Yuanxi sat on the edge of the bed while Anhe helped her pull down her trouser legs, joyfully saying, “Madam’s feet should be fully healed in another two days.” She glanced around mischievously and added with a smile, “Thanks to His Highness’s daily personal care.” She emphasized the words “personal care” heavily, with a teasing tone in her voice.
Blushing, Yuanxi gave her a shy glare. Since they reconciled that day, Xiao Du would come to her room every day to chat with her and apply medicine to her sprained ankle. Every time Anhe tried to take over, he would say that the maids’ hands were too light and couldn’t apply the right pressure. But each time he applied the medicine, he inevitably pressed on some areas he shouldn’t.
Seeing her cheeks flush with embarrassment, Anhe exchanged a knowing glance with Yuan’er and both stifled a laugh. At that moment, they heard a commotion outside, mixed with cries and shouts. Yuanxi felt a sudden unease and said to Anhe, “What’s happening outside? Help me out to take a look.”
Anhe quickly replied, “Madam’s leg injury hasn’t fully healed yet. How can you go wandering around?”
“It’s just a minor sprain. It’s not like I can’t walk at all. Besides, I’ve been cooped up these past few days, and I want to go out for a walk,” Yuanxi insisted.
But Anhe firmly pressed her back onto the bed and said, “Your foot is almost healed. If something happens today and His Highness blames me, I won’t be able to bear it. Let me go out and see for you.”
Before Yuanxi could respond, Anhe turned to leave. As she pushed the door, she bumped into Lao Mama, who entered the courtyard with a troubled expression. Her eyes were slightly red as if she had just been crying. Yuanxi’s heart sank a little more, and she quickly asked Anhe to bring her in.
Lao Mama hesitated to speak until Yuanxi urged her sternly. It turned out that the parents of Zhuier, the maid who drowned, had come from the countryside to collect her remains, but the body disappeared the day before it was supposed to be taken to the cemetery. The steward could not explain why, only promising to compensate them with some silver. Frustrated and desperate, the couple came to demand answers from His Highness and Madam. However, they were driven out by several servants.
Lao Mama’s eyes welled up with tears as she recounted the story, “They are honest country folk who can’t possibly contend with the powerful Xuan Yuan Marquis Mansion. But poor Zhuier, a girl who went in so innocently, ended up with nobody to mourn.”
“You mean Zhuier’s body disappeared?” Yuanxi frowned, pressing for more details. “How could that be possible? Wasn’t she said to have drowned in the river? What happened to her body afterward?”
“I heard that after Zhuier’s body was retrieved from the river, it was supposed to be kept until the next day for burial. But that night, the body inexplicably disappeared, and the servants on duty all denied any involvement,” Lao Mama explained, wiping her tears with a handkerchief. With a sigh, she added, “A corpse vanished without a trace. Whether it was accidental or intentional, who can say for sure?”
Feeling increasingly troubled, Yuanxi asked, “Have Zhuier’s parents left? I want to go see them.”
Surprised, Lao Mama looked up and said, “Madam, your foot is still injured. Is it appropriate for you to go out?”
Yuanxi insisted, “They came all the way here, unable to collect their daughter’s body, and then driven away. They must be feeling terrible. As the mistress of the Marquis Mansion, I should at least see them to offer some comfort.”
Lao Mama hesitated for a moment but eventually nodded, and together with Anhe, they helped Yuanxi towards the corner gate. As Yuanxi approached the gate, she saw two elderly men and a woman dressed in coarse clothing sitting on the steps, sighing and wiping their tears. When they turned to see Yuanxi and her companions at the gate, they recognized Lao Mama, and the person beside her, dressed quite decently, probably indicated a person of authority by Lao Mama’s respectful demeanor.
Seeing the two of them wearing expressions of deep suspicion, Lao Mama hurriedly explained, “This is the Marquis of Xuanyuan’s wife, who has always taken good care of Zhuier. After hearing about your situation, she felt guilty and wanted to come to see you.”
The two exchanged glances, and the woman suddenly rushed forward, saying, “It’s you! You’re the ones who killed Zhuier!”
Anhe and Lao Mama were startled, and they quickly stepped back with Yuanxi. But halfway through her approach, the woman suddenly collapsed to her knees, crying, “It’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have been greedy for a few pieces of silver and sold Zhuier to the Marquis Mansion. Please, Madam, give Zhuier back to us, give our daughter back to us!” She continued to cry and kowtow, her despair evident in her eyes, leaving everyone present deeply moved.
Yuanxi felt as if her heart had been struck by something heavy. She bowed deeply to them and said, “The Marquis Mansion is at fault for what happened to Zhuier.” Taking a pearl flower from her hair, she placed it in the woman’s hand and said, “If you encounter any difficulties in the future, come find Lao Mama with this pearl flower. I will help you in any way I can.”
The woman stared at the pearl flower in her hand and said despondently, “Our daughter is already gone. What use do we have for these things?” With tears streaming down her face, she and the elderly man helped each other up and walked away trembling.
