The Reborn Noble Girl is Hard to Find | Chapter 2

Han Yan widened her eyes sharply. Twelve years old! The nightmare of twelve years ago resurfaced right in front of her eyes. Not only that, but the Prince knew about it.

His Highness must’ve thought she was impure and thus was disgusted with the thought of her. Han Yan’s heart felt like that of dead ashes, two lines of clear tears streaming down the corners of her eyes.

Zhuang Yu Shan, however, smiled wider and more cheerfully as she was delighted to witness Han Yan’s miserable and despairing appearance. “Younger sister, there is also no need to worry about our father, as our father would rather lose a single daughter than be willing to lose this marriage. Furthermore, Father has always disliked you. Otherwise, why would he permit my mother to get rid of the previous Wang Furen?

Mother? My mother was murdered?!

Zhuang Yu Shan giggled: “Younger sister, you must not have known, but thinking back, it is no wonder, since you only ever stayed in the residence embroidering flowers and playing the qin, never leaving the residence all year round. All the other residence’s Furens are not even aware of your existence in this residence.” 

She raised the wine goblet and approached Han Yan: “A person who others can’t even remember her face, dying on the night of the big wedding is not a big deal. In the eyes of the Furens, I am the rightful di daughter in law.”

Han Yan paled as her body started shivering. The life that she believed to be harmonious and fulfilling was a grand conspiracy. Upon hearing shrill and pitiful screams beside her, Han Yan realized that she had not seen Chen Mama ever since Zhuang Yu Shan came in.

Could it be… she felt a chill in her heart as she stared at Zhuang Yu Shan in disbelief.

Zhuang Yu Shan walked over to Ji Lan and Shu Hong: “I see these two servant girls are loyal, and their appearance is not bad. I’m afraid the guards on duty this evening are exhausted. These two servant girls will be gifted to them as playthings. Tomorrow morning I will allow the two servant girls to meet their master in the afterlife.”

Ji Lan and Shu Hong were maids left to Han Yan by her mother. They had been like sisters to her since childhood, but because of her they lost their lives and ended up like this! What a good older sister! What a good stepmother!

Zhuang Yushan finally seemed to be tired of talking. She squatted down and pinched Han Yan’s chin tightly, fiercely pouring the wine in her hand into Han Yan’s throat.

The deadly hemlock poison created a blood seal around the throat. Han Yan had only just felt a sweetness in her throat when blood started dripping from the corner of her mouth.

It was her fault! It was her fault for not knowing the right people, for recognising a thief as her father! She was too naive to be true to her step-sister! If she hadn’t stayed in the residence all day, if she hadn’t pinned all her hopes on others, if she hadn’t fallen in love with Wei Rufeng!

Would everything have still happened?

Would this have still happened?

No! It wouldn’t. The most unpredictable thing in this world was the human heart. Even if I had stopped this play, the Zhou mother and daughter would not have let me go. My own father had been indifferent and ruthless.

Han Yan fell to the ground, her pair of clear water-like pupils filling with bloody tears. Zhuang Yu Shan, even if I become a ghost, I will never let you go!

The beautiful bride faintly smiled before spitting out sentences as vicious as a scorpion: “Good sister, when you reach the yellow spring road, carefully watch how this older sister becomes Prince Consort.”

Everything in front of her eyes blurred together as a piercing; spine-tingling pain filled the vertebral heart inside her chest. Han Yan noticed a pair of sky green satin official boots walking in just as she lost consciousness.

It was her husband. She did not expect that in this life she had looked forward to peaceful flowers and the moon, but instead what was awaiting her was the calamity of death.

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A soft and fluffy mink bed, a light sky clear from rain, a smokey silk warp weave draping down absentmindedly. The girl sleeping in the bed moved her fingers slightly, slowly opening her pair of black eyes.

When Han Yan woke up, she only felt a splitting headache, and her eyes felt unbearably dry. She had difficulty propping herself up to take a look. An intense fragrance of medicine filled her room. This was clearly her boudoir, but how unfamiliar it looked! It felt so strange it seemed like a lifetime ago. She reached out to rub the corner of her forehead; had someone perhaps saved her?

