Chapter 39: Awakening

Chapter 39: Awakening

Previously, Xin He had struggled with insomnia, but on this particular night, sleep eluded her despite her desire for it.

Perhaps it was because Wei Mingjin hadn't touched her for days, or perhaps he harbored a simmering frustration, but that night, he tormented Xin He with every conceivable trick.

Though Xin He had no custom of keeping maids on night watch, she still feared the commotion might rouse them. She bit down hard on the quilt's corner, striving to stifle her moans and gasps.

Wei Mingjin was unconcerned about discovery, but she was terrified.

Yet, Wei Mingjin seemed intent on thwarting her wishes.

After such a long time together, Wei Mingjin might have remained largely ignorant of Xin He in other aspects.

But when it came to the intimate matters of the bedchamber, he knew her like the back of his hand.

Outside, the wind had risen unnoticed, rustling the night frost to the ground, and soon, a soft night rain began to fall.

The nocturnal rain invited deep slumber, muffling all other sounds in the world, leaving only the gentle patter of raindrops.

This profoundly satisfying pleasure dispelled the gnawing anxiety that had plagued Xin He for so long.

By the time the bed curtains were drawn back, Xin He lay utterly spent in the embroidered quilt, her raven-black hair fanned out, making her peony-like face appear even more alluring and seductive.

Xin He had intended to urge Wei Mingjin to leave, fearing discovery.

However, after such intense pleasure and abandon, drowsiness descended upon her like a dense net. Before she could utter a word, a long yawn escaped her. Wei Mingjin chuckled softly, "If you're tired, sleep. Why force yourself?"

Xin He mumbled, as if to retort, but her eyelids grew heavy and soon succumbed to sleep.

Once she was asleep, Wei Mingjin extinguished the lamp by the window and departed, without disturbing a soul in Cuiwei Courtyard.

Xin He slept soundly until dawn.

"Concubine, wake up, Concubine," Qiong Hua's voice suddenly broke the silence.

Xin He, deep in slumber, abruptly opened her eyes and instinctively reached out to push the person beside her, but her hand met only empty air.

Xin He turned her head and, seeing herself alone on the carved canopy bed, let out a long sigh of relief.

The next moment, Qiong Hua lifted the bed curtain and leaned in to report, "Concubine, the Young Master has sent word that he will take you to the Second Household today. He asks you to prepare yourself."

Why would Wei Mingjin suddenly take her to the Second Household without explanation?

And why hadn't he mentioned it last night?

Though bewildered, Xin He simply said, "I understand. Have someone prepare water for me. I want to bathe."

"Ah, right now?" Qiong Hua paused, then reminded her, "But Concubine, it's cold now. Bathing in the morning might make you catch a chill."

"Go prepare it."

Hearing Xin He's words, Qiong Hua said no more and hurried off to make the arrangements.

In the meantime, Xin He swiftly tidied the disheveled bed and dressed herself.

Qiong Hua returned to announce, "Concubine, the water is ready."

After bathing, Xin He felt much more refreshed. As usual, she dressed herself, and upon opening the washroom door, Qiong Hua was waiting outside, as always.

After a hasty breakfast, Xin He, supported by Qiong Hua, walked out.

Wei Mingjin was already waiting in the front hall.

Today, he wore a moon-white silk robe beneath a black cloak embroidered with subtle dark patterns. He stood under the corridor, conversing with the butler, Uncle Ming. Hearing footsteps, he turned to look.

Last night, they had been intimate in the bedchamber, sharing tender moments. Now, meeting again, Wei Mingjin offered a gentle smile and called out, "The Concubine has arrived."

The hickeys on Xin He's neck and chest still felt warm.

She couldn't switch between two personas as seamlessly as Wei Mingjin, especially after their intimacy the previous night. Now, they had to maintain polite decorum in public, each adhering to their respective roles.

Xin He lowered her eyes and murmured, "I am late. I have kept you waiting, Young Master."

