Chongfei Manual pt. 1

117.2

Once you noticed someone, you would find traces of her everywhere in your life.

For example, Jiang Miao Lan's servant girl, Gui Xiang, said that Du Yue Ying would frequently go inside Wei Kun's study to bring him tea and snacks. She would also occasionally bring her own writings to ask Wei Kun for advice. All of these things were acquiesced by Duke Ying and his wife. Old Madam wasn’t satisfied with Jiang Miao Lan's background to begin with. She wanted to find someone for Wei Kun that could help him. Someone from Count Zhong Yi's family wouldn’t be bad.

After hearing this, Jiang Miao Lan's face became even paler. She called Wei Kun over to ask if these things really happened. Wei Kun shook his head to deny. He held her hand and solemnly promised, "Lan-er, you're the only person that I want in my life."

Jiang Miao Lan chose to believe him.

She believed Wei Kun until she heard him say to Du Yue Ying in the verandah after he left her room, "Why are you here? Your health isn't good either. Didn't you feel cold a few days ago? The illness in Lan-er's room is too heavy. I'm worried that you'll get sick. You should go back."

Inside her room, Jiang Miao clenched the bed sheets underneath her. She couldn't describe the feeling in her heart. She always thought she was special in Wei Kun's heart. Now, she realized this wasn't true. He was equally gentle, patient, and magnanimous towards everyone. Just like the way he was treating Du Yue Ying right now.

She believed that one day, Du Yue Ying would come into her room, bashfully place her hands on her stomach, and say, "Older sister, I'm pregnant with Fifth Master's child."

Lightning will strike the guilty.

Jiang Miao Lan closed her eyes. She looked peaceful, but her heart already had a knife twisted through it.

She didn't want to believe the words she imagined. She wanted to clearly ask Wei Kun, but Wei Kun didn't return home that night. Jiang Miao Lan had Gui Xiang find out where he went. She said Wei Kun left the residence to socialize with schoolmates.

On the next day, Jiang Miao Lan was greatly ill. People from the first and second branch came to see her. At that time, Third Master Wei Chang wasn't married yet. Everyone in House Wei clearly knew the person that Wei Chang longed for. Fifth Madam was as fair as a flower and the moon. Fifth Master wasn't the only one person who had fallen in love with her. Third Master had also fallen in love with her at first sight. Unfortunately for him, Fifth Madam and Fifth Master were deeply in love. There wasn't any space for Third Master.

Seeing Jiang Miao Lan like this, Wei Chang waited until everyone had left to walk to her beside. With red eyes, he asked, "Why have you become so thin? Are the servants treating you harshly?"

Jiang Miao Lan weakly said, "Thank you Third Brother-in-law, I'm well."

Wei Chang looked at her without saying a word.

A long time, Jiang Miao Lan was the first one to speak. But, she asked about something else, " Yesterday... did anyone in the residence call for a doctor?"

Wei Chang naturally knew the question that she wanted to ask.

Wei Chang thought of the schemes that Du Yue Ying and his fiancée, Liu-shi were capable of. She was capable of doing anything that would drive away this woman that she found threatening. But, for some reason, he didn't tell Jiang Miao Lan this. Instead, he directly said, "Du-shi is pregnant. The child is fifth brother's."

Jiang Miao Lan finally lost the last of her strength to support herself. She felt as if she had been hollowed out. Her mind was empty without any thoughts. Sitting on the bed, she closed her eyes. The past two months had used up all of her strength. She felt withered and as if she had reached a dead end. If it wasn't for her two children, she might not even have lasted until now.

When Wei Kun entered the room, he saw Jiang Miao Lan crying and Wei Chang sitting on the bed and helping her wipe her tears.

Seeing that she was on the same bed as his brother, Wei Kun's eyes sunk. He walked forward. This person used to be his dear brother. Because of a woman, they had fallen out.

This was probably the straw that broke the camel’s back.

In a raging temper, Wei Kun quarreled with Jiang Miao Lan and said many ugly words. Later, he didn't even remember the words that he had said. He only remembered that Jiang Miao Lan's face was as white as paper. He couldn't see anger in her eyes. There was only defeat.

Then after that, Wei Kun couldn't see Jiang Miao Lan anymore.

She left without bringing anything. She waited until nighttime and left with her servant girl, Gui Xiang. That night, if the room didn't have a lingering medicinal smell, Wei Kun would think that everything that happened during this period was a dream. Jiang Miao Lan was gone. Their two children were gone...

Children!

Suddenly remembering something, Wei Kun hurriedly ran over to the next room. He saw children lying in their swaddling clothes. Their faces looked identical. One was awake and the other was sleeping. Wei Luo looked at him with her dark eyes. Her tender and white fist was clenched. She completely didn't know what had happened. She even giggled when she saw him.

Wei Kun kneeled down next to the cradle. He couldn't resist bitterly crying.

He didn't know the exact reason why Jiang Miao Lan left and he thought he would never know the actual truth. Wei Kun had only treated Du Yue Ying as Jiang Miao Lan when he was drunken one day. He had hugged her and said a few words.

As for the pregnancy, it was utter nonsense. Even if Wei Kun had done something with her, it wouldn't be possible for her to become pregnant so quickly. It was only because Jiang Miao Lan thought that they had started a relationship earlier so she believed Du-shi's words. Du-shi and Liu-shi's original purpose was to force Jiang Miao Lan to die. Now, Jiang Miao Lan had left. But, where could a woman go? If she didn’t die on the streets, then she would be reduced to going to the red light district. Either way, their goal had been achieved.

Wei Kun was kept in the dark. At the time, he wanted to explain everything to Jiang Miao Lan when he came back home, but then he saw how close she was with Wei Chang and thought of the affection that Wei Chang felt for her. He was temporarily overwhelmed by jealousy and lost his senses to uneasiness and anger. So, he said words that he shouldn't have.

However, it was true that Wei Kun had touched Du Yue Ying. Even if they didn't go to the last step, he had harmed a young woman's reputation. He didn't have another choice. He had to marry Du-shi after coming back to the capital. He couldn't find Jiang Miao Lan and his heart that had turned to ashes.

No matter how much affinity you felt for another person, you couldn't escape fate.

This was why House Wei would tell outsiders that Jiang Miao Lan had died of sickness. After all, it would have been scandalous to say that they had lost a daughter-in-law in this sort of way.

When Jiang Miao Lan left Duke Ying's residence, she originally thought she wouldn't live for long. She hadn't expected that she would meet Fu Xing Yun.

Fu Xing Yun saved her life with his skilled medical knowledge.

However, she had injured her body when giving birth and didn’t receive sufficient medical treatment for too long. She had lost the ability to become pregnant a long time ago.

Jiang Miao Lan had been gone for so many years. From the beginning, she had known that Wei Luo and Chang Hong wouldn't recognize her. She had also prepared herself for this outcome. But seeing Wei Luo today, she couldn't resists the impulse from her heart. Even if Wei Luo didn’t recognize her, she still wanted to tell Wei Luo that she was her mother.

Jiang Miao Lan looked at Wei Kun, who was sitting at the table, "... I heard that you married Du Yue Ying. Have you been well?

Wei Kun covered his face. He couldn't speak.

No one could see the expression he had on his face. They could only see that his body was trembling as he let out a painful sound.