Volume 1 Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Save Me, Save Me

Just at the moment when Yao Mo Xin flung herself towards Yao Su Luan, she was savagely struck by Yao Su Luan back onto the ground.

“Oh well, after all that’s said and done, you did give me the chance to harm you, so take this dagger as my way of repaying you! This place reeks of blood. How disgusting. The way to die, you can choose as you see fit!” Yao Su Luan flung the dagger in her sleeve in front of Yao Mo Xin, cover her nose again, then swept a final disgusted glance across Yao Mo Xin’s deathly pale face before finally leaving.

The iron chains clanged, the doors of the Cold Palace were securely closed once again. Yao Mo Xin roughly dug both hand into the ground, allow her fingers to be pierced with pain as she silently crawled towards the infant whose whole body was covered with blood.

“Zhong er, don’t be scared……no need to be scared……Mother will join you now! Mother swears, never to let anyone ever bully you again……” Blood tears flowed out the corners of Yao Mo Xin’s eyes. She tightly embraced the infant with one hand, the other hand slowly raised the dagger. In the depths of her eyes, was a blanket of pitch-black darkness.

“Ye Hong Yi! Yao Su Luan! After I die I will become definitely become a malicious spirit, and I will seek you out make you two pay for all the unfinished debts……”

Blood, bubbling and gushing out, dyed the ice-cold bricks a scarlet red. That dark red blood was just like the dark flowers that bloom in the underworld; in its tragic beauty was penetrating eeriness.

Yao Mo Xin and the infant’s corpses were tightly bound together, in this lifetime, no one can separate them again……

In the great Chu Imperial City, it is Xing Hua street that is the most popular. The streets were filled with streams of people, carriages clattered, and both sides of the street were filled with teahouses, taverns, pawn shops, workshops, row upon rows of shops. A complete scene of booming prosperity.

The entire large street gave off the impression of imposing luxury. But none dared to compare with the Fragrant Harmony Courtyard. The three-story-high building rose steeply from the ground, crowned with glazed roof tiles, blood-colored flight eaves, engravings decorated the roof beams and paintings the pillars; the colors were splendid and eye-catching.

This is where men indulge in luxury, a place dazzling with paper and gold. Huge amounts of silver are cast into the sumptuous mansions of the Fragrant Harmony Courtyard. At the door, several enchanting girls with conspicuous amounts of makeup and half-exposed fragrant shoulders continuously waved the silk handkerchiefs in their hands, their soul-suckingly coquettish glances turned many a man’s legs limp.

Inside the Fragrant Harmony Courtyard were gentle and charming colors of spring, unlimited amounts of bright colors, men with reds and blues in each arm³, in a drunken stupor. This Fragrant Harmony Courtyard that looked full of gold and jade in glorious splendor was truly the exemplification of the saying gilded on the exterior and shabby within.

(3) “red and blues in each arm” seems to be a part of it saying though no dictionary I found officially defines it. The closest I got was the whole saying seems to go like this “first embrace red, then embrace blue, accompany for a chat accompany for a night” So like escorts that also work as prostitutes…

At present, the innermost room of the Fragrant Harmony Courtyard was a complete mess.

“Waaah…… You’re bullying me…… Liu Xing save me…… it hurts……” On the bed, Yao Mo Wan’s tears spilled forth from the corners of her eyes as flailed her snow-colored lotus arms with all her might, trying to shove down the man on top of her that was pinning her body down, but in the next moment, both her hands were forcefully pressed down above her head by another man.

“You bunch of animals! Let go of the Third Miss! Scram!” The man called Liu Xing’s eyes were scarlet red. He lifted his leg to kick the hired thug that was dragging him and turned around with a sudden large stride to rush to the bed, reaching out to drag the white silk pants gongzi ge⁴ down to the floor, then turned to land a punch on the other vulgar man’s eye.

(4) 公子哥 – “gongzi ge”refering to a rich person who only eats, drinks, and play, a child that does not attend to one’s proper duties

“Third Miss, don’t be scared, as long as Liu Xing is here, no one is allowed to bully you!” Liu Xing used his sleeve to wipe the bloody stain below his nose. In spite of all the injuries on his body, he, just like a statue, stood straight in front of Yao Mo Wan.

“Preposterous! Attack him! Ben shao ye⁵ orders you to beat him to death!” The silk pants gongzi ge climbed up with difficulty, cutting a sorry figure, then pointed at Liu Xing giving this furious shout. Many hired thugs heard and at once advanced to surround Liu Xing, throwing their fists with all their might.

(5) 本少爷 – “Ben” refers to oneself, “shao ye” refers in this case to the young master of the house, other usages include son of the boss and your son (honorific).

“Don’t…… you guys don’t hit him! Liu Xing…… Waah……” Yao Mo Wan watched with fright as Liu Xing was shoved to the ground by those thugs, continuously being punched and kicked, so she recklessly rushed off the bed to try and pull away those thugs, but unexpected was fiercely kicked out of the way by one of the thugs. Her body, like a wing-torn butterfly, violently slammed into the corner of the bed. Hand, hung down limply. In the end, her breath ceased.

Everyone was preoccupied with dealing with Liu Xing. Even the white silk pants gongzi ge had joined in the ranks to beat him up, no one cared about Yao Mo Wan’s situation.

“I’ll kill you all!” Liu Xing who was beaten black and blue, upon seeing Yao Mo Wan fall to the ground, his heart felt extremely worried. He suddenly got up in a burst of insane desperation, picked up the stool next to him and ferociously swung it towards one of the thugs. The thug, caught off guard, was hit squarely by the stool and blood gushed forth.

“Such big guts for a dog! To dare to actually harm ben gongzi‘s people! Beat him to death!” The silk pants gongzi ge bellowed, outraged, and the hired thugs closed in around Liu Xing and once again merged into a mess.

“So noisy……” Yao Mo Xin, in an absent-minded moment, only felt a stab of pain from her forehead, her eyes slowly opened. Looking at the scene before her eyes, Yao Mo Xin felt an indescribable feeling, suddenly as if remembering something, both hands abruptly tightened. She looked down, yet didn’t see her Zhong er.

“Third Miss! Run! Hurry and run——” Liu Xing’s head was broken and blood was flowing. He knew himself that he could not hold on for much longer, so he shouted as if his life depended on it, hoping that Yao Mo Wan would hear.

Yao Mo Xin looked towards the voice with shock, seeing that familiar silhouette. It’s Liu Xing. She remembered clearly, in the entire Yao Xiang fu⁶, her mei mei was only close to this one servant. But just now he……

(6) 府 – “fu” refers to a residence and the clan that resides there; Yao Mo Xin’s paternal home is the 姚相府 “Yao Xiang fu”

“You! What did you call me?” Yao Mo Xin looked towards Liu Xing, aghast. In the next instant, she abruptly got up and ran towards the dressing table, picking up the copper mirror.

“Mo Wan…… How could it be? How is this possible!” Yao Mo Xin gripped the mirror, turning the surface as if her life depended on it, but no matter which angle she looked from, what was reflected in the mirror was her sister Yao Mo Wan’s face! Didn’t she already die? She still clearly remembered the sudden chill she felt as she stabbed that dagger into her stomach. The moment when she closed her eyes, Zhong er’s face, covered with blood, was the last thing she saw of this world.

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Credits: Translated by Chiyomira, Edited by Mintzu

[Chiyomira’s Corner]

Poor girl…