Chapter 3

    "Finally, you can die at last."

    A cold voice rang above Yue Haili's head as she gazed calmly at the familiar face of the beautiful woman before her.

    It was the primary wife of Feng Yongyuan, Young Furen of the Master's household.

    "Hmph, how does it feel, Concubine Li? No matter how hard you tried over the years, in the end, you could never defeat me. You've been incredibly tough. No matter what methods I used, none of them worked on you. But today, you should just die."

    Yue Haili blinked and sighed softly. She showed no signs of anger. She understood well and had no reason to defend herself.

    This Young Furen might have been cruel, trying to get rid of her several times over the years, but Yue Haili had wronged her first by taking her husband, even if only as a worthless concubine. For any woman, this would cause an unhealable wound.

    Today was Yue Haili's twenty-fifth birthday.

    Dressed in a blue gown as deep as the cold night, with a light yellow silk belt, her skin was now pale. She sat on a soft seat with only a faint smile tugging at her lips. There was no hatred, no resentment. Her heart was calm, as if she didn't care about her life anymore.

    "I apologize for everything that has happened," she said.

    Young Furen of the Master household was stunned. "You... what?"

    "Don't worry. After tonight, I will no longer be a thorn in your side. You can rest easy, Young Furen. Just make sure to burn my ashes thoroughly. There’s no need to bury or scatter them in any graveyard. That's all I ask."

    Yue Haili said in an even tone, pulling out a piece of paper from her robe. "This is no longer necessary. Please pass it on to the Master's heir."

    At that moment, she coughed up blood. Her blue gown was stained with a dark purple mark. She looked at the pale face of Young Furen, who was now reading the paper in disbelief, and smiled softly.

    "I never intended to harm you. The reason I didn’t drink your contraceptive medicine is that I brewed and drank it myself after each visit from the master."

    And those brews were mixed with poison. I’m not ready to die yet, but I refuse to suffer through the effects of that poison.

    Young Furen stared at the contract in shock. "You... you..."

    "It has now been exactly six years," Yue Haili said quietly.

    "You don’t have to stay here and watch me die. The Master’s heir will likely return soon. You’d best leave; staying around here wouldn’t look good. I’ve already drunk the poison you intended for me. Now, I’d like to rest."

    Young Furen and her maidservants left in confusion, having never encountered someone so calm in the face of death—so calm that she accepted it with a smile.

    Once alone, Yue Haili dragged her dying body to the desk. She picked up a thin brush and wrote a short letter. Then, she opened a box and took out a bronze chest, unlocked it, and found inside a pile of banknotes, land deeds, and ownership papers for several shops. These were the assets she had painstakingly accumulated over the years. Finally, she took out a small, delicately embroidered pouch adorned with peonies and the moon, placing it on top of the letter.

    Inside the pouch was a red jade seal she had carved herself with the characters ‘Yongyuan.’

    It is my farewell gift to you.

    She carefully arranged everything on the table, then slowly walked out of the resting quarters.

    The fine poison wine on her twenty-fifth birthday in this life... It was likely secretly provided by that husband of hers to Young Furen, wasn't it?

    This time, she was falsely accused of having an affair with a minister who was an enemy of the master and of revealing critical secrets to him—secrets she herself didn’t even know existed.

    It was always the same. No matter what, he would never love her.

    It was always the same. No matter what, she loved him with all her heart.

    She lifted her head to gaze at the moon, wondering if she had been cursed to this fate. But this would be the last time. In these six years, she had fulfilled her deepest desire, and now, she was content.

    Six beautiful years. Six terrible years. Six years that turned her into a scorned woman.

    The final six years had now passed, Yongyuan.

    I love you so much. I have loved you for so long.

    But I will now let you go.

    The moon cast a shimmering glow over the water, revealing faint shades of blue mixed into the dark surface of the lake, easing its loneliness just a little.

    Her slender body plunged into the lake, disturbing the blooming lotus flowers, which trembled and scattered. Soon, only faint ripples remained. The beautiful woman sank, without struggling, allowing her last bit of strength to drift away. She surrendered herself peacefully, even as the agony of suffocation pressed in, her eyes remained closed, waiting for it all to end.

    Yet, in the final moment before everything went silent, she heard a familiar, agonized voice calling from above. In the instant before her cold soul slipped away, she felt the warmth of the arms she had cherished so deeply.

    “No! Ying Ying! Don’t leave me!”

    Yue Haili’s breath stilled, and she moved no more. She had left him, just as she had promised, once again keeping her word.