"It's fine." After speaking, Wei Mingjin turned to Uncle Ming for a few more instructions before approaching Xin He. "Concubine, please."

Although Wei Jingyao’s residence was adjacent to the main branch, the main gates of the two houses did not face the same direction. To reach Wei Jingyao’s home from the main branch, they had to traverse half the street.

The carriages were already waiting at the estate entrance—two of them, as before.

Wei Mingjin occupied the front carriage, while Xin He and Qiong Hua rode in the one behind.

Once they were settled, the coachman cracked his whip, and the carriages moved forward.

Since her return from Ciyun Temple, Xin He hadn't left the house.

Today, being out, she disregarded the cold and lifted the curtain to gaze outside.

In truth, it had only been a little over a month since Xin He had last ventured out, yet somehow, seeing the world outside again filled her with a sense of unreality, as if a lifetime had passed.

The carriage rumbled onward, traversing half the street before halting in front of Wei Jingyao’s residence.

Three months prior, the main branch of the Wei family had been draped in funeral white. Now, in the blink of an eye, the same somber arrangement appeared at Wei Jingyao’s residence.

However, the Wei family's patriarch was immensely wealthy, so his funeral could be conducted with the utmost grandeur.

But Wei Jingyao’s business had been mediocre over the years, often relying on his elder brother, the Wei patriarch, for assistance. Now that he had passed away, his funeral naturally couldn't match the scale of the Wei patriarch’s.

Moreover, Wei Jingyao’s connections were not as extensive as his brother’s.

Unlike the throngs of mourners who came to pay respects when the Wei patriarch passed away, few guests attended the second branch's mourning hall.

Aside from Wei family members, only neighbors and those who had business dealings with Wei Jingyao were present. However, most of these individuals came out of deference to Wei Mingjin.

Xin He, being pregnant, was not suitable to offer incense in the mourning hall. After bringing her into the residence, Wei Mingjin said, "Find a place to rest for now. Later, I will take you to see the Second Madam."

Xin He assented, and Wei Mingjin proceeded toward the mourning hall.

Along the way, Xin He observed many mourners eagerly approaching Wei Mingjin to converse with him. Some even offered him words of condolence.

Watching this scene, Xin He found it profoundly ironic.

Wei Mingjin had killed Wei Jingyao, yet now the murderer could openly enter Wei Jingyao’s mourning hall, and mourners were even advising him to "accept his grief."

The one who truly deserved condolences was not Wei Mingjin, but Wei Mingxuan.

Just as this thought crossed Xin He's mind, she heard a hoarse voice call out, "Concubine."

Xin He turned and saw Wei Mingxuan, clad in mourning attire, approaching from the end of the corridor.

The once vibrant and spirited young man, who had first endured his mother's dementia and now the pain of his father's death, no longer bore any trace of his former exuberance and joy. All that remained on his face was profound grief and exhaustion.

"I thought I might have been mistaken, but it truly is you, Aunt," Wei Mingxuan said as he approached, halting a few paces from Xin He. "Did you come with Brother?"

Xin He nodded. Facing Wei Mingxuan always filled her with deep guilt and shame.

Wei Mingxuan’s eyes were heavy with weariness. "I understand nothing, and with Father’s sudden passing, I’ve relied entirely on Brother to support me through this time. He has truly toiled."

Hearing this, Xin He’s guilt intensified.

In all of this, Wei Mingxuan was the most innocent, yet he was the one who had to bear everything.

"And about what happened last time—I’ve been meaning to find an opportunity to apologize to you in person, Aunt, but there’s been so many things happening at home lately…"

Xin He, already consumed by remorse toward Wei Mingxuan, quickly interjected, "It’s all right. It wasn’t your fault anyway."

She spoke the last sentence uneasily, unable to meet his gaze.

Although it was Wei Mingjin who had killed Wei Jingyao, his death was still connected to her. Yet she couldn’t pretend, as Wei Mingjin did, that nothing had happened.

Wei Mingxuan misunderstood, assuming Xin He didn't wish to revisit the past.

