Chapter 19: Timid "I need a bundle of twine."
Xue Zhiying fell into a dull dream.
It must be a dream, otherwise why are all perceptions so vague.
But she felt it seemed real.
Because she still remembered the last moment before she lost consciousness, she made a request.
Xiao Yunqi promised to compensate her.
So she should be in the bedroom of Yingfengyuan now, sleeping on Xiao Yunqi's bed, covered with his soft quilt.
The noise around him must be him anxiously calling for a doctor to diagnose her.
Xue Zhiying felt that she was about to wake up, but her eyelids were too heavy to open.
She faintly heard a man's voice.
"If you dare to let anything happen to the woman I love, I will bury you all with her!"
So embarrassing.
She quietly curled her toes.
How could he say such overbearing words while she was unconscious?
Is this something he would say?
It doesn't seem so.
So, this is still just a dream.
After briefly regaining some consciousness, he sank again.
She dreamed that Xu tied her up and sent her to the Lin'an Palace to accept Meng Chen's invitation.
She angered Meng Chen.
Because she didn't want to be close to him.
The middle-aged man's face turned gloomy, and with just one look, several servants came forward and subdued her.
Needle-like pain spread throughout the body.
She asked, "What did you feed me?"
Meng Chen said it was the delicious Seven Poisons Powder.
She felt very uncomfortable and her mouth was bitter.
That's poison, it's not delicious at all.
Meng Chen sneered: "You are still young and not obedient enough, but I am no longer at the age where I have the patience to teach you slowly."
So, he made her take poison and he wanted to kill her.
She was carried into an airtight room.
Meng Chen let her lie there and wait to die.
He said no one would come to rescue her, or even collect her body.
Xue Zhiying was very scared and gradually fell into deep self-loathing.
Why can anyone decide her life except herself?
She wanted to leave the house and racked her brains to find a suitable excuse.
She didn't want to leave the house, but with just one word from Xu, she couldn't even resist choosing the clothes she would wear on the day she left the house.
She was so excited to go on a long journey that even if it was just to a temple, she would treat it as an exciting trip.
She waited in the rain for a whole day, and when he said she didn't need to go, her whole day's anticipation disappeared with the rain.
She didn't want to see Meng Chen, nor did she want to marry those old men.
They used her to gain benefits, but never gave her any benefits.
She wanted Xiao Yunqi, he was the best shelter.
But she has never been worthy of even the worst, let alone the best.
Now she is dying.
Only then did I realize that my heart was full of regrets.
None of them can be perfect.
The poison took effect and she began to have difficulty breathing.
She couldn't open her eyes, and someone seemed to be approaching her.
A cool, wet touch fell on the neck, wiping it gently.
She tried her best to open her eyelids, and just like the last thing she saw before losing consciousness, all she saw was a blurry black shadow.
Until it slowly became clear, and a man's cold and handsome face appeared.
She actually saw Xiao Yunqi.
"Are you here to collect my body?" she heard herself asking him.
Xiao Yunqi was as calm and composed as usual, but his fingers gently stroked her face and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. The tip of her ear felt hot and numb, making her feel itchy.
He answered her, "I am here to save you."
He actually apologized to her: "I'm sorry, I'm late."
He also comforted her: "Don't be afraid, everything is fine now."
Xue Zhiying began to hate herself again.
Why did he wake up so suddenly? Why was he not so smart normally, but at this moment he could so easily tell that this was a conversation that only happened in a dream?
The dream is over.
The scene before Xue Zhiying's eyes completely returned to reality.
"Girl, you finally woke up!"
Xue Zhiying blinked in confusion and spoke in a hoarse voice, "Where is this?"
"It's in the house. Miss, would you like some water? Are you feeling unwell anywhere? Is your head still aching? Do you want me to call a doctor to come and take a look?"
In the house...
Xue Zhiying's eyes swept around slowly and dully.
She was in her own room in Jingshuiyuan.
She shook her head: "I'm fine, I made you worry."
Chuntao quickly brought some warm water to her mouth.
Xue Zhiying struggled to sit up before taking the cup of water.
"How long have I slept?"
"Well, one night."
Xue Zhiying recalled that it was only around 3:00 p.m. when she returned to the Xiao Mansion.
It seemed that she slept for a long time.
