PFC Chapter 003 Revealing the truth
Chapter 003 Revealing the truth
Tears welled up in her eyes instantly, tinged with emotion, as if she had so much to say but didn't know where to begin. Footsteps approached from outside, splashing through the puddles.
Xie Chaoyun's heart tightened, and she pressed down on Lu Zhiyuan's shoulder, signaling her to stay where she was.
"Mother!" Lu Zhiyuan grabbed her sleeve: "Be careful!"
Xie Chaoyun pulled off the veil from her face, her lips trembling slightly, as if she were going through a fierce internal struggle. Before she could speak, she was interrupted by the sudden opening of the window. She gave Lu Zhiyuan a reassuring smile, picked up her longsword, and leaped out of the window.
The autumn rain in the mountains grew heavier, the scent of blood mingling with the dampness, seeping in through the half-open wooden door.
Perhaps due to the ordeal of the previous night, Lu Zhiyuan's face was pale, her breathing rapid, and the fingertips gripping the medicine packet began to go numb—symptoms of the original owner's heart condition flaring up. She steadied herself, leaning against the wall to stand, then everything went black, and she collapsed to the ground.
In a daze, I heard someone call out urgently, "Yuan'er!"
In Fangfei Courtyard.
Lu Zhiyuan didn't know how long she had been unconscious. When she slowly woke up, she felt a dense, tingling pain all over her body. The furnishings in the room were unfamiliar; they didn't resemble the Chaoyun Villa. Before she could think any further, she was choked by a bitter taste rising in her throat.
"Miss, Miss is awake!"
"Quickly! Go and inform the madam!"
After a period of chaos, Lu Zhiyuan found out where she was and also figured out what had happened while she was unconscious.
This is the Pingnan Marquis's residence. She was brought back by her mother, Xie Chaoyun. The excited little maid in front of her is named Liuying. She is thirteen years old and was sent by her mother to serve her.
The pain all over my body was because I was given many needles by the doctor while I was unconscious, and the bitter taste in my throat was from the medication I was given.
Her intervention caused some deviations from the original plot.
Xie Chaoyun, who should have been stopped at the door by the steward, appeared in the pharmacy. Xie Chaoyun, who should have gone to the neighboring county to inspect the shop, stayed in the capital because of this sudden change. Lu Zhiyuan, who should have returned to the Marquis's mansion for the Mid-Autumn Festival, not only did not become stupid, but also returned ahead of schedule.
Lost in thought, I was startled awake when tears fell onto the back of my hand.
Why is Mother crying?
“Mother didn’t cry; Mother is happy.”
Xie Chaoyun wiped away her tears haphazardly, but the more she wiped, the more tears she shed.
Lu Zhiyuan searched her pockets for a long time but couldn't find a handkerchief, so she grabbed her sleeve and wiped her face.
Xie Chaoyun stiffened slightly, unable to contain her turbulent emotions any longer. With tears welling in her eyes, she hugged Lu Zhiyuan tightly. Self-blame, regret, and the fear of almost losing her daughter made her hold that frail body tightly.
Seven years have passed since her daughter was sent to the other residence, and she has never held her like this again. They say her daughter's heart ailment is due to the excessive killing she did on the battlefield in her early years, that it is divine retribution for the Xie family, and that she and her daughter are incompatible according to their birth charts. They forbid her from going to the other residence, forcing her to eat vegetarian food and chant Buddhist scriptures, and only allowing her to see her from afar during festivals.
She wasn't without her doubts, but she dared not gamble. This was her daughter, whom she had endured three days and three nights of pain to give birth to. She was her life, and she would rather never see her again, and instead visit her secretly for the rest of her life, hoping only that she would be healthy and live a long and healthy life.
Tears streamed down her face as she choked back sobs, calling out her daughter's name over and over again.
Lu Zhiyuan was so hugged that she could hardly breathe, and she whined like a little girl: "Yuan'er is hungry and wants to eat the braised duck from Zuichunlou."
