liquidation

After suffering a massive hemorrhage, Qi was already on the verge of death. Even with Qi Rou'er by her side to take care of her and seeking medical help everywhere, they were unable to save her.

It was because she didn't want Qi Shi to die so easily that she secretly sent people to boil ten-year-old ginseng into the medicine every day to prolong her life.

It is for this very moment, this day when we are facing each other.

Qi Shuang'er smiled, a hint of her former gentle smile still visible on her pale, sunken cheeks. She opened her mouth with difficulty, speaking haltingly:

"I knew... you'd come..."

Qi struggled to raise her hand. Her once well-maintained fingers were now thin and yellow, like a layer of shriveled skin barely covering her bones.

She stretched out her hands to Lin Xu, but because she had no strength, she could only extend them an inch before they suddenly slipped down from the height, which was followed by her increasingly violent dry cough.

The wick of a candle on the windowsill had long since burned out, leaving only half of it, which had melted into a shapeless mess like mud.

Qi finally managed to stop coughing, a few drops of blood trickling from her lips. She said coldly:

"Lin Xu, now that things have come to this... you might as well just give me a quick death."

Lin Xu chuckled:

“My aunt has never called me by my full name. Why is she being so distant all of a sudden?”

She looked around and saw only ruin and decay; there was not a trace of the splendor that Qi Shi had once enjoyed when she was favored. She couldn't help but sigh:

"It's a pity that Auntie can't get up now. Otherwise, with the snow still accumulating outside the window, I could take Auntie for a walk in the yard to enjoy the snow scenery. That would be wonderful."

"The victor is king, the loser is villain. I lost, so you don't need to waste your energy mocking me, nor do you need to feign compassion in front of me... You schemed against my child, tried to sow discord between my sisters, and even went so far as to drive Rou'er and her child out of the manor in the dead of winter... Lin Xu, how vicious you are! From that moment on, I knew you wouldn't let me live..."

"Sisters sowing discord? Is that really what you're thinking, Aunt?"

Qi's chest heaved with excitement from her long speech, and seeing the chilling glint in her eyes, she grew even more agitated, shouting with all her might:

"What...what do you mean?!"

Lin Xu looked at Qi Shuang'er, whose forehead was covered in sweat, and a smile that was actually a mixture of feigned affection and tenderness appeared on his face. His voice was still gentle, but it was as cold as ice from the heavens.

"—My aunt has schemed her whole life, how come she's suddenly become so confused now?"

Qi Shuang'er's violent coughing finally subsided, and when she spoke again, her eyes were even more cloudy. She gritted her teeth, her voice filled with hatred, and said:

"If it weren't for you, first scheming to make my trusted physician Zhang suffer from a cold due to his folk remedy, and then plotting to have that bitch Lan Yue take my son away... Rong-ge'er is clearly my child, yet I've never even held him!"

When her son was mentioned, Qi Shuang'er's tone softened, a rare occurrence. She choked up for a moment, then quickly wiped away her tears and continued:

"You even humiliated my sister who came all the way to visit! You even drove her out of the mansion! Now no one takes care of me anymore, and I lie here every day... just like a corpse... You, Gao Youyi, and Lan Yue, the three of you actually conspired to scheme against me! Lin Xu, you poisonous woman!"

Lin Xu didn't take it to heart, but a smile slowly built up on his lips until it was almost overflowing.

“Aunt, you are mistaken. Aunt Lan used to be a maidservant who served you, and it was you, Aunt Qi, who personally pushed her to Father’s side. How could she betray her former master and join forces with me?”

"Furthermore, just now your aunt kept saying that without your sister, there would be no one in the mansion to take care of you. But I wonder where your own sister, Qi Rou'er, is with her two young children on this joyous occasion?"

Qi Shuang'er's eyes widened, a hint of fear flashing in them. She struggled to speak:

"You! What did you do to my sister! And Haiping, Yumei... where did you send such young children?!"

"Don't worry, Aunt. Although the weather is cold now, the house outside Mujing is a good place to avoid the wind and snow and is quiet. The two children are studying there and are taught by a special teacher. It is much better than them wasting their studies here for a long time."

