it with an intricate hairpin with flowers carved onto it. Its jade green and blushing red tassels flowed down with her hair, along with a few sparkling gems, exuding elegance and beauty. Li Chang Le scrutinized her reflection, obviously pleased with the results. Over the next ten days, Li Chang Le fell in love with the peony oil’s scent, incorporating it into her daily routine and luxuriating in its rich smell. Regarding Zhou Mama’s total disappearance, Li Chang Le had ordered servants to search thoroughly for clues, but came up with nothing. She began to suspect that Li Wei Yang was behind it; however, without any evidence, she did not dare to make rash decisions. All she could do was to report to the authorities that Zhou Mama had either escaped or went missing, but continued looking for her on the sly. As the weather transitioned into warmth, Jiang Yue Lan kept up hope that it would be spring in her womb as well, but it had been a few months after her wedding and there was no sign of any movement. She couldn’t help but feel frustrated, so she brought her Yatous out to the gardens for a walk. She had just reached the pond when she saw Li Wei Yang and Qi Yiniang playing with Min Zhi, as he teased the koi swimming inside. Lao Furen was also seated at the nearby pavilion, together with Si Yiniang, Li Chang Xiao and their entourage; they were full of smiles and happy chatter. Jiang Yue Lan went forwards to greet them with a smile. “Lao Furen looks really happy.” Seeing that it was her, Lao Furen smiled back. “I was intending to send someone for you, yet here you are. Quick, have a seat.” As Jiang Yue Lan made her way over, she was greeted by a flurry of curtseys. She glanced over at Li Min Zhi, her eyes full of love and affection. “Min Zhi is really growing cuter by the day, how irresistible.” However, she did not dare to reach over to carry him; because for the past few months, no matter how many times she tried, he would start bawling his lungs out. Ugh, such a frustration.
Chang Le took one look at Li Wei Yang, who had a small smile on her face; she resolved to crush her there and then. “Yes! That’s her! She was alive and well when I asked her to send food to Si Di, but who knew that she would never return. Initially I thought it was strange, so I sent someone to search for her with no avail. So, I thought that she might have returned to Jiang Residence, but they told me that she did not go back. Not a trace of her was found at her own home either... I just started to think that maybe she had run away to escape some punishment for a mistake she made, but I never would have guessed that she got killed!” “She might not have been killed, perhaps she suddenly fell sick?!” Lao Furen said coolly. “As far as I know, Zhou Mama did not have any illness, and based on how horribly she died, someone had obviously poisoned her – who would be so evil!” As she said this, Li Chang Le suddenly stood up, staring at Li Wei Yang. “San Mei, did you see Zhou Mama that day?!” Li Wei Yang calmly replied. “Zhou Mama? Ai, Dajie, you have too many Mamas serving by your side, how would I know which one is surnamed Zhou.” She turned to Bai Zhi, who was standing by her side. “Do you remember?” Bai Zhi suppressed a smile. “Xiaojie, Nubi knows who Zhou Mama is, but she has never been to our courtyard.” The atmosphere seemed to freeze, thick and heavy with tension. Li Chang Le’s face fell. “I clearly ordered her to deliver something to Si Di…” “Oh! Sending Si Di something to eat!” Li Wei Yang turned to face Tan Shi. “Qi Yiniang, did you see her?” Tan Shi thought for a moment, then shook her head. “No.” She had truly not seen her; delivering food only a pre-arranged alibi that Zhou Mama and Li Chang Le came up with. Li Chang Le seemed a little flustered by the surprise. “Why did someone visit Qi Yiniang’s courtyard, then end up dead? This is Grandmother’s favorite Mama, she is supposed to go back after two months, how am I supposed to answer for it!” At this moment, her eyes were filled with dread, chewing on the handkerchief gripped tightly in her hands; she appeared very worried. “No wonder I have been having nightmares these days.” Li Chang Le said, choking out a cry. “In my dreams, Zhou Mama was drenched in blood, crying out for revenge, asking me to help her find the people who cruelly murdered her without any reason. Lao Furen, what do you think should be done!” A cold smile crept up on the corner of Li Wei Yang’s lips. Lao Furen took a great amount of effort to suppress her anger. “Then go ahead and investigate! Let’s see where that old servant went, and where she went missing, so that I can give you an explanation!” Li Chang Le looked pleased, aiming a glance at Li Wei Yang. “Well, what if it is found that someone is behind all this?” What is she trying to say, Lao Furen’s temper was boiling, her brows throbbing with anger? She was about to speak, when Li Wei Yang spoke, so softly and gently like a floating wind, a fleeting star. “Of course, the mastermind should be severely punished.” “San Mei is right, when the truth is revealed, Lao Furen, please make sure to deal severe punishment!” Li Chang Le laughed coldly. Si Yiniang took in the
