Нan Yan’s еуеs widеnеd abruptly. Тwеlve yеars old! Тhе nightmаrе frоm thаt yeаr when she was twelve resurfасed bеforе hеr еуes, аnd hе асtuаlly knеw about it... Hоw wоuld he sеe her? Hе must think her impurе, utterly dеtеstаblе. Наn Yаn’s heart turnеd tо ashеs, twо сleаr streаms оf tears flоwing dоwn the сorners of hеr eyes.
Zhuаngshаn, hоwevеr, was delighted tо sее her dеsраiring аnd wrеtсhed stаtе, laughing еven mоre gleеfully. "Sistеr nееd not wоrrу аbоut Father. Fathеr would rather lose а daughter than lоse this marriаge аlliаncе. Besides, Father has never liked you. Otherwise, why would he have allowed Mother to get rid of Wang Shi?"
Mother! Mother was murdered?!
Zhuangshan giggled. "Sister probably still doesn’t know, but it’s no wonder. Zhuang Hanyan only ever embroidered and played the qin in her room, never leaving the estate all year. None of the ladies from other families even knew our household had such a person." She raised her cup and leaned closer. "For someone whose face can’t even be remembered, what does it matter if she dies on her wedding night? Perhaps, in the eyes of the ladies, I am the rightful and proper legitimate daughter!"
Han Yan’s face paled, her entire body trembling. The life she thought was happy and perfect was actually a massive conspiracy. A shrill, agonized scream came from beside her, and Han Yan realized that since Zhuangshan entered, she hadn’t seen Mama Chen at all. Could it be... A chill ran through her heart as she stared at Zhuangshan in disbelief.
Zhuangshan, however, walked over to Ji Lan and Shu Hong. "I see these two maids are loyal, and their looks aren’t bad either. The guards on night watch tonight must be exhausted. Let these two maids be given to them for amusement. Tomorrow morning, you can reunite with your mistress."
Ji Lan and Shu Hong were the maids her mother had left her, as close as sisters since childhood. Because of her, they would meet their end here, coming to such a fate! Her dear sister! Her dear stepmother!
Zhuangshan seemed to have finally tired of speaking. She crouched down, grabbed Han Yan’s chin, and forcefully poured the wine in her hand down her throat.
A fatal poison, lethal upon contact with blood. Han Yan only felt a sweetness in her throat, and drops of blood trickled from the corner of her mouth.
It was her fault! She had misjudged people, taken thieves for family! She had been too naive, treating her stepmother and sister with genuine affection! If she hadn’t stayed cooped up in the estate all day, oblivious to the world, if she hadn’t placed all her hopes on others, if she hadn’t fallen in love with Wei Rufeng!
Would none of this have happened?
No! The most unpredictable thing in this world is the human heart. Even without this, Madam Zhou and her daughter would never have spared her, nor would her heartless, indifferent father.
Han Yan collapsed to the floor, her clear, autumn-like eyes filled with bloody tears. Zhuangshan, even as a ghost, I will not let you go!
The beautiful bride smiled slightly, her words as venomous as a scorpion’s sting. "Dear sister, on the road to the Yellow Springs, watch how your elder sister becomes the wife of the heir."
Everything before her eyes blurred. As the heart-wrenching pain in her chest grew and her consciousness gradually faded, Han Yan saw a pair of sky-blue satin official boots walk in.
That was her husband. She never expected that in this life, instead of hoping for peaceful days of flowers and moonlight, she would meet her own death.
A soft sable bed, a rain-cleared sky-colored gauze canopy hanging faintly. The fingers of the sleeping girl on the bed twitched slightly, and a pair of dark eyes slowly opened.
When Han Yan awoke, she felt as if her head was splitting with pain, her eyes unbearably dry. What was going on? Hadn’t she been poisoned by Zhuangshan with wine and already gone to the Yellow Springs? How could she still be awake?With great effort, she propped herself up to look around. The room was filled with the strong scent of medicine—this was unmistakably her own boudoir, yet why did it feel so unfamiliar? So unfamiliar that it seemed like a lifetime had passed. She reached out to rub her temples. Had someone saved her?
