Mei Changgong was throwing a tantrum in his room, kicking the servant who had come to report to him.
"Useless! You can't even get to the bottom of a simple matter like this?"
He had just sent men to the Ministry of Punishments Prison to find out who had dared to torture his sister. However, the jailers had no respect for them at all and simply drove his men away.
Furious, Mei Changgong smashed another cup. "These bootlicking curs! They clearly see that the Marquis Manor has fallen and are looking down on us! Would they have dared to act this way when Father was still alive?"
If they could be so rude to him, one could only imagine how much Mei Gongxue had suffered during the six months she spent in the dungeons. She had even been driven to the point of wanting to end her own life! No wonder Mei Gongxue refused to forgive them.
As her brother, Mei Changgong was not entirely heartless, but since she hadn't been raised by his side, the emotional bond wasn't that deep. Yet, whenever he thought of her cold, distant demeanor, he felt deeply unsettled.
"And Xiaoxue, too! Why didn't she mention she was injured yesterday? I would have charged in right then and there to teach those jailers a lesson and vent my anger on her behalf!"
The servant standing nearby interjected, "You didn't give her a chance, Young Master. Didn't you just drive the carriage away?"
On a snowy day, he had left Mei Gongxue behind.
Mei Changgong choked on his words, but he continued to complain: "Couldn't she have come back and told me herself? Does she not have a mouth?"
Their sister-in-law was already in poor health, and Mei Gongxue had insisted on saying those things right in front of her—he didn't know what she was plotting. She deserved all that suffering!
***
Taohua Courtyard.
After returning, Mei Gongxue first offered incense to her parents. Mei Yanjun was indeed thoughtful; he had specially set up an altar in her courtyard so she could pay her respects without having to run to the ancestral hall in the freezing winter while covered in wounds.
Had this been in the past, Mei Gongxue would have been moved by her second brother's concern. But now, she had long since seen through his hypocritical facade.
Take today’s events, for example: at breakfast, Mei Changgong had simply shouted warnings at her not to pine after Ji Yunchu anymore. Mei Yanjun had sat silently on the side, expressing no opinion. Yet, not even a day later, he had decisively decided to set the date for the marriage between Mei Xianghan and Ji Yunchu. It looked like an open, selfless discussion, but wasn't it just a way to test Mei Gongxue's attitude?
"Eldest Miss, it’s time for your medicine!"
Mei Gongxue looked at the medicinal soup Hongxiu brought in and realized it must have been sent by Mei Yanjun. She couldn't help but find it amusing. If he truly cared about her, why hadn't he rescued her immediately after Zhao Zhang was brought to justice?
Mei Yanjun always wore a gentle, misleading smile that easily convinced those around him that he was a pleasant person. In reality, he was even more snobbish than the thick-headed Mei Changgong.
Hongxiu watched earnestly as Mei Gongxue drank every last drop of the medicine, not forgetting to console her: "Miss, you must take good care of your health. After all, there is a long life ahead; one must always look forward!"
Mei Gongxue smiled but didn't reply.
She was well aware of the state of her health. Before returning to the Marquis Manor, she had been taken in by a physician and had spent her time doing odd jobs at his clinic. The whip marks were mere external injuries; the real damage was internal—to her stomach. Recently, she had even begun to cough up blood.
But none of that mattered anymore. Mei Gongxue was planning to save some money and learn embroidery, hoping to gain at least one skill she could rely on to survive. Once a suitable opportunity arose, she would leave the Marquis Manor far behind. Even if she were to die, she would not do it in front of them!
The only thing she couldn't stop worrying about was her sister-in-law. If it hadn't been for her, she didn't know when she would have ever walked out of that prison. Yet, after three years of separation, her sister-in-law's health was not what it used to be. Ever since that miscarriage, she had been unable to conceive—it was likely she had been left with a permanent ailment back then.
After finishing the medicine, Mei Gongxue felt drowsy and hazy. Suddenly, a maid came to report: "Miss, the Second Young Miss is outside asking to see you!"
Mei Xianghan? What was she doing here?
Mei Gongxue didn't bother to hide the annoyance in her eyes. "Refuse her."
The maid hesitated, stammering, "The Second Young Miss said... if you won't see her, she will wait outside! She'll wait until you've cooled off!"
Mei Gongxue let out a cold hum. Was she trying to force her hand, knowing full well she didn't want to see her?
She spat out the same two words coldly, "Refuse her!"
The maid went out to deliver the message. As the effects of the medicine kicked in, Mei Gongxue lay on the chaise longue and drifted into a light sleep.
When she woke up again, it seemed to be snowing outside. "Hongxiu, how long have I been asleep?"
"About an hour, I think!"
Mei Gongxue looked up at her. Hongxiu immediately understood what her mistress was asking and said, looking rather troubled: "The Second Young Miss is still standing outside waiting!"
Mei Gongxue was speechless. She rubbed her brow and finally said, "Let her in then."
A moment later, Mei Xianghan entered, her cheeks flushed bright red from the cold. Mei Gongxue was reclining on the chaise, her long hair draped loosely, wearing thick cotton layers even in the warmth of the room.
"What do you want?" Mei Gongxue's voice was clear and cold, devoid of any pleasantries.
Mei Xianghan’s eyes reddened. She had waited outside for so long—would her sister not even offer her a kind word? Still, she took a deep breath, mustered her courage, and stepped forward, wanting to approach Mei Gongxue but afraid of being rejected.
"Sister, I came to apologize to you in all sincerity. I know that whether it was the torment you suffered at the Zhao Estate or the punishments you endured at the Ministry of Punishments, in the end, I am the one who caused it!"
"I was too young and too cowardly! If I could go back three years, I would never have falsely used your name. As long as you can forgive me, I will do whatever you ask! Anything you like in my room, feel free to take—I won't be stingy!"
She twisted her hands anxiously, her gaze fixed on Mei Gongxue’s expression, desperate to convey the sincerity of her apology.
Mei Gongxue watched her with a cold expression and said lightly, "You mean to say that as long as I grant you my forgiveness, you will agree to any request I make?"
Mei Xianghan nodded firmly, as if she had grown up quite a bit. "Yes! As long as you aren't angry with me anymore!"
Mei Gongxue pulled her coat tighter and poked at the burning charcoal in the brazier with fire tongs; the glow added a bit of color to her face, though it could not light up the eyes that had been robbed of their luster by the years.
A playful glint suddenly flickered in the depths of her eyes, and she said generously, "Since you’ve said so, why don't you... give Ji Yunchu to me?"
The single sentence choked Mei Xianghan instantly. Her eyes filled with tears of distress; she lowered her head and stammered, "How can marriage be treated as a child's game?"
Mei Gongxue laughed mockingly. "And how did my marriage become a child's game?"
Mei Xianghan was left utterly speechless. It seemed that in the three years that had passed, she had grown in age, but not in sense.