Chapter 25.1 : The Truth Back Then
Seeing her looking like she was about to stamp her feet in rage, Qing Yu smiled to herself in her heart, but her face did not change at all. “Qing Yu will not dare to lie. If the Duchess does not believe me, you can investigate into it.”
Mo Han Yan did not say anything, but the gaze that stared at Qing Yu was dark and filled with venom. The lass had really embarrassed her and it had really infuriated her!
“Haha, that must be a misunderstanding.” Bai Qing saw that the atmosphere had turned extremely tense and she laughed feebly as she stood up to mediate. “The Duchess has lived in seclusion for many years and although she still handled the manor’s internal affairs, having to take care of so many people would inevitably result in some things being overlooked. It must be due to some foolish mistake committed by some bumbling servants in the manor. Just get the steward to go look into the matter and everything will be resolved.”
As she spoke, she looked gently at the aggrieved looking young girl and said: “Don’t worry. With the Duchess watching over you, the two of you will not be unfairly treated from now on.”
“Thank you Royal Concubine, thank you Duchess.” Qing Yu cast a grateful glance onto Bai Qing, and then looked hopefully at Mo Han Yan.
With Bai Qing having stirred things to reach such a stage, if Mo Han Yan did not do anything about the lass’ situation, then she would be seen as petty and narrow minded, one without the generosity of the heart to accept others.
Mo Han Yan took a deep breath, and fought hard to suppress the rage that filled her chest, pausing at every word like they had been squeezed out through the gaps between her gritted teeth. “As the Duchess, I….. will naturally ensure it.”
“Yan Fei.”
“Your servant is here. What orders does the Duchess have?”
“Convey my word. From now on, everything that the Tranquil Abode eats, wears, uses, and lives in, will be of the same standards as the ladies in the manor, and that the servants must be able to differentiate and identify the positions of master and servant. If it is discovered that there are any instances of errant servants who do not know their place and oversteps their boundaries to offend their masters, they will all be thrown out of the manor, without exception. If any of such news is spread outside, there will be much gossip about the Duke’s Manor.”
But compared to having the Tranquil Abode completely rebuilt and carry out a major reconstruction, this was still better.
“With this, are you satisfied?” Mo Han Yan snorted derisively. “I heard that His Highness wanted to rebuild the Tranquil Abode. You should know, that it will mean spending a great deal of money and time…..”
“Duchess, you can be assured that I will speak with Father. My younger brother and I have gotten used to staying in the Tranquil Abode and we do not wish for there to be any changes.” Qing Yu had already guessed what she was going to say, and she immediately took over the mic from her with a wide smile.
Looking at the young girl’s face with such an obedient smile, Mo Han Yan’s heart then subconsciously had a feeling that she seemed to have been swindled.
But she immediately denied it herself. [The lass only has great looks. Humph! When it comes to the mind, the lass would not be able to fight her at all.]
That woman had completely snatched away the Duke’s heart back then and she must not just sit back and await death, to allow that woman’s children to steal the limelight from her once again!
After awhile, under all that incredibly abnormal atmosphere, each of them carrying their own inner demons, the women finished that most uncomfortable and repressive meal they ever had. If they disregarded the Tranquil Abode’s sibling pair’s irredeemable table etiquette, and Mo Han Yan’s face that had changed colours like a colouring palette, everything else was rather great.
But, from then onwards, Mo Han Yan would probably not ever ask that pair of siblings to come to the main house to dine anymore. The disgust was already too much for her.
But to not have to spend such a great amount of money to reconstruct the Tranquil Abode had saved them a big expenditure. Not just for Mo Han Yan, the other were also over the moon with happiness, as the money saved would be enough for them to buy a whole season’s worth of clothes.
Coming to the main house for the banquet, Qing Yu had indeed took her time to leisurely stroll for two whole hours before they reached, but for the way back, Qing Yu employed a trick, with a single shift in dimensional space, they returned to the Tranquil Abode in a blink.
Chapter 25.2 : The Truth Back Then
With nobody watching them anymore, Qing Bei no longer pretended to be crippled but nervously walked over before Qing Yu. “Sis, you ate so much with your act earlier. Aren’t you feeling uncomfortable?”
Although it was just an act, but she had gone too far. She had always had a small appetite and Qing Bei had never seen her eat so much. Moreover, they had all been greasy meat dishes where even he had only taken a pretentious little bite of those meats himself.
“I did not eat anything!” Qing Yu said as she blinked her eyes innocently.
“I clearly saw you eat so much!” Qing Bei’s were wide as he stared. They had been sitting just across each other, and at that close distance, how could he possibly be mistaken?
“I really did not eat anything.” Qing Yu spread her hands wide helplessly. “It was merely a quick sleight of hand. The food were all shifted out from my mouth, and I did not eat a single bite.”
“What?” Qing Bei’s face was incredulous. “Shifted out to where? ?”
“You know those ferocious dogs that are kept in the Duke’s Manor? I gave all of it to them. I am guessing that they’re now all full and contented and snoring in their sleep!” Qing Yu said with a laugh.
When one cultivated the Buried Soul Arts to a certain level, they would be able to fast completely without any sustenance at all. At times when she cultivated, it was common for her to not even take a drop of water at all for an entire month.
And when she ate, it was in very small portions. She did not eat to fill her stomach, but only because of the loneliness of the mouth, just feeling that chewing something would alleviate the urge.
Hearing her explain, Qing Bei then nodded his head as it dawned on him. “So that’s what happened. I had been worried that you might have overstuffed yourself by eating so much!”
