Night.
In a cold, dark, and crude room, moonlight streamed through the window, adding to the chill. On a worn-out bed, a slender figure lay curled up in deep sleep, her brows slightly furrowed as if she were sleeping restlessly.
Yin Youyue was currently in a dream, where faint sobs and tearful questions echoed in her mind:
“Why! Why don’t Father and Mother want me to return to the capital! Why does everyone hate me? I’ve already tried so hard to change…”
She vaguely saw the original owner standing outside an exquisite courtyard, hiding in a corner, listening to Bai Ruyan’s voice from within:
“Xinrou, your second aunt wrote to say we should find a reason to keep Yin Youyue in Bianzhou forever and prevent her from returning to the capital. This is truly wonderful news…” The original owner’s mother was the second daughter of the Liu family.
The original owner’s face instantly turned deathly pale, and she fled in panic…
The next day.
Yin Youyue abruptly sat up in bed, the events of the dream vividly etched in her memory.
She could even feel the original owner’s despair at being utterly abandoned by her parents, as well as her deep confusion.
The original owner stubbornly wanted to know why her birth parents, who had once doted on her without limits, would completely abandon her! Why did everyone despise her!
Even as an observer, Yin Youyue felt a pang of sympathy. The original owner’s parents were her birth parents, who had once treated her with endless affection, yet they had sent her away without hesitation and showed no concern for her over the years, even forbidding her from returning to the capital.
Perhaps the original owner’s complete lack of will to live was one of the reasons she had died so easily.
She sighed and spoke to the air:
“Rest assured… I will definitely help you uncover the truth!”
Before the words had fully left her lips, Yin Youyue felt a sudden lightness throughout her body, as if a long-standing burden had gradually dissipated.
She waited for half an hour, but no one brought her breakfast. The sun was already high, and for now, she had no time to deal with the servants.
Glancing at her reflection in the mirror, she saw a sallow complexion marked with numerous acne—truly unattractive. This was due to the toxins accumulated in her body. Once cured, with the original owner’s features, her appearance would certainly not be lacking.
Thinking this, Yin Youyue decided to leave the estate to buy medicine. No matter what, she had to restore her health first. She would fulfill her promise to the original owner. However, the journey from Bianhe to the capital was long and perilous, and without a healthy body, it would be easy to succumb to accidents and die.
Bianhe City was located at a key transportation hub, making it more prosperous than other prefectures.
Walking along the main street of the city, she looked up and saw a pharmacy with the sign “Jiren Hall,” which was considered the largest pharmacy in Bianhe.
Yin Youyue entered and called over a shop assistant:
“I need to buy some medicinal herbs.”
The assistant had initially been polite, but upon clearly seeing Yin Youyue’s face, his expression turned disdainful. With an impatient tone, he rudely dismissed her:
“Apologies, Miss Yin, but our Young Master Ye is not here. Please leave immediately and do not disturb the physicians treating patients.”
Nearby townspeople, hearing this, immediately began pointing and whispering about Yin Youyue:
“Isn’t that the eldest daughter of the Imperial Uncle’s household, the shameless one who seduced men and was sent from the capital to Bianhe? Tsk tsk, with such an ugly face, no wonder she tries to seduce any man she sees…”
“How dare she even set her sights on Young Master Ye? Young Master Ye and the second daughter of the Liu family are deeply in love, and it’s said the Ye and Liu families intend to arrange a marriage. Yet she covets her own cousin’s man—utterly shameless.”
“Exactly! How dare she come to the pharmacy looking for Young Master Ye? If I had such a niece, I would have driven her out long ago. It’s only because Commander Liu and his wife are kind-hearted that they’ve kept her well-fed and cared for.”
Yin Youyue frowned slightly; she had almost forgotten.
The Liu family’s status in Bianhe was virtually unshakable—except by the Ye family, a renowned medical dynasty with imperial physicians serving in the palace!
Liu Xinrou enjoyed an excellent reputation in Bianhe, and the “Young Master Ye” they spoke of was Ye Yixuan, one of Bianhe’s most handsome men. Known for his exceptional medical skills and gentle, refined demeanor, he was the ideal man in the hearts of most young women in Bianhe.
