Chapter 8
After returning to the residence, Rong Yang had the guards transplant the crabapple tree in front of the pavilion in the garden. That way, whenever she lay inside the pavilion, she could see such a beautiful crabapple tree at any time.
“Has the princess consort been acting unusually lately?” Rong Yang straightened her sleeves and asked out of habit.
“The princess consort took in a servant girl yesterday as her personal maid,” Xiaqing said. “That servant girl originally served in the inner courtyard, but she was discovered to have unclean hands and feet, was beaten, and then thrown into the stables.”
Rong Yang raised her brows slightly. “What is that servant girl’s name?”
“Banjian.”
Rong Yang was surprised. So Banjian came from Rong Yang’s residence?
Rong Yang only remembered what had been mentioned in the book: Banjian was an orphan. On a cold winter night, hungry and freezing, the female lead saw how pitiful she was and gave her a bowl of hot porridge.
Afterward, the two supported each other, and because of this, Banjian made up her mind to recognize Su Yao as her master.
This person ran through almost the entire latter half of the novel and was one of the main contributors to Su Yao’s successful comeback. She was loyal, yes, but at the same time, she also harbored some inappropriate thoughts toward the female lead.
So she had originally come from the Princess’s residence. No wonder she was able to succeed. An inconspicuous person like Banjian would rarely attract anyone’s attention on ordinary days. Behind the scenes, she had probably already figured out the entire Princess’s residence thoroughly. No wonder later on, when she framed the Princess’s residence, every accusation landed perfectly.
However, Rong Yang remembered that this person was supposed to appear two months later. Had it been brought forward?
“Have dinner with the princess consort,” Rong Yang instructed.
“Yes.”
At dinner.
Rong Yang’s expression was indifferent. She had a naturally passionate pair of brows and eyes, her hair casually draped behind her, still slightly damp. Her appetite was rather good. She tried almost every dish. When something tasted good, her brows and eyes would visibly relax. When something did not suit her taste, she would furrow her brows slightly.
She completely failed to notice Su Yao sitting at the side, clenching her palm and gritting her teeth. Those black eyes contained endless hatred as they stared openly at the Qianyuan who was eating.
“Why aren’t you eating?” Rong Yang lifted her eyes. Because they were somewhat far apart, she did not notice Su Yao’s emotions. Seeing only that Su Yao was not moving her chopsticks, she was somewhat displeased.
“I’m not hungry.” Su Yao lifted her eyes. The gloomy, chilling hatred in them imagined how she would strangle the woman before her again and again.
Rong Yang felt as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over her, so cold that she almost trembled.
“Then you had better not be hungry for every meal. Starting today, for all three meals a day, you will come to the dining hall and accompany this princess while I eat.” Rong Yang’s cold voice echoed through the hall.
At the same time, the hatred value appeared above Su Yao’s head. The number was rising bit by bit, all the way to 78, 79…
What was going on?
What happened now?
How did the hatred value suddenly increase so much when everything had been fine?
Su Yao’s lips were almost pressed into a straight line. “Do I have to say it so plainly? Looking at you makes me lose my appetite.”
Hearing this, Chunxi and Xiaqing, who stood at the side, both darkened their expressions at the same time. To them, anyone who hurt Rong Yang was guilty.
Rong Yang’s pupils constricted. It felt as if her heart had been stabbed, but what she felt even more was endless confusion.
After returning from the Su residence, she had clearly felt that the female lead’s attitude toward her had improved slightly. Although she was still just as cold, she did not seem to reject her as much.
Why, after not seeing her for only a few days, had the hatred in the female lead’s eyes become even stronger, faintly carrying killing intent as well?
Rong Yang did not understand the situation. She could only steady herself, maintain the persona, and grit her teeth as she spoke.
“Impudent. You dare speak to me like that?”
She spoke angrily, looking down at Su Yao from above. Suddenly, she rose and grabbed the tablecloth spread over the table, yanking it hard. All kinds of bowls, chopsticks, and porcelain shattered with the sound.
The piercing, loud crash made everyone serving inside and outside the door tremble at the same time.
Rong Yang walked close to Su Yao, bent down, and looked at her coldly. “Go back. Even if you don’t want to eat, you still have to come every day!”