After all, his mother had publicly slapped her and escalated the matter—she must surely wish to sever all ties with him.

His eyes dimmed with sadness.

Just as Xin He realized his misunderstanding and prepared to explain, Wei Mingjin’s voice suddenly cut in: "Second Brother."

Xin He turned abruptly. Seeing Wei Mingjin approach, she swallowed the words she had been about to say.

"Brother, you’ve been working so hard lately. I truly don’t know what I would have done without you." Wei Mingxuan’s eyes reddened, and he moved as if to kneel in formal gratitude, but Wei Mingjin stopped him.

"Our fathers were blood brothers. Though you and I are not related by blood, I have always regarded you as my own younger brother. If you continue like this, you will alienate me, your elder brother."

Hearing the sincerity in Wei Mingjin’s words, Wei Mingxuan could only say tearfully, "Thank you, Brother."

Watching this scene, Xin He found it both jarring and deeply unsettling.

Unable to bear it any longer, she spoke up: "Has the Second Mistress been feeling any better recently?"

"Mother has gotten better over the past few days," Wei Mingxuan replied, quickly wiping his tears with his sleeve.

Xin He nodded. "That’s good."

Now that Wei Jingyao was gone, it was a relief that Second Mistress was recovering—at least Wei Mingxuan wouldn’t be all alone.

"Aunt came today to visit Second Aunt. Would it be convenient?" Wei Mingjin interjected suddenly.

Wei Mingxuan was surprised.

After how his mother had treated Xin He, he never expected her to let bygones be bygones and come to visit.

"Of course, of course. Let me take you there."

But just as Wei Mingxuan turned to lead the way, a servant rushed over in a panic and reported: "Young Master, it’s terrible—Concubine Cui Er has hanged herself!"

"What?!" Wei Mingxuan’s face instantly paled.

He knew about the relationship between Cui Er and An Ping.

The two had been deeply in love and had already pledged themselves to each other in secret. Later, when Cui Er climbed into his father’s bed, it had only been to get back at his mother. But he never imagined she would kill herself.

Wei Mingjin spoke up coolly: "You should go handle this. I’ll take Aunt to see Second Aunt."

"Alright, thank you, Brother." With that, Wei Mingxuan hurried off after the servant.

Wei Mingjin led Xin He toward Zou Shi’s courtyard. Feng Mo followed behind them, carrying an ebony box. He kept his eyes fixed on the ground the entire time, quiet and detached, like a puppet.

Wei Mingjin and Xin He walked at a proper distance from each other—no one would have guessed there was anything between them.

Unless, of course, they could overhear their current conversation.

Wei Mingjin walked slowly, a pleasant smile still on his face, but his words were cold. Without looking at her, he asked, "What? Feeling sorry for him?"

Xin He remained silent.

"No," she said. It was just that she couldn’t act as skillfully as he could.

Even with her head bowed, Wei Mingjin could guess what she was thinking.

He sneered, "If not, then who are you putting on this pitiful act for?"

Xin He deeply thought Wei Mingjin was blind—since when did she look pitiful?

But though fury burned inside her, she could only reply meekly, "I’m not. I merely feel too guilty to face Second Young Master."

"Besides shame, you also feel guilt, don’t you?" Wei Mingjin saw through her act.

Xin He fell silent.

But Wei Mingjin wasn’t letting it go. He stopped abruptly and turned to face her.

Though he was smiling, his expression was cold and threatening. "If you feel so guilty, why not go find Second Brother right now and tell him that his father was killed because he discovered our secret?"

Xin He shuddered. Instinctively, she tried to lower her head to avoid his gaze.

But Wei Mingjin wouldn’t allow it. "Xin He, raise your head."

Even though they were in public and he wouldn’t do anything to her here, Xin He could hear the anger in his voice. Not daring to disobey, she lifted her head.

Wei Mingjin stared coldly at her.

His gaze was like a knife, cutting through her, exposing the cowardice and shame within, forcing her to confront it.

