On the bed lay an old man, skeletal and thin. Hearing the movement, his withered, branch-like fingers trembled slightly, but he lacked the strength even to lift his eyelids.
"Master... Grandfather!" Yun Pianpian cried out in shock!
The old man struggled to open his cloudy eyes. When he clearly saw the figure standing before the bed, his turbid pupils contracted sharply. His cracked lips trembled, and his withered hand weakly tried to lift—just as Grandfather always used to ruffle her hair in the previous life—but ultimately fell powerlessly onto the brocade quilt.
Yun Pianpian felt as if struck by lightning.
That face, covered in ravines, the scar between the brows, even the brown age spot on his right cheek... were exactly the same as her memory of Grandfather! In her previous life, Grandfather had grasped her hand before his death, saying, "Don't cry, don't cry..." The scene perfectly overlapped with the present moment.
"Grandfather!"
"Who did this!" No one dared provoke Yun Pianpian's fury at that moment; she was trembling all over, not from the chill, but from overwhelming rage.
The Duke Zhenguo, who in her memory was a formidable figure on the battlefield, who once held the Northern Territory alone with a single spear for three months without retreat, and for whom the late Emperor personally bestowed the plaque inscribed "Iron Bone and Loyal Heart," was now tormented to the point of emaciation!
At this moment, she seemed to understand something—why she had come here, why she felt such a strong sense of belonging. There must be Heaven's will at play; perhaps this was fate granting her a second chance—a chance to mend the regrets of her previous life and protect her loved ones.
Uncle Fu stood stooped behind Yun Pianpian, his voice choked with sobs as he spoke, "Ever since the Eldest Young Master’s whereabouts became unknown, and after Young Master was reported to have fallen off a cliff and died... the Third Young Master moved the Master here to the Youjian Hall, forbade anyone from attending him, and refused to call a physician. This old servant can only sneak in every night to care for the Duke..."
"Yun! Qing! Song!"
Every word seemed ground out between her teeth. The pain of her fingernails piercing her palm was less than one ten-thousandth of the hatred in her heart. She hadn't managed to save Grandfather in her previous life, and now she was forced to watch the same face suffer torment again?
Yun Pianpian hadn't expected to cry again, whether from heartache over Grandfather's plight or anger at Yun Qingsong's actions.
He is the Master of this Duke's Residence, he is your Father, how could you do this!
Yun Pianpian took a deep breath, suppressing the surging emotions deep within her heart. Now was not the time for venting; the priority was ensuring Grandfather received proper care. She gently wiped away her tears and grasped the old man's withered, skeletal hand—the bulging veins on the back of that hand made her heart tremble.
"Grandfather, don't worry." Her voice was soft yet firm, and she felt the old man's faint pulse through her fingertips. "From today onward, Pian'er will protect you well. The Yun Pianpian of now is no longer a soft persimmon that anyone can knead."
Hearing this, Duke Yun actually burst into hearty laughter, and his cloudy eyes shone with relieved light, laughing for his granddaughter's transformation and for the days ahead he could now foresee. "Good Pian'er, Grandfather is fine, don't worry. Go see Xiao Wu; that child will be so happy to know you are back." The old man struggled to raise his hand. "Grandfather is still waiting to see my Pian'er marry off in glory..."
"Go."
Yun Pianpian nodded solemnly, concealing all fragility the moment she turned around.
"Liu Yun," Yun Pianpian turned and commanded, her voice carrying an unbelievable resolve. She placed the Jade Token Shen Yue had given her into Liu Yun's palm. "Go invite the best physician to treat Grandfather, and then have the Qingzhu Xuan next to Jinxiu Garden prepared."
Liu Yun accepted the order and left, disappearing in a flutter of sleeves.
Jinxiu Garden—this was where the Original Owner resided. The name alone suggested great luxury, and the reality matched. It was once a stunning courtyard so beautiful that nobles throughout Shangjing would envy it, saying, "Better to have the Yun Family's Jinxiu Garden than a plot of land in the capital." When the Original Owner's Father was still alive, the garden was full of Lotus Flowers, and every pavilion and structure displayed the builder's meticulous care.
The moment she stepped into Jinxiu Garden, even though she was mentally prepared, Yun Pianpian’s breath hitched. The former splendor was gone, replaced by devastation. The lotus pond, which in memory was "Lotus leaves stretching to the sky, endlessly green," now held only withered branches and leaves, with dead fish floating on the murky water; the carved railings of the Corridor were almost entirely ruined.
"Miss..." Liu Ying hesitated to speak.
"It's fine." Yun Pianpian bent down to pick up a piece of broken tile. Sunlight filtered through her fingers, casting shifting spots of light on the mottled floor tiles.
"Lotus Flowers wither, but they can bloom again; a house that is broken can be rebuilt." She suddenly tossed the broken tile into the pond, startling a flock of sparrows. "As long as the root remains—"
Passing through the withered, winding Corridor, the rotten floorboards groaned under the weight. Before even reaching the Side Room, sharp sounds of an argument pierced the silence—
"My dear little brother, big sister advises you to confess where you hid the things sooner." That voice was sickeningly sweet, yet chilling like a Poisonous Snake’s flicking tongue. "You know I get tired of interrogating you every day, too~"
"Second Miss need not waste words on this wretch!" Another coarse female voice chimed in, accompanied by the sharp crack of a whip slicing through the air. "Let this servant use torture; he’ll surely confess obediently!"
"No! Please, Second Miss!" A girl's pleading voice came through, laced with tears. "Young Master is your brother too! Aren't you afraid... afraid that the Master and Eldest Miss will return and hold you accountable?"
"Ha! Yun Pianpian?" The sharp female voice suddenly rose in pitch. "She's long since—"
"Bang—!"
The door panel shattered into pieces under Yun Pianpian's foot, and half of the Carved Wooden Door flew outward, smashing heavily against an inner pillar. She paused slightly—was the Spiritual Power Shen Yue transferred to her this potent?
The scene inside instantly froze her blood.
Three frail figures were huddled on the ground; two maids were already near death. And the little boy in the middle, his face smeared with blood, struggled to lift his head when he heard the noise—
"Xiao Wu?!"
Yun Pianpian felt as if struck by lightning. That young, tender face, those stubborn eyes, even the small mole beneath his right eye—they were exactly the same as her memory of her younger brother!
Fragmented words from her previous life suddenly echoed in her ears:
"Sister, don't be afraid, I will protect you from now on!" the little boy said, holding up a wooden stick to shield her.
The youth on the sickbed tightly clutched her hand: "You must... take good care of yourself..."
"So that's how it is..." she murmured to herself, her fingertips trembling uncontrollably.
What random transmigration, what coincidence—this was salvation granted by fate!
In a flash of lightning, Yun Pianpian had already moved to stand in front of the three figures. The moment she lifted her leg, the Spiritual Power surged out of her body, kicking fiercely into the Old Servant Woman's plump abdomen.
"Ah—" The Old Servant Woman was sent flying like a sack of rags, overturning a row of tables and chairs.
Yun Pianpian slowly stepped onto her abdomen, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear with her fingertips. Yet, the sole of her embroidered shoe gradually increased the pressure. Listening to the pig-like screams beneath her feet, a cold smile curled at the corner of her lips:
"Just now... who was it that mentioned severe torture?"