Chapter 116: Pretty Skin, Poisonous Heart Jing Rong stood outside the door for an indeterminate amount of time. His eyes were filled with distress for Ji Yunshu.
Lang Po, who was beside him, asked in a whisper, “Your Highness, you’re not going in?”
“No need.” He retracted his gaze and silently left.
On that day, Ji Yunshu spent her time listening to the events that had occurred during her slumber. Three days ago, after Ji Yuanzhi killed himself in the prison, Ji Shuhan wrote a letter which he sent on a speedy courier to the capital. The letter detailed the recent news and was addressed to his two eldest sons.
As for Old Madame Ji, she had fainted on the spot after learning of Ji Yuanzhi’s demise and was still bedridden. Currently, the Ji mansion still hung white satin from the eaves and used white lanterns.
Ji Yuanzhi was supposed to be already buried, but Old Madame Ji stubbornly refused. She said that they had to wait until her other two grandsons had come back before burying Ji Yuanzhi. In fact, there were two reasons why she refused. First, she wanted her two other grandsons to be present to send off Ji Yuanzhi’s coffin. Second, she was waiting for Ji Yunshu to return to them and kowtow to the dead in front of everybody. Therefore, for the past three days, the people from the Ji mansion kept coming to the Grand Canal mansion in an attempt to bring back Ji Yunshu, but they were all driven away by Jing Rong.
On that night, Ji Yunshu drank her medicine, while a few maidservants added more coals to the furnace. “Miss Ji, why don’t you rest early?”
“You can go out. I don’t need you to serve me.”
“But…”
Ji Yunshu interrupted them and indifferently said, “Go out.”
“Yes, Miss.”
The two maidservants had no other choice but to salute her before retreating outside. When the door closed, Ji Yunshu walked to the copper mirror and bent down as she sat. She scrutinized the long and thin scar on her face. As before, her expression remained calm, even indifferent. She stretched her hand and picked up a light blue fabric. With her other hand, she reached inside a beautiful box and took out a dangling golden hairpin. After fiddling with it for a moment, she coiled the hairpin into a golden hook, then she hooked the light blue muslin on it, turning it into a veil. After she tried it on, it perfectly covered the scar on her face.
Then, she chose a simple wooden hairpin and fixed her black hair into a simple bun with it. When she was done, she immediately draped herself with a cloak and went out.
Just when she opened the door, someone was already standing outside the door and blocking her way, causing her to gawk in surprise.
Jing Rong looked at Ji Yunshu, who had her face covered by a veil of muslin, leaving only a pair of beautiful eyes which glowed like red clouds during sunset, a reflection from the light of red lanterns. Yet, the expression in those eyes stirred pity and distress from the onlookers. He suddenly stretched his slender fingers toward Ji Yunshu’s ear with the intention to unhook the veil from the modified golden hairpin.
“Your Highness?” Ji Yunshu inclined her face and avoided Jing Rong’s fingers.
“…”
“My appearance is ugly. It’s better if your Highness doesn’t look upon it.”
The past two days when she was unconscious, he had stayed by her side and devotedly taken care of her. Her so-called ugly appearance was familiar to the point he was dulled to it. Only today, he had left the room for a moment, only to have Wei Yi steal his thunder! In that short span of time, Ji Yunshu had woken up and the first person she saw ended up being Wei Yi and not him. Jing Rong looked at her with affection and determination as he spoke, “Vicious hearts lurk beneath a beautiful skin. What I care about is your heart.” His tone was extremely gentle, causing Ji Yunshu to turn soft from hearing it as shivers spread all over her body. She lowered her head to evade Jing Rong’s heated gaze.
As his fingertips were about to reach the cold golden hook, he stopped himself and tightly clenched his hand into a fist before lowering his hand. He quickly switched to another subject. “Are you going to the Ji mansion?” He accurately guessed her intention.
She nodded before moving sideways in order to avoid him lifting her veil. “May I ask your Highness to give way?”
“You should already know that Ji Yuanzhi is dead. The people from the Ji mansion are now wishing to bury you along with him.”
“I know, but I must go.”
Jing Rong frowned. “Why?”
She coldly stated, “Even if I can’t, I have to go.” Her tone was as biting as the cold wind, containing a slight chill.
Jing Rong understood her temper which was exceptionally stubborn. He had no other option but to compromise. “I’ll go with you.”
“No need for that.” She increased her pace and strode forward. She was about to sidestep past Jing Rong, but she was stopped by him.
He moved out of the way in concession and said, “I’ll wait for you outside of the Ji mansion.” He determined that she would not stay back in the Ji mansion.
Following his reply, Ji Yunshu no longer refused him. They both left for the Ji mansion, followed from afar by Lang Po and a few imperial guards. Alone, Ji Yunshu passed through the entrance of her old home. When the people in the mansion saw her, it was as if a demon had appeared. All of them lacked the courage to step forward and greet her. Instead, they hid or stayed far away from her.
The thing that made her flabbergasted was that Ji Yuanzhi’s coffin was ostentatiously placed in the reception hall instead of the mourning hall in the rear court. Inside the room, apart from her, everyone else wore mourning clothes made of hemp. When she entered, she was pierced by a pair of eyes permeated by extreme hatred.
Bam!
Ji Shuhan hit the table. “Someone, tie that rebellious girl for me!”
At this moment, he deeply wished to split her apart. Several servants came forward, each holding a rope in their hands.
“You dare?” She swept an icy glance at them while using a deterring tone.
The servants suddenly didn’t dare to approach her. They were rendered fearful with a single one of her stares. Looking at those eyes made them feel a chill creeping inside their body, causing them to shiver all over.
Ji Shuhan had bloodshot eyes due to the sorrow of losing his son in addition to his wrath against Ji Yunshu. All of these emotions melded together and were clearly expressed on his face. He sternly lashed out while pointing at Ji Yuanzhi’s coffin, “Take a good look! You killed Yuanzhi!”
‘He truly can turn black to white!’ Under her veil, her lips curled into a cold sneer and her beautiful eyes curved. “Even if he died a thousand times or even ten thousand times, this is the retribution he deserved.”
“You…”
“Today I came neither to apologize nor to send his coffin away on his last journey.” While she spoke, she had walked to the side of the coffin. The coffin was covered by a black cloth, and on top of the black cloth, there was a lit candle and several blood jade pieces keeping the cloth in place.
“What are you here for then?” Ji Shuhan questioned her right after.
Ji Yunshu pinched a corner of the black cloth and spared no effort to pull on it! The candle and blood jades were sent flying everywhere to the floor. She let the black cloth slide to the floor, covering the candle that had yet to be extinguished. In no time, the cloth caught on fire! The flames grew. A wind blew and unexpectedly, the fire spread and began to lick on the white satin hanging around the room, alighting everything across the room on fire.
KYAAH!
An ear-piercing scream was heard. It belonged to Ji Muqing who was standing right in front of the white satin. She staggered back several steps, but heavily fell to the floor.
The fire grew in intensity and had now reached the roof. The situation was completely getting out of hand. Chaos broke out inside the room. “Quick! Hurry and bring out the coffin! Bring it out…” madly shouted Old Madame Ji. She got up. Her anger didn’t abate as she fainted on the spot. Her two maidservants supported her and brought her out of the reception hall. The male servants were occupied extinguishing the fire while others busied carrying the coffin out of the hall. This was a very lively scene indeed.
Ji Yunshu had a brilliant smile, coming from deep within her heart. While everyone was busy, she left the hall and went to West Side courtyard. Unknowingly to her, Ji Wanxin was following her.