Chapter 4 Cousin

The word count is enough to hit the new book list. Please collect and recommend votes~O(∩_∩)O~

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After a short rest, the maid Hanyu by Mrs. Xiao Zou came over.

"Dinner is ready. Madam asked me to invite you and the young master to join her," Hanyu said with a smile, her eyes pausing for a moment as she glanced at Xu Zhen's handsome face.

Xu Zhen turned to talk to Xu Jinyu and didn't pay attention.

Xu Jinyu, without changing her expression, glanced at Hanyu and quickly looked away, following Mrs. Xiao Zou and Xu Zhen to the Tinglan Courtyard.

Mrs. Xiao Zou freshened up and changed into a new dress. Her carefully adorned face looked charming and beautiful. The girl standing beside Mrs. Xiao Zou was naturally Ji Yu.

Ji Yu was thirteen years old, tall and slender, resembling Xu Jinyu.

Ji Yu did not completely inherit Mrs. Xiao Zou's beauty, but rather resembled the Marquis of Weining, Ji Hong. With her thick eyebrows and big eyes, she was very beautiful, exuding a rare air of elegance and pride for a young girl.

Ji Yu was not very interested in welcoming her aunt's family who had come from afar. There was a hint of impatience and unwillingness in her eyes, and her gestures of courtesy seemed perfunctory. "I have seen Auntie," she said.

Her obvious attitude made it impossible for people to pretend not to notice.

Mrs. Xiao Zou felt embarrassed and awkward in her heart, but she didn't show it on her face. She smiled and praised Ji Yu a few words, "Ji Yu is so beautiful and elegant."

Little did she know that Ji Yu disliked being praised for her elegance. As a young girl in her prime, she preferred to be praised for her beauty and talent. What did elegance mean? It was just another way of saying she was not gentle and beautiful enough.

Ji Yu's face turned cold, and she turned her head away.

Mrs. Xiao Zou's smile froze.

A hint of anger flashed in Xu Zhen's eyes, and he clenched his fists secretly.

Xu Jinyu, on the other hand, was not surprised at all. Ji Yu had been spoiled by Mrs. Xiao Zou since childhood, and her arrogant and disdainful nature was evident on her face. But she was not good at hiding her true feelings, which made it easier to deal with her.

"Ji Yu, your aunt is talking to you. Look at how you're behaving," Mrs. Xiao Zou pretended to be displeased and scolded Ji Yu, "Hurry up and accompany your aunt."

Mrs. Xiao Zou then said with a forced smile, "It was inappropriate of me to speak just now, no wonder Ji Yu is upset. Such a beautiful and elegant girl, I should have praised her for her virtues instead of just saying elegance."

With Mrs. Xiao Zou's words, Ji Yu couldn't afford to sulk anymore.

Ji Yu reluctantly turned her head and said, "Aunt, please don't say that. It's my fault."

Xu Jinyu, who had been silent all along, suddenly walked up with a smile and affectionately took Ji Yu's hand. "Ji Yu, you are straightforward and quick-witted. I liked you as soon as I saw you! Speaking of which, we are also destined. The last character of my courtesy name and Ji Yu's courtesy name sounds similar, so it's like we are one person."

Indeed, "Yu" and "Yu" sounded similar.

Seeing the graceful and beautiful Xu Jinyu, Ji Yu felt a surge of jealousy in her heart. She replied with a forced smile, "It's fine if they sound similar. The servants call me Third Miss and call you Cousin Miss. There won't be any confusion."

With this remark, even Mrs. Xiao Zou couldn't help but frown and warn Ji Yu with a stern look.

As a guest from afar, speaking in such a manner seemed narrow-minded and lacked the grace of a young lady.

But Xu Jinyu didn't mind at all. She even smiled at Mrs. Xiao Zou and said, "Ji Yu is still young and may have some shortcomings in her speech. I won't take it to heart. Aunt, please don't blame Ji Yu." Then she turned to Ji Yu and said with a smile, "You can call me Cousin Jinyu from now on. I have been looking forward to having a sister, and now my wish has finally come true."

Xu Jinyu's tolerance and generosity only served to highlight Ji Yu's arrogance and rudeness.

This time, even Mrs. Xiao Zou felt a little uncomfortable.

Who said you could be my sister!

Ji Yu was about to retort, but Mrs. Xiao Zou gave her a stern look, and she reluctantly called out, "Cousin Jinyu." She felt extremely frustrated.

Seeing Ji Yu's annoyed expression, Xu Jinyu's smile deepened. In her previous life, she had suffered a lot from Ji Yu's arrogance while living in the Marquis of Weining's mansion. But now, she was no longer the weak and useless Xu Jinyu of the past.

Having experienced the pain of losing her family, she had spent eight years hiding in the shadows, determined to seek revenge and had even destroyed her own appearance. Her heart had become as firm as a rock, and her thoughts were shrewd and flexible. A mere Ji Yu was not even a worthy opponent.

Xu Zhen, who had been holding back his anger, finally felt a little relieved.

It was indeed not a pleasant feeling to rely on others as a guest. When Mrs. Xiao Zou was humiliated just now, he almost couldn't help but explode. Fortunately, his sister, who was clever and quick-witted, had subtly humiliated Ji Yu and saved face for their family.

...

Soon, the second Miss Ji, Ji Wen, also arrived.

Ji Wen was seventeen years old, with a delicate face, rosy lips, and fair skin, making her a beauty. She carried herself with a calm demeanor, with a hint of pride, but she was not disrespectful. After greeting Mrs. Xiao Zou and Xu Jinyu and Xu Zhen one by one, she sat down.

