Reborn Daughter: The Young Lady Wants to Make a Trouble

"I'm tired of sitting." Li Xueyue said after a while.

"I can't even touch my butt..." Li Minghua complained. She had had enough of the delicious pastries. Eating in front of an audience was too annoying. She felt like her every move was under close scrutiny.

Li Xueyue turned her head to look at her mother, who was upset by her father's words. "Mom," she called softly.

Queen Wang Qixing paused. She turned to her daughter and smiled tenderly. "The banquet will be over soon."

“Can I go for a walk?” Li Xueyue asked. “I feel uncomfortable after sitting for so long.”

Queen Wang Qixing slowly shook her head. "No, there are too many people here today. If you slip away, something might happen in this huge palace."

Although Li Xueyue wanted to argue, she nodded helplessly. "Then can I at least walk around this palace? I won't go too far, at most to the pavilion by the pond over there."

Li Xueyue pointed not far away. There was a small bridge leading to the center of a man-made pond. Except for half a pavilion, the path was well lit.

"Please?" Li Xueyue asked. "You can see me from here, and there are guards near that place."

Queen Wang Qixing pursed her lips. "Unless you promise not to be away for so long."

Li Xueyue's eyes lit up. She nodded happily. "It's just a short walk."

Her mother smiled and gently placed her hand on her cheek. "Don't go too far."

Li Xueyue squeezed through the crowd with a polite smile and dry answers. Several people stopped her to chat, but she tried her best to refuse them.

Finally, she reached the little bridge. As she had expected, the other half of the pavilion was dark. Not even the light from the nearby lanterns could reach that far, and no moonlight shone through the hole.

"Finally." Li Xueyue sighed. She went into the darkness and sat down. "Away from prying eyes."

Li Xueyue saw Minghua talking to his mother from a distance. There was no doubt that Minghua also wanted to leave.

"I'm so tired," she said, swinging her feet and rolling her shoulders.

Li Xueyue stretched her neck left and right, hoping to get rid of a hairpin or two. If she took some out of her hair, no one would notice, right?

"Well, I'm alone, so it should be fine," Li Xueyue said as she began to remove a few small hairpins. No one would notice that they were missing because the larger accessories in her mind were the main focus.

"Not exactly," said a voice from the shadows.

Li Xueyue jumped up from her seat. She moved closer to the light in case she needed to run back. Her eyes slowly moved to the guard who was only a small shout away from them.

"Princess Li, don't be so scared." said the voice.

Li Xueyue recognized this and immediately wished she hadn't. It was finally time to listen to Chen Yang's advice. She turned her back to him and stepped onto the small bridge leading to the land.

"I won't hurt you, Princess Li. I would never lay a hand on my only daughter."

Li Xueyue was forced to stop. Not because she wanted to, but because curiosity got the better of her. How did Lord Li Tao know that she was his daughter? Who told him?

"I didn't believe my apprentice at first either. After all, my daughter was so close and yet so far away. How could it be possible?" he said.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Li Xueyue said calmly. She turned back in time and saw Li Taojun also walked out from the shadows.

"Little princess, why don't you want to see me?" Lord Li Taojun asked softly. "The Bai family treated you badly, I didn't mean to neglect you. If you hadn't pushed me away, I would have taken you to live a luxurious life."

Li Xueyue's eyes flashed with indignation. What on earth was he talking about? "I didn't even know you existed when I lived with them."

She narrowed her eyes. "But you can continue to live in your fantasy world."

"I didn't rape your mother." Li Taojun said. "We were drunk. Her marriage to Viscount Bai Sheng was not happy because her eldest child was not a son. You have to understand--"

"What is your purpose in telling me this?" Li Xueyue asked.

It was hard for her to stay calm, especially when such an unexpected bomb dropped on her. She had been the unwanted offspring of a rapist her whole life, and now, he was telling her it was consensual?

Li Daojun's eyes softened. "She was lonely, neglected by your father, and depressed. Women survive on love. I believe she drugged my drink, and as a result, you were born."

Duke Li Taojun examined her face, wondering if she believed him. "I didn't want to touch her. I swear, she was a married woman, and I don't like that kind of person. But it happened, and it can't be changed. I believe she told Viscount Bai Sheng that it happened. "She was raped to save herself. I don't know how much this will affect you."

Li Xueyue glared at him. He was trying to save himself by sacrificing Viscount Mu Yihua. Did Lord Li Taojun know that he was insulting the dead?

"Your biological mother must have fed you so many lies to make you betray me," Li Daojun said. "If my damned brother hadn't used my evil secret against me, I would have come to you sooner. Even if I had to drag you out of that house, I—"

"But you didn't." Li Xueyue said softly.

