No wonder her young lady wanted to sever ties with the Marquis Manor.
So that was it...
Regardless of how much they claimed they wanted to make amends, the moment Gu Lingwei uttered a few words, they could effortlessly choose between their own daughter and her.
Such soft blades, stabbing into one’s heart, were the most painful of all.
Qingzhi returned to Rongan Courtyard feeling utterly hollow. She wrapped her injured hand in a handkerchief, not daring to let Gu Qiurong see, and even less daring to mention that the imperial physician they had requested had gone to Gu Lingwei’s courtyard instead.
"Was the ink jade pendant delivered to the Brocade-Clad Guard?" Seeing her return, Gu Qiurong propped herself up on the bed, her dark eyes flickering with a hint of light.
Qingzhi’s chest heaved with a suffocating ache. She tried her best to compose herself, forcing a smile, and said, "It was handed over to the Brocade-Clad Guard. But, Young Lady, can this ink jade pendant really help you sever ties with the Marquis Manor?"
A faint smile touched Gu Qiurong’s pale, delicate face. "It isn't to help us sever ties, but to help me gain a foothold in the capital. Qingzhi, the severing of ties is something I must do myself; no one can help me with that."
Qingzhi bit her lip, not quite understanding, but she nodded nonetheless.
***
At Weilan Courtyard, the imperial physician hurriedly checked Gu Lingwei’s pulse. Finding nothing major wrong with her health, he wrote a prescription and advised her to rest well. Since the time was up and he could not linger, the physician left the Marquis Manor.
Chen Wenjin frowned deeply. "Had I known your health was not in serious trouble, I would have had the physician treat Rongrong first. The manor doctor said her body is severely depleted."
Upon hearing this, Gu Lingwei’s eyes turned red at a visible speed.
"Mother, I didn’t know... I truly didn’t know you had summoned the imperial physician to treat my sister. If I had known, how could I have allowed Mother Hai to bring him here? My sister suffered so much in prison; I truly pity her..."
Chen Wenjin could not bear to see her once-arrogant and pampered jewel of a daughter acting this cautious and fragile. She sighed, stepped forward, and hugged Gu Lingwei comfortingly. "It was Mother’s mistake, Weiwei. I know you care for your sister, but your own health is important, too. Don't say such things again."
Gu Lingwei’s tears began to fall instantly. She held Chen Wenjin tighter and sobbed, "Will Mother blame me? If not for me, my sister wouldn’t have been imprisoned for three years, suffering so many grievances."
"Of course not." Chen Wenjin’s tone was exceptionally firm. "How could Mother ever blame you? You are so obedient; you have always been Mother’s sweet, thoughtful girl."
Mother and daughter embraced. Mother Hai, watching this scene, smiled with relief. "As long as you keep the Fourth Young Lady in your heart, Madam, it doesn't matter what grievances she suffers..."
The more she said this, the deeper Chen Wenjin’s guilt toward Gu Lingwei grew. *If only Lingwei had been her own flesh and blood from the start.*
Since the imperial physician hadn't come, Chen Wenjin had the manor doctor prepare a prescription for Gu Qiurong instead. When the decoction was brought over, Qingzhi held the bowl, her expression dazed.
"What are you standing there for?"
Gu Qiurong took the bowl from her hand, sensed that the temperature was appropriate, and swallowed the jet-black medicine without a change in expression.
"Young Lady—" Qingzhi began, then hesitated.
"If you have something to say, just say it."
Qingzhi’s fingers whitened as she gripped her sleeves. "This is the prescription from the manor doctor. The imperial physician who came to the manor today was taken away by Mother Hai from the Fourth Young Lady’s side. Mother Hai used the incident of your alleged murder-for-hire to sow discord. You clearly did nothing wrong back then, yet you were falsely accused for no reason. Now that you are out of prison, they still use that charge to suppress you. I feel so indignant for you! I feel so much injustice for you..."
Gu Qiurong’s gaze remained incredibly calm. She swallowed the bitter medicine and lifted a hand to gently wipe the trace of it from her lips. "What use is there in feeling aggrieved?"
"Gu Lingwei is the child they raised for over a decade. What does it matter if they favor her?"
Seeing Gu Qiurong utter such heartbreaking words without even blinking, Qingzhi’s heart bled. "Young Lady, I only feel for you. You are the true daughter of the Marquis Manor, yet they treat you like this. Why!"
Gu Qiurong knew Qingzhi was pained on her behalf. She, too, had once wondered why they would treat their own blood this way. But thinking of the ending she saw in her dreams, her eyes darkened bit by bit.
What was blood relation worth clinging to?
"Qingzhi, only the weak care about the gaze of others and the way they treat them."
"In the future, I will restore my health, and you must refine your skills. We will lean on each other to survive. As for the people in the Marquis Manor, just treat them as strangers who have nothing to do with us." Gu Qiurong’s complexion remained sickly pale. After saying this, she pressed her lips together; holding expectations for these people was the most foolish thing she could do.
"Yes, Young Lady."
After finishing her medicine, Gu Qiurong lay back down. Qingzhi tucked the quilt around her. The petite, thin girl curled up on her side, her eyes dark with exhaustion, looking weary and pitiful. Qingzhi sighed and went out into the courtyard to practice her stances. She had to become strong; she had to be capable of protecting her Young Lady so that, from now on, no one would dare to bully her ever again.
***
By evening, everyone from the Marquis Manor had returned. A cleansing banquet was to be held that night to wash away the bad luck Gu Qiurong had brought back from prison.
When Qingzhi woke her, Gu Qiurong was immersed in a nightmare. Her small face was deathly pale, and her entire body was trembling uncontrollably.
In her sleep, jailers were pressing hot branding irons into her back. She cried out, struggled, and screamed until her voice grew hoarse, but no matter how hard she fought, she could not break free. She also dreamt of that dark, foul-smelling room, infested with rats and insects. She screamed in despair, pleading through the crack in the door for someone outside to let her out.
But no one cared about her.
She shrieked in terror, as if she were merely fuel for their happiness. She watched as the Marquis Manor grew ever more prosperous, and Gu Lingwei married the Crown Prince smoothly, becoming the Empress of the nation—daring, unconstrained, and infinitely glorious.
"Young Lady, Young Lady..."
Qingzhi’s gentle voice startled Gu Qiurong awake. She snapped her eyes open.
"Did you have a nightmare again, Young Lady?"
Gu Qiurong nodded, her face pale. Qingzhi hugged her tightly. "Don't be afraid, Young Lady. We are out of prison now. No one will dare to bully you ever again..."
She helped Gu Qiurong up. "The Madam is urging us to go to the dining hall. The masters of the Marquis Manor are all there for the cleansing banquet tonight."
Gu Qiurong gathered her thoughts. In her dream, it was from this very banquet that the Marquis Manor began their plot to destroy her reputation.
She would never let them have their way.
Gu Qiurong braced herself and stood up. Qingzhi helped her style her hair. Seeing her pale complexion, she specifically chose a red jade hairpin. "Young Lady, this is an accessory sent over by Mammy Li. You look a bit pale; why not wear something bright to add a touch of auspiciousness?"
Gu Qiurong looked at the red jade hairpin.
She recalled that in her dream, this red jade hairpin was identical to the one the Crown Prince had given Gu Lingwei. At the banquet, in front of so many people, the people of the Marquis Manor had accused her of being shameless, of seducing the Crown Prince and trying to steal him away.