Chapter 13

Second Madam only had one daughter, Gu Ying, as her mother Madam Ye had passed away early. All the dowries the Ye Family prepared for her were locked in Second Madam's private treasury. Gu Ying's maternal Ye Family was a real century-old prominent clan. The pearls, jades, gold, silver, antiques, and paintings in that private treasury were countless.

Second Madam was just worried there was no way to cheat some stuff out from there, yet such an opportunity just came knocking on the door! This was really heaven helping her!

"Alright then, I'll be magnanimous and forgive you for today's matter for now. If you treat me better, I naturally won't speak of this upstairs."

Gu Ying aggrievedly pursed her lips and spoke deferentially, "I understand, dear sister."

"I'll take my leave first, you go see your crippled younger brother yourself."

Cui Ling distastefully squeezed her eyes, contemptuously spat, then turned and left the yard.

"Miss, you're being too bullied like this!"

Yanzhi was so angry her teeth itched. She stamped her feet, feeling so aggrieved she wished she could bite off Cui Ling's stinky face!

A smile was brewing at the corners of Gu Ying's lips, and her deep, fathomless pretty eyes contained nothing but gloomy, icy light.

"To destroy someone, one must first make them insane. Yanzhi, wait and see, I'll make her know the consequences of harming A Ning."

Yanzhi blinked. For a time, she couldn't wrap her head around it. What? The young miss would kill now?

She wasn't afraid of killing or not killing. If the young miss truly wanted to go on a slaughter, she'd be more than happy to pass the knife!

But—

"Young Miss, just what are you saying? This slave truly doesn't understand." The more Yanzhi thought about it, the less she could make sense of it. "Are we just going to let a cheap maid walk all over us?"

Gu Ying's expression was tranquil. A flash of gentle laughter passed through her eyes. "Just wait and see. From now on, if Cui Ling comes to bother you, endure it for the time being. Whatever jewelry she wants, take it out of my private treasury for her." Indulging someone is the fastest way to kill them.

In her previous life, that was how Madam Liu and Gu Jia treated her, indulging her until she became foolish and brainless.

That made her thoughtlessly offend a mysterious figure she didn't even dare imagine at a palace banquet—the Heir Apparent of the Prince's Residence, Zhao Changdu.

Although in the end, that young master...didn't even let her see his appearance.

She could only clearly remember his low, heated pants Ghosting over her ear, his gnashing anger, overbearing and forceful, almost burning her face red.

He said, "No one dares treat this heir like this. You're the first, and the last."

She shook with fear, yet couldn't struggle. She could only grit her teeth and endure his merciless ravaging.

He was drugged and tangled with her for several hours.

Finally, red-faced and burning with shame, she tidied her clothes and left him alone in that cold palace side garden. Not daring to linger, she fled as if escaping.

Returning to the Jiang Residence, she was at a complete loss, pained and upset, ashamed beyond words, despairing and helpless, hating herself for being unable to stop Zhao Changdu's beastliness. She had wanted to apologize and beg forgiveness from Jiang Yin...hope he could act on her behalf.

But she hadn't expected Jiang Yin to only coldly glance at her once without a word, hugging the beauty in his arms as he entered the room.

Then the room was filled with the beauty's unrestrained moans, moans that made her heart tremble.

Gu Ying couldn't bear to recall further. Her five viscera and six bowels twisted into a lump, unable to describe the taste or feelings. A tearing pain arose in her heart.

"Young Miss, what's wrong?" Yanzhi sensed something off. "If the young miss is uncomfortable, we can come see the young master tomorrow instead."

Gu Ying gave a self-deprecating laugh, grasping Yanzhi's arm. She took a deep breath, "No need. We'll go in now."

She had said she would visit her brother today, so she definitely would. In this life, she would never break a promise to Gu Ning again.

The sprawling Shufeng Studio had just as few people attending it. The cleaning old women in the outer room were either deaf or mute. Some maidservants were nowhere to be seen, probably slacking off somewhere. Other than Cui Ling, there wasn't a single person attending Gu Ning.

Gu Ying's expression chilled slightly. She walked into Gu Ning's room, vaguely smelling a strong bitter medicinal smell mixed with some unknown stench.

Overturned medicine bowls on the ground, black medicine spilled all over. The bed was in disarray, with a woman's blue-green ruqun casually tossed in the corner.

"A Ning." Gu Ying anxiously looked over, only to see Gu Ning lying in the thick blankets with his back to them. His body shook and trembled. She nibbled her lip, then after a while softly asked, "What's wrong?"

"Don't come over...don't come over!" The youth suppressed his voice to snarl.

She swiftly walked over, completely unbothered as she stroked his back. Gently, she said, "A Ning, don't be scared. Sister is here. Sister will protect you. From now on, no one will dare bully you again."

Gu Ning's body shuddered once. His teeth chattered, emitting cracking sounds, but he still didn't say a word.

"Young miss, how could the young master be so—"

Yanzhi didn't say the word "miserable".

She was conflicted, swallowing her saliva. Her gaze swept over the filth on the brocade bed and the ruqun that was clearly left behind by Cui Ling. She couldn't help but frown. "Young miss—"

Gu Ying coldly clenched her fists, her fingertips digging into her flesh. "Yanzhi, go boil some water and prepare clean towels and such." Yanzhi murmured her assent and left to have people prepare hot water, clean towels, etc.

Gu Ying quietly sat at the bedside, slowly lifting the blankets covering her brother. The filth beneath was appalling... Her brother's emaciated legs were left in the middle of that disgusting filth.

The only son of a famed general actually reduced to this state... How could Gu Ying not feel heartache and distress!

She carefully examined him. Not only were there marks from being habitually pinched and grabbed, there was also a rouge stain on his face from a woman, and bloodstains between his fingers—clearly from when he scratched Cui Ling while resisting.

No wonder Cui Ling had stormily left earlier.

Connecting it to what would happen next... As Madam Liu's beloved, how could Cui Ling be willing to serve a disfavored cripple?

It wasn't hard to guess. From the start, Cui Ling must have been sent to Shufeng Studio with ulterior motives.

It was to make the brother touch her and get her pregnant with the Gu bloodline. Then as a mother, she could ascend to become the main madam of the Marquis Residence.

Yet she also hadn't expected the brother's legs to deteriorate more year after year...

"A Ning..." Gu Ying's nose soured. She couldn't help but gently ask, "You deliberately did this so that evil woman wouldn't touch you, right?"

Deliberately pulling filth onto the bed to disgust Cui Ling and make her unwilling to make a move.

Gu Ning finally rolled over to look at Gu Ying, his reddened eyes brimming with tears.

That gaze contained the deepest despair and the most helpless desperation.

Gu Ying smiled through her tears, caressing his gaunt cheeks with her small hand. "Don't grit your teeth and deal with the villains alone anymore. From now on, sister will protect you."