Xuan Yuan Heng indeed kept his word. Feng Ran was imprisoned by him at Chun Man Yuan, unable to step outside the room.
Xuan Yuan Heng, however, visited her daily.
Even rumors circulated in the markets that Feng Ran was to return to the Xuan Yuan Manor.
A bitter smile played on Feng Ran's lips. While outsiders might not understand why Xuan Yuan Heng acted this way, she understood him all too well. His actions were merely to elevate her, to make everyone envy and resent her, to make them see her as an enemy.
The more people envied and resented her, the more desolate her future circumstances would become.
She knew Xuan Yuan Heng's intentions and what he sought to achieve, yet she was powerless to stop him.
Xuan Yuan Heng held immense power in the court; her words alone were insufficient to sway those in authority.
Furthermore, anything he set his mind to would surely succeed, and she would ultimately become the target of everyone's scorn.
Yet, her tragic fate was precisely Xuan Yuan Heng's ultimate goal.
One day, when Xuan Yuan Heng pushed open the door, he found Feng Ran lying on the bed, her eyes half-closed, resting.
He sneered, "Hah, her life is truly going quite comfortably."
However, Feng Ran's current state was not what Xuan Yuan Heng wished to see. He believed Feng Ran's life should be steeped in endless darkness. She deserved to pay the price for her actions.
How could she possibly sleep so peacefully?
She carried the weight of a human life on her shoulders. She should suffer torment for all eternity.
Unable to bear Feng Ran's serene and peaceful appearance, Xuan Yuan Heng's icy hand fell upon her neck, slowly tightening its grip.
When she had acted against Yu Wan Yan, had she shown any mercy then?
No, she had not.
If she had truly shown mercy, Wan Yan would still be alive.
"Let… let go of me…" Feng Ran screamed hysterically in pain, her face turning ashen, her brows furrowed tightly.
She even felt as though she were on the verge of death.
Perhaps dying like this wouldn't be so bad, she thought.
Suddenly, her eyes snapped open, and she saw Xuan Yuan Heng.
Her eyes were filled with shock and bewilderment.
It was him. How could he be here? Normally, he wouldn't arrive for another hour.
Why had he come a full hour earlier today?
Xuan Yuan Heng's hand tightened further. Gazing at Feng Ran's pale face, his eyes fell upon her fair neck. If he applied just a little more pressure, he could snap her neck.
He had considered snapping Feng Ran's neck, imagining it would be quite a beautiful sight.
At this moment, Xuan Yuan Heng's eyes were filled with a bloodlust. A predatory smile curved his lips.
However, at the most crucial moment, his hand loosened. His heart felt as though it were being clutched by something, and in the end, he could not bring himself to strike the fatal blow.
Just as he thought Feng Ran had fully awoken, he found that the person who had been staring at him with wide-open eyes was now closing them, her face serene, as if the events of moments ago had never occurred.
Xuan Yuan Heng stood up, making a noise. The person lying on the bed secretly watched him. Her initially wary heart completely relaxed.
She had even thought Xuan Yuan Heng had left, but to her surprise, Xuan Yuan Heng turned back and directly doused her with icy water. Grasping her chin, he exuded a terrifying aura and said coldly, "Feng Ran, do you think this Prince cannot see through your little tricks?"
"Hmph."
Feng Ran looked at Xuan Yuan Heng, her vision blurring.
The person before her seemed like a demon.
He grabbed Feng Ran's neck and said sinisterly, "Keeping you at Chun Man Yuan seems too merciful for you."
"I will seriously consider it. If I want you to pay the price, I must keep you by my side, where I can see you at all times, where you are constantly humiliated, where you are always in hell."
Feng Ran shivered uncontrollably, looking at the person before her who seemed like a madman. She wanted to speak in her defense, but ultimately, due to her lack of strength, she simply collapsed.
…
At the Xuan Yuan Manor.
A terrifying aura permeated the entire estate. Everyone dared not make any significant movements, not even breathing too loudly, for fear that misfortune might befall them at any moment.
Imperial physicians from the palace sat, restless.
An hour prior, they had been summoned by servants from the Xuan Yuan Manor to treat an illness. The patient was Feng Ran.
This was not their first time being summoned.
The outside world speculated that the Regent hated Feng Ran to the core, wishing her dead. However, what they observed was not quite so.
If he truly wished Feng Ran dead, he would not have made such a grand fuss to 'invite' them to treat her.
When they took Feng Ran's pulse and informed the Regent that she was poisoned, Prince Xuan Yuan stated he already knew. Prince Xuan Yuan only wanted to know when Feng Ran would wake up.
The imperial physicians deliberated for a long time, estimating she would wake within an hour.
They thought they could leave then, but Prince Xuan Yuan would not permit it.
Prince Xuan Yuan issued an order: they could leave only after Feng Ran awoke.
Thus, they waited for a full three hours because Feng Ran had not yet awakened.
The imperial physicians were drenched in cold sweat, their hearts filled with dread.
They feared losing their own lives over this.
As for Feng Ran.
Feng Ran tried to open her eyes, but her entire being seemed trapped in a nightmare, struggling. She felt as though she were being held, falling into a black abyss, unable to escape.
At that moment, her hand felt as though it were being grasped, and she instantly opened her eyes wide, staring blankly at the ceiling beam.
Seeing Feng Ran awaken, Sheng Yi, who was guarding her bedside, exclaimed excitedly, "Feng Ran, you're finally awake."
Feng Ran's lips were extremely dry. She wanted to reply to Sheng Yi's question but could not speak. Even as she reached out, wanting to grasp Sheng Yi's hand and speak to her, she found that she could not utter a word.
Hong Yi, who was waiting outside, immediately pushed open the door upon hearing movement within.
Hong Yi's attire at this moment was entirely different from her appearance at Chun Man Yuan.
Hong Yi still wore a red dress, but it was much more conservative, lacking the aura of a courtesan.
Feng Ran felt a sense of disorientation. Lifting her gaze, she met Hong Yi's eyes, which were filled with unwillingness and malice.
"Hah, truly a precious jewel. Do you really think you are still the eldest daughter of the Feng family? You fainted for days just from being splashed with cold water. Feng Ran, your acting skills are truly superb."
"Hong Yi, mind your own business," Sheng Yi reprimanded from the side.
Hong Yi looked at Sheng Yi with resentment but did not dare to directly contradict her.
Although residing in the Xuan Yuan Manor, the Regent had given orders that everything was to follow Sheng Yi's instructions, so she did not dare to be too presumptuous.
She believed that enduring some hardship now was acceptable; she could tolerate it.
It was rare for her to be living in the Xuan Yuan Manor, and she would find every possible way to remain there for the rest of her life. She did not want to miss such a rare opportunity.
"Hmph, now that Feng Ran is awake, I shall go and inform the Prince."
"Hong Yi, you…"
Hong Yi said dismissively, "Sheng Yi, this is an order from the Prince. Does Sheng Yi have some ulterior motive?"
After speaking, Hong Yi walked away without heeding Sheng Yi's words.