There was someone else there? Mo Xuetong withdrew her hand as if she had been shocked. She looked at the dark alley. The door was closed and made it so that the area over there was dark and nothing could be seen clearly. She could vaguely make out a person wearing a leather robe. It looked like a young man.
“Big brother, you go first. I’ll come soon.” The man replied lazily, turning around slightly and blocking Mo Xuetong’s line of sight. He smiled devilishly at Mo Xuetong and suddenly let go of the hand he placed in front of her. Then, he turned around, smoothened his robe and walked away jauntily.”
The soft sounds of the two speaking could be heard.
“Eighth brother. It’s a girl again. You’ll make the old man angry if you keep doing this.” said the warm and gentle voice.
“Anyway, this is my hobby. I have to stay and chat when I see a beautiful girl. I can’t let her down, right. If he doesn’t like it, there’s nothing I can do about it either!” The lazy voice said carelessly.
…
As the voices moved further, Mo Xuetong felt sweaty. She had not realized it earlier because she was nervous and angry. Her legs felt weak as she held on to the wall and she almost fainted. She gritted her teeth for a while before the dizziness passed.
Mo Lan had already made her way back. She helped the weak Mo Xuetong and immediately got on the horse carriage after saying that the maid was feeling ill. The driver thought that it was odd for the girl had been fine when she entered but could not even stand on her feet when she got out. However, because of Mo Lan’s status, the driver did not dare to say anything. He only listened to Mo Lan and tried his best to drive the carriage steadily.
The two entered the manor from the back door close to Qingwei Garden. They rounded another corridor and passed through the doors. A young maid wearing blue clothes suddenly appeared at the door. She heaved a sigh of relief when she saw Mo Xuetong. She came up and helped to hold Mo Xuetong and said softly, “Miss, Mother Xu was worried and asked me to wait here. Mo He got all the maids and old servants to another room to scold them. They are waiting for you to enter.”
“There isn’t anyone in the courtyard, is there?” Mo Lan asked since she knew that Mo Xuetong did not have much strength to speak.
“Old Madam sent an old woman to visit you. We said that you’d just fallen asleep and we should not startle you awake. We said that if you feel well when you wake up tomorrow, you’ll visit Old Madam.” Mo Yu said smartly.
Indeed, there was not a single person in the courtyard. Mother Xu had been waiting by the window. When she saw Mo Xuetong, she hurried out, she was almost worried to tears when she saw how weak Mo Xuetong was. Mo Xuetong smiled at her despite her exhaustion to show that she was fine.
Mo Yu and Mo Lan helped her to lie down after she drank a bowl of ginseng soup. They put down the muslin bed curtains before they slipped out with Mother Xu.
Despite being weak when she woke up the second day, she was feeling more awake. After washing up, she first went to greet Old Madam Qin and then went to Mdm Yu’s. They did not ask her to stay since she was ill and asked her to rest well. Mo Xuetong acutely spotted the darkness in Mdm Yu’s eyes and a hint of a smile appeared at her lips.
After leaving Mdm Yu’s, she returned to her courtyard and gave Mother Xu and Mo He some orders. The two of them smiled and left to do their task.
“Mo Yu, has Cousin Xuan found me the rare orchid?” Mo Xuetong looked up with a smile from where she was sitting, leaning on the couch under the window.
In her last life, Qin Yuxuan had helped her to find a rare orchid and sent it to the capital to suck up to her father. However, the flower had not been appreciated. She only discovered when she returned to the manor that the rare orchid had ended up in the weeds in front of the servants’ rooms and was no different that weed.
“Young master Xuan said he might need some time. He would find the rare orchid for you in a bit.” Mo Yu handed her a cup of tea with a smile. “But, Miss, are you going to give it to old sir?”
“A good flower has to be given to someone who can appreciate it. Beautiful rogue should be given to beautiful people.” She did not answer Mo Yu’s question directly. Mo Xuetong looked down, her long lashes fluttering down, leaving a shadow on her face. Her face was calm and pale. She smiled faintly and accepted the tea, taking a sip from it. The warm tea and the faint fragrance seeped through her heart.
Mo Yu thought that Mo Xuetong was really going to give the orchid to old sir and said angrily, “Old sir has long forgotten miss. But you’re so filial and always think of old sir when you have something good.”
“Mo Yu, don’t speak nonsense.” Mo Lan scolded.
“I’m not speaking nonsense. Look at miss, she’s already like this and is still thinking about old sir. But old sir…he doesn’t even pity young miss…” Mo Yu said indignantly. She suddenly saw Mo Xuetong’s pale face and her eyes turned red. She choked up and could not say anything else.
The few of them have always been by Mo Xuetong’s side and they naturally saw her sadness and the difficulties she went through.
“Old sir is far from here and would not know so many things. When we return, old sir would naturally be like before and treat miss well.” Mo Lan said gently.
Mo Xuetong felt drowsy and her somewhat tense face relaxed slightly. The sharpness in her eyes slowly softened. The maids have been with her through it all and in the end had died because of her. It was a happy thing for her to see them arguing.
