Chapter 2: Resurrection (Part 2)

At that moment, the Xu residence was in chaos!

Cen Meimei no, now she was Qin Meinang, mother of Heng Ge’er walked slowly along the corridor, cradling the sleeping child in her arms. Listening to the noise of people’s frantic voices all around, she couldn’t help but smile bitterly, “What a cliché! Out of all possible situations, I had to end up in the body of a mother!”

And judging by the circumstances, this body wasn’t respected in the household either. Her husband had already arranged for a new wife, even before her “death,” and that Miss Zheng, though not yet officially married into the family, had dared to mistreat her child!

Poor child! Cen Meimei couldn’t help but lower her head and kiss the plump, adorable baby in her arms. His father didn’t care, and his stepmother certainly wouldn’t love him! “Now that I’ve returned as your mother, I’ll do everything I can to protect you, ensuring you grow up healthy and happy. I’ll also help you get everything you deserve!”

Ahead, several lanterns flickered as a group of maids and servants accompanied Ning Rulan, the third wife temporarily overseeing the household’s affairs. She hurried over with a pale face, saying as she walked, “Did you see clearly? Did she really go to the inner courtyard? If she disturbs the Old Lady and the Madam, it will be disastrous!”

Ning Rulan was graceful and elegant, with no ornamentation in her hair, wearing a plain white dress with a soft woolen shawl that made her appear especially refined and beautiful.

Someone up ahead exclaimed, “The First Madam!”

Everyone instinctively raised their lanterns higher. Under the bright light, the First Madam stood there, just as radiant and charming as usual, smiling and graceful. She held her sleeping son, Heng Ge’er, tightly in her arms.

“Sister in law!” Ning Rulan, though she was usually close with Qin Meinang, was now visibly terrified, her voice trembling. Even with twenty people by her side and lanterns covered with charms for protection, she still stammered nervously, “If you wanted to see your nephew, looking would be enough, you can’t carry him away like this it will harm him!”

Qin Meinang smiled gently. “I won’t harm him, he’s my son!”

Her voice was soft and gentle, just like usual, leaving everyone puzzled. The First Madam appeared solid and alive, her demeanor refined and warm, standing before them without any trace of horror. She didn’t seem like a ghost at all.

“Meinang, give Heng Ge’er to me!”

The calm, steady voice came from her left. Qin Meinang turned to see the tall, handsome Xu Junying. He reached out to untie the ribbon around his neck, removing the warm fur cape from his shoulders and placing it around her. He tried to take the child, but she held on firmly, clinging tightly to her son. Xu Junying couldn’t pry him from her arms, a glint of frustration flashing in his eyes.

“Who are you?” Qin Menang lifted her arms, holding her son up a bit higher, and asked casually.

She had a hunch about who he was. Why else would he cover her with his cloak in front of everyone? Although the warmth was welcome, she couldn’t bring herself to be grateful. Frankly, she was annoyed. Her initial impression of him had been very favorable, but from what the servants had said, it seemed he’d been waiting for her to die so he could remarry quickly. He hadn’t cared about his own son, allowing Miss Zheng to do whatever she pleased. Had that Miss Zheng truly captured his heart?

Xu Junying’s brows furrowed slightly. “Meinang, you”

Ning Rulan gasped. “That’s your husband! Sister in law, don’t you recognize him?”

So it really was him? Qin Meinang’s husband, the father of the child in her arms!

Qin Meinang’s thick, curled lashes fluttered, her gaze as soft as moonlight as she looked at Xu Junying, her voice delicate and demure. “So… you are my husband…”

Xu Junying, titled Marquis Wei Yuan, had followed his father into the military at fourteen, earned the rank of junior general at fifteen, and succeeded the title at eighteen after his father’s death in battle. His name struck fear into the surrounding northern states, who dared not provoke him lightly. Having faced death countless times, he wasn’t afraid of ghosts or spirits. When he saw Qin Meinang standing alive and well, he immediately understood, she had never died at all! Perhaps her prolonged illness and desire to escape life had somehow caused her to stop breathing, leading everyone to assume she had died. If the coffin lid hadn’t been opened, she would have truly died from lack of air. To his astonishment, the fresh air from the open coffin had brought her back to life!

