Chapter 104: The Clouds Part, the Truth Revealed (III)

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Allow herself to be with Yun Xian? How could Wen Xian be so kind-hearted? Luan Qing had already seen through her: "If the Third Master becomes the Marquis of Lixin, you won’t even have time to uphold his reputation, let alone allow him to have an affair with the concubine. You only dare not act against me because you fear my poison—that’s why you’ve kept me alive until now."

“No, Xian’er likes you, so I’m considering sparing your life.” This time, Wen Xian denied it: “Luan Qing, I know my son best. Unlike the old marquis, he is loyal and single-minded. Since you two have this fate, and now we are all in the same boat, you might as well…”

Wen Xian’s scheme was left unfinished as the sound of footsteps quickly approached—more than one person, it seemed. Wen Xian and Luan Qing exchanged a glance and tacitly fell silent.

Meanwhile, after overhearing the above conversation between the two concubines, Chu Xu was so furious she nearly fainted. She gritted her teeth tightly, afraid she would cry out in pain or curse aloud.

The footsteps grew closer… As they stopped, Zhu Ying’s anxious voice sounded in time: “Greetings to the Third and Fourth Concubines. Have either of you seen Madam?”

Dan Xin had finally brought Zhu Ying! Chu Xu breathed a long sigh of relief inwardly and perked up to listen carefully.

“Madam?” Wen Xian immediately replied, “No.” Then, as if fearing Zhu Ying’s disbelief, she added with a smile, “I was strolling and chatting with the Fourth Concubine, and we inadvertently came to this secluded quiet garden. We did not see Madam along the way.”

Had it not been for Wen Xian’s earlier cruel words, Chu Xu might have been fooled by her gentle tone now! A bone-chilling cold swept through her, wrapping her soaked body tightly. Pain racked every limb, nearly causing her to lose consciousness.

Chu Xu longed to call out to Zhu Ying but feared alerting the enemy. Moreover, with Zhuo Yan’s corpse still in the lotus pond, if she spoke now, Wen Xian and Luan Qing might conspire to frame her as the murderer.

After all, on the surface, the longstanding feud between her and Zhuo Yan made her the prime suspect.

Her consciousness was fading; her hands gripping the boat rope were weakening. Yet Chu Xu warned herself not to pass out or speak out—otherwise, Yun Ci’s death would never be cleared.

Even fueled by this grievance, she had to persist!

Biting her teeth, she forced herself to stay aware, deliberately ignoring the icy water’s chill. Zhu Ying’s voice came again from the shore: “Since that’s the case, we won’t bother you two concubines further. If you see Madam, please notify us.”

“Madam has disappeared?” Wen Xian’s tone grew slightly worried. “The news of Zhuo Yan’s madness just broke out, and now Madam is missing… Could Zhuo Yan have done something to Madam?”

That question struck a nerve for Zhu Ying and Dan Xin. Dan Xin stomped her foot, her voice trembling with tears: “I knew I shouldn’t have left Madam alone…”

Zhu Ying also sounded anxious: “We won’t disturb you then; we’ll go look for her first.”

Wen Xian and Luan Qing both urged them to leave.

Once more, the sound of quick footsteps faded away as Zhu Ying led others off. Faintly, one heard him say, “Keep this matter quiet for now. If Madam Dowager finds out, your dereliction of duty will be unavoidable…”

Even Chu Xu, submerged in water, heard this. Wen Xian and Luan Qing likely heard it too.

“So it was Dan Xin’s negligence that lost Chu Xu,” Wen Xian said, half to herself, half to Luan Qing.

Luan Qing remained silent. Wen Xian continued laughing: “On the day Xia Yanran died, Zhuo Yan lost track of someone. Now Dan Xin has lost someone too—what trouble will that bring?”

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Chu Xu detected the gloating tone and slowly closed her eyes, suppressing the urge to curse.

“You’re unworthy to be the Third Master’s mother!” Luan Qing exclaimed with resentment. “I’m going to help find Madam Chu Xu; I won’t stay.”

“Do you think I was behind it?” Wen Xian asked suspiciously. “Are you suspecting me of harming Chu Xu?”

A timely silence answered her question. Luan Qing replied softly, “I’ve wronged the old marquis’s kindness and the trust he gave me. If Madam Chu Xu truly suffers because of you, we’ll confront Madam Dowager! Third Concubine, don’t blame me for tearing off the mask!”

“Are you threatening me?” Wen Xian asked coldly.

“It’s indeed a threat. If you intend to kill me, first see if your poison can match mine.” Luan Qing sneered, “Third Concubine, walk the night carefully—you might meet a ghost.”

No further sounds followed; Luan Qing seemed to slip away quietly. Moments later, Wen Xian’s cold laugh echoed as she lightly stepped away from the lotus pond.

Only then did Chu Xu feel a burning pain in her hands. Prolonged soaking had caused the skin of her palms to peel. Yet she dared not loosen her grip, fearing that if she did, she would sink like Xia Yanran and Zhuo Yan, never to surface again.

She turned her head to the rippling pond. According to Madam Dowager, beneath this water lay half of the Yun family’s centuries-old fortune! Because of this, the place was abandoned and used to cover secrets, repeatedly chosen by murderers as their crime scene.

