Volume One, Chapter Three: Understanding the Injustices She Endures
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Xie Wentao glared angrily at Xie Qiqi, his disdain clear.
“Look at the mess you’re in now. If you had just admitted your mistake earlier, none of this would have happened. You’ve truly disgraced the Xie family.”
“Get up quickly. If you don’t pick up the fox fur and apologize to Yue’er today, don’t even think about leaving!”
Xie Qiqi struggled to her feet, painfully picked up the fox fur, brushed off the snow, and draped it over Yue Yue’s shoulders.
Her face stiffened, eyes lowered to the ground. “Second Young Master, any further orders?”
During these eight years as a servant, Xie Qiqi had learned an important lesson through countless lashings… never argue with those in power.
They could crush her like an ant at any moment!
Xie Wentao was a military man, highly skilled in combat and stubborn by nature.
If she refused to pick up the fox fur today, he might even throw her into the lake!
That desperate, near-death feeling—she never wanted to experience it again in her life!
Xie Wentao scolded coldly, “You haven’t apologized to Yue’er yet!”
A sharp pain twisted in Xie Qiqi’s heart. With a stifled voice, she said, “I’m sorry…”
Yue Yue’s lips curled into a mocking smile as she tore off the fox fur.
“Sister, you’re soaking wet all over. You should wear it instead… I… achoo… achoo…”
Seeing this, Xie Wentao grew anxious and quickly wrapped the fox fur around Yue Yue, speaking with concern.
“Yue’er, your health isn’t good. You should wear it. Qiqi’s skin is thick; she’ll be fine… I’ll take you back quickly. Don’t get sick!”
Supporting Yue Yue forward, Xie Wentao suddenly turned back and shouted at Xie Qiqi,
“Big Brother has gone to get the carriage. Hurry up and follow. Don’t disgrace the Xie family again!”
Other sisters from noble families were composing poetry and painting at the Plum Blossom Viewing Banquet, stealing the spotlight.
Xie Qiqi had no talents to bring honor to the Xie family—only shame. They really shouldn’t have brought her to the banquet.
Xie Wentao helped Yue Yue leave the Crimson Snow Pavilion.
Xie Qiqi barely moved a step when a metallic sweetness flooded her throat. She bent over and coughed violently, as if trying to expel her lungs.
Tiny spots of fresh blood stained the snow like red plum blossoms blooming on branches…
“Miss, your illness has worsened again…”
Yan’er cried out in pain upon seeing her. She had heard from the imperial physician that Xie Qiqi suffered from tuberculosis!
Yan’er’s father had the same disease, and the doctor said he wouldn’t live more than a year or two.
Yet he didn’t even last a year.
Why were the Eldest and Second Young Masters so heartless?
The lake water was ice-cold and piercing. How could someone so weak as the lady endure it?
Wasn’t this just pushing her to her death?
“Don’t cry. If your eyes swell and Grandmother sees, she’ll grow suspicious…”
A wave of bleakness swept through Xie Qiqi’s heart. Her body, soaked in lake water, was like a crossbow’s string at its breaking point.
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Swallowing the metallic taste in her throat, she mustered strength to comfort Yan’er.
Grandmother truly cared for her.
When her mother secretly sent her to the dungeon to exchange for Yue Yue years ago, it broke Grandmother’s heart.
Since then, Grandmother lived alone in the backyard, fasting and praying, her health deteriorating.
Only after Xie Qiqi was brought back did Grandmother’s face show smiles, and her body gradually recovered.
If Grandmother knew she was near death, she would surely follow soon after.
After Xie Qiqi and Yan’er struggled out of the Prince’s Mansion, the carriage that should have been waiting outside the gate was nowhere to be seen.
Big Brother’s attendant, Shi Yu, stepped forward with a cold expression.
“Fourth Miss, Fifth Miss caught a cold and fainted. Eldest and Second Young Masters took her back to the residence for treatment.”
“Eldest Young Master ordered that you walk back on your own. The Hou Mansion is only three streets away, about half an hour’s walk.”
