Yan Chi’s black robe was covered in black dust, with multiple tears along its hem. Behind him, Bai Feng landed in an even more disheveled state—his white garment was filthy, with a large burn hole in the back. However, seeing both men emerge intact, everyone couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.

Qin Wan looked up at Yan Chi, momentarily speechless and motionless. Yan Chi gave a light cough and brushed off his clothes. Seeing black ash flying up, he quickly stepped back. After neatly dusting off his garments, he noticed Qin Wan still hadn’t moved.

Yan Chi frowned, fixing his gaze on her. “What’s wrong?”

Xu He, standing nearby and sweating profusely, explained, “Your Highness suddenly entered the fire scene, and Ninth Young Lady was worried outside. I’ve never seen her like that before.”

Qin Wan suddenly came to her senses. She turned with furrowed brows to give Xu He a glance, but when she turned back, she met Yan Chi’s smiling eyes. Seeing his smile made her inexplicably uncomfortable. Her expression cooled as she said, “Did Your Highness consider what would happen if you couldn’t get out?” As she finished speaking, she noticed a burn mark on Yan Chi’s left shoulder.

His robe was burned black, and due to its dark color, it was difficult to tell if he was injured. Qin Wan frowned, “Are you hurt?”

Yan Chi’s eyes retained their amusement, “It’s nothing. You were worried about me.”

Qin Wan felt his words make the firelight seem even brighter and her face grows hotter. She wanted to refute but didn’t know how to respond.

Yan Chi’s response was tantamount to admitting injury. Qin Wan pressed, “Even if it’s a minor wound, it should be examined.”

Yan Chi shook his head and turned to look at Bai Feng. Qin Wan became uneasy and also looked at Bai Feng. Xu He moved faster than Qin Wan, examining the burned area of Bai Feng’s clothing before turning to Qin Wan, “Ninth Young Lady, the skin is slightly damaged, likely just singed by the flames.”

Qin Wan nodded, making a mental note. Just as she was about to ask Yan Chi about the severity of his injury, Yao Xin Lan suddenly let out a pained groan.

Madam Lin cried, “Xin Lan, Xin Lan, don’t be afraid, you’re out now!”

If not for the price of Qin Chen’s injury, Madam Lin would have been quite willing to save Yao Xin Lan. Yao Xin Lan was favored by Madam Jiang and had an excellent disposition—Madam Lin had no reason to dislike her. Moreover, she was carrying the Qin family’s eldest great-grandson, which made Madam Lin even more fond of Yao Xin Lan.

Yao Xin Lan lay flat on the ground where Qin Chen had placed her, with Madam Lin half-cradling her upper body. Both she and Qin Chen were blackened with smoke, her dress riddled with holes from the flames, while half of Qin Chen’s hem was burned away. Though they both had minor injuries, fortunately, neither was seriously hurt.

Mindful of Yao Xin Lan’s pregnancy, Qin Wan quickly moved to her side.

Madam Lin was wiping the black soot from Yao Xin Lan’s face with a handkerchief. Yao Xin Lan coughed lightly and opened her eyes, staring blankly at Madam Lin before noticing Qin Chen and others including Qin Wan standing nearby. Her eyes reddened and tears began to fall.

“Xin Lan, don’t be afraid. Chen’er rescued you.”

Madam Lin consoled her softly. Yao Xin Lan turned to grasp Qin Chen’s hand. “Brother Chen.”

Qin Chen was even more covered in soot than Yan Chi and Bai Feng. He gripped Yao Xin Lan’s hand in return, his eyes also growing moist. “Lan’er, I told you I would get you out.”

Yao Xin Lan’s lips were pressed tightly together, momentarily speechless, instinctively touching her belly as if checking whether her child was safe. Madam Lin’s tears fell rapidly. “Thank goodness, thank—”

Before she could finish her second “goodness,” Qin Chen suddenly said, “Mother, Grandmother is still inside.”

Hearing this, Madam Lin’s expression instantly changed. “No! Chen’er, you’ve already done your best to save Xin Lan—”

Qin Chen’s eyes held an indecipherable darkness, as if filled with countless complex emotions, yet also seeming empty save for darkness. He placed Yao Xin Lan’s hand toward Madam Lin and suddenly stood up.

