Chapter 60

Que'er and Cui Er are actually dying of curiosity.

But Deng Mama and Li Qingluo kept their mouths shut tight, not uttering a single word.

Just a month ago, Li Qingluo had Deng Mama go find another person for her.

Moreover, if Pei Lao Furen did not actively ask, Deng Mama could not disclose it.

This person is none other than Liu Sui'er, another daughter of the Liu family.

Li Qingzhu's biological parents bore and raised three children altogether.

Li Qingzhu is the eldest daughter, Liu Sui'er the second daughter, and there is also a younger son, Liu Yuanbao.

Actually, even half a year before Li Qingluo was retrieved to the Li household, Liu Sui'er, who is one year younger than Li Qingluo, had already come to Jinling City.

Liu Sui'er is Li Qingzhu's true full sister, sharing the same father and mother.

What was Liu Sui'er brought to Jinling City for?

Perhaps she came to rely on her aunt Liu Jinzhi, or perhaps she came to see her elder sister Li Qingzhu and seek a future.

But somehow, despite having a paternal sister in the Jiangjun Fu and an aunt who always had pork to eat, when Deng Mama found her, she had actually ended up in a brothel!

Li Qingluo never anticipated this.

Actually, her original plan was to have Granny find someone whose physique resembled Li Qingzhu's, and whose voice and appearance could be disguised—a martial artist from the jianghu.

As for Liu Sui'er, it was merely something she wanted to try looking for.

After all, if Liu Jinzhi had managed to attach herself to Li Qingzhu, then Liu Sui'er, who had been a little tyrant since childhood, would certainly not remain idle.

But the person sent to watch that residence returned saying they had never seen anyone resembling Liu Sui'er.

And yet her search ended up in a completely unexpected place.

Although we don't know what Liu Sui'er did to offend them, it seems those two are ruthless and merciless, truly of the same ilk as the Li family people.

Li Qingluo also did not show herself; she merely had someone bring back Liu Sui'er's portrait for her to look at.

Before, Liu Sui'er and Li Qingzhu already resembled each other by about fifty to sixty percent.

Who would have thought that, thanks to misfortune turning into blessing, after staying a while in the brothel, her appearance would become even more like Li Qingzhu's?

"Liu Sui'er has always been ambitious, believing she would one day fly out of the mountains and become a phoenix. Yet now she has fallen to this state, which certainly is not her own wish."

"Granny, go ask her if she wants to leave the brothel."

Li Qingluo did not reveal her identity, because she could not fully trust Liu Sui'er either.

The result was that Liu Sui'er was naturally willing in every way.

Even upon learning that she needed to show her face at the Jiangjun Fu, she was so excited she could hardly wait to act immediately.

"Have you heard that Li Qingzhu is dead? Hahaha… I've finally waited for this day!"

"If she really is dead, and if the people of the Jiangjun Fu mistake me for her, then wouldn't I be able to take her place?"

Liu Sui'er greatly looked forward to being a stand-in.

She thought going to the Jiangjun Fu was to enjoy blessings, and certainly better than being forced in the brothel to serve all those smelly men.

Deng Mama coldly warned her: "Don't blame me for not reminding you—if the Jiangjun Fu people learn you once worked as a prostitute in the brothel, not only would being a stand‑in be out of the question, they might even hate you for sullying the face that resembles the eldest daughter."

"By then, having your face peeled off would be considered light! What fate could you have? You'd better think it over again."

"So you'd better obey now; once the deed is done, we'll ourselves help you leave the brothel, cleanse these stains, and regain a clean identity."

"If then you still want to be a stand‑in, perhaps we can fulfill that for you."

Liu Sui'er was now completely under their control, not daring to make the slightest mistake.

After the previous success, Deng Mama had people assigned to watch over Liu Sui'er.

Li Qingluo wanted, on one hand, to temper her temperament, and on the other hand, could not rush out of the manor.

But now, the time is about right.

After another day passed, Li Qingluo went to Jingci Tang to seek instructions, then dressed in male attire again, and together with Deng Mama and Que'er, the three slipped out of the manor.

In a secluded alley, under prearranged contact, the three quietly entered a small, single‑courtyard house.

In the courtyard stood a towering banyan tree; Li Qingluo saw Liu Sui'er sitting beneath it, quietly embroidering a handkerchief.

If she weren't certain this person was Liu Sui'er, Li Qingluo would have thought she was seeing things.

Liu Sui'er had never even touched a needle since childhood, yet now, having come to Jinling City, she truly seems to have undergone a complete change of temperament?

Hearing the movement, Liu Sui'er lifted her head and looked toward Li Qingluo.

Upon seeing Li Qingluo's current appearance, her eyes were deeply shaken.

Formerly, Liu Caoer was merely a weed in the mountain hollow.

Hard to kill, yet still just a blade of grass.

As for Liu Sui'er, she is at least a little wildflower, which in any case looks better than Liu Caoer.

But look at her now.

Liu Caoer has turned into a precious medicinal plant rescued from the wilds, while Liu Sui'er remains that roadside little wildflower, only now nearly withered to destruction…

Liu Sui'er rose and then knelt on the ground.

"Before, I, Sui'er, have wronged you; please, be magnanimous and do not hold my former vicious deeds against me… I… now seeing you, I feel utterly ashamed."

Liu Sui'er blushed and lowered her head; over the past half year in Jinling, she had already witnessed the ugliest, most vicious side of human nature, and had been whipped into losing her former ignorant arrogance and sharp edges.

She knew that only by bowing to reality and the powerful could she better survive.

Otherwise, she would not have lived to this day in the brothel's den of iniquity.

Even though back home Liu Caoer was the lowliest, most despised person whom anyone could bully, now things are different; she must bend when she ought to bend.

Seeing Liu Sui'er's growth, Li Qingluo was still quite astonished.

Li Qingluo sat down and had Liu Sui'er lift her head.

Seeing Liu Sui'er's face, it is indeed the case that, without deliberate makeup, she and Li Qingzhu are only about fifty to sixty percent alike.

But even so, it could easily let Li Kechuan fall into a trap……

Li Qingluo's gaze made Liu Sui'er fearful, and just as sweat beaded on her forehead, Li Qingluo finally spoke: 'Do you know, your face now looks just like hers?'

Liu Sui'er touched her own face, her gaze sorrowful.

'But I hate looking so much like her.'

Li Qingluo hadn't even asked her why when Liu Sui'er herself slowly said: 'Do you still remember? In early spring, my parents entrusted me, and the villagers took me away, saying I should go to Jinling City to rely on my aunt?'

'But actually, the night before I left, my parents told me. They said you are not really my older sister; my true older sister lives in a wealthy household in Jinling City, living as a young lady of high status.'

'My parents said that once I arrived in Jinling City, my true older sister would surely protect me, dress me in gold and silver, and let me live a life of luxury.'

'My parents also said that once my life stabilized, they would bring the ingots, my parents, and my grandmother to Jinling City, and then our whole family could live well!'

As she spoke, Liu Sui'er glanced at Li Qingluo with a hint of guilt.

After all, she now understood that the Liu family were nothing good—they were truly feeding on the Li family's true young miss's blood steamed buns!