Chapter 12 Auntie Fang's Plot Revealed

"Father, how are you feeling? I haven’t been by your side. I’ve been so unfilial! I should never have made you worry. You were grieving mother, but I was unreasonable and hurt you. I won’t do it again!” her voice broke and hitched. She bit her lip as tears rolled down her pale face, her entire body shaking. All her sadness seemed to be trying to escape in her tears. Seeing her, Mo Huawen couldn’t hold back his emotions any longer. "Tong'er!" He rose and walked forward, picking her up. He trembled as he held her tight. How could he keep calm when he saw her crying, looking so much like his wife? Even though she’d passed a year ago, the pain and regret he felt hadn’t faded. "Father!" Mo Xuetong leaned into her father's warm embrace and wailed, putting her arms around him. Mo Huawen’s eyes grew red. He’d missed a year of her life. "Tong'er, be good. Don't cry. Did you have a hard time at the Qin's? It’s my fault for not sending for you earlier. I thought that you liked staying there and didn't want to see me!" "I missed my father! Why didn't you write me? I wrote so many letters to you, but you ignored them. Do you not want me anymore?" Mo Huawen's heart ached even more as he listened to her gasp for air between sobs. It took him a moment to understand the full implications of her words and he began to grow angry. Tong'er had written him letters? Tong'er had never received a letter? He had sent her a letter every month! "Third Miss, you've only just come back. Why are you crying?” asked Auntie Fang from the doorway. “You've even made your father sad. Third Miss, don't cry! Anyone who didn’t know better would think you’d been bullied right after returning to the manor and you're complaining to your father!" Her voice instantly ruined the moment between them. Mo Xuetong focused on hiding her hatred for Auntie Fang and smiled shyly. Mo Xuetong stumbled back out of Mo Huawen's embrace. Her voice was hoarse and her eyes were swollen. "Father, I am in the wrong again. I was overcome with emotion when I saw you again, and now I’ve made you sad. I even made you the topic of other's gossip. She knelt hurriedly, obviously wanting to wipe away her tears where nobody could see, but the gesture just made her cry harder. She stole a glance at Auntie Fang and lowered her head hurriedly. She looked too frightened to speak. Only the faint sounds of her trying to suppress her sobbing could be heard. Her slender body shook with the effort to hide her tears, which only made her look more small and pitiful. Seeing Mo Xuetong react with such fear, Mo Wenhua glared at Auntie Feng. She had been about to speak, but stopped, surprised and frightened. He ignored Auntie Feng and gently comforted Mo Xuetong. "Tong'er, don't be afraid. Father is here. Tell me what you need. We won't go to Cloud City anymore. Everything here is the same as before. Your courtyard still has the same name. If there's anything that you're worried about, tell me!" "Yes, Father. I'll let you know if anything happens,” Mo Xuetong said, wiping away her tears. “I fell into a river a while back and almost drowned. When I woke up, I missed you so badly. That's why I sent a letter to father and to mother's family. I didn't expect that you'd send for me right away. I was so happy, that's why..." Mo Huawen’s frown deepened. "You almost drowned? What happened? You're a young lady from a noble family. How could you be left to drown? And why am I only hearing of it now? Why didn’t the Qins inform me?" He turned to Auntie Fang. "Didn't you say you'd made arrangements for Tong'er’s safety and she was doing well there?" "She almost drowned? The Qins didn't mention it to me. Perhaps they didn’t want us to worry. I will make sure to ask them next time we speak. Sir, don't worry. Isn't third miss doing well now? We should focus on being happy that she’s back." Auntie Fang tried to change the subject before any more blame could fall on her. Mo Huawen's looked at her solemnly and did not respond. Auntie Fang hurried to Mo Xuetong’s side and smiled. "Third miss, don't cry. It's bad for your health. I've prepared your courtyard and it's waiting for you. If there's anything you don't like, I'll get the servants to change it." She moved and lightly bumped her left elbow and her face twisted in pain. She gasped. Mo Huawen's was distracted when he saw her pain. Looking at the doting look she gave Tong'er, the last bit of his anger faded. "Sit down first. You've injured your arm and yet you don't rest!" "How did Auntie injure her elbow?" asked Mo Xuetong. She finished wiping the tears off her face and approached Auntie Fang, helping her into a chair. She touched the arm gently, hiding her contempt. She was going to say that