Blood seeped into Shuang'er's eyes, painting her vision crimson. The cold-faced Ye Chutang appeared to her as a demonic executioner from the underworld.
"Madam ordered me to keep an eye on the young mistress and report her movements."
But now, Shuang'er spent her days scrubbing endless chamber pots, leaving her no time to spy on Ye Chutang.
Ye Chutang knew Shuang'er wouldn’t dare lie.
It seemed Kong Ru hadn’t yet devised a way to deal with her—she was biding her time.
Ye Chutang said, "Get up. Keep scrubbing the pots, and report to me immediately if Kong Ru makes any moves."
"Yes, this servant obeys."
"Don’t even think about faking your death. I can ensure you never wake up before you get the chance."
Shuang'er, who had just risen to her feet, immediately dropped back to her knees in terror.
How did the young mistress know that Kong Ru had planned for her to fake her death to escape the bonds of her indenture?
"This… this servant doesn’t understand what the young mistress means."
"Your acting is terrible."
With that, Ye Chutang walked over to Dan'er, who was tending to a pot of simmering pork rib soup.
"Go wake Hongxiu for dinner."
"Yes, young mistress."
As Dan'er left the kitchen, she deliberately stepped on Shuang'er’s blistered hand as she passed.
Ye Chutang noticed the petty act and smirked.
Then, while Shuang'er cried out in pain, she added a splash of spirit spring water to the soup.
All five of them—excluding the traitorous Shuang'er and Le'er, who had already eaten in the main kitchen—gathered around the table.
Hongxiu, having rested for a few days, had recovered well. Her tongue was less swollen, and her appetite had returned.
Tonight’s soup was exceptionally fragrant, and they drank every last drop.
After the meal, Ye Chutang treated Jun'er with acupuncture.
Le'er went to the kitchen to prepare medicine.
Once the treatment was done, Ye Chutang left for Glazed Courtyard.
Hongxiu hurried after her, her speech still slightly slurred. "Young mistress, this servant is much better now. It’s improper for me to keep staying in your chambers. I’d like to move to the eastern side room."
The eastern side room had a large shared bed, enough for five or six maids.
Ye Chutang called Dan'er over. "Arrange a bed for Hongxiu in the eastern side room."
Then she left.
By the time she arrived at Glazed Courtyard, Kong Ru had already passed out from the pain.
Ye Jingchuan paced anxiously at the courtyard gate, waiting impatiently.
When he spotted Ye Chutang, he rushed forward. "Chu'er, why are you so late?"
"If you think I’m too fast, I can leave."
Ye Jingchuan choked back his words and quickly backtracked. "Come whenever you like."
It didn’t matter if Kong Ru suffered a little longer—as long as she didn’t die.
He then asked, "How is Jun'er?"
"Five years of medicine and poison have ruined his health. It’ll take at least a year or two for him to recover."
"Please take good care of him, Chu'er. Jun'er is a good child."
"Too bad he didn’t have a good mother—or father."
With that, Ye Chutang entered Kong Ru’s chambers.
The thick stench of blood assaulted her senses, making her frown.
Kong Ru’s two personal maids, Chun Tao and Qiu He, immediately prostrated themselves before her, knocking their heads against the floor.
"Please, young mistress, save Madam!"
Ye Chutang approached the canopy bed, where Kong Ru lay with a sickly pallor. She took out silver needles and inserted them into two pressure points.
Kong Ru’s eyes fluttered open, her gaze clouded with pain.
As her vision cleared, she recognized Ye Chutang standing before her.
"Save me."
Her voice was hoarse and trembling from the agony in her stomach.
Ye Chutang stared coldly at her. "Why did my mother go into premature labor?"
Before Kong Ru could answer, Chun Tao and Qiu He spoke up.
"Madam Tang accidentally slipped and fell."
Ye Chutang kicked them both, sending them crashing into the wall, where they collapsed unconscious.
Ye Jingchuan flinched and took a step back.
Kong Ru, terrified by Ye Chutang’s ruthlessness, didn’t even dare beg for help. She curled into herself, trembling.
Ye Chutang gripped Kong Ru’s chin, forcing her to meet her gaze.
"Why so guilty? Did my brother ever visit you in your dreams, demanding vengeance?"
The question dragged Kong Ru back to the moment she had orchestrated Tang Wanning’s fall.
She had knelt in the delivery room, pretending to pray for Tang Wanning’s safe delivery while secretly hoping for her and the twins to perish.
But Tang Wanning, before losing consciousness from exhaustion, had given birth to a son.
The baby, however, had been deprived of air for too long. He didn’t cry immediately.
Premature and tiny enough to fit in a palm, his body was covered in blood and tinged blue.
He looked horrifying.
The midwife, bribed by Kong Ru, declared the child stillborn.
Kong Ru smothered the infant, then handed the "lifeless" baby to Ye Jingchuan, feigning grief.
Ye Jingchuan, furious at Tang Wanning for "killing" his heir and repulsed by the dead child, ordered Steward Chen to throw the body into the river—erasing all traces of his existence.
That night, Kong Ru had nightmares of a vengeful ghost baby. She woke in terror multiple times.
For days, she couldn’t sleep, growing haggard and gaunt.
But she was skilled at deception. Everyone believed her distress was out of grief for Tang Wanning.
As time passed, the nightmares faded, and she poisoned Tang Wanning to hasten her death—securing her place as the new mistress.
After reliving the memories, Kong Ru met Ye Chutang’s gaze defiantly.
"I’ve never harmed anyone. Why would I have nightmares?"
Ye Chutang tightened her grip on Kong Ru’s chin, her smile eerie—like a demon from hell.
"I have a drug that forces people to tell the truth."
Blocking Ye Jingchuan’s view, she retrieved a syringe from her spatial storage and injected its contents into Kong Ru.
She returned the empty syringe and released Kong Ru, who slumped onto the bed, her eyes glazing over as her body went limp.
"Tell me—how did you make my mother fall and go into early labor?"
Kong Ru’s pale lips moved mechanically.
"I pretended to befriend Tang Wanning, gained her trust, bribed her maid, and used round pebbles to make her slip. After she fell, the maid removed the evidence. It was flawless."
It had been winter, and icy patches were common. No one suspected foul play.
Ye Jingchuan had known Kong Ru was responsible for Tang Wanning’s death—but not her premature labor.
He stormed to the bedside, glaring at Kong Ru with clenched teeth.
"Wanning’s fall wasn’t an accident?"
Kong Ru, devoid of will, answered flatly, "No. I planned it."
Ye Jingchuan nearly strangled her on the spot.
Back then, he had resented Tang Wanning for refusing to let him take a second wife.
But he had still longed for his firstborn son.
When the child was declared stillborn, he was devastated—and furious.
He had blamed Tang Wanning relentlessly, accusing her of carelessness.
And now, the truth was out.
Ignoring Ye Jingchuan’s hypocrisy, Ye Chutang pressed on.
"Was my brother born dead?"
