Volume 1, Chapter 5: No Longer Craving Kinship

Ji Yunchu stared at the table of dishes that still held a trace of warmth, offering no reply, which was taken as a silent admission.

At the mere thought of what Mei Gongxue had just said, a nameless fire ignited in Mei Changgong’s chest. He looked Ji Yunchu up and down.

"I never told you the exact date of Xiaoxue’s release from prison, did I? And I don't recall the path to the ancestral graves passing by the Ministry of Justice prison, either."

Ji Yunchu lifted his head slightly, casting a cold, piercing gaze at him. The frigid aura radiating from him was palpable. "You may be able to control her, but do you truly think you can control me?"

Mei Changgong’s expression hardened, and he spoke in a deep, stern voice: "Then you must have heard what I said! Ji Yunchu, regardless of how we treat you, surely my father’s kindness toward you still counts for something?"

Ji Yunchu listened, his expression remaining unchanged.

Mei Changgong continued: "Before he died, Father’s greatest worry was A-Xiang. She has been in poor health since she was a child. You promised him you would look after her when he entrusted her to you! Do you not understand the weight of that word 'entrust'? So, I ask that you stay away from Xiaoxue from now on!"

At this, the corner of Ji Yunchu’s mouth curled into a sneer of disdain. "The Third Young Master has finally learned to be filial to the Old Marquis? Funny, considering how much the old man doted on Mei Gongxue. Now that he’s dead, you all team up to bully his own daughter!"

Mei Changgong’s face flushed a deep red. He glared at Ji Yunchu viciously, but the overwhelming shame he felt left him unable to retort. He could only laugh coldly.

"She did it on purpose! She intentionally acted pathetic in front of us, intentionally put on that cold, distant act, refusing to even call me brother—isn't it just to remind us that we owe her? As if she’s made some great contribution to the Marquis’s estate!"

"It was that dead eunuch Zhao Zhang who killed Father. If she really had any heart, she would have found an opportunity to assassinate him after she married him, instead of being so cowardly and useless!"

Ji Yunchu’s brows knit together instantly. "The Third Young Master speaks with such righteous indignation! Then, as a grown man who has practiced martial arts for years, why haven't you slain the enemy and killed Zhao Zhang yourself?"

"I..." Mei Changgong’s eyes, which had been widened in anger, dimmed instantly. Frustrated, he flung his wine cup aside. "I don't have the ability!"

Ji Yunchu let out a cold snort: "Since you lack the ability, you expect your own sister, who doesn't even have the strength to truss a chicken, to do it?"

His words were like a sharp blade, piercing deep into Mei Changgong’s heart. Even if he wanted to say something to salvage his pride, he could find no words to do so.

After a long silence, he turned to look at Ji Yunchu, his voice low and hoarse. "Don't sit there spouting empty talk. Three years ago, she begged you, too, but was your response any different from ours?"

Ji Yunchu did not defend himself. "I am useless."

In his mind, he kept replaying the scene of Mei Gongxue weeping as she begged him to speak up for her. Her eyes had been filled with despair, her hands clutching his sleeves tightly as if he were her last straw. When he had refused, she had looked as though she had lost all support, collapsing in a heap.

Yesterday, he had actually been waiting outside the prison long before she emerged. Given her original temperament, he expected her to be filled with resentment, either berating him for his coldness back then or complaining that he had taken so long to come and get her.

But he never expected that Mei Gongxue would simply stand there, her eyes like a long-dried ancient well, devoid of any vitality. It had only been three years; how had she become like this?

At this thought, the hands at his sides curled into fists. "There is no point in talking about this now. We don't need to sit here like dogs snapping at each other."

Mei Changgong also fell silent, thinking of the changes in Mei Gongxue over the past three years, feeling as if a heavy weight were pressing down on his chest. It was all that Zhao Zhang’s fault! Everything was caused by him!

Mei Changgong had actually inquired about Mei Gongxue’s situation in secret. After all, Zhao Zhang frequently held banquets in the residence, and Mei Gongxue always appeared to pour wine, looking perfectly fine. Who could have known what happened behind closed doors? He dared not even imagine how desperate she must have felt every night facing such a pervert.

Ji Yunchu seemed unable to sit still any longer and rose to leave.

Mei Changgong called out to him: "Don't say I didn't warn you. Our Marquis’s estate has only two daughters. One has already suffered an unfortunate marriage, and we do not wish for the other to meet a similar fate. Watch yourself, and do not fail her!"

After a moment, he added, "Otherwise, if Father knows in the afterlife, he will not be able to rest in peace!"

Ji Yunchu’s figure stiffened, but he left calmly a moment later.

...

Meanwhile, at Peach Blossom Pavilion, Hongxiu returned from the kitchen with a few dishes of plain porridge and side dishes.

Mei Gongxue had tried her best to restrain herself, and though she did not eat quickly, she still ate until she was full. Intending to visit her eldest sister-in-law, she had barely stepped outside when, unable to help herself, she vomited everything she had just eaten. She felt a bitterness in her mouth, as if she were vomiting up her very bile.

Tears welled up in Hongxiu’s eyes instantly, and she looked at her mistress’s pale face with deep anxiety.

"It’s nothing, just a damaged stomach. I’ll recover with some rest," Mei Gongxue said, trying to comfort her instead.

Hongxiu sobbed, "If you had only let me follow you when you were married off, Miss, you would never have let your health be ruined like this!"

Mei Gongxue shook her head. "It was already a misfortune for me to marry into that place; why drag you down with me?"

Hongxiu wept even harder. "They only relied on your soft heart, Miss. It was the Second Miss who caused the trouble, yet they lied and used your name. Since you both look the same, why couldn't they have let the Second Miss marry him instead?"

Afraid her tears would stir up painful memories, she quickly forced a smile. "At least everything is in the past now. The Second Young Master specifically had people send over scar-fading ointment and tonics to nourish your health. Knowing you fear the cold, he even brought in a group of craftsmen from the palace to install floor heating in your boudoir! See, the Second Young Master still cares about you!"

"Is that so?" Mei Gongxue’s voice was low, sounding as if it came from a distant, ethereal valley, tinged with exhaustion.

She had once craved familial affection so deeply, yet after experiencing betrayal, she had finally recognized the truth. Did they truly love her? It was likely just to alleviate their own guilt, or perhaps they feared that she would bring shame to the Marquis’s estate if she appeared in public looking like this.

"Take it away."

Mei Gongxue no longer craved that cold, thin affection, nor did she need anyone’s pity.

Hongxiu wanted to persuade her further, but a young maid entered from outside to report. "Young Master Yunchu is here, asking to see the Eldest Miss."

Mei Gongxue’s face was full of impatience, and she told them to send him away immediately.

A moment later, however, the young maid returned, holding something in her hands. "Before he left, Young Master Yunchu left behind a book of musical scores, saying that if the chance arises, he hopes you might play it for him."

It was an extremely rare score—"The Orchid Melody"!

Mei Gongxue had once searched the entire capital for this book to no avail. She never expected that Ji Yunchu would have found it!

But it was too late; the zither was gone.

Mei Gongxue tossed the music score onto the zither stand without a second thought.