With a loud crash, the sky-blue porcelain vase shattered into pieces as it was forcefully thrown to the ground.
Eight-year-old Xiao Du stood angrily nearby, while a maid hurriedly picked up the shards, fearing he might accidentally cut himself. Other maids were on the verge of tears, pleading, “Young Master, please, you still have a fever. Doctor Zheng instructed you to rest in bed these few days. You mustn’t move around recklessly.”
Xiao Du’s head felt heavy with fever, and his legs seemed as heavy as lead. His face and neck were covered in red chickenpox blisters, which were now causing unbearable itching.
He glared fiercely at the maids beside him and shouted, “Get out! All of you, get out! My illness is contagious. If you stay, your faces will be covered in blisters too!”
The maids looked frightened but dared not utter a word or move. Xiao Du felt increasingly agitated, with every part of his body itching and hurting. Unable to bear it, he wanted to scratch his face, but someone grabbed his hand firmly, saying, “Don’t scratch! It’ll ruin your face.”
Seeing this person, the maids breathed a sigh of relief and looked at her with hopeful eyes. Xiao Du raised his head to see Yunniang’s concerned yet somewhat stern face. Her calm voice seemed to soothe him temporarily, but he also felt deeply aggrieved. His nose tingled, and he cried out, “Yunniang! Mother won’t hug me. She says I’ll infect her and she can’t bear it. I feel so uncomfortable. I just want her to hold me!”
Yunniang’s expression changed, and she quickly signaled for the stunned maids to leave the room. Then she sighed and lovingly embraced him, soothingly saying, “Be good, Young Master. Don’t throw a tantrum. Look, how good the princess usually is to you. She’s just weak. If she catches your illness accidentally, she’ll suffer a lot to recover. So don’t blame her; she cares about you. When you’re better, she’ll hug you tightly.”
She saw Xiao Du gradually calming down under her comfort and gently laid him on the bed, covering him with a quilt. As she softly patted his body and hummed a lullaby, Xiao Du, now feeling drowsy from the fever, finally stopped being so irritable. He slowly closed his eyes and, in a half-asleep state, murmured, “Yunniang, I wish you were my real mother.”
Yunniang hesitated for a moment, then sighed heavily. Her hands slowly moved to his neck, and then… she fiercely pinched it. Xiao Du felt suffocated, suddenly waking up from the dream, only to find Yunniang’s eyes turning red, her face contorted into a terrifying grimace. He screamed in terror, “Yunniang… What are you doing!”
But Yunniang ignored his cries, her grip tightening, making Xiao Du unable to breathe. Suddenly, a gash appeared on her face, flesh and blood flying outwards, yet she seemed not to feel any pain, only revealing a sinister smile…
Xiao Du woke up abruptly from the dream, unable to resist touching his neck, feeling the lingering sensation of suffocation, his inner clothes soaked with cold sweat.
Yuanxi, awakened by him, turned over and hugged him, asking, “What’s wrong?”
Xiao Du shook his head and held her hand, whispering, “Nothing, you go back to sleep.” But he couldn’t calm down, memories from his childhood mixing with the present, unable to distinguish which Yunniang was the real one.
Yuanxi sensed his unease and sat up, leaning against him, asking, “What’s bothering you? Is it about Yunniang?”
Xiao Du sighed heavily, saying, “I don’t know. But the Yunniang I’ve known since childhood is not a malicious person, and she would never harm my loved ones.”
Yuanxi nodded, saying, “I also believe she must have her reasons. That day at the farm, if she hadn’t warned me, I might have died. Maybe I should go talk to her tomorrow. Perhaps she’ll be willing to talk to me.”
Xiao Du forced a bitter smile and said, “She doesn’t want to see me now, so there’s no other way. Please tell her for me, as long as she’s willing to tell the truth, I won’t make things difficult for her. I’ll go to the farm again tomorrow and maybe find some new clues.”
Yuanxi nodded and rubbed her head against his chest, softly saying, “Go to sleep. Remember, no matter what happens, I’ll be with you.”
Xiao Du gently kissed her forehead, his eyes feeling hot. Yes, no matter how difficult the long night is, it will pass, as long as you’re with me, even nightmares are not worth fearing.
