Chapter 111: Suicide

Chapter 111: Taking Her Own Life

When the family of three arrived at Minghui Courtyard, Qiu Lianying had just been rescued.

She lay on the bed with her eyes closed, her face pale, a livid blue-purple bruise standing out starkly on her fair neck.

Bi Wan knelt at the bedside, applying medicine while weeping.

Madam Mei cried out in mingled shock and fear, "Ying'er!" and rushed forward, sobbing.

Her weeping instantly broke the dam; the maids in the room could no longer hold back, bowing their heads to wipe away tears, and the room was soon filled with soft, choked sobs.

The Marquis of Yun'an's eyes reddened despite himself. He asked the household physician, Doctor Lin, who had come forward, "How is Ying'er?"

Doctor Lin sighed. "Fortunately, she was rescued in time. The eldest Miss Qiu is now out of danger."

The matter of the Qiu family's eldest daughter had caused an uproar throughout the capital, and Doctor Lin had naturally heard the rumors.

Having been with the Qiu family for so many years, he had practically watched the eldest Miss Qiu grow up. He knew better than anyone what kind of person she truly was.

It was a pity that his words carried little weight. No matter how much he tried to explain, outsiders still believed he was merely making excuses due to the Qiu family's long-standing support.

"That's good. Thank you for your trouble, Doctor Lin," the Marquis of Yun'an said sincerely.

Doctor Lin shook his head. "There's no need for such courtesy, Marquis. Given the current situation, this is the least I can do."

"Thank you." A hint of a sob escaped the Marquis of Yun'an as he saw Doctor Lin out.

"My Ying'er..."

Madam Mei wept as she stroked Qiu Lianying's face, her heart breaking at the sight of the blue-purplish marks on her neck.

She turned her head sharply, her voice stern. "How did all of you look after your mistress?!"

The maidservants in the room instantly knelt in unison.

Bi Wan kowtowed several times to Madam Mei, her fair forehead quickly becoming red and swollen. Unable to stop her tears, she choked out, "It's all this servant's fault. Please punish me, Madam."

"Speak," Madam Mei said through gritted teeth. "What exactly happened?!"

Bi Wan forced back her sobs. "This morning, the young mistress seemed in good spirits. In the afternoon, she said she wanted pastries from Yihe Su. I thought her spirits were lifting and happily left the estate. Halfway there, I suddenly felt something was wrong. When I hurried back in a panic, the maids in the courtyard were all gone. Upon pushing open the door, I found... I found..."

Bi Wan prostrated herself on the floor, her voice breaking into sobs. "I found the young mistress had hanged herself."

The maidservant kneeling behind her trembled with fear, weeping softly. "After Sister Bi Wan left, the young mistress said she wanted to nap. After we attended to her and she lay down, she dismissed us. Who could have imagined... who could have imagined..."

She kowtowed repeatedly, crying, "It's all this servant's fault, Madam."

Her fingertips brushed Qiu Lianying's deathly pale face. Madam Mei closed her eyes for a moment. "All of you, rise. When Ying'er wakes, she might blame me for bullying her maids."

Bi Wan remained motionless. The maidservants bowed their heads, softly sniffling, not daring to move either.

Qiu Shuiyi stepped forward and said gently, "All of you, leave for now."

Bi Wan, her eyes red, said, "Second Miss, this servant..."

"Leave."

It was a tone that brooked no argument.

Bi Wan looked up and met her expressionless face. For some reason, a chill ran through her heart.

She wiped her tears, slowly stood up, bowed her head, and said softly, "This servant will go fetch medicine for the young mistress."

Once she left, the other maidservants exchanged glances and followed her out.

"Mother, elder sister left a letter."

Qiu Shuiyi knelt beside Madam Mei and handed over a sheet of letter paper.

Madam Mei took it and scanned the contents rapidly.

"Father, Mother:

Your daughter is unfilial, making you, with your white hair, send off one with black hair.

These past few days, your daughter has been constantly wondering: am I truly as they say, someone who flits between men, bewitching them, toying with their affections, a femme fatale who brings calamity to the nation and its people? Yet, recalling these sixteen years of my life, though I have been spoiled and willful, I have also saved many lives. Among those so-called men who died for me, some I rescued, some I scolded, some I only met a few times, and some I never even spoke to.