That day, something had happened in the Qin Manor, even alarming the Old Madam Qin. However, she had asked Mother Xu to fan the flames and cause the incident to be exposed before everyone earlier.
Lord Qin had a concubine with the surname Li. She returned to Cloud City because she was pregnant and was treated very well in the manor. They were afraid that she would knock into something if she was not careful and they gave her the best in terms of food and drinks. This was done all in hopes that she would be able to birth a heir safely.
This Auntie Li had nothing to do today and was feeling good. So she had brought her maids to walk around in the garden. After a while, she felt like eating. She did not ask someone else to get it but brought her maids with her to the kitchen. She saw the lead maid of Mdm Yu, Yunshu, distracting the people in the kitchen and adding extra things in the blood birds nest that she usually drinks.
This was a serious matter that affected the heir of someone. How could Auntie Li not make a fuss!
She brought the matter up to Old Madam Qin. Mdm Yu could not explain the matter since there was evidence and immediately threw Mdm Yu out and had Yunshu beaten to death. Those trusted by Mdm Yu had all been cut off and some were sold off. Mo Xuetong received news about it from Mo He while she was at Qingwei Garden and a smile appeared on her face.
Yunshu had plotted against Mo Xuetong together with Yu Sirong. Yunshu had been an accomplice when she had been disfigured by Yu Sirong. If she had not intentionally delayed time so that she missed the best treatment timeframe, there would not be the two deep scars on her face and Sima Lingyun wouldn’t have taken the opportunity to…
Now that she could relive her life, many people and things were changing together as Mo Xuetong changed. She definitely had to make these changes to in the direction that she wanted!
She sat under the window and thought. Suddenly, the joyful laughter of Mother Xu could be heard from outside.
“Miss, miss, good news! Old Madam has agreed.”
Mother Xu entered with a radiant smile. “Miss, Old Madam has allowed you to return to the old manor!”
“Then we shall go tomorrow!” Mo Xuetong could not help the faint smile on her beautiful face!
It has been more than a year since she last saw her mother’s courtyard. Now that she was leaving, she should go take a look. There was still evidence and she had to get it before Auntie Fang!
Since Mdm Qin had already agreed, the three maids and Mother Xu accompanied Mo Xuetong to the old manor the next morning. That was the official residences of Mo Huawen in Cloud City. However, it could no longer be compared to how it used to be. Now that the Old Mo Manor had no owner, it had become desolate.
The ancestral manor was bought by Mo Huawen when he was an official in Cloud City. Mo Xuetong had lived in it since she was born. It has been more than ten years since. Nanny Ming who used to serve her mother was already waiting at the door. When she saw Mo Xuetong’s carriage stopping, she hurried to the carriage door.
Nanny Ming was the nursemaid of Mo Xuetong’s birth mother. Mo Xuetong had always respected. She greeted the woman respectfully and reached out to hold her. Nanny Ming was so happy that her tears kept flowing. They held each other and entered the Mo Manor.
The Mo Manor in Cloud City was not very big. It only had three main courtyards. Mo Xuetong did not return to her Qingwei Garden. Instead, she went straight for her mother’s Ziteng Garden. She had just entered the doors when a figure flashed before her eyes and rushed straight at her. Mo Yu moved quickly, and she placed herself in front of Mo Xuetong.
“Madam, madam is back. Hehehe, Yinchun, Madam is back. Quick, help her hold up the door curtains. Oh, it isn’t madam…” The laughter sounded silly. A young woman dressed in a blue robe stood in front of Mo Yu. She seemed perplexed. She cocked her head and sized up Mo Xuetong. Her silly eyes were murky.
The woman looked at this and that in a silly manner. Then, she suddenly muttered something and ran out in a panicked manner.
The air in the courtyard was so stale that one almost could not breathe.
“Nanny Ming, has Dongxue remained like that?” Mo Xuetong only regained her calmness after a while. However, her hands were clenched tightly into a fist in her sleeves. This was the first time she had seen Dongxue after she went mad. How could she forget? That night, when her mother passed away, there were only four older maids who were by her mother’s side.
After that, when her father returned from Auntie Fang’s, her mother had already passed away.
That was when the rift between her and her father started.
“Yes, Madam died, Yinchun was knocked down by a carriage while Xiangchiu died of illness. Hexia’s whereabouts are unknown. Xuedong became like this after that. Her parents thought that they can’t keep her alive two years ago and abandoned her. Old sir pitied her for she had taken care of Madam with all her heart and sent for her to come back to the manor. After that, everyone in the manor moved away, leaving only a few behind and she became a regular maid. She helps to clean up Ziteng Garden.” Nanny Ming sighed.
“Find her a good physician again. There aren’t many people of mother’s left.” Mo Xuetong answered after a moment of silence. She leaned on the stove and sat down, her fingers clenched tightly into a fist. She did not even notice when her nails dug into her flesh. Her body suddenly felt hot and cold as if her blood and veins were going wild.
“Yes!” Nanny Ming answered. She looked up as if she wanted to say something. However, when she saw Mo Xuetong’s weak face, she opened her mouth but did not say anything. The house became eerily silent.
“All of you can leave. I wish to be alone for a while.” She said after a while and waved her hand tiredly.
