Chapter 25 Qingzhu hid around the corner, anxiously...
Qingzhu paced anxiously around the corner, peeking out every now and then to observe. He rubbed the goosebumps on his arms, his face filled with worry. The opportunity was right in front of him, how could he give it up? He was so close, so very close, to becoming a master and no longer having to be a lowly servant.
Ke Huixue was guarding the door, and there were guards around. If he did anything, he would definitely be discovered. For a while, he racked his brains but couldn't think of a good and feasible way. However, he was unwilling to leave just like that. The temptation of being fawned over and respected was too great. He was willing to linger here and wait for an opportunity.
——
Inside the study, Yan Yize sat upright at her desk, pen in hand, her expression serious. The flickering candlelight cast a shadow on her face, adding an air of mystery to her already beautiful features.
She wielded her brush, and in no time, the blank Xuan paper was covered with characters. The neat and powerful characters on the Xuan paper were so vivid that anyone who saw them couldn't help but exclaim that they were beautiful!
Halfway through writing, Yan Yize abruptly stopped. The wolf-hair brush dipped in ink remained above the Xuan paper, and a drop of ink fell from the tip, splashing onto the Xuan paper covered with writing. The neat characters instantly smudged into a dark blob, ruining the beauty, but she didn't care at all.
Yan Yize frowned slightly and looked at the half-open window. Why did she feel a little hot? It was winter, a cold season, a season when one should wear extra clothes and fur coats to get through. It was unusual for her to feel hot. This was not normal.
She sensed something was wrong and carefully recalled the people and things she had encountered that day. They were all people she had met before. After careful review, she found nothing amiss. She hadn't gone out that day either, so she just assumed she was being paranoid. Besides, this was her own residence, and she didn't think the servants in the house would have the guts to do that.
Yan Yize poured herself a cup of tea and drank several cups in a row before the heat in her body subsided somewhat. She then loosened her collar, letting in a cool breeze, which made her feel much better. She picked up her brush again and continued writing the unfinished words.
As the ink fell, one after another, the characters, written in a graceful and elegant style, were laid out in a row. Yan Yize was satisfied. Her calligraphy was taught by her father, who had passed away many years ago. She dared not neglect it, after all, it was something her father left her. Fortunately, she did not disappoint her father's teachings. After writing for a long time, she suddenly swayed. When she put down the pen again, she saw double images in front of her.
Her mouth was dry and her body was burning hot. The cold wind outside the window was blowing into the room, but she didn't feel cold. On the contrary, she felt hotter and hotter. Yan Yize finally realized something was wrong. She put down her pen and touched her forehead with her palm. It was burning hot, like volcanic lava about to erupt under high temperature.
She immediately realized that she had been drugged, and her anger surged instantly. The temperature in her eyes dropped by more than one degree. Her father had been poisoned and framed to death. Yan Yize was reminded of her painful past, and a rare vulnerability and sadness appeared in her eyes. It seemed that she had been too kind in her usual way to dare to use such dirty tricks on her.
Her body and mind were restless, but Yan Yize's mind was exceptionally clear. She began to recall when she had come into contact with him. After some thought, her gaze finally fell on the dinner she had just eaten. Shang Xu's face was the first thing that came to mind. It was him.
Yan Yize's consciousness was wavering, her vision was blurry, and she felt extremely uncomfortable. She closed her eyes, panting heavily, and a fine layer of sweat seeped from her forehead, which condensed into larger beads, falling down her hairline and disappearing into her collar.
A surge of rage and agitation made her already confused mind spin, and the world spun before her eyes. Yan Yize shouted, "Return to Snow!"
Hearing the sound, Huixue quickly pushed open the door and knelt respectfully on the ground, her movements fluid and graceful. "Your Highness."
"Go and fetch the physician immediately." Yan Yize leaned on the table, panting heavily. She spoke quickly and decisively, as was her style—never beating around the bush.
Hui Xue noticed something was wrong with her, glanced at her with concern, and hesitated for a moment before immediately replying, "Yes."
As soon as Huixue left, it gave Qingzhu, who was hiding in the shadows, an opportunity. He was still racking his brains for a solution, but when he saw Huixue go in and out and then leave in a hurry, he knew that the medicine he had given had worked.
Without hesitation, he arrived at the study door. With no obstruction, he easily pushed open the door, straightened his clothes, let out a soft breath, and strode inside.
Yan Yize's face was flushed an abnormal red due to the effects of the medicine in her body. She closed her eyes and endured the waves of heat in her body. The veins on her neck were bulging and her forehead was covered with sweat. When she heard the door open, she thought it was Huixue returning. The heat in her body made her brain sluggish, but she still had basic judgment. So fast?
