Chapter 17: The Light Boat Has Already Passed Ten Thousand Mountains

"A life of luxury and comfort?" Lu Lanxi let out a sharp, mirthless laugh, her eyes growing increasingly manic. "Is that what you call the life I’ve led? Disguised as a boy, fighting with dogs for scraps, walking on thin ice, licking blood from the edge of a blade..."

Ye Nanzhi was taken aback; it was the first time Lu Lanxi had ever defied or provoked her, and a flicker of anger stirred within her. "Do you truly think your wings have hardened? Don’t forget, the poison I planted in your body is still there. Aren't you afraid..."

"I haven't forgotten. Of course I'm afraid. But I would rather die in agony than continue living without a shred of dignity."

Ye Nanzhi’s expression turned icy. "Indeed, you have the blood of the Youlan clan flowing through you—spirited and untamed. My years of meticulous training were not in vain."

She knew she could not afford a total fallout with Lu Lanxi yet; she still needed her to deal with that wretch, Li Xianyue. Like a proud peacock, Ye Nanzhi strutted out of the Glazed Pavilion. Yet, deep down, she harbored a grudge against Bai Zhi. She reasoned that since Lu Lanxi had always been submissive, this sudden defiance—and even the audacity of a mere maid to raise her voice—must have been instigated by Bai Zhi. She vowed that when the time was right, she would turn the maid into a pool of blood.

"Miss, please, drink some sugar water."

Bai Zhi appeared before Lu Lanxi with a steaming bowl. Lu Lanxi took it, blowing gently on the surface, but she could no longer hold back her tears. "Bai Zhi, it’s so good to still be able to drink the sugar water you make. Thank you."

"As long as you enjoy it, Miss. I am happy to brew sugar water for you for the rest of my life." Bai Zhi paused, her face darkening. "And Miss, Concubine Ye is truly going too far. After ten months of pregnancy and the agony of childbirth, how could she be so heartless as to curse you like that?"

Bai Zhi had originally come to close the windows, fearing the night air would chill her mistress, and had inadvertently overheard the entire exchange. After being struck, she had wiped away her tears and headed straight to the kitchen. She knew that whenever Lu Lanxi felt wounded or sad, a bowl of sugar water was her only comfort—as if, for a moment, it could make life taste a little sweeter.

"I've grown used to it. Does your face still hurt?"

"It doesn't, Miss. Don't worry, I have thick skin; I can take it."

Lu Lanxi tenderly touched Bai Zhi’s reddened cheek. "Rest assured, this slap will not go unavenged. Sooner or later, I will make her pay for it."

"Thank you, Miss. I heard Concubine Ye say just now that Chunchan is dead?"

"Yes."

"That’s wonderful. At least the house will be quieter now, and there won't be that buzzing fly constantly whispering in your ear." Bai Zhi had always found Chunchan intolerable, a mindless spy who hung onto her mistress's every move, ready to report the slightest disturbance to the eldest miss.

"Aren't you curious how she died?"

"Not at all. I only know that you have your reasons for everything you do, Miss. And I believe that one day, you will find your own happiness."

Lu Lanxi smiled. Bai Zhi was truly clever, loyal, and brave—she could always glimpse the depths of her thoughts. It was a pity that Bai Zhi had met such a tragic end in their previous life. In this one, she vowed not only to protect her but to avenge her as well.

Lu Lanxi took a sip of the sugar water. It was sweet—truly sweet. In her past life, when she was near death, she had prayed for a way out, only to find that there was none. She hadn't just died; she had died a wretched, miserable death. Looking back now, she felt as if she had already crossed the ten thousand mountains. To have been granted another life, to taste this sugar water once more—she was already content. Other happiness was no longer something she dared to covet.

...

As the leaves withered and the roosters began to crow, Lu Lanxi spoke. "Bai Zhi, dawn is approaching. I have to go out. Guard the room; don't let anyone in. I will be back soon."

"Understood, Miss."

The Lu household was in a state of panic, and the residence of the Marquis of Dongyang was no better.

Inside the Marquis’s estate, Zhuang Huaijin had been kneeling in the ancestral hall for two hours. He had refused all food and water, locked in a standoff with the Marchioness.

"My Lady, the young heir still refuses to yield. Perhaps we should let him rest?" the elderly nanny whispered to the Marchioness.

"That ungrateful wretch! He is intentionally trying to humiliate me. Come with me to the hall." The Marchioness, her face pale with fury, hurried toward the ancestral hall.

She had never liked Lu Wanhe. Having spent years in the inner chambers, she could see through Lu Wanhe’s clumsy schemes with ease. The girl had a seductive air and acted with a feigned fragility that screamed trouble. Moreover, she was thin and narrow-hipped—a sign, in the Marchioness’s eyes, that she would be difficult to bear children with. Relying on the backing of her aunt, the Empress, the girl would surely be impossible to control if she married into the family.

Later, when Zhuang Huaijin suddenly announced he wanted to marry Lu Lanxi, the Marchioness had agreed. Though Lu Lanxi was a concubine’s daughter and frail, she was rumored to be gentle, submissive, and sweet-natured. Most importantly, she had once saved Zhuang Huaijin’s life. As long as she was obedient, the Marquis’s estate could certainly afford to feed her.

Who would have thought this would end in such a farce? Her foolish son, if he didn't want the marriage, should have made plans early on instead of humiliating the girl at the wedding banquet. He had gained nothing and only brought shame upon himself.

"Madam, please calm your anger. The young heir is simply young and impulsive, blinded by petty romance. I am certain he still respects you most of all."

In the hall, Zhuang Huaijin knelt with his back straight. If he couldn't have Lu Wanhe in this life, he might as well be dead. In their past life, they had missed each other, loved in vain, and died with hearts full of regret. In this life, he would not let that tragedy repeat itself. If he could only be with her, he would not have to commit such grave sins, perhaps even atoning for the crimes of his past.

As he pondered how to convince his mother, the Marchioness pushed the door open.

"You rebellious child! How can you face your father or the ancestors of the Marquis’s estate with such behavior?"

"Mother, Wanhe and I are truly in love. If I bring such a gentle and kind woman into this family, the ancestors, if they have any awareness, will surely praise my choice."

"You fool!" The Marchioness was incensed. "True love? Where do you get the confidence to think she feels the same? Even a blind person could see how unwilling she was today. Has she fed you some kind of love potion? Can you not see her treacherous face?"

"Mother, your words are too cruel. You misunderstand her. With so many people watching today, how could a girl like Wanhe admit her feelings in public? A woman’s reputation is her life; you are trying to destroy her!"

"Ha! I see her for exactly what she is—a loose woman. No decent girl would engage in secret trysts with a man."

"Mother, please don't speak of her that way. She is truly wonderful. I beg you, take gifts to the Lu residence tomorrow and propose, please?"

Hearing her son so eager to throw himself at the girl, the Marchioness clutched her sleeves, her hatred for Lu Wanhe reaching its peak. "If you still want to call me mother, cast this thought from your mind. Our ties with the Lu family are severed as of today. I am an old woman; I will not go back there to be insulted again."