I do not believe I was wrong.

But countless people keep telling me they all died because of me, that I caused so many lives to be sacrificed for no reason. I am confused, in pain, despairing. I want to shout at them that I am not wrong, yet I cannot forget those insults and condemnations.

Whenever I close my eyes, it seems countless familiar or unfamiliar faces appear before me, clawing their way towards me, leaving bloody marks upon my body.

I cannot escape.

Father, Mother, your daughter is useless. If my death can spare you, my parents, my elder brother, and my younger sister from calamity, then my death will have served its purpose.

Forgive your daughter for her cowardice and weakness. Having been your daughter in this life was my greatest fortune.

Your unfilial daughter, Lian Ying, final words."

Madam Mei crumpled the letter into a ball, clutching Qiu Lianying's hand as she wept uncontrollably.

"Ying'er, my Ying'er, how could you be so foolish!"

"Mother."

Qiu Shuiyi blinked, and a string of teardrops fell.

She embraced Madam Mei, feeling her mother's warm, trembling body, and sobbed, "Everything will pass."

Madam Mei turned and hugged her back, wailing loudly.

Outside the door, the Marquis of Yun'an stood in silence.

Listening to the weeping of his wife and daughter, his eyes reddened, and the hand hanging at his side clenched tightly.

...

After applying medicine to Qiu Lianying, she still had not awakened.

Having escorted Madam Mei, who had cried until she nearly fainted, back to the main quarters, Qiu Shuiyi was about to return to watch over Qiu Lianying when Xin Tao suddenly spoke from behind her. "Young mistress, where are you going?"

Qiu Shuiyi looked up, startled.

She had unknowingly walked to the front courtyard.

Since she was already here, there was no hurry to go back.

"I'd like to walk alone. You two go on ahead," she said.

Xin Liu and Xin Tao exchanged a glance, both seeing concern in each other's eyes.

"Miss, please let this servant..."

"I want to walk alone."

Qiu Shuiyi turned around, her eyes calm yet resolute.

Biting her lower lip, Xin Tao tugged at Xin Liu's sleeve to lead her back. "Alright, then this servant and Sister Xin Liu will withdraw first."

With a nod, Qiu Shuiyi set off walking aimlessly.

She emptied her mind, thinking of nothing. It was only when a clamor of noise reached her ears that she gradually regained her senses.

"Those bewitching women corrupt men's hearts—they must not be allowed to live!"

"Kill the bewitching women!"

"Get out here, you bewitching women of the Qiu family!"

"Splash—"

The sound of water being thrown.

Followed immediately by a wave of retching.

"So foul! Who brought a chamber pot?"

"It stinks! Can't you aim properly? It splashed all over me!"

A foul, urine-tinged stench gradually seeped in from outside the gate.

Several guards couldn't help but bend over and vomit. At the same time, someone outside the gate jeered, "If you don't hand over the two bewitching women of the Qiu family, next time this young master won't be throwing a chamber pot saved up for several days!"

The person bellowed, "This young master has been saving up quite a bit of manure these days!"

Upon hearing this, the retching sounds grew even louder.

Qiu Jinbai was just inside the gate at that moment. Furious, he roared back through the gate, "What kind of 'young master' are you? If you have the guts to throw it, just wait for this Prince to return the favor tenfold!"

That person grew enraged. "What damn Prince? You're nothing but a cowardly turtle! If you have the guts, come out here and throw it in my face!"

"You dare?"

"I bet you don't! Pah!" The person seemed to spit on the main gate, his arrogance soaring. "You turtle's son, come out quickly and let your grandpa see what a coward you are!"

"Hahahaha, a spineless, pus-filled weakling!"

"You!"

Qiu Jinbai had been raised since childhood as the heir to the Marquis of Yun'an's household. He studied under great Confucian scholars, and his fellow students were all from noble families. Although he had seen many playboys, weren't they all decent-looking on the surface? None were as vulgar and rude as this. For a moment, he was at a loss.

Pointing at the gate, he trembled with rage.

Qiu Shuiyi watched expressionlessly, the light in her eyes gradually dimming.

A fire burned within her.

