3 Chapter 3 Reasons

Regrettably, some did not appreciate such a beauty. "Our sister almost lost her life and you still dress so strikingly; are you deliberately seeking discomfort?" Mo Qingyun's tone was filled with reproach.

The young beauty's eyes promptly turned red. "Not at all, brother. I was just thinking that our sister's health isn't good, so dressing cheerfully might lift her mood." She defended herself incessantly.

"Who are they, anyhow?" A teasing desire arose in Mo Ziwan; after all, she disliked the existence of mistresses and the likes. She posed her 'question' deliberately to the Prime Minister couple who were seated nearby.

Chancellor Mo's face turned somewhat red with her inquiry. "Ahem, she is a concubine from our house, and that one is your sister." He completed his response nervously, "You don't need to bother about them." Recalling Mo Ziwan's ordinarily aloof disposition, he added another remark.

"What happened to our sister?" Mo Linglong failed to understand why their father introduced them to Mo Ziwan.

"Ziwan suffered a head injury and lost her memory. Don't stress her out." The Prime Minister instructed sternly.

Memory loss? Mo Linglong and Second Aunt were startled for a moment.

"So our sister has also forgotten the cause of her injuries?" Mo Linglong exclaimed, her complex gaze fixed on Mo Ziwan who was semi-reclining on the bed.

Upon hearing this, Mo Ziwan felt her heart stir. Her memory included the knowledge that she tried to drown herself because she could not withstand the ridicule of the noble ladies and wealthy young men. Did Mo Linglong's gaze imply some other reason? However, although her memory suggested that this sister disdained her, she did not do anything outrageous toward her. "I've forgotten. Could my sister kindly remind me why I was injured?" She deliberately adopted an amnesic demeanor.

Upon hearing Mo Ziwan's question, the Prime Minister and Lady Mo furiously glared at Mo Linglong. Wasn't this agitating? It was already fortunate that Ziwan forgot her past grievances, yet this acknowledged illegitimate daughter deliberately brought it up again. What were her intentions?

Mo Qingfeng and Mo Qingyun looked even angrier; their glances seemed ready to swallow Mo Linglong whole.

Mo Linglong felt a tinge of fear, but mostly injustice. She was clearly exceptional in music, chess, calligraphy, painting and even in looks; she was superior to Mo Ziwan, yet Mo Ziwan, being the legitimate daughter and Lady Mo's own child, outshone her.

All household supplies were chosen according to Mo Ziwan's preferences. Their father and her two brothers channeled all their affection toward Mo Ziwan, treating her like the spare part. She had to curry favor with Lady Mo and her brothers daily, but no one reciprocated her courteous demeanor. How unfair was that?

"Don't worry, sister. Those who ridiculed you, father and our brothers will definitely take revenge for you." Mo Linglong openly advised Ziwan, revealing indirectly the reason for Ziwan's suicide attempt.

"Who asked for your opinion?" Lady Mo threw her teacup in anger. "An unmarried girl always poking her nose in matters that don't concern her, it would be better for you to return to your room and copy Women's Precepts a few more times." In addition to the mother-daughter bond she had with Ziwan, Lady Mo felt intense guilt towards her. Hence, she did not tolerate anyone harming Ziwan.

"Mother, I just want to advise my sister," Mo Linglong hastily tried to defend herself.

"Sister, it's because Ziwan questioned first, only then did Linglong answer. How can she be accused of speaking out of turn?" The Second Aunt interjected. "Even if Lady Mo is biased, she should not ignore reason."

"Whatever Lady Mo says goes, and who are you to argue? An unmarried girl's excessive words and advice are inappropriate." The Prime Minister, angered by the Second Aunt's disregard for rank and authority, angrily chided her.

This was how things usually went—the moment Mo Ziwan and Lady Mo were involved, her father would lose all reason, blindly defending Ziwan and her mother without considering right or wrong. Didn't he treat Linglong and the Second Aunt—with whom he shared a marital bond— the same way? Mo Linglong felt wronged, but there was nothing she could do as the Prime Minister had scorned her and her mother. "Linglong understands, I will retire to copy the precepts," she said stubbornly.

"Wait, Father, Mother, I've lost my memory and forgotten a lot, but I really want to know why I was hurt? My sister says it's because I couldn't endure people's mockery. What actually happened?" Mo Ziwan interrupted the tensions below the surface using hand gestures.

"You shouldn't pay any heed to what people say. Your father will naturally take care of things. I won't let you suffer any injustice." The Prime Minister's gaze wavered, unwilling to directly answer her question.

"But as the person involved, I need to know the whole story. Otherwise, I will have trouble sleeping and eating. Rest assured, I can bear it." Ziwan communicated her intentions using hand gestures.

Looking at the stubborn Mo Ziwan, both parents and her two brothers—Mo Qingfeng and Mo Qingyun—were filled with a mixture of anxiety and relief. This side of Mo Ziwan was something they had never seen before. Ever since she lost the ability to speak, she would always keep her head down wherever she went, exuding an intense sense of inferiority. Even though they were the people closest to her, Ziwan was reluctant to interact with them. Who would have thought that after her failed suicide attempt and subsequent memory loss, her nature had changed? They didn't know if this was a good or bad development.

"Was I really so terrible before? Why did people mock and ridicule me?" Ziwan 'asked' with a frown on her face, clearly troubled. "Perhaps my sister can tell me why. Then, Father and Mother, you needn't criticize her anymore."

Although Mo Ziwan knew she had been ridiculed by others, she was unclear about the specifics. Since she was in this world, it was essential to understand what happened to avoid future trouble.

"How could you ever be considered inferior? In my eyes, you're the best child. It's all her fault, insisting on taking you out." Lady Mo recalled the injustices her daughter suffered, and feelings of dissatisfaction with Mo Linglong welled up within her. That girl, a daughter born of a concubine, was so manipulative! She spent so much time persuading Ziwan to socialize, to get out and see the world. Seeing that Ziwan was quickly approaching the age of marriage, she thought it would be good for Ziwan to relax and make some close friends. That's why she let Ziwan follow her out. Who would have thought that she would have the audacity to take Ziwan to a poetry club, where she was harmed? She had no idea how much damage was done to Ziwan when she defended her in front of all those people.

"Mother, I had good intentions. I saw my sister moping around the house all day, never wanting to go out, so I thought it might be good for her to make a few friends. I never thought that those people would be so cruel, not leaving even a shred of face when they spoke. It's my fault that I didn't stop them in time. I accept any punishment you deem fit," said Mo Linglong, accepting all of the blame according to Lady Mo's wishes. Back then, when she persistently urged Mo Ziwan to make more acquaintances, she, of course, had her own motives. She was well-versed in music, chess, calligraphy, and poetry and her beauty was remarkable among society women. However, due to her status as a concubine's daughter, she was somewhat looked down upon. Thus, she decided to bring Mo Ziwan along to let everyone draw a comparison and realize that even the legitimate daughter of the Mo family would fall short of her. Things indeed went as she expected—when Mo Ziwan appeared before everyone, they were utterly astonished. Mo Ziwan, the legitimate daughter of the Mo family, never showed up in public, and everyone speculated that she was extraordinarily beautiful and incredibly talented, hence the Mo family was unwilling to let her step into the limelight. Little did they know that the girl hiding behind her long bangs, head down and shrinking back, was the legitimate daughter of the Mo family. Moreover, the shocking revelation that this young lady was mute naturally led to people's mockery.