She raised her hand and touched her forehead. The high fever had subsided, but her body still felt a little weak.
"Miss, do you really not need to call a doctor?"
Xue Zhiying rubbed Chuntao's face like coaxing a child: "Really, there's no need."
Even Chuntao could hear the low mood in Xue Zhiying besides her weakness, and her attempts to comfort her were powerless.
She took a small stool and sat beside the bed, intending to accompany her quietly for a while.
But before the master and servant could wait for long, a noise suddenly came from outside the yard.
Chun Tao stood up and said, "Miss, I'll go take a look."
In just a short moment, the depressed and sad person turned into Chuntao.
She pouted and stood beside Xue Zhiying, helping her change clothes.
As soon as I put on my coat, tears started to fall uncontrollably.
Chun Tao cried loudly: "How could they do this? The girl is still sick. Isn't this intentional bullying?"
"You don't listen even when I say it. Are you not listening at all?"
"It's all my fault for being useless. If I were more fierce, maybe they wouldn't dare to bully the girl."
Xue Zhiying suddenly turned around and reached out to wipe away Chuntao's tears: "Okay, that's all you have to say, why are you blaming yourself? What could you have done wrong? You are the best."
Chuntao raised her little face with tears in her eyes.
Her vision was blurred, and she didn't see that Xue Zhiying's eyes were also red. At this moment, she only felt that her daughter was the bravest person.
The person just now was sent by Cuihuayuan.
Xu asked Xue Zhiying to go over.
Chuntao had tried her best to explain and refuse, but the visitor was very firm and insisted that Xue Zhiying leave for Cuihua Courtyard immediately. He was still waiting in front of the courtyard gate.
Xue Zhiying finally used makeup to cover up her sick face, but her body had not recovered yet, so she still looked a little haggard.
The two servants waiting at the gate turned a blind eye and said coldly, "Cousin, please come in. Don't keep the Second Madam waiting for too long."
Along the way, the two attendants did not speak to her at all, and the only sound on the path was the sound of their footsteps.
Chuntao was left in Jingshuiyuan, and Xue Zhiying couldn't help but worry that she would cry all the time alone.
Just now she told Chuntao not to blame herself, but now she couldn't help but think that it was because she was too useless that she couldn't even protect the maid around her and was also bullied.
When walking through the courtyard on the west side, the door of the reception hall suddenly opened and two people walked out.
Xue Zhiying was on the other side of the road, and from a distance, he clearly saw the woman he had met yesterday.
She came to the Xiao Mansion again.
Following behind her was Mu Yan.
Xue Zhiying stopped and tried hard to see clearly inside the side hall.
Is Xiao Yunqi here too? Did they meet again?
"Cousin, please walk faster."
The attendant was urging her on.
Another person stood in front of her, preventing her from seeing the side hall.
Xue Zhiying withdrew her gaze and lowered her head.
She hated feeling this way.
She couldn't help but blame herself again, thinking that she was not good enough, that she was wishful thinking, and that she overestimated her own abilities.
But why is it so?
Can't it be someone else's fault?
It was Xu who had evil intentions and wanted to give her to the old man.
It was Xiao Yunqi who broke his promise and left her alone in the embroidery workshop without paying his compensation.
Meng Chen is disrespectful to his elders, bullies others by taking advantage of his power, and is vulgar and dirty.
It's not her fault.
She suddenly thought that it was because she was too timid that others bullied her and she couldn't get what she wanted.
Inside Cuihua Courtyard.
In addition to Xu, there was another person unexpectedly here, Xiao Yuanxiang.
However, it seemed that she was not specially summoned by Xu.
Xu was obviously helpless about this, but she did not drive him away harshly.
When Xiao Yuanxiang saw her coming, he was stunned for a moment: "Why do you look so ugly?"
She spoke frankly and without reservation, which made Xu look at her lightly.
"Is your illness not healed yet?" asked Mrs. Xu.
Xue Zhiying said in a muffled voice: "No."
She thought to herself, Xu knew clearly that she was ill, but she still insisted on having her come here, so why did she have to pretend to ask her now?
Immediately, Xiao Yuanxiang exclaimed in surprise what was in her heart: "Second Aunt, why did you force her to come when she was sick?"
Xu's face darkened. After a moment's silence, she reluctantly said, "Of course I have something important to discuss."
Xiao Yuanxiang mumbled something to himself.
