Volume 1, Chapter 5: Isn't He Awake Now?

"Qiong’er, stop this nonsense! You have no medical knowledge; how could you possibly wake Yu’er? Even if you harbor hatred toward her, you should not be trifling with her life!"

Lady Yu’s voice was soft, as if she were offering counsel, yet in reality, she was accusing Shang Yinqiong of attempting to kill Shang Runyu under the guise of saving her.

The Duke’s complexion darkened instantly. He barked, "You vicious, rebellious daughter! Get yourself to the ancestral hall and kneel to pray for Yu’er. You are not to rise until she awakens!"

"The imperial physicians won't arrive for a while, Father. You might as well let me try."

Shang Yinqiong had no intention of giving up. She possessed no medical training, but she did not believe for a moment that Shang Runyu would truly push herself to the brink of death. It was nothing more than a charade! Since it was a performance, she had plenty of ways to force her to wake up.

"Let Qiong’er try." Though the Old Madam did not understand what Shang Yinqiong intended to do, she spoke up in her defense.

"Mother!" The Duke grew anxious, turning toward the Old Madam.

"Do not forget how you treated Le Xi during her difficult labor back then! And now, you show such concern for a girl of unknown origins?" The Old Madam’s voice carried a sharp warning.

The Duke choked on his words, his posture instantly slumping in defeat.

"Qiong’er, go in," the Old Madam commanded.

"Yes," Shang Yinqiong replied, pushing open the door and stepping inside.

Shang Fei immediately moved to follow, but the Old Madam gestured, "Nanny Tang, stop them."

"Father!" Shang Fei looked toward the Duke. Lady Yu also lifted her gaze, her eyes brimming with anxiety.

"Let her try," the Duke said, his voice drained of spirit. This, he owed to Shang Yinqiong.

Ignoring the reactions of those behind her, Shang Yinqiong walked straight to Shang Runyu’s bedside. Shang Runyu lay on the bed, clad only in a snow-white undergarment. Her eyes were tightly shut, her face deathly pale, and her lips drained of all color. A deep, purple bruise circled her slender neck, a sight that was truly shocking.

It certainly looked as if she were teetering between life and death.

However... Shang Yinqiong reached out and brushed her fingers across Shang Runyu’s cheek. Upon inspecting her fingertips, she found traces of faint cosmetic powder. A mocking smile curled the corner of her lips. As she suspected, it was a sham! She had even bribed the resident physician!

"Doctor Song, is she truly in such a grave condition, with her life hanging in the balance?" Shang Yinqiong turned to look at the physician.

"What do you mean by that, Third Miss? Are you questioning my medical expertise?" Though the physician felt a prick of guilt, his gaze toward Shang Yinqiong remained filled with disdain. What did it matter if a once-ignored Third Miss now had the Old Madam’s backing? Her status in the household would never surpass that of the Second Miss!

"Give me your silver needles," Shang Yinqiong demanded.

"Acupuncture is no trivial matter. If something goes wrong, it could cost a life," the physician said, clearly unwilling to hand them over.

"Give them to me!" Shang Yinqiong’s voice brooked no argument, her eyes cold and piercing.

The physician flinched and instinctively pulled the needle case from his robes, handing it to her. Shang Yinqiong took it and opened it. She drew out a silver needle, and without a moment’s hesitation, she struck with speed, precision, and ruthlessness, driving it firmly into one of Shang Runyu’s pressure points.

She was not a doctor, but during her three years in the palace, she had witnessed countless maids being tortured and executed. She herself had been tormented to the point of wishing for death more than once. She knew all too well where to strike to cause pain so excruciating that one would shriek instantly!

"Ah!"

Just as she had expected, a piercing scream erupted the moment the needle struck home. Shang Runyu jolted upright from the bed, drenched in cold sweat from the agony.

Outside, the group could no longer contain themselves upon hearing the scream. They shoved Nanny Tang aside and burst into the room, rushing to shield Shang Runyu and glaring daggers at Shang Yinqiong.

"Shang Yinqiong, you vicious woman! What have you done to Yu’er?" Shang Fei pointed at her, looking as though he wanted to devour her alive.

"Yu’er, are you alright?" Lady Yu embraced her daughter, her heart aching.

"What is the rush? I told you I could wake her, and look—has she not awakened?" Shang Yinqiong toyed with the silver needle in her hand, completely indifferent to the fury of those before her.

Shang Fei was silenced, and he turned his gaze toward Shang Runyu. Regardless of what Shang Yinqiong had done, the fact remained that Shang Runyu was awake.

"Big Brother, please do not blame Sister. She only used the needle to save me. But Sister... it is fine that you treat me this way, but when you are outside this estate, please do not be so reckless as to use needles on others. You have no medical training; if you were to accidentally kill someone, it would be a disaster." Shang Runyu cradled her hand with a pitiful expression, feigning advice.

She pressed hard on the spot where the needle had pierced her wrist, drawing a few drops of blood. Seeing the blood, Shang Fei’s anger and heartache intensified. His precious sister, whom he had raised in the palm of his hand, had never suffered such injury! She was actually bleeding! And all of this was because of Shang Yinqiong.

"Shang Yinqiong, you are truly wicked to the core! Are silver needles something you should be touching? Do you know that one wrong move could take a life? I see now that you never intended to save Yu’er—you wanted her dead!" Shang Fei roared.

"Young Master, I warned the Third Miss, but she refused to listen and insisted I hand over the needles," the physician added quickly.

"Of course I won't go around stabbing people outside. I stabbed you not because I was showing off, but because you were never hanging in the first place—it was all an act!" Shang Yinqiong stated the truth bluntly.

"Sister, even if you dislike me, you should not frame me like this! I truly felt guilty toward you, which is why I did such a thing. I know you have suffered many grievances because of me; if I had died, it would have been my way of repaying you." Shang Runyu’s body trembled, her lashes lowered, making her look even more fragile.

"You silly child, even if you felt guilty, you should not have used your life to pay for it! Do you know how worried your father, your brother, and I were?" Lady Yu pulled her into her arms, her eyes reddening.

The two women, mother and daughter, vied to appear the most pitiful, making Shang Yinqiong seem like a villainous tyrant.

"Yu’er is in this state, and you still have the gall to say she is faking it! Do you think everyone is a liar like you?" Shang Fei shouted. "I must teach you a lesson today, or this estate will be turned upside down by you! Bring the family discipline rod!"

"You dare!" The Old Madam shouted, stepping firmly in front of Shang Yinqiong.

"Grandmother! How can you still protect this vicious woman? She not only harmed Yu’er but is now slandering her as well!" Shang Fei grumbled, resentful of his grandmother’s blatant favoritism.