Naturally, Liu Xinrou was no exception; she had long harbored feelings for Ye Yixuan.
Since this pharmacy was owned by Ye Yixuan, Liu Xinrou had often deceived the original host in the past, using the excuse that the original host was pretending to be unwell to bring her to Jiren Hall just to catch a glimpse of Ye Yixuan.
When Ye Yixuan exposed the original host’s feigned illness, Liu Xinrou would stammeringly explain that the original host hadn’t meant any harm—she just wanted to see Ye Yixuan. However, her vague explanations led others to believe that the original host was shamelessly trying to seduce Ye Yixuan by pretending to be sick. They accused her of being promiscuous, saying that even after arriving in Bianhe, she remained unchanged in her ways, still scheming to win over Ye Yixuan!
The original host wanted to explain, but Ye Yixuan, who already had mutual feelings for Liu Xinrou, naturally sided with her.
Not only did Ye Yixuan have no favorable impression of the original host, but every time Yin Youyue appeared, he would also instruct the shop assistants to drive her out. After all, the original host was thin and gaunt, with a sallow and unattractive face, dressed in garish and unflattering clothes—hardly anyone would find her appealing.
Yin Youyue cast a cold glance at the pharmacy assistant:
“I came here to purchase medicinal herbs for treatment. Does your pharmacy intend to drive customers away?”
Pfft!
Suddenly, a voice dripping with mockery rang out:
“Yin Youyue, how is your face thicker than a city wall? Clearly, you heard from somewhere that Brother Yixuan is holding consultations here today and deliberately came up with such a lame excuse, didn’t you? You, buying medicine for treatment? To cure your shamelessness? Hahahaha!”
Before the unrestrained laughter could fade, a handsome man dressed in luxurious robes and holding a folding fan slowly emerged from the inner room.
Seeing him, Yin Youyue recalled a scene from her memory where he had scornfully told her she was shameless, should have hanged herself long ago, and shouldn’t embarrass herself in public.
This man was none other than Liu Xinrou’s cousin, Bai Qianyi. Bai Qianyi had actually incited the original host, saying her reputation was utterly ruined and she might as well die, since she had been driven out of the capital by her own parents and no one cared whether she lived or died.
Yin Youyue’s expression turned cold. Now that she had become the original host, she would no longer allow herself to be bullied.
“Bai Qianyi, do you know who you are speaking to?!”
Yin Youyue’s sharp voice echoed through the hall. She looked down at Bai Qianyi with an air of arrogance, exuding the dignified and inviolable aura of the eldest daughter of the State Duke’s household.
For a moment, Bai Qianyi found himself unable to meet Yin Youyue’s gaze.
He lowered his head but suddenly realized he had almost been intimidated by a fool!
Bai Qianyi jerked his head up, his face flushed with shame and anger:
“Yin Youyue, you’re nothing but a troublesome, ugly woman who was driven out of her home! What, are you trying to intimidate people with your status now?!”
Yin Youyue looked at Bai Qianyi with a detached, icy gaze.
“Who told you I was driven out of my home? Should I write a letter back to the capital to ask my father and mother whether I am truly homeless, to the point where even the legitimate son of a provincial governor can mock me at will?”
Upon hearing this, Bai Qianyi’s face instantly changed color. If Yin Youyue truly sent a letter to the capital, he would undoubtedly face dire consequences.
After all, Yin Youyue was the legitimate eldest daughter of the Imperial Uncle’s household. He had only dared to mock and bully her so freely because she had never dared to speak up against him in the past.
But if such disgraceful matters were brought to light in the capital, the situation would be entirely different. It might even jeopardize his father’s official position, potentially leading to his dismissal.
For a moment, Bai Qianyi was at a loss.
“Qianyi, do not stoop to the level of the ignorant.”
Just then, a gentle voice slowly spoke up.
The door behind Bai Qianyi opened gradually, and a handsome, refined man dressed in a white robe stepped out gracefully.