After a moment, Xin He finally gave in. Lowering her eyes, she whispered hoarsely, "I can’t do it."

She was a selfish person.

She knew Wei Mingjin had killed Wei Jingyao, and she knew why he had died.

But she was too involved—she couldn’t bring herself to tell Wei Mingxuan the truth.

Wei Mingjin laughed mockingly. "Since you can’t do it, then drop this fake compassionate act. And don’t you dare criticize others when you’re just as guilty."

With that, he turned away curtly. "Stop standing there," he threw over his shoulder before walking ahead.

Xin He followed mechanically behind him.

For a moment, she hated Wei Mingjin with all her heart.

Wei Mingjin always had a knack for piercing through her self-deception, making her see what kind of selfish person she truly was.

Wei Mingjin was cold and hypocritical—a murderer who pretended as if nothing had happened, acting completely unfazed. He even actively helped manage Wei Jingyao’s funeral arrangements, making Wei Mingxuan grateful to him, who was completely clueless.

Though she felt guilty about Wei Mingxuan, she still hadn’t told him the truth, allowing him to remain ignorant and grateful for their visit.

Xin He clenched the handkerchief in her hand and let out a self-deprecating laugh.

Wei Mingjin was right—they were the same kind of people, just the pot calling the kettle black.

After that, neither of them spoke another word for the rest of the journey.

It wasn’t until they were nearly at Zou Shi’s courtyard that Wei Mingjin finally broke the silence: “Do you know why I brought you to see Zou Shi today?”

“I don't know. Please tell me, Young Master.” Xin He lowered her eyes, adopting a meek and submissive attitude.

Normally, Wei Mingjin would have been pleased to see Xin He like this. But for some reason, today it made him feel as if a fire were burning inside him.

Still, remembering the purpose of their visit, he forcibly suppressed the anger in his heart and said coldly to Xin He, “Since you don’t know, just follow me inside and be a decoration.”

“Yes,” Xin He replied obediently.

Wei Mingjin’s face instantly turned livid with rage. He fixed a sharp gaze on her, as if he wanted to say something, but ultimately held back because they weren’t in his own residence. In the end, he could only suppress his anger, flicked his sleeve, and walked off.

Xin He followed closely behind him.

“Young Master, Aunt Xin, you’ve arrived.” The servant woman from Zou Shi’s courtyard immediately stepped forward to greet Wei Mingjin upon seeing him.

Previously, because Wei Mingjin had demanded that Zou Shi either kneel and apologize to Xin He or let Xin He strike back, everyone in the second branch was resentful toward him.

But now that Wei Jingyao had suddenly died from drunkenly falling into the water, and Wei Mingxuan couldn't handle responsibility, the second branch would probably have fallen apart without Wei Mingjin’s help in managing the funeral arrangements. As a result, everyone in the second branch was now extremely grateful to him.

Wei Mingjin smiled and explained their purpose: “Aunt Xin learned of Second Uncle’s death and was worried about Second Aunt, so she asked me to bring her to check on her. Is Second Aunt doing any better today?”

“She seems a bit better than the past few days. This morning when the young master came to visit, she even recognized him!” The servant woman said this while sending a young maid to announce their arrival, then slowly guided Wei Mingjin and Xin He inside.

Wei Mingjin nodded. “That does sound much better. Second Uncle’s sudden passing has been hard on Mingxuan. If Second Aunt’s health can improve, it would be the greatest comfort to him.”

“Indeed!” The servant woman sighed after speaking. “I don’t know if our Wei family has bad luck this year, but bad things just keep happening one after another.”

As they spoke, the group ascended the steps and had just reached the corridor when a maid lifted the heavy felt curtain and invited them inside.

While mournful music filled the front hall of the second branch, Zou Shi’s courtyard was dead silent.

Because Zou Shi was still ill and not seeing anyone, the servants had not dressed her in mourning clothes but had instead clothed her in simple white garments with a white velvet flower pinned in her hair.

