SGEIRS -Chapter 538 Exposing Jinyu

Before long, the carriage came to a stop at the gates of the Marquis of Changxing’s residence.

Meng Jinyu suppressed the turmoil in her heart. Supported considerately by her husband, she stepped down from the carriage, then was led by the household servants to see Meng Jinyao and her husband. When she noticed Meng Jinyao looking at her with a half-smile that wasn’t quite a smile, her heart jolted.

Seeing how Jinyu’s steps faltered ever so slightly, how she glanced at her only once before lowering her gaze, Meng Jinyao immediately understood how afraid she was of facing her.

Deng Yuanqing didn’t notice anything amiss with his wife. Smiling, he stepped forward briskly and clasped his hands in greeting toward Meng Jinyao and Gu Jingxi. “Yuanqing greets Eldest Sister and Brother-in-law.”

Meng Jinyu lifted her eyes to meet Meng Jinyao’s gaze. Seeing the ambiguous look in her sister’s eyes, she felt her scalp go numb. Steeling herself, she took two steps forward and pretended nothing was wrong. “Eldest Sister, Brother-in-law.”

Gu Jingxi gave a slight nod. “Second Sister, Second Brother-in-law.”

“Second Sister, Second Brother-in-law, please have a seat and let’s talk,” Meng Jinyao said gently. After inviting them to sit, her gaze settled on Meng Jinyu as she continued, “May I ask what brings Second Sister and Second Brother-in-law here today?”

Deng Yuanqing paused, puzzled. The sisters were supposedly close—why, upon seeing her younger sister, didn’t the elder reminisce or express her longing, but instead ask such a question? He replied, “When we were in Yangzhou, A-Yu missed Eldest Sister terribly. Sometimes she even dreamed of the days she spent with Eldest Sister in the boudoir. This time, having returned to the capital, we came especially to visit Eldest Sister.”

Meng Jinyao looked genuinely surprised. “Second Sister misses me that much?”

Meng Jinyu smiled softly. “Before I married, I’d never tasted what longing felt like. After marrying, I miss my natal family terribly—especially Eldest Sister.”

“Is that so?” Meng Jinyao curled her lips, her smile full of hidden meaning.

Meng Jinyu nodded repeatedly, staring unblinkingly at Meng Jinyao, her eyes carrying a hint of pleading—desperately hoping her sister would say less and spare her this once.

Sensing something odd in the atmosphere between the sisters, Deng Yuanqing couldn’t quite put his finger on it. He cast a tender look at his wife and said gently, “Eldest Sister’s letters—A-Yu read them over and over again. At our last visit for Father-in-law’s joyous occasion, there were so many guests. A-Yu lamented more than once that she hadn’t had a proper chance to speak with Eldest Sister. Today, coming to see you, she woke up early in the morning.”

As soon as those words left his mouth, Meng Jinyu’s face stiffened. She shot a quick glance at Meng Jinyao, only to see her sister looking back at her, amusement glinting in her eyes. Her heart tightened with a sense of foreboding, and she inwardly cursed her husband for bringing up those letters.

Meng Jinyao withdrew her gaze and asked, feigning confusion, “Second Brother-in-law, what letters? I don’t quite understand what you’re talking about.”

Meng Jinyu hurriedly jumped in, “Eldest Sister, the letters we usually exchange.” As she spoke, she quickly tried to change the subject. “Eldest Sister, I also have something else to discuss with you today. Would you mind stepping aside for a private word?”

Meng Jinyao frowned slightly. “Second Sister, that makes even less sense. We’ve been sisters for many years and have never written letters to each other. How could Second Sister have received letters written by me?”

With that, she saw Meng Jinyu’s face turn deathly pale, while Deng Yuanqing looked at his wife in astonishment. Meng Jinyao didn’t continue. Some things were best left unsaid—Deng Yuanqing wasn’t foolish; he would surely figure it out. She shifted the topic. “Never mind. Perhaps there’s been some misunderstanding. Husband, Second Sister has something to say to me. Please take Second Brother-in-law for a walk in the courtyard.”

Gu Jingxi responded and led the still-shocked Deng Yuanqing away.

Left in the hall were Meng Jinyao, Meng Jinyu, and the maids attending Meng Jinyao.

Meng Jinyu’s small face was ashen. She couldn’t bear to imagine what her husband would think of her. Her thoughts were in chaos as she watched his departing back. Only when his figure disappeared from view did she turn back, glaring at Meng Jinyao in fury and resentment.
“Eldest Sister, no matter what, we’re sisters born of the same father. Did you really have to humiliate me like this?”

Meng Jinyao let out a light laugh. “Second Sister, when you forged my letters, did you never think that one day the truth would come out? Who gave you the nerve to fabricate my correspondence? If Brother-in-law hadn’t mentioned on Father’s wedding day that I frequently wrote letters to you, I wouldn’t even have known our sisterly bond was supposedly so deep.”

Knowing she was in the wrong yet unable to quell her anger, Meng Jinyu snapped, “Yes, I forged your letters—had someone casually write one and say it was from you. But I didn’t use it for anything else! I’m your own sister—why must you treat me like this?”

“Second Sister asks a good question.” Meng Jinyao’s smile vanished, her expression darkening as her sharp gaze fixed on Jinyu. “Now that you need my status to bolster your standing in your husband’s family, you remember I’m your sister. But back when you treated me the way you did, why didn’t you remember that I was your sister then?”

She went on coldly, “Whenever you caused trouble, you dragged me in to take the blame. Even when you hadn’t done anything wrong, you’d still find ways to frame me, just to get me punished by the elders. The worst time, I nearly didn’t survive that winter. Have you forgotten all that, Second Sister?”

A cold smile tugged at her lips. “If one repays resentment with virtue, how is virtue repaid? On what grounds do you think I’d overlook the past and respond with kindness? I haven’t even settled accounts with you for what you did back then, yet you came to provoke me of your own accord. Isn’t this exactly what I wanted?”

Meng Jinyu quietly took a breath, forcing down the hatred in her heart. Her eyes reddened as she said, “Eldest Sister, I was young and ignorant back then. Now I truly want to reconcile with you.”

Meng Jinyao glanced at her and said flatly, “Meng Jinyu, I advise you to speak like a human being. Don’t put on a grand performance here. If you keep it up, I’ll have someone send you straight to an opera troupe to continue singing. Go on—keep acting, and see whether I’d actually do such a thing.”

At those words, the tears Meng Jinyu had just worked up didn’t dare fall. She looked at Meng Jinyao, caught between crying and not crying at all, because she truly believed Meng Jinyao would do it. After all, she had already done something as outrageous as swapping husbands and marrying her prospective father-in-law—what shocking thing was there that Meng Jinyao wouldn’t dare to do?

Meng Jinyao asked calmly, “Meng Jinyu, will you leave of your own accord, or do you want me to issue an order to see you out?”

Enraged, Meng Jinyu retorted, “If you didn’t want to see me, why did you agree to let me visit?”

Meng Jinyao replied, “My own sister wished to pay me a visit. How could I shut the door in her face?”

At once, Meng Jinyu understood. She was a sister married far away; upon returning to the capital, if she went to see her elder sister and was turned away at the door, it would inevitably damage the elder sister’s reputation. So Meng Jinyao had let her in first—only to deal with her afterward. No wonder there were so few maids attending in the hall; those present were surely all her trusted people.

Trembling with rage, she spat out, “Meng Jinyao, you’re despicable!”