The fury and hatred within her chest reached unprecedented heights, even greater than when she had dealt with Yun Qi and his mother in the interrogation hall! But she could not let go! Could not faint! Could not die! Otherwise, Yun Ci’s spirit would never rest!

And Yun Cheng, and Madam Dowager… if the truth died here, they would fall victim to poison! The Yun family’s legacy would be seized by the illegitimate son and controlled by a ruthless, vengeful concubine!

Another wave of dizziness came. Chu Xu bit her tongue hard to keep alert. She believed someone would come again soon. After all, when Xia Yanran died, guards had retrieved her body here; at the latest, by dawn, Zhuo Yan’s corpse would float up and be discovered.

As dusk deepened while she endured and waited, a metallic taste of blood and tears filled her mouth.

The bone-chilling cold, the tongue’s pain, and the burning in her palms were nothing compared to her growing weakness… she was losing strength fast… almost unable to hold on…

When the stars filled the sky, Chu Xu finally lost all strength. Before her eyes, Yun Ci’s face appeared again—clear and radiant as a celestial being, smiling gently as he extended a hand.

Was he here to take her away? Had he come out of pity for her lonely and hard life? He had finally arrived! She had finally waited for Yun Ci! Yes! No matter heaven or earth, under sky or beneath the earth, as long as he was there, she would willingly follow him through life and death!

Chu Xu smiled at last, wanting to show Yun Ci her most beautiful smile after their long separation. She slowly loosened her grip on the rope, summoning all her strength to lift her arms and grasp Yun Ci’s outstretched hand. In her daze, she seemed to have really held it—warm, broad, and full of love! Just as she remembered!

Her body floated downwards, as if sinking to the underworld. But halfway down, Yun Ci lifted her up forcefully, as if bearing her to the clouds.

Chu Xu lost consciousness entirely. She could only follow Yun Ci, trusting him completely—no suspicion, no estrangement, no poisonous curses to torment her heart. They would never part again.

“Han Chu…” Yun Ci’s anxious voice faintly reached her ears, but Chu Xu closed her eyes contentedly…

*****

When she awoke, her whole body felt feverish, her mind foggy—worse than death itself.

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“You’re awake?” A concerned voice spoke. Chu Xu lifted her heavy eyelids and barely met the gaze before her eyes flashed disappointment. “It’s you, Young Marquis.”

Shen Yu frowned. “You’ve had a fever for two days, babbling nonsense in your dreams, calling out Wan Zhi’s name and crying nonstop.”

Is that so? Chu Xu recalled clearly—she had dreamed of meeting Yun Ci, joyous and happy, thinking it was real.

It was only a dream… just a dream…

“Chu Xu, how did you fall into the lotus pond?” Shen Yu asked again with concern. “And Zhuo Yan—her body was also retrieved from the pond. Did something happen between you two?”

He suspected a quarrel that led to Chu Xu accidentally killing Zhuo Yan and falling into the pond.

Lotus pond? Hearing those words, Chu Xu’s mind snapped back to what she had experienced and heard. Her eyes narrowed sharply, clear and burning with unspeakable hatred and anger: “Young Marquis… how did you find me?”

Seeing her sudden change, Shen Yu grew anxious: “Are you feeling unwell? You soaked in the pond so long your hands peeled.”

Chu Xu seemed not to hear, repeating, “How did you find me?”

“It was the noctilucent flower pollen,” Shen Yu answered honestly. “That day, you heard news of Yun Qi’s death and accidentally dropped pollen on the ground and your skirt. We couldn’t find you during the day, but at night, they glowed like stars along the path. I had all the lanterns in the mansion lit, followed the glowing trail, and found you in the quiet garden in the dark.”

So it was fate! Fate did not want her to die! Otherwise, why would she happen to get the pollen that day, drop it along the way, giving Shen Yu the chance to find her?

It must have been Yun Ci protecting her from heaven!

A tear slipped from Chu Xu’s eye, bright and touching. “Does Madam Dowager know?”

“Such a big disappearance can’t be hidden,” Shen Yu said. “Madam Dowager ordered the news sealed, only saying you fainted by the lotus pond in the quiet garden. Zhuo Yan’s affair is also concealed, with the public told she was too heartbroken over Yun Qi’s death, causing a miscarriage, and was moved to another courtyard to recuperate.”

Since Madam Dowager hid it this way, it was clear she suspected Chu Xu of killing Zhuo Yan. Chu Xu forced a smile, not blaming their suspicion. She had indeed been following a cloaked woman, with Dan Xin present—surely all had been revealed.

Madam Dowager and Shen Yu likely thought she had followed Zhuo Yan, quarreled, and accidentally killed her, then fallen into the pond herself.

Chu Xu stared fixedly at the ceiling above the bed. Suddenly, sounds outside the door indicated a maid entering. She signaled Shen Yu, who immediately understood and said from behind the screen, “I’m taking her pulse. You all go out first; your noise disturbs the diagnosis!”

A few quiet apologies followed—it was Dan Xin and Qian Yun.

Once everyone left, Chu Xu struggled to sit up, weakly grabbing Shen Yu’s sleeve. “Young Marquis, you must help me…”