The Great Yu Kingdom.
In the midst of summer, the sun blazes fiercely.
In the Mu Nan Mansion.
Seven or eight fire basins are extinguished with water, and the window bead curtains are fully opened. The overpowering heat inside the room gradually dissipates, the floor is a mess, and two maids responsible for guarding the house lie on the ground covered in blood; their lives hanging by a thread.
Wearing a mink outfit, Gu Nanqiao, lies disheveled on the ground. Her hair is pulled up by two maids, the veil on her face is torn off, revealing a face that is so ruined it could make children cry in fear.
"I want to see him!"
"To see who? The Crown Prince?"
A young girl dressed in an emerald green Luo skirt mocked with a chuckle covering her mouth; "Don't dream on such grand scale. The Crown Prince is to marry my eldest sister tomorrow. Do you think accompanying the Crown Prince to the battlefield and accomplishing a few minor merits make you someone important?”
“Can't you see your own status? You are just a lowly-born, disabled, ugly monster. You're not worthy of seeing the Crown Prince.”
“If you know what's good for you and drink the medication, I could spare you some dignity.”
"Dignity?"
Gu Nanqiao laughed derisively, her water-like eyes becoming sharp and cold, staring at the young girl; "Back then on the battlefield, had it not been for me, could your father have survived and become the current Marquis of Zhenxi? If we're talking about dignity, it was I, Gu Nanqiao, who gave your Nan family dignity. You, a concubine-born bastard, dare to bestow me dignity!”
Concubine-born bastard?
Those words stung Nan Jiali’s heart, her face instantly turned gloomy; “Miss Gu really has a sharp tongue. Unfortunately, no matter how capable you are, aren't you still crippled and disfigured?”
"You probably don't know yet, that the decree to marry my sister was personally requested by the Crown Prince before our Emperor. Even my visit today was approved by the Crown Prince. How else do you think I could bring people into this Mu Nan Mansion of the Crown Prince's palace?"
Yes!
Nan Qiao knows all too well just how strict the security of the Mu Nan Garden is.
Unless he allows it, how could anyone bring someone else into the garden? Even under the screams and resistance of her two maids, there was no sign of any guards coming to the rescue.
But she refused to believe.
She couldn't believe that the man, who once swore he would marry none but her and promised her a lifetime of love, would abandon her, betray her, even want her life!
She would rather believe this was someone else's scheming!!
Nan Jia Li seemed to see through Nan Qiao's thoughts, laughing maliciously as she said, "You don't believe it? How about this, I'll ask Nurse Li to come in and personally feed you the medication, how does that sound?"
In a little while.
A nurse came in.
Upon seeing Nurse Li, Nan Qiao's pupils contracted sharply.
That's because Nurse Li, was his wet-nurse, whom he regarded as a close kin and trusted entirely. Aside from him, no one could order her around!!
Nurse Li coldly said to her, "Miss Gu, the prince now holds a noble status, he needs a capable and supportive princess at his side. It's time for you to step back now that you've fulfilled your role."
Step back after fulfilling her role?
Nan Qiao gave a bitter laugh, she tried to lift her head, to not appear so humiliated, but how could she not look pitiful when she was being held down by her hair and made to lie on the floor??
This was her first time being so humiliated since she came to this world five years ago.
As soon as she crossed over into this world, Gu Nanjiao stumbled upon him. In order to assist him step by step from being a down-and-out prince to ascending the throne as the Crown Prince, she bowed and scraped, withstood arrows and tasted poison for him, all leading to her current battered, crippled and disfigured state.
However, all she received in return was a callous dismissal once her task was accomplished!
"I want to see him."
Gu Nanjiao yearned to ask him personally, why?
"The Crown Prince will not meet you. It's better if Miss Gu does not debase herself any further," said Nanny Li, stepping forward to pour medicine into Gu Nanjiao's mouth.
Gu Nanjiao, however, wrestled and knocked the bowl away. The bowl smashed into pieces on the floor.
Nanny Li was somewhat exasperated, "Miss Gu, if you continue to be so clueless, then don't blame me for being unkind."
Unkind?
Has anyone spared any kindness for her today?