Xue Zhiying didn't hear clearly, so she asked, "I wonder why the Second Madam called me here?"
Xu's face darkened, as if she was about to lecture someone. "I just learned yesterday that you were planning to stay at Huining Temple for half a month. Who allowed you to be away from home for such a long time? Do you remember that you have important matters to attend to in half a month?"
Xue Zhiying was slightly stunned, opened her mouth and was about to say something.
Xiao Yuanxiang spoke first, "So it was you who went to Huining Temple for me, Second Aunt? Maybe it was because I told my father that I didn't want to stay in the temple for so long, so he helped me change the itinerary to her."
Xu: “…”
Xiao Yuanxiang: "But why are you still here? Didn't you go to Huining Temple?"
"…Because the schedule has changed."
Seeing Xiao Yuanxiang about to continue, Madam Xu quickly interrupted, "Alright, since this is the reason, I won't pursue it. You don't need to go to Huining Temple. I will make other arrangements. Just remember what you should do. Stay in the hospital for the next few days and recover quickly. Don't make any more mistakes."
It seemed as if even getting sick was her fault.
Xue Zhiying lowered her eyes and responded in a low voice.
Perhaps because Xiao Yuanxiang was unexpectedly here and Xu didn't want to chase him away, she didn't say anything more.
Xue Zhiying went to great lengths to get the job done, but was then dismissed.
She dragged her tired body out of Cuihua Courtyard. When the sunlight shone into her eyes, she felt dizzy and as if she was about to faint again.
She stood quietly on the path for a moment before she calmed down.
But just as he came to his senses and was about to take a step forward, he found that Xiao Yuanxiang followed him.
"Hey, where are you going?"
"I'm going back to Jingshuiyuan."
Xiao Yuanxiang looked at her with dissatisfaction and accused her arrogantly, "You look so ugly."
Xue Zhiying was puzzled: "Did you follow me here just to tell me this?"
"Who's following me?! I'm going this way too!"
"...Oh." Xue Zhiying was drowsy and didn't want to say anything more, so she continued to move forward.
Xiao Yuanxiang was walking beside her.
She said she wasn't following, but she just followed Xue Zhiying wherever she turned in the fork in the road.
Xue Zhiying didn't pay attention to her steps and suddenly stumbled.
"Hey!" Xiao Yuanxiang exclaimed and subconsciously stretched out his hand.
Xue Zhiying just staggered and then stood firm on her own.
But when she looked down, she saw Xiao Yuanxiang's hand was grabbing her arm with quite a bit of force, causing an obvious wrinkle on her sleeve.
Xue Zhiying was confused again. Her thoughts were slowed down by her illness, so she raised her eyes and looked straight at Xiao Yuanxiang.
Xiao Yuanxiang suddenly withdrew his hand as if he was burned, and his face flushed red.
"You...I...you are not allowed to faint in front of me, that would be too ugly!"
Xue Zhiying looked at her so hard that even her ears turned red.
She nodded slightly: "Well, I'm not going to faint."
Xue Zhiying's reaction was too weak, or perhaps it was because she was obviously haggard and weak at the moment and could not give much reaction.
Xiao Yuanxiang's embarrassment quickly dissipated and gradually turned into a frown on his face.
The last fork in the road leads to Jingshuiyuan.
Xue Zhiying took a step forward and found that Xiao Yuanxiang was still following her.
She paused before she could speak.
Xiao Yuanxiang seemed to have been planning this all along, and immediately said, "Let me first check where Jingshuiyuan is. I'll find a doctor to see you later."
Xue Zhiying opened her mouth.
Xiao Yuanxiang immediately added, "Don't say no. Look at how ugly you are. Your lips are no longer rosy, your eyes are dark circles, and your voice is dry and hoarse."
"Do you need anything else? Tell me now and I might consider meeting your request, but if you miss this opportunity, you'll never get it again. If you dare to refuse me, I won't let you go!"
She seemed to be nervous, and she chattered a lot, causing Xue Zhiying's ears to buzz, but she didn't hear much.
Until she made herself blush again, she finally calmed down.
Xue Zhiying answered her in a low voice: "Yes, I need something else. Can I really ask you for it?"
Xiao Yuanxiang was stunned: "What do you want?"
"I need a bundle of twine, can you get it for me?"
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