C5 Marriage Substitute 8

Rumors about her never ceased to circulate through Kyoto; lately, they've been more rampant than ever, each one so scandalous it could easily dominate the headlines.

The freshest gossip was her supposed spectral marriage to Baili Chonghua, detailed so vividly it was as if the talebearers had seen it with their own eyes. The story was so bizarre that even Mu Yunhua, the person at the center of it all, almost believed it.

The tale of her stand-in marriage was known to everyone, from the emperor to young children. The Mu Estate faced its share of rumors, but the fallout wasn't as bad as one might think, largely due to Mu Yuxi's heroic act of saving her. Nevertheless, Mu Yunhua had a hunch that Mu Honghai, who always protected his reputation, had more tricks up his sleeve.

After brewing for some time, it was high time to bring everything into the light!

As expected, the nanny's actions came to an abrupt halt, confirming Mu Yunhua's suspicions. "Nanny, I've already died once. There's nothing I fear now. Tell me, what other slander does the Mu Family plan to spread about me?"

"Miss..." The nanny tried to hold back, but her grief overwhelmed her. "How can they be so heartless? It was Concubine Wan who drugged you and sent you off as a substitute bride. Yet, the rumors now suggest you were greedily eyeing the Nether King's inheritance, willingly marrying into the afterlife!"

Mu Yunhua couldn't help but laugh in disbelief. "You're holding back, aren't you, Nanny? Let me guess, they're also claiming I was so desperate and dishonored, knowing no one would marry me, that I jumped at the chance to marry a ghost? Who would know if a ghost was made a cuckold? And maybe this ghost had some wealth and influence, making it a win-win situation."

"So, this wasn't a case of stepping in as a bride; it was a plot I devised from the beginning, a calculated move to marry into the grave. And now, my supposedly flawless plan has been uncovered, and I'm left to face the consequences, right?"

The nanny, usually so cautious with her words, spoke only of the lighter issues. But as Mu Yunhua listened, she could infer the full extent of the rumors from those gentle hints, painting her as nothing short of a villain in the public's eye.

To the nanny's astonishment, Mu Yunhua's predictions were accurate. Overwhelmed with emotion, she embraced her young mistress, weeping uncontrollably, "Miss, my dear Miss! Why must your life be fraught with such trials? These merciless fiends, they've killed without a second thought! Surely, the heavens must be blind!"

Mu Yunhua wrapped her arms around the nanny, gently patting her calloused back, a sneer of disdain curling the corners of her mouth. If the heavens really were watching, they wouldn't have allowed them to live such a difficult life.

How had an infant, forgotten in the desolate Mu Mansion, not died? Instead, she had managed to survive against all odds, growing to the age of sixteen. It wasn't Mu Honghai's benevolence that had kept her alive, but the steadfast protection of her nanny.

This very woman, once cast aside, had single-handedly raised her after her mother vanished. And in the recent days since she had been thrown back into the Mu Mansion, it was the nanny's relentless care that had snatched her back from the brink of death.

The nanny had once said that without Lady Butterfly, she herself wouldn't have survived this world. She was living to repay that kindness.

Whether the nanny stayed by her side out of a sense of obligation or not, Mu Yunhua felt profound gratitude towards her, a sincerity that reflected both her own feelings and those of the original mistress of the house.