Marrying the Short-Lived, Maniacal Eldest Miss for Good Fortune 44

Chapter 44

The lush mountain wilderness stretched endlessly at this moment. Even with the accelerator pressed to the floor, the flamboyant red still couldn’t break through the deep green cycle.

It was as if she had fallen into a maze, and the more anxious she was, the harder it was to leave.

Wang Quan sat in the passenger seat, gripping the seatbelt tightly, and carefully stole a glance at Fang Yi, not daring to breathe.

The scenery flew by on both sides. The woman’s pressure was at its lowest, her eyes as sharp as a curved blade, and the corners of her slightly pursed lips faintly revealed a killing intent.

Wang Quan had never seen Fang Yi so crazy.

In school, Fang Yi’s image had always been that of a hardworking and diligent student.

She came from a small town and seemed to be naturally much more sensible than others. On the first day of school, she had already arranged for a part-time job and a work-study position. She always sat in the front row in class, deeply dissecting the knowledge, and was willing to patiently guide her classmates…

The only time Wang Quan had seen Fang Yi angry was when the first authorship of her paper was stolen by a classmate from an academic clique.

At that time, Fang Yi had just begun to look out at the world through her advisor’s platform. Her high spirits were subtle. Although she didn’t say it, Wang Quan knew that she had been secretly practicing her spoken English behind the scenes.

It was her first time participating in an international-level forum and conference. After gaining her advisor’s recognition, she had worked even harder, often staying up all night in the lab.

But her hard work had become a beautiful exchange of interests, and she could only remain silent.

Wang Quan had clearly seen Fang Yi’s hand under the table clench into a fist, trembling like a drum.

And her advisor, who had always valued her, just wanted to sit like a Buddha statue, turning a blind eye, pretending not to understand her anger.

Screw them! Wang Quan had slammed the table in anger, but was pulled away by Fang Yi.

“Being angry is useless. It’s already happened.”

“The important thing is to find a way to solve it first.”

Her voice was dry and hoarse, her emotions as stable as a machine, but her slightly red eyes still exposed a hint of the surging pain.

At first, Wang Quan had felt that Fang Yi was a bit weak, not daring to fight back at all, not like a young person should be.

But she had forcefully suppressed her emotions, just to deliver a fatal blow when that thief was about to be recommended for admission.

Fang Yi was bound by a “voluntary” ghostwriting contract, and a huge sum of hush money lay untouched in her bank card.

She had reported it under her real name: Tian Liren, the son of an academician, was guilty of academic misconduct and rampant plagiarism.

Wang Quan didn’t know the specifics of what happened later, but she knew that Fang Yi had actually gained the upper hand in this game.

Tian Liren’s recommendation was canceled, and he was blacklisted by the international review committee. Although Fang Yi did not continue her PhD, she had graduated safely.

It was as terrifying as a myth.

Avoid being emotional. The important thing is to find a way to solve it first!

Wang Quan had copied this sentence in her notebook and memorized it like a famous quote.

But at this moment, the emotion in Fang Yi’s eyes was even stronger than that time.

The distance was too far. After receiving Lin Shuxing’s call, Fang Yi had first notified the butler, and then held out her hand to Wang Quan.

“I’ll drive.”

Wang Quan didn’t understand, but she did as she was told and obediently gave up the driver’s seat.

Her own driving skills were very good, but as soon as Fang Yi took over, she had turned the mountain road into a race track.

The only difference from a plane was that it was very friendly to people with a fear of heights.

Ugh—

When the car stopped, Wang Quan leaned against the car window and threw up violently.

What was unusual was that even after Fang Yi showed her face, the main gate did not open for them.

Wang Quan looked up, met the gaze of the neither humble nor arrogant man in black, and frowned, wanting to say something. But just as she had gathered a little momentum, she couldn’t hold it in and moved to another spot, continuing to throw up against the main gate.

Fang Yi had calmed down a lot by this time. She raised her hands, walked under the surveillance camera, and asked coldly, “What on earth happened? I want to see Lin Shuxing.”

The man in black shook his head and raised his arm forcefully. “During the lockdown, no one is allowed to enter or leave.”

Wang Quan wiped her mouth, stood up straight again, and said angrily, “Do you know who this is?”

“This is your young lady’s fiancée! Get out of the way.”

The man in black still shook his head mechanically.

Fang Yi’s gaze darkened. Her hand, clutching the peace talisman, tightened, and finally, she slowly let go and took out her phone again.

But the butler’s figure appeared at the side door first.

“Please come this way.” The butler waved her hand and shook her head obscurely at Fang Yi.

This was the first time they had used the side door.

The courtyard was solemn. Even the fountain was no longer flowing.

The butler glanced at the empty corridor, turned slightly, and said in a low voice, “The young lady is sick. The head of the house is very angry.”

…

A heavy fate crashed down at this moment. Fang Yi struggled to squeeze out a question from her throat. “Why—?”

