Chapter 311 Substitutes
Lin Yuesha always believed that being kind to someone is never without expectation of reward; there must be at least a reason.
For example, Granny Xiao took good care of her from the first time they met. Later, Lin Yuesha learned that her personality was very similar to Granny Xiao's deceased granddaughter.
Because of liking, affection, and having something in return, one will treat someone well. Lin Yuesha wanted to know what the pockmarked man was thinking.
She had kept these words in her heart for a long time, and finally found the right opportunity to ask them.
The sharp question came unexpectedly, and Xiao Qi panicked inside, but appeared remarkably calm on the surface. He said gently, "Because you are like my sister."
Lin Yuesha: ...
She's acting like a younger sister again. I've never heard the pockmarked man mention having a sister before. What the hell is a sister? May all lovers in the world be like siblings!
Xiao Qi realized his mistake when his younger sister's expression changed. He knew he had said the wrong thing.
"Brother Yun, I've never heard you mention that you have a younger sister."
Lin Yuesha lowered her head awkwardly, asking casually while quickly trying to change the subject. She had a little something on her mind and couldn't let the pockmarked face see through it, or she would be looked down upon.
Since the pockmarked woman said she treats her like a younger sister, that's good. She should understand her place and stop overthinking things.
Xiao Qi was very annoyed. He often lost his composure when facing his younger sister. Lin Yuesha must have been sent by heaven to oppose him!
One lie requires countless lies to cover it up. Xiao Qi replied, "That's because my sister is gone."
Lin Yuesha: ...
Xiao Qi: ...
As soon as the words were spoken, the atmosphere fell into an eerie stillness. Xiao Qi was also shocked that these words had actually come from his mouth.
Lin Yuesha was furious, but couldn't quite put her finger on why. The siblings shared a deep bond; she was merely a substitute. Yet, as a substitute, she had benefited greatly from the deceased woman's kindness, receiving preferential treatment from the pockmarked man. She wanted to lash out, but couldn't find a reason. She couldn't very well feign innocence after receiving such favors!
"I see. From now on, Brother Yun can treat me like his own sister."
Lin Yuesha took a deep breath, trying to make her expression natural and relaxed. She smiled and said, "I only have one stepbrother, and I wish I had another one."
Xiao Qi: ...
He didn't want to be the stepbrother, but now he's ended up using the alias of the eldest brother.
The two stood together, and neither of them spoke.
About fifteen minutes later, Doctor Yan came out of the house. She asked Hongliu to boil water to clean Hongtao's wound and then apply medicine.
"Dr. Yan, how is Hongtao?"
Lin Yuesha quickly stepped forward to inquire. The bearded man had remained inside the room and hadn't come out. Now, she was filled with anxiety, fearing she might hear bad news.
"He won't die for now, but..."
Although she didn't die, she was half-dead. The beating was too severe, damaging the woman's very health, making it difficult for her to conceive again.
"The dressing needs to be changed every three hours. If the fever doesn't get high, there should still be hope, but it will take a year and a half to recover, and the patient will not be able to do physical labor afterward."
The beating Hongtao received at the Prince of Zhenbei's mansion was so severe it practically crippled her. Doctor Yan examined her and found that even though no bones were broken, her internal organs were damaged. Whether she could survive depended on Hongtao's will to live.
"It's easy to die, but it's not easy to live."
To die is to die without taking a breath, but to live is to endure immense suffering.
Dr. Yan couldn't bear it, so she used much gentler techniques when performing acupuncture to stop the bleeding.
"That……"
When Lin Yuesha entered the room, Hongtao was already unconscious. Her face was deathly pale, devoid of any color. At only a teenager, Hongtao already had gray hairs at her temples, making her look pale and haggard.
"Where did you go? Even if you left, you should have said goodbye to Red Peach."
Facing the bearded man, Lin Yuesha gave him a cold look and couldn't help but criticize him. If she had no feelings for Hongtao, she should have made it clear. Hongtao had backbone and was definitely not shameless; she wouldn't pester the bearded man.
"I……"
Bai Ying was in a terrible state of mind. One wrong step led to another. Faced with Lin Yuesha's questioning, he couldn't give a coherent answer. He wanted to ask his master, but Xiao Qi hadn't even entered the room yet.
"Say something!"
Lin Yuesha got anxious and started talking non-stop. She knew she was an outsider, but seeing Hongtao almost lose her life filled her with a strange sense of sorrow.
"I had no choice."
Bai Ying wasn't lying. Although he didn't like Hongtao, he wouldn't get close to her. If anyone was to blame, it would definitely be his master. He was caught in the middle, torn between two sides, and was just following orders.
Lin Yuesha's expression softened a little. She had misunderstood the bearded man's meaning and thought that he had important business to attend to and had no choice but to leave Hongtao.
"Sister Red Peach is in a very critical situation right now. If you care about her, then stay with her."
As an outsider, it would be a mistake to say too much, so Lin Yuesha stopped there, turned around and left.
"I'm leaving now. I'll send the message if anything comes up."
Xiao Qi felt extremely uneasy. After saying the wrong thing, he was even more at a loss as to how to face Lin Yuesha. He could only take off his disguise and infiltrate her under his other identity to ask his little sister for her thoughts.
"good."
Lin Yuesha thanked him again, and the pockmarked man left without giving her another glance.
Actually, the pockmarked man hadn't done anything to wrong her. Putting aside the fact that he saved her life, he had always been very accommodating to her requests. But what the pockmarked man had just said made her feel very uncomfortable.
It turns out that his kindness towards her wasn't because of her as a person, but because she had taken advantage of a dead person—all of which belonged to the pockmarked-faced deceased sister.
Granny Xiao also treated her like a granddaughter, but Lin Yuesha didn't feel any resentment. For some reason, when it came to the pockmarked face, who was also a substitute, she wanted more and more. Was she really too greedy?
"Miss, don't be too sad. Miss Red Peach will get through this."
White Tea sniffed. Red Peach's sweetheart had returned and was with her. The two of them were finally no longer apart.
Lin Yuesha glanced at Bai Cha in surprise. Was this girl imagining a romantic scene? That wasn't the case at all!
“Sister Yue Sha, Hong Chou and I cannot stay any longer. We must hurry back to the palace.”
Hongliu glanced at the sky, wiped the sweat from her forehead, and the two of them secretly brought Hongtao out of the Prince's mansion. Although they had the help of Granny Xiao, everything was done in secret.
Both of them have official duties, and if they are away for too long, it will easily arouse suspicion.
Within the Prince's mansion, everyone had their own designated position, especially Hongliu, who worked in the needlework room. Her job was easy and leisurely, and many servants tried to use their connections to find Granny Xiao and replace her.
"Sister Hongliu, you all go back, leave this to me."
Lin Yuesha had also worked as a maid in the household and knew best the difficulties of being a servant. Hongliu was already taking a huge risk by doing this. She had people by her side and the female doctor Yan to help her, so she could handle it.
"once……"
Lin Yuesha paused for a moment, then said, "If there is any bad news, I will go to the Prince's mansion to deliver the message."
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