Miss Truth
Chapter 371 - 234: Living is More Painful than Dying_2

Chapter 371: Chapter 234: Living is More Painful than Dying_2

Every person harbors a devil within their soul, imprisoned by morality and law, only to break loose effortlessly when pushed by sufficient force.

Under the dim light, Ran Yan’s fingers were slender, glistening with moisture, as pale as jade.

She lowered her hands into the water, her eyelashes casting a shadow to hide the turmoil in her dark eyes.

If it meant she could protect those around her and prevent incidents like what happened in Yunlin from happening again, what did it matter if even her heart turned dark?

...

The night was tranquil.

As the morning drums had just finished sounding, Mrs. Luo led a few maids to see Ran Yan.

Ran Yan was sitting under the porch, looking at a green plum tree in the courtyard. Seeing Mrs. Luo approaching, she stood up to greet her.

"Seventeenth Sister," Mrs. Luo waved for the other maids to leave, then took a seat on the woolen felt next to Ran Yan, "Qian Xue told me about what happened the day before yesterday. How could you and Shilang have..."

Ran Yan did not hide any details, saying, "Simply put, Pei Jing was captivated by Ran Meiyu’s beauty and wanted to capture her for the Crown Prince. Ran Meiyu betrayed me and suggested offering me to the Crown Prince instead. It turned out that the old lady wasn’t the one who wanted to see me; it was just a trap set by Ran Meiyu and Pei Jing after discussing our intentions."

Ran Yan succinctly summarized the situation.

Mrs. Luo’s face changed drastically, "They used that kind of despicable drug to put you and Shilang together?"

Such a vile and dirty tactic! If something had really happened, it could have ruined Ran Yunsheng and Ran Yan’s lives! According to the Tang Code, close kin are not allowed to marry; the lighter punishment is whipping, and the severer one is exile. Even if they somehow escaped the government’s punishment, they could never lift their heads in public again.

Mrs. Luo had asked Qian Xue and Er Dong about the incident more than a dozen times over the past few days, as well as Miss Xing, but they knew very little. Ran Yunsheng absolutely refused to reveal even a single word; the drug he was under that day was too strong. Enduring so long, and it being his first time, he did not know the severity, resulting in Er Dong being seriously injured. Once he sobered up, he was overwhelmed with shame and couldn’t bear to face Er Dong, only daring to visit her stealthily while she slept.

Moreover, the fact that Ran Yunsheng felt that desire for Ran Yan, even if it was stimulated by the drug, could not change the reality, which only added to his shame and made him unable to face Ran Yan. It could be imagined how greatly this matter had impacted him.

"Ah, that brainless girl!" Mrs. Luo said, clearly referring to Ran Meiyu.

Since Pei Jing had released her, why couldn’t she discuss the matter with Mrs. Luo or Ran Pingyu? There must have been a way to resolve it!

Ge Lan brought over a tray of starched linens and placed it between them.

Ran Yan continued with a faint voice, "It’s not that she has no brains; perhaps she’s too cunning."

Ran Yan could guess Ran Meiyu’s intentions; she probably saw this as an opportunity to eliminate her, the thorn in her side, even at the risk of harming Ran Yunsheng.

If it were merely cowardice, Ran Yan would not have dealt her such a harsh hand. Ran Yan had always believed that silently killing someone was a form of mercy. Being a forensic doctor and having studied psychology, she naturally knew how to make a person live in agony forever.

Dealing with a spoiled and malicious child like Ran Meiyu didn’t require any drastic measures. This small matter was enough to keep her occupied for a while.

As for the backlash from Lady Gao... Ran Yan narrowed her eyes, perhaps Ge Lan had been waiting for an opportunity.

Thinking of Ge Lan, last night she had surprisingly guessed her intentions in an instant and had come over with things to help. Such a quick response made Ran Yan grateful that she was not an enemy, otherwise she would have to deal with her the same way she dealt with Pei Jing, by silencing her completely.

After hearing Ran Yan’s words, Mrs. Luo looked even more upset. Her original slight aversion to Lady Gao was because Ran Wen married her less than a year after Lady Zheng’s death, and Lady Gao came from a lesser family, probably having seduced Ran Wen with some foxy methods. But that was it. Later on, Lady Gao did not behave like others, constantly plundering their wealth; she behaved generously and appropriately during their encounters, which slightly improved her image in Mrs. Luo’s mind.

Like mother, like daughter, Mrs. Luo knew that Ran Meiyu was so vicious at such a young age, it must be the influence of those around her. Therefore, she decided on the spot to have Ran Pingyu send her back to Suzhou immediately.

Ran Yunsheng was good-looking and extraordinarily filial, with a very pleasant personality, thus Mrs. Luo especially doted on her son. She couldn’t stay calm when her own son was subjected to such scheming!

After pausing for a while, Mrs. Luo then said, "Assistant Minister Xiao came to visit yesterday, but you were still unconscious, and your uncles responded on your behalf."

Recalling that she had asked Xiao Song to find her the day before, Ran Yan asked, "Does he know about my condition?"

"Such matters shouldn’t be spoken of outwardly; we just told him that you are critically ill and unconscious. However, if Assistant Minister Xiao wants to know the truth, it probably wouldn’t be difficult," Mrs. Luo said.

Ran Yan nodded. Lying in bed ever since leaving Zheng mansion, anyone would suspect something had happened. And that scheme was not without its flaws; if Xiao Song wanted to investigate, he would certainly be able to uncover the truth.

"I owe you a lot this time," Mrs. Luo was truly grateful. She dared not imagine what would have happened if Ran Yan had not been so resourceful and both of them had been manipulated by the influence of the drugs.

"Aunt, there is no need for such formality," Ran Yan said.

At that moment, Mrs. Luo understood why Ran Yunsheng was especially caring towards Ran Yan. Besides owing a debt to Lady Zheng, it was also because she truly deserved it. She knew how to reciprocate kindness.

"You should rest well. I will have the doctor prescribe a dietary supplement for you so that you can properly recuperate these days," Mrs. Luo said, looking at Ran Yan’s thin face.

Ran Yan slightly curved her lips, "Thank you, aunt."

Mrs. Luo chatted and smiled for a few more minutes, about to rise and leave, when she suddenly heard a commotion outside, and couldn’t help frowning loudly, "What’s happening?"

A maid hurried over and glanced quietly at Ran Yan, whispering back to Mrs. Luo, "Lady, the personal maids of the eighteenth lady came to see you, saying... saying that last night the seventeenth lady ran into the eighteenth lady’s bedroom and stabbed her, leaving the bed covered in blood. The eighteenth lady was terrified and is still crying now."

Mrs. Luo’s brow furrowed even tighter. Although she also detested Ran Meiyu’s viciousness, especially including Ran Yunsheng in her schemes, injuring someone within the estate could lead to difficult questions from Ran Wen and would be a hard situation to explain. Thus, she turned her head to look at Ran Yan.

Ran Yan casually sipped water and suggested, "Why not call them in to ask?" (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for it using the recommendation ticket or monthly ticket. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.