Chapter Eight: You Support Me?

Prostitute...
Defilement!
Such a simple phrase, yet for the past three years, it had become a familiar source of humiliation and contempt for her.
At this moment, when Fu Yiyi uttered it in the most innocent tone, shouting it viciously,
Yuzao distinctly felt something shatter right in the center of her chest!

“Mommy, don’t be afraid. Your bravest and most adorable little baby will protect you.”
“Just like Daddy.”

The little one looked back at Yu Yue, his chubby face immediately breaking into an adorable, innocent smile.
The servant forced a smile to ease the tension.

“Young master, you must be mistaken. Miss Yu was invited by madam to paint the family portrait. She is not a prostitute.”

“But Daddy even called the police last time!”
Fu Yiyi insisted,
His gaze toward Yuzao always blazing with suspicion.

Yu Yue pulled the soft bundle into his arms.
Her long black hair, silky as silk, was pinned up with a simple, elegant wooden hairpin.
Though her appearance was ordinary, having been pampered by Fu Shiyong for so long,
She radiated an aura of wealth that was dazzling beyond compare!

“Sister, three years have passed, and you’re still so... beautiful.”
She deliberately paused before uttering those last two words with deep implication.

Fu Yiyi pouted, humming, “Mommy, Daddy says that prostitutes may look pretty, but they have hearts as venomous as snakes and scorpions. They’re vain and always looking for shortcuts.”

For a mother,
There is no greater pain in this world than being despised and insulted by the son she risked her life to bring into the world!

Yuzao clenched her fists tightly.
Her not-so-long nails dug into her flesh, the sticky pain wrapping densely around her heart, suffocating her.

Yu Yue, however, wore an expression of understanding and reason, calmly admonishing Fu Yiyi, “Be good. Mommy’s sister is a guest. You must be polite.”

“I won’t! Mommy is a fairy, and fairies don’t treat prostitutes like sisters!”
“Get out! I hate dirty things! Daddy and I both hate dirty things!”

The child, only five or six years old, expressed his hatred with utmost clarity.
He even jumped out of Yu Yue’s arms.
Carelessly grabbing a makeup box from the table, he flung it hard at Yuzao.

Bang!
Her forehead split open, blood gushing out.

But such trivial flesh wounds were nothing compared to the agony tearing at her soul, as if she were being ripped apart!

Three years! A full three years.
She had imagined countless times what it would be like to see her son again.
Imagined him clinging to her like when he was little, only falling asleep peacefully in his mother’s arms.
Imagined him struggling to say “Mommy” and then proudly waving his little arms...

“Ah! Sister, how did you get hurt?”
“Someone, take Yiyi out to play first. I want to catch up with my dear sister.”

There was not a trace of concern.
The words “dear sister” were spoken with biting sarcasm.

The servants obeyed, forcibly dragging away Fu Yiyi, who was still shouting about protecting Yu Yue.

Blood droplets connected into a line, dripping slowly down Yuzao’s once enchanting but now nearly pale cheek.

Like a lady of the house, Yu Yue pointed with one hand at everything inside the main courtyard house.
With the other, she gently caressed the priceless white wedding dress.

She suddenly pursed her red lips and laughed softly, “Sister, do you think I look good? Shiyong and the master tailor painstakingly made this wedding dress stitch by stitch just for me. Every corner of this place is filled with his overwhelming love~”

The entire set of top-quality nanmu wood furniture.
The white wool carpet laid on the stone floor, glowing warmly under the orange-yellow chandelier’s light.

Yuzao felt an icy chill.

Three years ago,
On that rainy night when she and Fu Shiyong had to break a humble Hua Feng flatbread in half and even shared the crumbs out of courtesy,
The man’s broad chest offered her unwavering support.
He said, “Little Fish, once I make money, I will give you the biggest, most luxurious home in the world.”
“I won’t let you suffer anymore. I’ll cover our home with the softest wool carpets.”
“After all, my little Fish is so delicate—if her little feet catch cold, she’ll fall ill.”

