Rong Wan squinted her eyes slightly. Her bright eyes gradually grew hazy, and a silly smile slowly spread across her lips.
She seemed to recall the very first time she met Brother Zhao five years ago.
He was like a jade-like gentleman on the path, gentle and elegant. He was like a ray of light that pierced through all the darkness of her past, making her forget her own filthy identity.
At that moment, she clearly heard a promise from the bottom of her heart: No matter what, she would stay in the Prince's Mansion!
Even though Brother Zhao had changed his temper later and became cold-blooded and heartless, she could still feel his private tenderness and warmth.
She thought, it would be great if she could marry Brother Zhao!
She had a heart disease, and Brother Zhao was born weak. They were supposed to be the most compatible couple!
But Brother Zhao rejected her mother's proposal, so she could only choose to be his younger sister.
"It doesn't matter. Being a younger sister is fine too!"
Rong Wan took a deep breath and slowly lowered the hand covering her chest. She said the same words as she did back then!
It doesn't matter. Being a younger sister is fine too!
She would always accompany Brother Zhao, no matter in what capacity.
But there could only be her by Brother Zhao's side!
So she secretly spread rumors: The prince was cruel and murderous, had killed his parents, was born with an evil star, and especially loved to make lanterns out of human skin!
The effect was remarkable. It scared away all the young ladies in the capital who had wanted to marry into the Prince's Mansion because of Yan Zhao's good looks.
In the middle of the night, how many times had she woken up laughing, thinking that Brother Zhao would only belong to her from then on!
It was a pity that the nobles in the palace sent several batches of beautiful women in. Even Brother Zhao couldn't refuse them!
She was extremely jealous in her heart, but she still had to pretend to be dignified and generous. She deceived Yan Zhao into giving her the power to manage the mansion, and then secretly threatened those beautiful women fiercely, even controlling their every move.
Sure enough, as she wished, the beautiful women in the side courtyard didn't even get to see Yan Zhao.
Rong Wan's fingers curled up and grabbed the bedsheet tightly. She half-closed her eyes, hating only that the Emperor of Chu had bestowed the marriage between Ning Yuwang and Brother Zhao!
From then on, there was an arrogant princess in the Prince's Mansion whom she hated!
Sooner or later, she would also drive Ning Yuwang away from Brother Zhao's side!
"Rong Wan!"
A cold shout interrupted her train of thought. When she looked up, it was Yan Zhao striding towards her.
Rong Wan's vision was a bit hazy. She didn't even hear the anger in Yan Zhao's voice.
Her slender and pale fingers grabbed Yan Zhao's sleeve. "Brother Zhao, Wanwan feels so uncomfortable."
Yan Zhao shook off her hand, his eyes filled with coldness. "Rong Wan! Is it you who feels uncomfortable or Lian Xin who feels even more uncomfortable?"
Rong Wan frowned. "Brother Zhao?"
What did her discomfort have to do with Lian Xin?
But since Yan Zhao mentioned Lian Xin, she just continued along. "Brother Zhao, have you seen Lian Xin? I have a heart palpitation and feel very uncomfortable. I wanted her to go and ask Doctor Yan to take a look at me, but she hasn't come back for a long time."
What she meant was that Lian Xin was just playing around and wasting time, and had even neglected her illness.
There was not a bit of affection for Lian Xin in Rong Wan's words. Yan Zhao gave her a deep look. "Doctor Yan never treats outsiders. You should have known that a year ago."
Rong Wan bit her lip. "Brother Zhao will help Wanwan, right?"
She knew her own condition. If it weren't for Doctor Yan, with just those mediocre doctors in the Prince's Mansion, she probably wouldn't live long.
Rong Wan didn't want to die. She wanted to be with Yan Zhao for a long time.
She reached out and tugged at Yan Zhao's sleeve, full of nostalgia and grievance. "Mother always hoped that we siblings could support and help each other!"
