Chapter 62
First, the old woman who was on night watch seemed to see a white shadow floating by the lake in Furong Garden in the middle of the night. The shadow was humming an unknown tune, which was so mournful and melodious that the old woman was so scared that she ran away crawling and fell ill the next day.
Then, the servant who was in charge of delivering stale food to Furong Garden saw with his own eyes the shadow of a woman with disheveled hair reflected in the window of the main house where Song Qingyuan lived at dusk. She was facing the mirror, combing her hair over and over again, muttering to herself: "My face... my hair... I give it back to you... I give it all back to you..." The servant was so scared that he threw away the food box and never dared to approach Furong Garden again.
For a time, rumors spread throughout the palace.
"Have you heard? The guy in Hibiscus Garden is not sick, he's crazy!"
"More than crazy, I think he's possessed! Some say it's Princess Cui's ghost who's gone back to take her life!"
"That's right! I heard that Song doesn't sleep every night. She dances in the yard and talks to the air, crying and laughing. It's so scary!"
Naturally, all these rumors reached Wen Yue's ears without missing a word.
At first she thought Song Qingyuan was just being mysterious, but as more and more "witnesses" came forward and their descriptions became more and more detailed, even she began to feel a little creepy.
None of the spies she sent to monitor Furong Garden dared to approach it at night, saying that the place was filled with gloomy energy and staying there for too long would shorten one's lifespan.
"Crazy?" Wen Yue sat in the warm room, holding the heater in her hands, her brows furrowed. She was a little confused.
According to her assumption, Song Qingyuan should have died quietly in despair and pain. How could she cause such a big commotion? A madman is much more troublesome than a dead person. What if she ran out like a madman, talking nonsense, wouldn't it cause trouble?
No, she had to see it with her own eyes. She wanted to make sure whether Song Qingyuan was really crazy or playing some tricks.
Once this thought came to her mind, she could no longer suppress it. She chose a windy afternoon, and under the pretext of "visiting a patient," she led two courageous maids and headed towards Furong Garden.
As soon as you step into the gate of Hibiscus Garden, a cold and bleak atmosphere hits you in the face.
The fallen leaves scattered across the ground, uncollected, made a crackling sound when stepped on, a sound that was particularly harsh in the quiet courtyard. The wind blew through the bare treetops, making a whining sound like ghosts crying.
Wen Yue felt a little nervous, but he still mustered up the courage and walked to the door of the main house.
The door was ajar, and she signaled a maid to push it open.
The door creaked open, and the scene inside made all three of them gasp.
Song Qingyuan was seen sitting on the ground. Her originally plain white dress was now covered with strange runes painted with red paint that she had gotten from somewhere.
Her hair was disheveled, and her face was painted red and white, like a ghost on the stage. In front of her was a small clay figurine, with thin branches stuck all over its body. She was holding one of the branches and was stabbing the figurine while mumbling nervously.
"Stab your eyes so you can't recognize people...Stab your heart so you can be cruel and heartless...Stab your legs so you can never come near me again..."
Her voice was sometimes sharp, sometimes low, her eyes were empty and crazy, and she didn't notice the person coming at the door at all.
Wen Yue's heart skipped a beat. This... this was witchcraft! Cursing whom? Looking at the expression on her face, she was probably cursing the prince, wasn't she?
She forced herself to remain calm, coughed, and called softly, "Sister? I'm here to see you."
Song Qingyuan seemed not to hear and continued to prick the figurines.
Wen Yue raised her voice again: "Sister! How did you get yourself into this state? Get up quickly, the ground is cold."
This time, Song Qingyuan finally responded.
She slowly, very slowly, turned her head, her paint-stained eyes fixed on Wen Yue. After a long moment, she suddenly opened her mouth, revealing a strange smile.
"It's you..." Her voice was as hoarse as two pieces of sandpaper rubbing against each other. "You came at the right time. Look, I gave him a companion. He's so lonely down there by himself."
As she spoke, she picked up another ball of clay and began to mold a second figurine. As she molded it, she giggled, "This one, make a pretty one... with curved eyebrows, big eyes, and a small mouth, just like you..."
As soon as these words came out, Wen Yue felt a chill run from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. Was she saying... to curse him?
"Sister, what nonsense are you talking about!" Wen Yue was shocked and angry. "You are sick and confused! Throw away these ominous things!"
"Ominous?" Song Qingyuan stopped moving. She raised her head, and a trace of clarity suddenly flashed in her empty eyes, but that clarity was more frightening than madness. "Aren't you the one who is truly ominous? You brought the Hehuan Fragrance to see the princess who was poisoned by the 'Qianji' poison. You are the one... the most poisonous person..."
With a loud "boom", something seemed to explode in Wen Yue's brain.
Hejuxiang! Pull the machine!
How could she know?! These two words were the deepest secret in her heart, the most crucial link in her plan, which she thought was flawless! How could Song Qingyuan know? Could it be that bitch Caiwei... No, Caiwei didn't know anything about the Hehuanxiang!
In an instant, fear overwhelmed her like a tide.
Looking at the crazy woman in front of her, she felt for the first time that she might not be a hunter, but a prey that had already fallen into a trap.
"You...you are slandering me! You are talking nonsense!" Wen Yue's voice became sharp because of fear, and she subconsciously took a step back.
"I'm crazy?" Song Qingyuan suddenly burst into laughter, laughing so hard that he fell backwards, tears streaming down his face. "Yes, I am crazy! You guys drove me crazy! Shen Yanzhi, you blind and heartless man! You pampered this vicious woman, but locked me up here to die! Even if I become a ghost, I will not let you go!!"
She stood up suddenly and pounced on Wen Yue like a mad lioness.
"Ah!" Wen Yue screamed, terrified, and turned and ran. The two maids behind her had already turned pale, and they followed their master out of Furong Garden, crawling and tumbling, as if they were being pursued by a ghost.
Song Qingyuan didn't stop until the chaotic footsteps completely disappeared.
She slowly straightened up, and the madness and insanity on her face faded like the tide, leaving only a cold calm.
She walked to the door, looked at Wen Yue's embarrassed escape back, and a sarcastic smile appeared on the corner of her mouth.
She clapped her hands gently, and Xiao Tao, who had been hiding behind the screen and was almost fainting from fear, finally came out trembling. "Master... Master... you just... scared me to death..."
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