It shouldn't be this fast.
She opened her eyes and looked towards the door. The double vision made her dizzy, but she still recognized that the person who came in was not Huixue. The surging drug power in her body made her irritable, and she lost patience with the person who suddenly ran in.
She said coldly, without any mercy, "Get out."
Qingzhu's movements froze for a moment, but he quickly recovered and walked towards her as if nothing had happened, his eyes resolute. The chance to turn things around was right in front of him; he would be a fool to give it up.
Yan Yize rested her elbows on the table and propped her chin up with her hand. Because of the discomfort, she squinted her eyes. When she saw that the person not only ignored her but also walked towards her, she was very displeased and completely lost her last bit of patience.
A mocking smile played on her lips as she clapped her hands. The next second, a figure dressed entirely in black appeared out of nowhere, a longsword gleaming coldly as it was drawn with a clang. The icy blade pressed against Qingzhu's throat; one more step and it would pierce through.
Qingzhu was forced to stop, his eyes wide with terror. Faced with a life-or-death situation, he was terrified, trembling uncontrollably. His dream of flying to the treetops had long been forgotten.
"I said get out." Yan Yize's voice was icy cold and devoid of any emotion. The drugs had brought out her true nature. She stared coldly at Qingzhu, her lips curling into a cold smile. "Since you don't understand, then leave your head behind."
Qingzhu's legs went weak, and he knelt down with a thud. He even forgot the long sword pressed against his throat. His eyes were filled with terror. He was afraid. He was really afraid. He didn't want to die. He wanted to live.
At this critical moment of life and death, he only wanted to extricate himself from the situation, forgetting his original purpose for coming here. His forehead hit the ground with a "thud," and without hesitation, he pulled Shang Xu to take the blame, "Your Highness, it was Young Master who sent me here."
"Young master? Which young master?" Yan Yize asked indifferently. The drugs had made her mind a mess, and she couldn't remember much.
Qingzhu lay prostrate on the ground, her head pressed against the cold earth, not daring to get up. She said tremblingly, "Shang Xu, Young Master Shang."
Shang Xu? Yan Yize's face flashed before her eyes. Thinking of him, her drowsy mind regained a moment of clarity. She suddenly opened her eyes and recognized that the person kneeling on the ground was the one who usually served Shang Xu.
As reason returned, she remembered that her Chinese medicine was related to that dinner. Yan Yize gasped for breath, then bit her tongue without changing her expression. The taste of blood filled her mouth, and the pain brought her back to her senses.
Who drugged it?
Qingzhu knelt on the ground, trembling with fear. Without thinking much, he immediately pinned the blame on Shang Xu, saying, "It was Young Master, it was Young Master who ordered people to do it."
He absolved himself of all responsibility.
Yan Yize felt a sharp pain in his heart, as if he had been bitten by an inconspicuous little insect. The pain was mixed with a sour feeling. How could it be him?
Yan Yize closed her eyes, her breathing a little labored, unsure if it was due to the medication or something else. Recalling her past with him, she had a decent impression of him, and at one point even considered continuing the relationship. But now, she was disappointed.
More than disappointment, she felt anger at being drugged. In her rage, the drug once again took control of her, her head became dizzy and swollen, and reason was gradually replaced. With only a last sliver of clarity left, she desperately wanted to see him and ask him why he had done this.
Yan Yize staggered to her feet, her eyes glowing with an unnatural crimson. She ignored the person kneeling on the ground and stumbled outside. Before her eyes were her father's cold, pale face and Shang Xu's smiling, waving hand at her. Why? She wanted an answer.
She did not have an easy time on the way. Several times, servants approached her to help, but she roared angrily, "Get out of my way!"
The servants were frightened by the bloodshot eyes and fury in her eyes and dared not approach her. But she was the mistress of the mansion and the provider of food and clothing for everyone in the mansion. How could they really ignore her? They could only follow her at a distance and come to her side as soon as she needed anything.
Shang Xu was unaware of what had happened. He was alone in the house, keeping company with the Cymbidium goeringii on the table. Life was peaceful and serene, and he had no idea that a storm was brewing.
He leaned on the table, gazing at the Cymbidium goeringii with a smile in his eyes. He regarded it as a close friend and was confiding his thoughts to it, "It seems that my relationship with her has taken another step forward today."
After saying that, he smiled shyly and was about to speak again when he was interrupted by a sudden collision.
With a loud crash, the closed door was pushed open forcefully by the newcomer, hitting the wall behind it and then bouncing back.
