WBSGVS Chapter 144 v2

Mu Lan’er did not refuse.

The original host personally wrote a letter home explaining the situation. Though the Mu family parents were heartbroken over their daughter’s fate, they ultimately agreed.

Her second uncle, who didn’t dare oppose the decision, also consented.

And so, after the formal concubine-accepting ceremony, Mu Lan’er officially became Xie Rongyun’s concubine.

The original host remained bedridden, while Mu Lan’er, as a concubine, never once paid her morning or evening respects. With Xie Rongyun’s doting affection, she was treated no differently from the true mistress of the household.

The only problem was that, because of what her father had done years ago, she became a thorn in the side of Xie Rongyun’s elder sister, Xie Yuning.

Having married into another family, Xie Yuning was shunned by her husband due to her past in the brothel, making her life miserable. This only fueled her resentment toward Mu Lan’er.

Every time she visited, she would make things difficult for Mu Lan’er.

Feeling guilty, Mu Lan’er endured it in silence. Though Xie Rongyun pitied her, he still harbored resentment over the past and did not intervene—at least, not until Xie Yuning’s torment escalated. When she went too far, he finally stepped in.

In the end, Xie Yuning accidentally caused Mu Lan’er to lose her unborn child. This enraged Xie Rongyun to the point that he severed ties with his sister completely.

Xie Yuning was consumed by hatred. She went to the original host and revealed that Mu Lan’er had already been pregnant before the concubine ceremony. At the time of her miscarriage, she had been five months along—proof that she and Xie Rongyun had secretly been together long before.

The original host was stunned. Had her devoted husband always loved her half-sister more?

Had she, by allowing Mu Lan’er to become a concubine, simply played into Xie Rongyun’s desires?

Perhaps that had been his plan all along.

For the first time, the originally passive and defeated original host felt the urge for revenge. She couldn’t bring herself to hate the man she loved, but she loathed Mu Lan’er to the core.

Fueled by that hatred, her health began to improve.

Once she recovered, she took full control of household affairs, suppressing Mu Lan’er at every turn. She restricted Xie Rongyun from visiting Mu Lan’er, believing that this would eventually cool their affections.

But it didn’t. If anything, it only made them grow closer.

Six months later, Mu Lan’er became pregnant again. The original host, fuming with resentment, forced her to pay daily respects despite her condition. She hadn’t expected that this would make Mu Lan’er fall ill.

For the first time, her always-devoted husband scolded her for being jealous and petty.

The original host fell ill again, but this time, Xie Rongyun stayed by Mu Lan’er’s side day and night.

She never recovered.

Near death, she looked at Xie Rongyun with tearful eyes and asked why, if he didn’t love her, he had married her in the first place.

Xie Rongyun replied, “I needed the Mu family’s support. And you saved me…”

As the legitimate daughter of the Mu family, the original host couldn’t bear to take credit for someone else’s deeds, especially when the real credit belonged to Mu Lan’er.

In her final moments of despair, she told him the truth: it was Mu Lan’er who had saved him. She had only stepped in to provide shelter when Mu Lan’er couldn’t.

Xie Rongyun was shaken to his core. Before, he had struggled with the fact that, should his wife pass away, he could never justify making Mu Lan’er his official wife due to her family’s past wrongdoings against him.

But now that he knew she was his true savior, all obstacles disappeared.

After the original host’s death, her spirit remained, filled with resentment. She watched as Xie Rongyun faked Mu Lan’er’s death and gave her a new identity, making her the legitimate daughter of a minor official’s household. Then, he remarried her under the guise of taking a second wife.

The people of the capital envied Mu Lan’er’s good fortune—how a girl from an unremarkable background had married the powerful Xie Rongyun.

Most notably, after that, he never took another concubine.

One child after another was born to them. Even his eldest illegitimate son was generously acknowledged by his new wife and officially recognized as a legitimate heir.

The entire city praised Mu Lan’er’s generosity, calling her the perfect example of a virtuous second wife.

The original host’s resentment exploded.

And that was how Qing Li arrived.

—

After reviewing the original host’s memories, Qing Li felt a fresh surge of frustration. The previous soul’s unwillingness to accept her fate lingered in the body, filling her with its emotions.

She had experienced such cases before. With some effort, she suppressed the foreign emotions and carefully analyzed the situation.

She had arrived at a very early point in the timeline, right at the moment Mu Lan’er had run to Xie’s household for help.

That was fortunate.

But something didn’t add up.

According to the memories, the original host had been sickly and bedridden ever since her miscarriage, growing weaker by the day. She had felt as if death was always just around the corner, yet she had never actually died.

Back then, it could have been attributed to her strong will to live.

But now, Qing Li realized something: the medicine she had just drunk had been tampered with.

As a physician, Qing Li had extensive knowledge of traditional Chinese medicine. Just by smelling it, she could discern the ingredients.

The maid who had served her the medicine, Qi Yue, was the original host’s servant. Loyal to a fault, she had even chosen to commit suicide after the original host’s death.

It was highly unlikely that Qi Yue had tampered with the medicine.

In this household, only the original host and Xie Rongyun were masters. The rest were mere servants with no vested interest.

Which meant…

Qing Li took a deep breath, staring at the canopy above her.

A daring thought surfaced in her mind.

From the moment the second uncle planned to sell Mu Lan’er as a concubine…
To Mu Lan’er seeking refuge in Xie’s household…
To the original host’s prolonged illness, which eventually led her to suggest taking in a concubine herself…

Hadn’t all of this…

Was it orchestrated by Xie Rongyun?