Chapter 158: Vicious

Su Wanrou's such strange behavior left Hong Yu, who constantly attended her side, utterly astonished—wasn't it just seeing a new maid by the Princess Consort's side? How could her actions be so bizarre? It was as if she had seen Jinzhi before.

Jinzhi also jumped in fright; she felt she had seen this Miss Wan somewhere before, then immediately found it funny—she, a lowly person sunk in the dust, where would she get the chance to know a noble from Shang Jing?

Yet looking at her still gave her an inexplicable discomfort from the heart, and she couldn't even say why she felt uneasy.

She now seemed like a fool; ever since a year ago, when the princess of the Fuyu Tribe rescued her midway, she has never remembered who she really is.

Where she came from, where she was going, who her relatives were, why she could read and write, and her handwriting was quite good.

Even who taught her embroidery skills is unknown.

The Fuyu Princess called her mute slave, making her embroider handkerchiefs in the palace for her amusement; after the princess died, she and Yun Duo were locked up as slaves, nearly being fed to tigers in the Third Prince's mansion.

Before, the Princess Consort also examined her, saying her brain had a problem, that she must have suffered some accident, a heavy blow to the head, which caused her current condition.

In the Princess Consort's words, she probably suffered amnesia.

She couldn't understand anyway, but now she finally had a stable life; the Princess Consort treated her well, and the former Fuyu Princess also treated her well—she ought to be the luckiest person in the world, right?

She understood repaying kindness, yet facing Miss Wan in the manor, she inexplicably felt a sudden fear arise in her heart—a subconscious fear and loathing she could not explain.

Jinzhi thought her appearance was too frightening and had startled the master of the household; she hurriedly knelt in terror, head lowered, not daring to look again at Su Wanrou on the bed.

Su Wanrou did not wait for Jinzhi's fierce reaction; instead, seeing her obediently panic and kneel before her, she froze on the spot.

She stepped down from the bed, stood before Jinzhi, composed herself, slowly raised her hand to pinch Jinzhi's chin, lifting her face, and stared at her, smiling: "Such a beauty… tsk tsk tsk… truly a pity."

"Your embroidery is not bad; come over these days to help me embroider the wedding dress!"

Jinzhi nodded; the fingers holding her chin were ice-cold to the bone, and she involuntarily shivered.

She disliked this woman, but since she was the master of the manor, she could not refuse and had to agree.

"Get up! You're someone useful beside the Princess Consort—what's the point of kneeling before me?" Su Wanrou gave a light laugh, turned, sat back on the bed, and fixed her gaze on the woman standing with downcast eyes before her.

Her facial expression remained the composed calm of a master, but her heart had already been churned by a raging storm.

She's actually still alive?

Yet she seemed to have amnesia, and actually failed to recognize her?

The heart that had been suspended just now finally settled slowly—it truly frightened her out of her wits.

Back then, this woman came to the capital seeking relatives with an elderly grandmother by her side, claiming her father was the senior general under Prince Rui, General An, while her mother was a singer, not welcomed into the An household.

General An had to keep her mother outside; after her mother died, he let her take her mother's plum blossom hairpin and go to Shang Jing to find her father.

Unexpectedly, she fell ill, so the old grandmother had to bring her to stay temporarily in this small village, which happened to be next door to her courtyard.

Her parents had died early, and she was fostered in her uncle's home; although her uncle said nothing, her aunt constantly scolded her as a money‑losing burden, and several cousins bullied her, making her do endless chores every day.

She did not want to live such a lowly life, until she saw Jinzhi, that fairy‑like little girl.

Kept indoors, sickly and frail, yet she grew increasingly lovely.

They were about the same age; at that time Jinzhi had just lost her mother, yet she lived better than her—her food, clothing, and daily use were things the other village children had never seen.

That grandmother also devotedly cared for Jinzhi; she often went over to mooch food and drink, and picked up many bits of gossip, the more she heard, the more jealous she became.

As soon as this girl recovered, she would leave the village, awaiting a glorious life as the general's manor's young lady, while she would spend her whole life struggling in this village.

She hardened her heart, using her boldness to steal the anesthetic her uncle used for hunting mongrel gazelles, and that very night she knocked out Jinzhi and her old grandmother.

She knew this was a point of no return; since she was doing it, she might as well go all out, and at once she drugged her uncle's entire family.

Then, fearing any oversight, she savagely stabbed Jinzhi several times with a knife; Jinzhi woke from the pain, looking at her in disbelief—she envied Jinzhi's beauty to death, and her lovely singing voice.

She forcibly shoved the red‑hot iron hook used for stirring coals from the brazier into Jinzhi's throat, yet she could never forget those clear eyes staring fixedly at her; the fear in their depths could evoke sympathy from anyone, but the one facing her was Su Wanrou herself.

Yes, from then on, she became Su Wanrou.

She panickedly fled the house, set fire to the two connected courtyards; it was spring, unusually dry.

Su Wanrou, worried the fire wasn't thorough, took out the New Year's fire oil from her uncle's house, splashed it on the flames, and soon the blaze consumed both courtyards in a sea of fire.

Even so, how could Jinzhi have survived?

Just how did she manage to stay alive?

Su Wanrou furrowed her brows tightly, her heart panicking again.

Having this person right before her eyes, and she was following that worthless Gu Jiu Ling—although she hated Gu Jiu Ling to death, she could not help admiring her medical skill, in case Jinzhi were healed, in case Jinzhi remembered something.

If Xiao Yin were to find out then, realizing she was not the true Su Wanrou but Jinzhi was, she feared her very skin could be peeled off inch by inch by Xiao Yin.

Su Wanrou's forehead instantly beaded with cold sweat; her hands unconsciously wrung together, her complexion growing ever uglier.

Hong Yu, standing nearby, felt her doubts grow heavier, not understanding what her master meant.

If the master hated the Princess Consort and wanted to dispose of her attendants, Jiu Yue and Yun Duo were clearly more useful to the Princess Consort—why bother with a mute?

Moreover, Miss Jinzhi looked like a kind, good-natured person; even if she followed Su Wanrou in doing evil, she could not bring herself to harm this woman.

Jinzhi stood there cautiously, not knowing how she had offended this master; she could only become ever more respectful.

Su Wanrou thought to herself, this matter cannot be delayed; this woman must die.

If she does not die this instant, she will never find peace.

Su Wanrou's face gradually softened into a smile, but her eyes were icy.

"Starting tomorrow, Miss Jinzhi, please come to my Tanspring Pavilion to help; I will speak to the Princess Consort myself."

"Miss Jinzhi has been running about; she must be thirsty—Hong Yu, fetch the white plum jar over there; it holds fresh tea leaves, brew a cup for Miss Jinzhi! Try it fresh!"

The four words 'white plum jar' struck Hong Yu's ears; her face changed dramatically, her body trembled slightly, she glanced incredulously at Su Wanrou, then quickly lowered her eyes, her heart overwhelmed with terror.