Just as Jiang Wantang was staring blankly in a daze, the door of the private room creaked open from the outside.
“Second sister…”
At the familiar voice, Jiang Wantang turned around to see Jiang Wanfu already walking toward her.
“Long time no see!”
“Sister looks even more beautiful than before. It seems life at the Marquis Estate has been treating you well.” As she said this, a flicker of jealousy passed over Jiang Wanfu’s face.
Jiang Wantang lifted her eyes and glanced at her indifferently, offering no response.
Seeing this, Jiang Wanfu gritted her teeth, then suddenly smiled again. “What’s wrong, sister? You don’t seem very happy to see me.”
“Aren’t you curious how I managed to leave the palace?”
Jiang Wantang remained silent.
Jiang Wanfu continued on her own. “It was Brother Jingheng who rescued me.”
“You must have seen him downstairs earlier.”
“Brother Jingheng has loved me from the very beginning!” Her smile widened, her words laced with obvious pride and mockery.
“Your existence was merely to secure my position as the young mistress of the Marquis Estate for me.”
Jiang Wanfu wore a haughty expression, her eyes venomous. “Mother told me you refused to enter the Cold Palace in my place.”
“We gave you everything you have now, but unfortunately, you don’t know how to repay kindness.”
“Jiang Wantang, since you don’t understand, your sister will have someone teach you properly…”
With that, Jiang Wanfu clapped her hands, and three lecherous, burly middle-aged men walked in. Upon seeing Jiang Wantang, their eyes lit up with undisguised lust.
Jiang Wantang’s gaze turned several degrees colder as she said in a low voice, “What do you intend to do?”
“Brother Jingheng said you two haven’t consummated your marriage yet. Your sister pities you for entering the palace with your purity intact, only to live as a widow. So, before you enter the palace, she’ll let you experience being a woman.”
“These are all specially chosen for you by your sister…” Jiang Wanfu smiled at her, enunciating each word clearly. “Enjoy yourself… my dear sister…”
After speaking, the door of the private room was locked from the outside, and Jiang Wanfu’s voice sounded again.
“Oh, I forgot to tell you, sister. Brother Jingheng is right downstairs. Once you’re done, he’ll escort you into the palace…”
Jiang Wantang let out a scornful laugh, murmuring, “So this is the surprise!”
Her most charming and alluring peach-blossom eyes shimmered with light, like shattered moonlight.
Seeing this, the hideously ugly burly men eagerly lunged toward Jiang Wantang.
“Hehehe… little beauty, here we come…”
“Ahhhh…”
Moments later, a series of piercing screams echoed from the private room.
Immediately after, the door was kicked open from the inside, and Jiang Wantang emerged, covered in blood and with disheveled clothing, looking like a vengeful spirit from hell.
Jiang Wanfu, who had been eavesdropping outside, shrank back in horror, staring at the scene and muttering, “She’s insane… insane…”
Seeing the situation turn dire, Jiang Wanfu tried to slip away but was grabbed by Jiang Wantang, who pressed a blood-soaked golden hairpin against her neck.
Jiang Wanfu froze in terror, not daring to move a muscle.
The entire Zhaiyue Pavilion was startled by the screams, and the people in the private rooms rushed out in fear.
Jiang Wantang lifted her gaze and seemed to spot Xiao Jingheng sprinting toward them through the chaotic crowd.
His eyes were wide with panic as he stared at her.
“Brother Jingheng, save me!”
Jiang Wanfu saw him as if spotting a lifeline, her eyes lighting up as she cried out for help.
“Jiang Wantang, let me go now! If I die, Father and Brother Jingheng will never let you off!”
Jiang Wantang watched Xiao Jingheng drawing closer, a faint, sorrowful smile gracing her lips.
She murmured to herself.
“Didn’t you promise… to give me a home?”
“Heh…”
“Xiao Jingheng, in the end, you broke your promise.”
As she spoke, Jiang Wantang opened her hand, revealing an osmanthus candy wrapped in oiled paper, now stained with fresh blood. Her fingers loosened, and the candy fell to the ground…
She said, “Perhaps this is for the best.”
“Jiang Wanfu, let’s descend into hell together.”
With that, Jiang Wantang clutched Jiang Wanfu and leaped from the top floor of Zhaiyue Pavilion…
“Tang’er, no!” Xiao Jingheng’s eyes widened in horror, his voice tearing through the air in a heart-wrenching roar.
He lunged forward, reaching out desperately, but failed to grasp even a corner of her clothing…
A deafening “thud” echoed.
A vast pool of blood spread across the snow, staining it crimson and piercing Xiao Jingheng’s eyes.
Meanwhile, an inconspicuous carriage slipped into the city under the cover of night.
……
When their eyes opened again, both had been reborn on the eve of the imperial selection.
This time…
Side Note:
Mini Theater (1):
Jiang Wanfu: This time, I will reclaim everything that belongs to me!
Jiang Wantang: In this lifetime, the reputation and status I deserve—none shall be missing.
Mini Theater (2):
Jiang Wanfu: Jiang Wantang, in this life, I will become the mistress of the Marquis Estate, living in marital bliss with Brother Jingheng, devoted to each other for a lifetime. As for you… heh, you can look forward to a lonely existence, withering away in the Cold Palace.
Jiang Wantang: Hmph, what I can give you is nothing I care for—keep it if you want! (The Cold Palace? Whoever wants to go can go, but I certainly won’t!)
Chapter 5: Rebirth
While Jiang Wantang was lost in thought, the door to the Yajian opened with a creak.
