flamboyant

Chapter 2

"Do you think I'm pretending to be stupid?" The old woman's unfriendly attitude was so obvious that Feng Ning couldn't ignore it even if she wanted to. She shook her head, a sharp pain shooting through her head.

Rong Momo stood by the bed, staring coldly at her. Feng Ning closed her eyes and waited for the pain to subside before asking, "What about my husband?" This was a question she could ask, and it had nothing to do with whether she was pretending to be stupid or not.

"What?" Granny Yu's eyes showed surprise.

Was it really going too far for her to ask her husband? Feng Ning found it strange: "Didn't you say I was Third Master's wife? I'm injured, won't he take care of me?"

The old woman stared at Feng Ning, then pursed her lips and remained silent.

Feng Ning looked back at her calmly, recalling the cold and quiet boudoir without a trace of a man's presence, and felt increasingly strange: "Is this my room in the Long Mansion?"

"Yes."

Am I a discarded woman?

"It has not been abandoned."

"Is my husband dead?" That's why the maid kept saying "Second Master, Second Master." Could it be that Third Master is already gone?

“No.” Granny Yu was very unhappy: “You are not allowed to say such nonsense again.”

"Where is my husband? I want to see him."

Upon hearing this, Granny Yu narrowed her eyes and stared at her for a while before turning to instruct the maid behind her: "Go and fetch Doctor Chen."

"Dr. Chen only just found out where my husband went?"

The old woman snorted, sat down in the chair, and didn't answer.

Feng Ning felt her head wasn't hurting as much anymore, but her questions kept piling up. She continued to ask, "Auntie, how did I hurt my head?"

"You should be the one to tell me that," said Granny Yu in a very unpleasant tone, clearly showing her lack of patience.

"So you lost me and don't know how I got hurt?" Feng Ning suddenly remembered the cold water, the damp mud, and the blinding moonlight and torches. That strange man, what was he searching her for?

Granny Yu didn't answer her, so Feng Ning pressed on and asked, "Then who usually takes care of me?"

Granny Yu didn't answer, but Xiaoqing replied, "Xiaoqing is in charge of Madam's daily life."

"Where is my family from? How long have I been married into this family?"

Feng Ning asked questions enthusiastically, but Granny Yu grew impatient. She slammed her hand on the table and shouted at a maid behind her, "Go and see why it takes so long to call a doctor?"

"Auntie, don't worry. Even doctors have to walk to get here; they can't fly. Don't rush. Let's keep talking while we wait," Feng Ning said, ignoring Yu Mama's dark face.

“I’m not some old lady.” Granny Yu was very angry. “Old lady” is a common term, and even in wealthy families it refers to a rough old woman. She was the head steward of the Long family, how could she be called an old lady?

"Oh, so that's Granny Yu." Feng Ning obediently changed her form of address, then asked, "Granny Yu, are you in a bad mood, or do you simply not like me at all?"

Granny Yu did not intend to answer this question. Anyone with a sense of self-interest would not so bluntly state someone else's attitude. What kind of trick is this Third Young Mistress playing now?

To everyone's surprise, Feng Ning asked again, "Why do you think I'm pretending to be crazy?"

Granny Yu finally lost her temper and bluntly said, "How could you do such a thing?"

"I see." Feng Ning wasn't angry; she simply pondered quietly. Looking at the room and the faces of the stewards and servants, she truly had no recollection of them. Did she really live here? Had she really seen them before?

"Could you please get me a mirror?" Feng Ning's request stunned everyone in the room. She had just been humiliated by Granny Yu, yet she was still thinking about a mirror?

The mirror arrived, and Feng Ning looked at herself from left to right. Aside from the glaring bandage on her head, she was satisfied with her appearance: arched eyebrows, large, bright eyes, a delicate, straight nose, and cherry lips—a true beauty. She felt that this was exactly how she should look. But the people around her felt completely unfamiliar…

She looked at it again and again, and finally said, "You say I am the Third Master's wife, but you haven't even produced a title for 'Master'. How am I supposed to know if what you're saying is true or false? Or are you just taking advantage of me and lying to me because you think I'm not smart enough?"

Now everyone was looking at her like she was a fool. Granny Yu, furious, laughed coldly, "It's been so long, you've really learned to flatter yourself. Looks like Xiao Qing has taken good care of you." The maid named Xiao Qing, upon hearing this, was so frightened that she knelt on the ground with a thud. Granny Yu didn't even glance at her, and continued, "Tell me, what use would it be for us to lie to you? Even if we did lie to you, given your current state, what could we do?"

Her anger was genuine; it seemed she was indeed upset by Feng Ning's questioning. Feng Ning thought about it and realized she was right. What could she do? She didn't even know who she was. In this vast world, she was nothing but a blank slate. What could she do? As she thought about it, she felt hungry.

"How about I eat something first, then take a nap? Maybe my mind will be clear when I wake up."

Now everyone's not looking at him like he's an idiot anymore, they're looking at him like he's the biggest idiot.

Within an hour, the news spread throughout the Long family mansion: Madam Long the Third had hit her head.

Author's Note: Happy Lantern Festival, everyone! I, along with Fengfeng and Longsan, wish you all a happy holiday.

New pit, good luck! Hoping for flowers and paw prints, let's beat the little tyrant with a big stick!

2

2. The unpopular Third Madam Long...

Doctor Chen rushed over and examined Feng Ning's head injury. He confirmed that the external wound had healed and there was no danger to her life. However, the bump had damaged her brain, causing her to suffer from delusions, and he dared not speak. This illness was strange and rare; how could he say that the Third Madam was faking it? But if she wasn't faking it, how could he explain her unusual behavior?

Feng Ning was also helpless, but fortunately she finally got to eat. After filling her stomach, she felt much better, so she lay down on the bed and drifted off to sleep again.

She felt that none of the people here were lying, because it was easy for one person to act, but it was quite difficult for so many people to act together. From the old woman to the maid to the old doctor, they all recognized her. Their surprised expressions also seemed genuine, and there was no flaw on anyone's face.

So what exactly is going on with her in this mansion?

All signs indicate that she is not a popular person. But even if people don't like her, she still has a husband. As her husband, he should at least protect her and give her an explanation. At the very least, she still has her own family. If her husband's family doesn't love her, she can always go back to her family home.

Feng Ning was actually a little panicked. She was sick, her mind was blank, and she couldn't remember anything. This was precisely the time when she needed care and comfort, but when she opened her eyes, she found herself in an unfriendly environment. To say she wasn't sad at all would be a lie. But she was helpless. She didn't know what she had done here in the past, nor what these people had done to her. So right now, besides trying her best to heal her injuries and waiting to see what would happen, she really had no other options.

She thought that once she recovered, she would figure it out.