cold clothes

“This is no excuse for you to aid and abet evil…” Leng Yi’s voice trembled with anger.

Madam Hu laughed contemptuously: "Who do you think I am? What kind of place is Fengxiang Tower?" She suddenly bent down and approached Leng Yi, pinching Leng Yi's chin with her hand, her eyes filled with venom: "Yun Mei was going to die sooner or later, didn't you know? Yun Mei was originally Liang Shuyun's servant. Yun Mei's parents were both servants of the Liang family. Yun Mei's father died early, and Liang Shuyun took a fancy to Yun Mei's mother—and young Yun Mei. Yun Mei's mother died so that Yun Mei could escape, and Yun Mei was saved by the people of my Fengxiang Tower, otherwise she would have died long ago. And then, Yun Mei and her mother look exactly alike, even more beautiful, and Liang Shuyun recognized her at a glance."

Mrs. Hu looked at Leng Yi's angry eyes with a mocking expression and said, "Do you think Yun Mei's death was justified?"

"Damn it!" Leng Yi threw a punch in a fit of rage, but couldn't even touch Hu Mama's clothes. His fist was pressed down by an invisible force and he couldn't move. Leng Yi was shocked and was thrown two meters away in the next instant.

What is this? Internal energy?

Madam Hu flicked her slightly disheveled wide sleeves, and upon seeing Leng Yi's terrified expression, her cold demeanor changed. She sighed and said, "Actually, I didn't want Yunmei to die. I personally taught Yunmei, and she's like my own daughter to me. But how could I offend the Vice Minister of Works? Those high-ranking officials and nobles could crush us with a single finger. I had no choice." With that, she wiped away her barely visible tears with a handkerchief.

...Does this person think she's a three-year-old?

After wiping away her tears, Mrs. Hu said again, "Sigh, Ningbi, you're still young and don't understand many things. When you grow up, you'll understand your mother's difficulties. Hate me if you want, anyway—you can't do anything right now."

...Is he suffering from a split personality? His eyes have turned into those of a venomous snake!

"Ningbi, you need to be good. If you behave, I'll let you out. If you don't behave, you have to pretend to be good like you did at the beginning. Don't show your fangs and bite people, understand? It will scare people."

"Hmph," Leng Yi couldn't help but snort, "I think the scariest person in the entire Fengxiang Pavilion is you."

Madam Hu's fake smile froze for a moment, then she threw her head back and laughed loudly. To Leng Yi, that expression was a complete display of split personality. After laughing, Madam Hu looked down at Leng Yi and said, "I'll give you half a month to learn your lesson in the dungeon. If you haven't learned it by then, it's okay."

"Then I'll gouge out your eyes and make them into pearls for my hairpin." With that, she turned and left.

Gouging out eyes to make beads? That's incredibly vicious...

Leng Yi thought to himself, "I'm so angry."

However, she believed that Hu's mother was capable of doing it.

After Aunt Hu left, Leng Yi breathed a sigh of relief and regained her composure. She stood up and rubbed her sore bottom. It really hurt. She hadn't expected Aunt Hu to know martial arts.

Leng Yi wasn't stupid. From the moment she stepped into the entrance of Fengxiang Pavilion, she knew her fate. It was just that the wickedness of people's hearts kept pushing the boundaries of her understanding. Liang Shuyun...

The thought of that perverted liar made Leng Yi's hands clench involuntarily. She was determined to make Liang Shuyun pay the price, and as for Madam Hu, humph, if she hadn't revealed her martial arts skills, Leng Yi would have truly believed that she was incapable of saving Yun Mei. She was just a vicious snake who didn't care about Yun Mei's life at all. The girls at Fengxiang Pavilion were all tools for her to make money, and Leng Yi was no exception.

She came specifically to threaten and intimidate, but didn't actually lay a hand on Leng Yi. This was clearly because Leng Yi was valuable enough that she couldn't bear to destroy her. Imprisoning her for half a month would make her obedient and follow her orders. If Leng Yi were just a child, she would probably be out of control by now, but unfortunately, Leng Yi is not.

But... what good is it if her soul is an adult? In her previous life, she was just an ordinary person, without superpowers or cheat codes. She was just a wage slave struggling in society, a machine cog in the machine that produces surplus value.

There's nothing she can do right now.

Realizing this clearly, Leng Yi wasn't in despair, but rather feeling oppressed. There wasn't a dead end before her, but only one path—the path she despised and loathed most.

She had no choice but to abandon her dignity, discard her shame, and lose her personality, turning into a vine to cling to a man. This was the only path she could take.

Leng Yi looked up unwillingly, but in the dark and cold dungeon, she could not see any light.

In the Jingya Pavilion, illuminated by the bright moon, candlelight flickered. Granny Liu handed a secret letter to Granny Hu. Granny Hu glanced at it and then burned it, asking, "Has Yunmei's body been disposed of?"

"He has been cremated and buried in the back mountain."

"Yes, spread the word that Yun Mei has suddenly passed away from an incurable illness."

"Yes."

"Also, send someone to keep an eye on Ningbi, make sure she doesn't catch a cold and die in the dungeon." After saying that, a satisfied smile appeared on his lips: "That girl is a promising talent."

Granny Liu said cautiously, "Does Madam really want Ningbi to enter Zhuoyu Pavilion? We don't know anything about that child, and she's quite cunning."

“Cunning is also an advantage. At first, she pretended to be pitiful and it was quite convincing, even fooling me. In any case, she must be used by me.” After saying this, Madam Hu’s expression hardened, and she turned to look at the door. A maid’s voice came from outside the door: “Mother, someone requests an audience.” Then the door opened, and a young man in gray walked in.

The boy was about ten years old, dressed in coarse gray clothes, with a thin and fair face, looking like a commoner's child. However, when Hu Mama saw him, her expression softened, and she said "Young Master." Liu Mama quickly bowed and greeted him.

The boy bowed to Madam Hu and said, "Aunt."

"..." Madam Hu's face showed a moment of sorrow, "Young master, please change your words as soon as possible and be careful with your speech."

"Xie Yin knows." The young man who called himself Xie Yin nodded, then asked, "I heard that Miss Yun Mei has died. What happened?"

"Last night, Liang Shuyun tortured Yun Mei to death... Today he sent ten thousand taels of silver."

Xie Yin raised an eyebrow and sneered, "Ten thousand taels of silver is perfect evidence of embezzlement and bribery. Liang Shuyun is incredibly stupid."

"In that case, I'll have someone leak it."

“There’s no need to rush, Madam,” Xie Yin paused, then said, “Dealing with Liang Shuyun is easy, but we’re not entirely confident in getting the position of Vice Minister of Works yet. Now is not the time.”

Mrs. Hu nodded in agreement, looking at the boy with a youthful face but a composed demeanor with satisfaction, and said, "You can think so far ahead; the great cause of our Xie family is just around the corner. By the way, how is your injury?"

"Madam, please don't worry. My injuries are not serious. It's just that I can only stay at Fengxiang Tower for the time being."

"This... I'll arrange for you to stay at Langxuan Pavilion?" Madam Hu hesitated slightly.

Xie Yin looked slightly embarrassed and quickly said, "I can stay at the herbal medicine hall."

"So good."

"Then, I shall take my leave. Madam, please rest well." Xie Yin bowed and departed.

As Hu's mother watched Xie Yin's departing figure, a rare tenderness and affection, along with a complex and unfathomable emotion, appeared on her face.

The night was long and cold, but the bright moon hung high, casting its gentle light.