Chapter 27: Her Daughter (Part One) Please add to your favorites, leave a review, and recommend.

“Hmph, stop making excuses. There’s only one bowl of rice today; you can decide among yourselves who gets to eat it!” Nanny Qiu let out a couple of triumphant, cold snorts. She cast a glance at Lu Xuexin, but quickly looked away, as if staring at her any longer would rot her own eyes.

“Nanny Qiu, it’s true. Miss is really ill; I didn’t skip work on purpose! Please, have some mercy and find a doctor to examine her!” Nanny He reached out, feeling Lu Xuexin’s forehead again, tears streaming down her cheeks in helpless worry. Poor child—if she didn’t see a doctor in time, she might die or become simpleminded!

“Miss? Doctor?” Nanny Qiu reacted as if she’d heard a great joke, planting her fists on her hips and laughing so hard she nearly choked. When she finally finished, she spat out furiously, “With her sickly look, she still dreams of seeing a doctor? Even the lowest servant girls are better off than this wretched ‘Miss.’ She should consider herself lucky just to survive. Doctors are for the precious young ladies and madams. A worthless brat of unknown origin like her could never be so fortunate!”

Aside from the few who were present at the time, no one knew Lu Xuexin’s true identity. To those who did, she was considered the illegitimate child born of a concubine, unloved and unacknowledged, and thus was bullied at every opportunity.

All these years, Lu Anrong had shown nothing but indifference toward this daughter, as if her existence or death had nothing to do with him. He cared nothing for how Madam Leng treated Lu Xuexin, nor did he heed the servants’ mistreatment of her. He didn’t want to hear any news of her, nor did he wish her dead—his contradictory attitude was inscrutable to all.

Nanny He had expected this outcome from the moment she spoke, but she still had to try; otherwise, she would never rest easy. Unfortunately, she’d been too wary earlier, too guarded against that young lady. Otherwise, she might have begged her to help Miss instead.

“Still dawdling? Do you all want to go hungry?” Nanny Qiu shouted from the doorway when she saw Nanny He still hadn’t caught up.

“I’m coming, I’m coming… Miss, wait for me. As soon as I finish my chores, I’ll bring you something to eat!” Nanny He wiped her tears, hugged Lu Xuexin with deep concern, then hurried after the others. She had given today’s only bowl of rice to Lu Xuexin, leaving herself to endure hunger.

Hidden in the corner, Anran was stunned by the name “Lu Xuexin.” The girl before her was called Lu Xuexin—her daughter. Her daughter was alive! Was this heaven’s mercy? Did fate truly leave her something to hope for, a reason to go on living? Had the heavens finally heard her desperate, unceasing prayers?

No… No, it couldn’t be. How could Xiner still be alive? Anran shuddered violently as the events of that fateful night flashed through her mind. Cold Yiyun had ordered that wicked woman to smash her child to death. Wasn’t she supposed to be dead? Her son Chen’er was flayed alive by that poisonous woman—a nightmare Anran relived every night, waking again and again in cold sweat at the bloody memories. Her daughter, born just at full term, should have been killed then. How could she still be alive? Xiner—her child, her precious child…

But just now, hadn’t that shrew repeatedly called out “Lu Xuexin”? Living in such a place, suffering such abuse from the servants—there could be no mistake. Xiner was truly still alive! Anran swore in her heart that she would one day personally tear Lu Anrong, that heartless beast, to pieces!

She had no idea how Lu Xuexin had survived. Her eyes wide with shock, her face frozen in disbelief, silent tears traced down her cheeks. Suddenly remembering something, she hastily wiped her tears and hurried out.

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