An incredulous look flickered in Qi Shuang'er's eyes.

"You would be so kind? I don't believe it... What about Rou'er? Did you harm my sister in the slightest?"

Lin Xu sneered repeatedly and shook his head, saying:

“Aunt, I have never thought you were so simple-minded. Now that I see you, you are pitiful and somewhat pathetic. Your sister Qi Rou’er is greedy. Her eyes lit up when she saw a mere eighty taels of silver, and she put your safety out of her mind, not to mention the free accommodation.”

"You're talking nonsense! How could that be? Rou'er is always thinking of me, and she even traveled all the way from Jiangzhou just to see me. How could that be?"

Lin Xu looked down at Qi Shuang'er and said, word by word:

"Does Aunt Qi really believe that Qi Rou'er came to the Lin residence to take care of you? No wonder she used the excuse of caring for you to stroll around the backyard every day, all dressed up. Qi Rou'er is so charming; even as a mother of two, she is still so pitiful. I'm afraid that if she stays in the residence any longer, she will eventually sneak into my father's bed at night, and once she has done so, the first person she will probably get rid of is you, who knew her so well back then!"

Qi Shuang'er, her eyes filled with tears, shook her head repeatedly, crying out in a hoarse voice:

"Impossible... My sister truly cares for me, she wouldn't do this..."

A hint of mockery flickered in Lin Xu's eyes as he slowly straightened his sleeves, ignoring Qi Shuang'er's desperate cries.

She chuckled softly:

"I never imagined I'd see my aunt being used to this extent. Everyone is driven by self-interest, even blood sisters are no exception. You're falling out of favor in this household, and her staying by your side is nothing more than a temporary measure for future gain of wealth and favor. How could my aunt not understand such a simple truth?"

Qi Shuang'er stared blankly at Lin Xu, her eyes revealing a struggle of disbelief. Her gaze gradually became unfocused, as if Lin Xu's cold words had shattered her last line of defense. She could only murmur:

"So be it... I have lost today, reduced to such a helpless state... Do with me as you please."

Lin Xu slowly stepped forward, leaned close to Qi Shuang'er, and spoke in a soft voice, but without a trace of warmth:

"In this life, one must always be aware of the situation in order to protect oneself. Your concubine went from being the daughter of a butcher to a favored concubine of a high-ranking official, which can be considered a wonderful and fulfilling life. You used Lan Yue, abused the maids, and schemed in every way. You even have Qing Wu's life on your hands... No matter how you look at it, I feel that this outcome is too lenient."

Qi Shuang'er smiled sadly, her voice filled with sorrow and hatred:

"Is all this for that girl Qingwu? She was just a worthless life by your side, a servant. If she dies, she dies. What, are you going to pity a lapdog and take my life? That person betrayed you long ago after I threatened her a few times and secretly poisoned you. And now you pity her! Lin Xu, you are the most pathetic one. What are you pretending to be, playing the saint in front of me!"

Upon hearing this, a cold glint flashed in Lin Xu's eyes, and he said in a low voice:

“You are truly terribly wrong. You have schemed and plotted relentlessly, all for the so-called wealth and power within this mansion, yet you have repeatedly turned against me and those I care about. If you had been as cautious as you were from the beginning, I might have been able to forgive you! But in your repeated murders and assassinations, you should have known long ago that karma and retribution are inescapable, and this day would eventually come!”

Qi Shuang'er closed her eyes in pain, and after a long while, tears streamed from her tightly closed eyes, wetting her hair, which was already as dry as straw.

Lin Xu ignored her murmurs, straightened up, and stared at her with a cold, expressionless gaze.

She gently raised her hand, and a maid who had been waiting outside the door respectfully stepped forward. She closed her eyes and slowly said:

"Take good care of Aunt Qi. Her health is not good now, and she is inevitably a little confused. Rong-ge'er is growing fast. Go and pick out a few of his clothes that have been taken off and bring them to Aunt Qi's bedside so that she can see them every day and have something to keep in mind."

After saying that, she turned and left, as if nothing had ever happened in the silent room.