This was the true demeanor of a noble young lady. Even if she looked down on the Xu family members who had sought refuge with her stepmother, she would not show any lack of courtesy on the surface.

Sitting next to Mrs. Xiao Zou, Xu Jinyu faced Ji Wen directly.

Ji Wen was born shortly before Mrs. Chen passed away. When Mrs. Xiao Zou married into the family, Ji Wen was only two years old. Compared to the older and more sensible Ji Huan and Ji Ze, Ji Wen did not have a deep impression of her birth mother. However, this did not mean that she would treat Mrs. Xiao Zou as her own mother. At most, she would maintain the appearance of courtesy, but behind the scenes, she had always been involved in intrigues and power struggles.

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend." However, Ji Wan and Xiao Zou's relationship is not good, and they even have a dislike for the Xu family. If you want to secretly win over and use Ji Wan as a pawn, you must plan carefully.

Xu Jinyu thought quietly, with a gentle and pleasant smile on her face.

Ji Wan occasionally looked up and met Xu Jinyu's serene smile.

Xu Jinyu is indeed very good-looking.

Having seen the beautiful and proud noblewomen of the capital, Ji Wan couldn't help but feel a sense of amazement. And Xu Zheng, with his handsome and gentle demeanor, the pair of siblings were truly outstanding, making it difficult for people to feel any animosity towards them.

After the quiet meal, Ji Wan took the initiative to excuse herself, "Sister-in-law has been getting weaker these days and can't even eat properly. Since my brother is not at home, I'll go to Qiān Yún Jū to accompany sister-in-law."

Her words sounded ordinary, but upon careful consideration, one could discern some hidden meanings.

When a daughter-in-law is seriously ill and her mother-in-law only sends maidservants to check on her every day, it is too neglectful.

Xiao Zou was pricked by this and a hint of coldness flashed in her eyes, but she sighed, "Lady Gu has been ill for over a year. The imperial physicians have been called, and the Gu family has also sought renowned doctors for her. She has taken so many precious tonics and prescriptions, but her condition hasn't improved. Whenever I think of this, it feels like a knife twisting in my heart."

Hypocritical!

Xu Jinyu and Ji Wan both sneered inwardly.

Xiao Zou would rather Lady Gu remain seriously ill.

Lady Gu comes from a prestigious family, she is the eldest daughter of the Gu family and became the legitimate son's wife after marrying into the Marquis of Weiníng's residence. She is kind and fair-minded, and is highly regarded in the residence. It's a pity that after seven or eight years of marriage, she has not borne any children.

Two years ago, Lady Gu finally became pregnant, and everyone in the residence was overjoyed. However, when she was seven months pregnant, she had a serious fall, causing severe abdominal pain and heavy bleeding. The child did not survive, and it was a fully formed male infant. Lady Gu's health was severely affected, and she has been bedridden ever since.

After this incident, Lady Gu's health deteriorated further. Her appetite decreased day by day. It was clear to everyone that Lady Gu's life was ebbing away, and it was uncertain when she would pass away.

Xiao Zou rarely visited Qiān Yún Jū to check on her.

Ji Wan had long been dissatisfied and often made sarcastic remarks. Upon hearing Xiao Zou's words, Ji Wan pretended to be concerned and said, "Sister-in-law has been ill for quite some time. Even if Mother cares for her deeply, she must not neglect her own health. The affairs of the residence rely entirely on Mother. If Mother falls ill due to excessive worry, how will the over hundred people in the residence manage?"

Seemingly concerned, but actually containing hidden sarcasm.

Even with Xiao Zou's deep scheming and thick skin, she felt a burning sensation on her face and harbored deep resentment.

This Ji Wan is truly a wolf in sheep's clothing. Over the years, she has made a lot of effort. She thought that Ji Wan, who lost her mother at a young age, would be easy to deal with. But Ji Wan didn't even bother to acknowledge her as a stepmother.

Ji Wan's marriage was personally arranged by the Marquis of Weiníng. She had no chance to intervene, and thus lost the opportunity to control Ji Wan.

Xu Jinyu watched coldly from the side, feeling very relieved.

She had been deceived by Xiao Zou before and found Ji Wan extremely difficult to deal with, wishing to avoid her. Now, she found Ji Wan more pleasing to the eye.

Ji Yu and Ji Wan had always had a strained relationship. Hearing Ji Wan's sarcastic remarks, Ji Yu's anger surged, and she spoke with an unfriendly expression, "Second sister, if you want to go and accompany sister-in-law, just go. There's no need to constantly target my mother with your words."

Ji Wan's expression of astonishment and grievance was just right, "Third sister, you've misunderstood me. I'm just as concerned about Mother as you are about sister-in-law. I'm worried that Mother's excessive concern for sister-in-law will affect her own health, so I advised her. How did it become targeting Mother in your words?"

Ji Yu was speechless.

Having won the argument, Ji Wan gracefully withdrew.

Having been embarrassed by Ji Wan, Xiao Zou felt extremely aggrieved. What's more, she had lost face in front of the mother and son.

Xiao Zou tactfully changed the subject, "I just arrived at the Marquis's residence today and haven't seen the Marquis's wife yet. Tomorrow, I'll take you and Jinyu to Qiān Yún Jū to visit."

Xiao Zou nodded, "Alright, after breakfast tomorrow, I'll take you both to Qiān Yún Jū."

......

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What kind of grievances exist between Xiao Zou and Lady Gu? You can take a guess. If someone guesses correctly, I'll add another chapter O(∩_∩)O. Haha, I bet no one will guess it right!