Volume 1 Chapter 20: Revisiting Past Dreams in a Dream
Cuizhen Courtyard.
Upon hearing Laifu’s report, Madam Zhen looked both shocked and suspicious. "That good-for-nothing from the West Courtyard likes Yan Qing?"
Laifu lowered his gaze to the floor.
He, too, had once thought of the young master as a good-for-nothing.
In the capital, he had no power or influence, forced to live under someone else’s roof and endure their disdain—truly a pitiful existence.
But what he witnessed today completely shattered that perception. How could the young master be called a good-for-nothing? He was clearly a fierce beast hiding its fangs—no, something even more terrifying than a beast.
Even now, his heart still trembled with fear.
The oppressive aura the young master exuded earlier was something even the current princes lacked. It was almost, almost like that of a tyrant!
Madam Zhen didn’t notice that Laifu no longer joined her in disparaging Gu Huaizhou as he used to.
Lost in thought, she murmured, "I never imagined that little wretch Yan Qing would manage to hook up with Gu Huaizhou?"
Nanny Li suddenly stepped forward. "Madam, this is a perfect opportunity!"
Madam Zhen looked at her, puzzled.
Nanny Li whispered, "Didn’t you want to arrange a marriage for the one in the West Courtyard? Why not marry Second Miss to him? That way, you can make Third Miss give up her infatuation and also let Young Master Lu see Second Miss’s true nature. From then on, his heart will belong solely to Eldest Miss!"
"What a brilliant plan!"
Madam Zhen’s expression shifted, but she quickly shook her head. "Although the master dislikes that little wretch, she is, after all, the legitimate daughter of Yan Manor and has the Ye Family as her maternal relatives. Even if she divorces Lu Qiao Nan, she wouldn’t be matched with a poor scholar like Gu Huaizhou, unless…"
"I disagree!"
Suddenly, a petulant voice rang out.
Yan Yue, the Third Miss of Yan Manor, stormed in, whip in hand, followed by a crowd of disheveled servants and maids.
"Yue’er?"
Madam Zhen glanced at the whip in her daughter’s hand and frowned disapprovingly. "Have you been hitting people again?"
"They wouldn’t let me leave Qiyue Courtyard!"
Yan Yue snorted, and as if still unsatisfied, she raised her hand and lashed the whip into the crowd, startling the maids and servants into shrieks.
Madam Zhen said, "You may all leave now."
"Yes."
The maids attending Yan Yue breathed a collective sigh of relief.
Even if they were covered in welts, they dared not leave without their mistress’s permission.
Otherwise, they would be whipped even more severely.
"Mother!"
Yan Yue stamped her foot. "I haven’t finished venting my anger yet!"
Madam Zhen soothed her. "Alright, why have you come to me so late at night?"
Yan Yue scowled. "Why did you have people lock me up?"
Nanny Li stepped forward. "Third Miss, Madam did this for your own good."
"For my own good? By sending women to my cousin’s room?"
Yan Yue suddenly grew agitated, her eyes red as she glared at Madam Zhen. "You know perfectly well that I’ve liked Cousin since childhood, yet you still want to tear us apart. Mother, I’ll make this clear today! If Cousin ends up with another woman, I… I won’t live anymore!"
"You’ve lost your mind!"
Madam Zhen’s face darkened. "Is a man worth all this?"
"Yes!"
Yan Yue shouted. "Cousin is the best person in the world. I’m willing to do anything for him!"
"Nonsense!"
Madam Zhen angrily slammed her palm on the table.
Nanny Li, frightened, hurriedly stepped forward to cover Yan Yue’s mouth. "Oh, my dear young lady, please keep your voice down! If you wake the master, you won’t just be confined to your courtyard…"
Yan Yue pushed Nanny Li aside and suddenly threw herself onto the soft couch, wailing loudly, "I don't care, I don't care! You can't send any more women to Cousin Gu, wuwuwu…"
"It didn't work out, did it?!"
