Chapter 2: Horribly Disfigured

Feeling the throbbing pain in her face, Qin Wanyi vaguely guessed something. She acted as if nothing were amiss and said, "Cuilian, I'm thirsty. Pour me a cup of water."

Her voice was dry and hoarse, yet still clear enough to be understood. Cuilian, not grasping the intent, scrambled to her feet in a flurry, rushed to pour a cup of water, and brought it to Qin Wanyi.

Using the water rippling in the teacup as a mirror, Qin Wanyi instantly saw her current state. No wonder Qin Suyue had been so anxious and worried about her discovering the truth.

On her left cheek was a wound the size of a peony petal. Although it had been treated and medicated, the edges were still caked with dust that hadn't been cleaned away. The entire wound had blistered, filled with a clear, viscous fluid that looked somewhat nauseating. At this stage, it was already a second-degree burn; if not treated properly, it would likely leave a scar.

Qin Wanyi reached up to cover her cheek, pushing aside the ugly wound. Her features were indeed naturally beautiful. Her eyebrows were curved and delicate, her eyes large and round, her eyelashes thick and curled, and her nose small and slightly upturned. Her features were not necessarily more beautiful than others, but they were a bit more profound, and set upon this face with a pointed chin and delicate skin, it was like a beautiful woman adding fragrance—alluring and striking. However, at this moment, her exquisite lips were dry and peeling, her complexion was pale, and she looked sickly. Furthermore, the hair on her forehead had been burned very short and was curled.

Looking at it this way, the two of them did look three or four parts alike, but Qin Suyue appeared too delicate, lacking a bit of vibrancy, and thus seemed less lively.

However, after this ordeal, her once peerless, flower-like beauty had been ruined. How could Qin Wanyi, who had always prided herself on her looks and looked down on others, endure such a blow?

"Sister..." Qin Suyue called out weakly, looking very uneasy. The quieter she remained, the more she feared Qin Wanyi would fly into a rage.

"I'm fine." Qin Wanyi smiled slightly, intending to offer comfort, but it pulled at the wound on her cheek, making her wince in pain. She drank the tea in one gulp, then remembered she should have her own maid, yet she was nowhere to be seen. "Where is Cuiping?"

"She was just outside a moment ago," Qin Suyue said, looking puzzled and confused. "Why is she gone? These past few days, Cuiping has been guarding you day and night, blaming herself for not taking good care of you."

"Is that so?" Qin Wanyi felt a bit suspicious, feeling as though she had overlooked something.

"Eldest Miss, when this servant brought in the evening meal just now, I saw Cuiping run out. She must have been in a hurry to report the good news to the Master," Cuilian replied.

She had only just woken up; shouldn't she have come to check on her first? Without even a word of greeting, she had gone off sneakily to report the news?

Just as Qin Wanyi’s suspicions grew, several hurried and rushed footsteps sounded outside the room.

Qin Wanyi turned her head and saw four people enter. The person in the lead was a woman in her early thirties, with a fair face and a plump, graceful figure. She wore a violet long dress embroidered with roses, draped with a gray and white fur cloak. She wore few accessories, appearing simple and modest, yet not lacking in dignity and nobility.

This was her second mother, Madam Zhang. Upon seeing her sitting there alive, Madam Zhang’s eyes held five parts surprise and five parts sharpness.

Qin Wanyi felt her hands clench into fists involuntarily. She didn't know if it was the original Qin Wanyi’s influence, but a surge of angry resentment rose in her chest. Her mind was flooded with scenes of the two of them clashing in public and in private, especially the times Madam Zhang had given her a hard time behind Qin Zheng’s back and away from the servants.

Trailing half a step behind Madam Zhang was her younger half-sister, Qin Jingshu. The two were of similar age, sixteen.

Qin Jingshu resembled her by one part, but was taller. Her almond eyes were full and bright, and her cheeks were flushed even without makeup. She wore a red, form-fitting dress that cinched at the waist, accentuating her full chest and slender waist, making Qin Jingshu appear even more radiant and dazzling.

Qin Jingshu’s beauty was overly flamboyant, while Qin Suyue’s was too subtle. Qin Wanyi, caught between the two, had been a perfect blend of vibrancy and elegance—though now, she was completely disfigured.

Following Madam Zhang and her daughter were two maids. They wore the same attire as Cuilian, being household maids, but their rank was slightly higher, and they wore more accessories. The maid on the left, around eighteen, had bright, expressive eyes and a humble posture; she was plump and was Madam Zhang’s personal maid, Cuiyun. The maid on the right was Cuiping, also eighteen, with a slender and graceful figure. Her movements had an indescribable elegance, as if she were walking on water, calm and composed. She kept her head lowered.

She didn't know how the fire had started in the room. She only remembered that she had habitually drunk a bowl of red date and lotus seed soup brought by Cuiping that night before resting. Afterward, she had lost consciousness. Later, she was awakened by the smoke and, wanting to escape, had crawled to the door with her weak body, but couldn't open it. She had vaguely seen the bolt locked. She had called out for Cuiping, but hadn't seen her shadow.

There was clearly only her in the room, yet someone had locked the door from the inside for her. Qin Wanyi glanced sideways at Cuiping, who remained silent with her head lowered.

Looking past the four people, Qin Wanyi gazed out at the vast night sky. Shouldn't Cuiping have reported to Qin Zheng first?

To have only invited Madam Zhang and her daughter at this hour—it was as if the mastermind behind the arson was self-evident.

"Wanyi, you've just woken up, what kind of temper are you throwing now?" As soon as Madam Zhang stepped into the room, she saw the mess on the floor and frowned, scolding lightly.

The food and broken porcelain shards were scattered across the floor, all dropped by Cuilian when she was startled earlier, and she hadn't had time to clean it up.

Upon hearing this, Cuilian plopped to her knees before Madam Zhang, explaining in a panic, "Second... Madam, it was this servant who dropped it. It has nothing to do with the Eldest Miss."

"Useless thing. You can't even do this simple task. What use is the Prime Minister's mansion keeping you? It's a complete waste of food and money," Qin Jingshu scolded. Her eyes, however, flicked toward the two by the bed, adding sarcastically, "The Prime Minister's mansion doesn't keep useless people."

Qin Suyue bit her lips, looking aggrieved, her eyes welling up with tears.

It was clearly a case of pointing at the mulberry to curse the locust tree. Qin Wanyi couldn't bear it any longer. She turned her whole body, exposing the ugly scar. Madam Zhang and Qin Jingshu glanced at it, suppressed the urge to feel disgusted, and hurriedly looked away. The two stood at the doorway, not taking another step forward.

"It was just an accident, dropping a few things. It's not that serious, and I'm not so helpless that I need someone to serve me," Qin Wanyi suppressed the urge to mock them. Noticing the dangerous glint in Madam Zhang and Qin Jingshu’s eyes, she put on a bewildered expression. "But as for you, Second Madam and this young lady, coming to someone else's room with such a grand entourage in the middle of the night—what is the meaning of this?"

Instantly, the room fell into a deathly silence, so quiet that a pin drop could be heard. Everyone forgot about the ugly scar on Qin Wanyi’s face and stared straight at her, all with strange expressions.