“Moron. Am I the kind of fool that drags myself into it when scheming against people?’ Qing Yu rolled her eyes at him indignantly.
His mouth then split into a bashful smile.
Qing Yu sat down and poured herself a cup of water before she took a sip. She then smiled and said: “With this, that woman most probably would not carelessly come find trouble with us anymore. After this time, I believe she knows that I am not one that is easily manipulated. But if just the reconstruction of the Tranquil Abode was able to force her to come out of seclusion, I am a little suspicious how that woman was able to swallow her pride and remain silent for so many years.”
Once those words came out of her mouth, she saw Qing Bei looking at her gravely. Without waiting for her to ask aloud, he gave a long sigh and said: “Although you have always said….. that you are not the real Qing Yu, but having just heard you say these words, it seems, that I really have to believe you, that….. Qing Yu….. really isn’t here anymore.”
“Our mother, left just after giving birth to us. The Duchess had always been jealous of Mother, hated Mother. Hence even after she’s no longer around, the Duchess still detests the place that Mother had lived in before, and Mother’s children.” Qing Bei’s face was grave and serious, his clear and good looking upslanted eyes fixed straight on her. “In actual fact, Qing Yu and I….. are not Father’s biological children, but the truth of this matter….. is known only to Father and the Duchess.”
His hands had unconsciously clenched up into fists, seemingly trying very hard to suppress something inside, struggling so much that the green veins were visibly bulging up on the back of his hands.
Qing Yu did not say anything, but merely looked at him quietly. The youth must be struggling very hard in his heart at that moment, faced with the past that he had never wanted to recall.
What she could do, was only to listen attentively.
“I had only come to learn of it when I accidentally overheard the Duchess’ conversation with her subordinate.”
The youth closed his eyes, his voice suddenly turning a little hoarse. “But most unfortunately, I was discovered. She ordered for people to break both my legs, and forced poison that could turn me into an idiot down my throat.”
“That year, I was only five.”
Chapter 25.3 : The Truth Back Then
“When other children were indulging in fun and laughter with abandon, all running wildly and playing, I was confined in my wheelchair, like a bird whose wings were clipped, yearning to soar in the sky, which was all just a hopeless longing.”
When the youth opened his eyes again, his eyes were red and bloodshot, the garish colour of blood letting Qing Yu see a kind of sorrow she had never seen before.
Her heart suddenly sank deeply, an intense hatred seemingly having spread into her from him, sharing the same sentiment.
Looking back throughout her past life, Qing Yu had been betrayed by her closest kin, and made used of by her family clan. But as she had been living in those circumstances from a very young age, her heart had long died, without feeling the slightest ripple of emotion.
Even when at the end of it, when even her last hope was destroyed, she had only felt being really tired of that filthy world, and did not want to live anymore.
Revenge?
She had never once thought of it.
With the kind of powers she had then, toppling that world would just be merely lifting a finger.
But even if that world disappeared, so what?
In the end, wouldn’t she still be alone by herself, muddling through her life without meaning.
So she had chosen to die away quietly, as once she was dead, then there would be no more struggling, no more scheming and deceit, where she would no longer have to see the ugly faces of those hypocrites. With her dying a quiet death, the world would then be complete, and how great was that.
Ha….. Was she really such a noble person?
Hey, maybe she was a hypocrite herself. Always thinking that she’s a saviour, caring for all under the Heavens.
But there were also things that she was powerless against.
Like when she saw those friends who treated her with true hearts die because of her, besides watching them breathing their very last breath right before her eyes, there was nothing she could do.
So when she was reborn into this world, she believed only in one thing. And that was to live for herself, to live for people whom she wanted to protect. But before that, she needed to possess unparalleled and unmatched power and authourity!
Qing Yu reached out a hand, and gently ran it over the top of those red bloodshot eyes. “It alright now. Little Bei, I will make sure that all the suffering you’ve endured will be all paid back bit by bit.”
The youth’s body stiffened for a second and then slowly relaxed. The eyes under her hand blinked lightly twice. “You….. will always be by my side….. right?”
She said that she was a soul from another world. Then would she also have to disappear one fine day?
Sensing his unease, Qing Yu reached out and hugged him lightly. “I will. I will always be with you.”
When she had died in her previous life, it had been because she had no more lingering worry. But here in this current life, she would not allow for any element to be able to threaten her, and to anyone she treasured.
Anything that obstructed her way forward, she would….. eliminate them all one by one!
———
The Crown Prince’s Palace had received an esteemed guest who had been staying in there for the past few days already.
Exact details about the identity of the person was not known but endless delicacies and fine wine were sent in there everyday. The palace servants inside merely served the guest respectfully and did not dare slack off in the slightest.
At that moment, upon the cosy and beautiful carved wood lounge chair in the ancillary courtyard, laid a man who had his eyes closed, dozing soundly.
The sound of light footsteps came in from outside, and the eyelids of the man twitched slightly, his eyes opening.
Someone pushed the door open to enter, a tall and slim figure dressed in an ivory coloured long robe covered with a dragon motif, his features gentle and handsome, the Crown Prince himself, Xuanyuan Che.
“How are you feeling? Are you still feeling any discomfort anywhere?” Xuanyuan Che asked, as he raised a hand to take the other man’s pulse.
The other man pulled his hand back, and gave Xuanyuan Che a disgruntled glance. “I’ve already said that I’m fine. You’re such a nag.”
A twitch formed at Xuanyuan Che’s temple, and he said with a mirthless smile: “You think I really want to come bother myself with you? It’s just that if you come to die here in my Crown Prince’s Palace, it will cause me all sorts of unnecessary trouble.”