Chapter 45: Don’t Bully My Sister
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One of the men sat in a wheelchair.
His demeanor was gentle, akin to Du Zi Heng, exuding the air of a refined gentleman. However, unlike Du Zi Heng, he bore an aura of frailty and lacked a measure of confidence and poise.
This man was none other than Yu Ming Quan, the third son of the Yu Mansion, and the nominal elder brother of Yu Zhi Yi.
Once a celebrated talent in the capital, Yu Ming Quan had been blessed with brilliance, but heaven seemed to envy his gifts. At twelve, he fell gravely ill. Although he recovered, his legs were irreparably damaged.
In her previous life, Yu Zhi Yi had sought a way to heal his legs. Yet, just as she managed to gather the necessary materials, she was forced to marry Zhang Tian Shun and subsequently followed him to the borderlands shortly after their marriage.
Before departing, she left the method to cure him, entrusting someone to deliver it to his hands.
Regrettably, he did not believe her.
When she returned to the capital over a decade later, he was still confined to his wheelchair. Years of immobility had taken a toll on his health, and he passed away shortly after her return.
Among the members of the Yu Family, Yu Ming Quan was one of the few who continued to treat her kindly—both in her past life and in this one.
As Yu Zhi Yi stood lost in thought, voices drifted from the front.
“Young Master Du, Yi’er is my sister. I hope the rumors are just that—rumors. And more than that, I hope you’ll never do anything to betray her. Though I am confined to this chair, I am still capable of standing up for my sister.”
Du Zi Heng’s expression turned awkward.
The entanglement between the three of them was complicated. In truth, none of them were at fault, leaving him at a loss for words. He could only reply, “Rest assured, Third Brother. Zhi Yi has been doing well in the Du Mansion. Since her arrival, I have done nothing to harm her.”
What he did, he did before her arrival.
Though Yu Ming Quan had heard fragments of the story, he was not privy to all the details. Satisfied by Du Zi Heng’s assurance, he nodded. “In that case, good.”
Declining Du Zi Heng’s invitation to enter the mansion, Yu Ming Quan had his attendant push his wheelchair back toward the Yu Mansion.
Yu Zhi Yi did not reveal herself.
She stood silently, watching Yu Ming Quan’s retreating figure. Her gaze grew somber.
If there was one lingering regret from her previous life, it was this: why did Third Brother refuse to believe her? Why had he burned the prescription she sent him?
By then, she had already made a name for herself. She was no longer the naive, untrustworthy girl of her teens.
Du Zi Heng, unaware of her presence behind the door, turned and walked briskly toward the end of the street.
She knew he was going to deliver talismans. She felt nothing about it.
Her good mood had been thoroughly ruined. She lost interest in strolling and returned to the Breeze Pavilion.
She did not feel like cultivating, nor did she have an appetite. Instead, she retreated to the incense chamber.
The room was filled with the gentle aroma of sandalwood.
Seated on a cushion, Yu Zhi Yi’s radiant face was expressionless, her gaze vacant.
As a child, she had no one but Zi Yuan to confide in. Later, even some matters became too heavy to share with Zi Yuan, so she turned to her ancestral master.
“Here I am to trouble you again,” she murmured.
“I have been reborn for so long, yet I still feel lost. What is the purpose of this second chance?”
Had she been reborn before her marriage, she would never have married Du Zi Heng.
Her master had only said her ties to this world were unresolved, but never specified they were of a romantic nature.
Still, she could not have her way.
“Master, I have no expectations of familial bonds, but I cannot understand one thing…”
Just as she was about to voice her doubts, frantic knocking interrupted her. Zi Yuan’s anxious voice called out, “Miss, something terrible has happened!”
Moments later, the door opened. Yu Zhi Yi asked calmly, “What happened?”
“The young master has been injured!”
When Yu Zhi Yi arrived at the Radiant Harmony Courtyard, the atmosphere was suffocating. The servants moved about in utter silence, not daring to make a sound.
The courtyard seemed shrouded in a pall of gloom, the tension palpable.
Drawing closer, Yu Zhi Yi caught the unmistakable scent of blood.
Du Lin knelt at the door, his back straight, radiating deep sorrow and guilt.
Madam Du wept inconsolably.
Seeing Yu Zhi Yi, she grasped her hand and sobbed, “Yi’er, Heng’er will be fine, won’t he? He must be fine, right?”
Though Yu Zhi Yi could no longer discern Du Zi Heng’s fortune, she offered reassurance. “Don’t worry, Mother. He will be fine.”
Her words seemed to anchor Madam Du. Though still distressed, her panic subsided somewhat.
Yu Zhi Yi then asked, “What happened?”
At her question, Madam Du’s grief turned to fury. Grinding her teeth, she exclaimed, “It’s that wretched girl’s fault!”
She turned toward the door and yelled, “Du Lin, get in here!”
Crawling into the room, Du Lin did not wait for further prompting. He spilled the events like beans tumbling from a bamboo tube.
It turned out that after You Bing Yue’s injury, her mood had been sour. Today, she decided to leave the city for a change of scenery.
Though Du Zi Heng initially refused, he eventually caved to her complaints of his indifference, accusing him of lacking love for her.
He arranged a carriage and carried her aboard.
“I was outside the carriage and didn’t hear much. I only caught bits about Young Master giving her something for protection, likely the Protective Talisman from Miss…”
Yu Zhi Yi interjected, “She refused it because she knew it came from me?”
She was puzzled. Even if You Bing Yue refused the talisman, Du Zi Heng would still have had it on him. How then did he get injured?
Madam Du, catching on, demanded, “And then? Did that woman stir up trouble?”
Lowering his head, Du Lin continued, “The two argued, and she seemed to demand that Young Master discard the talisman.”
“He promised to throw it away after getting off the carriage.”
“Then we were ambushed.”
“Though she was injured, her skills were formidable, and the assassins were not targeting her. She suffered no further harm. But Young Master… he was slashed three times. If not for his last-minute retreat into the carriage with her, relying on its defensive barrier and the timely arrival of the Capital Halberd Guards, we’d all be dead.”
Madam Du was livid. “That wretched girl! All because of her petty jealousy, she discarded a lifesaving talisman!”
Rarely losing her composure, she now cursed You Bing Yue as a wretch.
Even Yu Zhi Yi was taken aback by You Bing Yue’s jealousy. To spurn a lifesaving object over such trivial matters was beyond her comprehension.
Suddenly, the steward rushed in, panicked. “Madam, Young Madam, terrible news! The master has been ambushed!”
Instinctively, Yu Zhi Yi moved to support Madam Du, only to see her stagger and collapse unconscious.