With that, Shi Yu hurried away.
Yan’er wanted to cry again.
Miss’s clothes were soaked through. Walking back like this would make her the laughingstock of the entire street.
And if she didn’t change out of the wet clothes soon, she would definitely fall ill…
“Miss, wait here. I’ll go hire a carriage!”
Panicked, Yan’er looked around for shelter for the nearly fainting Xie Qiqi, but the tall walls of the Prince’s Mansion offered no refuge from the snow and wind.
Seeing the tall stone lions at the gate, she could only support Xie Qiqi over to them.
Xie Qiqi leaned weakly against the wall, hearing Yan’er’s footsteps recede.
Her head throbbed fiercely, her body alternated between hot and cold, and her vision blurred.
She faintly heard a scolding voice: “Where did this beggar come from, begging at the Prince’s Mansion gate? Chase her away quickly…”
Footsteps approached, and someone roughly dragged Xie Qiqi away.
Her knees scraped against the ground as she was pulled, pain bringing a slight clarity. She croaked out a protest.
“I… I’m not a beggar…”
“She’s a runaway slave… marked with the slave brand on her forehead… Take her to the authorities!”
A clear, familiar voice reached Xie Qiqi’s ears.
Two guards grabbed her arms and started towards the government office.
Xie Qiqi was so anxious she almost cried, struggling and calling out,
“I’m not a runaway slave. I’m the daughter of the loyal and righteous Marquis Xie…”
When she was forced into servitude, they branded her forehead with the slave mark.
After she was brought back, Yue Huijuan cut thick bangs to cover it.
Xie Qiqi looked pleadingly at the speaker, but froze.
Not far away, a tall, sharply featured man frowned at her—the very one who called her a runaway slave!
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“Wei… Ling, brother…”
Xie Qiqi whispered.
Wei Ling was the son of her mother’s close friend and the Marquis of Wuan, three years her senior.
According to her mother, Wei Ling had held the chubby baby Xie Qiqi with great fondness at her birth and declared he would marry her when they grew up.
Madam Wei liked her gentle and sensible nature, so she and her mother arranged their childhood betrothal.
This was the first time in eight years that Xie Qiqi formally met Wei Ling.
Before this, she had only secretly glimpsed him once in the garden.
Back then, she had just been brought back to the Xie family, covered in scars, thin and darkened by hardship.
Ashamed of her appearance, she dared only to hide and watch her handsome fiancé from afar.
She never imagined that at their first formal meeting, she would still feel as insignificant as a mere weed.
Instinctively, Xie Qiqi lowered her head, praying that Wei Ling did not hear her words.
She didn’t want him to recognize her in such a wretched state.
Perhaps the passing deities did not heed her faint prayers, for her barely audible voice still reached Wei Ling’s ears.
Wei Ling called out to the guards, “Wait a moment… I remember, the Fourth Miss of the Xie Mansion is the one branded with the slave mark on her forehead…”
He took a few steps forward, bending down to examine Xie Qiqi.
Her hair was wet and disheveled, bangs plastered to her scalp, the slave brand unmistakable.
Her small face was smeared with dirt and melted snow, utterly pitiful.
Wei Ling, dressed in white as pure as snow, made her feel even more deeply ashamed, as if she had sunk to dust and ashes…
He watched silently until Yan’er came back stumbling.
“Miss, it’s snowing today, and all the carriages have been rented out…”
Xie Qiqi’s memory grew hazy after that.
She wasn’t sure whether Wei Ling recognized Yan’er or simply took pity on her, but he gave her his carriage.
She vaguely remembered that he also boarded the carriage.
His carriage was warm and clean, offering a small comfort to her chilled body, and she seemed to regain some clarity.
“Fourth Miss, I know you suffered a lot on behalf of Yue’er. It’s Yue’er who owes you!”
Wei Ling’s clear, gentle voice was like a warm mountain spring flowing into Xie Qiqi’s cold heart.
Her nose tingled, tears welling up.
At last… someone understood the grievances she had endured!