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墨書 Inktalez
For several consecutive days, Shangguan Yiting had not come to greet her, and Shangguan Shaoyi seemed particularly busy with official duties, not even stepping foot at home.
Cheng Mo woke up early again and went downstairs, turning towards the dining room. The carpet in the dining room felt soft underfoot and made no sound. There was no breakfast on the table, only a solitary newspaper that stood out starkly, as if it were deliberately trying to attract someone's attention. She reached for the newspaper, intending to flip through it casually, but her gaze froze when she saw a particular news article, as if she were surrounded by a torrent, noisy and swift.
The black-and-white print was clear and unmistakable.
The Cheng Family's daughter, Mo Su, has eloped for love and is now missing without a trace. I am deeply pained by this, but the country has its laws and the family has its rules. According to the Cheng Family's code of conduct, she should be disowned. From this point forward, Cheng Mo Su will have no relation to the Cheng Family. This is hereby announced. Cheng Yi.
Dad...
Tears filled Cheng Mo's eyes. She never expected her father could be so resolute; she had thought that one day he would understand her feelings. Yet she never imagined that even if that day came, they would have already lost their father-daughter bond.
"Good morning, Mo Su." Shangguan Yiting came downstairs and greeted her with a smile.
Cheng Mo quickly concealed her emotions and tears, nodding with a smile in response. However, Shangguan Yiting noticed everything; she smiled gently, picked up the newspaper, and her fair cheeks instantly flushed red.
"Who carelessly left this newspaper here?" she said sharply. Suddenly, servants rushed in from all directions as if they had been lying in wait for her arrival. She threw the newspaper on the ground and regained her usual demeanor. "Mo Su, don't worry; there’s no overnight feud between father and daughter. One day he will forgive you."
Cheng Mo gently bit her lip, sorrow lingering in her eyes. Her delicate fingers intertwined nervously as she spoke softly, almost like a dream whispering, "Dad won't forgive me; he means what he says." She lowered her eyes to hide the tears that were about to spill over and turned to go back upstairs to her room.
Shangguan Yiting paused for a moment, thoughtfully watching her retreating figure.
Cheng Mo seemed to understand something and began avoiding Shangguan Yiting as well; the two hardly crossed paths. During the day, she stayed in her room reading and painting. At night, the Shangguan Residence was filled with guests; the hall echoed with the sounds of mahjong games. She had mustered up the courage to join in but found no one willing to make space for her, treating her as if she were invisible. Initially confused, she inadvertently overheard some young ladies' conversations that clarified her doubts.
"Are we being too harsh on Miss Cheng? She seems eager to participate, yet we are all acting as if she doesn't exist. I feel bad about it."
"What does it matter? Her father has severed their father-daughter relationship; she is nothing now. In a family like the Shangguan Family, marrying is just a means to gain some sort of support. I think the Young Master was with her back then because he was interested in the Cheng Family's assets. Now that it's all gone, why would he still marry her? In a few days, she'll leave in disgrace; there's no need to pay her any mind."
"But there are rumors that the Young Master loves her very much."
"Do you believe those nonsense? In our circle, which couple doesn't appear to be respectful and harmonious? But in reality, they are all doing their own thing. If you think I'm wrong, then explain why Miss Shangguan is also so cold towards her. Moreover, we've been here for several days at the Shangguan Family and haven't seen the Young Master show his face. He doesn't want to go home at all. If I were Cheng Mo Su, I would just go back to Shanghai myself to avoid embarrassing myself here and annoying others."
As the two voices faded away, Cheng Mo Su finally revealed her eyes from behind the pillar. Her hands were clenched tightly, feeling a wave of soreness in her eyes. Tears threatened to spill as she fought to hold them back. She should have trusted Shaoyi, but these past few days without any sign of him had left her already fragile heart even more unstable, like a shattered porcelain vase that couldn't regain its original shape even if glued back together.
Suddenly, everything spun around her; the pain in her heart began to strike her nerves repeatedly, making her dizzy.
"Miss Cheng, what's wrong?" The last words she heard before losing consciousness came from Xiao Jing's anxious voice.
She didn't know how long she had slept; slowly, she opened her eyes and felt parched and her head pounding. Thin curtains obscured the starlight outside, and she could vaguely see a softly glowing yellow streetlight not far away. She lowered her eyes quietly, not making a sound, resembling a serene painting.
"Miss Cheng is awake! Doctor, come quickly!" Xiao Jing hurriedly put down the congee she was holding and shouted. Immediately after, a strong smell of medicine wafted through the air; she instinctively turned away, but the doctor firmly turned her back and carefully examined her with cold instruments.
"There's nothing wrong," the doctor said gently as he removed his stethoscope. "In my opinion, Miss Cheng is just overly worried and has been unaccustomed to the local environment lately, which has caused these symptoms. With some rest, she'll be fine."
He glanced at the quiet Cheng Mo Su on the bed; her gaze was vacant, and a nonsensical smile lingered on her lips. He sighed and said, "Miss Cheng, try not to think too much. Relaxing will help your condition. If you feel stuffy or have a headache, you can take a walk or chat with friends."
She paused for a moment; walking... Feng Province is so vast yet has no place familiar to her. Friends... were an even rarer commodity.
Xiao Jing's eyes turned a few times, and she quickly smiled, "Doctor, thank you. Let me take you out first, so Miss Cheng can have some time alone."
Cheng Mo Su smiled slightly, acknowledging the doctor. After Xiao Jing returned from seeing the doctor off, she finally spoke, "Has Shaoyi been here?"
Xiao Jing was taken aback for a moment and replied, "Miss Cheng must be mistaken. The young master just sent someone to say that he is extremely busy with official matters and won't be back for the time being. Don't worry, if the young master returns, you will be the first person he sees."
Cheng Mo Su nodded, realizing that she had only been unconscious for a short while. She felt a severe headache, as if her eyelids weighed a thousand pounds, making it impossible to keep them open.
In a daze, she noticed that there were no more figures around; she was all alone lying on the bed, with no one to inquire about her. Originally, her good friend Shangguan Yiting valued her only for her family background. Now that she had severed ties with her father, Shangguan Yiting would definitely not come to see her. As she thought in a haze, a series of footsteps suddenly sounded. Her heart tightened at the thought that perhaps he had returned; she couldn't afford to relax for even a moment and widened her eyes in anticipation. However, when the person pushed the door open, her hopes deflated.
"Miss Cheng, this is the medicine I just went to get. Now I will help you take your medicine," Xiao Jing said softly, not daring to look at the disappointment on her face. "By the way, Miss was concerned about you earlier and asked if you were alright."
"Then tell her not to worry about me; I'm fine," Cheng Mo Su bit her lip and forced herself to say a few words.
Xiao Jing sighed. In her view, although Cheng Mo Su appeared soft on the outside, she was strong on the inside. Just for being able to elope with the young master, Xiao Jing admired her greatly. Cheng Mo Su was originally a pampered young lady but now had to endure such neglect from so many people; Xiao Jing felt somewhat unfair about it.
Cheng Mo Su looked out the window; the moon was severely waning. But so what? Even if it was missing, it would eventually become full again. And when it was full, it would always wane again.
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