Nangong Muyan covered her face, tears sliding down her swollen cheeks.
Seeing this, Jiang Ning's mind wandered inappropriately.
She had never seen that woman cry before, nor had she seen her howl, rage, or lose her composure. In her memory, that woman mostly looked at people with a half-smile, her eyes seemingly full of deep emotion, but in reality, containing a bone-chilling coldness.
That woman was a born killer, always better at killing than Jiang Ning.
Thanks to Nangong Muyan, this face now displayed so many vivid expressions, giving Jiang Ning quite a show.
How interesting, Jiang Ning thought. It's worth it to see this drama unfold!
"Mother," Nangong Muyan looked at Luo Siyi with eyes full of grief, "Even you won't stand on my side?"
Luo Siyi's eyes were red from crying, the disappointment and heartache evident on her face: "How could you be so vicious? You're a woman too, how could you do such a cruel thing to her?"
"Hah! I'm vicious?" Nangong Muyan laughed self-mockingly, "Mother, don't you dislike her too? She's father's child with another woman. You've never looked at her properly. I got rid of her from the mansion, why are you blaming me now?"
"Yes, I don't like her," Luo Siyi closed her eyes briefly, recalling the nightmarish scene from over a decade ago, her face filled with pain, "Nangong Ling is innocent, and so was her mother. I don't like her, but I don't hate her either. The one who should have died, died seventeen years ago..."
Nangong Muyan let out another cold laugh, "How hypocritical! When Nangong Ling was five and called you 'mother', didn't you punish her by making her kneel in the ancestral hall?"
"I was the one who punished her," Nangong Ya spoke gravely, "The reason wasn't because Ling called her mother. It was because a servant had instigated Ling to ask your mother if she had killed Ling's birth mother."
He continued, "Your mother is a hundred times kinder than you. Even the idea of preparing an equal dowry for Ling was her suggestion."
Nangong Muyan was stunned, looking at the couple in disbelief. After a moment, she burst into laughter, "Hahaha... Well, well, you're all good people, and I'm the villain. Hahaha..."
Nangong Muyan laughed wildly for a while, tears glistening on her face. She raised her sleeve and wiped her face forcefully, her expression showing a resolve that Jiang Ning couldn't quite understand: "Then I'll be the villain to the end. None of us will have a good time!"
With those words, Nangong Muyan gave Luo Siyi and Nangong Ya one last look, then pushed open the study door and ran out.
"Nangong Muyan, stop right there!"
Nangong Ya shouted, but Nangong Muyan didn't hesitate for a moment, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
Just as Jiang Ning was about to follow, Jin Yao returned, head lowered, reporting to Nangong Ya, "Sir, everything has been taken care of."
"Good, go prepare the family punishment, then bring Nangong Muyan to me in the ancestral hall! I must teach her a lesson!" Nangong Ya said angrily, looking in the direction Nangong Muyan had fled.
Jin Yao responded with a "Yes" and left again.
Seeing this, Jiang Ning also paused, deciding not to rush. She would wait and see what Nangong Ya's family punishment entailed.
"Husband..." Luo Siyi approached with a face full of sorrow, grabbing Nangong Ya's sleeve. Her voice was mournful and choked with sobs, "How did Yan... how did she become like this? We didn't raise our child well. It's our fault, all our fault..."
Nangong Ya embraced Luo Siyi lovingly, comforting her softly, "Siyi, it's my fault, not yours. Fortunately, Yan is still young. We'll use this opportunity to educate her properly. Hopefully, she can change."
Luo Siyi wept on Nangong Ya's shoulder, "You've surely sent people to find her, right? We must bring her back! No matter what happened, we must bring her back!"
Jiang Ning knew that the "her" Luo Siyi referred to was herself.
Nangong Ya responded with a "Mm," gently raising his sleeve to wipe the tears from Luo Siyi's face, "Don't worry about Ling's matter, I'll tell you about it later. Let's go to the ancestral hall first, and let Yan face the punishment she deserves."
Luo Siyi nodded, then heard her husband continue, "I've failed in educating our daughter. I should also ask forgiveness from our ancestors..."
Jiang Ning patiently waited as the couple talked for a while, finally following them out of the study towards the ancestral hall.
The ancestral hall wasn't far from the study. Jiang Ning had seen it from the outside during her casual stroll yesterday. The door had always been closed, and inside, as expected, should be the ancestral tablets of the Nangong family.
