"I didn't mean to upset you, Sister, I just wanted to make up for my mistake!"
A crystal-clear tear slipped down Mei Xianghan's cheek. She hurriedly reached up to wipe it away, only to end up crying harder. With her nose flushed red from the cold, anyone who saw her helpless, flustered expression would surely have felt a surge of pity.
Yet Mei Gongxue felt only revulsion, and a long-forgotten memory flashed vividly through her mind.
She remembered when she was ten years old, returning to the Marquis Manor full of anticipation. She had thought she could finally be reunited with her family, and that she would no longer be an unwanted child!
Yet the moment she stepped through the door, a girl who looked exactly like her had burst into tears.
"Sister is back! Will Father and the brothers not want me anymore?"
Immediately, several handsome boys had shielded the girl in their arms as if she were a precious treasure. "Don't worry, Mengmeng, you're our little sister whom we watched grow up. Your brothers will always love you the most!"
Then they had shot Mei Gongxue a hostile look, as if blaming her for making their little sister unhappy the very second she arrived.
Mei Gongxue had forced a smile, pretending not to understand.
But they were all just children. Even with twin sisters living together, what siblings didn't bicker? Yet every single time Mei Xianghan cried, the brothers would lecture Mei Gongxue, asking why she couldn't show more consideration for their little sister. Then they would take the disputed toy and give it to Mei Xianghan.
Even though it had clearly belonged to her!
Mei Gongxue's heart had grown cold long ago. Looking at the person before her who shared her exact face, her tone turned increasingly merciless:
"Do you have any idea how rare twin sisters are? We should have been the closest people in the world, but what I hate most now is this face that looks identical to yours! After I married into the Zhao Estate, I explained to Zhao Zhang that I wasn't the one who humiliated him that day, that it was all a terrible misunderstanding!"
"But Zhao Zhang didn't care at all! All he wanted was to see this face kneeling at his feet and begging for mercy! I once wanted to use a knife to destroy this face, but he threatened that if I dared, he would slaughter every single servant around me!"
"Stop talking!" Mei Xianghan covered her ears and screamed, terror still lingering on her face. "Zhao Zhang is an absolute monster! He deserves to die! I know my sister suffered so much after marrying him, but thankfully that eunuch has already been executed, and it's all in the past!"
She seemed desperate to prove that the true mastermind behind everything Mei Gongxue had suffered was none other than that Zhao Zhang!
Mei Gongxue let out a cold laugh. "You're certainly quick to wash your hands of it. But who was the one who humiliated Zhao Zhang in the first place? And who was the one who caused the disaster yet didn't have the courage to face the consequences?"
Mei Xianghan's face turned as pale as paper. Under Mei Gongxue's interrogation, she fought hard to hold back her tears. "I didn't mean to! When I found out Father was murdered by Zhao Zhang, I was so furious I wanted to rush up and kill him! But he had a lot of guards with him, and I was scared... so I... but I never, ever imagined that bastard would have the audacity to go to His Majesty and beg for a marriage decree!"
She had thought Zhao Zhang was merely a eunuch who at worst would badmouth them in front of His Majesty!
Mei Gongxue sighed, suddenly feeling a wave of exhaustion. "Mei Xianghan, although we are both Father's daughters, you were raised in the Marquis Manor since you were little. With Mother gone, you grew up under the personal care of our brothers, so it's only natural they favored you."
"But I had wandered outside for far too long, always believing that human hearts are made of flesh, and that if only I were a bit more sensible and obedient, one day they would love me just as much as they loved you!"
"Only later did I realize how naive my thoughts were. They knew perfectly well that you were the one who committed the wrong, yet they still expected me to go out and take the blame! They knew perfectly well that I also fancied Ji Yunchu, yet they still went to every length to fulfill your wishes!"
Hearing the name that mattered most to her, Mei Xianghan snapped her head up. "Sister, do you still..."
"Are you worried I'll cling to Ji Yunchu the way I used to?" Mei Gongxue waved a hand dismissively. "Since you're here today, I might as well make myself clear: I stopped liking him a long time ago, and I will never stand in your way again!"
Mei Xianghan still seemed somewhat in disbelief. "Really?"
Mei Gongxue shook her head. Likes and dislikes—such things were far too distant for her now.
Upon hearing this, Mei Xianghan, who had just been weeping like a flower drenched in rain, instantly quieted down.
Mei Gongxue continued, "Rest assured, I won't fight you for anything anymore."
Mei Xianghan lowered her gaze, letting out a small sigh of relief.
She had to admit that Mei Gongxue made her somewhat uneasy, especially regarding Ji Yunchu. That very morning, Ji Yunchu's ambiguous tone regarding the marriage had thrown her into a panic, and she had been terrified that he might transfer his affections elsewhere.
Yet seeing Mei Gongxue's resolute attitude, she finally relaxed a little.
"I won't be staying in the Marquis Manor for long either. Once my health recovers a bit more, I'll move out immediately! The only person left in this place who still ties me down is the Eldest Sister-in-law. I only hope to spend more time by her side chatting with her, so please, do not come here to disturb me ever again!" Mei Gongxue said calmly and earnestly.
She truly held no expectations for the Marquis Manor anymore. From now on, unless strictly necessary, she wouldn't even step out of her courtyard, nor did she ever want to see Mei Xianghan again.
"What? Sister wants to leave? That's not right... The brothers will worry about you..." Mei Xianghan said tremblingly.
More importantly, if Mei Gongxue were to just up and leave like this, what would outsiders think of their Marquis Manor?
Mei Gongxue was slightly stunned. Could she not even leave when she couldn't afford to provoke them?
Just as she opened her mouth to speak, a wave of sweet-tasting blood surged up her throat.
"Cough, cough..."
Mei Gongxue quickly covered her mouth with her hand, trying to suppress it, but the harder she tried, the more violent the fit became. Her frail body looked as though it might shatter at any moment.
"Sister, are you alright?"
Mei Xianghan tried to step forward, but Hongxiu immediately blocked her path. "Second Young Miss, the Eldest Miss is already exhausted. If you've finished what you had to say, please take your leave!"
Hongxiu's expression turned slightly cold. Even she could tell that her mistress had no desire to see Mei Xianghan—why did the woman insist on forcing herself forward?
Mei Xianghan bit her lip. "Fine, I'm leaving!"
After she finally left, Mei Gongxue's coughing subsided a fraction, and she leaned weakly against her soft pillow, her eyes filled with a profound sense of exhaustion.
Hongxiu looked at her with a heart-wrenching expression. "My lady, let this servant help you lie down for a while!"
Mei Gongxue looked at the anxious concern in those eyes, and a rare warmth touched her heart. It was a miracle that in a place as cold as the Marquis Manor, she still had one genuine person by her side.
"No need. Go through my chests and dig out all the small gold items and jewelry that can be pawned!"
Though puzzled, Hongxiu hurried to obey.
She spent a long time rummaging around, collecting the scattered pieces of silver that had been stored in the storeroom over the years or pressed to the bottom of the fishbowls.
"Eldest Miss, what do you need these for?"
Before Mei Gongxue could answer, a young maid rushed hurriedly into the room.
"My lady, this is terrible! The Second Young Miss collapsed the moment she got back from here!"