Volume One, Chapter Two: This Is My Own Mother

As the wooden board continued to strike, Qin Lang’s hands, hanging at his sides, gradually tightened into fists. This was, he reasoned, the punishment she deserved for her insolence.

Yet, even after twelve blows, she remained silent, the blood from her wounds pooling on the floor beneath her. Seeing this, Qin Lang felt an inexplicable surge of irritation. If only she would beg for mercy, he would surely plead her case to the Empress!

A soldier who committed an offense would receive no more than twenty lashes, yet she was but a sixteen-year-old girl—what was she trying to prove by holding out like this? It could only be that she remained unrepentant in her heart! After this, he would make sure she realized her mistake and learned to temper her stubborn nature.

"Twenty!" the eunuch overseeing the punishment shouted. The flogging was over.

Qin Lang rushed forward to check on her, but by then, Qin Wan had already lost consciousness. Thus, the farce of the Empress’s birthday banquet came to an end.

Three days later.
Marquis Pingding’s Estate.
Wanyue Courtyard.

Qin Wan finally awoke. As she looked around, she realized this was her own bedchamber, a place she had been parted from for two years. Now, she was back.

Lying prone on the bed, Qin Wan tried to move, but her body was wracked with tearing pain. Sensing movement on the bed, her maid, Wan Shuang, hurried over. Seeing that Qin Wan was awake, she exclaimed with excitement, "Miss, you’re finally awake!"

Seeing Wan Shuang again stirred deep emotions in Qin Wan. In her previous life, after being sent away to Leishan Temple, only this young maid had visited her twice in secret. Although she had been sent by her grandmother, Qin Wan knew of the girl’s loyalty. It seemed her grandmother was the only person left in the entire estate who still cared for her.

Qin Wan wanted to rise, but her injuries were too severe, and her body was so weak that she lacked even the strength to speak.

"Miss, you’ve been unconscious for three days; you must be hungry. I’ll go get you something to eat!" Wan Shuang ran to the door and instructed another maid to fetch some thin congee from the main kitchen.

However, when the congee arrived, Han Shu and Qin Lang followed.

"Wan'er, Wan'er!" Her voice preceded her, trembling with concern. But hearing that voice now, Qin Wan felt only revulsion.

When Han Shu entered and saw Qin Wan’s frail state, tears streamed down her face. This was the daughter they had pampered for sixteen years; when had she ever suffered like this? Yet, did she not realize that they were the ones who had caused this suffering?

"Wan'er, are you still in pain?"

Han Shu wiped her tears with a handkerchief, took the bowl of congee from the maid, blew on it gently to cool it, and brought it to Qin Wan’s lips. "Sit up and have a little something."

Qin Wan had been unconscious for three days; her stomach was growling with hunger. But she was in too much pain to sit up, so she could only remain lying flat, motionless. Before, Wan Shuang had knelt on the floor to feed her spoonful by spoonful.

Han Shu held the spoon in mid-air for a long while, but when Qin Wan made no move to rise, and as Han Shu prepared to press the spoon closer, Qin Lang became visibly irritated.

"Qin Wan, what are you doing?" Qin Lang frowned, staring fixedly at her. "Mother hasn't been able to eat or sleep these past few days because of you. She rushed over the moment she heard you woke up, yet this is the attitude you show? Who are you putting on this performance for?"

A bitter taste filled Qin Wan’s heart. This was her own second brother; she was beaten to the point where she could not speak or move, yet he began to berate her without even asking what had happened.

As for her own mother—at the Empress’s banquet, when Su Yan'er fell into the water and Qin Wan had stepped forward to save her, Han Shu had been the first to see the scene. She had been the first person Qin Wan had tried to explain the situation to, yet Han Shu had refused to believe her, convinced that Qin Wan had pushed Su Yan'er in.

She was her own mother! If only she had spoken a single word in her defense, things would never have spiraled to such an extent. The thought stung like needles in Qin Wan’s heart.

No matter. It didn't matter anymore! If her mother had truly cared for her, she would not have left her to suffer abuse at Leishan Temple for two years without a single visit or even a message sent through a maid.

Seeing Qin Wan remain silent, Han Shu thought perhaps she was still throwing a tantrum over the flogging. She turned to Qin Lang and gave him a look, feigning a reprimand. "Lang'er, your sister’s wounds haven't healed; how can you speak to her like that?"

Han Shu set down the bowl and spoon, patted Qin Wan’s back gently, and whispered, "Wan'er, Mother knows you are hurting inside and that you resent us for not protecting you. But that day, everyone witnessed you pushing Yan'er into the water. If we had protected you, and the Empress had held us accountable, it might have implicated the whole family..."

"So, you just stood by and watched me be punished?"

Qin Wan had not spoken for a long time; her voice felt as if a knife were scraping her throat. Yet, she endured the pain to force the words out. The question struck Han Shu’s heart, leaving her unable to continue.

Qin Lang, however, did not understand. It was clearly her fault—she had pushed Yan'er in first, and the punishment followed. Why was she acting as if she had been so wronged?

"Qin Wan! Stop with the sarcasm! Wasn't your punishment deserved? Pushing Yan'er into the water at the banquet was a grave offense. Twenty lashes was already the Empress’s grace. Not only do you fail to repent, but you act as if the whole family owes you something. We have truly spoiled you!"

Han Shu tried to stop him by patting his arm, but she could not silence his words. Qin Wan felt a coldness settle in her heart.

Yes, they had spoiled her! But that indulgence had vanished the moment Su Yan'er entered the estate.

Qin Wan truly lacked the strength to argue with them further. Seeing her still lying prone and refusing to look at them, Qin Lang felt a flicker of annoyance. But remembering that his sister had never suffered such severe injuries in her life, he reined in his temper and said in a softer tone:

"Your wounds have not healed, so I will not dwell on this. But once you recover, do not dare to act this way again, or else..."

The rest of his words were cut short by Han Shu. But Qin Wan understood: what followed would surely be blame and violence.

How Qin Lang had once adored her! If anyone bullied her, no matter who they were, he would fight back for her. Yet, this same person who had loved her so dearly had turned on her many times because of Su Yan'er. It didn't matter if she was innocent; the moment Su Yan'er shed a tear, it immediately became Qin Wan’s fault.

"This is medicinal salve for wounds that I brought from the military camp. Use this; it should be better than what the estate doctor prescribes!" With that, Qin Lang took a small bottle from his tunic and tossed it to Wan Shuang, who was standing nearby.

Han Shu felt a sense of relief; Lang'er truly had a sharp tongue but a kind heart.

Just then, a maid rushed in, her face pale with panic. Ignoring the presence of her masters, she blurted out, "Madam, Second Young Master, it’s bad! Miss Yan'er has developed a fever again!"

Hearing this, both of them cried out in alarm, "How has she caught a fever again?"

Without another word, they hurried out of the room, completely forgetting that they had come to visit Qin Wan.