Twilight Snow Studio
Gu Ying did not light a charcoal fire in Twilight Snow Studio. The chill of winter kept her sober and sensible. She was waiting for the right moment.
After being reborn, she enjoyed reading and writing.
Fine rice paper was placed on the desk. She wrote a poem by Li Bai called “Song of the Knight-Errant”.
She had just written down “Killing a man with every ten steps, not stopping for thousands of miles”. Yin Zhu rushed in with a stern face, “Miss, Jiang Yin is back. He went to Cangwu Pavilion.”
Gu Ying’s writing paused, ink dripped on the paper, blooming into a black flower.
“Jiang Yin?”
Yin Lan and Yanzhi stood up together, worried, “We forgot about him. We didn’t expect he is the young lady’s man now.”
Yanzhi bit her lip anxiously, “What should we do? Jiang Gongzi probably doesn’t know what we are going to do...”
Yin Zhu's eyes were pitch black. She said to Gu Ying, “Miss, he seems to have noticed something. He is now looking for Gu Jia's whereabouts everywhere. The backyard of the mansion is not big. Finding the ancestral hall is only a matter of time.”
Gu Ying's eyebrows were tightly furrowed. She put down the writing brush with a "pa" and said solemnly, "Nothing can go wrong tonight."
Yin Zhu's mouth was slightly pursed. Her jade-white little face was still faintly cold. She didn't talk much, but she was not stupid.
She immediately turned around to leave.
Gu Ying called her back. Her face was heavy and cold, "Yin Zhu--"
Yin Zhu turned back and said seriously, "Miss, don't worry. Yin Zhu knows what to do. Find Jiang Yin and knock him out."
At the moment, this was the only way to stop Jiang Yin from finding Gu Jia and let the plan proceed smoothly.
But Gu Ying walked up to her and shook her head, "Jiang Yin's mind is deep. He is much more powerful than you can imagine. Since you just came back to report, if you look for him now, with his cautious personality, you may not be able to find him anymore."
Yin Zhu's eyebrows tightened. She was stunned for a moment.
She blamed herself for not finding a chance to knock him out when she was guarding outside Cangwu Pavilion. She was afraid of disturbing the other maids and old women inside Cangwu Pavilion.
"Miss, what should this servant do then?"
Gu Ying squeezed her fist. Her face was very calm, "I will go to the ancestral hall with you to stand guard."
She murmured, turned her head to take her cloak, "Yin Lan, Yanzhi, you two should still follow our previous plan."
Yin Lan stared at Gu Ying steadily, "Alright, Miss."
Yanzhi also nodded solemnly.
Yin Zhu didn't say anything. After Gu Ying put on the black cloak, she walked quickly out of Twilight Snow Studio with her.
Outside, the snow mist was vast, and the night was dark.
Gu Ying didn't take a lantern. But she was very familiar with the layout of the entire mansion.
In the pitch-black darkness, countless crisscrossing paths looked eerie.
Gu Ying took a deep breath calmly and came to the ancestral hall. She pushed open the window lattices and saw that Gu Jia had already lit a dim bean oil lamp in the ancestral hall.
But looking at her expression, she was very calm and tranquil, without any panic or guilt.
Could it be... Jiang Yin had already been here?
Behind her, Yin Zhu said in a low voice, "Miss, it's already three o'clock."
Time was getting closer and closer. Gu Ying didn't know why, but her heart suddenly became flustered. Her eyes glanced around, and she didn't see any strange figure.
Jiang Yin's pace... should be faster than hers. But he didn't know Gu Jia would be in the ancestral hall beforehand, so looking for her would waste his time.
Unless he got lucky and guessed where Gu Jia was at once.
Gu Ying was startled by her own speculation for a moment. In a flash, several situations crossed her mind. Her body swayed and almost lost balance.
Yin Zhu supported her from behind, "Miss, are you alright--"
The cold wind cut at her face like a knife. Gu Ying grabbed Yin Zhu's little hand to calm herself down.
Jiang Yin was smart. Perhaps he would let Gu Jia stay to act out the play with her, and turn the tables on her in the end.
But Gu Jia was arrogant and self-important. She might not listen to Jiang Yin.
If she didn't listen to Jiang Yin, he wouldn't let her stay here either. Knocking her out and taking her away was the best way.
But now, Gu Jia looked calm and steady. Jiang Yin didn't show up either.
For a moment, she was somewhat at a loss what to do, and could only gamble on Gu Jia's fear of Gu Min.
She gritted her teeth and firmed up her determination. "Yin Zhu."
Yin Zhu said, "Miss, please speak."
Gu Ying leaned over and whispered a few words in her ear.
Yin Zhu's face became solemn. She hmm-ed and left.
Gu Ying hid in the shadows, peering into the ancestral hall.
Time passed by bit by bit. Soon, Gu Ying heard the sound of rustling footsteps coming from outside.
Four o'clock in the morning--
The light had completely faded away. The whole world was eerily dark. The icy wind howled wildly carrying snowflakes. The door frame of the ancestral hall made people feel uneasy with its howling sound.
Just then, Gu Jia's expression suddenly changed drastically inside. Her whole body trembling, she knelt in front of the spirit tablet of Gu Min in the ancestral hall!
"Gu Min--"
Then--
Gu Jia's little face was as pale as paper. She frantically threw spirit money into the brazier in front of her, and held three incense sticks high above her head. She kowtowed madly to Gu Min's spirit tablet.
"Sister Min, I'm sorry... it's all my fault. The things back then were my fault. Please don't scare me anymore, okay?"
"Jia'er knows she was wrong..."
"Back then Jia'er shouldn't have watched you drown in the pond without saving you..."
"Sister Min! Forgive me! I'm your sister! You shouldn't take my life! We are blood sisters..."
She spoke these remorseful words painfully. Bean-sized sweat beads kept popping out of her forehead.
But the rows of black spirit tablets on the wooden shelf seemed to stare down at her like the faces of dozens of ghosts, as if everyone was questioning why she was lying!
She knelt stiffly on the cushion, trembling as she slowly raised her pale little face.
Fresh blood seeped out from the top of her head, dripping down her forehead.
She was scared out of her wits. She raised her small hand in shock and saw the glistening blood trickling between her fingers... Her body bounced up like a rag and fell back down on the icy bluestone floor.
She was extremely frightened. Covering her ears, she let out a piercing shriek.
"Ah--"
"Don't come over!"
"Gu Min! You little bitch! Don't come over!"
"I really didn't deliberately push you into the ancestral pond!"
"It was all your own fault! Blame yourself! If you hadn't monopolized Mother's love, why would I want to kill you!"
As soon as she finished speaking.
The main door of the ancestral hall was violently pushed open with a loud bang. The wild wind howled freely.
Gu Jia uncovered her ears and turned to look at the door with a twisted expression. Immediately, her mind buzzed and her expression instantly froze stiff.
A large group of people were standing at the door with complex expressions.
Grandmother, Qingfeng Zhenren, Zhao nanny, Wang nanny... and Father...
And Mrs. Liu was wearing a black and white long coat, her face extremely pale. She looked at Gu Jia slumped in the ancestral hall incredulously. Her fingers trembled slightly. There was still a trace of pity left in her heart. "Jia... Jia'er..."
It took her a long time to find her voice again. "What... What did you just say?"
