RMBLCUCS – Chapter 18: Shifting Blame Without Guilt
Seeing Tang Mo go from enraged to dejected, Xin An inexplicably felt a little better. She had only just regained her youth, how could she let herself feel old again?
She had been holding back certain thoughts, unable to find someone to confide in, bottling them up until they made her sick. Now, she could dump all this emotional garbage on Tang Mo. After all, he wouldn’t go telling anyone.
“Tang Rong valued my ability to secure benefits for him, but he also desired Tao Yiran’s talent and sensibility. What one cannot obtain always lingers in the mind. With you out of the way, his opportunity naturally came. Tao Yiran is smart; she knew exactly how to control him. Once I was gone, it wouldn’t have been difficult for her to take my place.”
“In the past two days, we’ve both gained advantages, but don’t let your guard down. His years of scheming weren’t for nothing. He’ll soon enter the court, and your father will pour all of the household’s resources into supporting him. He’s far more difficult to bring down than you think.”
In her past life, Tang Rong had managed to frame her son while keeping Tang Hui completely clean and free of suspicion. He must have leveraged many resources to pull that off. His capabilities were certainly formidable.
Tang Mo felt a heavy weight settle over him. He suddenly felt like a worm crawling in the gutter—no matter how much he struggled, he couldn’t climb out.
Seeing his dejection, Xin An didn’t bother comforting him. If just this much was enough to sap his fighting spirit, she might as well have poisoned Tang Rong outright—at least that would be more direct.
The two of them sat in silence for a long while before Tang Mo finally muttered, “Forget it. I died early, and you didn’t fare much better. We’ve been given a second chance, yet we’re still haunted by the shadows of the past. Meanwhile, those two are in the next courtyard, wrapped up in their romance, probably having the time of their lives.”
With that, he got up. “Go to bed early.”
He held resentment toward Tao Yiran—she had no love for him yet still married him, and after the wedding, she never truly settled down. He also hated Tang Rong. He had chosen to marry Xin An, yet he still coveted another man’s wife. And somehow, such a shameless person still held a reputation he could never hope to match.
That night, over in Spring Blossom Courtyard, just because Tao Yiran had scalded her knee didn’t mean they would remain chaste. Their passion carried on deep into the night.
Meanwhile, in Autumn Harvest Courtyard, two people haunted by their pasts stared at the ceiling for half the night, until finally, they drifted off with long, weary sighs.
The next morning, Wang Shi prepared the return visit gifts for both Tang Rong and Tang Mo. Tang Rong thanked her and had the gifts loaded onto the carriage.
At the entrance, Tang Rong and Tao Yiran noticed that Tang Mo’s return gifts were significantly more lavish—so much so that an extra carriage was needed to carry them. Both assumed Wang Shi was showing favoritism. Tang Mo was ready to march up and shove it in their faces, but Xin An grabbed his sleeve, stopping him from speaking.
Once they were inside the carriage, Tang Mo grumbled, “Why did you hold me back? I should’ve gone and humiliated them.”
“What’s the point?” Xin An shot him a glance. “Yesterday, when Mother mentioned that we could add to our return gifts, they were too busy making eyes at each other to listen. Now, they’re convinced she’s playing favorites. Even if you tell them the truth, they’ll just blame her for not reminding them again.”
“Since no explanation will satisfy them, it’s better to let them stew in their resentment. The more it builds, the better it will explode later.”
People who feel slighted start to harbor resentment. And when resentment takes hold, mistakes are inevitable.
“Besides, don’t forget—you’re supposed to be turning over a new leaf and becoming a better person. Less troublemaking.”
“Turning over a new leaf?” Tang Mo immediately thought of his biased father, and his expression soured. “What crime did I commit to need redemption?”
He had suffered countless losses at Tang Rong’s hands since childhood—he was the one who had been wronged!
“This is infuriating!”
As expected, once Tao Yiran boarded the carriage, her eyes turned red, and she lowered her gaze without speaking. Her maid, always her voice, voiced her indignation.
“Madam, this is too unfair! The return gifts between the two houses are completely different. I counted just now—Second Young Master’s gifts are twice as much as ours, all packed in the finest wooden chests. They must be filled with treasures.”
Tang Rong suddenly recalled that his mother had indeed mentioned they could add to their gifts. He had meant to select a few items from his birth mother’s dowry to include, but in the midst of handling affairs, he had… forgotten.
But he wouldn’t admit he had overlooked it. Instead, he immediately shifted the blame to Wang Shi, thinking she should have reminded him again.
Letting out a weary sigh, he said, “Mother is Second Brother’s birth mother. It’s natural for her to be more considerate of him. I’ll personally apologize to Father- and Mother-in-law.”
Tao Yiran had been vaguely aware of the opportunity to add gifts, but since Tang Rong had already placed the blame elsewhere, she didn’t bother thinking further. With her mother-in-law taking the heat, she saw no reason to dwell on it. She gently reassured him, “These gifts are already very good. Mother put a lot of thought into them—our family will surely be pleased.”
“Madam, you’re too soft-hearted. This is blatant favoritism!” The maid fumed, indignant.
“You mustn’t speak like that,” Tao Yiran reprimanded gently.
Only then did the maid begrudgingly fall silent.
The journey from the Tang estate to the Xin family’s residence in the capital took some time. Inside the carriage, Xin An and Tang Mo spent most of it yawning.
By the time they arrived, the Xin family was already waiting at the entrance. As Tang Mo climbed halfway out of the carriage, he suddenly paused and turned back. “I’m thinking—poisoning him really wouldn’t be such a bad idea.”
Xin An rolled her eyes. “If he dies, your father will lose his mind. Right now, you don’t have the qualifications to inherit the title. More likely than not, the emperor will revoke the marquisate altogether. Even if he doesn’t, the title will be downgraded.”
The current emperor was strict about noble titles. He only allowed succession when the heir was personally acknowledged by him. Even a father’s word wasn’t enough.
“Seems like turning over a new leaf is the smarter option for you.”
“Xin An! Hurry up!”
Xin Kuan called from outside. Tang Mo turned back with a perfectly amiable expression. “The carriage ride was bumpy, and your sister’s hairpin got a little crooked. She insisted on fixing it.”
“You know how women love to look good.”
Tang Mo stepped down from the carriage and reached out to help Xin An down. Seeing them get along well, Madame Xin beamed.
“Hurry inside. We knew you were coming today, so Steward Wen personally went out to buy fresh ingredients yesterday. He said he’s going to make you some authentic Huai Jiang dishes. It won’t be easy to get a taste of home once you return.”
Xin An could barely remember the last time she had authentic Huai Jiang cuisine. “Hearing that is already making my mouth water. I’m going to eat two big bowls today.”Tang Mo followed along, and Xin Huan grinned, walking beside him. “Brother-in-law, you should listen to my sister more. She’s really smart.”
Tang Mo glanced sideways and chuckled. “Oh? So at home, you always listen to your sister?”
“Of course!” Xin Huan said proudly. “You’ll understand soon enough. But if you want my sister’s help, you have to treat her well first.”
So that’s what this was about. Tang Mo smirked. In his past life, he had never been able to outmaneuver Xin An, and now she even knew more about the future than he did. There was no way he could win against her in this life either. Naturally, the only choice was to latch onto her for dear life.
“With a formidable brother-in-law like you, how could I not treasure her?”