Su Yao pressed her lips tightly together, using so much force that her lip color turned an unnatural white. She clenched her hand, her fingertips digging deeply into her palm. Bursts of stinging pain still could not calm her down.
“Is it fun to toy with me, Rong Yang?”
“What do you mean?”
Su Yao stared at her fiercely. “Why did you hurt Lanxin? Was hurting me alone not enough for you?”
Rong Yang’s brows furrowed slightly, and she asked coldly, “What stupid nonsense are you talking about?”
Su Yao hated her. Mixed within that hatred was a desperate killing intent.
Kill her.
I must kill her!
For no reason, Rong Yang wanted to step back, because the female lead’s gaze looked far too much like a sharp, bone-piercing blade.
Hadn’t it said she had one year?
What exactly had happened?
Su Yao stared straight at Rong Yang.
“Why did you hurt Lanxin? Why do you have to torment me like this? If you have anything to do, come at me!”
Countless questions rushed frantically into Rong Yang’s mind.
She roughly understood what Su Yao meant. Had something happened to Lanxin?
She had to clear up this misunderstanding as quickly as possible. She could not let the female lead continue hating her like this!
Ignoring the fine sweat on her forehead, she wanted to explain. “I didn’t…”
But a numbing sensation surged up. Rong Yang quickly closed her mouth. Even explaining a little was not allowed?
Rong Yang’s red lips parted slightly as she mocked, “I hurt her? Is she even worthy? In my eyes, she has no value at all. She is not worth even one extra glance from me.”
Su Yao immediately asked, “Then you had to destroy her?”
“Chunxi, Xiaqing, go investigate!” Rong Yang turned away. Since she could not explain, she simply stopped looking at Su Yao.
“Yes.” The two answered at the same time and quickly left the dining hall.
“Heh, stop pretending!” Su Yao sneered. “Lanxin is already lying in Fanghua Hall. Isn’t that exactly what you wanted to see?”
“I don’t want to speak with a fool whose mind isn’t clear.” Rong Yang’s eyes were cold and sharp as she walked outside.
“The princess consort will stay here and properly reflect on herself.”
The doors were tightly shut, cutting off the gaze of the person inside. Rong Yang’s body felt somewhat weak, as if she had been drained dry.
Inside the door, Su Yao collapsed to the ground and closed her eyes in despair, concealing all the surging emotions within them. Two lines of silent tears fell from the corners of her eyes. She hated herself, and she hated Rong Yang even more!
One hour passed.
Chunxi reported in the study. “Princess.”
“Speak!”
“Someone privately tortured Lanxin in an abandoned side courtyard in the northwest corner…”
“She has multiple whip wounds on her body…”
“She is still unconscious.”
“Who was it?” Rong Yang immediately wanted to lose her temper. Someone actually dared to privately use torture in the Princess’s residence.
“The preliminary suspect is Chen Ping, who guards the abandoned courtyard,” Chunxi said fearfully. “But he refuses to admit it.”
“Tell Xiaqing to leave him breathing.”
“Yes.” Chunxi then said, “Lanxin is severely injured and unconscious. This servant has already arranged for someone to invite Imperial Physician Li over.”
“Tell Imperial Physician Li to think of every possible way to save her. If she can’t save her, then she doesn’t need to leave the Princess’s residence.”
Rong Yang prayed inwardly. Lanxin, you absolutely cannot have anything happen to you. If something happens to you, I won’t be able to explain myself even with a hundred mouths.
“Also, send four people to guard Lanxin. Aside from Imperial Physician Li, no one else is allowed to approach.”
“As for the princess consort’s side, send more people to guard it. No one is allowed to go near.”
“Yes.” Chunxi immediately went to make the arrangements.
Rong Yang collapsed into the chair in the study, her mind a chaotic mess. Was this incident an accident?
In the original book, after Lanxin had been sent by the original owner to the servants’ quarters, she was only released again on the day the female lead and the Third Princess successfully plotted together and divorced the original owner.
She had not expected that arranging for Lanxin to come out early this time would cause her to suffer such a disaster!
Sigh!
With the plot changed like this, who was she supposed to reason with?
This role was so difficult, and occasionally, it even dropped the surprise of an increased hatred value?
It would not even let her explain. She had been at the flower market today…
Rong Yang let out a deep sigh.
In any case, she had to investigate everything clearly first.
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