“Do, do you have any water?” The girl’s voice sounded fearful in the dark. It was difficult for anyone to raise their guard around her.
“There’s water on the table.” Sima Lingyun could not be bothered with Mo Xuetong right now. He was planning when his body double should appear. The carriage had traveled quite a distance and they should be near the city gates. It was the Empress Dowager’s birthday today and the whole nation was celebrating it. There would be a lot of people on the streets. There was also a lantern festival on the streets at night. The city gate was a good spot since it was brightly lit.
As long as a fuss was made at the city gate, the Mo Manor would not be able to cover this up even if they wanted to.
There was a sudden crash that startled Sima Lingyun. His eyes flew open.
“My, my hands are weak and I can’t hold the water.” She explained fearfully. Sima Lingyun felt disdain for her. How could she be considered crafty? Mo Xuemin had overestimated her. She was a girl who had grown up in Cloud City. She was ignorant and a coward. What could she do? He would control her in the future and he would get whatever he wanted.
Mo Xuetong patted the carriage boards in the dark while she muttered fearfully. “S-sorry. I didn’t mean to!”
Pain shot up her fingers. She had touched something sharp. It was a broken piece of porcelain from earlier. She could not be bothered with the sharp pain in her hands. She touched the object carefully and was surprised and pleased to find that it was a sharp and long piece of porcelain shard. It could be used to defend herself. She held the shard in her other hand. She could hear Sima Lingyun saying impatiently, “I’ll tie you up if you cause any more trouble.”
She replied fearfully, “I, I won’t make another sound.”
While she seemed to sound afraid, she held the porcelain shard tightly between her fingers. Blood stained her fingers without her noticing. She held the porcelain shard in her pale hands tightly, the sharp edge facing Sima Lingyun in the dark. She had come for revenge. How could she allow Sima Lingyun and Mo Xuemin to hurt her again and again?
She had already died once. What else was she afraid of!
Even if she died again, she would not let them off easily. In her past life, she wanted to drag them into the burning fire to burn with her. However, she ended up dying in the burning flames. In this life, she would not allow them to live well. Even though her hand hurt, it could not dispell the hatred she felt for them.
The hatred could burn heaven and earth. It burned in her heart!
She was not in love with Sima Lingyun in this life. Sima Lingyun wanted to tarnish her reputation. This time, she would not let him off. Those who owed their lives had to pay with their lives. Sima Lingyun owed her not only her life. There was also Mother Xu, Mo Lan, and Mo Yu. They had all died in the hands of the adulterous pair. Her eyes were filled with the color of blood…
In her past life, she had not been able to accomplish much even when she had paid for it with her life. In this life, she would not allow something like that to happen again!
That was why she would not let Sima Lingyun off this time. She would cause him true harm.
Noises could vaguely be heard outside the carriage. The sounds of people talking joyfully could be heard from time to time. He was going to be the hero and save the beauty in a crowded place! Mo Xuetong’s eyes shone in the dark. She was so nervous her fingers were shaking. She pointed the porcelain shard at the man’s throat!
They were both waiting for an opportunity to strike!
They could hear the joyful voices while they sat in the dark. It made the atmosphere in the carriage seem even more stifling. Mo Xuetong, whose left wrist was being held tightly, could sense how determined Sima Lingyun was. She had lived two lives and knew what that meant. Sima Lingyun was going to tarnish her reputation today, by hook or by crook. He was going to make it so that she had no choice but to marry him.
Pain that could not be hidden appeared in her eyes which were supposed to be crystal clear. Rage filled her eyes!
A chill spread from her soles to her limbs. Even her blood and bones felt as if they were frozen. The pain intensified.
However, there was a brilliant smile on her face. The smile was brilliantly cold! It was a vicious and demonic smile.
She could not forget. She could not forget. She had felt cold even in the burning fire. The hatred was carved in her bones!
The volume of the voices outside lowered. She could still hear the voices of people talking in the distance. The carriage stopped hastily at an angle far away from the street. Snow continued to fall from above. The large snowflakes fell from the sky. The street turned in a few meters from where they were. Even though it was late at night, there were still happy people walking on the streets and admiring the lanterns…
Most of the shops were still opened and the voices were everywhere. They were all celebrating the Empress Dowager’s birthday. There would occasionally be the sounds of firecrackers being lit and the startled cries of children.
At the corner was a restaurant that did not get many customers usually. However, it was filled to the brim today. The private rooms upstairs were all filled. The manager was so happy that he calculated his earnings over and over again. It was a satisfying New Year. The year had only just started and he could already see the coming prosperity.
Upstairs, facing the corner of the street, Mo Xuemin sat with Mo Xiu. The room was dimly lit compared to the brightly lit streets outside. The darkness made it hard to see the vicious and cold smile on Mo Xuemin’s face.
“Miss, look. Is it His Excellency? Look, over there. That carriage.” Mo Xiu had been sprawled out behind the window all this while to keep watch on the situation outside. She suddenly turned around and called out to Mo Xuemin who was sitting by the table. She could not help but turn pale at the cold and vicious expression on Mo Xuemin’s face. She hurriedly repeated herself softly.
“Are those people there?” Mo Xuemin gritted her teeth and asked coldly. She stood up and took a few hurried steps.
