Volume Two: Eventful Autumn Twists and Turns Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-Eight: Grief Turns to Illness, Repaying Kindness with Enmity

They say a woman's intuition is terrifyingly accurate, and while Yang Chengzi was still completely oblivious, Chen Xin and Chang Yu had already guessed most of it.

The two girls were entirely correct: Meng Wuyan had indeed set her sights on Yang Chengzi.

Wu Chengfeng was certainly handsome, but Yang Chengzi's looks were not inferior in the least. When he furrowed his brows, he possessed an even more imposing and formidable aura, deeply stirring the nearly thirty-year-old maiden heart of Meng Wuyan.

However, during the days she had stayed here, Meng Wuyan had figured a few things out. Although Chen Xin and Chang Yu wore the attire of scholars, both were women. Chen Xin and Chen San were a pair, though that enchanting youth seemed afflicted by some odd ailment that made him a bit effeminate. Chang Yu also seemed to be with Yang Chengzi, but Yang Chengzi's attitude toward her was not quite as explicit.

All four of them slept in separate beds; the men were unmarried and the women were unfianced, meaning everyone had a chance.

Meng Wuyan thus set her designs on Yang Chengzi. Yet Yang Chengzi was out far more often than he was in, and one day he had even returned late into the night, giving Meng Wuyan a fierce headache. Without opportunities to spend time together, how could anything develop further?

She began to plot. But as someone who could kill without blinking an eye, Meng Wuyan thought about problems quite differently from ordinary people. She decided that no matter what, Chang Yu could not be allowed to stay. Not only was the girl exceptionally pretty, but if she remained by Yang Chengzi's side, her own chances were exceedingly slim. Who knew how long they had known each other or to what depth their relationship had grown?

She would eliminate her quietly, find the right moment to approach Yang Chengzi, and figure out a way to stay.

As long as no other woman appeared by his side, the matter would be more than half accomplished. Having made her decision, she began to wait for an opportunity to strike. It had to be done without a sound or trace, which meant she had to kill her and ensure she never returned—preferably making everyone believe that she had simply left on her own accord.

As long as she waited patiently, an opportunity would eventually present itself; it was only a matter of being prepared. Because Meng Wuyan continuously lingered, Chang Yu had already begun to quarrel with Yang Chengzi.

Yang Chengzi had just returned from outside when an indignant Chang Yu dragged him out. The two began arguing outside the house—though to call it an argument was rather an understatement; it was more like Chang Yu forcing Yang Chengzi to make a decision: exactly when was that stray creature they picked up going to be sent away?

Yang Chengzi explained patiently for a long time, but Chang Yu refused to listen. In her heart, she had already concluded that Meng Wuyan must have ulterior motives for staying, and her target was none other than Yang Chengzi. How could Chang Yu possibly listen to any of Yang Chengzi's lofty reasoning at a time like this?

In the end, unable to reason with her, Yang Chengzi went inside first. Before stepping through the door, he only dropped a single sentence: "It's cold outside, come inside quickly, mind you don't catch a chill."

Faced with this piece of dense wood who completely failed to understand her feelings, Chang Yu was left standing there with tear-filled eyes.

Taking advantage of Yang Chengzi entering the house, Meng Wuyan put on an act. Feigning the guilt of someone who had caused a disturbance, she declared she would leave in the middle of the night. Being a woman of gentle birth, Yang Chengzi naturally could not let her leave at such an hour.

With Meng Wuyan stirring the pot, the situation was twisted into Chang Yu being unreasonable and trying to drive her away. Though her injuries had not yet healed, Meng Wuyan expressed that she was unwilling to continue being a burden to them, creating the impression that Chang Yu was immature, making a mountain out of a molehill, and picking fights over nothing.

Chen Xin saw right through Meng Wuyan's scheming but said nothing aloud. She simply went outside to comfort Chang Yu and led her back into the room, effectively helping Yang Chengzi offer Chang Yu a way to step down with her dignity intact. Chen San also chimed in with nervous laughter, hoping to smooth the matter over quickly—if they were going to bicker all night, how was anyone supposed to sleep?

Just as Chen San wished, Chang Yu wiped away her tears, entered the room with Chen Xin, and did not speak another word to Yang Chengzi. With a sullen, deeply aggrieved expression that even made Chen San feel a pang of sympathy, Yang Chengzi barely glanced at Chang Yu, washed up, and simply lay down on his bed to sleep.

Chen Xin was a clever girl. Knowing that Chang Yu had been wronged and was hurting inside, she offered to share a bed with her, figuring that Chang Yu might need a shoulder to lean on right about now.

Chang Yu tearfully accepted, and after crying for quite a while once they got into bed, she was comforted by Chen Xin until the two of them drifted into a hazy slumber around midnight.

Since Chen Xin was sharing a bed with Chang Yu, her own bed was left empty, naturally falling to the benefit of Chen San. A quilt used by a young maiden and one used by a grown man had an essential difference.

Chen Xin's quilt was fragrant, carrying a faint scent of osmanthus blossoms. Wrapped in Chen Xin's quilt, with thoughts of Chen Xin becoming his wife filling his head with thoroughly unmentionable ideas, Chen San drifted off into a muddled sleep, completely unaware of when he had finally dozed off.

Just as the sky was turning pale with dawn, Chen San heard Chen Xin's voice.

"Sister, sister, why are you burning up so much? Are you feeling unwell somewhere?"