When Jiang Ning followed Nangong Ya and Luo Siyi to the ancestral hall, Old Zhong was waiting outside. Seeing them approach, he said, "Sir, Madam, the family punishment has been prepared. Jin Yao has gone to find the second young miss."
Nangong Ya nodded, holding Luo Siyi as they walked in.
Upon entering, in the dim ancestral hall, the first thing visible was a collection of black ancestral tablets. On the altar at the front, there was an incense burner with three lit incense sticks.
Jiang Ning was very curious about what this "family punishment" might be. Looking around, only the whip next to the altar seemed to fit the bill.
So the family punishment was just a whipping?
That simple?
Jiang Ning was greatly disappointed.
But then she thought, one couldn't expect Nangong Ya to kill his own daughter. Some beating was better than nothing.
Let Nangong Ya beat Nangong Muyan first, then Jiang Ning would find an opportunity to repay Nangong Muyan with the same treatment she had given Nangong Ling. That seemed like a good plan.
As Jiang Ning was perfecting her future plans in her mind, she saw Jin Yao running back in a panic, his face as white as a sheet. A bad feeling welled up in her heart.
"Where is she?"
Nangong Ya frowned, seeing Jin Yao return alone. Hadn't he ordered Jin Yao to bring Nangong Muyan for punishment?
"The second young miss, she..." Jin Yao's voice trembled terribly. He swallowed hard, forcing himself to calm down and complete his sentence, "She hanged herself!"
Jiang Ning sprang up from in front of the bamboo house, cursing "Damn it" under her breath. Ignoring the reactions of others, she ran towards Nangong Muyan's courtyard.
She finally understood the source of Nangong Muyan's resolute demeanor when she left, and the meaning behind her words "I'll be the villain to the end. None of us will have a good time."
Nangong Muyan was using her own death to punish her parents!
"Damn it!"
Jiang Ning cursed again. How spoiled she was, feeling justified when harming others, but having such poor psychological resilience when discovered. All she knew was to seek death. What an idiot!
Jiang Ning wouldn't allow Nangong Muyan to die just like that. She hadn't received her due punishment yet. How dare she die so easily? She couldn't be let off so lightly!
"Ah!"
Upon hearing the news, Luo Siyi let out an uncontrollable scream, her body falling backward. Fortunately, Nangong Ya supported her with his body.
"Siyi! Don't scare me, Siyi!" Nangong Ya felt as if he had been struck by lightning, but seeing Luo Siyi on the verge of collapse, he forced himself to remain calm.
"Go... go..."
After steadying herself, Luo Siyi opened her mouth, tears streaming down her face, unable to form a complete sentence. She just pulled at Nangong Ya, urging him in one direction.
Understanding his wife's intention, Nangong Ya supported her as they hurried towards Nangong Muyan's courtyard.
Jiang Ning arrived first, seeing Old Zhong, Jin Hui, and several servants guarding outside the courtyard. She found an unoccupied corner of the wall and emerged from her space, about to step inside.
"Third young miss?" Jin Hui looked at Jiang Ning who had appeared there, greatly surprised.
Seeing Jiang Ning about to enter the room, Jin Hui quickly reached out to stop her, "Third young miss, you can't—"
"Get lost!"
Jiang Ning, burning with anger, grabbed Jin Hui's collar. Seeing Old Zhong also trying to intervene, she threw Jin Hui towards Old Zhong and quickly walked in herself.
Jin Hui hadn't expected Jiang Ning to be so strong. Caught off guard, he was thrown back, colliding with Old Zhong. The two stumbled back three or four steps before barely managing to steady themselves. When they looked up again, Jiang Ning had already entered the room.
Nangong Muyan had hanged herself using several pieces of clothing tied together. She had already been taken down and was lying motionless on the bed, without a trace of life.
Jiang Ning walked forward, feeling Nangong Muyan's chest with her hand. No heartbeat. She then felt for a pulse at the neck. Nothing.
She was completely dead!
Jiang Ning's heart sank uncontrollably, but she still refused to give up. She walked to the table, filled a cup to the brim with spirit spring water, then propped Nangong Muyan up against her chest. Forcefully prying open Nangong Muyan's tightly closed mouth, Jiang Ning tilted her chin up and poured the water into her mouth.
When a person is dead, they cannot swallow.
The water that was poured in flowed back out completely, not a single drop remaining inside. It trickled from the corners of Nangong Muyan's mouth, soaking both their clothes.
Jiang Ning's heart plummeted to rock bottom.