She took the handkerchief beside her pillow and wiped her tears. Then, she tilted her slightly pale face up. There was a deep confusion in her dark eyes as she looked at Mo Zhu. It was a cutting look that made one feel subconsciously cold. Mo Zhu shuddered under the gaze and retracted her hand subconsciously. She could not speak, pleasing words stuck at her throat. Yet, she did not dare to leave.
Mother Xu walked up and pushed her away, glaring at Mo Zhu unhappily. Then, she put thick lotus colored embroidered pillows behind Mo Xuetong and helped her lean into them carefully.
"Tong'er isn't feeling well, why are you still letting her lean back. Hurry, it's better to lie down. Don't harm her because of this. It's true that children with no mothers are pitiful. Even those serving them don't do their best. Aunt will give you another two maids in a couple of days and change a few of the servants around here so we can get rid of the servants who don't do anything." Mdm Yu said so with a vicious smile when she saw that Mother Xu was defying her and had ignored her completely.
She had just awakened from her coma after falling into the lake. Her face was pale and haggard, making her look pitiful. After hiding the coldness in her eyes, she looked up weakly and said gratefully, "Aunt, Tong'er doesn't want to sleep. If I sleep, I won't be able to wake up! The doctor also said that I should not sleep too much after waking up from falling into water. Tong'er thanks auntie for her good intentions. Mother Xu and the others have worked hard to serve Tong'er. They were all left to Tong'er by mother. Tong'er does not dare to just switch servants."
Was that a soft rejection?
Mdm Yu's smile froze slightly. She looked at the girl carefully and only saw a gentle smile on the young face. It was no different from before except that her eyes were brighter than usual. It was a deep dark black.
Her statement was filled with a hidden sharpness. It did not seem like something the weak and cowardly Mo Xuetong would say. In the past, Mo Xuetong would not dare to contradict her so openly even if she did not agree. Could it be that something had happened to the girl when she fell into the lake? Mdm Yu could not help but look at Mo Xuetong suspiciously.
"Mo Zhu, why are you not serving Aunt tea?" Mo Xuetong pretended not to see Mdm Yu's suspicious glance. She turned around and shouted at Mo Zhu. The endless darkness in her eyes needled on Mo Zhu like cold water
Mo Zhu heard what Mo Xuetong said and she looked up as if she was shocked. She saw Mo Xuetong lying against a large pillow, looking at her sideways with deep and dark eyes!
It was a look that seemed to see through her heart, and it made Mo Zhu afraid. She shuddered unconsciously and dared not say anything else. She turned away hurriedly and brought the tea over and gave it to Mdm Yu with a pale face. She only calmed down slightly when Mdm Yu gave her a calm look.
She stood behind Mdm Yu with her head and shoulders down. She was treating herself as Mdm Yu's servant. She told herself that she did not have to fear because her madam was around!
Mdm Yu was focused on Mo Xuetong and could not be bothered with the thoughts of a maid. She had not noticed that Mo Zhu had stood behind her after serving her tea, going against the rules. Mo Xuetong glanced at Mo Zhu sideways without saying anything. She did not ask her to return.
Mdm Yu took the cup and took a sip. She then placed it on one side and held Mo Xuetong's hand naturally. She patted it warmly and said gently, "Since you're not willing, then Aunt cannot make decisions on your behalf as well. I haven't seen you in tow days, and you're looking so weak. Later, I'll get someone to bring you ginseng to nourish your body. You can't hurt your vital energy. You're a girl, it'd be terrible if you hurt your vital energy."
Ginseng? Mo Xuetong looked down. Her long lashes hid the cold in her eyes.
In her past life, Mdm Yu had sent her a rotten ginseng. Mother Xu saw that it could not be used and brought out a century-old ginseng she had kept for emergency situations. However, Mdm Yu found out about it and was greedy. She wanted the ginseng and pretended to be ill. She said she needed ginseng to regulate her body and had given her the best ginseng in their house.
Mdm Yu had not only gained a good reputation, she had also taken her ginseng. She had gained both reputation and goods.
"Thank you Aunt for your good will. It is just that Tong'er has never been fortunate. How can I use such a good thing? Only fortunate people can use it to extend their lifespan. If Aunt really wants to, she can help Tong'er send it to grandmother. Tong'er would naturally be happy once grandmother is well, and will recover then. I don't dare to let anything happen here." Mo Xuetong took her hand back calmly. She pinched the handkerchief in her hands, smiling gently and naively. She looked frightened and sad, and one could tell at a glance that she was a coward and easy to manipulate.
Mdm Yu heaved a sigh of relief! Her eyes sparkled with satisfaction and she thought that she was thinking too much. What could an abandoned orphan girl do?
"Miss, don't say that. Madam is so good to you, she'd be sad if she hears that. How can you be unfortunate Miss. After all, you're the granddaughter of a lord. Who would take you lightly? If anything happens to you in this house, they would be blamed by Madam." Mother Xu could not hold back her anger when she saw Mdm Yu's satisfaction. She pretended to persuade Mo Xuetong while using the lord's manor to aggravate Mdm Yu.
Mdm Yu's heart skipped a beat when she heard that. She felt that Mother Xu was threatening her when she brought up the lord's manor...could it be that they'd discovered something?
