Feng Niannian closed her eyes, her body trembling violently. She bit her lip, suppressing the resentment in her heart.
"After seeing his mother, the child in my belly was lost, and will never be again."
Zhong Li’s brow twitched. She looked at the gentle Mrs. Feng opposite her. Feng Niannian hadn’t spoken about what happened between her and Meng Yuan’s mother, likely unwilling to recall it, but the outcome was already set.
"His mother's death, do you know about it?" she asked.
"Heh!" Feng Niannian gave a light laugh, shaking her head. "At first, I didn't. His mother had never permitted our marriage, and coupled with my inability to conceive, I was so disheartened I nearly threw myself into the Yongcheng South Lake. Unexpectedly, Meng Yuan found me, saying his mother had died suddenly and he wished to be adopted into the Feng family.
It wasn't until a fortnight after our wedding that my father passed away. One night, I woke up and found Meng Lang was not by my side. I only heard singing drifting through the mansion. Following the sound, I was startled to discover Meng Lang in a secluded small room in the old house, applying makeup, even donning yellow, and… and beside his makeup box were Meng Lang’s mother’s head and… limbs."
Hearing this, Zhong Li’s eyebrows furrowed. Feng Niannian spoke of it with a light tone, yet she could still imagine a bride in a red inner garment holding a candle, wandering through the old mansion where the master had just died. The mansion was draped with white streamers not befitting a wedding, and white lanterns swayed gently. The wind rustled the paper windows. She pushed open the door, happily searching for her husband, only to find him, as if possessed, applying fresh makeup and sneering at his grandmother’s head.
"It wasn't Meng Yuan sitting at the dressing table then, was it? It was Meng Qian?" Zhong Li asked.
"It seems Miss Zhong knows everything," Feng Niannian nodded, forcing a polite smile at the corner of her mouth. "I was terrified. Meng Lang heard the noise, grabbed a knife from the table, and walked towards me. My father had just died, and the servants were all observing mourning rites. No one came to this secluded place. I screamed frantically, trying to escape, but as a woman wearing slightly cumbersome clothes, I was caught after only a few steps.
Just when I thought I was going to be killed, Meng Lang suddenly stopped. Do you know what he did?"
Zhong Li lowered her gaze and said, "Did he call you mother?"
Feng Niannian was momentarily stunned by Zhong Li's answer, then nodded and smiled, "Yes. He said, 'Indeed, Mother looks most beautiful in this red dress, especially the red embroidered shoes on your feet, as beautiful as Qian’s.'"
"And then?"
"Then?" Feng Niannian sighed and said, "I was so scared I fainted. When I woke up, Meng Lang was by my side."
Zhong Li pursed her lips, remaining silent. She knew Meng Yuan possessed all of Meng Qian's memories. Seeing the woman he loved terrified into unconsciousness by another version of himself, he must have been filled with heartache.
"Slowly, Meng Lang told me everything, including that he had killed his mother.
Originally, we both thought Meng Qian would disappear after his mother’s death as time went by. We even bought the haunted house from the merchants before to avoid suspicion. It wasn't until more than a year ago when Zhu Yin's body was recovered from the South Lake that I realized Meng Qian had never left," Feng Niannian closed her eyes as if to avoid the memory.
"What about your maid, Yu Zhen?" Zhong Li asked.
"Yu Zhen… *sob sob*… I’m so sorry for her, I am! She was so sensible, like a good sister I grew up with, but I…” Feng Niannian covered her face. “She once noticed something amiss with Meng Lang, and out of curiosity, she found Meng Lang’s secret chamber. Meng Lang discovered her, and then…”
"Were you there at the time?" Zhong Li asked, already having a strong suspicion.
Feng Niannian nodded, biting her lip in silence.
Zhong Li closed her eyes, a knot of frustration rising within her. "Mrs. Feng, do you know? You are an accomplice."
Feng Niannian remained silent.
"What about Ding Xianglan? She also stumbled upon…"
"No!" When Zhong Li mentioned Ding Xianglan, Feng Niannian quickly interrupted, "Ding Xianglan brought it upon herself!"
"How so?"
"Miss Zhong, do you remember me mentioning Ding Xianglan had a mysterious lover?" Feng Niannian asked.
Zhong Li finally understood. "Could it be that Ding Xianglan's so-called lover was…"
"Yes, it was Meng Qian.
In fact, Miss Zhong must have sensed it, right? Meng Qian started killing frantically. The way he enticed you was the same way he enticed Ding Xianglan. By rights, we were sisters. No matter what, Ding Xianglan shouldn't have taken an interest in my husband." Feng Niannian’s usually gentle face showed a fleeting ferocity as she spoke.
Zhong Li, witnessing this, couldn't help but feel pity for Feng Niannian. Once a person goes astray, one wrong step leads to a cascade of mistakes.
"So, you knew Ding Xianglan was meeting Meng Qian in secret, and you knew Ding Xianglan would die afterwards. You chose to remain silent."
"Yes. That day, Ding Xianglan deceived her family elders and fled the mansion, intending to elope with Meng Lang. She had visited my residence many times to secretly meet Meng Lang, even at the cost of our sisterly relationship. She would subtly flaunt herself before me. Little did she know, she was merely Meng Lang’s next prey," Feng Niannian said.
"Then why did you help me? Give me the red clothing, and help me escape Meng Qian’s clutches?" Zhong Li asked.
"It's because I envied you," Feng Niannian looked at Zhong Li and gave a bitter smile. "You know, I once wished to be as accomplished as Magistrate Zhong, to shoulder the responsibility of the Feng family. But I was too foolish and could only be a weak vine clinging to a man.
Moreover, Magistrate Zhong has a firm heart. Meng Lang tried to tempt you many times, both openly and subtly, but you remained unmoved. My heart softened, and I wanted to save you."
Zhong Li fell silent, unsure how to respond to Feng Niannian.
After a while, she faintly heard the sounds of the court session concluding outside. She looked up at Feng Niannian and said, "Meng Yuan will likely be executed in three days."
"Heh!" Feng Niannian gave a light laugh. She bit her lip, holding back tears with great effort. "I've expected it for a long time. He killed so many people; the outcome couldn't be good. Moreover… at that time, he had already decided not to…"
"He has you in his heart." Zhong Li knew what Feng Niannian was referring to – the extremely cruel words Meng Yuan had uttered while holding a knife to Feng Niannian's throat during his capture.
Feng Niannian looked at Zhong Li, uncomprehending.
"I don't understand Meng Yuan's character, but I believe he truly had feelings for you. He just couldn't control Meng Qian, and he didn't know if Meng Qian would harm you, because Meng Qian was appearing with increasing frequency."
As Zhong Li spoke, she recalled the three sets of numbers written in clear water on the desk when she was analyzing the case with Lu Wuxie. Meng Qian was beginning to encroach upon Meng Yuan as the primary self.
"So he…"
"He probably knew he would be captured, which is why he said those resolute words, even using a knife against your throat. He just hoped you would hate him, and then… live well." Zhong Li said.