Chapter 9 — The Night of Accusations
Bai Sung walked through the dimly lit courtyard, the night air heavy with the scent of damp earth and old wood. The moon hung pale and distant above the Bai ancestral estate — a grand, traditional Chinese mansion nestled deep within the village, its tiled roof glistening under the soft glow of lanterns.
Though called a village house, it was far larger than any common home. The sprawling compound had several connected halls, carved wooden pillars, and red-painted doors etched with fading golden calligraphy. The scent of aged sandalwood lingered in the air, mixed with the faint aroma of incense from the family altar. Every corner whispered the weight of lineage and unspoken grievances.
As Bai Sung stepped into the main corridor, silence loomed heavy. The entire house seemed asleep, yet the walls carried a suffocating tension — one that had been building since morning. His footsteps echoed softly on the polished stone floor as he made his way to the end of the hallway.
He stopped before a large door carved with lotus motifs and knocked gently. "Mother, are you awake?" he called softly.
Inside, Madam Bai, who had been lying on her side pretending to sleep, opened her eyes immediately. She had been expecting him. Her expression darkened as if she were facing an enemy.
"Why are you disturbing me so late at night?" she snapped, her voice sharp and accusing.
"Mum, it's just… Bai Xia—"
The moment Bai Xia's name escaped his lips, Madam Bai's face twisted in rage. Without waiting for him to finish, she threw the covers aside and stormed out of her room, wailing dramatically.
"That wicked mother and daughter! They dare cause trouble again!" she shouted, her voice loud enough to wake half the household.
Her cries stirred the sleeping mansion. Doors creaked open one after another.
Bai Lang — Bai Xia's second uncle — and his wife, Ye Fan, were the first to appear, followed closely by Bai Ling — the third uncle — and his wife, Mu Yen. Both men exchanged wary looks as Madam Bai continued her shouting in the main hall.
"What's the matter, Mother?" Bai Lang demanded, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, though irritation already marked his face. He turned to his younger brother with a glare. "Bai Sung, what did you do to Mother?"
Bai Sung clenched his fists. "I didn't do anything, Second Brother. I only came to talk—"
"Talk?" Bai Lang interrupted with a scoff. "Isn't it enough that your wife and daughter disrespected Mother earlier? Now you come here to add insult to injury?"
Madam Bai's sobs turned into curses. "Ungrateful son! You're unfilial — siding with that wretched woman and her brat instead of your own mother!" she screamed.
Her voice carried throughout the main hall, and soon, Bai Lan — the eldest of the Bai brothers — arrived with his wife, Gu Yan. He looked furious, his brows knitted tight.
"Enough noise!" Bai Lan barked, striding in. "Mother, what's going on?"
Madam Bai pointed at Bai Sung. "He dares to defend that Chu Sun and her daughter again! He dares question me — me, who raised him!"
Before Bai Sung could speak, Bai Lan lunged forward and punched him squarely in the chest.
Bai Sung stumbled backward, but before another blow could land, Bai Ling rushed in, grabbing Bai Lan's arm. "Big Brother, stop! This isn't the way!"
Bai Lan shrugged him off, his voice booming. "Not the way? That unfilial brat deserves a beating! He dares question Mother after all she's done for him?"
"Second Brother, Third Brother, listen to me!" Bai Sung pleaded, his tone desperate but steady. "I didn't come here to fight! I only wanted to ask why Mother treats my wife and daughter this way — what have they done to deserve her anger?"
Madam Bai's face turned cold. "What have they done? That girl Bai Xia has no respect for her elders! Her mother dares talk back to me, in my own house!"
Bai Sung bowed slightly, his voice trembling. "Mother, they are your family too. You raised us to care for one another, not destroy each other. Isn't it enough that Bai Xia was beaten this morning? Must this continue—"
"Enough!" Bai Lan roared. "If Mother wants to beat that girl, she has every right to! She's the head of this family! You, Bai Sung, have forgotten your place."
Gu Yan, who had been standing quietly at the side, smirked and added in a soft but poisonous tone, "Mother, maybe Bai Sung's heart already belongs to that Chu Sun's side of the family. After all, he rushes to defend her before his own brothers, before you. Perhaps he's forgotten who feeds him."
Madam Bai's expression twisted even darker, her voice rising. "Yes! That's exactly it! Ever since he married that woman, he's forgotten his roots! He dares to question me for the sake of that viper!"
Bai Sung's voice shook with anger. "Mother, Chu Sun is not a viper — she's my wife! And Bai Xia is your granddaughter! Must you treat them as enemies?"
Bai Lan stepped closer, pointing a finger in Bai Sung's face. "Say another word, and I'll silence you myself! You think because you're the youngest, you can talk back? Mother has every right to do as she pleases!"
Before Bai Sung could answer, a small shadow appeared at the door. It was Chu Sun. Her face was pale, but her eyes burned with determination. She rushed in and stood beside her husband.
"Mother, Brother Lan, my husband didn't mean any harm," she said, bowing deeply. "He only wanted to seek justice for our daughter. Please don't blame him for caring about his family."
But the moment Madam Bai saw Chu Sun's face — so strikingly similar to Bai Xia's — her fury reignited. "You dare show your face here, you shameless woman!" she shouted, rushing forward.
Before she could reach Chu Sun, Bai Sung stepped in front of his wife, pushing her backward protectively. Madam Bai lost her footing and stumbled, falling to the ground with a sharp cry.
"Mother!" Bai Lang and Gu Yan both gasped, running toward her. Bai Lan turned crimson with rage.
"You dare push Mother?" he shouted, his voice thunderous.
Gu Yan's voice dripped like venom. "He's lost all sense of respect, Sister Fan. Maybe we should throw them out before worse happens. After all, they clearly don't belong here anymore."
That was the final spark. Bai Lan charged forward, fist raised — but Bai Ling intervened again, grabbing his brother and holding him back with all his strength.
"Enough!" Bai Ling shouted. "Do you all want this family to fall apart completely? Mother, Big Brother, Second Brother — all of you, stop! You're only making things worse."
Without waiting for permission, Bai Ling turned to Bai Sung and Chu Sun, his voice low but firm. "Leave now. Go before more harm is done. I'll handle things here."
Bai Sung looked at him with a mix of gratitude and sorrow. He took his wife's hand, and together they walked toward the door, the echo of Madam Bai's furious voice chasing after them.
As they stepped out into the cold night, Bai Lan's shout thundered through the house behind them, and Gu Yan's snide laughter followed.
Chu Sun led her husband gently into the small wooden room they shared on the edge of the compound. There, she treated the bruises on his chest with trembling hands, tears glistening in her eyes.
Bai Sung sat silently, his gaze distant. Disappointment etched deep lines into his face.
If his mother and brothers could no longer tell right from wrong, then he would have to make things right himself.
No matter the cost.