Mdm Yu pretended to be even more gentle so she would not be discovered. She smiled warmly and dotingly at Mo Xuetong. "Tong'er how could you be an unfortunate person? You mustn't say that of yourself!If there's anything you feel like eating, let the servants know. If there's anything you are unhappy about, you have to tell me. I won't let my good niece suffer."
Good niece? Mo Xuetong laughed coldly in her heart. However, her smile remained sweet. She looked up hesitantly and asked, biting her lips fearfully, "Aunt, can I really tell you everything I'm unhappy about?"
Mo Xuetong bit her lips, looking as if she was feeling awkward and as if there was something she wanted to say but could not.
"Tong'er, tell your Aunt. Did someone bully you? I'll definitely help you." Mdm Yu guaranteed once more.
"Mo Zhu, kneel down!" Mo Xuetong suddenly sat upright and pointed at Mo Zhu when she heard that. She shouted angrily, "Aunt, take Mo Zhu away. Tong'er cannot take her service."
Mo Zhu was shocked as she had not expected to get into trouble. However, she did not kneel down since she had Mdm Yu on her side. She straightened her neck and said indignantly. "Miss, why had you asked me to kneel and said that you cannot take my service? What do I have to do with you falling into the lake? Why are you unleashing your anger on a servant who has nothing to do with the incident? Can you treat us so abominably just because maids are servants?"
Then, she covered her face and started to sob!
Mo Xuetong laughed coldly in her heart. She looked at everyone in the room. Everyone except Mother Xu hurried to help her when they saw her crying. No one in the room stopped her!
"You've plotted against your mistress. Should I not send you away..." Mo Xuetong suddenly coughed violently before she could finish her statement. She clutched her chest as if she was going to faint.
The room was thrown into chaos as nobody could be bothered with Mo Zhu. Only Mdm Yu stared viciously at Mo Zhu who quickly reacted. She fell with a thud on her knees in front of Mo Xuetong and stayed there as the physician came in to take Mo Xuetong's pulse. After a fuss, Mo Xuetong finally recovered except that her face was much paler than before. She looked as if she was taking in less air than she was breathing out, looking especially weak.
After the physician left, Mo Xuetong took a sip of water from the blue ceramic cup in Mother Xu's hands. Then, she said with a sorry and tearful expression to Mdm Yu, "Sorry for worrying you, Aunt. My body is not too good after falling into the lake."
She breathed in and then turned her gaze to Mo Zhu who was kneeling on the floor and dared not speak. She did not know where she got her strength from and she suddenly grabbed the porcelain cup in Mother Xu's hands and threw it at Mo Zhu. As she was weak, the cup fell about two or three steps in front of Mo Zhu and shattered.
The clear shattering sound shocked everyone.
"Aunt, Mo Zhu had plotted against her mistress...Tong'er fell into the lake because she pushed me. If Aunt doesn't believe me, you can ask Cousin Xuan...Tong'er doesn't know how she offended this maid. She...she wanted to kill me..."
Then, she could not help but cough again. She believed, 100 percent, that if she said that, Cousin Xuan would definitely be on her side! Cousin Xuan had once told her that he suspected that in her last life!
Mdm Yu was panicked when she saw Mo Xuetong coughing like that. She patted her back gently while glaring at Mo Zhu viciously. Mo Zhu had been so shocked by Mo Xuetong's words, she was dazed. Mdm Yu said, "You slut, how dare you try to harm your mistress. Men, come and take her out. Give her 40 strokes of the cane!"
Mdm Yu was forced by Mo Xuetong to do this. Mo Xuetong was so angry, and she even implied that Qin Yuxuan had seen Mo Zhu plotting against Mo Xuetong. The fact was laid right before her eyes. Mdm Yu did not dare to protect Mo Zhu. If she did not do this right, she might even bring trouble to herself. How dare a servant plot to harm her mistress!
Mo Zhu saw Mo Xuetong coughing so hard she could not catch her breath and saw Mdm Yu's gaze looking at her viciously. That was when she realized that things had changed. She was flustered and rushed to Mdm Yu, crying and screaming and kowtowing!
"Shut her mouth and drag her away." Mdm Yu said coldly. She immediately decided that since Qin Yuxuan had seen the incident, she could not keep the trouble causing girl around!
Mo Xuetong laid across the embroidered pillow, clutching her chest that hurt from the coughing. She did not soften at all as she saw Mo Zhu being dragged out like a dead dog. She would seek revenge this time in her new life. Blood rushed up her throat as if the fire of her past life was reaching for the skies like that day when blood splashed on her face.
Mo Zhu had only taken 30 canes before she died. Mdm Yu got people to drag her out and then comforted Mo Xuetong with a few words. She saw Mo Xuetong looking weak, but her eyes were filled with tears of gratitude. That was when she relaxed and brought her people back to her house. She even told Mother Xu before she left to tell her if Mo Xuetong needed anything.
Mo Xuetong's weak and tired eyes opened once more when Mdm Yu's people left. She struggled to sit up.
"Mother, help me up. I have to write a letter." Mo Xuetong said as she lifted her colorless face.
Cloud City was very far away, and nothing important usually happened there. The horse carriage that delivers letters only comes every five days. Today happened to be one of those days. If she did not send the letter today, she would have to wait five days. The people Auntie Fang sent would leave soon, she could not wait another five days!
She had to find a way to get back to the capital as soon as possible!