The moonlight fell eerily on the window lattice, its silver radiance spilling onto a body marked with traces, the struggling person now still.
Those wide, unblinking eyes stared at her, unable to rest in death.
Ye Luan crouched down, took out a silver needle, moved the corpse back to the bed, covered it with the quilt, erased all the marks, and turned to leave.
She hid herself in the bamboo forest and waited.
The sound of the night watchman's gong rang out, and not long after, a man in plain cloth entered the room.
Seeing this, Ye Luan raised an eyebrow and left with peace of mind.
Ye Xue's death was announced three days later, said to be from illness.
However, rumors circulated throughout the estate, all related to scandal.
The previous day, she had killed a servant. Some said it was a young servant from the estate, who had died from excessive excitement during intimacy with the second young lady, and the master used illness as a guise to cover up the shame.
Others said the second young lady had committed suicide after failing to force a concubine.
Everyone was discussing it in private, and more people were happy. Ye Xue, relying on her status, was arrogant, domineering, ruthless, and bullied the maids in the estate, making her deeply unpopular.
Her death was a cause for widespread celebration.
Ye Wensong did not wish to hold a grand funeral, which might affect his official career. He buried her perfunctorily, reprimanded everyone in the estate, and suppressed the various rumors.
Madam Gao cried and fainted, then cried again, making a scene in the study for several days.
Her daughter had always been healthy, how could she die of illness? Yet the doctor could not find anything, and her death was suspicious.
But the estate had many young ladies and young masters, and Ye Wensong would not waste his time on a dead person.
To ensure his son's smooth official career and to climb higher by associating with the royal family, he soon sent a庶女 (concubine born of a concubine) to the Third Prince's mansion as a concubine.
When Ye Luan heard these things, her expression remained unchanged.
"Miss, will this really work?"
Granny Fang and Fu Dai watched the medicinal herbs in the cauldron with wide eyes, asking curiously.
Ye Luan picked out the items with a fire hook. "We'll know when I'm done and try it."
She had to leave before her wedding, but the capital city gates were strictly guarded, with Xiao Chizhan's eyes and ears everywhere.
She needed to disguise her true appearance so as not to be recognized.
Lately, perhaps because of Xiao Chizhan, Ye Wensong had not mistreated her, and no one had come to trouble her.
She lived very well in the estate.
As the wedding date approached, various jewelry and dowry items were sent to Yue Ya Yuan.
Ye Wensong even put on a show of fatherly affection to visit her, his meaning clear: she was a daughter of the Ye family, and having married into the Duke's mansion, she should help her brothers in the estate.
She agreed cheerfully but forgot it as soon as she turned away.
On the Qiqiao Festival, Lu Feibo invited her to admire the lanterns.
"Miss, should we wear this red dress?"
Ye Luan sat before the vanity. Hearing Fu Dai's question, she turned to look at the red neon dress, her gaze darkening slightly.
She lowered her eyes slightly and shook her head. "No, wear the plain colored one."
A moon-white ruqun, a soft smoke-dyed embroidered skirt at the waist, made of light, misty gauze brocade, making her waist appear to be less than a handspan.
Her black hair was styled into an elegant updo, adorned with a simple blue cloud hairpin, yet she was as beautiful as a lotus on green waves, shining like an autumn chrysanthemum.
"Miss's features are bright and beautiful. While the plain color is lovely, it always lacks a certain flair."
In her heart, she still felt that Miss suited bright and vibrant colors like red.
Ye Luan smiled and said nothing.
Lu Feibo's carriage was parked at the entrance of the backyard.
When Ye Luan pushed open the small door to emerge, she saw a plain carriage from which intermittent coughs could be heard.
"Miss Ye."
The servant immediately smiled and helped her into the carriage.
A strong medicinal scent filled the carriage. Ye Luan pushed open the carriage door and looked at the man inside, slightly stunned.
She had imagined the man rumored to be on the verge of death to be a mere skeleton of a patient, but unexpectedly, the man was handsome, with a face like jade and clear, bright eyes.
However, upon closer inspection, one could see the dark circles under his eyelids, clearly indicating a lingering illness that had reached its critical stage.
Seeing her staring at him, Lu Feibo's pale, thin lips curved slightly. He gestured with difficulty, "Miss Ye, please sit."
His voice was as clear and crisp as pine trees in the mountains, very pleasant to hear.
Ye Luan had a good first impression of him.
She smiled faintly and sat on the right side.
Inside the carriage, it was so quiet that the drop of a silver needle could be heard.
Lu Feibo looked at the woman before him, a flicker of melancholy in his eyes. He sighed and extended his pale hand to pour her tea.
Ye Luan was also observing him. He wore an elegant, light green long robe, with a cold and refined demeanor. He exuded a strong medicinal scent, as if he had been soaked in a medicine vat for years.
It had long been rumored that Lu Feibo had been sickly since birth and had been taking medicine year-round. Seeing him now, the rumors might be true.
Then, what did Lu Feibo want to say by inviting her to admire the lanterns today?
"Drink your tea."
Ye Luan accepted the tea and smiled, "Thank you."
Neither of them were talkative people, and the carriage became even quieter.
Ye Luan looked at the man who was clearly pale and weak, and she frowned inwardly, wondering what kind of illness he had.
"Seeing is better than hearing. Miss Ye is a radiant beauty; Lu is indeed fortunate."
He smiled at her, his amber eyes warm and lustrous like jade. Sitting there quietly, he gave off an aura of aloofness and isolation, like a snowy pine, seemingly out of reach.
Ye Luan smiled faintly, "The Emperor's bestowal of marriage is the humble subject's good fortune."
"I am a dying man and have burdened Miss Ye."
He spoke indifferently, as if he had come to terms with life and death.
Ye Luan listened to his weak cough and saw the white handkerchief stained with small spots of blood. Unable to help herself, she spoke,
"May I presume to ask, what illness does the Heir suffer from?"
Hearing her concern, the cold and detached aura around Lu Feibo changed slightly.
He looked up at her, and after a moment, gave a bitter smile. "After so many years, Miss Ye is the first to show me concern."
He had been sickly since childhood. The imperial physicians had predicted he would not live past twenty. The news had spread like wildfire throughout the capital, and almost no woman was willing to marry him.
He had originally thought Ye Luan would be the same, but she... did not seem to dislike him.
Thinking this, Lu Feibo spoke gently, "I was poisoned in my mother's womb and have relied on medicinal herbs to survive for so many years. It is borrowed time."
Ye Luan pursed her lips slightly. "There are many capable and unusual people in the world, and even more renowned doctors in the markets. Heir, please be at ease; good fortune favors the kind."
Poisoned in the womb was clearly a tactic commonly used in noble households. As the legitimate heir, too many people had their eyes on him; someone wanted him dead before he was even born.
It seemed his situation in the Lu family was not good either.
Lu Feibo paused in his tea-drinking, smiled, and shook his head.
"I have been plagued by illness for a long time. In my youth, I was fed a lot of poison and drank too much medicine. Three parts poison in every medicine; it is beyond recovery."
They were not yet familiar enough to discuss the dirty tactics of noble households.
Ye Luan couldn't help but glance in the man's direction.
He was drinking tea, his fingers long and well-defined, like scallions, but too pale and thin, with veins faintly visible.
Smelling the medicinal scent on him and recalling his words, Ye Luan sighed inwardly.