For some unknown reason, it snowed heavily in the capital this year, a rare occurrence.
The cold wind howled, and the bare branches were covered with frost.
Crystal-clear ice hung from the branches like white jade, making crisp sounds as the wind blew.
Ruan Jiu stood in the courtyard, stretching out her hand. A snowflake landed on her palm.
Since she had fallen off the cliff and lain in the snow for three whole days, she seemed to no longer be afraid of the cold.
"Lan Yu," Ruan Jiu called softly.
As soon as the words left her lips, Lan Yu immediately appeared in front of her.
She seemed to have gotten used to Lan Yu's prompt appearance.
Thinking of this, a sarcastic smile appeared on her lips.
Get used to it?
How ridiculous!
In just half a year, she could hardly remember who she was.
Then, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
When she opened her eyes again, she was as calm and composed as ever.
"Has Song Yanran shown any signs of activity recently?"
Lan Yu shook her head.
This answer made her frown tightly.
It had been more than half a month since the last son-in-law selection banquet.
After suffering such a great loss, how could Song Yanran not take any action?
As the New Year was approaching, how could Song Yanran let her spend a peaceful year?
Suddenly, her eyelid twitched violently.
She couldn't help closing her eyes and gently rubbing them.
Then she continued to ask, "Has there been any important event in the capital recently?"
Lan Yu thought for a moment and replied, "I wonder if something related to the eldest princess can be considered an important event?"
Ruan Jiu opened her eyes and said indifferently, "Tell me."
"The eldest princess got drunk the day before yesterday and did something absurd. Although the emperor was extremely angry, in order to protect the eldest princess's reputation, he issued an imperial edict for her to get married immediately."
Hearing this, Ruan Jiu didn't need to think to know what absurd thing the eldest princess had done.
Just then, there was a commotion outside the door.
Ruan Jiu looked up at the door and frowned, asking, "What's that noise?"
"Today is the eldest princess's wedding day. Judging from the sound, it should be the groom's wedding procession coming to fetch the bride."
Ruan Jiu didn't expect that the usually arrogant and domineering eldest princess would also obediently marry someone because of an imperial edict.
However, Song Qingyu and the eldest princess were close friends. Why didn't the eldest princess tell her about her wedding?
"Who is the groom?"
"Xie Jingchu, the Marquis of Chengen."
Xie... Xie Jingchu?!
Ruan Jiu suddenly grabbed Lan Yu's shoulders, her fingertips turning white.
Her voice trembled, "Who did you say?"
"Xie Jingchu."
Hearing this name from Lan Yu again, Ruan Jiu's legs went weak, and she almost lost her balance. She took several steps back.
She shook her head in disbelief. "No! It's impossible! Absolutely impossible!"
The smile that tugged at her lips was pale and powerless. "How could A Jing marry someone else? No, you must be lying to me..."
"I heard that Young Marquis Xie has a good relationship with the Shen family. For Young Marquis Xie's wedding this time, the Shen family even sent eighty carriages of wedding gifts, filling the entire Chang'an Street."
As soon as these words were spoken, it was as if a sharp arrow flew straight towards Ruan Jiu, hitting her heart exactly.
A Jing must have his own difficulties!
She had to go and ask for clarification!
At this moment, she no longer cared about anything.
She immediately rushed towards the princess mansion.
The red brocade carpet seemed to stretch on endlessly, and petals fluttered in the sky.
Xie Jingchu was dressed in a red robe. As time passed, his handsome and extraordinary face glowed with radiance. With a gentle smile on his lips, he stood at the entrance of the princess mansion, tightly holding the eldest princess's hand.
The look in his eyes when he looked at the eldest princess was full of doting.
Ruan Jiu tightly covered her heart. The excruciating pain seemed to drown her.
But at the moment, she couldn't care less. She walked straight forward.
As soon as the eldest princess saw Ruan Jiu, her eyes lit up with surprise. "A Yu, you're here!"
But Ruan Jiu seemed not to see her at all. She stared fixedly at Xie Jingchu.
"You're going to marry her?"
Xie Jingchu smiled and looked at the eldest princess standing beside him dotingly again. "Yongning is the best woman in this world. She treats me sincerely and never deceives or hides anything from me. It's my blessing to be able to marry her."
Every word turned into a sharp blade, hitting Ruan Jiu's heart again.
She trembled with both hands and tightly grabbed the sleeve of Xie Jingchu's robe. Choking with sobs, she said, "A Jing, are you blaming me for lying to you?"
Xie Jingchu mercilessly shook off Ruan Jiu's hand and snorted. "Miss Song Er, are we very familiar?"
The address of "Miss Song Er" created an abyss between them.
She grabbed Xie Jingchu's sleeve tightly again. "I'm A Jiu!"
"My A Jiu is already dead."
Xie Jingchu's eyes were distant and cold, making Ruan Jiu's heart tremble.
He.
He said his A Jiu was already dead.
Ruan Jiu grabbed Xie Jingchu's hand frantically and then placed it on her pale face. "A Jing, I'm really A Jiu. Look at me carefully again!"
Xie Jingchu immediately frowned and withdrew his hand.
Then he wiped his hand disgustedly on his wedding clothes, as if he had just touched something extremely disgusting.
He coldly scolded, "Just be your Miss Song Er well. There will be no more Ruan Jiu in this world."
"A Jing, I have my own difficulties!" Ruan Jiu cried out.
Xie Jingchu turned his head and no longer looked at her. His heart and eyes were filled only with the eldest princess beside him.
Just then, Shen Yu suddenly walked out of the crowd.
Ruan Jiu seemed to see a life-saving straw. She stepped forward and tightly held his hand.
"Brother, please talk to A Jing. I'm really A Jiu. Tell him not to marry someone else!"
Shen Yu always obeyed Ruan Jiu's words.
But this time, Shen Yu coldly withdrew his hand. "Miss Song Er, look at yourself. Do you look like A Jiu at all?"
"Brother, I'm really A Jiu!" Ruan Jiu cried out.
After saying that, Ruan Jiu reached out her hand to take off the human-skin mask on her face.
But she found that the human-skin mask seemed to have merged with her face, and she couldn't take it off no matter how hard she tried.
She cried hoarsely, but Xie Jingchu and Shen Yu no longer looked at her.
They regarded her as a scourge.
The gongs and drums were thundering, and the red silk was fluttering all over the sky. But she seemed to be wrapped in the cold wind all over, feeling icy and bone-chilling.
"Song Qingyu! What are you doing?!"
Suddenly turning her head, she found that Xiao Wang was walking towards her menacingly with a pair of fierce eyes glaring at her.
"I'm not Song Qingyu!" Ruan Jiu shouted.
"I say you are, and you are!"
"You'll never be able to get rid of this identity in this lifetime!"
"Ruan Jiu is already dead!"
Xiao Wang's words filled her mind again and again, trying to devour her completely.
For a moment, the world was spinning.
She was wrong, terribly wrong, completely wrong!
Ruan Jiu's heart seemed to be grasped by an invisible big hand. The heart-wrenching pain almost made her unable to breathe.
She let out a startled cry and suddenly opened her eyes. Her eyes were full of fear that had not yet dissipated.
It was not until she was sure that what had just happened was only a dream that her rapid heartbeat eased for a moment.
She sat up and found that the bedding on the bed had somehow all fallen to the ground.
She wiped the tears from her face and let out a long sigh.
Fortunately, it was just a dream!
"Second Miss, did you have a nightmare?"