Chapter 361: Chapter 128: Yuehuan Arrives (Part 2)

Yuehuan realized she had been foolish when she looked at Yueyao’s expression. Yueyao’s previous life had been truly tragic, so of course, she was very guarded and wouldn’t reveal anything about her past life. Moreover, she wouldn’t talk about her sorrows to others.

Yuehuan knew, she could only compromise, “Third sister, I hope you can let me stay. I need a quiet environment to think about which path to take in the future.” Telling the truth was the best approach in front of someone like Yueyao.

Yuehuan really couldn’t face Maternal Aunt Su right now, let alone the sinister and greedy Lady Mo. She needed to adjust her mindset, as going back with her current state of mind would surely give Maternal Aunt Su cause for suspicion, which would then leave her at a disadvantage.

After thinking for a while, Yueyao said, “It’s not impossible for you to stay, but you have to tell me who you really are?” To be precise, Yueyao wanted to know what Yuehuan did in her past life. She had never thought of dealing with Yuehuan but needed to know her background.

Yuehuan told Yueyao about her previous life, “Because I was a girl, my parents abandoned me at birth. I grew up in an orphanage, similar to the current Infant Nurturing Hall. I completed university through part-time jobs and scholarships, and after graduation, I passed the exam to become a civil servant. Hmm, I entered the Yamen. It was during a trip to withdraw money that I encountered robbers and had an accident; I thought I had died, but when I opened my eyes, I found myself here.” If she could choose, she wouldn’t want to be here, surrounded by people who seemed close but were actually plotting behind her back, living in constant fear. This era was harder and more exhausting than the modern age. In the modern era, she hustled for a living but was always mentally satisfied. But here, not only did she seek to earn more money to improve her life, but she also had to guard against being plotted against.

Yueyao was astonished, “A woman can work in the Yamen?” She took the concept of monogamy lightly, not taking it to heart, but the idea of a woman working outside shocked her deeply.

Having come this far, Yuehuan didn’t hesitate to share more. She told Yueyao about gender equality in the modern era, how women could do anything just like men, and recounted her childhood and upbringing.

Yueyao was indeed envious of Yuehuan’s former living environment, but envy was fleeting since she hadn’t experienced it firsthand. Her expression became much more pleasant than before, “If you want to stay, then stay! It’s better to forget the past; the more you think about it, the harder it will be. Remember, now you are the Fourth Miss of the Lian family, not that orphan. You should be thinking about how to survive well in the Lian family. Both Lady Mo and Maternal Aunt Su are not easy to deal with. The situation isn’t as good as before, but heaven has given you a second chance at life, and you should cherish it.”

Yuehuan hadn’t expected to say so much, yet Yueyao was still pushing her away, “Third sister, I want to form an alliance with you.”

Yueyao shook her head, “I won’t form an alliance with you, I have my own path to follow, and you should carefully strategize your own!” In the end, Yueyao still didn’t trust Yuehuan; Maternal Aunt Su was calculating and skilled, and Yueyao couldn’t be sure Yuehuan would maintain her true intentions. If she formed an alliance and Yuehuan stabbed her in the back later, that would be her own foolishness.

Yuehuan could see Yueyao’s wariness towards her, but rather than blaming her for being unreasonable, she felt a pang of sorrow. She had long noticed that Yueyao was actually a very kind person. However, the fact that Yueyao was now so guarded indicated the pain she had suffered in the past. This made Yuehuan’s own wariness towards Lady Mo deepen.

Yueyao said, “The room to the left is for the main house, so I won’t let you stay there. You live in the wing room on the left with the maids and the old nannies. Let Nanny Hao and Qiao Lan move to the room on the right. Granny Xu can stay in the storage room. That’s all the space we have, so you’ll have to squeeze in a bit.”

Yuehuan nodded, “Okay.” Being able to stay was enough for her; she had no thoughts of competing with Yueyao. Some things didn’t require comparison because they were unnecessary.

Yueyao continued, “My room has underfloor heating; it’s very warm. The wing rooms on both sides don’t have underfloor heating, so it will be colder at night. You should burn an extra basin of charcoal.”

Yuehuan nodded, “I understand.” In Lian Mansion, her room also had no underfloor heating, and last winter she relied on charcoal fires and thick blankets.

Seeing the gloom between Yuehuan’s brows, Yueyao consoled her, “Actually, you don’t have to worry too much. Even if Maternal Aunt Su has suspicions, she has no solid evidence. Such matters can’t be talked about openly. Things will get better by next year. As for Lady Mo, her greatest love is money; as long as you make money for her in the future, she will treat you well.”