Chapter 6 He Only Saw Her as a Sister

Chu Mu was certain that Lin Jiaojiao had always been sensible and well-mannered; she would never make Shen Zhao kneel before her.

“Must I expose what Sister Shen has done wrong? If she’s made a mistake, shouldn’t she kneel?” Lin Jiaojiao wore an expression of deep grievance, casting a vicious glare at “Shen Zhao” behind everyone’s back.

Chu Mu looked at Lin Jiaojiao in astonishment. Her words were utterly unacceptable, and her secret glare left him shaken.

How could this be?

In his memory, Lin Jiaojiao had always been cultured and reasonable, gentle and quiet, never nitpicking with others.

Whenever the servants whispered that the madam had bullied Miss Lin again, he would go to check on her. Lin Jiaojiao never spoke ill of Shen Zhao before him; she would even say a few good words for Shen Zhao, stopping him from confronting her, fearing it might hurt their marital bond.

The words she said most often were, “It’s nothing if I suffer a little; as long as the household is peaceful.”

Such magnanimity, such thoughtfulness—how could Lin Jiaojiao now seem so unreasonable?

Could it be that Shen Zhao had done something truly outrageous, bullying her so severely that she was forced to retaliate?

It must be so.

Even a cornered rabbit will bite, let alone a person.

Chu Mu believed he’d found the truth.

“Miss Lin, if I’ve wronged you before, I apologize here and ask for your forgiveness.”

All he had ever heard was that Shen Zhao stubbornly refused to repent, bullied others, and never apologized.

Lin Jiaojiao had also said that, as long as Sister Shen was truly remorseful, she would not hold a grudge.

Chu Mu looked at Lin Jiaojiao expectantly.

He knew that, with his sincere admission of fault, Lin Jiaojiao would not make him kneel, and would even persuade his mother to treat Shen Zhao kindly.

After all, Lin Jiaojiao was kind-hearted and hoped for peace in the household; she would never stir up trouble.

Lin Jiaojiao walked gracefully toward Chu Mu.

She said, “It’s rare for Sister to admit fault for the first time; how could I not forgive you? I’ve always hoped to get along well with Sister.”

Chu Mu smiled in relief.

He always knew Lin Jiaojiao was thoughtful and sensible.

If Shen Zhao could just try to understand her, the misunderstandings would fade.

Now, using Shen Zhao’s body, he could finally get along with Lin Jiaojiao, and he believed Shen Zhao would be moved by her.

Lin Jiaojiao drew closer; the distance between them grew smaller.

Chu Mu frowned and instinctively stepped back. Though he wanted to get along, he didn’t wish to be too close to Lin Jiaojiao.

Apart from Shen Zhao, he didn’t want any other woman to touch him.

Lin Jiaojiao tried to take Shen Zhao’s hand, but Chu Mu quickly withdrew.

Lin Jiaojiao smiled unconcernedly, a gleam of calculation in her eyes. If she couldn’t touch her, did that mean she couldn’t frame her?

Just as she withdrew her hand, she suddenly fell backward heavily.

She cried out, “Sister, why did you push me?”

Chu Mu stared at his own hands, bewildered. He had kept his hands tucked in his sleeves; he hadn’t reached out, yet Lin Jiaojiao lay sprawled on the floor.

He swore he hadn’t touched her, let alone pushed her.

The waiting maidservants and old women immediately rushed to surround Lin Jiaojiao.

Clutching her chest, Lin Jiaojiao looked at Shen Zhao with sorrow.

“Sister, you’ve gone too far. First you slander me in front of Brother Mu, making him misunderstand me, and now you lay hands on me. You know I’m frail because of what happened to my elder brother, yet you still push me so ruthlessly—are you trying to kill me?”

Her tears streamed down as she pressed her chest as if in great pain. “I know Brother Mu likes me, and that displeases Sister. But feelings between men and women are beyond our control. I never thought I was the one who ruined your relationship with Brother Mu.”

“It’s the unloved one who occupies the place meant for another—that’s the true destroyer.”

Remembering Brother Mu’s attitude toward her today, Lin Jiaojiao felt even more aggrieved. Her words grew unchecked, spilling out what she’d long buried in her heart.

Chu Mu stood frozen in shock.

What nonsense was Lin Jiaojiao spouting?

Shen Zhao had never slandered Lin Jiaojiao before him. She had always openly expressed her dislike, never secretly or subtly, and always in any place, at any time.

And what was this about him liking Lin Jiaojiao?

How could he not know?

Everyone else seemed to accept this as natural.

He’d always seen Lin Jiaojiao as a younger sister, never harboring romantic feelings for her.

Nor had he ever claimed not to like Shen Zhao.

It was just that over the past two years, Shen Zhao’s temperament had changed, becoming prickly and cold toward him.

But most importantly, he truly hadn’t pushed Lin Jiaojiao.

“Bang!”

The old matriarch slammed the table. “Shen, you dare bully Jiaojiao right under my nose! Who knows what you do to her when I’m not watching?”

“You’ve lost all conscience. You know Jiaojiao suffers from a heart ailment because of her brother, you know she’s frail, yet you dare push her and harm her.”

“As Mu’s wife, you owe Jiaojiao. If it hadn’t been for her brother, it might have been Mu who never returned. You vicious woman, you’re unworthy to be our Chu family’s daughter-in-law. I’ll have Mu divorce you, and let him see your true colors.”

“Mother, I didn’t—” Chu Mu tried to explain.

Lin Jiaojiao cut him off, “Sister, are you going to say you didn’t push me? Everyone was watching—are you suggesting I’d risk my own safety to frame you?”

The second madam immediately chimed in, “Sister-in-law, we all saw it. You were jealous and pushed Jiaojiao; how can you lie so brazenly?”

Chu Mu’s eyes widened. Who was really lying?

“Second sister-in-law, did you truly see me push Miss Lin?”

The second madam glanced at Shen Zhao, “I did. I’m your sister-in-law; would I falsely accuse you? I saw clearly you pushed Jiaojiao.”

“What, am I not allowed to tell the truth? Shen, don’t assume others are vicious just because you are.”

Her words rendered him speechless.

He could hardly believe it—his impression of his second sister-in-law had always been that, though a bit sharp-tongued, she was straightforward, speaking her mind without scheming.

So even when Shen Zhao complained to him about her sister-in-law’s machinations, tricks, and slander, he never believed it, always thinking Shen Zhao was being paranoid.

He’d even scolded Shen Zhao, urging her not to judge others so carelessly, to try understanding and accepting them.

But now, faced with this blatant liar, he could no longer accept it, especially as she looked at him with righteous indignation.

He felt aggrieved, helpless.

He hadn’t pushed Lin Jiaojiao; she’d fallen on her own.

Yet no one gave him a chance to explain, condemning him outright.

“I didn’t—”

“Silence! Someone take Shen away, no breakfast, just drag her to the ancestral hall in the side courtyard to kneel.”

When did the ancestral hall move to the side courtyard?