Subdued by the Tearful Beauty

Chapter 1

Volume One: This Heart Illuminates the Moon

Chapter 1 Miss Wei

A secluded courtyard for those who cherish their hearts.

Yu Zhi stared at the red and gold plaque above her head, her unease and anxiety amplified.

Her slender fingers clutched helplessly at the faded cuffs of her handwashed sleeves, her throat dry with anxiety and uncertainty about the future.

The maid standing beside her glanced at her indifferently: "Miss, please stop."

Since we're already here...

Yuzhi comforted herself in this way.

She took a deep breath, not wanting anyone to see her fear, and stepped through the vermilion gate.

In spring, when hundreds of flowers bloom, various flowers, grasses, and trees are planted on both sides of the straight cobblestone path, swaying in the wind and carrying a refreshing fragrance.

The courtyard is deep and secluded, magnificent and elegant, yet serene and tranquil.

Beautiful scenery touches the heart.

Normally, Yuzhi would love to slow down and appreciate the beautiful scenery that she couldn't see elsewhere.

However, she had something on her mind, and this was her way of asking for a favor.

More than the magnificent and spacious garden of the grand mansion before her, she wanted to know the identity of the owner of the villa.

Would the owner, whom she has never met, be willing to help her?

Yu Zhi walked aimlessly on the cobblestone path beneath her feet.

She didn't understand.

There are so many things she doesn't understand.

I don't understand how I gained the favor of a noble person and was led to this place.

At the end of this road, will she soon be met with kindness or malice?

Once a move is made, there's no going back.

Yu Zhi pressed one hand to her rapidly beating heart.

Once she entered this door, she had to find a good doctor for her mother no matter what.

Mother's eye condition can't be delayed any longer.

She came from a previous life and knew that her mother would pass away in three months due to the worsening of her eye disease.

Thinking of her mother waiting anxiously for her return home, Yu Zhi's eyes reddened slightly. She was worried about her mother's illness, and could only place her hopes on the 'benefactor' she had never met.

Her mind was in turmoil. Her long, bright, willow-leaf eyes were upturned at the outer corners, with a thin, delicate blush at the outer corners, making her inexplicably alluring.

Having inadvertently caught a glimpse of her alluring expression, the servant woman became even more respectful towards her, instantly softening her tone: "Miss, please come this way."

Yu Zhi followed behind her without saying a word.

Grand and wealthy families have many rules and regulations, and this can be seen from the layout of their courtyards.

The courtyard is large and winding. At first glance, one is easily dazzled by its splendor and prosperity. However, after walking around for a while, one will find that it is more like a maze than a fairyland.

Without a guide, even if you come in, you will lose your way and get trapped.

The peach blossoms were in full bloom, and the petals fell on Yu Zhi's head in the wind. Yu Zhi was preoccupied with the 'benefactor' she was about to meet, so she paid no attention to them.

Caijie Hall.

A striking painting of a beautiful woman emerging from a bath hangs in the central hall, accompanied by a few elegant and erotic words on the right.

Upon arriving, Yu Zhi dared not show her dissatisfaction, but the burning anticipation in her heart suddenly cooled down for a moment—what if the owner of this place was a pot-bellied, extravagant, lecherous old man?

The servant, with her eyes downcast and seemingly oblivious to her own thoughts, led the person there and left without uttering a word.

Two cups of hot tea were placed on the table, and Yu Zhi dared not move them without the host's permission.

She didn't even dare to sit down. Standing there, she was like a small white flower swaying in the wind, pure on the surface but with a vibrant color hidden in its core. Her slender waist was straightened up, as if afraid that her natural appearance would attract the contempt of others.

The furnishings in Caijie Hall were all exquisite items that Yuzhi had never seen before. Apart from the bathing painting that looked newly made, the rest of the items seemed to be quite old.

Being in the midst of it all, Yu Zhi waited anxiously.

Whenever she couldn't resist the urge to run away, she would think of her mother, who needed a good doctor for her eye condition, and she would grit her teeth and endure it.

Even if it's a dragon's den or a tiger's lair, we have to venture in.

He died here...

Then I'll die here!

She made a tough decision, unaware that someone had silently witnessed her agonizing struggle and eventual desperate act.

A soft laugh rang out, and Yu Zhi, like a startled fawn, widened her eyes and looked at the newcomer with wary eyes!

She was an absolutely stunning girl.

The young woman wore an elegant white robe, a jade crown on her head, a jade belt around her waist, and cloud-patterned boots on her feet.

She appears to be dressed as a man, but her features and demeanor are those of a woman.

Yu Zhi had never seen such a dashing woman before. Her guard was down, and she was unconsciously mesmerized by her beauty.

After looking at it for a while, a sense of familiarity, as if I had seen it before, arose in my heart.

