FBC – Chapter 18 Lost Voice

Gu Hua was awakened by warmth, not knowing how much time had passed.

She slowly opened her eyes, greeted by a swirling mist.

As she moved slightly, she realized she was completely naked, submerged in a wooden bathing tub.

Looking down, she saw the water was a murky brown, thick with the scent of herbs. Her body still felt weak and limp.

She looked around in confusion. This was an unfamiliar bathroom. Her mind was hazy, her memory completely blank.

She couldn’t remember anything.

Trying to recall something, her head throbbed painfully. In frustration, she knocked on her head twice.

“Oh, you’re awake.”

Zhou Zhilan walked in from behind a folding screen, holding clean undergarments.

Seeing Gu Hua about to move, she quickly called out, “Don’t move! Careful, you’ll get dizzy.”

She set the clothes aside and called out to the outside, “She’s awake! Come in!”

Two young maids, looking about fifteen or sixteen years old, rushed in. One on each side, they lifted Gu Hua gently, wrapped her in a white cotton cloth, and helped her out of the tub.

After dressing her properly and settling her under the blanket on the bed, the two maids quietly withdrew.

Zhou Zhilan plopped down beside the bed, smiling slyly. “I know what you want to ask.”

Gu Hua blinked.

“This is Yayun Pavilion. From now on, as long as you stay in the Duke’s residence, you’ll live here.”

She leaned closer and whispered mysteriously, “About last night, the Lord issued a gag order. No one in Wenhan Pavilion is saying a word. The others only know the Lord asked you for help, and that the Old Madam likes you, so she arranged for you to stay close by temporarily.”

Such thoughtful arrangements.

Gu Hua stared blankly, a surge of complicated emotions welling up inside. Her chest felt tight.

Had she succeeded, even if just a little?

Zhou Zhilan sat up and said with a meaningful smile, “You are Wenhan Pavilion’s lucky star.”

Gu Hua didn’t understand. She opened her mouth, trying to speak through her emotion—but no sound came out.

“…Huh? You lost your voice?”

Zhou Zhilan jumped up immediately and rushed out in a whirlwind.

Gu Hua stared dazedly around the room. Had she really escaped from Jinxiu Pavilion for now?

The room wasn’t large, but the furnishings were refined and new. Even the bed canopy and bedding were brand new—soft quilts, silk covers.

All things she had seen in her past life, but never had the right to use.

Gradually, she began to recall—she had fallen into the water, then suffocated… and then…

…Was she rescued with the breath of a god?

Gu Hua touched her lips, trying hard to remember, when Zhou Zhilan’s clear voice came from outside, followed by the house physician.

“Quick, check on Hua’er. She can’t speak!”

The physician took her pulse, then examined her throat and tongue.

“No worries. It’s likely temporary. She caught a chill and had a high fever, and her throat was strained. It’s just temporary aphonia,” he explained.

“You just had a medicinal bath and must be groggy. Rest well, and you’ll recover.”

His words eased both Gu Hua and Zhou Zhilan.

After seeing the doctor out, Zhou Zhilan returned, carrying a bowl of calming herbal soup.

Gu Hua leaned against the bed frame, sipping the soup slowly while Zhou Zhilan chattered away.

“Yayun Pavilion is right next to Xiangrui Hall, where the Old Madam lives. I also live nearby and usually visit her when I have free time. The Lord arranged for you to live here so I could take care of you.

It’s an independent courtyard. I picked two obedient second-class maids to serve you. You don’t have to worry about a thing. Just focus on recovering.”

After Gu Hua finished the soup, Zhou Zhilan took the bowl, tucked her back into bed, and carefully smoothed the blanket edges.

“Dong Hua and Dong Qing are in the outer room. My brother will handle everything else. Don’t overthink—just rest.”

Gu Hua felt warmth blooming in her heart. She waved her hand to signal Zhou Zhilan to go rest as well.

Could it be… Mu Junyan arranged all of this?

Using the Old Madam’s name to place her nearby—Mu An wouldn’t dare act rashly, and even the elder sister rarely visited the Old Madam.

This way, she could enjoy some peace for now.

He had planned it all so thoroughly.

So then…

Was he going to keep her after all?

Suddenly, a flash of insight struck her.

It wasn’t some immortal passing on spiritual energy—it was Mu Junyan!

Gu Hua froze stiffly, then touched her lips again.

The Duke Yong kissed her in public?

Her mind felt like it was going to explode. Embarrassment, panic, and fear about an uncertain future tangled together like weeds, leaving her brain in utter chaos.

She couldn’t dwell on it. She needed proper rest.

She still had to pull herself together and work hard to conquer the Duke Yong.

Behind the screen, two figures were moving about.

Gu Hua gently knocked on the bedboard. Two small heads peeked out from behind the screen and exchanged glances with the gentle eyes on the bed. They quickly stepped over and neatly curtsied.

“Dong Hua and Dong Qing greet Young Miss. Do you have any orders?”

The chubby Dong Hua looked adorable, while the delicate Dong Qing appeared quiet and refined.

Gu Hua pointed at them, placed her hand between her head and the pillow, and blinked meaningfully.

Dong Hua’s eyes widened.