in the looks on everyone’s faces. “Da Xiaojie, she was only a servant…” she said with an awkward smile. Li Chang Le’s returning smile looked like a blooming cherry blossom in the spring, but it beheld a cold cruelty that made everyone feel uncomfortable. “Si Yiniang, the crux of the matter is not Zhou Mama’s status, but the fact that someone had meted out their own private punishment! Pardon my ignorance, but I had no idea that in the Li Residence could condone anyone to order the death of a servant without the knowledge or approval of Lao Furen!” Lao Furen’s expression soured further. “That’s enough! Since we’ve already agreed to investigate, then let’s proceed with that!” “Thank you, Lao Furen.” Li Chang Le replied sweetly, throwing a bland glance at Li Wei Yang before curtseying to Lao Furen and leaving with her entourage of yatous. Si Yiniang couldn’t help muttering to Li Chang Xiao. “It is just some Nubi who died, look at how she exaggerated the matter!” Li Chang Xiao replied in a low voice. “Mother, keep your voice down.” Lao Furen did not want to dwell on this matter anymore; she waved Tan Shi over. “Come, Min Zhi, come over to Grandmother.” Tan Shi wiped away the worry on her face, smilingly handing Min Zhi over. Just as Lao Furen was about to carry him, a piercing scream filled with fear broke through, and the voice belonged to Li Chang Le. Everyone exchanged looks, confused as to what was happening. Jiang Yue Lan recovered her wits the fastest. “It’s Chang Le’s voice, quickly, go and find out what is wrong!” In a panic, she hurriedly went ahead with her servants. Lao Furen slowly stood up, and declared, “Let’s go, we shall take a look too.” Upon reaching the next turn of the corridor, Li Chang Le was found curled up at the corner of the wall, trembling. Jiang Yue Lan called out her name, and she saw Li Chang Le’s ashen and pale face. She cried out desperately, “Save me! Mother, please save me!” As her gaze fell on Li Chang Le’s head, Jiang Yue Lan was so horrified that she took a few steps back. All those presents were equally shocked, gasping in fear. Li Chang Le’s glorious locks had fallen off, leaving behind only a few pathetic strands. Her fingers were still scratching and scrabbling; her scalp was covered in blood. It was a disgusting sight. Si Yiniang exclaimed in horror. “Heavens, what is going on!” Everyone scattered in shock, including Lao Furen, who nearly fainted in terror. Jiang Yue Lan’s heart was pounding wildly in her chest, as she witnessed Li Chang Le’s hands moving down to her face, still scratching furiously from her forehead, eyes, down to her nose. It was as if she was trying to gouge her flesh from her very bones, as if she could get rid of the itch by digging it out. In a matter of minutes her lovely features became a mess of meat and blood; scaring Jiang Yue Lan even further. If anything happened to her, how would she answer to the Jiangs! She steeled her resolve and instructed her yatous. “Quickly, hold down Da Xiaojie, don’t let her scratch anymore!” Her yatous and Mamas had to bear with their disgust, pinning Li Chang Le’s limbs down to the ground. She was still writhing in pain, struggling frantically to scratch the itch on her face; when Li Chang Le realized she couldn’t reach it, she attempted to scratch the other parts of her body. It was such an uncontrollable instinct to be instinct to be rid of the horrendous sensation. Jiang Yue Lan could not control her dry heaving, but she still managed to shout out orders. “Quickly, get my calming medicine! Now!” Li Wei Yang watched this scene calmly and coldly; of course, Li Chang Le would itch uncontrollably. She had extracted the poison from Zhou Mama’s tainted blood, and had placed it into the hair oil before sending it to her. It was easy to imagine the kind of pain she was experiencing; a pain worse than death. This was exactly as she planned, for her to have a taste of how the pain she originally wanted Min Zhi to suffer; such cruelty! Li Chang Le let out a blood-curdling wail, attempting to roll away on the floor. Some of the servants had exhausted all their strength just to pin her to the ground; however, her luscious hair had fallen clean off, and there was blood all over. The scene was a terrifying beyond belief, and that face no longer resembled anything human. Li Chang Le did not just lose her status as a gorgeous Da Xiaojie; she was worse off than a beggar sprawled on the streets. Suddenly, a yatou screamed, pointing at Li Chang Le’s body. “Ahh! It’s so scary!” Li Chang Le’s broken skin was leaking copious amounts of blood, and there were traces of black substance in it. She was still writhing, fighting to break free from her restraints, exactly like how Zhou Mama was struggling before she died. It was as if her stomach contained some poisonous worms chewing at her from the inside, and she was attempting to claw it out, but unable to do so due to the people holding her back.
Chapter end
Report
|
Donate
Oh o, this user has not set a donation button.
|