Startled, Shang Xu immediately sat up straight. Upon seeing that it was Yan Yize, he stood up in surprise, took two steps forward, and noticed the abnormal flush on her face and the rage in her eyes. He looked at her with concern and cautiously asked, "Your Highness, what's wrong?"
"What's wrong with me? Don't you know?" Yan Yize was in great pain and spoke to him with his last bit of consciousness.
Shang Xu shook his head, his eyes filled with worry, and stepped forward again, reaching out to help her.
Yan Yize's patience crumbled the moment he approached. She smelled the faint fragrance of orchids on him, a subtle scent that lured her in, turning into a saw that relentlessly sawed at the last string of reason in her mind.
A strong desire arose from the bottom of her heart; she wanted to kiss him, to push him down, and even more so, to touch his skin. Yan Yize's eyes were dazed for a moment, and large beads of sweat fell from her forehead like raindrops. Just as she couldn't help but reach out her hand, her father's tragic death appeared before her eyes.
She turned her outstretched hand away, pushing his hand away. Her fingertips inevitably touched his skin. Compared to the furnace-like temperature of her body, his body was really cold. Her desire for him deepened. The fragrance of orchids continued to assault her. Yan Yize took a step back and bit his tongue again. His unclear mind cleared up a bit.
She clutched her chest, gasping for breath, her eyes bloodshot and filled with rage as she looked at him. She demanded, word by word, "Why did you drug me?"
Before Shang Xu could recover from the disappointment of being pushed away, he suddenly heard her words. He looked up sharply, his eyes widening in shock, and realized that her unusual behavior was due to being drugged.
Immediately afterward, Shang Xu realized something, his face turned pale, and he looked frantically towards the door, searching frantically. After searching around, he couldn't find Qingzhu's figure. His already pale face turned even paler. With such a commotion here, why was Qingzhu, his servant, nowhere to be seen?
The answer is obvious: Qingzhu had done something behind his back.
Shang Xu pursed his lips, his face pale and unsightly. He swayed and was about to collapse. He had never asked Qingzhu to do anything, but Qingzhu was his servant. In the eyes of outsiders, they were one. Whatever the servant did was at the master's behest. Would she believe what he said?
His throat was dry, and he swallowed hard. He looked at her sadly, a faint, almost imperceptible expectation in his eyes. He moved his lips and said softly, "It wasn't me."
"Your Highness, I didn't do it."
Yan Yize sneered, his bloodshot eyes fixed on him, his gaze cold and distant, as if he were looking at an insignificant stranger. "It wasn't you who did it, you had someone do it, didn't you?"
Shang Xu shook his head helplessly, the last trace of blood disappearing from his lips, the expectation in his eyes dimming. She really didn't believe him. His heart felt empty, as if he had lost something important. A sharp pain shot through him, as if someone had taken a sharp dagger and cut a bloody gash in his heart.
"I didn't." He shook his head, weakly trying to defend himself with pale words. He knew she had already made up her mind, and no matter what he said, he couldn't change it. But he was innocent, and he had to speak out for himself.
The effects of the medicine grew stronger over time. Anyone with a weaker will would have given up long ago, but the person who took the medicine was Yan Yize. She gritted her teeth, held on to her last bit of consciousness, and asked once again, "Why did you use such despicable methods on me?"
Tears welled up in Shang Xu's eyes as he looked at her in despair and weakly reiterated, "I didn't do it, and I certainly didn't have anyone do it."
Yan Yize was utterly disappointed. The last bit of goodwill he had felt vanished in that instant. "Let's get a divorce after the New Year."
Upon hearing the words "divorce," Shang Xu could no longer hold back his tears, which streamed down his handsome profile. He looked at her with teary eyes and pleaded, "Your Highness, I am innocent."
“I have never done this, nor have I ever let anyone do it.”
Since entering the manor, Shang Xu had considered treating her with respect and being her husband in name only, but he had never thought of divorcing her. From the moment he stepped into her manor, he had resigned himself to his fate.
But after giving him hope, she cruelly cut it off. It turned out that no matter where he was, he could not escape the fate of being abandoned.
Yan Yize said nothing more, coldly turned and left. Her father had been drugged and framed to death, and she deeply abhorred such methods. This behavior had crossed her bottom line, and she would never allow such a person to exist around her; it was an insult to her deceased father.
Tears streamed down Shang Xu's face like broken beads as he watched her cold, departing figure. He wanted to speak to her and ask her to stay, but she no longer believed him; what could he do to stop her?
She can leave with a flick of her sleeve, but what about him?
How should he face her heartlessness and the feelings that shouldn't have been there? After the divorce, where should he go?
A note from the author:
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