Chapter 162: Secret Within a Secret

Returning from the medicine hall, the sky was already bright. Seeing Jun Jun Zijin had a simple breakfast, then lay down; barely two hours later, a flying eagle reported that Jun Jun Yiyi had quietly left the manor, rented a carriage, and headed toward the suburbs.

Jun Chengcai and Seeing Jun Jun Zijin set off immediately, spurring their horses, and followed Jun Jun Yiyi to a secluded manor in the suburbs.

By then, the sky had gradually darkened; the manor was utterly silent, save for a few dim yellow lamps swaying in the gentle breeze.

Jun Jun Yiyi stepped down from the carriage, a madness flashing in her eyes, and cautiously crept toward the manor.

Jun Chengcai and Seeing Jun Jun Zijin hid in the shadows, watching Jun Jun Yiyi's every move with tight focus.

Weeds grew thick around the manor; a few dilapidated thatched huts looked especially desolate under the moonlight.

Jun Jun Yiyi, dagger in hand, approached a broken thatched hut and pushed the door open without hesitation. The door hinge emitted a piercing creak, jarringly loud in the silent night.

Inside, an elderly couple sat around a crude table; a white-haired old woman mended clothes by the faint light.

The candlelight on the table flickered unsteadily, casting their weathered faces in its glow.

Hearing the disturbance, they instinctively turned their heads; instantly, a dagger flashing with cold light in the candle's glow came into view. The old couple's eyes were filled with terror, and their bodies trembled uncontrollably.

Seeing Jun Jun Yiyi look at the terrified couple, the disgust in her eyes was impossible to hide.

She spat several times in her mind: "The parents of that bastard are this wretched? My mother, Jun Jun Yiyi's mother, let Jun Chengcai enjoy over ten years of fortune in the Jun manor, yet he Jun Chengcai shows no gratitude—he is nothing but a thankless wolf."

Thinking this, Jun Jun Yiyi spoke coldly:

"I ask you: sixteen years ago, did you lose a son?"

The couple clearly did not understand why this strange woman had suddenly appeared here, nor why she mentioned a son lost sixteen years ago; they grew even more terrified. The old woman answered in a trembling voice:

"Y-yes... yes, Miss, what does this have to do with you?"

Jun Jun Yiyi's face twisted into a hideous expression; she said viciously:

"Of course it has to do with me, because today is the day you die."

Jun Jun Yiyi said no more and thrust the dagger toward the old woman.

At that critical moment, a dull thud sounded; Jun Jun Yiyi felt her arm go numb, a sharp pain surged up her arm, and the dagger in her hand fell to the ground.

The old couple, still shaken from the shock, slumped to the floor, gasping for breath in great heaves, their eyes filled with the relief of having survived.

Jun Jun Yiyi looked up in shock and saw Seeing Jun Jun Zijin and Jun Chengcai standing not far away; Jun Chengcai wore a mocking smile on his lips and said to Seeing Jun Jun Zijin:

"Sister, can't you change your trick next time you hit someone? It's such a pity to dirty the silver!"

"No, I like smashing silver when I hit people!"

Seeing Jun Jun Zijin's voice was clear and pleasant, carrying a touch of playfulness.

Jun Jun Yiyi watched the two completely ignore her presence and chat on their own; she ground her teeth in hatred, especially hearing Jun Chengcai affectionately call Seeing Jun Jun Zijin "Sister" while calling her "Jun Yiyi"; the provocation nearly drove her mad.

She wanted to point at them and curse, but her arm throbbed and itched; she tried several times but could not lift it.

Yet her mouth would not stay shut:

"Jun Chengcai, why are you so good to her?"

Seeing Jun Jun Yiyi grimace in pain, Jun Chengcai, for some reason, felt a strange surge of pleasure rise in his heart.

He strolled over to Jun Jun Yiyi, squatted down, looked at her with a half-smile, and said softly:

"Because she is my sister, because she is my master. You dared harm my parents; in view of the fact that we once called that same person 'mother,' I spare you today. If there is a next time, I won't mind staining my hands with more blood."

Hearing Jun Chengcai's words, Jun Jun Yiyi knew he already knew the secret of his origins; her heart burned with hatred, and she issued a threat:

"Jun Chengcai, you bastard, how dare you speak to me like that? Do you think I won't tell Father that you're a bastard when I get back?"

As soon as Jun Jun Yiyi finished speaking, she saw Seeing Jun Jun Zijin leisurely pick up the dagger from the ground, tilt her head slightly, squint at her, and twirl the dagger in her hand again and again.

Jun Jun Yiyi's heart skipped a beat; she couldn't help but ask:

"Seeing Jun Jun Zijin, what are you going to do?"

A faint, almost imperceptible smile curled Seeing Jun Jun Zijin's lips:

"If you don't scram right now, I might just do something."

Jun Jun Yiyi knew she would get no good out of today; she snorted coldly, turned, and left, not forgetting to glare fiercely at them as she departed.

Jun Chengcai didn't mind; he turned to face the trembling old couple.

Looking at them, Jun Chengcai's eyes were full of confusion and expectation; he urgently wanted to know whether these two were his biological parents.

Jun Chengcai's eyes reddened, his voice trembled slightly with excitement, and he asked softly:

"Elders, can you tell me what exactly happened? Am I the son you lost?"

"You are... you are..."

The shaken old couple exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with the complex mixture of confusion and excitement.

The couple stared at the pale-red birthmark on the back of Jun Chengcai's hand; after a long moment, the old couple, tears glistening in their eyes, finally came to their senses. It was this mark that confirmed Jun Chengcai's identity; the old couple hurriedly helped Jun Chengcai to his feet, their eyes full of helplessness and sorrow.

The old man sighed and said slowly:

"Child, you are not our biological son. Sixteen years ago, we found you in the grass inside a cave."

Hearing this, Jun Chengcai's heart sank heavily; a trace of disappointment flashed in his eyes, which had been full of expectation.

But he did not interrupt; instead, he waited quietly for the old man to continue.

The old woman turned shakily and walked into the inner room; a moment later, she came out holding a piece of brocade in both hands.

Her hands trembled slightly, as if holding an infinitely precious treasure.

A flood of memories surged into the old couple's hearts, so clear it felt as though it had happened yesterday.

The couple's surname was Zhou; they made their living by hunting. Sixteen years ago, on an autumn day when leaves fell in profusion, the couple, as usual, searched the forest for game.

By chance, they entered a remote cave. In a corner of the cave, they found a newborn baby.

The child was wrapped in exquisite brocade, covered with a pile of straw, as if someone had deliberately hidden him there, hoping to give him some warmth.

The couple had had no children for many years; looking at the adorable little life before them, the baby cooing and sucking on his tiny fingers, their hearts melted instantly.

They stayed by the child's side, waiting from afternoon until dusk, their eyes fixed tightly on the cave entrance, expecting someone to come back for the child.