Splat—
A long sword glinting with a chilling aura pierced through her heart.
In slow motion, only a tiny spot of crimson on the sword tip was visible.
Meng Ruyi struggled desperately to see who was holding the sword.
But her vision was like being veiled in a thin mist...
Who was it!
She wanted to scream, but couldn't hear her own voice. Her strength ebbed away as the sword was withdrawn, and her eyelids grew heavier and heavier, as if weighted down with lead.
The mist gradually dissipated. The last things that came into Meng Ruyi's sight were a pair of beast - like cold eyes and a strikingly handsome yet ghostly face.
Creak—
A soft sound roused Meng Ruyi from the nightmare. Cold sweat had soaked through her undergarment, leaving an uncomfortable stickiness.
This dream was so real that even after waking up, the excruciating pain of being pierced still lingered in her chest.
Those strange eyes in the dream always seemed familiar, as if she had seen them somewhere before.
Meng Ruyi unconsciously bit her lips. Her clear eyes were now veiled in a mist, taking on a hint of gloom that didn't match her age.
"Ruyi..."
A voice tinged with concern came. Meng Ruyi was startled out of her reverie. Following the sound, she saw Auntie Meng looking worried. When their eyes met, Auntie Meng showed a gentle smile unique to an elder, holding a bowl of medicine and standing at the door.
"Auntie Meng."
Meng Ruyi had been ill for a long time, and after such a terrifying nightmare, her face was as pale as if it had been painted with white flour.
But seeing Auntie Meng, who had always doted on her, rushing over with a worried look, she still managed to force a smile and said hoarsely, "Why are you here at this time?"
It was mealtime. If there hadn't been an urgent matter, Auntie Meng should have been in the next courtyard having dinner with the whole family.
[Big Brother, it's time to take your medicine (Pan Jinlian's expression)]
[Wuwuwu, what a cute little girl! Don't drink it! What kind of person is this woman! I'm so angry!]
[Stop spoiling the plot, you spoilsport! I curse anyone who spoils the plot to meet Sadako tonight!]
[Hurry up and drink. Stop being so indecisive. Let us continue watching!]
What was this!?
These words were completely different from what Meng Ruyi had learned, but miraculously, she could understand them as if she had studied them. Unfortunately, she couldn't grasp the meaning of some of the words.
The words flashed by incredibly fast, but she could see them all clearly. Moreover, these words passed through Auntie Meng's body and had no physical form. Meng Ruyi turned her head slightly and found that these things were fixed right above her line of sight.
Meng Ruyi was greatly shocked. Her hands tightly clutched the quilt.
Seeing Meng Ruyi staring blankly at the top of her head, the eldest mistress thought she was looking at her. The kind smile on her face suddenly seemed a bit strange. Her hand holding the medicine trembled slightly, and then she gave a look to the stout maid standing beside her.
Meng Ruyi was the only daughter of the second son's family. The eldest mistress was married to Meng Ruyi's eldest uncle, who was a scholar. In theory, their life should have been decent.
However, her eldest uncle was a man who cared too much about his reputation. He spent all his money on maintaining his appearance, so their life became increasingly difficult.
Meng Ruyi's father had only one daughter, so her eldest uncle's family was coveting the family property that Meng Ruyi's father had built from scratch.
But this beautiful dream was shattered a few months ago. Meng Ruyi's father actually wanted his daughter to take over the Meng family's business.
The eldest uncle of the Meng family was anxious. What about their son then!
The whole family had been dropping hints for a long time, but Meng Ruyi's father was determined and refused to budge.
Fortunately, the eldest uncle of the Meng family had a friend who was a famous doctor. He came from the capital and gave a harmful prescription. As long as anyone took this medicine for three months, they would surely die.
Moreover, after taking this medicine, there would be no sign of poisoning at all when the person died. Even if a coroner examined the body, they could only conclude that the person died of catching a cold.
Taking advantage of the fact that Meng Ruyi had caught a cold, the eldest uncle's family had her take this medicine without a hitch.
Today's dose was the last one.
Thinking about this, the eldest mistress looked at the girl in front of her.
Meng Ruyi was beautiful, with deer - like eyes, fair skin, cherry - like lips, and a perky nose. The fine hairs on top of her head were sticking up because they had been pressed during sleep. When she looked at people, her deer - like eyes were lively, and her expression carried a natural air of nobility, making her look even more cute and charming. Even at a young age, one could tell that she would grow up to be a great beauty.
Looking into Meng Ruyi's clear eyes, the eldest mistress's voice suddenly sounded a bit weak. "Ruyi, your cold hasn't gotten better for so long. Auntie went to ask that famous doctor for this medicine again. As long as you drink it, you'll get better."
Something was off!
Looking at those suddenly appearing sentences, although Meng Ruyi didn't understand the meaning of some of the words, she could sense the thick gloating in the sentences.
Watching Auntie Meng's hand holding the medicine getting closer to her mouth, with a slight tremble, Meng Ruyi had a bad premonition.
She couldn't drink this medicine!
Meng Ruyi couldn't believe it. But thinking about her deteriorating health since the last cold, her heart tightened. Her gaze towards the eldest mistress became a bit wary.
"Thank you for your kindness, Auntie. But I just woke up and I'm really feeling unwell. I can't take this medicine."