“Chen’er!”

“Brother Chen!”

Madam Lin cried out in anguish, while Yao Xin Lan sat up abruptly, clutching Qin Chen’s hem tightly. Tears rolled down her cheeks. “Brother Chen, what are you going to do? Who can’t you let go of?”

Qin Chen wouldn’t look at Yao Xin Lan, using dark force to move toward the fire scene.

“Lan’er, I can’t abandon Grandmother.”

Yao Xin Lan shook her head continuously. “No, Brother Chen, don’t go. You won’t come back out. Our child is about to be born. Brother Chen, please, if not for me, then for our child?”

Qin Chen’s resolve didn’t waver. Nearby, Qin Xiang couldn’t help but plead, “Big Brother, don’t go, please don’t go.”

Qin Li and Qin Shuang also hurried over. Qin Shuang cried, “Big Brother, don’t go!”

Madam Lin looked at Qin Li. “Li’er, watch your big brother. Don’t let him go!”

Qin Li responded and moved to grab Qin Chen, but Qin Chen suddenly exerted force, first breaking free from Yao Xin Lan’s grasp, then pushing away the approaching Qin Li.

Qin Li, weakened by illness, stumbled back several steps from the push, nearly falling.

Qin Chen turned back, his gaze resolute as he looked at Madam Lin and Yao Xin Lan, then swept his eyes over everyone present. When his gaze reached Qin Wan, there seemed to be a moment’s pause, but his lips remained tightly pressed together, saying nothing. He simply turned and ran toward the fire.

“Chen’er! Chen’er!”

“Brother Chen!”

Yao Xin Lan crawled forward in the direction Qin Chen had gone, crying out heart-rendingly, but despite how emotionally she called, Qin Chen continued forward unflinchingly into the fire scene. Watching his figure disappear in a flash, Madam Lin’s vision darkened and she collapsed. Meanwhile, Yao Xin Lan tried to scramble up to follow, but halfway through rising, her belly seized with tremendous pain.

With a cry of pain, Yao Xin Lan fell heavily to the ground, still crying out, “Brother Chen, come back! Brother Chen, come back!”

Mo Shu tearfully rushed forward to hold Yao Xin Lan, looked down, and suddenly screamed, “Young Lady! Young Lady is bleeding!”

The barely conscious Madam Lin heard this and forced her nearly-closed eyes open. Sure enough, where Yao Xin Lan had crawled, there was a striking patch of crimson. Madam Lin’s heart seized with pain. “Xin Lan!”

Qin Wan immediately moved to Yao Xin Lan’s side. Seeing Qin Wan, Mo Shu disregarded Qin Chen and Madam Lin, urgently pleading, “Ninth Young Lady, please save our Young Lady, she’s bleeding!”

Yao Xin Lan’s pregnancy was nearly eight months along, the most dangerous time. Having endured such torment today, and then being shocked by Qin Chen’s actions, it was natural that the child would be affected by her fear. Qin Wan knelt beside Yao Xin Lan, carefully examining the marks on the ground, her brows immediately furrowing deeply. “Not good, Sister-in-law’s water has broken.”

Hearing this, Madam Lin naturally became alarmed. “Water broken? But Xin Lan still has more than a month—”

As she spoke, the wet patch on the ground grew larger, amniotic fluid mixing with blood, spreading widely, causing all onlookers to feel panic-stricken. Qin Wan checked her pulse with one hand while feeling Yao Xin Lan’s belly with the other, her eyes flickering several times before making a decision.

“Take Sister-in-law back to Lin Feng Court. With the water broken, we must deliver the child, or both mother and child will be in danger.”

Madam Lin’s legs were too weak to stand. “Only eight months—how can she give birth?”

Qin Wan’s brows furrowed into a ‘river’ character, but her tone remained exceptionally steady. “I have a method. First, we must move her back.”

Madam Lin dared not delay, quickly pointing to two nearby maidservants. “You two, quickly, carry the Young Madam back!”

Yao Xin Lan continued crying, her body becoming weak in an extremely short time. The pain made her consciousness scatter, her mouth unconsciously calling “Brother Chen.” The two maidservants Madam Lin had pointed to looked around, grabbed a wooden board from nearby, and brought it over. Several people together moved Yao Xin Lan onto it and then lifted her.