She stared blankly at him, while Wei Pingxi leisurely observed her. After a short while, his brows furrowed slightly in displeasure: "Why have you lost weight again after not seeing you for a few days?"

She had only caught a glimpse of the girl's beauty in the bustling city, and if her face were to become even thinner, she wouldn't be considered unattractive, but she would inexplicably annoy people.

The greatest regret in the world is when even the finest jade has a flaw.

Before Yu Zhi could recall where that sense of familiarity came from, Wei Pingxi stared intently at her, like a hunter's blade eyeing its prey.

Yu Zhi was startled by the hidden fervor in her eyes and quickly turned her face away, not daring to meet her gaze.

It was that light, playful laughter again.

After laughing, Wei Pingxi raised his slightly curved phoenix eyes and said, "Take a look at this painting."

She pointed to the painting of a beautiful woman emerging from a bath that was hanging boldly in the central hall.

Judging from the other person's appearance and demeanor, Yu Zhi guessed her identity. Suppressing her shyness and inexplicable annoyance, she looked at the painting with a gentle and submissive posture.

A beauty emerges from her bath, her jade-like legs long and slender, her hair as black as ink. Wei Pingxi's smile lingers on the bare plum blossom tip in the painting, its tip a moist red, pure white like snow, a rich and abundant source of beauty.

Yu Zhi turned twenty-three two months ago. At twenty-three, she was considered an old maid in Da Yan who had been delayed in getting married.

She's considered an 'old maid' by others. She knows everything she should know, but having grown up in a place like Liushui Lane where all sorts of people mingle, she's been forced to know things she shouldn't have.

A blush of embarrassment and heat rose on her face, her cheeks as red as the evening glow. In a split second, she couldn't decide whether to look at the alluring and realistic 'plum blossom tip' or at the girl's excessively white fingers.

"Does it look good?" Wei Pingxi asked.

Summoning her courage, Yu Zhi said in a low voice, "It's alright."

"Not bad?" Miss Wei laughed, making the beauty in the painting pale in comparison. "If it's not bad, why are you looking down and not looking at it more?"

Yu Zhi had never seen such a shameless girl.

She's worse than a man.

But remembering that she needed his help, she did indeed raise her head and stare intently at him.

Wei Pingxi's fingers lingered on the painted beauty's romantic spot, where she emerged from the bath, her legs spread wide on a round stool, the romance and peach blossoms intertwined, revealing an even more exquisite opening.

Miss Wei was skilled at painting beautiful women, especially legs.

Few people in the entire Lingnan Prefecture had ever seen her, but everyone from the very old to the three-year-old had heard of her notoriously strange and wicked nature.

It's strange, really. She's clearly a pampered young lady raised in a prestigious family, yet she always seems to do things that moralists would condemn her to the skies.

It's both wicked and evil.

If they actually saw her face, those self-proclaimed upright moralists would be unable to utter their criticisms.

Despite her wicked nature, the Fourth Miss's face is so beautiful that no one dares to defile her.

Yu Zhi was initially confused by her face, but now that she realized what was happening, her ears were practically burning with smoke.

She remembered.

Such a stunningly beautiful face—she remembered why she felt a sense of familiarity with it.

She had seen her before.

In her previous life before her wrongful death.

Saying she had met him might not be quite accurate, Yu Zhi thought for a moment and secretly corrected her wording—it should be that she and her mother received his kindness when they were at their lowest point.

Seeing her silence, Wei Pingxi thought he had frightened her, and his interest waned. His deep eyes slowly turned, and he said in a low voice, "Is my drawing not good?"

"You drew this?"

Yu Zhi was startled.

She finally had another interesting reaction. Wei Ping's mocking interest slowly resurfaced. His voice was clear and gentle, and he glanced at her with a hint of sarcasm, saying rather rudely, "If I didn't draw it, how could you have drawn it?"

"..."

Yu Zhi twisted her fingers, thinking: I could never draw such a shameless picture!

She glanced at the painting again and thought sadly: I can't afford such bright and vibrant paint.

If she could afford such precious items, why would she worry about not being able to hire a renowned doctor for her mother? Why would she risk her life to enter this labyrinthine villa?

Her mood suddenly turned somber. Wei Pingxi really liked her face, so he leaned closer and whispered, "What's wrong? Are you unhappy?"

A pleasant fragrance wafted over, and Yu Zhi glanced at the painting hanging on the wall. Suddenly, she remembered the rumors about Miss Wei Si from her past life, and shyly hid away.

"Why are you hiding?"

The beautiful woman's face scrunched up like a bitter gourd. Miss Wei was displeased: "I kindly invited you to appreciate the painting, who are you making this of?"

Born into the Wei family, she was a woman who wouldn't give face to even the Emperor himself when she got angry. She was someone who wasn't afraid of death or causing trouble. With a single sentence, "Who are you putting on an act for?", Yu Zhi was so fierce that her eyes turned red, and she knelt down.