Long Hanjie inwardly sneered. If Xu Qiu’er hadn’t staged this performance, he might still have felt guilty. But something seemed off – she had arranged people to rescue her, so why jump in? And which side was Gongsun Jinyu on?
The rose-colored silk draped obliquely, half-covering Xu Qiu’er’s body. Her cloud-like black hair was wet and scattered on the wrinkled pillow. Xu Qiu’er’s starry eyes were slightly open, her gaze unfocused as she looked at the tassels hanging from the bed’s canopy.
Slowly, she lifted the blanket and struggled to get out of bed. The cold air caused her to shiver, and she supported herself against the wall, moving step by step to the dressing table.
The silver mirror on the table reflected her pale face and delicate bruises, exuding an enchanting air.
Xu Qiu’er stared at her reflection as tears silently slid down her face, splashing onto the gold-inlaid dressing table, creating ripples.
Suddenly, she grabbed a glass mirror box from the table and smashed it against the mirror. With a loud bang, the glass shattered into countless fragments around her feet.
The silver mirror remained intact, clearly presenting every part of Xu Qiu’er’s body in exquisite detail.
Finally, Xu Qiu’er could no longer support herself, sliding beneath the dressing table like an autumn leaf, trembling as she curled into a ball, softly sobbing.
Guan Yue and Chang Yue were absent, and the palace servants dared not enter without Xu Qiu’er’s command. The empty palace echoed her faint whimpers, drifting like a desolate tune on a moonlit night.
The door quietly opened, and someone tiptoed inside.
The light footsteps startled Xu Qiu’er, who stopped crying and looked up.
The familiar face reflected in the mirror left Xu Qiu’er shocked, her eyes wide and biting her bloodless lower lip.
Suddenly awakening from her dream, Xu Qiu’er gasped, feeling a heaviness in her chest. As she sat up, a wave of pain struck, and she realized something was wrong. “Cang… Yue…” Unbalanced, she fell to the ground.
Cang Yue, waiting outside the hall, heard the call followed by a loud thud. Rushing in, she found Xu Qiu’er with black blood at the corner of her mouth, and her heart sank as she called for help.
