The two women couldn't help but sigh with relief when they saw the woman regain consciousness. Wiping their foreheads, they realized they were sweating despite the cool weather.
Unexpectedly, as You Fangyin, now awake, caught her breath, a ruthless gleam flickered in her eyes. She struggled vehemently to break free from the women's grip and shouted loudly, "Help, help—"
Startled, the women quickly covered her mouth, "What are you yelling?!"
However, it was too late.
Although weakened, You Fangyin, with all her strength, shouted as if to use every ounce of energy, the sound echoing through the empty and quiet space.
While the surroundings were tranquil, there were maids passing by who heard the cry. Spotting You Fangyin soaked and helpless on the ground, misunderstanding the situation, one of them screamed, "It's not good, it's not good, someone fell into the water!"
Angry and frustrated, the two women turned green with annoyance.
Meanwhile, the chrysanthemum appreciation event was underway in the garden nearby. Yan Lin, engrossed in a conversation with Shen Jie, overheard the commotion about someone falling into the water. Despite the chaotic situation, he quickly ascertained that it was a girl who fell into the lotus pond, and, upon learning the direction from where Jiang Xuening stood, rushed over with the others.
Fortunately, upon arrival, he spotted Jiang Xuening standing by the lotus pond unharmed, letting out a sigh of relief.
However, suspicions lingered in his mind.
The earlier cry had seemingly drained all of You Fangyin's strength, and she now lay on the ground after taking only a couple of steps. Drenched from her earlier fall into the water, her clothes clung to her body.
Under the corridor of the nearby pavilion, many onlookers pointed and whispered.
For a moment, Jiang Xuening's thoughts wandered, but as she snapped back to reality, she understood You Fangyin's motive—
Without making a scene, how could one anticipate the unfolding of future events?
Even if she were silently killed, she wouldn't be aware of it.
Everyone had been rescued.
Regret came too late.
Today, draped in a moon-white dress adorned with golden embroidery, Jiang Xuening gracefully removed it and delicately placed it on You Fangyin. She then turned towards the puzzled crowd on the opposite side and boldly declared, "What are you all huddling around for? Haven't you seen a mother disciplining a girl or a servant mistreating a master?"
A collective gasp filled the air at her unexpected statement.
The three rough envoys at her side gawked at Jiang Xuening, their eyes wide, as if they had witnessed a supernatural occurrence. Even You Fangyin stood frozen in disbelief.
In just a few moments, the young girl had shed her loose beige robe, revealing only a moon-white long skirt cinched at her waist. Standing tall and composed, she exuded an air of cold indifference, akin to a plum blossom in the snow or a moon in a chilly pool—a beauty beyond the scope of words commonly used in dramas.
Tears welled up in You Fangyin's eyes, and though she was clumsy, she couldn't find the words to express her gratitude; she simply looked on, unable to turn away.
Opposite the lotus pond, Yan Lin, upon hearing Jiang Xuening's words, immediately grasped the situation. His eyes flicked over her slender figure before glancing at the aristocratic young lords standing beside him. He sensed they were not gazing at the "girl who fell into the water" but rather at Jiang Xuening herself.
Deep furrows formed on Yan Lin's brow.
With an irritated expression, he said, "Indeed, a girl has fallen into the water. What's with the gawking? Move, move."
Despite the discontent among the onlookers, they mumbled in response.
However, Yan Lin hung back a few steps.
Observing this, Shen Jie eyed him with curiosity.
Yan Lin pondered for a moment, then took off his robe and handed it to Qing Feng, his attendant, saying impatiently, "Let her have it. In this cold weather, a girl of unknown background should not be left to freeze."
Qing Feng hesitated, thinking that Miss Jiang might not dare to wear clothes offered by Prince Yan. Yet, being Yan Lin's servant, he knew better than to question his master's decisions in situations like this. So, he retrieved a sky-blue robe embroidered with exquisite craftsmanship and crossed the lotus pond.
Arriving near Jiang Xuening, he presented the garment to her.
However, Tang'er hesitated, unsure whether to accept it.
Qing Feng inwardly sighed, softly saying, "If Miss Jiang refuses, I'll take it back later. It may be challenging to explain…"
Jiang Xuening glanced at him before instructing Tang'er, "Go ahead."
Qing Feng breathed a sigh of relief, expressing his gratitude, and Tang'er accepted the sky-blue robe. Bowing to Jiang Xuening, Qing Feng retreated.
The spectators dispersed.
Only the servants of the Qingyuan uncle's mansion lingered nearby.
Observing You Fangyin soaked and shivering, Jiang Xuening addressed the three women, saying, "Although outsiders shouldn't meddle in the affairs of your uncle's residence, such heavy-handedness may lead to the loss of virtue if someone is killed. Aren't you afraid of the consequences?"
The three women, who had been scolded earlier by Jiang Xuening for their brutality, now heard her admonishing them. Guilty and afraid, they lowered their heads, avoiding eye contact.
Unwilling to intervene further in the Qingyuan uncle's mansion's matters, Jiang Xuening instructed, "Take her back to the room."
"Yes, yes."
While others may not have known about the incident, they would soon arrive. The three women, feeling guilty and uneasy, hastily assisted You Fangyin, heading toward the northeastern courtyard.
Jiang Xuening hesitated for a moment before following.
Tang'er watched, lost in thought.
Jiang Xuening found it difficult to articulate her thoughts at this moment: Was she merely saving someone to the end or extending a helping hand when there was no hope? No, she wasn't that altruistic. Was she waiting for a miracle? She had already experienced miracles in her life—rebirth was one of them. God wouldn't be so generous again.
