"Ouch..."
The pain shot through her limbs, and Ye Xi couldn't help but groan in agony.
"Second Miss? Are you awake?"
Hearing Ye Xi's soft cry, the maid Qing Yuan immediately stepped forward with a surprised look on her face.
"Yeah..." Ye Xi felt her throat dry and her mouth bitter.
Coughing uncomfortably twice, Ye Xi slowly propped herself up and said hoarsely,
"Get me some water."
"Yes."
Qing Yuan was very efficient. She quickly fetched a cup of water for Ye Xi from the round red sandalwood carved table.
As the lukewarm water slid down her throat, Ye Xi's drowsy mind gradually cleared up, and she vaguely remembered the reason for her coma and pain.
On the fifteenth day, the whole family had gone up the mountain to pay respects to the Buddha. On the way back, someone accidentally bumped into her. The mountain path was rugged, and she lost her balance and almost fell. Fortunately, a young maid nearby was quick - witted and grabbed her, slowing down her momentum. In the end, she just rolled down to a nearby low cliff, and now she had just woken up.
"How long have I been asleep? Where are Mother and Elder Sister?"
After the dryness in her throat was relieved, Ye Xi's voice, which had been as rough as sandpaper, gradually regained its former clarity and smoothness.
The concerned smile on Qing Yuan's face froze for a moment. She slapped her forehead as if annoyed and said with self - reproach in her tone,
"Look at my forgetful head. I was so happy to see the Second Miss awake that I forgot to tell Madam and the Eldest Miss."
"Second Miss, you've been asleep for a whole day and night. Madam and the Eldest Miss stayed here to take care of you for a whole day during the day. They just went to rest not long ago. Now that you're awake, this servant will go and tell them right away."
Having said that, she panicked and ran off.
"Hey..."
The words Ye Xi wanted to stop her got stuck in her throat. Finally, she shook her head helplessly.
Mother and Elder Sister had always doted on her. Whenever she had a headache or a fever before, they would take care of her without even taking off their clothes. Although she had never seen it because she was in a coma, the servants who served her all said so.
A thread of happiness welled up from the bottom of her heart. Ye Xi curved her lips sweetly and thought to herself that she must be more obedient and repay Mother and Elder Sister's love.
"Xier..." Soon, Qian Fangxue's anxious and happy voice came from outside.
"Mother~" Ye Xi called out sweetly.
"Xier, you're finally awake. You've worried your mother to death!"
Qian Fangxue affectionately took Ye Xi's hand. The corners of her eyes were red, showing a loving mother's worried and caring face.
But—
[This dead girl wakes up so soon. It's delaying my beauty routine. How annoying!]
The sudden voice startled Ye Xi.
What's going on? This... seems to be Mother's voice...
But Mother was clearly concerned about her.
Ye Xi looked around in confusion.
The voice continued—
[I have to smear scallions and squeeze out tears just to put on a show. It's so irritating! Later, I'll make her give me a good massage to compensate me!]
Ye Xi's sweet and adoring smile gradually stiffened.
But Qian Fangxue's happy and worried expression on her face didn't seem fake. Ye Xi was a bit confused for a moment.
To verify what she had heard, Ye Xi sniffed gently and tentatively asked,
"It seems there's a smell of scallions. Have you smelled it, Mother?"
The smile on Qian Fangxue's face suddenly froze.
[She smelled it? Tut. Did I put on too much today? No, I've always done it this way before, and this dead girl never noticed.]
[Never mind. I have to cover it up first. If she gets suspicious and finds something, who will bear the life - calamity for Yaoyao?]
Pretending to smell around, Qian Fangxue's carefully - maintained face showed a look of confusion,
"No. Maybe you just woke up and your mind isn't clear yet. You smelled it wrong?"
However, Ye Xi didn't listen to what she was saying at all. Her mind was full of—
[Who will bear the life - calamity for Yaoyao?]
What did Mother mean? Was she bearing the life - calamity for her elder sister Ye Jueyao? What kind of life - calamity? And when did it start?
Elder Sister had always doted on her on weekdays. Was Elder Sister also pretending?
Seeing that Ye Xi didn't reply and looked pale as if she had been greatly shocked, Qian Fangxue was even more confused.
"What's wrong, Xier? Are you not feeling well? Your face looks so bad."
[What's wrong with this dead girl? Did she damage her brain in the fall?]
Ye Xi suddenly came back to her senses. Looking at the familiar face in front of her, she felt a sense of strangeness.
"Mother, where's Elder Sister?"
Instead of answering Qian Fangxue's question, Ye Xi asked on her own.
Qian Fangxue thought Ye Xi's abnormality was because she felt disappointed for not seeing her beloved elder sister when she woke up. So she smiled gently,
"Your elder sister took care of you for a whole day today and just went back to rest. So I didn't call her over."
"Do you want to see your elder sister?"
The words of explanation in Ye Xi's ears became—
[Yaoyao just met Young Master Cao. How could she have time to see a wild girl like you.]
[Really. You woke up at such an inopportune time. Yaoyao and Young Master Cao don't even have much time to pour out their feelings for each other!]
[Forget it. Just endure it a little longer. Anyway, it's just the last year. Once this wild girl turns eighteen, Yaoyao's life - calamity will be completely transferred to this slut. After all, she's just an adopted girl. It's a bargain for her to exchange her cheap life for my precious Yaoyao's life.]
Adopted!
Exchange lives!
Young Master Cao... Cao Sheng! Her future fiancé!
Ye Xi felt as if she had fallen into an ice cave.
The love from her parents and elder sister for more than a decade was actually just a scam!
Even that man who had been deeply in love with her and vowed to marry no one else was actually acting?
Ye Xi wanted to cry, but she couldn't. The great pain in her heart turned into anger, spreading throughout her body and making her tremble slightly.
Qian Fangxue was shocked to see Ye Xi's strange behavior.
Could this slut have discovered something?
But on the surface, she remained calm and pretended to be anxious,
"What's wrong, Xier? Why does your face look so bad?"
Ye Xi had already heard her inner thoughts and suddenly came back to her senses.
No, she had to stay calm...
Currently, she was in the den of wolves and was bound to bear the calamity for Ye Jueyao. Before she could break this calamity and had enough strength to fight against the Ye family, she couldn't fall out with them.
"It's nothing," Ye Xi tried her best to control her voice and forced a smile, "I just feel uncomfortable and a bit nauseous. Maybe it's because the injury from the fall hasn't fully healed yet."
Ye Xi's face was as pale as paper, really looking like someone who hadn't fully recovered from a serious illness.
Qian Fangxue took a closer look and breathed a slight sigh of relief.
Affectionately tucking a strand of hair behind Ye Xi's ear, Qian Fangxue still smiled gently and lovingly,
"Then you should rest well first. Mother won't disturb you. I'll come and see you later."
Saying that, she withdrew her hand, got up, and instructed the maids on all matters regarding taking care of Ye Xi.
All Ye Xi could hear was Qian Fangxue's motherly instructions. She tightened her fist thoughtfully.
She couldn't hear it anymore—
Qian Fangxue's real inner voice.
So this mind - reading ability only works when there's contact?