19 A Dilemma For the Fourth Miss

"Who am I?" Yujia pauses, observing Hui'er's tense expression and pose.

Of course. Hui'er was not dumb. She didn't have the mentality of a four year old. Yujia should've guessed. Based on how much the maid knew about the previous Yang Yujia's life, of course she would have her suspicions.

Maybe Yujia was reckless, and maybe Yujia made brash decisions. But she didn't know how Hui'er would react if she told her she was from another world, from the future, and that the Xiang Dynasty, to all her knowledge, never existed in Chinese history.

It would be better to lie than to be honest.

"Hui'er, what are you saying?" Yujia gives the girl a convincing, relaxed smile. "You're so silly; if I weren't the Fourth Miss, who would I be?'

She could feel Hui'er's eyes drilling into her, as if the younger girl was staring into her soul.

With an icy tone, Hui'er lifted her chin up, replying, "If you were the Fourth Miss, then you would know about the Xiang Empire and the situation of the Yang family. You wouldn't trust Yang Xiaoyi so simply. You would know that your marriage into the Yu household was hopeless, and that you had a mother waiting for you outside of the villa. You would not know how to draw. You would not dare to run after thieves."

There is a long moment of silence between the two. Hui'er is the one to break it.

"So, you don't need to lie to me. If you were the Fourth Miss, you wouldn't be like this. Tell me the truth— who are you?"

Yujia looks at Hui'er, taking in every inch of resolve the young girl held. Hui'er was just too smart. Silence once again reigns between them while Yujia hastily attempts to think of a story, an excuse.

"Alright, alright, you win." Yujia puts on another careless smile, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Just like you said, I am not the Fourth Miss. What are you going to do about it, though? Your Fourth Miss is gone and never coming back."

Hui'er takes a cautionary step behind. "Then, who are you? What did you do to her? Where is she?"

"Your Fourth Miss is on her way to a town in the south where she will live a better life without a marriage she never wanted." Yujia tilts her head, the words of her story coming out slowly. She didn't think that she could convince Hui'er that she was indeed the Fourth Miss. She didn't think that Hui'er would believe the soul-exchange transmigration story either. Amnesia was also not a possibility— she didn't plan that path out when she first began talking to Hui'er. Making up a story that made sense would be her best chance.

"I don't think your Fourth Miss ever told you, but Madam Liu— my mother— didn't give birth to only one daughter. She had twins."

"Twins?" Hui'er's cold expression fell off her face, replaced by a puzzled look. "Then— then why didn't I ever see you when I visited Madam Liu?"

"Because… my mother had wealthy relatives away from this city. My father didn't want to care for one extra child, so he decided to leave me with my mother while taking your Fourth Miss with him. My mother didn't want me to end up in the same state she was in, so she sent me to those relatives, where I learned my artistic skills."

Yujia paused for a little bit, as if she was reminiscing the past, when in reality, she was still frantically thinking of the next step to her story. She then continued.

"My mother didn't want to be too indebted to those relatives. That is why she only sent me and did not go with me. But now, you can see why I wanted to leave her in this city while leaving to Guilin— even though I am thankful for her sending me to those relatives, I left her at such a young age that I barely even recall what she looks like. How can I hold emotional attachment to my mother if she never raised me?"

Yujia decided to pull out her best card— her skill in acting overly emotion. A few false tears appeared in her watery eyes, and she looked down, averting Hui'er's gaze.

"I was still studying painting when I received word— a letter— from my sister, my twin, your Fourth Miss. She told me that she would be married soon to someone she didn't want to… and she asked me for advice. I told her to run away, but then she responded with the fact that her family would surely chase her down if she tried to run. So, I agreed to coming here to take her place. Since we are twins, we share the same face, so no one would recognize the switch. At the same time, I can also see who the man that is supposedly my father is. I've always been curious about that."

"You would marry the old master of the Yu family for my Fourth Miss…?" Skeptically, Hui'er asked.

"No, no." Yujia laughed a bit. "I'm only staying here so that she can have enough time to leave and hide herself. By the time that the marriage comes, I'll be far gone."

Hui'er still seemed unconvinced, wringing her hands together. "Then, why did you say that you wanted to buy your way out of the marriage?"

"So that it doesn't get me into an even sticker situation." Flawlessly, Yujia came up with a quick response. "This gives me a reason to leave without people trying to hunt me down, and I can also give your Fourth Miss something to return to if she ever wants to come back to this Yang family."

Hui'er pauses for a moment, taking in what Yujia just said.

"I still don't believe you."

What? Yujia was sure that the story was impeccably faultless! There was not a single hole that Hui'er could pick out of her story. She was always good at lying, and this wasn't a story difficult to keep up with. She didn't plan on staying any longer than needed at the Yang household, and as long as the only person who could expose her— Madam Liu, her "mother"— didn't hear of the story from Hui'er, her secret would be safely kept.

Hui'er should believe the story Yujia just made up. In fact, no, she had to believe the story! With that thought in mind, Yujia puts a smug smile on her face.

"Believe it or not, that's the truth."

Her eyes meet once again with Hui'er's, and it almost seemed like the younger girl was trying to see through any potential lies in Yujia's words, yet not being able to find any. Finally, with a reluctant look, Hui'er straightens herself and shrugs.

"Alright then. What should I call you?"

Yujia is reassured at these words, but how was she supposed to answer that? She never had another name— this entire twin-sent-to-help story was a lie. Quickly, Yujia thinks of a reasonable response.

"I do have a name, but for you, just treat me like your Fourth Miss. No need to make things complicated. Call me Yang Yujia, if you wish. That will be my name from now on."