Yu Yun
She had several dreams in a row, and when she woke up, she felt a splitting headache and all she could see was a state of ignorance.
He barely managed to open his eyes, steadied himself, and after a few moments, he could vaguely make out that he was lying on the bed in the warm pavilion of Luoya Residence.
A strong medicinal fragrance wafted from all around, and before she could see anything more clearly, she heard a maidservant beside her exclaim in surprise, "Miss, you've woken up!"
Before she could speak, the little maid hurriedly walked outside. A short while later, another hurried footstep approached, followed by a woman's voice, tinged with sobs: "Miss, you're finally awake!"
The voice was very familiar. Lin Xu could barely make out the tearful look in Zhi Yuan's eyes before she forcefully reached out her hand. Zhi Yuan hurriedly took Lin Xu's hand in hers and asked in a worried voice, "Is Miss thirsty? Would you like me to fetch some tea?"
Lin Xu shook his head slightly, finally finding an opening to ask:
"...How long have I been unconscious?"
The tears that Zhiyuan had barely managed to hold back instantly welled up again. With a sob in her voice, she said with heartache, "Ever since you fainted from the scorching sun that day, you've been unconscious for three whole days. We servants were so worried about you."
The school...scorched by the sun...
She then realized what was happening.
It turned out that she had fainted during the punishment that day. In an instant, all her already hazy memories surfaced. The heartache and grievances she had suffered during the examination that day, as well as the various characters in the school, made her head even more dizzy.
"Has anything happened in these three days?"
She struggled to sit up, and Zhiyuan quickly placed a soft pillow behind her to make her more comfortable. Lin Xu's gaze swept across the black lacquered round table in the hall, which was piled with all kinds of tonics and packaged gift boxes. The rest, which couldn't fit on the table, had been piled up on the sandalwood incense table next to it.
Zhi Yuan nodded, her eyes red, as if she had just been crying. She hesitated for a moment and whispered:
"You suffered from heatstroke that day and fainted under the blazing sun, which terrified Sister Qingwu. She rushed to your side and tried to help you up. But you had already lost consciousness, and she was weak on her own. She didn't care about anything else and shouted loudly, which alerted the scholars and others in the hall. Everyone was quite frightened, so they called for people to help you into a sedan chair and send you back to our mansion."
Zhi Yuan took a breath and continued:
"At that time, the master was still at court and not at home. Fortunately, the madam and the young master were both at the manor. When you were unconscious, they were terrified. The young master thought you had been wronged at school and immediately wanted to take a sword and go to the palace to protest for you! Fortunately, we servants persuaded him to stop, and the madam immediately asked the manor physician to come and take your pulse, and your condition stabilized. Sister Qingwu then recounted the events that happened at school to the madam in detail. The madam was so frightened that her face turned pale, and she kept feeling sorry for you for suffering so much there."
Qingwu has always been a considerate and thoughtful person...
Lin Xu recalled vaguely hearing Qingwu's voice rushing towards him from afar before his consciousness faded. He figured the little girl must have been terribly worried. It was thanks to her quick thinking that he was rescued immediately.
She looked around and couldn't help but ask softly, "Where is Qingwu?"
Zhiyuan paused, her eyes filled with sorrow, and tears welled up uncontrollably.
Lin Xu immediately had a bad feeling, and then he heard Zhi Yuan stammer:
"Sister Qingwu blamed herself for a long time, believing that it was because she served you in the palace every day but failed to take proper care of you, which caused you to suffer. Furthermore, Aunt Qi advised the master that it was Qingwu's negligence as your personal maid that led to your humiliation at the academy. The master returned home confused and, in a fit of anger, immediately flew into a rage. Therefore, Sister Qingwu requested to be flogged by the master..."
She was already in poor health, and after receiving forty strokes of the cane, she couldn't even get out of bed. This is ultimately my fault; I was so worried about you that I couldn't be there to help Sister Qingwu take her medicine. And then, these past two days have been rainy and gloomy, causing Sister Qingwu's wound to bleed profusely. Last night, she caught a cold... and that's how she passed away..."
