"Wife," a hoarse voice called from the doorway.
Ran Yan and Wan Lu were startled and turned around, only to see a young woman in a dark blue robe with her hair in a maid’s bun, her features delicate and pretty—it was Ge Lan.
After a moment of silence, Wan Lu suddenly realized and quickly stepped forward to grab her hand, exclaiming joyfully, "Ge Lan, you can talk!"
"Yes." Due to her injury, Ge Lan’s voice sounded neutral, deep and hoarse, making it somewhat difficult for others to understand.
"We were just talking about you!" Wan Lu said with a smile.
Ge Lan patted her hand, then squatted down to bow to Ran Yan, "Wife, your servant has returned."
Ge Lan’s vocal cords had long since recovered. Ran Yan had always attributed her inability to speak to psychological reasons, so even though she suddenly began to talk, Ran Yan was not too surprised and helped her up with a neutral expression, "No need for such formalities. Is everything all right in Suzhou?"
"Rest assured, Wife, all is well in Suzhou, but Lady Gao misses her daughter terribly and has been unwell recently." Ge Lan knew Ran Yan was implying something deeper with her question—likely wanting to know if there were any slip-ups concerning the death of Ran Shiba.
As she mentioned the ill health, a flash of pleasure crossed Ge Lan’s eyes.
It was clear that she was responsible for it.
"Lady Gao is pregnant," Ge Lan said evenly, dropping the shocking news.
Ran Yan nodded her head. Inspector Ran was just over forty years old, and Lady Gao was in her thirties; it was natural for her to conceive.
Wan Lu said bitterly, "The heavens are too kind, how can they treat such a wicked woman so well! She..."
Before she could finish, Ge Lan interrupted, "Although she was pregnant, she has lost it now."
It was during the seventh day after Ran Meiyu’s funeral when Lady Gao fainted from crying. The doctor then found out she had been pregnant for almost two months, giving a glimmer of hope to the desperate Lady Gao. She felt certain the child was a daughter coming to continue their mother-daughter bond, thus providing some comfort for her heartache and she cherished the baby dearly.
Ge Lan took advantage of the chaos during Ran Meiyu’s funeral to soak a large dose of musk on the paper money. Lady Gao was very vigilant and almost immediately after receiving the paper money smelled something was off and quickly threw it away. However, due to her excessive grieving, the pregnancy was unstable, and the extra care for the child coupled with the shock from the musk scent ultimately resulted in a miscarriage.
Ran Yan was silent for a moment, contemplating the ruthless actions of Ge Lan. By comparison, she considered herself relatively benevolent. Su Fu was right; the skill to kill didn’t need teaching, as long as one harbored enough hatred for someone, they would find every possible way to eliminate that person. Ge Lan, whose family was destroyed by Lady Gao, had been harboring a grudge for over a decade, just waiting for a moment to vent.
"What was the result?" Ran Yan inquired.
Ge Lan’s lips tightened for a moment before she knelt in front of Ran Yan, "This servant deserves death, for only because I knew Inspector Liu would provide cover, did I dare carry out the deed."
Ran Yan sighed. She was originally a forensic doctor providing evidence for cases, so she knew that nothing could be done without leaving traces; it was only a matter of concealment. Ge Lan had been secretive enough, but with Ran family demanding the Government investigate thoroughly, if Liu Pinrang found the truth, he might, out of respect for Ran Yan, pin the blame on someone else, making cover-ups much more manageable.
"You do have the talent for knowing people," Ran Yan remarked as she looked down, "Get up."
Liu Pinrang appeared upright and was seen as the parent-official of the civilians, but he was not an incorruptibly righteous person.
Yet, Ge Lan did not stand up, "I had not intended to act, but around that time, I happened to hear that Inspector Liu’s transfer order had come down, making him an Official. Wife, your betrothed is Assistant Minister Xiao, and in future dealings, it’s inevitable; initially, Wife also offered many favors to Inspector Liu, and between Ran family and Wife, I bet he would certainly side with Wife."
"I don’t blame you. I promised to support you, and apart from poison and my status, I have nothing else to offer you. So as long as you don’t compromise my safety, everything else is up to you," Ran Yan said as she knelt by the window, pouring herself a cup of water, "Lately, I also feel that if the roots are not removed, the wind will regenerate them."
Ge Lan was stunned for a moment, then stood up and said softly, "Wife is right."
Thus, during the period of Lady Gao’s miscarriage and weakened state, Ge Lan secretly administered another dose of poison. It was not lethal, but the damage was significant.
"What are you talking about?" Xiao Song stepped in briskly.