"It wasn’t good at first, one of them attempted suicide. Fortunately, it was discovered in time. Later, the madam brought in a doctor from outside to watch over them. I suppose she didn’t want to bring you bad luck during the New Year."
"Her soft-heartedness is entirely wasted on those irrelevant people. Such a pointless act."
Mei Lvge spoke indifferently, "Let her be. She can’t stir up trouble for much longer. This play is reaching its curtain call."
~
Jing Zhan had just arrived home when Yu Ruohuan called her again.
Jing Zhan followed Yu Ruohuan up the mountain, completely confused.
Yu Ruohuan instructed her that once they entered, she should say nothing at all.
Crossing the suspension bridge, Jing Zhan trembled all over in fear as she looked at the jagged rocks below.
What kind of cursed place is this?
She barely managed to make it across the bridge. The moment her foot touched the ground, Yu Ruohuan tugged her forward.
For the first time, Jing Zhan learned that there was another peak behind Four Seasons Manor. Among the cliffs stood a secluded estate, utterly isolated from the world.
She dared not look around too much and obediently followed Yu Ruohuan inside.
Under the eaves, stood a young woman. Even the bulky winter coat couldn’t conceal her thin frame. At first glance, she seemed dull and gray, but Jing Zhan felt like she’d seen her somewhere before.
"Miss Yu," the woman said woodenly.
Yu Ruohuan behaved as though the woman didn’t exist, pushing the door open to enter.
The woman kept her head bowed obediently.
Jing Zhan understood better than anyone else—Yu Ruohuan always held her head high. She never spared a look for anyone who wasn’t valuable.
As Jing Zhan approached the woman, she turned to glance at her, her eyes probing.
This face was plain. Her skin had the distinct dark tone that seemed baked by the sunlight of the northwest highlands.
She wouldn’t warrant a second glance in a crowd.
Before Jing Zhan could scrutinize her further, Yu Ruohuan’s voice called out from the room, "Come in."
Jing Zhan immediately gathered her thoughts and entered.
Sitting in the chair by the window was an elderly woman with a full head of silver hair. On the bed, another elderly person lay in a deep sleep. Jing Zhan glanced briefly before lowering her eyes, her hands hidden in her sleeves silently clenching tight.
It couldn’t be what she thought, could it?
"I brought the person. Now, where are the things I asked for?"
Shen Qiunong stretched out her hands, groping in the air.
Yu Ruohuan glanced at Jing Zhan.
Jing Zhan instantly understood and obediently walked over to Shen Qiunong.
Shen Qiunong reached out and touched the person standing before her. Jing Zhan stiffened, hesitated for a moment, and then slowly extended her hand.
Those wrinkled hands, just like orange peels, roamed over Jing Zhan’s body. A mix of disgust and fear surged within her. With Yu Ruohuan’s gaze piercing her back like needles, she dared not flinch but stood obediently, letting her be touched all over.
The hands traveled upward along her arm, intending to touch Jing Zhan’s face. Jing Zhan glanced at Yu Ruohuan, then crouched down without hesitation, allowing the rough hands to find their way to her face.
The hands were covered in coarse calluses, scraping against the delicate skin of the girl’s face. Jing Zhan winced in pain, furrowing her brows as she lifted her gaze, only to find herself staring into a pair of lifeless, unfocused eyes.
A chill ran down her spine, leaving her utterly frozen.
The fingertips traced her facial features gently and meticulously, as if trying to etch the outline of this face deeply into her mind.
After a long pause, a soft voice rose above her head.
"What’s your name?"
Jing Zhan snapped back to reality, immediately turning to look at Yu Ruohuan.
Yu Ruohuan shifted her eyes slightly and said, "Shen You’an. Her name is Shen You’an."
Jing Zhan was stupefied. She was Jing Zhan—how could she be Shen You’an? Besides, why did the name Shen You’an sound so oddly familiar?
Jing Zhan felt her brain coming up short.
Shen Qiunong froze for a moment, then shook her head with a faint chuckle.
She withdrew her hands and sat upright in the chair. "She’s not the one I’m looking for."
Yu Ruohuan squinted her eyes, her tone cold. "You’re blind; you see nothing. How can you be sure she’s not the one you’re looking for?"
"I don’t perceive people with my eyes. I perceive them with my heart. Miss Yu, honesty is a virtue. I hope this will be the last time."
Yu Ruohuan took a deep breath. "I said she’s the one, so she is."
Shen Qiunong shook her head with a smile, her expression laced with deep ridicule.
"Does the Yu family have an addiction to occupying nests that don’t belong to them?"
Yu Ruohuan’s pupils constricted sharply as she snapped coldly, "You’re courting death."
"Occupying nests..." Jing Zhan mulled over those four words, her heart pounding as though she had stumbled upon a massive, unspeakable secret of the Yu family.
Afraid of hearing any more secrets, she immediately got up and rushed toward the door, even thoughtfully closing it behind herself, distancing herself further.
Curiosity killed the cat.