A killing intent surged in Gu Nanjiao's heart.
Even if she was to die, she shouldn't be humiliated like this!!
As Nanny Li ordered someone to get more medicine, Gu Nanjiao, with a swift move, broke free from the maid's restraint behind her. She quickly plucked out the hairpin from her hair, and charged towards Nanny Li who was not far in front of her, intending to capture her as a hostage.
Although she was paralyzed and poisoned.
Being a former special forces military doctor, she still had the strength to fight back.
However——
"Gu Nanqiao!"
With a furious shout, Gu Nanqiao was kicked and sent flying out, her body heavily crashed into the corner of the wall.
A mouthful of fresh blood spurted out.
Gu Nanqiao struggled to look up at the man standing in front of her. He was gentle, elegant, and handsome; he was wearing the purple brocaded robe with a special auspicious cloud pattern that she had personally designed. It was unique in this world, exclusively designed for him!!
Now, it seemed so glaring to her!
With a dry voice, she asked, "Why?"
Mo Ziqian looked at her disdainfully and said coldly, "Because you are never satisfied."
Unsatisfied?
Mo Ziqian seemed to have no worries, "You are excellent, but it's a pity you were born low and have dirtied your body, yet you arrogantly aspire to be the only woman in my palace. Do you know that I am the crown prince now and the future emperor? How could I only have one woman."
"And moreover, especially not a slave like you, who has given birth to a child."
Speaking of the child, Mo Ziqian seemed to think of something interesting, "Speaking of which, I originally wanted to keep your child as a tool to control you in the future, but unfortunately, as he grows up, he resembles that man more and more."
"Every time I think about that self-righteous and arrogant person sleeping with a filthy slave and then searching for her for several years, I can't help but find it ridiculous. He probably never knew even until his death, that the person who bestowed him death was the same woman he had been constantly looking for, haha..."
Mo Ziqian suddenly burst into laughter, his face grim and twisted. There was nothing gentlemanly about him anymore.
Gu Nanqiao was shocked and wide-eyed, her hands braced on the ground clenched into fists tight. That adopted son she had cared for over two years, was he not murdered by an enemy?
"Pfft!"
The rush of vitality, and a mouthful of fresh blood sprayed out.
"Truly so filthy."
The blood spatter landed on Mozi Qian's robe. His face cringed in disgust.
"Gu Nanqiao, you've always wanted to see me, isn't it just to ask whether I've ever loved you or not? I have never loved you. All these years, I didn't touch you, not because I respected you, but because I was repulsed by the thought of you being touched by that man. Filthy stuff, I will never touch."
"Filthy stuff?"
Having spat out a mouthful of blood, Gu Nanqiao managed to rally some strength.
Looking at the man she had wholeheartedly protected all the way, she couldn't help but sneer, "Without relying on me, you wouldn’t have been able to climb to this position step by step. Now you despise me, thinking that I have soiled your stomach. Heh! Mozi Qian, you really make me sick."
"You!"
Being hit where it hurts, Mozi Qian’s gaze turns as cold as a knife's edge.
"Nurse, bring the medicine over."
Taking the bowl of medicine that Nurse Li brought over once again, Mozi Qian aggressively grabbed Gu Nanqiao's jaw and forced the medicine into her mouth.
This time, Gu Nanqiao didn't resist.
The bowl of poisoned concoction trickled down her throat, melting into her limbs, seeping into her heart, making her feel colder than the frost...
In fact, there was no need for him to rush!
Because she had been poisoned by the cold frost while saving him, she hadn't had many months to live. He only had to bear it for a few more months, and he could finish performing his affectionate character. Yet, he couldn't even wait for these months.
Huh!
Gu Nanqiao couldn't help but mock herself silently.
She admitted defeat to her own blind stupidity.
But if there is a next life, she promises to do everything she can to destroy what he loves, to obliterate what he seeks ——
*
"Uhh"
Gu Nanqiao furrowed her brow in pain.
An indescribable pain somewhere in her body, along with the suffocating sensation of her neck being brutally strangled, made her suddenly open her eyes.
She saw a masked man tethered to the bed, angrily choking her throat.
His grip was extremely strong.
It seemed he wanted to take her life.