Hongxiu was so startled she nearly dropped her teacup. This was disastrous!
It wasn't that she cared much for Mei Xianghan, but if anything were to happen to her at this moment, the blame would undoubtedly fall on her own mistress. And if that happened, the young masters would surely…
Mei Gongxue naturally understood this as well. Cursing under her breath, she rose and made her way to Meihua Courtyard.
Here, red plum blossoms bloomed like fire, looking exceptionally vivid against the backdrop of white snow. When Mei Gongxue entered the room, she found the girl already lying on the bed, eyes tightly shut, her cheeks flushed with an unnatural crimson. Several young maids stood by the bedside, their faces etched with anxiety.
"What is going on?" Mei Gongxue asked in a low voice.
The two maids, upon seeing her, acted as if they had encountered a wild beast. They instinctively blocked the bed, though they dared not refuse to answer. "After the Second Young Miss returned, she just kept crying, and then she suddenly collapsed with a high fever. Xiao'e has already gone to fetch the doctor!"
Xiao'e was Mei Xianghan's head maid, a sharp-tongued and fierce girl. Mei Gongxue realized then that she must have caught a chill from the cold outside, which brought on the illness.
Just as she stepped forward to examine the situation, a dark shape lunged from the bed, aiming straight for her face. The servants gasped, but they were too late to intervene. Mei Gongxue raised her hand instinctively to block the strike; a sharp pain flared in her wrist as three claw marks instantly appeared.
It was a stray cat! Fortunately, it was only two or three months old and hadn't caused any serious damage. The kitten leaped onto Mei Xianghan’s bed, fur bristling, and let out a low growl at Mei Gongxue, appearing highly guarded.
"Where did this little beast come from?" Hongxiu was furious to see her mistress scratched and reached out to grab the cat.
"Stop!"
At that moment, the maid Xiao'e returned. Walking in right behind her was Mei Changgong! Seeing the kitten loyally protecting its owner from the head of the bed, Xiao'e rushed over to scoop it up. "This kitten was a gift specifically given to my mistress by the Third Young Master during his hunt two days ago. Let’s see who dares touch it!"
She didn't seem to expect Mei Gongxue's presence. Her expression shifted slightly before she continued, "My mistress is kind-hearted by nature. Ever since this poor creature was rescued, she has personally fed it rice porridge and fish. It has become very attached to her! They say animals are the most intuitive—they certainly know how to tell the good from the wicked!"
Xiao'e's words were sharp and pointed. Mei Gongxue’s face turned icy. She had been scratched for no reason and hadn't even uttered a word of complaint, yet this maid dared to slander her first! Beside her, Hongxiu was incensed. She stepped forward, scolding, "How dare you! A mere servant, and you have the audacity to call our mistress wicked?"
Xiao'e shrank back, but upon catching a glimpse of Mei Changgong behind her, she regained her confidence and deliberately raised her voice. "My mistress went to your Taohua Courtyard with the sincerest intentions to apologize, but the Eldest Young Miss put on such airs, forcing her to wait in the snow for a full hour before deigning to let her in! And who knows what the Eldest Young Miss said to her—she came back sobbing, then developed a high fever and fainted! She was already in poor health; you didn't show a shred of consideration for her, only knowing how to mistreat her!"
Xiao'e was sharp-toothed and never one to be trifled with. Feeling she was in the right, she showed no respect at all toward Mei Gongxue.
Perhaps due to the commotion, the unconscious Mei Xianghan stirred and opened her eyes. "My head... it hurts so much..."
Xiao'e rushed to her bedside, whispering, "Don't worry, Miss. I have already brought the Third Young Master here; he will surely see that justice is served for you!"
Mei Changgong stepped forward then. He was still wearing his outdoor cloak, a horse whip held in his hand. He hadn't even changed his clothes, clearly having rushed back in a panic upon hearing the news. He glanced at Mei Xianghan, then turned to interrogate Mei Gongxue: "Is what the maid said true? Did you make A Xiang wait outside your courtyard for over an hour?"
Mei Gongxue had been watching silently from the side, but her pupils constricted the moment they landed on the whip. It was exactly the kind of whip the jailers had used to extract confessions under torture. Her body couldn't help but tremble, and she felt deeply unsettled. "I didn't make her wait. I simply had no desire to see her."
Mei Changgong frowned. Mei Xianghan struggled to sit up. "Third Brother, don't blame Sister. I was the one who insisted on standing there!" As she spoke, tears streamed down her face once more.
Mei Changgong’s brow furrowed deeper. He knew his sister well; he didn't need to ask to know why she had gone. But he also believed he understood Mei Gongxue! Ever since she returned to the manor, she had been speaking in riddles, harboring resentment toward everyone in the house. Mei Xianghan was timid and gentle by nature—no match for her. She had surely been bullied!
"Xiaoxue, A Xiang is your own sister! You took advantage of the guilt she feels toward you to make her stand outside for over an hour? Don't you think that’s too heartless? Do you not know how frail she is? Can you not show some mercy?"
*There it was again.* That same sentence. Mei Gongxue had heard variations of it more times than she could count since she was a child. The fire in her heart flared up. "I have already explained: I did not want to see her. She was the one who insisted on forcing my hand in this way. Are you blaming me for that? Does her frailty make her right?"
Mei Changgong’s expression turned grim. "You dare talk back? What happened before was A Xiang's fault, but one thing at a time. This time, you caused A Xiang to fall ill—that is your mistake. Apologize to her, now!"
Mei Gongxue’s hands clenched into fists inside her sleeves. Trying to suppress her rage, she looked at Mei Xianghan instead. "Three years ago, your impulsiveness dragged me down. Now, you want to drag me down again with your stupidity and expect me to apologize to you?"
Mei Xianghan was startled by her piercing gaze and quickly lowered her head, not daring to make a sound. The stray cat continued to "meow" from the side, adding to the chaotic, unsettling atmosphere.
Seeing her looking so victimized, Mei Changgong became even more annoyed. "You've only been back for a few days, and you've already turned this house upside down. I don't believe you were this arrogant during the two years you spent at the Zhao Estate! It’s only because you’re back at the Marquis Manor that everyone spoils you so much!"
Mei Xianghan was already this sick, yet all he was asking for was an apology—would it kill her to give one? It seemed she hadn't suffered enough hardships abroad; she hadn't learned her lesson!
Annoyed by the constant noise from that wretched cat, Mei Changgong took his anger out on it, lashing out with his whip.
*Crack!* The sound was crisp and sharp.
Mei Gongxue had been about to retort, but suddenly her ears were filled with the sound of the whip whistling through the air. Her mind blurred for a moment. The familiar, agonizing pain surged back into her heart, and a profound, paralyzing terror spread instantly through her.
Mei Gongxue let out a piercing scream. She curled into a ball in the corner, pleading just as she had in the prison:
"Don't hit me! Please, I really don't know anything!"
The room fell deathly silent. Mei Changgong stood frozen, bewildered—he hadn't even struck her.
"Xiaoxue, what's wrong?"