Chapter Fifty: A Flower in a Mirror, a Moon in the Water

Given the lady's already precarious physical condition, this fall was quite serious.

Even with the help of various medical teams and experts, the lady's health has deteriorated day by day, and she even needs a wheelchair to get around. As a result, she has become even less inclined to go out lately.

As the lady's condition worsened, several prominent figures from various sectors, whom she rarely visited, came to Muxiyuan to see her. Perhaps having finalized some important matters, the lady's mind seemed calm and composed during her illness.

That day, Yun Yao was pushing his wife in a wheelchair in the yard to bask in the sun when there was a sudden knock on the door.

The visitors were several clan leaders and a few familiar attendants dressed in military uniforms. Their faces were filled with undisguised joy and excitement.

They brought good news to the lady: the eldest son had been officially promoted to the rank of general and would be returning soon.

Reaching the rank of general at just over thirty is unprecedented in history. The Muxi Garden was abuzz with excitement, and even the lady's previously listless expression softened with joy. She smiled as everyone came to congratulate her, and instructed Steward Xing to arrange the ceremony to welcome the young master, who should now be called a general.

Several accompanying officials who had returned from the Northwest to report the good news also brought back gifts that the young master had specially prepared for the relatives in the garden. On the spot, they presented the lady with a giant red coral jade bonsai that was more than two meters tall, with pine trees and cranes carved on it, which was priceless.

After this social interaction, the lady was feeling a bit tired again, so Yunyao pushed her wheelchair back to the bedroom.

Outside the courtyard, there was joy and excitement, but inside the house, it was quiet and somewhat desolate.

Yun Yao had just finished serving the lady her afternoon nap when the steward of the main courtyard tiptoed to the door and gestured for Yun Yao to come out.

Yun Yao left the master bedroom with doubts, only to find an official who had come to deliver the good news earlier waiting for him in the courtyard. The official handed Yun Yao a pear wood box, bowed to him, and said in a deep voice, "Mr. Yun, the general asked me to give you this gift. Inside is a Kunlun jade carving that the general specially sought out. He said that his heart is as pure as jade."

After the official left, Yun Yao returned to his room. He frowned as he looked at the box, not understanding why the young master had specifically asked someone to deliver a gift to him.

With a hint of wariness, Yun Yao opened the pear wood box, inside which was a smaller gold box. Opening the gold box, Yun Yao saw a beautiful, translucent white jade carving of colorful clouds chasing the moon.

The moon, meticulously carved from the finest Kunlun jade, is pure, translucent, and lustrous like jade, seemingly radiating a hazy glow. It is breathtaking and captivating, making one reluctant to part with it.

However, when Yun Yao saw this unusually expensive gift, he felt a sense of unease. As if he dared not look at it any longer, he immediately put the jade carving back into the gold box, closed the lid tightly, and placed it in the deepest corner of the drawer.

He wanted to find someone to return the gift, but he was afraid of being seen, and after calming down, he realized that no one would return the gift for him. Now, the young master was the future owner of Muxi Garden, and no one dared to offend him.

Yun Yao had no choice but to hide the gift in a corner and ignore it.

However, the next day, when Yun Yao returned to the main courtyard with Steward Xing after handling some business, she found that the steward of the main courtyard from the previous day was being led away by several of the ladies' attendants.

They told Yunyao that the madam had just lost her temper and dismissed the original head steward, and that a new steward would be appointed by the madam soon.

Yun Yao felt uneasy. He hurried into the room and saw his wife sitting by the window, her back to him. He approached quietly, calling softly, "Madam..."

The lady remained motionless. Yun Yao's heart suddenly skipped a beat. He rushed forward in a panic and saw that the lady's eyes were closed and her breathing was weak. Yun Yao panicked instantly. He knelt down closer to the lady and called out anxiously, "Madam!"

Just then, the lady suddenly opened her eyes and grabbed Yun Yao's hand, which was inches away from hers. Her gaze was like a spark bursting from ashes, bursting with a momentary, piercing light before it went out.

The lady held Yun Yao's hand tightly, gazing at his youthful, moon-like face, and said slowly and in a hoarse voice, "Yun'er, you're back..."

The lady's aura at this moment was unlike anything Yun Yao had ever seen before. Her unfathomable pupils held a dark majesty and a turbulent madness that made Yun Yao dare not look directly at her.

He had no choice but to lower his eyes and reply more respectfully, "Yes, Madam, I'm back."

But soon, Yun Yao felt that the hand his wife was holding was icy cold. He looked up and asked worriedly, "Madam, your hand is so cold. Is something wrong? Shall I go and call the doctor for you?"

He was about to get up when his wife pulled him back.

The lady carefully examined his anxious and concerned expression, which was so genuine and without pretense. His clean and pure eyes were just like when they first met four years ago. Time seemed to have only added a touch of melancholy and aloofness to him.

The lady gently stroked Yun Yao's cheek, then moved down her shapely neck... She seemed to have given up on the tender act and instead coldly ordered in her aged, hoarse voice, "Yun'er, take off your clothes."

Yun Yao was stunned for a moment. He looked at the lady in disbelief, only to see a cold scrutiny in her eyes that he had never seen before.