"Then you can't send Yan Qing to Cousin Gu either?"
Yan Yue sobbed intermittently, "She's a divorced woman, how could she possibly be worthy of Cousin Gu…"
Madam Zhen was getting a headache from all the noise.
As for her youngest daughter's infatuation with Gu Huaizhou, she was absolutely against it. What did Gu Huaizhou have besides the title of a scholar? He was nothing—how could he possibly marry her Yue'er?
Even though Tan'er was only a concubine to Lu Qiao Nan, at least Lu Qiao Nan was the Heir and now even the Commander of the Imperial Guard appointed by the Emperor.
What was Gu Huaizhou in comparison?
He wasn't even fit to carry Lu Qiao Nan's shoes.
Yet her youngest daughter was hopelessly obsessed. If Madam Zhen pushed too hard, Yan Yue would resort to crying, making a scene, or even threatening suicide.
That was why Madam Zhen had come up with the plan to use Yan Qing's wedding as an opportunity to drive Gu Huaizhou out of the estate as well, but she never expected it to fail!
She had clearly drugged that useless man and sent him a slave girl that day, only for everything to fall apart because of Yan Qing's divorce!
Yan Qing was truly her nemesis!
Suddenly—
Madam Zhen's eyes shifted. Nanny Li was right—perhaps this was an opportunity to make Yue'er give up.
"Alright, stop crying."
Madam Zhen took out a handkerchief and wiped Yan Yue's tears, sighing helplessly, "Yue'er, you're wronging your mother this time. It's not that I want to send Yan Qing to Gu Huaizhou—it's that Gu Huaizhou likes her himself. What can I do about it?"
She shot a meaningful glance at Nanny Li.
Nanny Li immediately chimed in, "That's right, Third Miss. You may like the young master, but he doesn't like you back. Why torment yourself like this…"
Madam Zhen sighed, "Yue'er, I know you're hurting, but it's better to endure short-term pain than long-term suffering. Since Gu Huaizhou already has someone in his heart, let's not force him…"
"No, I will force him!"
Madam Zhen had intended to make her daughter give up, but instead of listening, Yan Yue suddenly stood up. She wiped away her tears and declared with almost obsessive determination, "Cousin Gu—he can only be mine!"
With that, she rushed out.
"Quick, stop her!"
Madam Zhen was momentarily stunned before immediately ordering someone to restrain Yan Yue.
But it was already too late.
Yan Yue had already charged toward Yan Qing's Qingyi Courtyard like an angry little calf.
…
At that moment, Qingyi Courtyard was enveloped in complete silence. Everyone had drifted into dreamland, including Yan Qing.
Unfortunately, while others were in peaceful slumber, Yan Qing…
was trapped in a nightmare!
She dreamed again of that opulent, gilded chamber, its walls covered with portraits of her—crying, laughing, sorrowful, joyful—capturing almost every emotion imaginable.
There were even depictions of her in various poses from childhood.
Yan Qing found it eerie. She had never posed for so many portraits, and her own memories of her childhood appearance were hazy. Yet every painting here was vivid and lifelike, as if the artist had painted them while standing right in front of her.
She glanced around but didn't see Gu Huaizhou this time.
In the center of the chamber lay an exquisitely ornate coffin, and inside it seemed to be a person…
For some reason, a strange, compelling force drew Yan Qing toward the coffin.
She didn't know what she was thinking—she just suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to see who was lying inside.
Gu Huaizhou? Or perhaps…
"Ah—"
When the face in the coffin came into view, Yan Qing let out a sharp cry and woke up.
Yan Qing sat on the bed, breathing heavily.
Her small face was pale as paper, her dark pupils contracted tightly, filled with shock and terror.
She had actually seen herself—
inside the coffin!
That withered face, Yan Qing would never forget for two lifetimes.
That was exactly how she looked when she died!
But why did it appear in Gu Huaizhou's secret chamber?
And inside that coffin…