However, just as she was about to step out of the door, a heart-wrenching wail suddenly came from behind her.

"Lin Xu—you are so vicious! You truly deserve a terrible death! Even if I, Qi Shuang'er, become a vengeful ghost, I will haunt you and never let you go, even in death!"

She lowered her head, trying to ignore the horrifying sounds.

Qi Shuang'er's sobs continued incessantly, their mournful sound piercing the sky.

"You think you're so clever, that you've fooled everyone. Do you think I don't know that Zhiyuan and you were just putting on a show? Do you think I don't know she's been gathering evidence for you? I knew all along! And not only that, do you think there aren't other spies in this mansion—"

She turned around abruptly.

Qi lay on the bed, struggling with all her might, her screams echoing incessantly:

"Lin Xu...then I will just wait for that day, the day when everyone around you turns their back on you and becomes ruthless towards you!"

The young maid beside her trembled at Qi's fierce roar and whispered, trying to dissuade her, "Miss, you don't know, Aunt Qi has been talking nonsense ever since she fell ill. She's probably already mentally deranged. Please don't take her words to heart; she's just rambling..."

Lin Xu pulled away the arm that the little girl was holding back, his face dark as he strode quickly to Qi Shuang'er's bedside and asked her coldly:

"What did you just say?!"

Qi Shuang'er stared intently at Lin Xu with her cloudy eyes. After a long while, a smile appeared on her lips.

She winked gently at Lin Xu, then slowly waved to her.

Lin Xu bent down—

Just as he was about to reach Qi Shuang'er's ear, a startled cry rang out from behind him:

"careful!"

At the same time, Qi Shuang'er, who was originally critically ill, suddenly jumped up from the bed and pounced on her.

In the chaos, Lin Xu had no time to dodge, but out of the corner of her eye, she saw that Qi was holding a shard of a bowl that was extremely sharp.

Lin Xu instantly realized the danger and instinctively took a step back, but Qi Shuang'er's speed in attacking her was beyond her expectations.

The sharp shard of the bowl gleamed coldly in the dim candlelight, slicing straight toward her neck.

"Miss, be careful!"

The maid beside her cried out again and rushed forward to try to stop her. However, Qi Shuang'er's movements were filled with a desperate ferocity, and her strength was several times greater than usual.

The shard of bowl barely grazed Lin Xu's cheek, leaving a faint trace of blood, and pain struck him instantly.

Lin Xu snapped out of his daze and suddenly shoved Qi Shuang'er back onto the bed. The shards in her hand fell to the ground with a crisp sound.

Her eyes were filled with madness and resentment as she looked at Lin Xu, panting, and murmured:

"Lin Xu...you will get your retribution...you will..."

Just now, she must have used up all her last bit of strength.

Lin Xu covered the minor wound on her face, her expression extremely gloomy, anger surging in her eyes. She stared intently at Qi Shuang'er and said coldly:

"Qi Shuang'er, you've really gone mad."

The young maidservant hurried forward to check Lin Xu's injuries. Seeing only minor scratches, she breathed a sigh of relief, but was still shaken. She whispered a word of comfort:

"Miss, it's best to stay away from her. Aunt Qi has gone mad and is not worth your personal visit."

Lin Xu stared coldly at Qi Shuang'er, who was lying on the bed panting, his eyes icy and devoid of pity, and softly gave the order:

"Tie her hands and feet securely, and keep a close watch on her. Don't let her touch even a needle."

After saying that, she straightened her sleeves, turned around, and walked towards the door. Her shadow stretched long in the dim light, exuding a cold and murderous aura.

The door was slowly closed, shutting out all the hysterical roars and sobs inside the room.

Lin Xu turned his head and whispered instructions to the little maid by the door:

"Since Aunt Qi is so unrepentant, let her endure this lonely darkness a little longer. Until her voice can no longer be heard..."

The two little girls shrank back in fear, but could only whisper their agreement.

She stopped in the corridor, tilted her head back slightly, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath.

A slight coolness ran down my cheek, and only after I calmed down did I realize that the pain was coming in waves.

That was the blood that was slowly flowing from the cut on her face.