Thick dark clouds amassed in the sky, gradually engulfing the moonlight and casting the entire estate into darkness. Yuanxi regretted having her room’s lights too bright, illuminating those eyes so vividly. The eyes, with bloodshot whites and dark pupils, stared fixedly at the window, occasionally shifting, proving they were not ghostly apparitions but something even more chilling.
Yuanxi wanted to scream, but no sound emerged. Terrified, she tried to leap out of bed, only to find herself utterly powerless. Those eyes noticed her movement and pushed the door with force.
Yuanxi felt as though her throat was being constricted, gasping for air in terror. She struggled to stand, only to find herself drenched in sweat after a few steps. Barely managing to support herself against the table, when she looked up, the eyes on the paper window had vanished.
Frantically scanning the room, she saw no signs of movement at the door, nor could she discern any figures inside. Though she somewhat eased her mind, her body felt increasingly off-kilter, her head throbbing with intensifying dizziness.
For some unknown reason, she felt she couldn’t just succumb to sleep. With sheer determination, she struggled towards the door, hoping to make enough noise to summon Anhe and the others. Yet her steps were heavy, and the flickering candlelight before her made her head ache as if it might split. In a daze, she seemed to discern a face emerging from the candle flame, lined with wrinkles, skin stretched thin. The face grew clearer and clearer, revealing the likeness of Nanny Zhang, who had taught her etiquette in the Marquis’ Mansion and was supposed to have died five years ago.
The nanny extended a withered, yellowed hand, grinning widely. “Miss, come with me.” But her smile seemed to emanate from the depths of the underworld, sending shivers down Yuanxi’s spine.
Yuanxi had always been terrified of this nanny. Now, tears streamed down her face as she repeatedly reminded herself that this was not real, it must be her imagination. She must not go with her, she must keep moving forward, towards the door. But her strength seemed to drain away, her consciousness growing ever more blurred. Just as despair threatened to engulf her, there came a series of knocks on the door!
Standing at the door, Xiao Du puzzledly gazed at the tightly shut door, while light spilled out from inside. “Could it be because I arrived late and upset her?” With this thought, he knocked a few more times but received no response. Just as he was growing impatient and about to leave, he heard a thud from inside the room, as if something had fallen to the ground. Then the light inside abruptly extinguished.
He immediately realized something was amiss inside. With a swift kick, he burst into the room, guided by the faint moonlight. There, he saw Yuanxi, her face streaked with tears, struggling to sit up.
Seeing Xiao Du, Yuanxi clung to him as if he were a lifeline, afraid he would vanish if she let go. Then, a sudden thought flashed through her mind: was he real, or just another figment of her imagination? With her last ounce of strength, she poked him in the chest several times: yes, he felt solid and warm, he must be real. With that realization, she finally relaxed and passed out.
Initially embraced by the warmth of fragrant softness, Xiao Du was almost suffocated by her tight grip. He was about to run out of breath when she began poking him in the chest as if to confirm his reality. Then, she relaxed and fainted.
His face darkened. He wished he could wake her up now and ask her what was going on in her head.
Then he noticed a strange green smoke rising from the overturned lampshade. By now, the commotion had attracted the attention of the people in the estate, who came with lanterns to see what was happening. Xiao Du hurriedly instructed a servant who came running to inspect the lampshade. It was found to be smeared with a grayish-green powder.
His heart sank. It was indeed Qingshi powder: odorless and tasteless when burned, but highly toxic and hallucinogenic. If he had arrived a moment later…
When Yuanxi woke up again, it was already dawn. As soon as she opened her eyes, she saw many pairs of eyes surrounding her, including Anhe and Rongqiao with red eyes, anxiously waiting, and Xiaozixuan with a solemn expression. Yuanxi’s mind was fixated on one thing: those eyes, she must have seen them before! Who on earth…?
Seeing her finally awake, Anhe’s eyes were still vacant. She hurriedly helped Yuanxi sit up, wiping away her tears. “Miss, you’re finally awake.” Yuanxi tried to speak, but her throat felt as if it were on fire. Xiaozixuan quickly handed her a cup of tea. After taking a sip, Yuanxi felt a bit better and asked, “What… what happened?”
