NOVEL NEXT Chapter 8: Why Did You Torment Me
Chapter 8: Why Did You Torment Me
Meanwhile, just as Qiao Nian helped the Old Madam back to her room, the Old Madam fell ill.
As Madam Lin had said, the Old Madam’s health was indeed much worse than before.
Although she had tried to control her emotions today, she was still too excited. After lying down, she began to breathe heavily.
Fortunately, Nanny Su, who attended to the Old Madam, had anticipated this and had the manor’s doctor waiting outside the Old Madam’s room. After the Old Madam lay down, the doctor applied acupuncture and massage. After about half an hour, the Old Madam finally recovered.
The process wasn’t particularly dangerous, but Qiao Nian, standing nearby, was still shocked and at a loss.
Seeing the panic on Qiao Nian’s face, the Old Madam, leaning against the bedhead, beckoned to her.
Qiao Nian’s nose was a bit red, but fearing that her emotional state might cause the Old Madam to fall ill again, she held back her tears and walked to the Old Madam’s bedside.
“Were you frightened?” the Old Madam asked with a warm smile.
Qiao Nian sniffled, holding the Old Madam’s hand tightly, “Grandmother promised Nian Nian to live to a hundred years old.”
She only had her grandmother left.
The Old Madam looked at Qiao Nian tenderly, “Grandmother also wants to live to a hundred, to protect Nian Nian forever…”
But clearly, she wouldn’t be able to protect her for much longer.
Thinking of this, the Old Madam suddenly asked, “Nian Nian, would you like Grandmother to find a good marriage for you?”
While she was still relatively healthy and could still have some say in this marquis’s household, finding a good marriage for Nian Nian would be a way to protect her for life.
Qiao Nian understood the Old Madam’s intention, but still shook her head, lowering her eyes, “Nian Nian only wants to stay by Grandmother’s side.”
These three years had made her see too many things clearly.
Even the closest family who had been with her for fifteen years could abandon her overnight. How could she entrust her life to a stranger, a so-called husband?
She thought that in this life, she would only accompany her grandmother. After her grandmother passed away, she would move out of the marquis’s manor. Even if she had to live alone with only a dim lamp and ancient Buddha, it would be better than being entangled with the others in this manor.
The Old Madam knew that Qiao Nian had been stubborn since childhood. When she didn’t want to do something, no one could persuade her. So she could only sigh softly and say no more.
Qiao Nian stayed with the Old Madam for a while longer, only leaving after the Old Madam had fallen asleep.
Unexpectedly, soon after she returned to Fanghe Courtyard, Ning Shuang came to report, “Young Miss, the Second Young Miss has come to see you.”
Lin Yuan?
Qiao Nian’s brows furrowed slightly, but before she could speak, Ning Shuang added, “The Second Young Miss came alone.”
Hearing this, Qiao Nian laughed, “Did she tell you to say that?”
Ning Shuang blinked her innocent eyes and nodded, then added, “If Young Miss doesn’t want to see her, this servant will go and refuse her.”
See, even a maid knew she didn’t want to see Lin Yuan.
But Lin Yuan apparently didn’t know.
She even specifically asked Ning Shuang to tell her that the maid who had falsely accused her of breaking the crystal bowl hadn’t come.
It was truly laughable.
The person who falsely accused her back then was indeed Lin Yuan’s maid, but the one who broke the crystal bowl and didn’t dare to admit it, who watched silently as her maid falsely accused her, who tacitly allowed her to take the blame, was Lin Yuan herself!
So Qiao Nian couldn’t understand why Lin Yuan would think she would see her.
She coldly said, “Tell her I’ve gone to sleep.”
“Yes!” Ning Shuang responded and went out, returning after a while.
Her expression was somewhat dejected, as if she was a bit embarrassed to speak, “Young Miss, the Second Young Miss says she came specifically today to apologize to you. If you don’t see her, she’ll keep standing outside and won’t leave. This servant can see that it’s about to snow.”
Actually, Ning Shuang didn’t know why the Second Young Miss was so insistent on seeing her mistress.
But the Second Young Miss was after all the darling of the marquis’s household. If she really got caught in the snow outside, who knows what kind of gossip the people in the manor would spread.
It wouldn’t be good for her mistress.
Qiao Nian frowned slightly, sighing inwardly. Finally, she spoke with some weariness, “Then let her come in.”
“Yes.” Ning Shuang responded and left. Shortly after, Lin Yuan entered.
At this time, Qiao Nian was sitting by the tea table in the outer room, applying ointment for chilblains to the back of her hand.
Lin Yuan immediately noticed Qiao Nian’s hands with their five fingers bruised and purple, and her heart skipped a beat.
She then stepped forward, bowed slightly, and said, “Yuan’er pays respects to Sister.”
Qiao Nian didn’t even raise an eyelid, only saying, “Sit.”
Her voice was soft but carried a hint of coldness.
Lin Yuan didn’t sit, but instead walked forward, “Let Yuan’er apply the medicine for Sister.”
As she spoke, she picked up the ointment from the tea table, making to apply it to the back of Qiao Nian’s hand.
But Qiao Nian hid her hand in her sleeve.
She finally looked up at Lin Yuan, her lips curled in a faint mockery, “It’s cold outside. Why isn’t Miss Lin staying in her own room? What are you doing here?”
Perhaps it was Qiao Nian’s icy attitude that made Lin Yuan feel somewhat wronged. Her eyes reddened slightly as she stood there, speaking softly, “Yuan’er came to apologize to Sister. Everything that happened back then was Yuan’er’s fault. If Yuan’er hadn’t broken the crystal bowl, Sister wouldn’t have suffered so much! Sister can hit or scold Yuan’er, I won’t complain at all, as long as Sister can let go of her anger.”
Lin Yuan looked as if she was about to kneel down.
It seemed so sincere.
But Qiao Nian only coldly looked at her, waiting for her to finish before asking, “Do you think your only mistake back then was breaking the crystal bowl?”
This question stopped Lin Yuan in her tracks.
Qiao Nian slowly stood up and walked towards the door, looking at the few lonely broken branches standing on the already frozen lotus pond. She couldn’t help but take a deep breath.
The cold air instantly entered her lungs, making her entire aura even colder.
“You are the legitimate daughter of the marquis’s household. For the first fifteen years, I stole your glory and wealth, so I know that the Marquis and Madam should dote on you, the young master should protect you, and even the Falling Plum Courtyard that I liked so much should have been yours. Lin Yuan, when you came back then, I felt guilty towards you.”
“I thought about going back to my birth parents, but the Marquis said my birth parents had both passed away and told me to stay in the manor without worry. For this, I was very grateful, and I secretly vowed to get along well with you from then on. Even if there would be some differences in our hearts, but…”
At this point, Qiao Nian turned to look at Lin Yuan, “Ask yourself honestly, have I ever harmed you?”
Lin Yuan’s eyes were red, as if tears might fall at any moment.
For a moment, Qiao Nian felt helpless.
If others in the marquis’s household saw this, they would probably accuse her of bullying Lin Yuan again.
Back then, wasn’t it because of Lin Yuan’s look like this that Lin Ye had kicked her down from the small building?
But clearly, she had done nothing.
Feeling a chill in her heart, Qiao Nian coldly looked at the little white flower about to shed tears, her voice becoming even colder, “So why did you torment me?!”