"Fourth Miss!" came an exclamation of delight. Han Yan looked up to see Mama Chen holding a gilded porcelain bowl painted with a beautiful woman. Mama Chen set the bowl down on a small side table and hurried over, asking anxiously, "You’re awake, Miss. Is something wrong?"
Han Yan stared at her blankly. Hadn’t Mama Chen been dealt with by Zhuangshan? The scenes from her wedding night flashed before her eyes again. Her nose stung, and tears began to fall uncontrollably.
Seeing her cry, Mama Chen’s heart suddenly tightened with sorrow. She pulled Han Yan into her arms. "My poor young lady, with Madam gone and Master bringing that wretched woman into the household, you’ve had it hard too. How could you have fallen so ill from anger? Don’t cry anymore, Miss. If Master sees, he’ll be displeased again…"
"What’s wrong with the young lady?" a clear voice rang in her ears. Han Yan abruptly sat up straight. Ji Lan and Shu Hong stood a few steps away, holding a jar of candied fruit, their faces filled with concern. "Is the young lady feeling unwell? Should we call the doctor again?"
The maids who had died for her in her past life were standing right before her, safe and sound. Han Yan couldn’t describe the emotions swirling inside her. "Ji Lan… Shu Hong…" she choked out their names before burying her face in Mama Chen’s embrace and weeping bitterly again.
Ji Lan and Shu Hong were startled, unsure what had come over Han Yan. They glanced questioningly at Mama Chen, who assumed Han Yan was grieving over her mother’s death and her father’s remarriage. She gently patted Han Yan’s back to comfort her.
After crying for what felt like an eternity, Han Yan gradually calmed down, but the confusion in her heart only grew deeper.
Mama Chen looked much younger, with far less gray hair at her temples. Ji Lan and Shu Hong also seemed slightly different. "Ji Lan, bring me the mirror."
Though unsure what Han Yan intended, Ji Lan fetched the rhombus-patterned bronze mirror from the dressing table. Han Yan looked into the mirror and saw a pale, thin face with large, dark eyes, a delicate nose, and cherry lips. Her long, jet-black hair cascaded down like tassels. The reflection was gentle and delicate, still carrying a hint of childishness. It was her, but definitely not the her of the present.
The bronze mirror slipped from her hand and clattered to the floor. Shu Hong jumped in surprise and hurried over. "Young lady."
Han Yan remained dazed for a moment before waving her hand dismissively, her mind in turmoil. The person in the mirror was unmistakably herself from three years ago—the twelve-year-old Zhuang Hanyan!
She looked up and once again examined her surroundings with a scrutinizing gaze. Finally, she understood where that strange sense of familiarity came from. Because the room’s furnishings were exactly as they had been three years ago!
"Mama, what year is it?" Han Yan asked after a long pause.
"The thirteenth year of the Great Dynasty," Mama Chen replied, looking at her in surprise. "Why do you ask, Miss?"
Han Yan’s heart skipped a beat. The thirteenth year of the Great Dynasty—the year her mother fell gravely ill and passed away, the year Madam Zhou entered the household, and the year Zhuangshan arrived at the manor. It was also the year she was abducted by bandits. Though nothing had happened and the incident was suppressed, she had carried the burden in her heart ever since, fearing that one day it would be exposed and her reputation would be ruined.
Gossip is a fearful thing.It was precisely because of this incident that she no longer wished to go out, hiding in the mansion all day embroidering and writing, losing contact with the outside world. Even when her own younger brother got into trouble and was imprisoned, she was the last to know.
She was abducted by bandits, and it was Madam Zhou who searched for two days and two nights to get the news, after which the prince's mansion sent people to rescue her from the bandits. Grateful to Madam Zhou and with Zhuangshan's attentive care, she gradually accepted this mother and daughter.
OpenNovel