“Someone set up a… prank in the wine cellar.” The butler hesitated for a moment, but still used the most conservative wording.

Fang Yi’s pupils shrank, and her steps stopped abruptly.

She asked in a lost voice, “How could it be?!”

An answer was on the tip of her tongue, but her throbbing brain tried its best to suppress the surging emotions.

The butler glanced at Fang Yi silently.

When she had stood in front of the closed door of the wine cellar, the servant who had been detained on the ground had confessed the whole story without any interrogation.

But, why was the person inside the young lady?

The boy who had closed the door had stammered that he was just following orders. Because he was afraid of being discovered, he hadn’t dared to take a second look and had hurriedly locked the door.

The butler had immediately arranged for a doctor to treat her and had reported Lin Shuxing’s condition to Lin Lan.

Lin Lan did not like to be interrupted in the middle of business. She had only coldly answered the call after the meeting was over and had questioned the butler about what was so urgent.

“You…”

The butler hesitated for a moment, but still whispered to Fang Yi, “No matter what the head of the house says later, don’t refute. It’s best to remain silent, and don’t mention the second young lady, you know?”

“…”

Fang Yi pressed her brow and said with restraint, “I just want to know how Lin Shuxing is.”

“She’s out of danger.” The butler lowered her eyes and made a gesture of invitation at the corner.

Wang Quan was forced to stay in the reception room on the first floor. Fang Yi walked up the stairs alone, her steps stiff.

She held the handrail with one hand, and for the first time, she felt dizzy as she looked up.

So the gap between the stairs was so high, so steep.

This was the first time Fang Yi had seen the door of the medical room next to Lin Shuxing’s wide open. The tired doctors in white coats were discussing something in low voices.

Fang Yi unconsciously lightened her steps and slowly approached Lin Shuxing’s bedroom.

The blue main door was not tightly closed, and a soft light was faintly visible.

Fang Yi pressed her trembling hand, slowly covered it, and pushed it very slowly.

In the dim gap, she saw the high and mighty woman holding Lin Shuxing’s pale hand, taking the initiative to bend down, and pressing her forehead against the young lady’s burning brow.

As if by doing so, she could most deeply experience her pain.

The young lady’s hands were very white, but her cheeks were unusually red.

Her broken moans became very small after the woman got close, muffled deep in her throat, turning into waves of unbearable light hums.

The warm yellow light surrounded them, and Lin Lan’s straight figure also trembled with the young lady’s heartbreaking whimpers.

At this moment, they looked no different from a mother and daughter connected by blood in the mortal world.

Breathing your breath, feeling your pain, the tightly held fingertips were worth a thousand words.

The light slowly seeped through the gap. Fang Yi stared at the scene in front of her, slightly stunned, and then restrained herself and withdrew her hand.

But Lin Lan still noticed the pushed-open door, slowly raised her eyes, and her gaze instantly became chilling.

She stared at Fang Yi for a moment, then suddenly narrowed her eyes dangerously and asked in a hoarse voice:

“Why are you okay?”

“…” Fang Yi put her hands behind her back, clenched them into fists, and slowly approached.

She carefully looked at the young lady who had been so full of life before she left, and in an instant, she was lying here like a fragile piece of glass.

She should have been wearing her favorite dress, stepping out of the cage with high aspirations.

She should have been waiting under the tree, listening to the last cicada of summer, and then holding her hand, walking towards an undefined future.

But why.

Why?

The peace talisman she had asked for from the Qingjing Temple was still burning in her palm.

Fang Yi looked at the undried tear stains at the corner of the young lady’s eyes, and the ringing in her ears was clearly the mockery of fate.

What makes you so arrogant as to think you can change everything?

You are no different from the thousands of passersby in this world.

The characters on the young lady’s wish panel had all turned a heavy gray.

Only the failure penalty column was a conspicuous, eye-catching red, as glaring as blood.

“Why are you so useless?”

Lin Lan’s cold questioning was also like the chirping of a cicada, a buzz that cut through the entire summer sky.

Shui Wuding came from behind Fang Yi, her green vertical pupils quietly floating in the darkness.

Her cold, slender fingertips lightly rested on Fang Yi’s shoulder, playing with Fang Yi’s cascading hair, and she leaned in to sniff.

And Fang Yi just lowered her eyes stiffly, as if she hadn’t heard Shui Wuding’s actions.

After distinguishing the scent of incense entwined on her fingertips, Shui Wuding’s expression changed slightly, and she murmured ambiguously, “No wonder.”

She turned to Lin Lan, handed her a handkerchief embroidered with an orchid, and softened her tone. “She went to the Qingjing Temple. There’s a barrier there. I—”

“I don’t want to hear this nonsense.”

Lin Lan raised her wrist and interrupted her coldly. “I only want results, Shui Wuding. You’ve already made a mistake.”

Fang Yi asked, “What can I do?”

A good-luck marriage was actually a kind of borrowing of luck. She had heard her grandmother talk about it when she was a child.

