Rebirth of the Female Antagonist: XUANRONG

3-4

3. Rebirth

She had a horrible nightmare--- a nightmare she was unable to escape. She was humiliated a 1000 times. She was raped and tortured. She was beaten black and blue. She was left in the wilderness to die after being defiled.

XuanRong gasped a couple of times before she was able to calm herself. Her heart was racing as if she was running in an endless circle. Tiny beads of sweat were all over her face. She found out that her body was soaking wet and her inner garments were sticking to her skin, making her feel very uncomfortable.

She raised her left hand upward and subconsciously touched her face. She suddenly felt that something was not right.

As if... As if she was touching a child's face. She could feel the softness of her skin, it was as tender as a new born babe. Her hands slowly traced her face with great confusion.
XuanRong raised her head and saw the familiar ceiling above her. Her gaze stiffly wondered around, trying to recall where she had seen those decorations and tapestries. Her eyes shook when a distant memory silently floated inside her mind, making her recognize the place where she was currently resting. It was the courtyard where she lived when she was sent to the suburbs to reflect and ruminate her 'shortcomings'.

The manor in Lu Shan including this courtyard was one of her mother's belongings which should have been given to her as a part of her own dowry once she reaches her marriageable age. Unfortunately, in the previous life when her mother died, the former concubine, Xiao Lou, ascended and became the Second Legal Wife, stealing everything that her mother owned, leaving her nothing...  Not even a single penny.

Since XuanRong was still young and unable to handle everything, the management of her mother's properties was given to her Stepmother. Under Xiao-'s.h.i.'s[1] care, everything that her mother owned was slowly converted into her Stepmother's property. Since she loved Xiao-'s.h.i. like her own birth mother, she never asked for those properties and even wholeheartedly agreed to gift half of it to her beloved 3rd younger sister, Xuan Fei. In her dismay, all her affections were wasted, and she was betrayed by both mother and child.

XuanRong's eyes turned misty when she remembered her birth mother, Chen Yi. She couldn't help but shed tears as she recalled all her happy memories together with her mother. The last thing she remembered, her mother was a beautiful and unique woman. She was the only flower of The Great General Chen's estate and many talented zhu jun[2] were trying to catch her attention.

Too bad, she fell in love and gave her heart to someone unworthy of her affection.

XuanRong wiped her tears as she tried to stop herself from reminiscing the past. The memories she had together with her mother were limited since her mother died when she was young, and Xiao-sh*t was the one who basically 'raised' her. In the entire time, XuanRong remained silent, not responding to her servant's call. The servant who was crying on the floor while kneeling was now looking at her with worry.

"XiaoJie[3]!! Does your head still hurt?? Please tell nubi[4]!! Nubi already informed Zou mama. The physician will come soon!!" The servant immediately scooted forward when she saw that there were tears in her XiaoJie's eyes. She felt sorry for her XiaoJie.

Ever since they came here in Lu Shan, her XiaoJie was bullied endlessly and even if her XiaoJie would punish the servants, the servants would retaliate behind their backs. They would send foods that were not even fit to be eaten by pigs and they would even abandon their ch.o.r.es inside the courtyard, leaving her and XiaoJie to do the cleaning.
YuYing silently lamented inside her heart. Her XiaoJie was very pitiful.

"YuYing, why are you crying like I'm already dead?" After XuanRong sorted out her emotions, she slowly sat upward on the bed and stared at her loyal servant. She was glad to see her once again. YuYing died when she tried to protect her from the fire in her burning courtyard. She remembered the last sentence YuYing said to her before she died in her arms, "X-XiaoJie, in the next...