When Lady Changxing came to their door, that fire had flared up. Now it burned even fiercer, almost consuming her reason entirely.

She wanted to open the Marquis's gate and drive out those fools who believed every rumor they heard.

She wanted to drag out Han Zicheng and his mastermind, Liu Songqing, slice their flesh piece by piece, and feed it to dogs.

Her hand, hanging by her side, slowly clenched into a fist. Her nails dug into her palm, and the pain brought Qiu Shuiyi back to her senses.

She looked up at the vast, clear sky, and a thought grew increasingly clear in her mind.

...

That night, the Marquis of Yun'an was speaking with Lady Mei when their door was suddenly knocked.

The couple exchanged a glance. Lady Mei asked, "Who is it?"

"Mother, it's me."

"Yi'er." The Marquis of Yun'an put on his outer robe and opened the door. "It's so late. What brings you here?"

Lady Mei, sitting on the couch, beckoned to her. "Yi'er, come to Mother."

Qiu Shuiyi sat down beside Lady Mei.

The Marquis of Yun'an naturally took a seat on a stool not far away.

"Father, Mother, I want to take Sister away," Qiu Shuiyi stated directly.

"Away?" Lady Mei was puzzled. "Our household has been watched everywhere these past few days. How can you and Ying'er leave?"

"I've heard there is a medicine in this world. After taking it, one appears as if dead, and ordinary physicians cannot detect it. After seven days, taking the antidote allows one to wake up," Qiu Shuiyi explained. "Sister and I will take this medicine. To the outside world, announce that we committed suicide. After seven days, you can release us. Then, I will take her away from the capital."

Lady Mei's eyes lit up, excited. "Marquis, this could work. Let's do as Yi'er says."

The Marquis of Yun'an, however, wasn't carried away by joy. He cautiously asked, "Yi'er, does such a miraculous medicine truly exist in this world?"

Qiu Shuiyi nodded.

"Do you have this medicine on hand?" the Marquis of Yun'an pressed.

Qiu Shuiyi was caught off guard by the question.

Seeing her reaction, the excitement faded somewhat from Lady Mei's eyes. "Then where should we go to find this medicine?"

"Three days," Qiu Shuiyi said firmly. "Father, Mother, give me three days. I will definitely obtain this medicine."

"Yi'er." Lady Mei grasped Qiu Shuiyi's hand. "Tell Mother honestly, are you hiding something from me? Will obtaining this medicine harm you in any way?"

"Daughter, don't push yourself too hard," the Marquis of Yun'an also said. "If this plan fails, your father is still here. Even if it costs me my old life, I won't stand by and watch you and your sister go to your deaths."

Qiu Shuiyi gently shook her head, smiling. "It's fine, Father, Mother. Please rest assured a thousand times over. I absolutely, absolutely will not be in any danger."

Seeing she didn't seem to be lying, Lady Mei felt somewhat relieved. But the thought of her two daughters leaving her in the future made her heart ache with bitterness, and tears welled up uncontrollably again.

She was filled with hatred. "The Great Qi Dynasty's realm was clearly ruined by Emperor Li himself. Why should it be blamed on my daughters?"

"Mother, please don't cry," Qiu Shuiyi said softly, leaning against Lady Mei's shoulder. "In the future, I will find a way to come see you. Or, you can come see us too."

Lady Mei embraced Qiu Shuiyi, nodding through her tears.

After bidding farewell to her parents, Qiu Shuiyi had just stepped out of the courtyard when the system, silent for so long, suddenly spoke up, "Host, are you sure you want to exchange ten years of your lifespan for two Feign Death Pills?"

"Yes," Qiu Shuiyi said without hesitation.

The system was silent a moment, then let out what sounded like a sigh. "That's the lifespan you've worked so hard to accumulate."

Qiu Shuiyi, who had always been most concerned about her lifespan, now seemed unconcerned. "Isn't this also a crisis? Perhaps, after overcoming it, the system will reward me more."

The system paused briefly. "Processing the application for the Feign Death Pills will take three days. Please do everything you can to stay alive, host."

Qiu Shuiyi chuckled softly. "Of course."

She fought for her life every single day.

But...

Qiu Shuiyi raised her head and gazed at the bright moon hanging in the distant sky.

Where are you?

When will I see you again?