In the feudal and superstitious past, how many people had used their fresh lives to bring a touch of life to a closed mansion.

Looking at it from a rational perspective, it was a tragedy of the times.

In that decadent environment, a living person would probably be worn down no matter what.

But at this moment, the surging emotions broke through her reason. Fang Yi turned her gaze to Shui Wuding. “You must have other ways, right?”

“What, stepping on medicinal dregs to transfer illness, or gu worms…? I don’t care. Use whatever you have.”

“She can’t lie here. She still has an exam tomorrow. What can I do for her?”

Shui Wuding smiled sheepishly and turned her head, avoiding Fang Yi’s scorching gaze.

The young lady on the bed suddenly curled up, wrapping her slender arms tightly around herself.

It hurts, it hurts so much…

Her voice was also like the white mist that appeared on the glass in summer. In a daze, she was soaked with cold sweat, and all her syllables were broken, becoming indistinct.

Lin Lan, by the bed, held her hand, her knuckles slightly white.

She silently held up two fingers, waved them back, and the watch on her wrist refracted a faint, cold light in the lamplight.

“Get out.”

The butler opened the door, stepped forward to support Fang Yi, and “invited” her out irresistibly.

“Wait, but—”

The white gloves waved, interrupting the words Fang Yi had not yet spoken.

The butler said in a low voice, “The head of the house will arrange it. Please don’t worry. You’re just making a mess here.”

The light dimmed bit by bit, and the pale young lady inside the door was completely blocked.

Fang Yi stood stubbornly outside the door, waiting. Her chaotic thoughts were also soaked by the sweat that had just slid down the young lady’s forehead.

Her fingertips tightened bit by bit, digging deep into her palm, and a thread of blood spread from her nails.

**

Inside the door.

Shui Wuding habitually raised her pipe, but after glancing at the pale face of the sickly young lady on the bed, she silently put it away and sighed softly.

“If you can only sigh, then get out.” The woman turned her head coldly.

Shui Wuding helplessly raised her chin and said in a low voice, “Why take it out on that child? You and I both know that it shouldn’t be blamed on her.”

“…”

Lin Lan’s eyes darkened. “I don’t want to hear this now.”

“She’s an orphan. How can you be sure of the accuracy of her birth chart? There must be a problem here!”

“Since Fang Yi is useless, then switch to Duan Ruoxi. No matter what…”

Shui Wuding’s green eyes narrowed. She was a little surprised by the strong emotional fluctuation Lin Lan was showing.

She twisted her waist, got close to Lin Lan, and played with her hair, sniffing. She said in a low voice, “You smell so bitter. You’re almost like a real mother.”

“Do you also have regrets, Lin Lan?”

“…”

In the past, Lin Lan was clearly more like a cold-blooded animal than she was. Shui Wuding had never been able to understand why Wen Qianxue would fall in love with the cold her.

They were completely from two different worlds. Light and dark, kindness and violence.

Wen Qianxue would even feel pity for an injured snake and risk being bitten to save it.

And Lin Lan would only aim a gun at the snake’s head from the side, ready to kill this evil creature at any time.

She was that evil creature.

“The seven emotions and six desires. A person must also go through tribulations to become a real person.”

Shui Wuding’s ethereal tone was also like a song. She looked at the silent Lin Lan, bowed, and gently touched Lin Shuxing’s cold cheek.

She didn’t like to sigh, but at this moment, it seemed that she could only use a sigh to express herself.

This child would not live past the age of twenty-two. This was something they had known for a long time.

Even so, would it still produce such a deep sadness?

…

The main door was pushed open.

Fang Yi, in the corridor, immediately straightened up and went to meet her.

She saw Shui Wuding raise her eyebrows and her gaze fall with a thick pity.

Fang Yi asked, “How is it?”

Shui Wuding said slowly, “There’s one thing I need you to do.”

Fang Yi’s eyes lit up slightly, and without any hesitation, she said, “Alright, what is it?”

Shui Wuding’s gaze shifted a little, deliberately avoiding Fang Yi’s scorching eyes, and said lightly:

“Annul the engagement.”

According to Lin Lan’s meaning, annul the engagement and replace her with Duan Ruoxi.

Twenty-three years old, Fang Yi was still very young.

Shui Wuding remembered when Yu Jiufeng had handed Fang Yi’s birth chart to her, she had specially instructed:

“This child’s birth chart is shallow, and her heart is too heavy. And she’s not willing to tell us anything. I’m most worried about her.”

“If she can find a partner one day, I can also leave with peace of mind.”

“…”

Fang Yi had a straight face, habitually hiding all her emotions.

Only a pair of dark eyes, that little bit of light slowly dissipated in the bottom of her eyes, like a shooting star, or a tear that had not been shed. With a whoosh, it disappeared on the horizon, and the entire night sky dimmed.

She put one hand behind her back, clenched it into a fist, and asked in a chaotic, hoarse voice:

“Will this make her feel a little better?”

“Is there any… scientific basis?”