Looking at his beautiful, delicate wife, Xu Junying allowed a bitter smile to form on his lips. A wife who returns from death is that something to celebrate or lament?

Whatever he felt, she was alive again, so outwardly, he should at least appear happy, right?

At the other end of the corridor, a few more maids and servants hurried over. A slightly chubby woman and a delicate young maid saw Qin Meinang and immediately burst into tears, throwing themselves at her legs and kneeling, clinging to her, “First Madam, you died unjustly! Take us with you…”

Xu Junying’s face darkened, and he scolded, “What nonsense! Can’t you see? The First Madam is alive and well. No more talk of death!”

The woman and maid quickly stopped crying and touched Qin Meinang’s body. Feeling her warm, soft flesh, their eyes bulged in shock, and then joy overtook them, as if they had found a treasure. In their mixed emotions of sadness, shock, and happiness, they nearly fainted. Fortunately, others arrived to help them stay steady.

Annoyed by their touch, Qin Meinang shifted away subtly and asked softly, “Who are all of you?”

The plump woman was stunned, then replied quickly, “Oh, First Madam! I’m your nurse, Mama Wang, and this is Cuili, your personal maid, along with Cuijian, Cuixi… We all came with you from your family don’t you recognize us?”

Oh, they were her people. Good.

Weakly, Qin Meinang replied, “Have I been ill too long? After such an or deal, it seems my memory is damaged. I remember nothing!”

Wiping their tears, Mama Wang and the maids turned to Xu Junying, who instructed, “Cuili, take Heng Ge’er now. First Madam needs rest, help her back to her room. Send someone to bring Doctor Qiao immediately to examine her, but don’t disturb the madams and elders tonight. We’ll speak of this tomorrow.”

Cuili and Mama Wang quickly took the young master, and they helped Qin Meinang back to her residence, the Qinhua Courtyard, along the same path she had walked before. Ning Rulan watched them go, gave Xu Junying a bow, then dismissed the crowd, sending them away in various directions.

In the now quiet corridor, Xu Junying stood alone, his hands behind his back, snow light casting his face into shadow, his mind unsettled.

Seeing his resurrected wife had somehow rekindled the feeling he had when they first met. His heart pounded erratically, not for her breath taking beauty, but because of her eyes, eyes that no longer appeared timid or evasive but held a myriad of emotions that swept over him, leaving him numb and entranced.

She was still the same Qin Meinang stunningly beautiful and lovely as a celestial being. He had fallen for her the moment he saw her by Ming Lake, enduring reproach from his grandmother and giving up his childhood sweetheart to secure a royal decree for marriage. He’d thought he had won her heart, and that their lives would be filled with love and companionship. But instead, it had come to this.

Having resigned himself to losing her, he’d felt a pang of regret over her death. But now that she was alive, he wasn’t sure how to face her.

Qin Meinang had been married into the Xu family for over a year but hadn’t built good relationships within the household. The dowager grandmother disliked her, and her mother in law, Lady Zheng, didn’t seem fond of her either. Even before she was officially laid to rest, the family had been planning a new marriage for him. His grandmother had already spoken to him, and his mother had been even more proactive, inviting his cousin, Miss Zheng Meiyu, to stay under the pretext of caring for the ailing First Madam. In reality, Miss Zheng spent more time with him, and he hadn’t rejected her. In fact, he had indulged her as much as possible, so it was no wonder Qin Meinang’s maids had cried about her “unjust” death. He knew all too well what he’d been doing.

If not Miss Zheng, then who would be the next to covet the title of Marchioness of Wei Yuan?

In his mind, he saw a pale but delicate face, lovely and pleasing. He sighed slightly. His grandmother claimed his wife’s illness was due to his actions, so if that was true, shouldn’t he repay the debt?