Jade Without Fragrance - Chapter 3 : Wolf Heart

Wen Ru Gui's expression was pretty dark as his gaze moved past Madam Lin and landed on Wen Hao.

The young girl in her twenties looked elegant and slender, much like a graceful willow tree.

But honestly, all Wen Ru Gui felt was irritation when he saw her.

This daughter, who couldn't speak, brought him nothing but embarrassment. And as she got older, she picked up some pretty reckless habits typical of frivolous girls.

"A Hao, do you realize your mistake?"

Madam Lin snapped out of her thoughts and didn't let Wen Ru Gui's anger get to her: "Master, did you know our A Hao can talk now?"

She was certain her husband would be thrilled to hear this news, but Wen Ru Gui frowned and his tone turned icy: "If you can speak, why aren't you defending yourself? Or do you not think you've done anything wrong?"

Word spread fast after the banquet that the Wen family's Second Miss had spoken, and there were also whispers about her sneaking over the wall to spy on the Young Prince of Jing.

After hearing about that, Wen Ru Gui was furious and stormed home to punish Wen Hao.

Madam Lin was baffled by Wen Ru Gui's harsh tone: "Master, didn't you hear? Our A Hao can talk!"

"I'm not deaf," he snapped, sounding colder than she'd ever seen him. "Since she's just like everyone else, she should know the rules. My daughter messed up, and you're not doing anything to correct it as her mother. Are you trying to spoil her and let her run wild, endangering herself and others?"

Wen Chan, who had been quiet until now, couldn't help but speak up: "Father, just calm down..."

"Don't interrupt when adults are talking," Wen Ru Gui shot back, leaving Wen Chan looking a bit embarrassed.

Meanwhile, Wen Hao, trying to keep her cool, said, "I messed up. I shouldn't have climbed over the wall to see what was going on when I heard the Young Prince of Jing yell for help."

"Hear the Young Prince of Jing yelling for help?" Wen Ru Gui scoffed. "That's not what the rumors say."

"What do they say?" Wen Hao asked calmly.

Wen Ru Gui glanced at his wife and daughters and snorted, "They say you were spying on the Young Prince of Jing and your intentions aren't right!"

That kind of talk could ruin a woman's reputation.

Madam Lin flushed with anger: "Master, don't listen to those gossips. A Hao is just kind-hearted and worried something might happen to the Young Prince!"

Wen Ru Gui couldn't help but laugh in anger: "That's just foolish! Even if it were true, who would actually believe that?" People were quick to buy into and spread gossip, especially the salacious kind.

Madam Lin, glancing at her furious husband, felt a bit bewildered: "So what if no one believes it? A Hao's being misunderstood, and we're upset about it-why are you still mad at her?"

"You!" Wen Ru Gui exclaimed, pointing at Madam Lin in irritation. "Looks like a loving mother creates a spoiled kid!"

Madam Lin, who was completely devoted to Wen Ru Gui, couldn't take the accusations lying down and shot back: "I think you're just being stubborn and old-fashioned; you read too much..."

Their arguing grew louder, and Wen Chan quietly squeezed Wen Hao's hand, feeling uneasy. But Wen Hao remained calm.

Many things never happen suddenly, but there were signs.

Her parents had been bickering a lot over the past year, especially since her grandfather passed away, which left Wen Ru Gui feeling less restrained and more open with his feelings now that he didn't have to worry about his father-in-law's opinions.

It wouldn't be long before he brought home his cousin he kept hidden away with their two kids. The eldest son, Wen Hui, was even a year older than her sister.

Her grandmother stepped in to make a choice for her Mother, but Wen Ru Gui claimed he had no choice but to marry Madam Lin because Wen Hao's grandfather forced him to after he passed the Imperial Exam. At that time, he was already married to his cousin, and Wen Hao's grandfather threatened to ruin his life and harm his cousin if he refused.

So, Wen Ru Gui had to go along with the marriage to Madam Lin.

When Wen Hao's grandfather was younger, he was quite the mountain king and a celebrated figure among the outlaws. Some people believe that, while others roll their eyes at the idea.

Two decades back, General Lin was the Duke of Ding. With his wild ways, he could very well have done something drastic to get his daughter married to her love.

Her grandmother was furious and accused her Father of lying, but her Father had witnesses ready: one was the book boy who helped him during the capital trip for the exam, and the other was his cousin who just arrived from their hometown.

This confirmed her Father's story.

Her grandmother was so angry she ended up dying from it without even getting a chance to vent. Meanwhile, her Mother drew her sword, ready to go down with her Father, stabbing him in the process.

Because of that, her Father had a reason to divorce her Mother, and people praised him for being righteous instead of just leaving her. Later, he wrote a letter to explain and apologize for remarrying, and given the circumstances, the Emperor didn't bother him about it.

That's how Madam Chang became her stepmother.

Madam Lin couldn't handle the stress and went mad, so Wen Run Gui took her home to care for her until the end, which earned him a lot of respect.

Even her eldest sister, Wen Chan, although feeling bad for their Mother, understood their Father's tough spot.

But after seeing Madam Chang a few times, Wen Hao learned the truth.

Before heading to the capital for the exam, her Father and Madam Chang were never actually married!

It turned out her Father spun a web of lies about her grandfather. He was just greedy, wanting Madam Lin out of the way so his son could secure the title of legitimate eldest son.

Wen Hao was frustrated that she couldn't speak up and was being closely watched, making it impossible to reveal what she knew. Just thinking about it filled her with bitterness.

The loud slam of a door snapped Wen Hao back to reality.

Madam Lin stared blankly at the flapping door curtain, her lips looking pale.

Wen Chan squeezed Madam Lin's hand, softly saying, "Mother, don't get too upset. Father just wasn't thinking straight..."

Wen Hao cut in, "Mother, don't you think Father's changed?"

Sure, her sister's comforting words might cheer her Mother up a bit, but it was just a band-aid over a deeper wound. Wen Hao knew she had to prepare her Mother for what was to come.

This time, her Father couldn't expect to just chill in the mansion her grandfather bought with his new wife and child. She wanted her Father out of the picture, as far away as possible.

"Why do you say that, A Hao?" Since Wen Hao had been quiet before, Madam Lin didn't think it was weird for her to speak up now and listened, a bit more attentively.

Wen Hao gripped her hands in her sleeves, keeping her calm.

If she wanted to stir things up, she had to keep her cool so people would hear her out instead of just dismissing her as a child throwing a tantrum.

"In my memory, Mother and Father haven't fought for years. But in the past year or so, he's lost his temper with you on multiple occasions."

Madam Lin was taken aback and instinctively responded, "It's because your grandfather passed away, and I've been feeling down, which is why I've argued with your father.

Wen Hao shook her head and said, "Mother's been through losing grandfather, so Father should cut you some slack. Why does he always end up fighting with you?"

Madam Lin was taken aback by her question.

On their way back, Wen Chan saw there was no one around and leaned in to whisper to Wen Hao, who was resting on the maid's back: "Second Sister, try not to say thing like that to Mother again. We don't want to make things tense between Mother and Father."

Wen Hao looked at Wen Chan quietly for a moment before asking softly, "Do you believe me, Eldest Sister?"

Wen Chan smiled, her eyes sparkling. "Of course I do!"

"Great! Then come with me back to Luoying Courtyard. I've got something to share with you."