At noon, according to the original timeline, her father, Lu Huai, was having an affair with his mistress at the Zuichun Pavilion. She couldn't tell Xie Chaoyun about her transmigration into the book, so she could only take her to the Zuichun Pavilion to catch them in the act.
She chose the private room next to Lu Huai's, ordered the best signature dishes, and strained her ears to listen to what was happening. Just when Lu Zhiyuan thought the plot had gone off track again, she heard intermittent conversation coming from next door.
"What's wrong with Xie Chaoyun? Didn't we agree to send her away to inspect the shops in the neighboring county?" A woman's voice, soft yet tinged with disdain, said, "If she doesn't leave, how am I supposed to take the children back to please the old lady?"
The amount of information was overwhelming, and it included her own name. Xie Chaoyun abruptly turned around and looked at the wall. The conversation continued next door; judging from the sounds, it seemed a woman was being pulled onto a man's lap.
The woman pouts coquettishly, and the man gently soothes her; his tone and voice are exactly the same as her husband, Lu Huai's. But her husband shouldn't be here; he should be on the carriage returning to the capital from Weinan.
After ten years of marriage, she couldn't have misheard. But what was the situation like next door?
Xie Chaoyun was in a state of utter confusion, even feeling somewhat lost.
They mentioned their daughter and the marriage they had arranged ten years ago. Judging from their conversation, her husband, Lu Huai, had a long-standing relationship with that woman.
Wanwan?
Xie Chaoyun felt a metallic taste in her mouth, and the chopsticks in her hand snapped instantly.
Two years ago, on the night before Lu Huai was to take up his post in Weinan, he called out that name in bed.
She wanted to go next door to confront them, but stopped abruptly after hearing what they said next.
Lu Huai: "If we don't marry her, who will fill the hole in our Pingnan Marquis's mansion? Without her dowry, could you, Yao'er, and Yuan'er live such a carefree life? You, you just know how to be ridiculous."
Something inside her cracked open, and tears streamed down her face. She had thought her husband had only deceived her, that he had only kept a mistress behind her back. Little did she know that her relationship and marriage had been a scheme by him and the Lu family from the very beginning.
Those cold, indifferent words almost froze the blood in her body.
Lu Zhiyuan didn't expect them to discuss these things in public. She originally wanted to take things step by step and let Xie Chaoyun discover Lu Huai and the Lu family's deception and conspiracy against the Xie family. Unexpectedly... she gave Liu Ying a wink, held Xie Chaoyun's hand, and gently comforted her.
"Mother, don't be sad. You still have Yuan'er, your maternal grandfather, your uncle, and the entire Xie family."
Xie Chaoyun shook his head with tears in his eyes: "Mother is fine! The man next door may not necessarily be your father. People's hearts are unpredictable. Perhaps someone is impersonating him, deliberately spreading rumors to sow discord between us and your father."
Liu Ying returned, her face grim.
The last glimmer of hope in Xie Chaoyun's eyes also collapsed.
Liu Ying knelt down with a thud, her eyes slightly red, and almost gritted her teeth as she said, "It's the son-in-law!"
Xie Chaoyun swayed a few times, barely managing to steady herself: "Are you sure you saw clearly? Is it really... the son-in-law?"
Liu Ying nodded: "I specifically inquired and found out that they entered the city yesterday evening and are staying at the Yuelai Inn next to Zuichun Tower. There are four of them: two adults and two children."
"Those two children are the son-in-law's?" Xie Chaoyun gritted her teeth, her face as pale as paper.
Liu Ying pinched her palm: "This servant only knows that their surname is Lu, and they call the young master 'Father'. The older one is ten years old and is a girl. The younger one is six years old and is a boy. He does resemble the young master in some ways. Their mother's surname is Ji, and she is about the same age as the madam. The shopkeeper calls her Madam Ji."
Madam Ji? Ji Wanwan!
In the villa, those men in black who assassinated Yuan'er were sent by her. Her heart felt like it had been ripped open; Xie Chaoyun gripped her clothes tightly, gritting her teeth, and said, "Those two scoundrels, I'll kill them!"