The next morning, Yuanxi went alone to Yunniang’s courtyard. Xiao Du couldn’t bear to imprison Yunniang, so he only arranged for a few guards to watch over the yard, instructing them to rotate shifts day and night, never letting Yunniang leave the house for a moment.
The guards hesitated but eventually let Yuanxi in when they saw she was the madam. The young maid who had been with Yunniang was already dismissed. Inside the simple and lonely room, Yunniang sat alone by the window, seemingly gazing outside into nothingness.
Yuanxi approached and sat beside her, softly calling, “Yunniang, I’ve come to see you.”
Yunniang’s eyes flickered in this direction, but she didn’t change her posture, only coldly saying, “Madam, why bother coming to a place like this? I’ve confessed everything I should. There’s nothing more to say.”
Yuanxi sighed and said, “You should know that Xiao Du has always respected and trusted you since childhood, even regarding you as family. This incident has been harder for him than anyone else. Why won’t you explain things clearly to him?”
Yunniang trembled slightly, a sorrowful expression appearing on her face, but her tone remained cold and firm, saying, “Tell His Highness, Yunniang feels guilty for his trust and care over the years. I’m just a servant. He doesn’t need to worry about me. He should take care of himself and focus on other important matters.”
Yuanxi, seemingly stirred by her words, continued to press, “Fine! You admitted to doing everything yourself, then tell me, how did you contact Aunt Cai over the years and instigate her actions? You need to explain every detail clearly.”
Yunniang’s eyes showed a hint of panic, turned away, and said, “Since I admitted to doing everything, even if I forget, you should just send me to the officials for questioning.”
Yuanxi bit her lip and persisted, “Alright! If you can’t remember the distant past, then let me ask about the recent events. On the day Aunt Cai died, how did you force her to take the poison, and how did you ensure she couldn’t resist? If you can explain clearly, I’ll believe you did everything on your own!”
Yunniang’s emotions were stirred, staring at Yuanxi. “That day, I entered the room, held a knife to her neck, and forced her to take the poison. After she was poisoned, I took the crucial papers and destroyed them. Before leaving, I used an ice block to prop up the flower rack, then lit the charcoal stove and left through the window. By the time the ice melted, the flower rack would cover the window perfectly. Then no one would know I had been there. Now, you should believe me, right?”
Yuanxi suddenly wore a puzzled expression, gazing at her. “So, you said you forced Aunt Cai to take the poison, then took the papers and left? You didn’t do anything else?”
Feeling somewhat guilty under Yuanxi’s scrutiny, Yunniang stiffened her neck and insisted, “No, the person deserved to die, and I took what I needed. What else was there to do?”
Yuanxi said, “So you’re saying you have no idea about the letter? That day, Aunt Cai’s body had a letter underneath, stating that it was Yumama who harmed her. And you claim to know nothing about it, indicating that you entered the room after Aunt Cai’s death and never touched her body. Yunniang, what are you hiding? And why are you so insistent on taking the blame for her?”
After struggling for a while, Yunniang let out a long sigh. “Madam, do you know? Sometimes, it’s better to settle things quietly. Why do you insist on pursuing this? Just trust me. Some things, once exposed, are beneficial to no one.”
Yuanxi, feeling emotional, stood up, saying, “So should we just let you bear all the blame alone, let the real culprit go free, and let Xiao Du live in the pain and guilt of losing his loved ones?”
Looking up at Yuanxi, tears began to well in Yunniang’s eyes. “Madam, do you know? One cannot undo a mistake, even with a lifetime. I’m tired. Please pretend you don’t know anything and let me seek redemption in peace.”
Yuanxi held her hand, pleading, “What is it? Tell us, we can help you.”
But Yunniang quickly regained her composure, pulling her hand away and coldly saying, “What you just said is merely speculation. Wherever I go, I’ll insist it was all my doing. I believe both the Master and the officials would be happy to close the case with me as the sole culprit. So, Madam, there’s no need for further persuasion. Please leave.”
Yuanxi infuriated and almost in tears, understood that Yunniang had made up her mind. No amount of persuasion would change it. She turned and walked out, saying, “I won’t give up. I believe Xiao Du won’t give up either. We’ll find a way to prove your innocence!”
Yunniang shook her head and then lowered it. “The Young Master finally married a good wife. You can rest assured.” When she raised her head again, tears streamed down her weathered face, despair slowly consuming her.