King Li Tao didn't expect that three simple words could hurt so much. There were too many things he wanted to know.

What was she thinking? How was she feeling? He studied her face and immediately regretted it. He got the answer from her eyes—so calm, so indifferent. She was not bothered by him. She never would be.

"Are you mad at me for choosing you as a candidate? Is that the point?" Lord Li Chenyang asked loudly. "I didn't mean it, little princess. If I had known you were my daughter, I would have--"

"But it's over now," Li Xueyue said. She didn't know why, but she didn't feel anything for him. At first, she was a little surprised to see him, but now, she was numb. Not from pain. Not from acceptance. She just... didn't care that he was her biological father.

Li Xueyue had given up on her biological father a long time ago. The first time she was beaten by Viscount Bai Sheng and the first time she was ignored by Viscount Mu Yihua, all her hopes were shattered.

Li Xueyue didn't care about the evil events that happened before she was born. She didn't care that adults had their own stories.

Most importantly, no one came to help her. Her biological mother turned a blind eye to the abuse. Viscount Mu Yihua only begged for mercy when Xueyue's face was bruised.

Her biological father was a coward. Because he did not save her and valued his reputation more than his life, he lost his place in her heart.

It was too late for everyone. Li Xueyue had already lost hope in her biological parents. What had they done for her? Nothing. So, how did she feel about them? Nothing. Except anger and disgust.

Li Xueyue hated Lord Li Taojun with a passion. She despised him with a fiery passion. Words could not describe her disgust for Viscountess Mu Yihua. That woman, until her last breath, tried to take advantage of Xueyue.

"Xueyue, if only I could spend more time with you." Li Tao Jun Gong said. "If only my own brothers didn't use you against me and ruin my reputation!"

“What are you talking about?” Li Xueyue asked. His brother? Isn’t that Emperor Li Shenyang?

Li Taojun Gong immediately saw an opportunity. She was confused. Okay. Those who are confused about something are more easily persuaded. All he had to do was to make the truth work in his favor.

"The man you now call father, the tyrant on the throne, do you know that he is the real reason why I couldn't find you in time?" Li Daojun asked.

His eyes sparkled. "Did you know he was threatening me with my darkest secrets, threatening to destroy everything I'd built? Otherwise why do you think I despise him so much?"

Li Xueyue just tilted her head.

"I despise your father, not because he took away my title of 'Duke', but because he is the only reason why I can't see you!" He lied.

"Li Chenyang has always known about you. He knows that I have an illegitimate daughter and that I had an affair with your mother. He threatened to destroy me and your biological mother, and implicate you at the same time!"

Li Xueyue blinked. Oh. Is that so? She had thought there would be a better excuse than this. Did Emperor Li Chenyang know of her existence?

Li Xueyue knew that Chen Yang had not told the emperor about her biological father. Doesn't that mean that her father didn't even know that this illegitimate daughter was Bai Xueyue? She had to talk to him about this.

But now, she was willing to defend the emperor. After all, he was more like a father to her than any other man in her life.

Li Xueyue narrowed her eyes and looked at Li Taojungong. "So you blame your brother for the abuse. If he hadn't stopped you, I wouldn't have been abused all my life?"

"I knew you would inherit my wisdom, that's what I meant to say." Lord Li Chenyang said. "I love you, my little princess. Ever since I heard about you, I have been--"

Li Xueyue yawned. "You're boring me."

Li Daojun felt like he was struck by lightning. Why was she so indifferent to this whole ordeal? He expected her to cry, lose her temper, and curse Li Chenyang to hell, but she was surprisingly calm.

Li Xueyue smiled faintly. "Of course, my father has secrets from you, but you also have secrets from him. In the final analysis, you should put your only child first. Not your reputation or status. But you chose this instead of me, didn't you? "Did you?"

"You are such a coward. You can't even defeat your brother. How pitiful." Li Xueyue muttered.

"I stopped caring about my biological father a long time ago. Sure, there was a time when I questioned who he was, but he had let me down so many times before we even met, why would I waste my time worrying about him?"

King Li Tao's heart was torn apart by her cold words. They were worn out, just like her smile.

"Besides," Li Xueyue chuckled. "What do you want to do by telling me this? Do you think I will throw myself into your arms and thank God for meeting me?"

"Well, yes, but I—"

"I have lived without you for eighteen years, and I could have continued to live without meeting you," said Li Xueyue.

Li Xueyue meant every word. To be honest, the only thing she cared about was her curiosity. It would be nice if she could meet her biological father at least once in her life. At least, her unresolved doubts about her origins were answered. She was not the daughter of a humble man after all.

The Li family is not a decoration. This is real. She has the blood of the Li people flowing in her body. This is also Li Xueyue's comfort.