Even Smiling in Her Sleep

"No time to waste, I'm heading out! Take good care of Madam." Leon Zane said.

Grace saw him out.

Back in the room, she saw her father, Minister Zhuo, holding the wooden hairpin, his eyes vacant as he stared at it.

He looked as if he’d suddenly aged ten years.

He had personally delivered the fatal token to Lena.

Grace knew he was probably drowning in guilt, wishing he could die...

Grace walked over, took the hairpin from him, and asked, "Dad, there were so many hairpins at Lantern Street. Why did you choose this one?"

Minister Zhuo's gaze slowly sharpened as he looked at Grace and said, "Because the moment I saw it, I felt it was made just for Lena. It suited your mother perfectly, so I bought it."

"Then why did you go to that particular jewelry stall?"

"The stall owner called me over!"

"I remember, you always spent Lantern Festival with Mom. Why did you go to Lantern Street with my brother last night?"

"Because your Uncle Ernest invited us to discuss business. The street was packed, so we walked instead of riding horses..."

Uncle Ernest!

Again, Uncle Ernest!

He’d been scheming with Snow Wan for ages.

"What did Uncle Ernest want to talk to you and my brother about?" Grace pressed.

"He heard your brother was looking for a match, so he tried to introduce someone. Your brother turned him down," Minister Zhuo said.

Grace didn’t care about any of that. With a swift motion, she slit Uncle Ernest’s throat and dumped his body into the moat.

Uncle Ernest was an elder in the clan. When he invited Minister Zhuo, there was no way to refuse.

And the meeting spot just happened to be on Lantern Street.

To get to Lantern Street, you had to walk there.

If you walked... Snow Wan's people would make sure the hairpin appeared right in front of Minister Zhuo.

This hairpin really was perfect for her mother.

It was engraved with Lena’s favorite flower pattern.

Not just Minister Zhuo—even Grace, if she saw it, would've bought it for her mother.

......

A cold gleam flashed in Grace’s eyes as she slowly walked out of Mingyu Pavilion.

She would never let her mother's killer go unpunished!

That night, Uncle Ernest staggered home half-drunk from the tavern, only to be ambushed in the alley next to his house.

The attacker was none other than Grace.

She walked to Grace Wan’s bedside, candle in hand, and could see clearly: Grace Wan was sound asleep, dressed in fancy pajamas, hair loose, a smile on her lips.

Now, her biggest regret was not killing Snow Wan earlier.

If only she’d killed her sooner, maybe her mother wouldn’t have suffered.

Just as she thought—it was Snow Wan who put him up to it.

He had no idea why Snow Wan wanted him to arrange the meeting there, but she’d given him enough benefits that he didn’t bother to ask.

He even confessed to some shady business from the past.

All sorts of collusion for personal gain.

Grace climbed over the wall, slipped into Snow Wan’s bedroom—like she owned the place.

From that night on, no one ever saw him again.

Tonight was a sleepless night.

She walked to Snow Wan’s bedside, candle in hand, and could see clearly: Snow Wan was sound asleep, dressed in fancy pajamas, hair loose, a smile on her lips.

Grace stood upwind, watching the smoke in her hand drift into every corner of Snowdrop Garden.

Now, her biggest regret was not killing Snow Wan earlier.

If only she’d killed her sooner, maybe her mother wouldn’t have suffered.

......

Everyone in Snowdrop Garden was asleep.

They slept deeply.

Grace climbed over the wall, slipped into Snow Wan’s bedroom—like she owned the place.

......

Inside, Grace lit a candle.

She walked to Snow Wan’s bedside, candle in hand, and could see clearly: Snow Wan was sound asleep, dressed in fancy pajamas, hair loose, a smile on her lips.

Even in her sleep, she was smiling?