“Yes, they’ve been there for a while. They are behind the tree. It is a good hiding spot. His Excellency said that as long as something this big happens to her, what happened in the palace would be considered a small matter. People will start to forget it slowly. His Excellency says that you do not have to worry.” Mo Xiu tried to please Mo Xuemin when she saw the dark expression on her face.
Mo Xuemin’s face seemed terrifying under the light. She laughed coldly and walked up to the window. She pushed the window up softly and could see everything clearly. A carriage appeared across the street. The dark carriage was inconspicuous, making it easier to do things. The driver of the carriage belonged to the manor. In order to make Mo Xuetong trust them, they had used a trusted servant of Auntie Fang. It was worth it in exchange for Mo Xuetong.
Mo Xuemin closed the windows. Then, she picked up her cape which was draped on the screen and put it on.
“Miss, you…” Mo Xiu hurried over to help her and asked her in a puzzled voice. She did not understand why Mo Xuemin was not watching from here but was putting on her cape and about to leave. This was a good spot. His Excellency had especially chosen it for her mistress to vent. It was so she could clearly see Third Miss losing her reputation.
“I can’t see clearly from here. I want to see it even more clearly. There will be a lot of people who will go up to the carriage now. There will be many people seeing Third Sister lose her reputation. She won’t notice me. I really want to know if she would be so ashamed and want to die when she sees that so many people have seen her being kidnapped by a man. Mo Xiu, how can I not watch such an interesting scene?”
Mo Xuemin’s eyes glowed with viciousness and jealousy under the dim yellow candlelight. In the dark room, her eyes shone like the devil’s fire and her beautiful features twisted.
Mo Xiu was shocked by her bloodthirsty and vicious words. She could not help but avoid Mo Xuemin’s eyes as she reached out carefully to help her put on her veil.
When she thought of how Mo Xuetong was about to lose her reputation, Mo Xuemin felt extremely satisfied. It was as if she had taken an icy cold drink in the hot summer. She had always lost to that little slut. She would make sure that Mo Xuetong couldn’t get back up again this time. She would crush Mo Xuetong beneath her feet forever. So what if she was beautiful? How would Mo Xuetong find a good man if her reputation was ruined? She would find a chance in the future and toss her into a brothel. She would see how the legal daughter would be able to do anything about it.
Mo Xuemin moved even faster when she thought of that. She put on her veil impatiently and opened the door. She hurried out together with Mo Xiu. She kept an ear out for what was happening outside as she walked down the stairs. When she was descending the stairs, there was a loud collision. The entire building shook. Everyone was shocked and they all asked around to see what was happening.
An evil smile appeared on the face hidden beneath the veil. Indeed, just like what she had planned, the horse carriage had run into a large tree. The person waiting there pretending to be Sima Lingyun jumped out, wanting to save Mo Xuetong who was inside the carriage. Sima Lingyun, who was inside the carriage, would get off. The two would swap and Sima Lingyun would become the hero who saved the beauty. Mo Xuetong would have to appear before all because of the collision. Her kidnapping by a man couldn’t be hidden then.
This could ruin a woman to the point of no return!
The carriage crashed into the tree. Mo Xuetong was tossed around in the carriage as well. The horse carriage flipped and Mo Xuetong hit her head hard on the carriage walls. Her head buzzed and her vision grew hazy. She could not even hold the porcelain shard in her hand tightly. Her mind halted.
“Third Miss Mo?” Someone outside exclaimed.
“Quick, save Third Miss Mo.”
“His Excellency Sima, there’s someone in the carriage. Did someone take Third Miss Mo hostage?”
“Quick, quick save her!” A cold smile appeared on Mo Xuetong’s lips when she heard the voices. The porcelain shard in her hand jabbed down viciously on the body of the man who attempted to climb out of the carriage. She plunged the shard down, using all her strength to drive it in.
She did not know where she stabbed the man in the dark. Sima Lingyun could not help but yell out in pain. Mo Xuetong bit her lips and pulled the shard back. Then, she slammed her right hand down forcefully once more. She stabbed him over and over again, filled with desperation and hate. Her mind was in a mess and it was as if she had returned to the day she died.
The wedding hall draped in red. Sima Lingyun and Mo Xuemin’s mocking gazes. The hate that seeped into her bones. All of that was sufficient for her to forget where she was. She only wanted to take Sima Lingyun’s life now and seek revenge for her child, Mother Xu, Mo Lan, and the others. She would not care even if she were to sink into despair once more.
The porcelain shard lifted and fell. She could not see much in the dark. She only felt a heavy slap at her chest. She could not help but fall from the half-opened doors. There was a metallic taste at her throat and she threw up blood. Her body flew out of the carriage door like a windswept leaf.
She could not see anything clearly as she emerged from the dark and saw the snowy skies. There was a patch of nothingness. It was just like the red that she would never forget. Mo Xuetong wanted to laugh. She had died in a fire in her past life. She had been burned to death. This life, she was to die in the icy cold snow. She would be frozen to death.
She did not know what sins she had committed. Though she was reborn again, she still ended up dying like this.
How many bad things had she done for her to die so tragically each time?
In her past life, she had been burned to crisps in the fire after she had been poisoned. In this life, she was beaten up and had thrown up blood before she died in the snow.
She suddenly felt like laughing. It was a pity that the pure white ground would be dirtied because of her!
