The servants, having beaten her, became much more obedient. Tasting the sweetness of their actions, they would beat her severely whenever she did anything even slightly unsatisfactory. Li Wenwen secretly swallowed all her bitterness. With every beating, her hatred for Liu Zhiyi grew, and now she even hated Zhu Chenxing.
If he hadn't had the ability to protect himself, yet brought her to the capital, and if he hadn't come to disrupt her peaceful life, she might have already found a suitable family, married, and raised children. How could she have fallen into such a tragic situation?
Another month passed. The kitchen staff thought this maid was quite obedient and began to let her handle some of the food preparation. Li Wenwen knew her chance for revenge was near.
Liu Zhiyi had a habit that continued from her maiden home to the Zhu family: every night before sleeping, she would drink a bowl of health soup. This soup was prescribed by a renowned doctor in the capital and had the effect of nourishing the skin and enhancing beauty.
Lately, the weather had turned cold. As soon as night fell, the chilling wind would blow, making everyone want to burrow into their warm beds. This arduous task was left to Li Wenwen.
Li Wenwen sat quietly in the kitchen, warming herself by the faint lamplight, watching the maid haughtily take away the soup.
She thought for a moment, then quickly walked towards Zhu Chenxing's courtyard. The old woman guarding the gate, seeing someone arrive so late, hurriedly called out, "It's so late, come back tomorrow."
"The Second Young Madam sent me to ask the Second Young Master a question." Li Wenwen knew that the household staff feared the Second Young Madam. They would immediately carry out her orders, as even the Second Young Master could not defy her, let alone them, the servants.
As expected, the gate was quickly opened from the inside. Li Wenwen seized the opportunity and swiftly slipped past the old woman into the courtyard. By the time the old woman realized what had happened, she only saw Li Wenwen's retreating figure.
Although displeased, the Second Young Madam's people were not someone she could afford to offend, so she had to keep all her thoughts to herself.
Zhu Chenxing was no saint. After Li Wenwen was sent away, and with his strained relationship with Liu Zhiyi, he had long since turned his personal maid into a concubine.
When Li Wenwen entered, she saw the two exchanging glances. She had long suspected this would be the outcome but couldn't help feeling disappointed.
"Who are you?" Zhu Chenxing immediately berated her, annoyed at being interrupted.
Li Wenwen lowered her head and sighed, "An old acquaintance."
Hearing the familiar voice, Zhu Chenxing immediately sat up straight. Seeing that she had kept her back to him the entire time, unsure of her intentions, he quickly dismissed the maid.
"Why are you back? If the Second Young Madam finds out, we're finished." Once they were alone in the room, Zhu Chenxing asked in a panicked tone, unconsciously revealing a hint of blame.
The thought of her experiences since arriving in the capital reignited the hatred in Li Wenwen's heart. She threw off her cloak, revealing her disfigured face.
Zhu Chenxing wanted to scream, but the next moment his mouth was covered by two cold hands. Looking at his terrified eyes, Li Wenwen felt an urge to cry. Others could despise her, but he couldn't, because all of this was his doing.
"Let go quickly, I won't scream to attract attention. I was just too surprised and lost my composure." Zhu Chenxing, finding it difficult to breathe with her hand clamped over his mouth, quickly urged her.
As soon as Li Wenwen released her hand, he instinctively took a few steps back, putting distance between them. Although his movements were very slight, the sensitive Li Wenwen noticed. Her hatred deepened, and she knew there was no possibility for them anymore. She even wondered how much he must despise her now.
"Didn't you leave? How did you end up like this?" Zhu Chenxing, his emotions slightly settled, immediately asked the question that concerned him most.
"I wanted to leave, to take the money and flee far away, but would the Second Young Madam allow it? She not only sent people to rob me of my money but also set fire to try and kill me. I was lucky to survive, but I became this ghastly appearance. It's all her fault." Li Wenwen had imagined countless times that when Zhu Chenxing asked this question, she would throw herself into his arms and pour out all her grievances. But now, facing him directly, she suddenly realized that their hearts had drifted too far apart. Her tears had long since dried up, leaving only hatred.
"Could there be a mistake? While she is arrogant and overbearing, she wouldn't do something like murder and arson."
Seeing that he was still defending her at this point, Li Wenwen felt that her affections had been misplaced, and her judgment had been poor for falling for him.
Zhu Chenxing, seeing her disbelieving gaze, and recalling her character, felt she wasn't someone who would speak without basis. He quickly tried to cover up, "You... don't misunderstand. I just heard this news and found it somewhat unbelievable."
Just as Li Wenwen was about to say something, she suddenly heard the sound of hurried footsteps. She knew that what was coming, had come.
When the door was kicked open again, Zhu Chenxing looked at the shaky door and couldn't help but think that if someone else kicked it again, it would collapse.
Seeing Liu Zhiyi being supported in, he instinctively took a few steps back. Ever since she had beaten him last time, Zhu Chenxing avoided her whenever he saw her. As a man, being beaten by his own wife and unable to retaliate was incredibly humiliating. If he couldn't fight her, he could at least avoid her.
"So it was you."
Time rewound half an hour. Liu Zhiyi was drinking her soup as usual when suddenly, after taking a sip, she was overcome with unbearable abdominal pain and spat out a mouthful of blood, terrifying the servants.
Fortunately, the master and madam had been indisposed recently, and a doctor was staying in the mansion. A quick-thinking servant immediately fetched the doctor.
The doctor, after taking her pulse, frowned. He took the bowl of soup she had just drunk, sniffed it carefully, and definitively stated that it contained arsenic.
Liu Zhiyi, in agonizing pain and covered in cold sweat, desperately pleaded with the doctor, "Save me, I'll pay any price."
The doctor looked at her with difficulty. "The poison of arsenic is incurable. I can only prescribe some medicine to induce vomiting, hoping to expel some of the poison." Upon hearing this, Liu Zhiyi felt as if struck by lightning. Was she going to die? Her heart was filled with terror.
"Am I truly beyond help?" she asked, not giving up.
"Young Madam, you don't need to worry for the time being. Perhaps you will encounter a better doctor. But if your poison cannot be cured, you only have three to five years left." Although the doctor knew these words were cruel, they were the truth.
Liu Zhiyi's tears began to fall. Soon, the maid had finished brewing the medicine. She picked it up and drank it down immediately. The medicinal taste was potent, and her stomach churned, causing her to vomit uncontrollably.
When she finally looked up, she felt weak and listless. The old nanny had also returned, panting as she reported, "Young Madam, the servant received word that that ugly maid went to the Second Young Master's courtyard."