su Xiuran: "..."

The three brothers: "..."