Chapter 34 - Path Paved Out
After she was forced to pick up the corpse, she cried non-stop when she went home. When she was tired from crying, she fell asleep. However, she did not sleep well through the night.
After a nightmare-riddled nightmare, her complexion seemed to darken the very next. She looked like cinder had been sprinkled all over her. She looked exceptionally awful.
"Mother, Xie Qiao is too much. Now that she is already bullying me, in the future when… when we reach the Xie household, how am I supposed to survive? Why don't I head back to the Pei household?!" The moment she heard that Xie Qiao had caught up, Pei Wanyue lost her composure.
Her mind was occupied with that skeleton from yesterday.
And also last night's nightmare!
"What nonsense are you spouting? The Pei Family is ruthless.. How could I let you go back there?!" Ms. Lu pressed her fingers against her temples. "Just look at yourself. You haven't even reached the Xie household and you're already giving up?"
"Mother, I am really scared. Since last night, my body has been ice-cold." Pei Wanyue wailed.
"Aye. That brat is certainly nefarious. Goodness knows what she had been learning from that Taoist Temple!" Ms. Lu sighed. "You are at fault too. You were too rash yesterday! I know you think she is pretty, and it will be a point of comparison between the two of you. But… she will not live long, anyway! "
Pei Wanyue was silent for a moment.
Not living long… Living till 20 was not a long life, neither was 40.
There was no way Xie Qiao would be gone in these couple of years, right?
"Wanyue. Just think about it. No matter how good she is, no one would ever bring her to mind if her body doesn't last. On the contrary, the more outstanding she is, the better it is for the Xie Family's reputation. That would in turn go back to you. So if she is excellent, would that not pave a path for you too?" Ms. Lu added.
No one had paid this daughter of hers much attention in the Pei household, so she was sheltered and had shallow views.
Pei Wanyue pursed her lips.
However, everyone wanted to be the best and not the second choice.
"Mother, I don't feel well. I'm cold and a little dizzy." Pei Wanyue's complexion was draining by the second.
Ms. Lu was shocked when she heard that.
Then she cautiously felt her daughter's forehead.
"You're burning up?" Ms. Lu frowned. "Perhaps it was from yesterday's shock. Luckily, we have a physician with us. I'll ask the physician to see you."
Ms. Lu promptly let the physician look her over.
It was just a normal cold and fever. There was not much of a problem.
However, Pei Wanyue's symptoms were rather frightening. She was feeling unwell one day, then she collapsed the very next day.
The physician was skilled in his own right. Pei Wanyue's fever was not that high. She only felt discomfort from the dizziness and had chills, so she stayed in the carriage and laid down to rest.
Ms. Lu's face was dark.
"We will stop once we reach the imperial city. We will continue only when you recover." Ms. Lu's expression was motherly.
Pei Wanyue was feverishly delirious at that point, but she still shook her head. "Mother, that won't be good. We should continue and press onward. I wish to reach the imperial city sooner."
Her voice was weak and frail. At that point, she looked even frailer than Xie Qiao.
"Press onwards? Would your body take it? You shouldn't let it get so bad that it'll leave side effects." Ms. Lu was getting frantic.
"It's fine, Mother. I want to go to your home sooner." Pei Wanyue was adamant.
She had thought it through.
She could not show up at the Xie household like a lost refugee.
Now that she had fallen ill, the whole Xie Family would know that it was from the shock Xie Qiao had put her through. She could gain their pity that way.
Ms. Lu did not know what was going through her daughter's head. She had only thought that her daughter did not have any support throughout all these years. That was why she was so adamant about this.
Her heart ached for her as these sad thoughts went through her mind.
Of course, Ms. Lu was blaming Xie Qiao in her heart. However, it was not appropriate to voice them out.