Yun Pianpian felt a pang in her heart and quickly stepped forward to support Yun Wu, afraid he might fall and hurt himself. She suppressed the churning emotions, feigned ease, and led him to sit on the chair, her voice as gentle as water: "How did you know I was here?"
Her fingertips inadvertently brushed against his thin shoulder, causing her heart to tighten again, yet she still asked softly, "The doctor saw you today, is your body any better?"
Yun Wu fumbled his way to a seat and offered her a smile in her direction. His dull, lifeless eyes should have been dim, but they appeared exceptionally clear due to his pure smile: "Sister, although I can no longer see, my hearing has become sharper, and my heart is much clearer." He paused, his tone still peaceful, "The doctor said... there is a foreign object in my eyes, and he cannot remove it; he needs to think of another solution."
Yun Pianpian was silent for a moment, the knuckles gripping the teacup turning slightly white.
—After the Original Owner disappeared, Yun Qingsong took charge of the household, and the servants became adept at flattering the powerful and stepping on the weak. The provisions for Yun Wu's courtyard had long been embezzled by those reckless underlings; they simply felt that a blind Young Master could not stir up any trouble, so they unscrupulously bullied and tormented him.
She took a deep breath, and before she could speak, she heard Yun Wu proudly say, "Sister was amazing today, making Third Uncle and Second Sister submit completely. I have never seen Sister so formidable."
Yun Wu's voice gradually lowered, tinged with self-reproach, "If Father were still here, he wouldn't let Sister handle these things. It's because Little Wu is useless that I couldn't protect this home."
He paused, "Third Uncle, Second Sister, and Second Brother have always been ruthless, and the Second Prince is not a good match for Sister. Fortunately, fortunately, Sister has already broken off the engagement today."
"I will soon be ten years old and can participate in the Spirit Meridian Test." Yun Wu suddenly looked up, his tone firm, "I will definitely cultivate twice as hard, and I will protect Sister in the future! I will protect this home!"
Yun Pianpian looked at him, and in a daze, she seemed to see the Yun Wu from her Previous Life overlap with the figure before her.
As he spoke, Yun Wu began to sob quietly. Yun Pianpian quickly stepped forward, gently wiping the tears from his face with a handkerchief, and then gently stroked the top of his head. Looking at this face that was exactly the same as her younger brother in her past life, her heart ached immensely: "Good boy, Sister believes you. Sister will find a way to cure your eyes."
Immediately afterward, she deliberately raised her voice, put her hands on her hips, and said triumphantly, "Little Wu, you didn't see it, but I gave those old foxes a good dressing down today. You didn't see the look on Yun Sheng's face after I beat her into a pig's head."
Saying this, Yun Pianpian felt immense satisfaction and burst into laughter. "Today was just collecting interest; it's not that retribution won't come, but the time hasn't arrived yet. Moreover, I extorted ten million Mid-grade Spirit Stones from Third Uncle and that Second Prince today. Let me think, how should I allocate it?"
Outside the courtyard, Fang Hua, Fang Yuan, and the others waited quietly. They listened to the sounds inside—sometimes whispers, sometimes laughter—until the hour of Xu (7-9 PM) was approaching, before Yun Pianpian tiptoed out.
Seeing Fang Hua, Fang Yuan, Liu Yun, and Liu Ying waiting outside the courtyard, Yun Pianpian strode forward, her gaze fixed seriously on Fang Hua: "Where are the Maidservants Fang Li and Fang Xing who originally served the Young Master?"
Fang Hua and Fang Yuan exchanged a look and recounted the whole truth, "After Miss left the manor, she ordered us to take care of the Young Master. But after a few days, Fang Li brought a bowl of medicine, saying the Third Madam was concerned about the Young Master's hard cultivation and specially bestowed a tonic. After the Young Master returned from the Second Prince's residence, his eyes began to bleed..."
Fang Yuan choked up, "We wanted to call a doctor, but Fang Xing said all the manor doctors were in the Second Young Master's courtyard. We begged for a long time, but the Second Young Master wouldn't even pay attention. Later..."
She wiped a corner of her eye, "We had no choice but to sneak the Young Master out under the cover of night, with the help of the steward, to seek medical help elsewhere. But the doctor said a Third Tier Heart Calming Pill was needed for treatment. Alchemists are rare in the Eastern Profound Nation; where could we find one? In the end... we could only bring the Young Master back."
Fang Hua gritted her teeth and continued, "Not only that, but after Miss left, the Second Miss brought people to storm the Jinxiu Garden and moved everything out, saying... the First Branch should 'show some consideration' for the Second Young Master's future marriage. When we tried to stop them, we were beaten out by the Second Young Master's Guards..."
Yun Pianpian's eyes turned cold, her knuckles cracking audibly, her face as gloomy as ink: "Fang Li and Fang Xing betrayed their master; I will not forgive them lightly when I find them. You two continue to stay by the Young Master's side, and return to me when everything settles down."
Fang Hua and Fang Yuan nodded heavily. They knew—since the Eldest Miss had returned, not a single person who had bullied them would escape!
As Yun Pianpian, accompanied by Liu Yun and Liu Ying, stepped into the Twilight back toward the Jinxiu Garden, the setting sun cast its last few rays of golden light obliquely onto the mottled Vermilion Lacquered Gate. Pushing open the creaking Carved Wooden Door, a musty smell mixed with decaying wood and old fabric rushed out with the dust, startling a few spiders weaving webs in the corner of the wall.
The scene inside stunned the three of them simultaneously. The once exquisite sandalwood bed frame had one corner collapsed, and the bedpost carved with entwined peony patterns was covered in holes from wood-boring insects; the dust on the table was thick enough to trace the claw marks of a bird, and that priceless Glazed Palace Lantern was now just a rusted copper frame; the only Huanghuali armchair leaned against the window, its broken leg revealing jagged wood splinters, emitting a grating squeak with the draft blowing through the room.
She was still worried about Yun Wu, but she hadn't expected that she was worse off than Yun Wu.
"It seems we won't even have a floor to sleep on tonight," Yun Pianpian shook her head with a wry smile, though her eyes still shimmered with starlight.
She always maintained a good attitude; this small difficulty was not enough to defeat her.
Liu Yun was standing on tiptoe, avoiding the raised wood splinters on the floor, when she suddenly heard a light 'snap' sound above her head—half of a fallen gold-painted Peony pattern landed right in her palm. The two Maidservants exchanged a look, seeing the same thought reflected in each other's eyes.
"Miss, it's hard to even find a place to stand here." Liu Ying suddenly flashed her Apricot Eyes, her Silver Bell-like voice cutting through the silence, "Why don't Liu Yun and I think of a solution?" Before the words were finished, the two maids vanished out the door like butterflies.
Yun Pianpian's hand hung suspended in mid-air. She suddenly regretted refusing the things Shen Yue had offered! That was all money! Thinking of it now, Yun Pianpian clutched her chest as if she had lost a great treasure, her heart bleeding.
Estimating that it would take some time for Liu Yun and Liu Ying to return, Yun Pianpian decided to stroll toward the hexagonal pavilion in the center of the lotus pond.
The night breeze swept by, the leaves rustled softly, and the water surface reflected fine silver light, resembling a pond scattered with crushed jade. The faded vermilion railing glowed dark red under the moonlight, like old silk permeated by time. As she leaned against the railing, her sleeves fluttered slightly in the wind, resembling a painting softly washed with ink.
She took a deep breath. The night breeze, carrying the fragrance of some unknown flower, permeated her lungs, and the coolness seeped into every part of her body, clearing her mind instantly.