Lin Xu stared blankly at Zhi Yuan, who was sobbing uncontrollably. Her face was red from crying, her mouth was opening and closing, but she could no longer hear any sound.
Qingwu... is gone...
The little girl who had followed her for so many years, is she really gone just like that?
She looked incredulous, thinking she was still dreaming. She immediately threw off the blanket covering her and tried to get out of bed, but because she hadn't regained her strength, her legs gave way and she almost fell to the ground again.
Zhiyuan quickly stepped forward to help her up, still crying as she said:
"I know you must be heartbroken, that's why I didn't dare tell you the truth. Sister Qingwu has been devoted to you, staying by your bedside ever since you fell into a coma. If it weren't for this... she'd probably still be perfectly fine..."
As Zhiyuan spoke, she became increasingly sobbing. She had originally served in the kitchen, a lowly maid, but since becoming Lin Xu's head maid, Qingwu had always treated her with utmost care, teaching her meticulous tasks for her mistress and never being harsh with her in the slightest. Now, in the prime of her life, she was suddenly gone. She only regretted not being able to share Qingwu's punishments, and she hated her negligence in not protecting Qingwu after her injuries. Her heart was filled with deep remorse.
Through her teary eyes, she saw that her mistress's eyes were bloodshot; her usually clear and bright eyes were now bloodshot and brimming with tears.
She knew that Qingwu had served Lin Xu closely since childhood, and although they were mistress and servant, they were as close as sisters. She could only weep and advise, "Miss has only just woken up, you must not be too sad. If you continue to worry about this, it may endanger your health!"
Lin Xu seemed not to hear, and walked straight ahead regardless.
She hadn't felt such hatred in a long time; she felt it welling up from her very core, permeating every inch of her body, making it impossible for her to remain calm. She only wished she could stand before that vicious Qi Shuang'er right now and make her pay for Qingwu's life!
"Where is Qi Shi? Where is she?!"
Zhiyuan, who had never seen Lin Xu so angry, was startled. Seeing that Lin Xu was still furious and that she could not be persuaded by one person, she immediately called the other maids standing in the hall to come up and support Lin Xu.
Zhi Yuan sobbed, "Miss, you must not get angry now. The physician said that you rarely sleep well and your body is already weak. You are still recovering from a serious illness. Please take good care of your health!"
The hall was in chaos when a maidservant timidly announced from outside the door that the madam was overjoyed to hear that Lin Xu had suddenly woken up and was coming over soon.
Before long, the curtain was lifted. Gao Youyi hurried into the hall, looking worried. When she saw Lin Xu standing on the ground, finally awake, she immediately smiled and said happily, "You're finally awake! I was so worried about you being unconscious for the past two days!"
Before her smile faded, she noticed the strange atmosphere in the hall. She also saw that Lin Xu's eyes were red-rimmed, and the maids and servants around him all looked troubled. She hurriedly asked in a worried voice:
"They finally woke up, shouldn't we be overjoyed? Why do they all look like they've been wronged? What happened?"
Lin Xu looked at Gao Youyi, whose face showed heartache, opened her mouth, but before she could think of the right words, tears finally streamed down her face. She could no longer care about anything else; all the grievances and pain in her heart could no longer be hidden, so she suddenly threw herself into her stepmother's arms and sobbed uncontrollably.
Gao was startled by Lin Xu's sudden action and immediately panicked, so she could only hold the thin, tearful girl in her arms even tighter.
She had never been a mother before and didn't know how to comfort people, so she panicked for a moment. She could only pat Lin Xu's thin shoulder carefully and softly comfort her, "Xu'er, what's wrong? Tell your mother quickly."
The girl in his arms continued to sob, perhaps exhausted from not having felt such a warm embrace for a long time. Gao could only pat her back even more gently, feeling his clothes already soaked with the little girl's tears.