she had hurt her arm while personally cleaning up Mo Xuetong's courtyard! Since she knew Auntie Fang was acting, it would be easy to do the same, looking worried. It was best to let her play it up. If she did not allow Auntie Fang to make a huge fuss about it now, how would she be able to ruin the show later? Auntie Fang's face was a little pale, but she still smiled lovingly. "It's nothing. I knocked it into something because I wasn't careful. Don't worry about it." Even though she said not to worry, she yelped softly when Mo Xuetong touched her. It was a very convincing act. "Auntie Fang was really happy when she found out that Tong'er was returning,” Mo Huawen said gently. “She was worried that the maids wouldn’t be careful enough and she went to clean your courtyard personally, but she fell and hit your closet and dislocated her arm. She's still hurting so badly that her arm can't even be touched!" "Old sir, this is what your concubine should do. I'm really happy to see that Third Miss is doing well," Auntie Fang said with a gentle smile. "Auntie, your grace is such a blessing to the Mo manor!" Nanny Li said, jumping in to praise her mistress. She held a handkerchief to her eyes and wiped at the non-existent tears. "I didn't expect Auntie Fang to care so much about Third Miss. She's even been neglecting her health. Auntie hasn't been feeling well during the past few days." "That's right, not even a biological mother would be so devoted!" "Third Miss, you're so lucky. Your auntie dotes on you so much. She tries to do everything she can for you. She treats you even better than First Miss!" Auntie Fang's maids all chimed in with praise and the room was filled with fond voices. Mo Huawen's gaze toward Auntie Fang grew even more gentle. "Father...Auntie treats me so well. I..." Mo Xuetong said, sounding deeply touched. She looked at Auntie Fang tearfully. "I wasn’t sensible back then, that's why...I will listen to you from now on...!" In her past life, she hadn’t shown her gratitude, and Auntie Fang had been able to use that to paint a picture of Mo Xuetong as a stubborn, selfish girl. She'd been obedient to Auntie Fang, but in this life, she only showed obedience to throw off her plans. Mo Xuetong came back to take control over her life. She may have gotten back some of her father’s affection, but she was still a child with little control over household manors. The best she could do was slowly destroy her father’s image of the graceful and demure Auntie Fang. Mo Huawen heaved a sigh of relief when he saw the doting mother and loyal daughter. "Alright, alright. Don't cry anymore,” he said with a laugh. “You’re both are not feeling well. Don’t tire yourselves out. Let's not bring up the past again. Tong'er has grown up, and now we can live in the capital together as a family. It will be alright." The three of them sat down again. When the maids brought tea, Mo Xuetong accepted a cup and brought it to Auntie Fang, handing it to her with a grateful smile. "Auntie, I feel so bad that you've injured yourself because of me,” she said respectfully. “I shall serve you a cup of tea and hope that your arm will heal quickly. Please don't make your injury worse. I will worry and elder sister will blame me." She pretended as if she was going to kneel. Auntie Fang was pretending to be a doting mother, so she would not make things difficult for Mo Xuetong. She would not dare have Mo Xuetong serve her tea. She held Mo Xuetong's hand to stop her. She was a concubine while Mo Xuetong was the legal daughter of the family. It would be trouble if Mo Xuetong really knelt to the concubine. Auntie Fang still had to pretend, in front of Mo Huawen, that she was graceful and benevolent. Mo Xuetong was insistent on serving the tea while Auntie Fang was insistent on not receiving it. The two pushed and pulled politely. As the two tried to get their way, they began to get more physically aggresive. Mo Xuetong had always been weak and could not compete against Auntie Fang. Auntie Fang pulled Mo Xuetong off her knees and Mo Xuetong ‘accidentally’ hit the cup against her aunt’s arm, spilling the tea down her sleeve. Auntie Fang yelled in pain as the scalding water hit her. Mo Xuetong grew flustered, starting to cry again. "Auntie, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to spill it. Let me see where you've been burned. Quick, pull up your sleeve. It'd be terrible if you were burned on where you were injured!" She pulled at Auntie Fang's arm, trying to look at her injury. Auntie Fang seemed even more upset. "No need. It's fine!" she said. She reached out to push Mo Xuetong away, shaking her arm wildly. The tea had been freshly boiled, and she moved it on instinct, trying to distract herself from the pain.