The room instantly plunged into a dead silence.
Mei Gongxue's arms were crisscrossed with various whip marks. Although most of them had been cleaned, they still looked terrifying.
Furthermore, the scars extended all the way upward; it was clear that the rest of her body was in an equally horrific state!
Mei Changgong finally understood why Mei Gongxue disliked being touched. These whip marks looked as though the scabs had only formed recently, and any contact would cause them to split open again.
Yet how could Mei Gongxue have sustained such injuries?
Mei Xianghan finally understood as well, her face turning pale with fright at the sight of the scars. "Yesterday, when I went to welcome you, I thought you shook me off because you still harbored resentment toward me. It turns out... how much pain must you have been in?"
Mei Gongxue said nothing, covering the wounds once more.
Wen Ke at her side gently cradled her hand, her heart aching. "Then what about the scars on your wrists, you foolish child? Have you no regard for your life?"
What kind of desperate situation could have driven her to seek death?
Not wanting Wen Ke to worry, Mei Gongxue said, "Don't worry, Sister-in-law, the medicine has already been applied."
The expression on Mei Changgong's face twisted slightly from excessive shock, and he muttered incessantly, "How... how is this possible? Weren't you only in prison for half a year?"
Only?
This remark was bad enough on its own, but it only served to make Mei Gongxue sneer at his naivety and stupidity.
Looking right at him, Mei Gongxue said word by word, "The Third Young Master surely doesn't think that after Zhao Zhang was brought to justice, those of us implicated and thrown into prison could live pleasant lives, do you? Those people hated Zhao Zhang to the core, and in order to extract more intelligence, they used all sorts of tricks to pry our mouths open!"
"Whipping was just one of them. They had many other hidden methods—like tying people near the bonfire on summer nights to let the mosquitoes bite them, or subjecting them to interrogation in shifts day and night, leaving you unable even to sleep!"
Mei Gongxue had thought the world had forgotten her, believing she would spend the rest of her days suffering in that sunless dungeon, so she had secretly used a piece of broken porcelain to slash her wrists.
Regrettably, she had not died.
Mei Yanjun said with righteous indignation, "Those bastards, how dare they?"
Mei Gongxue was, after all, the eldest young lady of the Marquis Manor; how dare they subject her to corporal punishment! This was clearly a slap in the face to their Marquis Manor!
Mei Changgong also felt as though something was lodged in his throat. Wanting to curse someone to vent his frustration, but unable to find the culprit, he finally left in a huff.
He certainly looked furious over Mei Gongxue's ordeal!
Yet if he truly cared, how could he have left Mei Gongxue abandoned in prison for half a year without a second thought?
No sooner had Mei Changgong left than Ji Yunchu followed right behind him.
Upon entering, he first offered a proper bow to Wen Ke. "Happy New Year, Sister-in-law!"
Wen Ke smiled and nodded, having watched him grow up after all.
Ji Yunchu had been a sensible child from a young age, enduring the hardest hardships when studying martial arts under his master. Although he usually spoke little, whenever he won a victory or received a reward, he always thought of the Marquis Manor. He was a thoughtful person.
Mei Yanjun greeted him warmly, asking why he had suddenly rushed out just now.
Mindful of Mei Gongxue's freshly split wounds, Wen Ke softly instructed, "Go back and apply your medicine first!"
Moreover, she deliberately dismissed Mei Gongxue. Anyone could see that the conversation would inevitably turn to the marriage between Ji Yunchu and Mei Xianghan, and she did not wish to make Mei Gongxue feel awkward.
Mei Gongxue nodded, stood up, and left.
Only, a gaze involuntarily followed her.
"Yunchu! Yunchu?"
Mei Yanjun called out twice before Ji Yunchu finally withdrew his gaze. "I'm listening. Please continue, Second Young Master!"
A faint, ambiguous smile still lingered on Mei Yanjun's lips. "A Xiang is no longer so young, and you are a very busy man now, constantly away year-round. Since you happen to be free during the New Year, why don't we finalize the marriage first, and then hold the wedding once we find an auspicious day? What do you think?"
Ji Yunchu nodded, seeming to agree, but as he opened his mouth, the tone of his words abruptly shifted. "According to propriety, orders of parents and words of matchmakers should govern a matter concerning my marriage, and it should be discussed by the elders of the household. Unfortunately, the elders are all gone, so making a rash decision like this is truly improper!"
Mei Yanjun said, "Actually, this matter isn't so difficult. Why don't..."
Ji Yunchu directly interrupted him, "Therefore, my marriage will probably have to wait for an imperial decree. Having His Majesty act as matchmaker will make it all the more legitimate."
Once these words were uttered, Mei Yanjun found himself at a loss for how to respond.
Receiving a marriage bestowal from His Majesty was naturally a supreme honor, especially since Ji Yunchu was currently a red-hot favorite, but this was also a tactful refusal!
Could it be that Ji Yunchu now held a high and mighty position and looked down upon their Marquis Manor?
Or perhaps, he simply didn't fancy this match in his heart?
Mindful of Ji Yunchu's current status and fearing he might push him to the point of a direct rejection, Mei Yanjun cleverly changed the subject and chatted about everyday family matters.
After they finished lunch, Ji Yunchu took his leave.
When he reached the fork in the path near the garden, he suddenly heard the sound of a zither coming from the pavilion, and his figure halted abruptly.
Could it be Mei Gongxue?
Was she practicing with that zither score he had given her?
Yet as he drew closer, he realized the zither notes were far too delicate and wispy, nothing like Mei Gongxue's resonant, clear, and vibrant style.
By the time he wanted to leave, however, it was already too late.
"Brother Yunchu!" Mei Xianghan stood up.
Ji Yunchu's gaze lingered on the Fengming Zither for a moment, but it quickly returned to normal. "Practicing the zither on such a cold day, won't your hands freeze?"
The words spoken clearly carried concern, but why did they feel so perfunctory?
Ever since she accepted that painting from Ji Yunchu a few years ago, Mei Xianghan had been certain that he must be harboring affection for her as well.
Precisely for this reason, her father had directly entrusted her to him before passing away.
She had believed their marriage was entirely proper and a match made in heaven.
Yet earlier, she had overheard the words Ji Yunchu had spoken in the courtyard, and a sudden, profound unease gripped her heart. Her eyes were filled with panic and bewilderment, her fingertips turning white from gripping too hard.
"Brother Yunchu, do you have someone else in your heart?"
This sounded almost like an interrogation—an interrogation to see if his affections had wandered!
Ji Yunchu was momentarily stunned, then chuckled softly and remarked leisurely, "You're overthinking it!"
"Is that so? Then why did you frown just now when you realized the person playing the zither was me? You always used to smile when Elder Sister played this piece before. Do I play worse than her? Or have you fallen for Elder Sister?"
Mei Xianghan was merely an innocent girl untouched by hardship, utterly lacking the skill to hide her thoughts.
Ji Yunchu looked at her, yet seemed to look through her to someone else.
A moment later, he said very earnestly, "Rest assured, I promised the Old Marquis that I would take care of you."
With that, a look of exhaustion crossed his face, and leaving behind only the words "I still have pressing matters in the army, I must leave," he walked away directly.
Mei Xianghan stood frozen in place, gazing dazedly after him.
Ji Yunchu seemed to be declaring his intentions just now, indicating he would not break his promise nor let her down.
And yet, he had never actually said whether he was willing to marry her!