Chang Yu kept her eyes closed, covered in cold sweat, muttering incoherently as if she didn't even know what she was saying.

Seeing Chang Yu in this state, Chen Xin panicked immensely. Hearing Chen Xin's words, Yang Chengzi immediately got up, not even bothering to put on his outer robe, and placed his palm directly onto Chang Yu's forehead.

Chen Xin glared angrily at Yang Chengzi. "It's all your fault! Chang Yu must have caught a chill standing out in the cold wind last night and contracted a fever—she's burning up so much she's even talking in her sleep. It's not even fully dawn yet, where are we supposed to find a physician?"

Chen San walked over wrapped in his quilt. "Hey, you women just love making something out of nothing. Look, she's gone and caught a cold."

Before he could finish, Chen Xin shot him a lethal glare, and without another word, he obediently rolled back to his bed to sleep.

Yang Chengzi furrowed his brows, a look of distress crossing his face.

"It is indeed a fever caused by a chill. Fortunately you found out early; if the fever burned too long, it might have addled her brain. I'll go wring out a wet towel; placing it on her forehead might make her more comfortable."

Yang Chengzi went out to fetch a basin of cold water and placed an icy-cold towel on Chang Yu's forehead. The moment it touched her skin, Chang Yu seemed to find immediate relief.

Yang Chengzi had Chen Xin move to the inner side of the bed, put on his outer garments, and diligently changed the towel for Chang Yu every little while. It was not until full daylight broke and Chen Xin woke up that Yang Chengzi finally went out to summon a physician for Chang Yu and pick up a decoction to dispel the cold.

Seeing that Yang Chengzi genuinely cared for Chang Yu, Chen Xin felt the effort was worth it for her. Even though Chang Yu was delirious with fever, it was at least clear that Yang Chengzi was not entirely indifferent toward her.

In Chen Xin's eyes, Yang Chengzi's concern for Chang Yu was only right and proper. After all, Chang Yu had abandoned her status as a wealthy young lady for his sake, so treating her well was a matter of course. But in Meng Wuyan's eyes, these actions of his were undoubtedly signing a death warrant for Chang Yu.

The physician who arrived was quite young. A single check of her pulse revealed that Chang Yu was suffering from a cold compounded by pent-up melancholy, stagnant blood and Qi, and weakened internal organs. He prescribed two doses of medicine and instructed Chen Xin to come along to fetch the herbs.

Yang Chengzi told Chen San to look after Chang Yu well, explaining that he still had some unfinished business from yesterday and would return shortly.

Meng Wuyan looked at Chang Yu with a face full of remorse, muttering endlessly that it was all her fault—had she simply left yesterday, sister Chang Yu would never have fallen into this state.

Chen San harbored no particular suspicions toward Meng Wuyan. Since she spoke thusly, he naturally urged her not to blame herself for the situation.

After exchanging a few polite remarks back and forth, Meng Wuyan said, "Little brother, I've been here for quite some days now, and my family must be getting worried. Now that sister Chang Yu has fallen ill, I can no longer impose upon you all. Perhaps you could do me the favor of running an errand? The Meng estate is located on the east side of town, and since I am still feeling rather weak, would you mind asking them to come and fetch me?"

Upon hearing that she was finally leaving, Chen San rejoiced—this meant he wouldn't have to share a bed with Yang Chengzi anymore. He forgot Yang Chengzi's instructions to stay behind and take good care of Chang Yu completely and utterly, and walked out the door carrying a jade token belonging to Meng Wuyan.

The moment Chen San stepped outside, the room was left with only Meng Wuyan and the delirious, feverish Chang Yu.

Meng Wuyan smiled inwardly. Had her opportunity not finally arrived? Her falling-flower blades were still resting on the rafters of that dilapidated temple, and this place was hardly suitable for pools of blood anyway. She would simply strangle the girl first, stuff her underneath the bed, and as long as no one went rummaging under the bed, no one would find her for a while.

Then, she would put on Chang Yu's clothes, run out of the inn so the innkeeper and waiter caught a glimpse of her leaving, change back into her own attire, and return.

If she happened to run into them upon coming back, she could just claim she hadn't been outside in a long time and had simply gone for a walk to get some fresh air. If she didn't run into them, even better—it would all happen without a sound or trace. If anyone asked, the innkeeper and waiter would testify that she had left; people rarely disbelieved what others claimed they saw.

Having finalized her plan in her mind, Meng Wuyan hesitated no longer. She approached Chang Yu's bedside and stared down at the girl's fever-flushed, delirious face.

"Don't blame sister. Blame only yourself for falling in love with a man who does not belong to you."

As she spoke, her hand had already closed around Chang Yu's neck. Caught in the hazy grip of her fever, Chang Yu suddenly found herself unable to breathe. She couldn't even cry out, her eyes widening in terror as she stared at Meng Wuyan, her hands instinctively struggling to pry the fingers away from her throat.

"When you reach your home..."

*Crash.* The door was suddenly flung open. Chen San had not gone far down the street before turning back, intending to ask for more precise instructions. Instead, he caught Meng Wuyan in the act of strangling Chang Yu. Terrified out of his wits, he rushed forward to pull Meng Wuyan away.

Realizing her plot had been exposed, Meng Wuyan attempted to silence him by killing him on the spot. However, her falling-flower blades were not with her, and without them, she could not dispatch Chen San with a single fatal blow.