Perhaps, she simply wanted to see.
She wanted to see where You Fangyin used to live.
Kuayuan was where low-status concubines and those not favored by the mansion resided. The Kuayuan in Qingyuan Bo's Mansion was far from luxurious. Stepping inside, the decorations were simple, with beds, wooden screens, tables and chairs, and an unfinished sewing basket on the kang table. Yet, the surroundings appeared clean and tidy.
In the room, there was a young girl who had just started serving You Fangyin. Frightened by the sudden influx of people, she stood frozen, unsure how to react.
The woman who had scolded earlier and was supposed to serve tea and handkerchiefs rushed to do so.
Jiang Xuening glanced at her but remained silent, her eyes wandering around the room.
However, that You Fangyin never arrived.
In this room, there were no idle books, no rich silks, no fashionable gadgets, and no Western clocks. The illusion Jiang Xuening felt when she saved someone earlier gradually dissipated, sinking back into reality. Her hopes and fantasies were not allowed to linger any longer.
For the first time in this life, she truly turned her eyes to look at You Fangyin. Due to the presence of outsiders, changing clothes was difficult, or perhaps she was panicked, so You Fangyin cautiously removed the clothes Jiang Xuening had put on her before. She asked the little girl to wrap a thin quilt around her, appearing with a green face.
You Fangyin's facial features were delicate enough—willow eyebrows, apricot eyes, cherry lips. Originally, she was good-looking, but lacked vitality between her brows and eyes, resembling a wooden figure carved by an inexperienced craftsman, dull and rigid.
A teardrop mole under the corner of her left eye—a detail often mentioned by the elderly.
She futilely searched for a trace of the previous You Fangyin's shadow in this face but realized there was none left. There was no more of the You Fangyin from her previous life.
You Fangyin had never seen such a look in Jiang Xuening's eyes. The noblewoman who saved her seemed to want to see another person in her.
A mournful, weeping look mixed with acceptance of reality but breaking the dream.
Jiang Xuening couldn't help but clench her fingers, thinking she should say something. However, when she opened her mouth, no words came out.
After standing there for a long while, Jiang Xuening blinked and said to the bewildered women, "Go out."
The three women looked at each other, puzzled but afraid to refute. Even though they didn't understand the situation with the girl, they didn't dare to stay longer. They all retreated together, leaving only Jiang Xuening and You Fangyin in the room.
You Fangyin finally spoke slowly, "Thank you, thank you for saving my life…"
Jiang Xuening, however, stared at her, raised her finger, and lightly stroked the face she should be very familiar with, but now felt unfamiliar. She brushed away a strand of hair from You Fangyin's cheek and said dreamily, "Thank you! Yes, to save you, I gave up the greatest support in my life…"
You Fangyin was stunned.
Jiang Xuening then laughed at herself and said, "I think you don't want to die. Now that you've gone to the Palace of the King of Hell, what is there to be afraid of in the future? Let's go on like this, no matter what. Only by living as a human being can we not disgrace this skin."
Although this was her body, she shouldn't utter such biased words. But how could she suppress the loss in her heart? She considered herself an ordinary person.
You Fangyin probably didn't understand what she was talking about but simply looked at her with those big eyes.
The more Jiang Xuening looked, the more disappointed she became. It was too far away. She had wanted to say a lot but suddenly couldn't speak. Thousands of thoughts were hidden in her heart, and she didn't know where to begin, so they all stayed in her stomach for the time being.
"Tang'er." After contemplating for a while, Jiang Xuening called Tang'er to come in. "Did you bring any money? Give it to me."
Tang'er took out a purse, stuffed with some silver bills—three hundred taels, five ten taels, and some silver coins.
This was for the girl to use on her way home.
She glanced at Jiang Xuening, hesitated for a moment, and handed it over anyway.
Jiang Xuening opened it, took a look, then placed it on the table. She said, "You and I are also destined. Take this money and later, arrange a good coffin for your aunt, so she can be buried. As for the rest, keep it for yourself, live a good life."
You Fangyin didn't know how Jiang Xuening knew about her aunt. Her eyes turned red, and she burst into tears, but the crying was silent. Like a fish on the shore, opening its mouth wide and making no sound, it was more heart-piercing.
She dared not cry after all.
In the end, it was just an aunt who died in the mansion, possibly from hanging herself.
Jiang Xuening felt the atmosphere was oppressive, and she couldn't say another word to You Fangyin. After sitting for a while, she got up and walked outside.
Just as she reached the door, she stopped again.
Supporting the door frame with one hand, she looked back at You Fangyin and said indifferently, "Three days later, in the morning, there will be a businessman named Xu Wenyi selling a batch of raw silk outside the Jiangsu-Zhejiang Guild Hall in Dongshi. Go negotiate the price and buy some; you can sell it for three times the price in half a month. If you save some, it should be enough for you for a while."
You Fangyin's first pot of gold back then didn't come easily; even the money was usury borrowed from outside. However, she dared to break through, dare to think and dare to do it, so she made money. This You Fangyin, on the other hand, was like an elm bump—cowardly, with shallow knowledge, and a brain that didn't seem to be able to turn around. Even Jiang Xuening, who had the means and vision to learn from the previous life's You Fangyin, couldn't teach this one.
Jiang Xuening gave such guidance, but she did nothing wrong. After saying that, she furrowed her brows, called Tang'er, and left the courtyard.
You Fangyin was left alone in the room, looking at Jiang Xuening's receding back with tear-blurred eyes. Lowering her head, she stared at the purse in her palm and slowly clenched it tightly.