Dong Qing spoke softly, “Miss, are you telling us to go to sleep?”

Gu Hua smiled and nodded, then waved her hand.

Dong Hua shook her head like a rattle drum. “I’ll stay and watch over you. You’re still sick, Miss.”

Dong Qing, understanding Gu Hua’s concern for them, quickly added, “Don’t worry, Miss. We’ll take turns resting in the outer room. If you need tea or the privy, just knock on the bedboard.”

Gu Hua smiled again and pointed to the candles.

“Mhm mhm, I’ll go put them out now.”

Dong Hua lifted her skirt and ran over, picked up the lamp cover, and blew out the flames with a whoosh.

All five candleholders were extinguished in one go, and the room was immediately swallowed by darkness.

The two little maids tiptoed out to the outer chamber.

Perhaps the calming tonic had taken effect—Gu Hua’s eyelids grew heavy, and she quickly drifted off to sleep.

She didn’t know that that night, Mu An was secretly flogged five times, and afterward, he stormed back to the Jinxiu Pavilion to vent his anger.

Jinxiu Pavilion was in utter chaos the entire night.

When Gu Hua woke up, the sun was already high in the sky. It was likely close to noon.

Warm sunlight filtered through the flower-patterned windows, scattering gently across the room. If not for the ginkgo tree outside—its leaves scattered in messy clumps—one would hardly believe a violent storm had raged the night before.

Gu Hua lay nestled in soft, warm bedding, the faint scent of incense lingering in the air.

In both her lifetimes, this was the first time she’d truly slept well.

No rising before dawn to serve others,
No scrubbing her elder sister’s underclothes in icy water during the dead of winter,
No constant fear hanging over her…

For the first time, she felt like maybe—just maybe—life still held some hope.

“You’re awake, Miss? You must be hungry.” Dong Hua’s round little face peeked through the bed curtains.

Gu Hua gave a brilliant smile and blinked her eyes.

Sleeping until noon—her stomach was growling.

“Don’t get up yet. Sister Dong Qing’s gone to fetch the house physician,” Dong Hua giggled as she turned and ran off.

Soon after, a flurry of hurried footsteps approached.

“Miss, Sister Zhou and the physician are here,” Dong Qing announced as she lifted the curtain.

Zhou Zhilian brushed past the physician and rushed straight to the bedside, poking her head through the canopy. She grinned widely, “You’re looking much better today.”

Gu Hua smiled lightly and reached a hand through the bedding and curtains.

The physician took her pulse. “Still a slight fever—keep taking the medicine for another two days and you’ll be fine.”

After seeing the physician off, Dong Qing helped Gu Hua wash up and get dressed, while Zhou Zhilian plopped down beside her and eagerly began gossiping.

“You don’t know what a mess Jinxiu Pavilion was last night. The young master stormed in during the dead of night and went crazy with that Silver-something in the main room—they went at it till dawn and called for water three times. The young madam was so angry her belly stirred the whole night, and the doctor had to stay up with her too. Tsk tsk, I don’t even know what to say.”

He wasn’t beaten enough!

Zhou Zhilian didn’t dare say it, but to save Mu An’s reputation, Chi Yu had secretly taken him outside Guanshan Tower for the flogging. Their master had given strict orders to keep it quiet.

Gu Hua stared into the bronze mirror, the corners of her eyes turning warm.

What she suffered in her past life—now Yinzhi was suffering.

…She just hoped Yinzhi could meet a kinder end.

Right now, her elder sister must be even more frustrated than when she gifted her to her husband, right?

As for Gu Hua herself—she felt great.

So it turns out, the more obedient and well-behaved a person was, the worse they were treated.

“This morning, the young master personally went to my brother and said he wanted to take responsibility for Yinzhi—he’s going to make her a concubine and even give her Furong Pavilion next to Jinxiu Pavilion to live in.”

Gu Hua turned her head and widened her eyes.

Mu An was a libertine, but rarely promoted concubines—because formal concubine appointments had to be reported to the Duke.

“Right? You’re shocked too, aren’t you? The young master has a lot of women in his courtyard, but only two were made concubines—this means he really likes Yinzhi.”

Gu Hua guessed—

It wasn’t that he liked Yinzhi. He just wanted to disgust Gu Wanru.

Zhou Zhilian clicked her tongue and shook her head, “Now the young madam will have something else to rage about. You were right to stay out of it—otherwise you’d be miserable too.”

Exactly. In her past life, after being forced by Mu An, she had tried hard to avoid him, diligently serving her elder sister, just hoping to survive and eventually escape.

But they didn’t intend to let her go.

At first, Mu An had been wildly passionate. But after forcing her a few times, he grew bored and mocked her as a lifeless corpse with no charm.

The tragedy was, three months later, she became pregnant.

She didn’t want to bring another miserable child like herself into this world, so she quietly prepared an abortion drug.

That night, after taking the medicine, Mu An found out and stormed in, beating her viciously while she was still miscarrying.

Even until death, she was only a bed servant.

Gu Hua no longer cared about any of them. She tugged on Zhou Zhilian’s sleeve and mouthed silently: “Master?”

“He left early this morning—hasn’t returned yet,” Zhou Zhilian replied.