Under the crimson lanterns of the Marquis Mansion, their lonely and desperate figures were illuminated, intertwining joy and sorrow, leaving Yuanxi with a profound sense of powerlessness.
She leaned against Anhe and collapsed onto the doorstep, feeling dizzy. Suddenly, she fell into a strong embrace and looked up to see Xiao Du’s face, half-smiling. His gentle and rich voice sounded in her ears, “Why are you always so careless?”
Anhe and Lao Mama quickly bowed to him and then tactfully left. Xiao Du helped her sit down in the courtyard pavilion and carefully examined her ankle, asking, “Is it still painful?” Yuanxi shook her head absently, but tears kept flowing uncontrollably. Xiao Du was alarmed and about to ask what was wrong when Yuanxi looked at him seriously and said, “Zhuier, she didn’t commit suicide at all!”
Xiao Du’s expression became serious. “Did you just see her parents?”
Surprised, Yuanxi asked, “How did you know about this?”
Xiao Du nodded. “I was informed by Liu, the steward, as soon as I returned.” He gently supported her head against his chest and said softly, “This has nothing to do with you at all. You shouldn’t blame yourself.”
But Yuanxi shook her head and choked out, “Zhuier was murdered. She died while protecting her belly, which means she was still pregnant. How could she have sought death with a child in her womb? She came to me for help before the incident. I couldn’t help her. Now I know she died unjustly, but I can’t explain it to her family. I can’t do anything. I can’t do anything…” She looked up with anger in her eyes and said, “She was carrying your Xiao family’s flesh and blood. It was already cruel to drive her out while she was pregnant. Why did she have to die?”
Xiao Du sighed and wiped away her tears with a handkerchief. After a long silence, he said, “She wasn’t carrying the Xiao family’s flesh and blood.” Seeing Yuanxi’s surprised expression, he sighed again and said, “Because my second brother, he couldn’t possibly have children.”
Yuanxi was stunned, gripping his hand tremblingly, finding it hard to accept. Xiao Du continued, “When Wang Yiniang was pregnant with him, she inexplicably fell seriously ill, so he was born frail. It was difficult for him to survive. He has always been weak, and even after getting married, many doctors were consulted, but they all said he was congenitally deficient and could never have children.” He paused and said, “This is something only a few people know, and I shouldn’t have told you. But I told you because I don’t want you to blame yourself anymore. Do you understand?”
Yuanxi listened in astonishment, finally understanding why Xiao Qing was so indulgent, why Wang Yiniang harbored so much resentment, and why Wang Shiqin hid so much darkness beneath her elegant facade. Thinking it over, she inexplicably felt a chill run down her spine, so she leaned back into Xiao Du’s arms, hoping to draw some warmth from him.
Xiao Du gently stroked her hair and said, “So nobody wanted to uncover the truth about Zhuier’s death. Driving her out of the mansion was already the best we could do. Her unborn child had nothing to do with my second brother. What reason would we have to harm her again?”
Yuanxi finally found her voice and said, “Then how did Zhuier die? Who would kill her and steal her body?”
Xiao Du reached out to smooth her tightly furrowed brows and said, “She deceived you when she came to ask for your help. You owe her nothing. Do you understand?”
Yuanxi’s heart still felt heavy. She sighed softly and was about to speak when her lips were suddenly sealed with a passionate kiss, comforting and gentle, like a soothing breeze and drizzle, gradually calming her inner turmoil. After a long while, Xiao Du lifted his head and sighed softly, “So don’t think about anything else. The most important thing now is to heal your leg injury.” He remembered his plans and a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. “Once your leg is better, I’ll take you to the countryside estate for a change of scenery. I can tell you like it there.” Warmth filled Yuanxi’s heart. She held his hand, intertwining their fingers, leaned her head on his shoulder, and indulged herself in this rare tenderness.
That night, a gentle breeze caused ripples on the lake’s surface, and a piece of unburned joss paper was blown into the lake by the wind, sinking quickly to the bottom.
Not far from the lake, in the darkness, a small cluster of flames flickered, illuminating the night like ghostly fire. The pale yellow joss paper danced in the wind, consumed by the flames, turning into thick black smoke, drifting away.
A young man in a coarse blue robe knelt by the lake, secretly burning joss paper while quietly weeping. His voice was extremely soft, fearing to wake anyone nearby, but his eyes were full of pain and sorrow.
Suddenly, he felt movement behind him and turned around in fright, only to see a pair of delicate feet in embroidered shoes. They seemed familiar, so he nervously looked up, only to meet a familiar face. He looked at her with sadness and said, “Xiao Jin, have you come to pay respects to me?” The young man was startled and fell to the ground in shock. The person standing in front of him suddenly shed tears from her eyes, her gaze turning cold and menacing. She said in a sinister tone, “Do you think I’ve forgotten who killed me? From today onwards, I will never forgive anyone who wronged me!”