She pretended to be calm and gave the eldest mistress a weak smile. All she hoped was to buy some time until the maid came back.
"Auntie, my stomach feels uncomfortable just after waking up. Wait for Lianqiao to come back and help me drink it."
Her father and mother had been away on a delivery trip for some time. Lianqiao and Baizhi had been sent by Auntie Meng to get the food. She was all alone in the room. If Auntie Meng forced her, in her weak state, Meng Ruyi surely wouldn't even have the strength to struggle.
"Be obedient, Ruyi." The eldest mistress naturally wanted to see the medicine go down Meng Ruyi's throat. Pretending to be worried, she advised, "This medicine was hard - won by Auntie. If it gets cold, the medicinal effect will be gone."
No! Something was even more wrong. She couldn't drink this medicine!
Meng Ruyi suddenly felt her blood rush to her face. Her fingertips went numb and her breathing became rapid. She struggled to sit up, forcing a smile on her face, and involuntarily looked towards the door.
Did this little girl find something!
Seeing Meng Ruyi's strange expression, the eldest mistress's face instantly changed. The kindness on her face was replaced by viciousness. She gave a look to the maid behind her, gritted her teeth, and stepped onto the footstool in front of the bed.
Thinking about her son's future, the eldest mistress's face contorted. The false affection she had for Meng Ruyi disappeared completely.
Holding the medicine, she reached out one hand towards Meng Ruyi, intending to press down on her shoulder directly.
"Ruyi, be good. Drink the medicine and your illness will be cured."
Looking at the eldest mistress's contorted face, those strange words flashed through Meng Ruyi's mind again.
The kind - looking Auntie Meng wanted to kill her, and the thing in her hand was indeed medicine, but it was poison that would kill her.
What should she do!
Meng Ruyi didn't want to sit waiting for death. She gritted her teeth, summoned her last bit of strength, slipped through Auntie Meng's armpit, pushed aside the unprepared maid, and rushed out of the room after flinging open the door.
The cold wind outside was like a knife, stinging her face.
Shivering and her teeth chattering, Meng Ruyi didn't hesitate for a moment and rushed towards the courtyard gate.
Almost there! She was about to escape.
Her hand had already touched the latch. She pulled the door open a crack.
[Oh ho, she runs, and they chase! This little girl can't escape!]
[Aaahhh, don't get caught! Such a cute little girl. It's so tragic! Wuwuwu!]
[Exactly. This little girl's appearance is really beautiful. It would be a pity if she died!]
[Agreed +10086]
While the words flashed before her eyes, Meng Ruyi watched as the door was suddenly flung open. The maid guarding the door grabbed her tightly with her rough hands.
"Run! Let's see where you can go?"
Auntie Meng had chased out with the medicine bowl in her hand. Gone was the false concern from before. Her face was now as ugly as a death - bringing ghost. "I left someone at the door. Do you think you can escape from my grasp?"
As she spoke, the maid dragged Meng Ruyi over like a little chick.
Auntie Meng pried open Meng Ruyi's mouth. Meng Ruyi could feel the cold rim of the bowl pressing tightly against her lips.
The strong, fishy and bitter taste made her want to vomit, but she could only clench her teeth tightly.
"What are you doing?"
A hoarse and cold voice suddenly rang out.
A strange young man in the Meng family's servant clothes appeared at the door.
"Ah!" How could Auntie Meng have expected that there would be someone else watching in the shadows?
Taking advantage of her momentary panic, Meng Ruyi, with tears streaming down her face, tried her best to shout at the young man, "Um! Save—"
Seeing the tears on Meng Ruyi's face, Song Huaizhi's eyes remained calm, but the corner of his mouth curled up in a cold arc, which made people feel uneasy.
He stepped forward and kicked the maid away, then protected Meng Ruyi behind him.
The lively little girl he had met before had a panicked look on her face that he had never seen before. Her eyes were red - rimmed. Her chubby face from a few days ago had inexplicably become a bit thinner. She looked like a poor little rabbit caught by a hunter.
Song Huaizhi's face was cold. With a slight raise of his long arm, he knocked the medicine bowl out of the woman's hand.
The two maids felt as if they were being stared at by a ferocious wolf under his sinister gaze. Cold sweat immediately soaked through their clothes.
Meng Ruyi wiped the tears from her eyes fiercely with her sleeve. She gritted her teeth to calm herself down and only then did she get a clear look at the young man's appearance.
Oh my god! This person looked so much like the man who had killed her in the dream! Where did he come from? There was no such person in the family!
Meng Ruyi was almost desperate. But thinking about the medicine in Auntie Meng's hand, she shrank back tightly behind the young man.
"Who... who are you? How dare you break into a private house?!"
Meeting the young man's gaze, Auntie Meng felt as if a piece of her flesh had been cut off with a knife. Cold sweat broke out on her body instantly, and her lips trembled.
[Although I don't know who this handsome guy is, judging from his appearance, he's not ordinary!]
[Holy cow, it's Song Huaizhi! God Song! Why are you here? You're so handsome! Wuwuwu!]
[Are you crazy? There are people who like an anti - social villain. Do you like him because he's a psycho and a killer?]
Meng Ruyi: "???!?!"
Could it be! Isn't this the young man she had saved a few days ago?