Madam Lin, supported by Qin Xiang’s arm, stood on weak legs. She unconsciously followed Yao Xin Lan for several steps when suddenly, an extremely loud crashing sound came from behind everyone. Madam Lin’s steps faltered; turning her head, she saw the entire roof of the Buddha Hall’s main room collapse, raising an extremely high column of flames that pierced everyone’s eyes. Madam Lin, as if struck by lightning, froze in place, only managing to cry out “Chen’er” before completely fainting.

Qin Wan also saw this commotion. She paused only briefly before hurrying to scold the two stunned maidservants.

“What are you dazed about? The Young Madam cannot be delayed!”

The two were startled back to awareness by Qin Wan’s shout and hurried forward. Qin Wan turned to look at Yan Chi, who understood her meaning. “Go ahead, I’ll watch here. If there’s any chance of rescue, we’ll certainly try.”

Qin Wan nodded and hurried after Yao Xin Lan. Mo Shu cried silently, not daring to look back, tightly holding Yao Xin Lan’s hand. In her unclear consciousness, Yao Xin Lan thought she was holding Qin Chen, gripping Mo Shu’s hand until it hurt.

The Qin Xiang sisters began crying loudly. Two servants lifted the fainted Madam Lin and also began wiping their tears. Yan Chi swept his gaze over everyone and commanded sternly, “Take Madam back, others continue putting out the fire.”

The two servants moved, but Qin Xiang wouldn’t leave. “I want to watch Big Brother come out, I want to watch Big Brother come out!”

Qin Shuang cried without moving, while Qin Li also stood nearby with a grief-stricken expression.

Yan Chi looked at the fire-transformed building, his eyes dark and deep. He didn’t know what thoughts drove Qin Chen to insist on saving Madam Jiang, but looking at the current situation, he knew that Qin Chen and those inside were unlikely to survive.

“Young Lady, Young Lady, don’t be afraid. Ninth Young Lady is here!”

The two servants carried Yao Xin Lan toward Lin Feng Court, with Mo Shu following closely, holding Yao Xin Lan’s hand and constantly talking to her. However, Yao Xin Lan was barely breathing, mumbling, “Brother Chen, don’t go…”

Mo Shu looked back toward the Buddha Hall, seeing the undiminished fire, tears falling continuously.

“Young Lady, Young Master didn’t go, Young Lady please don’t worry.”

Yao Xin Lan kept talking, so Mo Shu repeated herself several times. Yao Xin Lan seemed to hear Mo Shu’s words and finally lay still, but soon her brows furrowed again. “It hurts… it hurts so much…”

Mo Shu was heartbroken. “Young Lady, don’t be afraid. Ninth Young Lady is here, Ninth Young Lady will heal you.”

Yao Xin Lan’s face was covered in black soot, and now with pain-induced sweat, the sweat mixed with soot became sticky grime on her face. Mo Shu wiped it away sorrowfully, but Yao Xin Lan’s grip on her hand gradually weakened.

“Ninth Young Lady, what should we do? Young Lady’s hand has no strength left…”

Qin Wan hurried behind them, immediately instructing, “Don’t panic. Return first, then prepare the medicines immediately.”

Mo Shu’s face was covered in tears, but seeing Yao Xin Lan’s condition, she could only force herself to remain calm. Fortunately, the two servants carried her steadily, arriving smoothly at Lin Feng Court. Upon entering the courtyard, all the servants there were shocked.

News of the Buddha Hall fire had spread throughout the Qin residence. Half of Lin Feng Court’s servants had gone to help, while the other half remained on duty. Everyone knew Yao Xin Lan had gone to the Buddha Hall and had been worried—now their fears had become reality.

“Take the Young Madam to bed, help remove her outer garments.”

“Two more people, boil water, heat wine, and bring cotton cloth.”

Upon entering the courtyard, Qin Wan gave two instructions. Two old servants responded and went to prepare hot water and other items. Qin Wan accompanied Mo Shu in taking Yao Xin Lan inside. She was carried directly to the inner chamber and placed on the bed. Qin Wan closed the surrounding windows while instructing Mo Shu, “Leave only her undergarments, cover her with the brocade quilt to keep her warm, and wipe her clean.”