Under the wife's intense gaze, Yun Yao knew he had no choice. He gritted his teeth in humiliation and, trembling slightly, took off his clothes one by one under her watchful eyes.

Only after he was completely naked did the lady's gaze soften. She stood up from the chair, her cold hand slowly stroking Yun Yao's swan-like neck, and whispered in his ear, "Yun'er, carry me to the inner room."

Yun Yao closed his eyes. He had never been clearer about his identity than at this moment. He was just a caged bird that the lady could play with at will. All the previous favor and tenderness were nothing but flowers in a mirror and the moon in the water. The lady could give them and take them away at any time.

A long night has passed, the sandalwood remains as before, and wisps of smoke linger among the dark curtains, the pearls on the embroidery shimmering slightly, like sleepless tears.

Yun Yao lay pale-lipped on the soft bed. For the first time, he realized that love could be so painful and crazy, so greedy and apocalyptic. The lady was exercising her irresistible authority over him, and she was also mercilessly burning a fire on his heart and body, turning him to ashes and leaving him nowhere to escape.

As dawn broke, the lady opened her eyes. She appeared weaker than the night before, yet also more frantic.

She hugged Yun Yao tightly, and as in their usual tender moments, she caressed his fair earlobe with her lips. However, the words that came out of the lady's mouth at this moment were so cruel that they made one tremble.

She whispered passionately and almost frantically in her beloved young lover's ear, "Yun'er, my days are numbered, but I really can't bear to part with you. You are so beautiful and wonderful; keeping you here would only lead to others ruining you. Why don't you come with me, hmm?"

Yun Yao trembled all over. He and his wife stared at each other with their crazed eyes. The passionate love they had shared day and night had become a poison that gnawed at their bones. Was their love over the years a calamity or a curse?

Finally, under the madam's piercing gaze, Yun Yao closed his eyes as if resigned to his fate. Two lines of clear tears fell, like an echo of a sigh. He remained silent. This life, which he had been forced to live against his will and made mistake after mistake, seemed to have nothing to regret if it were to end here.

Faced with the words of his wife's death, Yun Yao neither begged for mercy nor panicked. He strangely felt a sense of calm as if the dust had settled.

He opened his eyes, which were now completely still, like an unchanging jade statue before a lotus. He looked back at his wife calmly, even with a hint of a smile, and softly replied, "Yes, Madam."

The lady's pupils dilated slightly. She stopped all her movements and stared intently at Yun Yao in her arms. It felt like a long time had passed, yet also like only a moment. The lady's expression returned to her usual gentle demeanor, but her eyes were now fixed on Yun Yao with even greater fervor. Her voice was hoarse yet tender, "Yun'er, are you really willing?"

Yun Yao nodded calmly.

The lady seemed to finally breathe a sigh of relief as she hugged him tightly, then kissed his lips tenderly, "Yun'er, how could I bear to really let you..."

She cupped his face in her hands, looked at him gently, and said, "Yun'er, just forget what I said earlier."

Yun Yao met her gaze, but there wasn't much joy in his eyes. He nodded faintly and then lowered his eyes.

Seeing his dejected state, the lady suddenly felt an impulse. She had always known what Yun Yao truly wanted, so she kissed his lips tenderly and promised him, "Yun'er, when I feel better, I will take you back to Nanhang. We will stay at Cuiwei Villa and enjoy the spring flowers and autumn moon together, okay?"

Yun Yao's calm eyes flickered with emotion. He looked at his wife and asked cautiously, "Madam, is what you're saying true?"

The lady hugged him tightly with affection and said gently, "When have I ever lied to Yun'er? Once Chi'er returns and everything is stable, we'll go back to Nanhang. Then, you can do whatever you want."

Yun Yao's heart was in turmoil. His calm and restrained demeanor shattered, and he couldn't help but hug his wife back, saying with undisguised excitement, "Madam, thank you, I'm so happy."

The long, dark night seemed to finally see a glimmer of dawn, and Yun Yao's heart soared like the sky, filled with anticipation.

But whether waiting would bring him his wish, Yun Yao didn't know. He could only hold onto this small hope and wait for the day to come quickly.

However, fate was still not kind to him.

On the day before the young master was to return home, a day that should have been filled with the warmth of spring and blooming flowers, the madam suddenly collapsed in the study without warning. One second she was playing chess with Yun Yao, laughing and chatting happily, and the next second, the chess piece fell from her hand...

Everything flashed before Yun Yao's eyes like a slow-motion video. He watched helplessly as the crowd rushed around him in a panic. He was like a fish squeezed out of the water, pushed to the side by the crowd. The chaotic crowd blocked his view and prevented him from moving forward. He could only watch helplessly as everything happened in an instant.

Soon, on the serious advice of her private medical team, the lady was transferred to a special high-level hospital outside the garden. Everyone in the garden was on tenterhooks, with rumors even circulating that the lady might not wake up this time…

As for Yun Yao, as the lady's most favored lover and the last person to be alone with her, he was temporarily kept under guard in the room.

Yun Yao then understood that sometimes, hope is like a flower in a mirror or the moon's reflection in water—so beautiful yet so easily shattered.