But now, Fu Shiyong, I am truly sick.
Yet your wool carpet will never, ever belong to me again!

Yu Yue rose from the sofa with a beaming smile and approached proudly.
Her proud lean was accompanied by the familiar scent of lilies.

Fu Shiyong was skilled at mixing fragrances.
He always liked to pinch Yuzao’s nose and tease, “My little lily, do you want a kiss from your mint-flower husband today?”

Ha ha ha—
The joyful laughter, squeezed out from memories, collided with the man’s utter disappointment and disgust from last night.

“So, Yuzao? Your precious son calls me Mom, and your husband is at my feet, begging under my pomegranate skirt.”
“Losing everything like you did over a decade ago—dear sister, aren’t you enjoying it?”

Hatred far outweighed the happiness reserved for a bride.

Yuzao ground her silver teeth and quickly took a step back, expression calm and unreadable as she tried to leave.

Her muscles stiffened inch by inch, as if swearing that a disaster that would disgrace her was about to unfold.

To have a breakdown right in front of Yu Yue.
Like a broken doll out of control, flailing about wildly.
Even frightening Fu Yiyi, who was playing in the courtyard.

Just the thought of it was enough to terrify anyone half to death.

Her steps quickened, her forced calm appearing somewhat ridiculous and pitiful.

Yu Yue sneered and casually tossed a stack of hundred-yuan bills onto the floor.
Her crystal-clear high-heeled shoe crushed the money as she kicked toward Yuzao.

“Get back here. Sister, you’ll kneel on the ground like a dog and pick up every single one of these bills with your mouth.”
“Of course, my stunning sister can refuse.”
“But what about poor little Yiyi? If I’m in a bad mood, the little one will have to...”

Thud.

The wound on her forehead still oozed bright, glaring blood.

Her knees slammed onto the plush wool carpet, a pain deeper than rolling on a bed of nails.

The unique bitter taste of the bills exploded on her tongue.

One bill after another,
In the face of Yu Yue’s sharp, mocking laughter, she picked them up with her mouth.

The servants seemed to deliberately bring Fu Yiyi in at this moment.

The little boy saw this scene and burst into tears with a loud wail.

Yuzao instinctively wanted to hug the son who once depended on her endlessly.

But his soft little fist struck her—harmless but rejected by a mother he had long forgotten.

“Dirty woman, stinky prostitute, get out! Go away!”
“I won’t let you bully my mommy! You’re not allowed to cheat my mommy out of money!”

Yuzao’s breakdown.

Her muscles spasmed uncontrollably.

To avoid hurting her son,
She forced her arm so hard it dislocated, then was thrown out of the courtyard like trash.

Inside the house,
Yu Yue wore the pride of a victor, doted on by Fu Yiyi.

The “mother and son” laughed and played happily together!

Night fell.

Even after taking medicine, Yuzao still burned with a high fever.

Yang Chen tidied the medical kit, frowning slightly.

“No, you can’t go to work at the Golden Leopard tonight. You’re injured like this—you have to rest properly at home.”

“Then will you take care of me?”

Her mind was foggy; she joked casually.

The usually steady and reserved handsome uncle’s ears flushed faintly red.

He almost blurted out, “I’ll take care of you.”

Yuzao changed into her maid’s uniform, tugged at the skirt barely covering her thighs, and stepped outside.

Her temperature was high; her steps unsteady.

“Go back and accompany your wife. You two are a hundred times luckier than me and...”

She wanted to say “Fu Shiyong,” but stopped halfway,
Finally shaking his head bitterly and walking away.

When she arrived at the Golden Leopard,
Taking a shortcut through an alley to the back door,
Suddenly, a hand emerged from nowhere, grabbing her arm fiercely and pulling her into a blind spot from the surveillance cameras.