The last time Xin He saw Zou Shi, although she looked ill, she still had spirit. Now, however, Zou Shi’s hair had suddenly turned mostly white, her cheeks were sunken, her gaze vacant, and she sat there as if her soul had been taken by death spirits, leaving only her body behind in the mortal world.

No matter what Wei Mingjin or Xin He said to her, Zou Shi paid no attention, clutching an old piece of clothing tightly in her hands and refusing to let go.

Zou Shi’s maid wiped her tears and explained from the side: “That is the master’s old clothing, sewn by our madam herself, stitch by stitch.”

“Second Aunt treated Second Uncle with such deep affection. It’s a pity that Second Uncle…” Wei Mingjin wore a sorrowful expression and deliberately trailed off.

Just then, a steward outside came looking for Zou Shi’s attendant to discuss some matters. The attendant bowed to Wei Mingjin and Xin He before leaving.

With her departure, only Zou Shi, Wei Mingjin, and Xin He remained in the room.

Xin He didn’t know why Wei Mingjin had brought her here today. But since he had earlier told her to simply be a decoration, she focused on playing her role dutifully.

That is, until Wei Mingjin opened the box that Feng Mo was carrying and took something out from it.

When Xin He saw what it was, her face instantly changed color.

But Wei Mingjin didn’t even look at her. Instead, he directly presented the item to Zou Shi: “Second Aunt, you should know that Second Brother has had a habit since childhood—he always engraves his name on things he values.”

As he spoke, Wei Mingjin turned it over, showing Zou Shi the two characters “Mingxuan” engraved on the dagger’s sheath.

Even without seeing those two characters, Zou Shi would have recognized it immediately as Wei Mingxuan’s possession.

This dagger was a birthday gift she had given to Wei Mingxuan on his fifteenth birthday.

From its forging to the qilin patterns on it, every detail had been overseen personally by Zou Shi.

After taking in Zou Shi’s reaction, Wei Mingjin retrieved the dagger and casually turned it over in his hand. Suddenly, he brought up something completely unrelated.

“I wonder if Second Aunt has heard that last month, a male corpse was discovered behind Ciyun Temple. The coroner determined that the man was killed by a dagger, but the authorities haven't found the murder weapon, so the case remains open. Second Aunt, what do you think? If I were to send this dagger to the authorities, would it help them solve the case?”

Xin He felt her hands and feet turn cold, but her throat seemed blocked, preventing her from making any sound.

Meanwhile, Zou Shi thought scornfully: Does Wei Mingjin think the authorities are his own operation? Does he really believe a single dagger is enough to frame my son?

“Of course, it’s not just this dagger,” Wei Mingjin said, as if reading Zou Shi’s mind. He smiled slightly. “I can provide both witnesses and evidence. Second Aunt, you know that since childhood, I haven’t had much to my name, but I’ve always been praised for my intelligence.”

The moment Wei Mingjin finished speaking, Zou Shi, who had previously seemed vacant, suddenly shot to her feet.

Her expression was clear and sharp, with none of her earlier madness remained. She glared furiously at Wei Mingjin, her tone certain and filled with hatred: “It was you! You killed my husband, didn’t you?”

After Wei Jingyao’s body was recovered, the coroner had examined it and concluded that he had died from falling into the water while drunk.

But Zou Shi didn’t believe it.

Wei Jingyao did enjoy his drink, but when he was away from home, he never drank to the point of losing consciousness.

How could he have gotten so drunk outside after visiting the Wei family? And what a coincidence that on the very night Wei Jingyao was drunk, the two servants accompanying him both got stomach aches, leaving him alone on his way home, where he supposedly fell into the water and drowned!

Zou Shi hated Wei Jingyao.

She hated that he was shameless despite his age, lusting after maids right under her nose, even striking her for that wretched maid Cui Er.

She hated that he had no conscience.

They had been married for nineteen years! She had managed his household and borne his children—how could he treat her like this?

