Qiao Nian didn't remain unconscious for long. After just the time it took for a stick of incense to burn, she opened her eyes.
She was fully awake.
She was clearly aware of where she was, and even more clearly remembered why she was here.
The image of Lady Lin smashing a stone onto her head was etched deeply into her heart!
So much so that just thinking about Lady Lin at this moment made her heart ache unbearably.
The pain was so intense that it even disrupted her breathing.
But, hadn't she already figured some things out long ago?
In the hearts of the Lin family members, she would never be as important as Lin Yuan, who shared the same blood as them. They always claimed that she was their daughter forever, but ever since Lin Yuan returned to the Marquis Mansion, they had already cast her out of their hearts!
She had long been abandoned by them. During those countless days and nights in the Laundry Bureau, this fact had assailed her time and time again, leaving her cold all over and in excruciating pain. Eventually, she had slowly gotten used to it...
She had long recognized this.
She had long been accustomed to it!
But...
Why did her heart still ache so much?
The mother who had once doted on her so much, who would stay by her side without taking off her clothes when she was sick, who would cry even harder than her when she was injured, and who would wish to take her place when she was bleeding...
How could she be the one to smash such a large stone onto her forehead!
Her eyes grew warm.
Tears as big as beans trickled down from the corners of her eyes to her ears.
Qiao Nian quickly reached out to wipe them away, smearing all the continuously falling tears onto her sleeves.
Don't cry.
She wouldn't cry!
What was the big deal!
It was just a blow!
She had endured countless days of being beaten until her head bled in the Laundry Bureau. Why couldn't she endure it when it was Lady Lin who did it?
There was no reason for this!
Qiao Nian, this is the Marquis Mansion. You can't cry!
When Ningshuang entered, Qiao Nian had already gotten out of bed.
She was startled and quickly stepped forward. "Miss, why are you up? Your injury..."
"It's nothing serious," Qiao Nian replied indifferently, trying her best to appear calm.
However, the faint sob that escaped her throat betrayed the fact that she had just been crying.
Only then did Ningshuang notice that Qiao Nian's eyes were red.
Even though the tear stains on her face had been wiped away, the signs of having cried couldn't be concealed so easily.
As a result, Ningshuang couldn't help but feel 心疼. Her voice was tinged with a sob. "Miss..."
Seeing that Ningshuang was about to cry, Qiao Nian forced a smile, reached out, and covered her mouth. "Ningshuang, we can't cry."
She was different from Lin Yuan.
Lin Yuan had her parents' love, her elder brother's affection, and Xiao Heng's protection. So, she could cry without restraint, shedding tears whenever and wherever she wanted.
But Qiao Nian was different.
She couldn't let them see her weakness, not even the slightest bit.
Otherwise, they would keep bullying her.
Life in this Marquis Mansion was already difficult enough. She must never let them see her tears.
Therefore, Ningshuang couldn't cry either.
Her maid had to be as tough and brave as she was. They couldn't let them look down on them in the slightest.
Ningshuang was stunned for a moment. But then, she saw something extremely solemn in Qiao Nian's eyes.
It was so solemn that she didn't dare to disobey Qiao Nian's words. She forced back the tears that were about to spill out.
Seeing that Ningshuang had composed herself, Qiao Nian let go of her and deliberately teased her with a smile. "Although we haven't been mistress and maid for long, our bond is deep. Even our injuries are the same."
At the moment, both of them had their heads wrapped, which made them look rather strange.
Ningshuang was amused, but then she chided, "Miss, you're still joking at a time like this."
Qiao Nian shrugged. "I'm not in a fit state to see Grandmother. I'll return to Fanghe Courtyard today and come back in a couple of days."
She wasn't really sure which part of her head Lady Lin had hit. With the gauze still wrapped around her head, if she went to see the Old Lady like this, it would only make the Old Lady feel sad and worried.
She could only pray that Lady Lin hadn't hit her forehead. That way, after removing the gauze tomorrow, at least the Old Lady wouldn't be able to tell that she had an injury on her head, and she could come to visit the Old Lady tomorrow.
As Qiao Nian was about to leave, unexpectedly, Ningshuang stopped her. "Miss! Lady Lin is still outside."
Qiao Nian was stunned. A pang of pain shot through her heart, but she deliberately ignored it.
Then Ningshuang said, "Lady Lin probably feels sorry for you, so she's been waiting outside. She won't leave until she sees you today."
Qiao Nian didn't say a word. She just walked slowly to the table and sat down.
Ningshuang didn't know what Qiao Nian was thinking. After a moment of hesitation, she continued, "Miss, this is a side room. There's no covered corridor outside. Lady Lin is standing in the courtyard, and there's no maid by her side... It's quite cold today. I'm afraid it might rain later."
So, if Qiao Nian didn't go out to meet her, would Lady Lin keep waiting until it rained?
Qiao Nian picked up the kettle on the table and poured herself a cup of water.
The tea was still warm. She picked it up and sipped it slowly.
So, what kind of act was Lady Lin putting on now?
A play of self - pity?
After smashing her head with a stone for Lin Yuan's sake, was she now going to stage a show of remorse?
Was she betting that Qiao Nian still had a conscience and would forgive her out of the mother - daughter bond of the past dozen years?
Was she betting that Qiao Nian would feel sorry for her?
But had she ever thought about how much it hurt when that stone hit Qiao Nian's head?
She put the empty cup back on the table and said slowly, "Tell her I'm still not awake."
Hearing this, Ningshuang showed obvious reluctance. "But Miss, when we were talking just now, they could definitely hear us from outside..."
They hadn't deliberately lowered their voices just now. Even if those outside couldn't make out exactly what they were saying, they could still hear some movement from inside the room.
She was trying to remind Qiao Nian that this lie wouldn't hold up.
Lady Lin couldn't possibly not know that Qiao Nian was awake.
But after hearing Ningshuang's words, Qiao Nian only replied with a single word, "Mm."
At this, Ningshuang understood.
She then curtsied. "Then please rest well, Miss."
With that, she left the room.
The door closed, and the room suddenly seemed rather dim.
Qiao Nian gently tapped the cup in her hand against the tabletop again and again. The faint sound filled the whole room, yet it only made the room seem even more empty and cold.
She didn't know how long she sat there like this.
She only knew that when Ningshuang came back, she looked extremely troubled. "Miss, Lady Lin said she won't leave until she sees you today. She... she also asked this servant to show you this."
After saying that, Ningshuang handed a small red bundle in her hand to Qiao Nian.
Qiao Nian didn't know what it was. She reached out to take it and opened it. Unexpectedly, a small, white object suddenly fell out of the red bundle.
It was a tooth!