C2 The Wedding Was Coming

"Sis, wake up! How come you fall asleep as soon as you get in the car? Were you up all night picking out a dress because you were excited to see Brother Ting today?"

A gentle voice broke through, and Zuoyu felt someone nudging her. She slowly opened her eyes to see a face so familiar it was etched into her memory, momentarily freezing her thoughts. Waner! How dare she show up in front of her?

Zuoyu's gaze was fixed on Waner's face, wanting to reach out and grab her, but she felt as if she were stuck in quicksand, unable to move even a finger.

"Why are you looking at me like that, Sis?"

Waner had never seen such a cold, terrifying look before. She shrank back a little, forcing a smile. "Your wedding with Brother Ting is just around the corner, and you haven't seen each other for months. You've been so down and lost weight. It makes my heart ache. Since Brother Ting will be at Ying's birthday party, I thought you'd be happy, so I teased you a bit. If I offended you, I'm sorry."

A wedding soon, Ying's birthday... What is Waner talking about?

Cui Zuoyu suppressed the boiling anger within her. She moved her fingers and noticed the weakness in her body gradually fading. Sitting up straight, she looked around and realized she was on a moving carriage.

Cui Zuoyu closed her eyes briefly and opened them again, but the scene remained unchanged. Her fingers dug into her palm, causing sharp pain, yet her expression remained calm. She asked slowly, "Yinger, Yaen Jinying?"

The only person they both knew with "Ying" in her name was the third daughter of the Yongjing Marquis Mansion, Yaen Jinying, the younger sister of Cui Waner's former fiancé, Yaen Jutan.

Cui Waner sighed softly, "Sister, I know you and Yinger don't get along, but in the Yongjing Marquis Mansion, you need to be a bit more patient."

Cui Zuoyu was always stubborn; the more she was told to endure, the less she wanted to. The worse she behaved, the more it highlighted her upbringing.

Outwardly, Cui Zuoyu showed nothing, but inside, she was in turmoil. She remembered now, she remembered what time this was!

Three years ago, during Yaen Jinying's fourteenth birthday banquet. The banquet itself hadn't left a deep impression on Cui Zuoyu, but what happened after she returned to the Cui family was something she could never forget.

She was feeling down because she hadn't seen Yaen Ting at her birthday celebration. Alone in her room, she drank two glasses of cold wine, which led to severe stomach pain, causing her to faint.

When she came to, her stepmother, Mrs. Qian, was there with a sorrowful expression. She explained that a doctor had been consulted and attributed the incident to her weak constitution and fondness for cold wine, which had unfortunately resulted in a serious consequence: she would never be able to conceive.

With only a month left until her wedding, the news hit her like a bolt of lightning. She was in a daze, unsure of what to do, as Mrs. Qian took her to see several doctors. Each one confirmed, with certainty, that there was no cure, extinguishing her last glimmer of hope.

She endured a month of agony, and three days before the wedding, Cui Waner appeared at her door, tears streaming down her face as she knelt and refused to rise. Waner confessed that she couldn't bear to see her in such a state and had arranged to spend a night with Yaen Ting, resulting in her pregnancy. The child, she claimed, was conceived for her sake.

Despite opposition from both families, she insisted on helping Cui Waner break off her engagement to the Yongjing Marquis and marry Yaen Ting as a favored concubine...

Cui Zuoyu's heart pounded like a drum, and her breathing became rapid. Was this a dream or reality? She was sure she had died, so why, upon opening her eyes, was she back in the past, before everything had begun?

Suddenly, a fierce light sparked in Cui Zuoyu's eyes. Her hands trembled as she retrieved a small silver mirror, about the size of half a palm, from the pouch at her waist and held it up to her face.

In the mirror, the young woman's brows were like emerald feathers, her eyes dark and glossy, her features as if painted with ink. Even adorned with hairpins and jewels, she didn't appear gaudy; instead, it seemed perfectly natural for her to be so dazzlingly beautiful.

Cui Zuoyu unconsciously touched the flawless right side of her face, feeling a sense of relief as her heart, which had been floating in uncertainty, finally settled. Her eyes, open for too long, blinked involuntarily, and tears quietly rolled down her cheeks.

Heaven had shown mercy, allowing her to be reborn three years earlier, giving her a chance to start anew.

Cui Waner's gaze lingered on the gem-encrusted silver mirror, her expression unreadable. In the entire Cui family, only Cui Zuoyu possessed such a fine item, thanks to her brother, a well-known merchant in the region, who always sent her unique gifts during the holidays.

When in a good mood, Cui Zuoyu would share some of these treasures with her. But if she chose not to, Waner could only watch longingly, just as she did now.

Cui Zuoyu suddenly looked in the mirror, likely to fix her appearance before meeting Yaen Ting, which made Cui Waner feel even worse. Both were daughters of the Cui family, yet Zuoyu lived lavishly and was set to marry a talented man, while Waner had to scrape by on a meager allowance and was engaged to someone who had been in a coma for six months.

Waner was seething with resentment, but her face showed concern. She took out a handkerchief, leaned forward, and attempted to wipe Zuoyu’s tears. "Sister, what's wrong? Wipe those tears away. If Brother Ting sees you like this, he'll be heartbroken."

Zuoyu caught sight of Waner's movement out of the corner of her eye. Without thinking, she slapped Waner's hand, leaving a red mark on her pale skin. Zuoyu's gaze swept over Waner, who, though slightly more immature than she would be in three years, still exuded that same affected, fragile, and insincere demeanor.

In a flash, Zuoyu recalled the moment Waner had smiled while forcing poison down her throat, gently revealing the truth that had led to a lifetime of suffering. Her stomach twisted in phantom pain, and the despair and hatred from her final moments threatened to drown her, leaving her nearly breathless.

Zuoyu's fingers trembled slightly, overwhelmed by a surge of hatred that eclipsed all other emotions.

"Strangle her, and everything will be over."

Waner barely had time to cry out in pain before Zuoyu's crazed gaze sent chills down her spine. Terrified, she instinctively shielded her abdomen with her hands, backing away.

"Sister, what's wrong with you?"

Could it be that Zuoyu had discovered her relationship with Yaen Ting? No, that was impossible. Their mother had been covering for them; Zuoyu wasn't sharp enough to figure it out.

Zuoyu noticed Waner's protective gesture and her gaze lingered on Waner's hands over her stomach. Suddenly, a smirk appeared on her lips.

In a past life, the eldest daughter was born two months premature but showed no signs of weakness, prompting countless prayers of gratitude for divine protection. But now it was clear—this pair of adulterers had been sneaking around behind her back all along.

That child was already in Waner's belly!

Simply killing Waner would be too easy. Zuoyu wanted to repay Yaen Ting and Waner a thousandfold for what they had done to her. She wanted them to live in torment, unable to find peace in life or death.

A cold smile played silently on her lips as Zuoyu's gaze fixed on Waner's neck, her expression dark and indifferent, hands slowly reaching forward.

A chill ran from Waner's feet to her head, leaving her pale and terrified. At that moment, Zuoyu seemed possessed, as if he might strangle her right then and there.

"Help..."

Before she could finish her plea, there was a thud as the bronze mirror slipped from Zuoyu's hand and hit the floor.

Zuoyu shuddered, snapping back to reality. He looked up to see Waner, her face a mix of fear and shock. He gasped, "Waner, I hope I didn't hurt you just now?"