Chapter 10 Her Origins
Bi He quickly patted Madam's back, but Yan Xuerui pushed her hand away, dabbed the corners of her mouth with a silk handkerchief, and her expression turned peculiar.
She cast a sidelong glance at the "Miracle Doctor" and asked, "Mr. Gao, pray tell, what kind of poison is this?"
Mr. Gao replied, "This poison has been lost for ages, and few in the world know of it. Those afflicted by it will possess a face like a lotus, skin like ice and bones of jade, a graceful and slender figure, and can forever retain the youthful bloom of a fifteen-year-old."
"Hence its name: Beauty’s Adornment."
"Oh?"
Yan Xuerui's interest was piqued. She asked with a curious glint in her eye, "From what you say, this poison can make a woman’s skin fair and preserve her youth eternally."
"That sounds like a blessing."
If it were truly so, even if it meant enduring cold hands and feet and suffering during menstruation, women worldwide would likely flock to it.
Yan Xuerui had already mentally categorized the old man before her as a "charlatan," no different from the last one who spouted nonsense about "heartblood." She hadn't yet ordered him to be thrown out, simply because she wanted to hear what other fabrications he could conjure.
"If it's a poison, how could it bring comfort?"
The old man sighed softly and said, "Those afflicted by this poison will feel their body turn as cold as an ice cellar, their insides churn as if by knives, and their entire being will be wracked with pain that pierces the heart and spleen. Their lifespan... will not exceed a year."
"..."
"Oh."
Yan Xuerui nodded dismissively and said softly, "Bi He, show him out."
She couldn't fathom how Gu Yan, who had always been so astute, could be deceived by such a charlatan!
She had suffered from cold syndrome since childhood. According to his words, if she were truly poisoned by this dreadful toxin, she should have died long ago. How could she still be sitting here listening to his drivel?
Mr. Gao's eyesight was poor, and his hearing didn't seem much better. He appeared oblivious to the hint to leave and continued, "The true 'Beauty’s Adornment' is beyond cure. Fortunately, Madam only has residual poison in her body. Though your pulse is weak, I observe it to be steady. You must have been well cared for over the years. Though I am not particularly skilled, I believe I can offer some treatment."
"Marquis Gu entrusted me with this task, and I shall do everything in my power to alleviate your worries."
At the mention of "Marquis Gu," Yan Xuerui's lips stiffened, and her expression darkened.
Recalling Gu Yan's impetuous nature, she suppressed the urge to expel this charlatan and said with a tight, forced smile, "How extraordinary that someone would go to such lengths to harm an ordinary woman like me with such a rare poison. Pray tell, how did this poison come to be in my body?"
Mr. Gao stroked his sparse beard, pondered for a moment, and then stated with certainty, "The poison in Madam’s body is extremely faint, and you have suffered from cold syndrome since childhood. I assert that it is residual poison inherited from birth."
Yan Xuerui's voice turned slightly cold. "So, according to you, did my mother contract 'Beauty’s Adornment' and die within a year?"
"You are mistaken. My mother is over fifty, healthy and hale."
Moreover, Yan's mother was short and plump, with the fair skin typical of women from Jiangnan—nothing extraordinary. As she aged, wrinkles had crept around her eyes, nothing like what the old man described.
Mr. Gao fell silent for a moment and said, "Based on your pulse, your birth mother is no longer in this world."
"In over forty years of practice, I have never misdiagnosed anyone."
"How dare you!"
A slender hand slapped down. Yan Xuerui, who rarely lost her temper, struck the table with a sharp "smack." The jade and gold bracelets on her wrist collided, emitting a crisp sound.
She said coldly, "Given your advanced age, I will overlook this. Bi He, see the guest out now!"
Her full chest rose and fell sharply. Over the years, Yan Xuerui had cultivated a calm demeanor and had never been so enraged. At this moment, her face was like a peach blossom, her shimmering eyes flowing with flecks of gold, as if burning with a flame—stunningly beautiful.
Even Bi He, who attended to her mistress daily, was mesmerized. Usually, her mistress was gentle as water but felt somewhat lacking, like... an exquisite jade carving—beautiful but lifeless. Just now, it was as if a soul had been breathed into the jade carving, bringing it to life!
She swallowed and quickly called for someone to "usher" the old man out. Maids from inside and outside hurried about, some bringing tea and water, others massaging her legs and shoulders. Yan Xuerui waved her hand irritably. "All of you, leave."
