FBC – Chapter 124 Severing Kinship, Cutting All Ties!

“Biyu.”

As she was called, Biyu emerged wearing plain clothes. Around her fair neck were clearly visible, horrifying bruises.

Gu Hua’s heart tightened.

After Chi Yan and the others rescued Biyu, they had told her Biyu had been abused, but she hadn’t seen her until now.

What they called “abuse”—Gu Hua had experienced it herself in her previous life. She understood it all too well.

Biyu bowed expressionlessly to everyone present.

In a calm, indifferent voice, she said, “I saw with my own eyes the young madam using a golden hairpin to stab Jin Kui to death. She even tried to force me to stay silent by promising to raise me as a concubine.”

Gu Wanru looked utterly horrified, as if she’d seen a ghost. She went completely mad and screamed curses without any regard for her image.

“You filthy whore who sleeps with anyone! You’re slandering me with your filthy mouth! You’re all whores—every last one of you! You’re framing me! I’m the legitimate daughter of the Marquis Household! I’m the young madam of the Duke’s Estate!”

Gu Yuan and Wang Heng exchanged glances. They knew the mother and daughter pair were completely finished.

Wang Heng immediately changed his tone and put on a sorrowful face. He sighed, “Niece, your mother was framed, and you were switched at birth and suffered so much. What a pitiful fate.”

Gu Hua looked at him with a cold, unreadable expression.

Waiting to hear what he would say next.

Wang Heng felt uneasy under her emotionless gaze.

Forcing himself to go on, he said stiffly, “Your mother is so pitiful. Back then, she already had someone she loved and was about to be engaged, but she was forced to marry into the Marquis Household. After marrying in, your father favored the concubine and oppressed the wife. She suffered greatly. You should feel for her.”

Gu Yuan widened his eyes. “Forced? A prior engagement? The Wang family’s daughter—a minor branch and penniless—married into the Marquis Household as the official wife, and she felt wronged? She had no dowry to speak of, and still couldn’t keep the house in order—chickens flying, dogs jumping—I’ve never held it against her, and now she says she was wronged?”

Madam Wang took two more emotional stabs to the chest.

So this was how her husband truly saw her.

Wang Heng glared at Gu Yuan. How could he be this stupid?

Right now, they needed to cover everything up to prevent the rest of the Wang family from being implicated. Forcing down his anger, Wang Heng spoke patiently.

“Brother-in-law, family matters should be resolved within the family. Why air our dirty laundry in public?”

Gu Yuan came to his senses, but he was still furious inside.

So Madam Wang had even had a prior engagement?

Wang Heng didn’t want to argue any longer. He put on a kind elder’s demeanor and said, “Niece, Concubine Pei committed grave crimes and cannot escape death. Let your father take her back to the Marquis Household and beat her to death with rods on the spot. As for Wanru, she was your mother’s precious, pampered child. If you have her executed, have you thought about how your mother will feel? Let it go, if you can.”

Gu Hua’s heart ached deeply.

She looked at the mother she had longed to reunite with for so long.

Slowly, she walked forward and respectfully bowed.

“Mother, what is your will?”

Wang Heng immediately glanced at his wife.

Wang Heng’s wife forced herself to support the now nearly limp Madam Wang and whispered, “Sister, your niece is asking you a question. You must choose your words carefully.”

Gu Yuan stared at Madam Wang with a sharp gaze. “Don’t let down Ruiwen.”

Madam Wang was pierced by the threatening gazes of the two. It felt like needles stabbing into her skin.

Earlier, her sister-in-law had told her that if she were divorced, both her parents would be banished to a rural estate to live as servants.

And so would she.

Madam Wang’s eyes flickered, and she looked at Gu Hua, who was silently waiting for her response. A thousand thoughts churned through her mind.

In the end, she averted her gaze from Gu Hua.

Lowering her head, she trembled as she said, “Family shame should not be made public. Hua’er is a good child. Naturally, she understands that the rise and fall of the family is tied to personal honor.”

The last sliver of hope in Gu Hua’s heart shattered instantly.

Her whole heart splintered into countless fragments, like autumn leaves scattering with nowhere to land.

Seeing her sway slightly, Mu Junyan quietly stepped forward and supported her by the waist.

His warm, steady touch radiated through her lower back, and Gu Hua instantly felt a bit more grounded.

She slowly lifted the corners of her mouth into a smile. The more she smiled, the more dazzling it became—until finally she couldn’t hold it in and burst into uncontrollable laughter.

She laughed so hard her body rocked back and forth.

Laughed until tears flowed from her eyes.

Everyone present was stunned.

Was this girl… insane?

Zhou Zhilian and the others couldn’t hold back their tears and cried uncontrollably.

They understood.

Gu Hua burst into hysterical laughter, but what she swallowed down were tears of bitterness.

She had fought desperately to survive, running through storms, screaming her heart out…

She had willingly destroyed her reputation, trampled her dignity into the mud, giving herself to a man without a name or title…

Fortunately, she had met the Duke. With his help, after enduring so much hardship, she had finally arrived at this day—when the villain’s true face would be exposed.