“Second Sister…”
A familiar voice reached her ears. Jiang Wantang turned around and saw Jiang Wanfu walking toward her.
“Long time no see!”
“You seem even more radiant than before, Sister. It appears your days in the Marquis Estate have been quite pleasant.” As she spoke, a flash of jealousy flickered across Jiang Wanfu’s face.
Jiang Wantang lifted her eyes and gave her a cold, indifferent look, choosing not to respond.
Seeing this, Jiang Wanfu gritted her teeth, but then suddenly smiled. “What, is Sister not happy to see me?”
“Aren’t you curious how I got out of the palace?”
Jiang Wantang remained silent.
Jiang Wanfu continued on her own, “It was Brother Jingheng who rescued me.”
“You must have seen us downstairs just now.”
“From beginning to end, the one Brother Jingheng loves is me!” The smile on the corners of her mouth widened, her words dripping with obvious triumph and mockery.
“Your existence was merely a way for him to preserve the position of the Marquis Estate’s Young Mistress for me.”
Jiang Wanfu’s expression was haughty, her gaze malicious. “I heard from Mother that you were unwilling to enter the Cold Palace in my place.”
“We gave you everything you have now, yet unfortunately, you don’t know how to show gratitude.”
“Jiang Wantang, since you don’t understand, your elder sister will find someone to teach you properly…”
With that, Jiang Wanfu clapped her hands. Three wretched, brawny middle-aged men walked in. When they saw Jiang Wantang, their eyes lit up with lewd intent.
Jiang Wantang’s gaze turned a few degrees colder. In a low voice, she asked, “What do you intend to do?”
“Brother Jingheng said that the two of you have yet to consummate your marriage. Sister pities you for entering the palace as a virgin to live as a widow, so I’ll let you become a woman before you go.”
“I specially selected these men for you…” Jiang Wanfu smiled at her, emphasizing every word. “Enjoy yourself… my dear sister…”
With those words, the door to the Yajian was locked from the outside, and Jiang Wanfu’s voice drifted in once more.
“Oh, I forgot to tell you, Brother Jingheng is right downstairs. Once you are finished, he will personally escort you into the palace…”
Jiang Wantang let out a scoff and murmured, “So, this is the surprise!”
In those most charming and seductive peach blossom eyes of hers, a watery light shimmered like shattered moonlight.
Seeing this, the hideously ugly thugs could not wait to pounce on Jiang Wantang.
“Hehe… little Meiren, here we come…”
“AAAAAAAH!”
A moment later, a series of earth-shattering screams erupted from within the Yajian.
Following that, the door was kicked open from the inside. Covered in blood with her clothes in disarray, Jiang Wantang walked out, looking every bit like a life-claiming Rakshasa from hell.
Jiang Wanfu, who had been hiding outside eavesdropping, felt her pupils shrink. Watching this scene, she muttered, “Madwoman… she’s a madwoman…”
Sensing that something was wrong, Jiang Wanfu tried to slip away, but Jiang Wantang grabbed her. A gold hairpin drenched in blood was pressed against her throat.
Jiang Wanfu was instantly paralyzed with fear.
The entire Zhaiyue Pavilion was alarmed by the screams, and people in the other Yajian rooms came running out in a panic.
Jiang Wantang looked up and saw Xiao Jingheng rushing toward them through the chaotic crowd.
His eyes were wide, filled with panic as he looked at her.
“Brother Jingheng, save me!”
Seeing him was like finding a lifeline for Jiang Wanfu; her eyes brightened as she cried out for help.
“Jiang Wantang, let me go! If I die, Father and Brother Jingheng won’t let you off!”
Looking at the approaching Xiao Jingheng, Jiang Wantang smiled faintly—a smile that was both beautiful and tragic.
She murmured to herself.
“Didn’t you say… you would give me a home?”
“Heh…”
“Xiao Jingheng, you broke your promise after all.”
As she spoke, Jiang Wantang opened her hand. In her palm lay an Osmanthus Candy in an oil paper wrapper, now stained with blood. She relaxed her fingers, and the candy fell to the ground.
She said, “This way is fine, too.”
“Jiang Wanfu, let’s go to hell together.”
With those final words, Jiang Wantang gripped Jiang Wanfu and leapt from the top floor of Zhaiyue Pavilion.
“Wantang, no!” Xiao Jingheng’s eyes nearly split with anguish as he let out a heart-wrenching roar.
He lunged forward, but he couldn’t even catch a corner of her clothes.
There was a loud thud.
A massive pool of blood bloomed on the snow, the piercing red stinging Xiao Jingheng’s eyes.
And at that moment, an inconspicuous carriage entered the city under the cover of night.
When they opened their eyes again, both had experienced rebirth on the eve of the Imperial Selection.
This time…
Side Note:
Mini Theater (1):
Jiang Wanfu: This time, I’m taking back everything that belongs to me!
Jiang Wantang: This life, the reputation and status I deserve—naturally, I won’t miss out on a single one.
Mini Theater (2):
Jiang Wanfu: Jiang Wantang, in this life, I will become the mistress of the Marquis Estate and live in marital bliss with Brother Jingheng, as a couple devoted to each other for a lifetime. As for you… hehe, just wait to live as a widow and spend your miserable life in the Cold Palace.
Jiang Wantang: Hmph. Anything I can give to you is something I don’t care for anyway! (The Cold Palace? Whoever wants to go can go, but this lady certainly isn’t going!)