Ye Lang’s thick brows were tightly furrowed as he turned his gaze toward Su He once more.
Su He was slightly bent at the neck, fully absorbed in watching the bronze basin before her, carefully placing leaf after leaf into the water.
“General Ye, please.” Zhang Jiulu stepped forward with his men, blocking Ye Lang’s line of sight.
Ye Lang glanced at the noble ladies waiting outside, wanting to say something, but in the end, he swallowed his words with a sullen expression.
Pei Yan stepped out of the courtyard gate, and only then did the noble ladies at the entrance lift their heads, casting disdainful and scornful looks toward Su He. Just a lowly concubine, a mere plaything—nothing worth noticing.
Even without turning her head, Su He could feel the contempt in their gazes. She continued to stir the bamboo leaves in the basin, pretending to be thoroughly engrossed in her play.
Finally, the sound of footsteps faded into the distance. Su He’s tense back gradually relaxed, the smile on her lips faltering as she stared blankly at the bamboo leaves floating in the water.
Plop…
A drop of crimson blood fell into the basin, sending ripples across the surface.
Plop, plop…
Before she could fully grasp what was happening, the drops of blood began to fall faster, quickly dyeing the water red.
She was having a nosebleed.
Nosebleeds were an old affliction for Su He, a result of being beaten. When she was five years old, she had once been so hungry that she sneaked into the kitchen to steal food. The steward caught her, dragged her by the ear to see her stepmother, and as it happened, her elder brother Su Chan was there that day. He punched Su He in the face, causing her nose to bleed profusely. From that day on, she developed a tendency to bleed from the nose.
It had been a while since her last nosebleed, though. Today, for some reason, it had suddenly started again—and so heavily at that!
Panicked, she cupped water from the basin and splashed it haphazardly on the back of her neck. Then, tilting her head back and pinching her nose, she waited for the bleeding to stop on its own. She now relied on her appearance, and she didn’t want to look ugly or pitiful.
Bright red blood slid down her cheeks, staining her shoulders, neck, and chest in patches of crimson.
Suddenly, she felt a pang of regret for the fine clothes she was wearing—the first beautiful garments she had ever worn in her life, now ruined.
Her eyes stung fiercely, and soon tears welled up. She fought to hold them back, even repeatedly thinking of the ninety-nine new dresses in her room, but in the end, she couldn’t stop them from falling.
Pei Yan’s words in front of Ye Lang—calling her nothing more than a concubine—had truly made her feel ashamed. Her chest churned with this wave of humiliation. Of course, she didn’t blame Pei Yan; she blamed herself. If only she had been cleverer during her reincarnation and hadn’t been born into the Su family, she wouldn’t have suffered such indignities. That’s why she must earn more money in this lifetime, so that in her next reincarnation, she can choose a good family. She’ll become a noble lady from a prestigious household and enjoy a life of luxury. Then, she’ll have ten or eight Ye Langs to accompany her, each vying for her favor.
The nosebleed grew heavier, as if she had returned to that day when she was five. Even with her head tilted back until her vision turned green, the bleeding refused to stop.
Faintly, she seemed to hear light footsteps retreating, but she couldn’t turn her head, afraid that even the slightest movement would worsen the flow of blood.
Outside the courtyard, an Anwei hurriedly made his way to the main hall in the front courtyard.
Princess Chang had not only invited Ye Lang but also several young masters and noble ladies from prominent families. The banquet was now in full swing, with cups raised in toasts and laughter filling the air.
“Brother Yan has taken a concubine, how come I never heard Auntie mention it?” County Princess Changping rested her chin in her hand, looking curiously at Princess Chang. “I saw that woman—she’s incredibly seductive and beautiful. But didn’t Brother Yan used to despise women who looked too alluring?”
“Your Brother Yan chose her himself; I haven’t even met her yet,” Princess Chang said with a smile.
“What? Auntie, you haven’t seen her!” County Princess Changping stood up, quickly walked over to Princess Chang, sat down beside her, nestled close, and whispered in her ear, “I even saw Ye Lang holding that concubine’s hand. Auntie, does Brother Yan intend to give her to Ye Lang?”
It wasn’t unusual for men to exchange concubines among themselves. Sometimes, when visiting another household, if they took a liking to a concubine there, they could even take her away.
“Is that so?” Princess Chang lifted her gaze and looked toward Pei Yan.
Pei Yan was lazily holding a wine cup, drinking slowly. Several young noblemen occasionally whispered to him, and he responded with a slight smile, though his eyes remained cold and unreadable. Even as his mother, she couldn’t fathom what he was thinking.
“Don’t provoke your Brother Yan,” Princess Chang withdrew her gaze, gently stroking Changping’s head as she spoke softly. “If it’s something he truly wants, he’d rather destroy it than give it to someone else.”
Changping tilted her head and whispered, “It would be best to get rid of her sooner. That woman doesn’t seem like a good sort—too bewitching.”
Princess Chang pinched her cheek and chuckled. “You, don’t be so childish. Men tend to favor that kind of seductive charm.”
“They’re just playthings. The position of principal wife will never be theirs,” Changping scoffed disdainfully.
As they spoke, a young eunuch hurried in, leaned close to Pei Yan’s ear, and whispered something. Pei Yan frowned slightly and glanced toward the hall’s entrance.
“Yan’er, what happened?” Princess Chang called out.
“Nothing,” Pei Yan replied with a faint smile, his tone indifferent.
“That’s good. General Ye and Jianzhi have just returned to the capital. Do your best to entertain them on my behalf,” Princess Chang said, smiling at the gathered noblemen and noblewomen. “Please, don’t stand on ceremony. Enjoy yourselves to the fullest.”
“We bid farewell to Her Highness, Princess Chang,” the noblemen and noblewomen quickly rose and bowed to her.
Princess Chang leaned on her chief maid’s arm and walked gracefully out of the hall.
“Your Highness, that woman is indeed bewitching. Should we set some rules for her?” the chief maid whispered.
“It’s rare for Yan’er to be pleased. Let him have his way. She’s just a concubine. If she can truly satisfy Yan’er, then she has her merits. If it weren’t for her, I’d have to find a concubine for Yan’er myself. At his age, his father was already married to me. I was worried he might not take an interest in women at all. Now that we know he does, it’s actually a good thing,” Princess Chang said dismissively with a laugh.
The chief maid quickly agreed.
“Still, keep a close watch on her. Don’t let her stir up trouble,” Princess Chang added after a moment’s thought. “Find a few more girls who resemble Su He to serve Yan’er.”
“Yes,” the chief maid promptly replied.
As the mistress and her attendants departed, the hall remained lively with soft music and graceful dancing.
In the Bamboo Garden.
Su He’s nosebleed finally stopped, but her face and neck were covered in blood. Annoyed, she removed her clothes, fetched a basin of well water, and hid inside the room to wash herself. The well water was icy cold, splashing onto her snow-white skin and sending shivers of chill all over her body. She wanted to get some hot water, but looking around, she didn’t see a single maid and didn’t know who to ask. She could only brace herself and continue washing with the well water.