The usually obedient and timid girl, now standing before a crowd of selfish, self-serving people with such an enormous power gap, only had one wish: to be acknowledged by her mother, to hear a single word of comfort, and to have her mother stand by her side.

But—

Her one and only hope was completely shattered.

How painful must that be?

Gu Hua didn’t want to cry.

She could only laugh—she had to laugh!

She laughed until tears streamed down her face. Her red eyes filled with tears, she respectfully bowed to Madam Wang once more as a younger generation would.

This bow… severed all blood ties and emotions!

When she stood back up, her tears had vanished.

Her voice was calm and indifferent: “Since the Gu and Wang families both wish to downplay everything, then I’ll do as you all wish.”

Gu Yuan was overjoyed and clapped his hands with a laugh, “Good, good, good! My Hua’er still knows how to behave sensibly. Tomorrow, I’ll invite the clan elders to our residence and have your name registered under the official wife. We’ll also enter you into the family genealogy.”

Wang Heng also nodded approvingly, “As expected of a child with Wang blood—so well-behaved.”

Gu Yuan suddenly recalled something and turned to scold the trembling Granny Lu, who was still kneeling, “Which of the two girls was born first?”

Granny Lu no longer dared to lie: “It—it was the eldest young miss… Gu Wanru was born first.”

Gu Hua understood instantly.

So it was Concubine Pei who gave birth to Gu Wanru first. Afterward, when her mother gave birth to her, they switched the babies and claimed that Gu Wanru had been born later to Concubine Pei.

Gu Yuan’s face immediately returned to a smiling expression: “Then we’ll have to trouble Hua’er to be the second daughter under the official wife.”

Gu Hua sneered in her heart.

Then she changed tone and said: “I have a few conditions. If even one of them is not met, we’ll settle this at the magistrate’s office.”

Mu Junyan let go of her hand, took a step back, lifted his robe and sat down, smiling as he watched the upright back of his little girl.

How could a little tiger retract its claws so easily?

Gu Yuan and Wang Heng’s expressions froze at once, their faces darkening.

Gu Yuan spoke sternly, “Hua’er—”

Gu Hua suddenly raised her arm and shouted harshly, “You don’t have to listen. Then let’s end this here today. Concubine Pei is not allowed to leave. Tomorrow I’ll take her to the magistrate myself.”

These people had already worn her patience thin.

“You—!” Wang Heng was shouted at by a junior, and his hand trembled in anger as he pointed at Gu Hua.

Gu Yuan, on the other hand, was stunned by Gu Hua’s fierce posture and couldn’t say a word.

“Concubine Pei didn’t just deceive the Wang family and Hua’er—she also deceived me.”

Mu Junyan had unknowingly stepped behind Gu Hua again and spoke slowly, his voice as cold as ice.

“Hua’er has a kind heart, but I am not so easy to deal with.”

Wang Heng and Gu Yuan immediately bent at the waist, looking both humble and terrified in front of Mu Junyan.

Gu Hua was surprised and looked up at him.

Mu Junyan reached out and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, pulling her into his embrace.

“Hua’er just said she was thrown into a broken temple on the outskirts—that was exactly where I first met her. She saved me when I was injured, and I gave her a jade pendant, promising her one wish.

Years later, that very jade pendant was sent to the Duke’s manor by Concubine Pei. Using Gu Wanru in Hua’er’s place, they deceived us and forged a marriage engagement. Gu Wanru’s position as young madam of the Duke’s household was stolen through deception.”

Mu Junyan’s words left everyone present in shock.

Gu Yuan and the rest had never imagined such a twist.

Gu Yuan nearly choked from the pressure: “Hua’er, state your terms.”

Gu Hua met Mu Junyan’s comforting gaze and nodded.

“First, Gu Jinwen is to be registered under my mother’s name, and he must receive the same treatment as Ruiwen.”

What Gu Hua truly worried about was Gu Jinwen.

With Concubine Pei and Gu Wanru gone, his position in the household would become even more pitiful. With someone like Gu Yuan—so selfish—he wouldn’t even spare a glance at someone of no use.

“Fine.” Gu Yuan agreed without hesitation.

“Second, Gu Wanru’s name must be removed from the genealogy and listed as the eldest concubine-born daughter. Third, the Marquess Wen Chang’s wife title belongs solely to Madam Wang. Fourth, Concubine Pei and Gu Wanru are to be handled by me. As for Granny Lu, you may take her back and cane her to death.”

Upon hearing this, Madam Wang burst into tears. Gu Yuan hesitated for a moment but gritted his teeth and nodded.

Better this than taking it to court.

All this while, Mu An had been silent. Now he suddenly leapt up: “Gu Wanru is so vicious, and she’s just a lowly concubine-born daughter—how can she be my wife? Father, I want to divorce her!”

Gu Wanru was already crying like a weeping ghost.

If she truly got divorced, she’d have no way to survive.

Mu Junyan looked toward Gu Hua.

How could Gu Hua possibly let him divorce her? She still had use for Gu Wanru. Let that toxic couple torment each other to death.

Killing them would be letting them off too easily.

She would make Concubine Pei and that pair suffer a fate worse than death.