Miss Truth
Chapter 449 - 292: The Chill of Spring

Chapter 449: Chapter 292: The Chill of Spring

Xiao Song sent Ran Yan back to the mansion. Both were straightforward people, so their goodbye was brief and without any undue sentimentality. However, once they turned around, they were deeply anxious.

In the following days, Xiao Song was extremely busy. On the first day of the month, he attended the royal banquet at his ancestral home, on the second, he paid respects to his family elders and participated in the clan feast, and on the third, he returned to Chang’an, where he visited friends and colleagues. He barely had a moment to breathe, and on the rare occasion he found time to see Ran Yan, he was stopped at the door by Mrs. Xing.

Since Mrs. Xing had seen how affectionately Xiao Song behaved with Ran Yan, she became cautious, especially since there was no word yet of an official marriage agreement. Naturally, she dared not let them be too close, particularly as Xiao Song was at an age of vigorous energy. Ran Yan’s status was hardly a match for Xiao Song’s, and any slight issue might lead to disdain from his family.

Hence, Mrs. Xing faced Xiao Song’s imposing manner with the attitude of "you must step over my dead body first." Ran Yan had no choice but to speak to him briefly through the window.

After the new year, two heavy snowfalls finally cleared on the seventh day, revealing a sky as clear and crisp as washed crystal.

The gloomy weather in Chang’an had lasted a long time, and the sudden appearance of such bright sunshine indeed lifted the spirits. Ran Yan, troubled by the case of the Princess of Wenxi, finally felt her mood lighten considerably.

The Ran and Xiao families matched the horoscopes of Ran Yun and Liu Qingsong, and decided on a fortunate marriage to be held six months later. In contrast, there was still no news about Ran Yan’s marriage. Mrs. Xing went to the gatehouse daily to inquire if there was a letter from the courier station, almost wishing she could go to Suzhou herself to see what was the matter.

Meanwhile, spring was already touching Jiangnan, and the ice on the river had begun to break. The river wind was slightly warm and fishy.

A woman in a teal blue gown with twin buns stood at the bow of the ship, her eyes slightly moist as she gazed at the familiar black tiles and white walls, her hand gripping the hem of her dress tightly at her side.

"Miss Ge Lan, we have passed Runzhou. I estimate that we will arrive in Suzhou by tomorrow evening at the latest," the steward reported.

Ge Lan loosened her grip on her dress and pulled more than ten copper coins from her sleeve to give him, nodding slightly in thanks.

With a handful of coins, one could buy a significant amount of rice. The steward, smiling, accepted the money and repeated, "Of course, of course. If the miss has any other instructions, just let me know."

Ge Lan smiled faintly and then took out a piece of paper to hand to the steward: Mei Mei had been feeling unwell these days, vomiting whatever she ate, and had become so thin that she lost her form. She once looked as lovely as jade... You run the boats often, do you know of any remedies for seasickness?

This was the only literate steward on the ship, so Ge Lan often asked him about various things to communicate with others.

"Miss Ge Lan is truly diligent. We’ve tried all the remedies we know, but none have worked. I think Mei Mei is just physically weak. We’ll be in Suzhou by tomorrow, just hold on. I’ll have someone look into it as soon as possible." The steward didn’t take Mei Mei’s seasickness seriously, attributing it to coddling; since she had endured so far without further issues, and the doctor visited daily to check her condition, it should be fine.

Ge Lan nodded her head, bowed slightly to him, and returned to her cabin.

The steward sighed with pity; he managed the Ran family’s river business and held some prestige within the clan. He had two sons at home, the younger one about the same age as Ge Lan. He had noticed her as soon as she boarded and was considering evaluating her for a few days to see if she might be a good match for his younger son.

It was a pity, though, that Ge Lan was mute.

His family was quite respectable, but with him always busy with business, a matriarch needed not only to take care of the household but also to manage social interactions among businesswomen. Ge Lan’s inability to speak was a fatal flaw, as not everyone was willing to communicate through writing.

One could say that any person with even a slight status, even the competent sons of stewards, required their women to have good interpersonal skills. Unfortunately, a woman like Ge Lan might eventually only be able to marry a farmer.

Ge Lan entered the cabin and encountered Ran Meiyu’s personal maid, Bi’er. Bi’er had been with Ran Meiyu for no short amount of time and always prided herself on her intelligence, yet she had always kept her distance from Ge Lan, observing how shrewdly Ge Lan dealt with people like the Gaos. Had it not been for an unexpected incident that cost Ge Lan two years, it was still undecided who would have the last laugh.

"Sister Ge Lan," Bi’er slightly bowed in greeting, and upon looking up, noticed that Ge Lan had also lost much weight. Her face lacked much color, presumably from seasickness these past days.

Ge Lan glanced at her indifferently and returned the bow before heading to her own room.

Bi’er felt puzzled by Ge Lan’s behavior these days. Clearly, Lady Seventeen and Lady Eighteen were at odds, yet Ge Lan, as Lady Seventeen’s personal maid, had taken extra care of Lady Eighteen throughout the journey, more meticulously than she, the true personal maid, did—could it be that she aimed to align with the Gaos?

Bi’er rubbed her somewhat swollen head. Perhaps the seas had been too rough these days; even she, someone grown up by the water, felt seasick, no wonder Lady Eighteen was vomiting so severely.

Inside Suzhou City, the small rivers never experienced significant turbulence, so the recent mild seasickness didn’t come as a surprise, though it was severest for the frail Lady Eighteen.

Everything seemed quite normal, and no one would suspect that the so-called "seasickness" was but a trap Ge Lan had set from the start. From the moment she boarded, she had assisted in managing Ran Meiyu’s daily needs flawlessly, so even if later Ran Meiyu and her maid experienced some "seasickness," no one would harbor doubts.

The last day had arrived...

Ge Lan closed the door, took out a small cloth bundle from her baggage, wrapping a red porcelain bottle, its blood-like red seeming to warn of the danger inside. She then unwrapped the accompanying white folded cloth, revealing a white porcelain syringe.

She gripped the porcelain bottle, her eyes filled with fierce resentment, and a cruel smile appeared on her lips, "Gao... this is just the beginning. I will make you understand what it means to wish for death."

The warmth in the Jiangnan breeze gradually faded as the night deepened, bringing the ship closer to Suzhou.

The night deepened further.

Ge Lan’s room door gently opened, and she walked swiftly to the center of the cabin, deftly unlocking the door with a hairpin before slipping inside.

She lit a Corner Lamp and placed it on a low table, making sure the shadows inside were not clear from outside.

As Ge Lan gently sat on the bed, Ran Meiyu suddenly opened her eyes, staring at her in terror, as if she wanted to scream but couldn’t make a sound.

"I won’t hurt you, I’m here," Ge Lan suddenly spoke, startling Ran Meiyu even more, "just to tell you some good news."

A mute suddenly speaking, and Ge Lan’s voice was very coarse and hoarse, somewhat androgynous.

*****

The writer is slightly injured from a car accident yesterday. Although the injuries are not severe, they do affect movement, so updates may be unstable these days. However, the writer assures continuous updates, asking for everyone’s understanding. Thank you for your support! (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please feel free to visit Qidian (qidian.com) to send recommendation tickets and monthly tickets, your support is my greatest motivation.)