Perhaps having died once gave Xin An a sense of liberation. At this moment, she even felt a restless urge to vent all the pent-up frustration and helplessness she had endured. Her death had been utterly disgraceful.
“You must have wanted to kill me for a long time. Well, you got your wish. But you know what? Up close, you’re actually three times more handsome than Tang Rong. With such good looks, it’s surprising Tao Yiran didn’t cling to you every day, refusing to let you leave the house. Instead, you always had that dissatisfied look, glaring at everyone as if you were better than them. Truly, a paragon of virtue.”
Tang Mo let go of her hand, a peculiar look flashing in his eyes. His face now carried an amused expression. “You’re not wrong. Up close, you do have a certain charm. Clearly born with the face of a temptress, yet you used to dress like a mourning nun. My dear elder brother, so self-restrained—one wonders if he was just as restrained in bed.”
Xin An rubbed her wrist where he had grabbed it. “You and I are cut from the same cloth. Who’s really better than whom?”
She let her hair down and washed her face with cold water, calming the restless storm inside. Walking gracefully to the bed, she had barely sat down before Tang Mo snapped, “Don’t tell me you’re planning to sleep on the bed?”
“And you don’t think about your own status? Oh, that’s right, I was already angered to death by you. My noble, self-effacing brother-in-law, who outwardly claims not to compete for anything, must hate you by now. Without me, how can he showcase his virtues? Has he been cursing you for being such a ruthless and calculating woman? Why bother?”
She ignored him and flopped onto the bed, removing her outer garments and shoes as if he weren’t there. Sliding further in, she patted the empty space beside her. “I’m not in the mood to argue today. I haven’t had a good night’s sleep in ages. You’re lucky to have died early and didn’t have to endure the Tang household being raided. Those days were unbearable.”
Closing her eyes, she exhaled deeply, then added as if stating a fact, “Remember this: I didn’t kill you. You painstakingly schemed to snatch the countryside manor from me, only for your kind-hearted wife to immediately hand it over to your elder brother. You were so furious that you drank heavily, lost your footing, and fell into the lotus pond. After swallowing muddy water, you died within two days.”
“If you’ve forgotten how you died, don’t worry. I’ll remind you every time. No need to thank me.”
Hearing about the raid on the Tang household, Tang Mo frowned but quickly adopted a nonchalant attitude. He walked to the bedside, raised an eyebrow, and questioned, “If I died so early, didn’t they bury anything valuable with me? When you fell into poverty later, didn’t you think of digging me up?”
This woman was ruthless enough to do such a thing.
Xin An opened her eyes, her face full of regret. “Why didn’t I think of that? Your mother certainly buried you with plenty of treasures. Ah, what a missed opportunity.”
Seeing that she seemed genuinely considering the idea, Tang Mo was so angry he nearly choked. In a huff, he kicked off his shoes and lay down beside her without another word. Soon, the sound of Xin An’s steady breathing filled the room.
Just as he was drifting off, he was startled awake by Xin An’s restless movements and muttering. Turning to look, he saw her face contorted in pain as she mumbled incoherently, laughing and crying. If he weren’t somewhat worldly, he might have been genuinely scared.
In her dream, Xin An was back in that snowy scene, setting fire to Tang Rong and Tao Yiran’s mother-and-son duo. She laughed as she burned them, but the laughter turned into uncontrollable sobbing. The sorrow overwhelmed her, as if only an endless flood of tears could release the pain in her soul.
Tang Mo didn’t wake her. Instead, he watched her carefully, trying to piece together what might have happened after his death. How could the Tang household, after losing its military power, commit a crime serious enough to be raided? Could his cowardly father have rebelled?
As Xin An’s sobs soaked her pillow, Tang Mo finally gave her a shove. “Wake up.”
“Wake up already. Crying and wailing like a ghost—people will think I’ve done something to you.”
Xin An slowly regained consciousness, her head throbbing. After confirming that she was still young, she exhaled in relief. Tang Mo had many questions, but Xin An gave him no chance to ask. She turned her back to him and closed her eyes, chaos filling her mind once more.
The next morning, before dawn broke, there was knocking at the door. The two lay back-to-back, neither bothering to move. Restless thoughts had kept them up late, and now they were deep in sleep, each assuming no one would dare disturb them.
The knocking was accompanied by Spring Sun’s voice, persistent and insistent. Xin An, annoyed, gave Tang Mo a kick. “Come up with an excuse.”
Roused with a heavy dose of morning grumpiness, Tang Mo bellowed toward the door, “Get lost!”
The knocking ceased immediately. Xin An closed her eyes, intent on staying awake for a moment but soon fell asleep again. During the household’s downfall, she had barely slept a wink. Even though she was back in time, her fatigue clung to her like a shadow, making it impossible to wake fully.
Outside, maids and matrons were growing frantic. Unaware of the gravity of the situation, they assumed the “second young master and second young mistress” were already in the front hall for the morning tea ceremony. Worried that the “eldest young master and his wife” hadn’t woken yet, they hovered nervously.
“Young people are so full of energy. Don’t they know when to take it easy?” one muttered, about to knock again when hurried footsteps approached. It was Madame Wang’s trusted nanny, her face grave. After a hushed exchange, everyone fell silent, hands over their mouths. One of the older matrons swayed as if about to faint. “This…”
“How could this happen?”
The truth dawned painfully—across the way were the eldest young master and the original second young mistress. In this room lay the second young master and the original eldest young mistress.
At that same moment, in the front hall, Tang Rong knelt before the family elders. “I drank too much last night, couldn’t recognize anyone, and muddled through the wedding night. I’ve wronged my second brother, but what’s done is done. I must take responsibility for Tao Yiran.”
The Marquis of Weiyuan, Tang Gang, looked livid. Too drunk to recognize his bride? Nonsense. Tang Rong and Tao Yiran had both “drunk too much”?
Looking at the son he had once been so proud of, Tang Gang’s eyes filled with disappointment. If Tang Rong had noticed and immediately spoken up, the brides could have been quietly swapped back, and the matter resolved without incident. Now, the looming scandal made Tang Gang’s face grow even darker.
Before arranging the marriages, Tang Gang had personally asked his son who he preferred. If Tang Rong had expressed his desire to marry Tao Yiran, as his father, Tang Gang would have facilitated it. But Tang Rong had simply said, “I will follow my parents’ wishes.”
“Parents’ wishes,” indeed.
Madame Wang, ever the picture of a caring mother, shed tears of self-reproach before kneeling. “Old Madame, Old Master, this cannot be entirely blamed on the eldest young master. It was my oversight in arranging things. But what’s done is done. For the sake of all three families’ reputations, we must let it stand. I’ll bring generous gifts to the Tao and Xin families to ensure their agreement. With everyone on the same page, any rumors will quickly fade.”
The old matriarch was already seething, disappointed in her grandson and displeased with her daughter-in-law. “Go check on the second young master and see what’s going on.”
Deixe um comentário