Even Yan Xuerui herself hadn’t noticed that after years of living in luxury and facing Gu Yan daily, her cold demeanor when ordering servants faintly resembled his.
Everyone bowed and withdrew. Bi He thoughtfully closed the door tightly, leaving Yan Xuerui alone in the room. She took a deep breath, slumped into an armchair, and closed her eyes as if drained of energy.
Yan Xuerui had been clever since childhood.
Just as she knew that Yao Er had replaced the maid who hadn't been redeemed but had died a violent death, some things she understood in her heart but chose not to speak of.
She looked nothing like her parents.
Her parents had doted on Xue Fang since childhood. Whether it was studying, embroidery, making incense, or managing shops—no matter how well she did, it could never compare to Xue Fang acting spoiled in their mother’s lap. She was always taught that, as the elder sister, she must yield to her younger sister. Even when they both got into trouble, only she was punished.
Even when she knew Xue Fang was framing her, to keep Xue Fang from crying and making a scene, she would inevitably be scolded and blamed.
In her youth, she was proud and resented Xue Fang for receiving their parents’ favor, always wanting to outdo her. Xue Fang, in turn, was jealous of her—aside from their parents’ affection, she was inferior to her in every way.
The two sisters secretly competed, each envying what the other had. As she grew older, Yan Xuerui realized she could never surpass Xue Fang.
Even if she could create exquisite fragrances, even if she could elevate the family business, her parents would only vaguely praise her for being clever but would stay by Xue Fang’s bedside all night when she was seriously ill.
The Yan family was an ordinary incense merchant. There were no less than a thousand such merchants in Yangzhou City. The only unusual thing was that Yan’s father was a live-in son-in-law. He had only two daughters, Xuerui and Xue Fang, and had never taken a concubine.
Yan Xuerui had heard neighborhood gossip that her mother had difficulty conceiving. The couple had traveled to the capital to seek medical treatment and returned with her a year later. The following year, her mother became pregnant and gave birth to Xue Fang.
No one had seen what her mother looked like when pregnant with her. She once heard a fortune-teller under the bridge say that if a couple had no children, they could adopt an infant. If the child was destined to have siblings, it might bring good news.
She had always suspected that she might not be her parents’ biological daughter at all—just an abandoned infant with unknown origins, raised by the Yan couple.
Though she didn’t receive as much affection as Xue Fang, she never lacked food, clothing, or other necessities. Yan’s father, diligent and hardworking, had once lifted her high above his head when she was young. Her mother, needless to say, managed the household accounts. As her cold syndrome became more apparent, money poured into doctors, yet her mother never frowned.
She was content and treated Yan’s father and mother as her own parents, filial and respectful. As for her origins, she never inquired.
Life is such that sometimes it's better to be ignorant.
Later, when Gu Yan forcibly brought her back to the capital, far from Yangzhou, and her parents had favored Xue Fang in that incident, offering her up to appease Gu Yan’s wrath to protect the family from the noble’s anger, she understood their helplessness—an egg cannot strike a stone—but it still hurt deeply.
The distance was great, and travel was inconvenient. A letter took half a month to arrive. At that time, Yan Xuerui was entangled with Gu Yan in every way possible, and later she became pregnant with Ming Lan and Ming Wei, leaving her no time to care about her family in Yangzhou.
After all, Gu Yan had promised her that if she stayed with him, she would enjoy wealth and luxury, and he would never treat her family poorly.
...
Yan Xuerui pushed up her sleeve, picked up the teapot on the table, poured herself a cup of cool tea to reduce internal heat, and took a small sip.
She didn’t know if the miracle doctor’s skills were genuine, but he was right about one thing: his words had almost explicitly stated that she was not her parents’ biological daughter.
This was a hidden wound in her heart, something she knew but was unwilling to confront—a pain deeper than her cold syndrome.
Moreover, she had already endured the suffering of cold syndrome for over thirty years. She was used to it. How many more years did she have left? At seventy, life was already rare.
Even if the miracle doctor was truly a master, this illness was better left untreated.
Her chest rose and fell slightly as she pondered. Just as she was about to have the "miracle doctor" thrown out, Bi He’s timid voice came from outside.
"Madam, the eldest young master is here to pay his respects."
"Will you... see him or not?"
Finally, after longing for her son she hadn’t seen in so long, Yan Xuerui was in no hurry to see him. She lowered her eyelashes and went to the bronze mirror to adjust her collar and cuffs.
Only after making herself presentable did she call out clearly, "Come in."