Pampered Poisonous Royal Wife-Chapter 1500 - 315: The First Madam of the Nan Family (Part 4)
An Yiqing stood up from the sofa and lit a calming incense stick with a sigh.
Heartaches need heart medication; appearance can be healed, the body can recover, but the hurdles within the heart depend on Nan Tian’s fortune!
The Nan Family Old Residence has felt gloomy ever since ownership changed hands. Even when the sky is clear, there’s an inexplicable chill within the estate.
On the second floor, the door to the First Madam’s room remained closed.
The dark drapes blocked much of the sunlight; within the dim light, the room was filled with smoke, dreamlike and ethereal.
Dong—Dong—Dong—
The crisp sound of the wooden fish echoed continuously, accompanied by the rich scent of sandalwood and the low chant of Buddhist scriptures. The entire room seemed out of place compared to the rest of the Nan Family.
The Madam of the Nan Family wore a black long dress, sitting cross-legged on a cushion before a Buddha statue, eyes gently closed, softly chanting Buddhist scriptures.
Suddenly, the door swung open, revealing a pair of white handmade leather shoes stepping into the room.
The First Madam didn’t open her eyes, but her hand tapping the wooden fish paused imperceptibly.
"Mother." A clear and gentle voice echoed, as a tall silhouette slowly approached the First Madam, turning to gaze at the Buddha statue ahead.
The First Madam remained silent, continuing her chants.
"Mother, do you think Heaven can hear your prayers?" The voice sounded again; by the dim light, one could see it was a man, his long legs clad in a white casual suit. As one looked up further, there was his fair skin, and striking features. His eyes held warmth and kindness, his lips slightly curled into a faint smile, as if time stood still. This man was none other than the long-missing Second Young Master of the Nan Family, Nan Yang!
Nan Yang’s questions didn’t provoke any reaction from the First Madam; she kept her eyes closed, gently striking the wooden fish, and slowly turning the Buddhist beads in her hand.
The First Madam’s demeanor didn’t anger Nan Yang; he smiled gently, as beautiful as the gardenia.
"Mother, you can break as many wooden fish as you wish, but it won’t change the current situation."
The sound of the wooden fish suddenly stopped, and the chant of the scriptures abruptly halted as well. Like an old, worn-out string instrument struggling against adversity, yet unable to resist the passing time.
The First Madam slowly opened her eyes, looking up at Nan Yang, who was facing her against the sunlight, eyes filled with pity and guilt.
This was the son she had personally raised for eighteen years, not of her flesh but cared for even more deeply than her own daughter. She believed that by giving her all, she could eliminate the hatred within Nan Yang’s heart. Little did she know, the barrier within him was too deep, and that meager warmth couldn’t touch his core.
"You’ve already grasped the power of the Nan Family; why have you come to see me?" The First Madam’s voice was indifferent, devoid of joy, anger, or sorrow.
"Mother, have you ever regretted sparing my life?" Nan Yang retorted, his face shadowed by the dim light.
Without hesitation, the First Madam answered while turning the beads in her hand: "Never."
"Oh, even now that the Nan Family has come to this, you don’t regret?" Nan Yang mocked.
"Rescuing you was fate, and it’s fate that the Nan Family is as it is now. Should you fall completely one day, that, too, is fate. Nan Yang, you were born with nothing, came to the Nan Family with only hatred, and even now, apart from that hatred, you have nothing. I’ve spent eighteen years trying to reach your heart, to stop you from hating, but your inner demons are too profound. As your mother, I only hope that when you wake one day, you aren’t driven to madness by your regret."
Nan Yang tilted his face, the fragmented sunlight spilling over him, the smile on his face seemed warm but lacked any warmth. Around him was a layer of ice shards, freezing everything nearby into fragments.
"Regret? Mother, do you think I would regret?" His gaze was shallow, as if deep within his eyes an iceberg was breaking apart. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺
The First Madam’s hand paused in turning the beads, "Whether or not you regret, you know best in your heart. Nan Yang, Old Master Nan was not wrong back then, Nan Tian was not wrong. It was your father who was at fault, it was I who was wrong. Why involve so many people in your personal vendetta? Nan Tian, she is the sister who adores you most..."
Nan Yang’s smile stiffened, the atmosphere around him grew colder. He glanced at the First Madam, a cruel intensity unfounded in his eyes.
"Sister? That woman only gave birth to me, when did I have a sister? If not for the Nan Family, would I have suffered all this pain? Mother says none of the Nan Family is a sinner? Then how do we account for Nan Tong’s mockery all these years, Nan Ting’s scornful glares? Mother, back then, you stopped the old master from driving me out of Jinyin City and presumptuously brought me back to the Nan Family; that was the greatest mistake of your life!"