She hated him to the core and couldn’t accept the reality, so she began faking madness to cope.

But she never expected that Wei Jingyao would actually die.

The authorities refused to investigate further, so Zou Shi could only investigate privately. But before she could make a move, Wei Mingjin had already used the excuse of helping with the funeral arrangements to reassign all of Wei Jingyao’s close attendants to places beyond her reach.

At that time, Zou Shi had begun to suspect that Wei Jingyao’s death was not straightforward.

But now she and her son were alone—she was weak and ill, and Wei Mingxuan was unreliable. If she acted recklessly, she might only bring harm to herself and her son, so she had no choice but to continue feigning madness.

But she never imagined that Wei Mingjin would still see through her.

“It was me,” Wei Mingjin admitted openly.

Zou Shi’s blood rushed to her head. Her lips trembled as she gritted her teeth and said, “He was your own uncle! How could you kill him? You murderer! I’ll take you to the authorities! I will see you face justice!”

Zou Shi's last words were screamed, her voice raw and heart-wrenching.

Logically, with such a commotion happening here, servants should have long since heard the noise and come in. But at this moment, the courtyard seemed isolated from the rest of the estate—no one entered, and there wasn’t even any sound from outside the yard.

Slowly, Zou Shi began to sense that something was off.

Wei Mingjin was done beating around the bush with her. He got straight to the point: "Second Aunt, since I could make Second Uncle die without anyone knowing, I can certainly do the same to Mingxuan. The choice is now in your hands."

"What do you mean? If you dare lay a hand on my son, I’ll take you down with me!" The previously defeated-looking Zou Shi now resembled an enraged leopard, her entire demeanor radiating a readiness to go down together with Wei Mingjin.

Wei Mingjin slowly stood up, placed a small porcelain bottle on the table in front of Zou Shi, and then raised his eyes to meet her gaze.

"If Mingxuan continues to regard me as his elder brother as he does now, then I am willing to treat him as a younger brother. But if he allows himself to be swayed by others and refuses to acknowledge me as his brother, then I will no longer feel bound by any brotherly bonds. Second Aunt, you must weigh for yourself which is more important—the living or the dead."

With that, Wei Mingjin calmly walked away.

Xin He could no longer stay either. Not daring to look at Zou Shi’s ashen face, she hurriedly gathered her skirts and hurried after Wei Mingjin.

As soon as they left Zou Shi’s courtyard, Xin He began, "Young Master…"

"If you don’t want to confess your crimes, then keep your mouth shut," Wei Mingjin cut her off directly.

Xin He froze as if someone had seized her vital spot, unable to move a muscle.

Afterward, Xin He wandered in a daze out of Wei Jingyao’s residence and made her way back to the main family residence in a confused state.

"Aunt, are you unwell? You look so pale." After returning to Cuiwei Court, Qiong Hua, seeing Xin He’s pale face, worriedly suggested calling a doctor.

But Xin He stopped her.

Xin He grasped Qiong Hua’s hand, lowered her voice, and said urgently, "I’m fine, no need for a doctor. Qiong Hua, you’ve been in the household for many years now—do you know anyone from the second branch or the outer court?"

"I have an old village friend who works as a kitchen maid in the second branch’s kitchen."

"Then have your old village friend keep a close watch on the Second Mistress recently. If anything happens on her side, have her find a way to get word to you discreetly." After saying this, Xin He grabbed a handful of silver pieces from her box and stuffed them all into Qiong Hua’s hands. "Remember to be discreet—don’t let anyone notice, especially anyone from Young Master’s people."

Qiong Hua nodded and left.

Xin He sat alone at the table, her heart still racing.

Wei Jingyao was already dead; Wei Mingxuan only had Zou Shi left. If anything were to happen to Zou Shi, how could Wei Mingxuan handle it?

Moreover, unlike Wei Jingyao, who was greedy and knew their secret, Zou Shi knew nothing—Wei Mingjin had no real reason to kill her.