"Qingwu...she's gone." After a long while, Lin Xu finally said softly.
Madam Gao understood, placed her hands on Lin Xu's shoulders, and sighed softly, "Qingwu was your most trusted maid, and she grew up with you. Now that she's suddenly gone, it's natural that you're heartbroken."
She gently stroked Lin Xu's soft, cascading hair, a hint of helplessness creeping into her eyes:
"Speaking of which, the situation that day was extremely urgent. Yingzhi and I were at home, waiting for you to return after the exam. He even happily instructed the kitchen to prepare some of your favorite dishes to reward you for your fatigue from studying for the exam for several days. Who knew that when the servants at the door rushed in to report that something had happened in the palace, we were all startled. Your cousin even drew his sword and was about to rush out, but we had to persuade him to stay."
When your father returned from court, I was busy tending to you at your bedside. The entire inner courtyard was in chaos, and that Qi Shi seized the opportunity. Before your father even understood what had happened, she exaggerated the situation and blamed Qingwu. She claimed that as the head maid, she hadn't taken good care of you, which was why you suffered such injustice in the palace. Your father, already worried about you, was consumed by anger and immediately ordered Qingwu to leave the manor. Qingwu had no choice, and feeling guilty, she could only volunteer to be punished, receiving forty strokes of the cane.
At the time, everyone in the household was worried about you. Qingwu was severely punished, and being frail, she should have been resting properly. But I heard that these past few nights had been filled with torrential rain and freezing temperatures, and the maid in her room had poured ice water on her bedding. Qingwu was unable to move, and with no one to care for her, by the time someone discovered something was wrong, her body was already cold…”
Every word Gao Youyi uttered was like a dagger soaked in thick venom, stabbing straight into her heart.
She was unconscious for three whole days. Qingwu lay on the bed covered in blood for three days, unattended and uncared for. If she had woken up sooner, if she hadn't fallen into a coma, wouldn't that vicious Qi Shi have been able to take advantage of her? Wouldn't her Qingwu have survived?
Lin Xu was suddenly reminded of the little girl covered in dust kneeling on the ground many years ago. People came and went on the street, but her eyes were clear and bright.
That girl with a troubled past, yet who never lost faith in life; that girl who always followed behind her, calling her "Miss" in a sweet voice; that girl who grew up with her since childhood, now only thirteen years old...
She had such a cruel and heartless father and brother, yet she still worried about their lives. This pitiful but kind-hearted little girl was killed by Qi Shi while she was unconscious.
When she first discovered Qingwu's betrayal, she felt disappointment and resentment. But when she rescued her father and brothers from the Qi family, the little maid looked at her with admiration and said she would repay her with her life.
Now, everything about her has vanished like a fragrant flower in the torrential rain.
Lin Xu felt dizzy and lightheaded, but she could no longer think about it. Only one thought kept echoing in her mind, growing stronger and stronger—
Kill Qi Shi! Kill her!
Occasionally, a breeze would slip through the gaps in the curtains into the hall, carrying with it the sweltering heat and making one's mind even more agitated. A servant boy came running towards them without stopping, whispering something to the maidservant standing outside the door. The maidservant, suddenly receiving the message, hesitated for a moment, her hands hovering over the curtain, torn between whether or not to lift it.
Gao glanced at them and said sternly, "Just say what you have to say, why are you being so coy?"
Having received her orders, the young maid had no choice but to lift the curtain and step forward. Her face was pale, and fine beads of sweat had formed on her forehead.
She suddenly knelt down on the ground with a thud, and said in a trembling voice:
"Reporting to Madam, Master was overjoyed to receive news of Miss's awakening and was about to head to Luoya Residence when he encountered the family physician on the way, who was taking Concubine Qi's pulse. The physician, eager for a reward, immediately informed Master that Concubine Qi..."
The little girl quietly raised her head to glance at Madam Gao, whose face was growing increasingly gloomy, and finally whispered:
She is already—more than a month pregnant.
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