Just as she and Hongyan pushed the wheelchair out of the Marquis’s residence and boarded the carriage heading toward the outskirts of the city…
In the front courtyard, Mu Wanxia sat by the window in her room, her delicate face clouded with sorrow as she bit her handkerchief, tears brimming in her eyes. Her already lovely and charming features now bore an expression of melancholy, making her resemble a fragile flower swaying gently in the summer breeze—delicate, pitiable, and utterly captivating.
“Sister, if you want to know why he’s being so kind to that wretch, why don’t you just ask him directly? Sitting here crying won’t change anything. If he doesn’t care for you, even if you cry yourself blind, he won’t come to see you. Why torture yourself like this?”
As she stared blankly out the window, lost in thought and tears, the door behind her creaked open. Mu Wanjun, dressed in a striking violet-red robe, entered with a mix of beauty and sharpness in her demeanor. Seeing her sister silently weeping, her expression flickered with frustration before she spoke up, her tone laced with impatience.
“Jun’er, if I ask him outright, won’t he think me too forward? I—”
Sensing her sister’s disapproval, Mu Wanxia sniffled and wiped her eyes before turning around. Though her cheeks were still damp with tears, her delicate charm remained undiminished—her tear-streaked face only amplifying her allure, evoking an overwhelming urge to protect her. Even the slightest reprimand felt like it might shatter her fragile beauty.
Yet, this vulnerability had no effect on Mu Wanjun.
“Sister, I hate to say it, but you really need to change this habit of always putting others first. Has he ever spared a thought for you? The last two times he visited the estate, he didn’t even bother to see you. Before, he was all sweet words, promising to marry you once he broke off the engagement with that wretch. And now? If you don’t ask, how will you ever know his true feelings? Are you really going to let her get away with poisoning Mother and driving a wedge between her and Father? Are you going to let her steal Young Master Sun from you?”
Mu Wanjun couldn’t hold back any longer, exasperated by her sister’s timid and prideful nature. She confronted her bluntly, pointing out Sun Fengyu’s recent behavior—his visits to Wanqing and his sudden indifference toward Wanxia—which had unsettled both sisters.
“But Jun’er, what if I ask him and he says he still likes that girl? Wouldn’t I just be humiliating myself?”
Mu Wanxia’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment. Her younger sister had always been more decisive, even if reckless, while she, the elder, often relied on her for guidance.
She thought of her recent recovery from poisoning—an ordeal caused entirely by that wretched girl. If not for her cunning and deceit, she wouldn’t have ended up poisoned in her own failed attempt to frame her.
Though her sister’s words struck a chord, Mu Wanxia still hesitated, unable to shed her pride and confront Sun Fengyu directly.
“Will pride put food on the table? You can ask casually, just to test the waters. If you don’t act boldly now, you’ll only have yourself to blame when he’s taken from you. You’ll be left crying by the window every day. That’s all I’ll say—think it over. Oh, and Sister, do you have any spare money? I need some for an errand. I’m also planning to visit Mother later.”
Mu Wanjun scoffed at her sister’s indecisiveness, though she softened her tone when she saw Wanxia’s discomfort. Unable to get a response, she sighed and shifted the topic to her real purpose for coming.
“I do have some. How much do you need? If it’s for shopping, you can just take it from the estate’s accounts. Why dip into our savings?”
Though her sister’s bluntness stung, Mu Wanxia didn’t blame her—she knew it came from a place of concern.
When Wanjun asked for money, she found it odd. Their mother, despite being confined to the secluded Youming Pavilion, still controlled the household finances. They could withdraw funds from the estate’s accounts anytime. Yet Wanjun wasn’t doing that—she was asking her directly.
Knowing her sister usually had plenty of her own savings, Mu Wanxia grew suspicious. “What do you need it for?” she pressed, watching as Wanjun held up three fingers and mouthed “three hundred.” She rose to fetch the money but couldn’t help questioning her motives.
“I have my reasons. Don’t worry about it—just focus on sorting out your own mess so Mother and I don’t have to. I’ll pay you back later. And think about what I said earlier. I’m off to see Mother now.”
With a faint smile, Mu Wanjun took the pouch of coins her sister handed her, weighed it in her palm, and turned to leave without another word.
“*Sigh*…”
After her sister left, Mu Wanxia sat in silence, reflecting on her own weakness. After a long pause, she finally turned to her maid, Xiangtao, whispered a few words, tidied herself up, and stepped out.
—
“Jun’er, I can give you the poison you asked for. But you must tell me—what do you plan to do with it?”
In the dimly lit Youming Pavilion, Lady Liu knelt before an altar lined with ancestral tablets, a large Buddha statue at its center. She fingered her prayer beads as she listened to her younger daughter’s request, her expression grave. The poison Wanjun sought was no trivial matter.
“Mother, I’m going to kill that wretch. Only her death will bring us peace. Only then will Sister stop crying over losing Young Master Sun.”
At her mother’s questioning, Mu Wanjun’s eyes burned with hatred as she recalled the humiliations she and her mother had suffered at Wanqing’s hands.
“My child, all I want is for you both to grow up happily and marry well. Besides, she’s under the protection of the Crown Prince’s men. I don’t want you taking such risks.”
Though resentment simmered beneath her composed exterior, Lady Liu spoke gently, her voice laced with maternal concern.
“I know your heart, Mother. But I’m not ready to marry yet. More importantly, if I don’t act fast, Young Master Sun will be stolen away. How can Sister marry well then? Please, Mother. Don’t worry—I won’t do it myself. I’ll hire assassins. Even with the Crown Prince’s guards, she won’t escape unscathed if they use poisoned weapons.”
Seeing her mother’s hesitation, Mu Wanjun’s expression turned pleading. When she mentioned her sister’s plight, Lady Liu’s resolve finally wavered. Wanjun seized the moment, shaking her mother’s arm playfully.
“Very well. But you must ensure no traces lead back to you. Whether the attempt succeeds or fails, those hired must be dealt with afterward. Otherwise, she’ll turn this against us. Here—use it carefully. Remember, even the smallest wound tainted with this poison will kill silently and slowly. Have them coat their blades. A single scratch will be enough.”
Relenting at last, Lady Liu rose and retrieved a small black vial from behind the altar. She pressed it into her daughter’s hand with a stern warning.
“Thank you, Mother! I’ll be careful, I promise!”
Delighted, Mu Wanjun kissed her mother’s cheek before tucking the vial away and hurrying off.
—
“*Sigh*… Hei Ya, you heard everything, didn’t you? If my daughters run into trouble, step in and help them. Remember—capture that girl alive. Bring her to me.”
Once her daughter’s footsteps faded, Lady Liu’s serene mask slipped. She turned toward the shadows behind the Buddha statue, addressing a young man clad in black who emerged silently.
“As you command, my lady. I shall assist the young misses.”
The man, Hei Ya, bowed deeply before vanishing as swiftly as he had appeared.
No sooner had he left than Lady Liu’s body suddenly stiffened. Her prayer beads clattered to the ground as she collapsed, foaming at the mouth, her face twisted in agony. Clawing at her throat as if strangled by an invisible force, she writhed in silent torment.
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