But before Wei Mingjin left that day, he had given Zou Shi a porcelain vial. His meaning was clear: if Zou Shi chose Wei Mingxuan, she would have to drink the medicine inside the vial.

Xin He wanted to plead for Zou Shi, but she had already been shut down by Wei Mingjin. She knew his temperament well—if she tried to persuade him further, it would only backfire.

But Xin He couldn’t just watch Zou Shi lose her life. She racked her brains, trying to think of a way to save Zou Shi.

Before she could come up with any ideas, however, Qiong Hua’s old village friend sent word that Zou Shi’s madness had flared up again.

Upon hearing this news, Xin He immediately wanted to see Wei Mingjin.

But halfway there, she got cold feet. Given Wei Mingjin’s nature, if she went to ask him now, he would surely misunderstand her intentions.

Xin He stood for a while beneath the courtyard wall, just as she was about to turn back, she happened to run into Wei Mingjin as he was coming out.

Wei Mingjin was taken aback for a moment to see Xin He there, but he quickly understood why she had come.

"Young Master…"

Xin He tried to speak, but Wei Mingjin didn’t even glance at her before coldly walking away.

Xin He stood alone in place, she looked down.

Clearly, Wei Mingjin was angry.

But given the circumstances at the time—Wei Mingjin directly tossing a vial of medicine to Zou Shi and forcing her to choose between the living and the dead—it was only natural that she would misinterpret things.

Yet Wei Mingjin refused to forgive her.

From that day onward, Wei Mingjin never came to see Xin He again. When she went to find him, he refused to see her.

Xin He knew that Wei Mingjin was truly angry.

In truth, Xin He secretly wished Wei Mingjin would stay angry longer, so she wouldn’t have to be on edge around him every day.

But this thought remained only a wish—her life was still in Wei Mingjin’s hands. The longer he stayed angry, the more danger she was in.

One day, when the weather was bright and clear, Xin He remembered that scholars and artists often admired plum blossoms.

She happened to hear that the plum blossoms in the northwest corner of the estate’s plum garden had bloomed, so she decided to go pick a few branches herself to offer to Wei Mingjin as an apology.

Once again, Qiong Hua accompanied Xin He.

There were servants in the plum garden; when they heard Xin He wanted plum blossoms, they immediately picked the finest ones for her.

As Xin He carried the plum blossoms and walked back with Qiong Hua, they happened to encounter several servants carrying boxes.

Noticing they were coming from the direction of Qingwu Court, Xin He asked, "Whose belongings are you moving?"

"Replying to Aunt Xin, these are Aunt Xu’s belongings."

Aunt Xu?! Xin He’s expression froze.

After she had last seen Fang Xu, she had asked Wei Mingjin how he planned to deal with her.

At the time, Wei Mingjin had only said that Fang Xu had a place she ought to go. Xin He had assumed then that Wei Mingjin had given Fang Xu her contract of servitude and released her.

After all, Fang Xu was different from Wei Jingyao—she wouldn’t betray Wei Mingjin, nor would she reveal their secret.

But when Xin He opened one of the servants’ boxes and saw that it even contained Fang Xu’s personal garments, the color drained from her face, and a buzz filled her head.

"Clatter—"

The plum blossoms in her arms fell to the ground.

She has her own place to go; you need not concern yourself.

Wei Mingjin’s words from that time exploded in Xin He’s ears like a thunderclap.

In an instant, Xin He felt as if she had fallen into an icy abyss.

So, Fang Xu’s "place to go" wasn’t a safe departure after all.

Yes! How could she have forgotten!

Someone as selfish and cold-hearted as Wei Mingjin—how could he possibly allow anyone who knew his secret to leave alive?

He had clearly said that only the dead could keep secrets forever.

She realized she had been too foolish and naive before.

While retching and feeling as if everything around her was spinning, Xin He's body gave way uncontrollably.

Faintly, she could hear Qiong Hua's scream: "Somebody, get help! The concubine's bleeding!"

But the next moment, Xin He's consciousness was completely gone.