It would have been better if she hadn't mentioned Wen Sui. As soon as she did, the anger in Yan Zhao's eyes spread extremely quickly.
"Rong Wan, my mother is not an excuse for you to threaten me." Yan Zhao's voice was cold and harsh. "The five years I've kept you in the Prince's Mansion, with food and clothing taken care of, have already repaid your kindness for taking care of my mother back then!"
Rong Wan's face turned deathly pale. She understood what Yan Zhao meant.
He seemed to want to sever their sibling relationship with just five years!
"Brother Zhao, what are you talking about? Wanwan doesn't understand."
But even so, she still looked up hopefully, waiting for Yan Zhao to "pity" her weakness as he used to.
All Yan Zhao could see when he closed his eyes were the old and new scars on Lian Xin's wrists. How could he possibly believe her "weak" side again? "Pack your things. I'll send someone to take you to Gusu Nunnery tonight!"
Gusu Nunnery?
Rong Wan's eyes couldn't help but widen. It was a nunnery deep in a remote mountain!
When she was a beggar, she had heard people say that it was not only remote but also extremely poor!
And it was more than two hundred miles away from the capital!
Brother Zhao was determined to send her away and didn't want her to return to the Prince's Mansion again.
The five years of wealth and glory had long confused her memory, making her think that she would enjoy a prosperous life forever.
"What did Wanwan do wrong? Brother Zhao is treating Wanwan like this, completely ignoring Mother's last wish!"
She felt as if there was a ball of suppressed anger in her throat, and her chest was so stuffy and painful that tears welled up in her eyes immediately!
"You don't even know what you did wrong?"
It was at this moment that Lian Xin walked in. She shrank back and trembled, hiding behind Ning Yuwang. "Miss."
"Lian Xin, come here quickly!"
It was Ning Yuwang again!
Rong Wan was stunned, and the tears on her face stopped. She glared at Lian Xin resentfully. Stupid thing, how dare she stand beside the person she hated the most!
But Lian Xin actually refused for the first time in her life. She shook her head. "Miss, it was this servant who asked the prince to seek justice for me!"
"Seek justice?"
Rong Wan seemed to understand but also not. Then she saw Lian Xin openly show her wrists, arms and other places. Only then did she react. "What do you mean?"
Although she was asking, she didn't really need an answer.
Because both the cold and heartless Yan Zhao and the half-smiling Ning Yuwang seemed to know everything.
"Lian Xin, we've been master and servant for so long. Why do you want to frame me?"
Rong Wan squinted her eyes, and her fingers seemed to accidentally touch the pillow. Underneath it were the tools used to punish Lian Xin!
Sure enough, Lian Xin's body trembled even more!
Fortunately, she had informed them in advance about all of Rong Wan's methods.
So immediately, Ah San quickly lifted the pillow and snatched the cloth bag.
Then he unfolded it on the table. Sure enough, there were thin wooden boards, iron hairpins, ox hair needles, etc., and even a short chain!
Lian Xin knelt on the ground. "Prince, all the injuries on this servant's body were caused by Miss Rong!"
Rong Wan still stubbornly refused to admit it. "Brother Zhao, I didn't even know there were such dirty things under the pillow!"
She turned her head and pointed at Lian Xin, shifting the blame. "Lian Xin, you enter my room the most often on weekdays! Did you take someone's benefits and deliberately throw these things on my bed to frame me!"
She deliberately looked at Ning Yuwang several times, threatening and hinting at Lian Xin to frame Ning Yuwang.
But Lian Xin had been bullied by her for many years. Finally, she had a chance to fight back. How could she give it up?
She tightly held her trembling body. "Miss, stop denying it! These things were all bought by this servant as you asked! This servant can't read, and you even wrote it down specifically. This servant still has those written notes!"
If she had known back then that Rong Wan had ordered these tools to "punish" her, how could she have brought them into the Prince's Mansion!