Sitting on the edge of the bed, Xiaozixuan held her hand and said, “The doctor just came and said you were poisoned. Luckily, you didn’t inhale too deeply, or else…” Her eyes reddened again as she continued, “Thankfully, the doctor said there won’t be any lasting effects. You might feel dizzy and have headaches for the next couple of days, but you’ll be fine after resting.”
“It’s all my fault,” And he cried, “Why didn’t I notice the poison in the fire, why didn’t I stay outside Miss’s door!”
“Enough talk, let’s pack up and return to the mansion!” Xiao Du interjected coldly.
Turning to look at him, several people, Xiao Zhixuan couldn’t help but say, “Sister-in-law has just woken up, how can she ride in a carriage?”
“The doctor said she could get out of bed within an hour. Riding in a carriage should be fine,” Xiao Du stood up, giving Yuanxi a deep look before walking out to instruct the servants to start packing the luggage. Seeing she couldn’t persuade him, Xiao Zhixuan had no choice but to hold Yuanxi’s hand and ask a few more questions before taking the maidservant back to the room to pack.
Yuanxi still felt a headache, about to lie down for a rest when she suddenly saw a figure flash by the corridor outside. Her heart skipped a beat, softly calling out, “Xiaofu?”
Unable to hide, Luo Yuan had to walk to the door and bow to her across the threshold, asking with concern, “Madam Xiao, are you okay?”
Yuanxi hurriedly shook her head, “It’s nothing serious, thank you for your concern, Master.”
Seeing her pale face, Luo Yuan felt a pang of inexplicable pain, but he still pretended to be casual, “As long as you’re fine. I’ll take my leave then, Madam.”
“We’re also preparing to leave.” Then both fell silent, feeling that further conversation would be inappropriate. They could only turn away from each other as if they had already bid farewell.
Yuanxi leaned back on the brocade cushion and gently closed her eyes. After walking a few steps away, Luo Yuan couldn’t help but turn back. Seeing her sleeping face, he suddenly remembered many years ago, in the warm pavilion with a burning stove, he was helping her transcribe texts while she fell asleep on the table. A breeze blew in from the window, causing the pages on the table to flutter continuously. Her sleeping face was buried in the scent of ink and paper, illuminated by the warm glow of the stove, bringing out the innocence in her sleeping face and the satisfaction in his smiling face.
The shouts of the servants brought Luo Yuan back to his senses. He lowered his head and saw the fallen flowers in the courtyard, burying this scene deep in his heart again, then turned around and walked away.
The journey back was the same, but there was an added heaviness in the carriage. Seeing Yuanxi’s melancholy expression, Xiao Zhixuan tried to think of ways to cheer her up. However, Yuanxi couldn’t muster the energy to engage in conversation. She kept repeating in her mind, “Whose eyes were those that night? Who wanted to harm her?”
Xiao Zhixuan thought she was still feeling unwell, so she lowered her head, twisting her clothes, and sighed, “I thought this trip would finally bring you and my brother together, but who knew it would turn out like this? Could it be that our mansion is cursed?”
Yuanxi suddenly shook, thinking, “Why does something always happen every time she and Xiao Du are about to consummate their marriage? She also recalled the rumors about Xiao Du before, those concubines who died before they were even married, were they true?” The more she thought about it, the clearer it became to her: “If that’s the case, then the person who wanted to harm her must be hiding in the mansion. The people from the Marquis’ Mansion who came this time, the only ones who had the opportunity to enter her room were Anhe, Rongqiao, Xiao Zhixuan, Xiao Du, and Yunniang. Right, there’s also Yunniang. When they went out to pick fruits, only Yunniang stayed in the estate.”
“Madam, are you feeling alright? The Marquis has sent me to inform you that we’re almost there,” a servant’s voice from outside the carriage interrupted her thoughts. Yuanxi came to her senses, realizing her heart was pounding violently. She pressed her hand against her chest to calm herself, dispelling the deep fear she had just felt, and lifted the curtain of the carriage, saying, “I’m fine, just focus on getting us there.”
The sound of hooves clattering finally stopped in front of the stone lions at the entrance of the Xuan Yuan Marquis Mansion. Xiao Zhixuan was about to help Yuanxi out of the carriage when she suddenly saw a maid running out from inside, it was Juan Bi from the princess’s room. She rushed to the carriage where Xiao Du was and shouted anxiously, “The Marquis, you’ve finally returned! The princess is in trouble!”