Chapter 231 - 140: Know Yourself and Your Enemy
Because of the guilt in her heart, Su Wenyue paid the most attention to the eldest son, Brother Xing. When she registered Brother Xing’s name, Su Wenyue clearly saw Brother Xing smile happily. The expression was exactly like that of the Brother Xing who had been let down and abandoned by her in her previous life. A thought crossed her mind—could it be that Brother Xing had also returned like she had?
Once this idea surfaced, Su Wenyue was entirely captivated by Brother Xing, observing every move he made throughout the day and inadvertently neglecting other matters. But when the nanny took the three children over at night, Su Wenyue didn’t notice anything different. It seemed as though the scene she had witnessed earlier was just a figment of her imagination, or had she been overthinking it?
Unable to come to a conclusion, Su Wenyue turned her gaze to Han Yu and tentatively asked, “Husband, have you felt that our Brother Xing is somewhat different? He seems more well-behaved than other children. Even when his brother and sister cry, he doesn’t follow suit, acting like a little adult.”
Han Yu raised an eyebrow. He had noticed earlier that his wife was distracted, constantly watching Brother Xing, and he had not expected she was actually pondering this. He found it rather childish. Maybe it was because it was her first time being a mother, so seeing the uniqueness in her child made her feel curious. In his view, Brother Xing wasn’t much different from other babies, except maybe a bit more well-behaved. However, it was normal for children to have different temperaments, and there wasn’t any need for his wife to treat it so seriously.
“Brother Xing is the older brother, so naturally he should be more well-behaved and steadier, to be a good role model for his brother and sister later.”
That wasn’t what she wanted to say. Su Wenyue wanted to add more but didn’t know how to express it. Moreover, she couldn’t tell Han Yu about her previous life. Her lips moved a few times, but in the end, she didn’t bring up Brother Xing again. She’d observe him herself later on. After all, no matter what, he was still her son.
Putting aside Brother Xing’s matter, Su Wenyue remembered what Han Yu had mentioned to her in the morning about the bandits, a conversation that hadn’t been finished, as he had said he would tell her in the evening. So she began to inquire about it.
“Husband, please tell me about those bandits. Why did you say it’s not so simple? Is there some kind of trickery involved?” Su Wenyue, recalling this previous matter, became focused on this issue instead.
Han Yu thought that his wife might have forgotten, but upon Su Wenyue’s question, he didn’t hide anything and gave her an overview of the situation.
Su Wenyue wasn’t too shocked; collusion between officials and bandits wasn’t something unheard of. It wasn’t that chaotic yet, and there would be even more outrageous things happening in the future. However, she did feel a bit frightened. If it weren’t for Han Yu having foreknowledge and making arrangements in advance, falling victim to the ill intentions of those people would have had unimaginable consequences.
Although Su Wenyue had always found the world of officialdom to be complex, she had never felt it to be this treacherous and insidious. Setting small traps was one thing, but plotting cruelly and heartlessly against someone’s life deepened her understanding of the officialdom. After all, that person from her past had not told her many things.
“I thought at worst it was just a matter of scheming against each other. Who knew those people could be so ruthless? Husband, you must be careful and not fall victim to those nasty people. If it gets too dangerous, we could go back to the farm and live a peaceful life. There’s no need to engage in such dangerous activities.” After saying this, Su Wenyue felt it might be inappropriate. Han Yu had great aspirations and was determined to accomplish something substantial. How could he be content with just living an ordinary life with her? She was just anxious and concerned.
Han Yu felt the deep concern from his wife and was touched. Any other woman might not be willing to give up the prospects of wealth and honor, but this proved his wife was a person with a clear mind, truly caring and devoted to her husband.
“Don’t worry, I have my awareness. Your husband is not an ordinary man—how could I let them take advantage of me? However, being able to detect the situation in time this round, I owe it to someone’s help from behind the scenes,” Han Yu said, a sharp glint passing through his eyes. Although he trusted his wife, he also wanted to understand what was going on, and why that person was willing to help him, which left him somewhat puzzled about the person’s intentions. Knowing oneself and the enemy ensures victory in every battle, and Han Yu was never one to be passive. He was determined to get to the bottom of the matter.
Su Wenyue was somewhat surprised to hear this, having thought it was Han Yu’s own men who had discovered it: “Someone helped? Who is it? Could it be friends from my father or brother’s side? We must thank them properly.”
Han Yu thought Su Wenyue seemed unaware, but he still laid the information and a message in front of her.
“At first, I was unclear about who was helping from behind, and I even suspected it might be a trap purposely set by the enemy. It took a long investigation and some clues to find out who it was, but I was quite surprised.”
Su Wenyue found Han Yu’s statement strange. If someone had the intention to help, why would they conceal their identity? And moreover, the identity that could surprise Han Yu.
“Could that person be a stranger to you? Or perhaps your enemy?” Su Wenyue ventured a guess.
“Neither; to me, the person is just a stranger, which is why I find it so peculiar. I truly can’t fathom his reasons for helping me. However, on the day you gave birth, I encountered him at the entrance to Su Mansion,” Han Yu said carefully, observing Su Wenyue’s reaction.
Su Wenyue’s heart skipped a beat upon hearing Han Yu’s words, thinking back to that day when Sikong Ling had escorted her to Su Mansion. Could the person be Sikong Ling? But that seemed improbable…
“Who is it?” Su Wenyue asked with a hint of urgency in her voice, eager to confirm if that person was Sikong Ling.
“The Young Master of the Sikong Family, Sikong Ling.” Han Yu didn’t keep her in suspense and directly revealed the person’s identity.
Su Wenyue had initially only speculated and thought it unlikely, but Han Yu’s confirmation took her by surprise.
The person really was Sikong Ling! But what exactly was Sikong Ling trying to do, brazenly appearing before Han Yu, and why would he help Han Yu? The more Su Wenyue considered the reasons, the more complicated it became, and the more confused she was, even feeling a headache coming on. However, regardless of her thoughts, Su Wenyue didn’t believe Sikong Ling had good intentions. She needed to warn Han Yu to be wary of Sikong Ling, just in case he had set some sort of trap. That man was capable of the worst schemes; hopefully, they weren’t mistaking a wolf for a kind soul!