“Fourth young miss.” With a surprised cry, Han Yan raised her eyes.

In Chen Mama’s hands was a beautiful gold painted porcelain bowl. The short-statured woman rested the bowl on the side of a small table, hurriedly stepping forward. “Young miss, you have awoken. Is there anything wrong?”

Han Yan stared blankly at Chen Mama. Was she not disposed of by Zhuang Yu Shan? The scene of the wedding night appeared before her eyes again. Han Yan felt her nose was suddenly sore as tears streamed down her face.

Seeing her flowing tears, Chen Mama’s heart quickly jolted with a sudden panic, followed by a bitter heartache as she hugged Han Yan tightly in her warm embrace. “My poor lady, the Furen has only just passed, yet the master brought that bitch through the door, and her daughter is also not simple. You were angry to the point that your body got sick, but you must not cry anymore, as the master will be unhappy if he sees it.” 

“What is wrong young miss?” a crisp voice rang through Han Yan’s ears as she sat up straight. Only two steps away from her were Ji Lan and Shu Hong, holding jars of candied fruit worriedly. “Miss, where do you feel discomfort? Should we invite the doctor over?”

The servant girls who had died for her in her previous life were now standing only two steps away. Han Yan could not find the words to describe what she felt. “Ji Lan… Shou Hong…”, her mouth choked out the words. She simply buried herself in Chen Mama’s arms again and cried bitterly.

This startled the two maids. They had no idea what happened to Han Yan and looked towards Chen Mama inquiringly. Chen Mama thought the young miss was probably sad that her father brought in her step mother right after her mother’s death, so she gently comforted her.

After crying for an unknown amount of time, Han Yan gradually calmed down, and the doubts in her heart became deeper and deeper.

Chen Mama looks much younger, with less gray hair on her temples. Ji Lan and Shu Hong also look slightly younger.”Ji Lan, bring me the mirror”.

Ji Lan did not what Han Yan was going to do, but she still took the diamond shaped bronze mirror on the dressing table and gave it to her. Han Yan looked at herself in the mirror. She saw a pale and thin face with big black eyes, a beautiful nose and cherry lips, and long black hair hanging down like tassels. The person in the mirror was delicate and gentle, yet a little childish. It was her, but definitely not how she is now.

The bronze mirror in her hand fell to the ground with a “pop” sound. Shu Hong was startled and quickly stepped forward: “Miss”

Han Yan was stunned for a moment and waved, feeling as if her heart was shaking. This person in the mirror is clearly the twelve year old Zhuang HanYan three years ago!

She raised her head and looked at her surroundings carefully, finally understanding where the strange sense of familiarity came from. It was because the furnishings in this room were clearly the ones from 3 years ago.

“Mama, what year is this?” Han Yan asked after a long time.

“It is the thirteenth year of the reign of Emperor Zong” Chen Mama looked at her in surprise, “Why does the young miss ask?”

Han Yan’s heart skipped a beat. In the thirteenth year of Emperor Zong’s reign, her mother died of a serious illness. The same year Zhou shi and Zhuang Yu Shan entered the Marquis Mansion.It was also this year,she was kidnapped by bandits. Although nothing happened and the matter was suppressed, she always carried a burden in her heart, fearing someday this matter will be exposed and her reputation will be ruined.

A bad word whispered will echo a hundred miles. People’s words are scary.

It was precisely because of this incident that she no longer wanted to go out. She hid herself in her courtyard all day, embroidering and writing, and lost contact with the outside world. Even when her own brother committed a crime and was imprisoned, she only found out about it at the end.

When she was kidnapped by bandits, it was Zhou shi who got the news after searching for 2 days and 2 nights. The palace sent Imperial guards to rescue her from the bandits. She was very grateful to Zhou shi, and with Zhuang Yushan’s gentle care, she gradually accepted the mother and daughter.