Mo Shu followed instructions while wiping her tears. Qin Wan went out again, where several servants waited in the corridor for instructions. Qin Wan immediately said, “Your Young Madam is about to give birth. Everyone must stay alert and careful now.”

Several old servants responded in agreement. Qin Wan immediately ordered, “Go brew ginseng soup and fetch Anemarrhena and honey.”

These were all medicines and tonics. Two old servants nodded and immediately turned to leave.

Before they had taken two steps, Qin Wan added, “Also, from the medicine room, bring four qian each of Drunken Heart Flower, Raw Aconite, White Angelica, Angelica Sinensis, and Ligusticum Chuanxiong, and two qian of Jack-in-the-pulpit. All must be ground to powder, quickly!”

Qin Wan turned back inside. As soon as she entered, Mo Shu turned to look at her. “Ninth Young Lady, Young Lady is still bleeding.”

Qin Wan stepped forward and lifted her undergarments to look. At just over eight months, Yao Xin Lan’s pubic bone was still closed. Though her water had broken, the cervix was barely dilated. Qin Wan took a shallow breath. “First stop the bleeding. The Sister-in-law likely can’t deliver on her own in this state. We’ll try first, if it doesn’t work, we’ll have to use cesarean section to deliver the child.”

Mo Shu’s face went white. “What cesarean… Ninth Young Lady?”

Mo Shu’s voice trembled, but Qin Wan suddenly asked steadily, “Do you trust me?”

Mo Shu was struck by Qin Wan’s calm words. She stared at Qin Wan for a moment, then nodded with tearful eyes. “I trust you… I trust Ninth Young Lady… Young Lady also trusts Ninth Young Lady… Ninth Young Lady, I leave Young Lady in your hands.”

Qin Wan nodded. “Good, then assist me.”

Mo Shu nodded repeatedly. Meanwhile, Yao Xin Lan moved her lips weakly. “It hurts… Brother Chen… it hurts so much…”

Hearing these words caused Qin Wan’s heartache. She stepped forward to check Yao Xin Lan’s pulse, then took out a silver needle from her sleeve and inserted it into Yao Xin Lan’s Shoulder Well acupoint. Soon, the servants outside brought what Qin Wan had ordered earlier.

“Ninth Young Lady, the water is boiled, and the wine is also heated to boiling.”

Han Yue was still in Qin Wan’s sleeve, stained with Qin Chen’s blood. Qin Wan cleaned her hands and then used strong wine to clean Han Yue. She further instructed the servants, “Wash all cotton cloth in wine and dry them, then find some nettles.”

Qin Wan’s instructions were treated as golden rules. The servants dared not delay and hurried to comply.

Having experienced saving the Imperial Princess before, even though Qin Wan had never independently delivered a baby, she now felt more confident. “Talk to your Young Lady, don’t let her fall asleep.”

Mo Shu quickly leaned close to Yao Xin Lan’s head and whispered, “Young Lady, Young Lady, don’t sleep. Young Lady, do you remember what Master said in his letter today? Master sent someone to visit you…”

Mo Shu kept talking to Yao Xin Lan, but Yao Xin Lan’s breathing grew increasingly weak. Mo Shu turned helplessly to look at Qin Wan. “Ninth Young Lady, what should we do? Young Lady is barely breathing!”

Qin Wan’s expression remained steady and calm, though her eyes darkened. “The ginseng soup—go hurry them with the ginseng soup.”

Mo Shu had already lost her composure and could only follow Qin Wan’s orders. Hearing this, Mo Shu turned and went out. Qin Wan used cotton cloth soaked in boiled wine to clean Yao Xin Lan’s lower abdomen. Soon, Mo Shu returned with the ginseng soup.

“Feed it to her.”

Mo Shu hurriedly fed it to Yao Xin Lan spoonful by spoonful. Just then, the servants brought the Anemarrhena, honey, and other medicinal powders Qin Wan had requested. With clean hands, Qin Wan ground the Anemarrhena into powder and mixed it with honey to form pills. After Mo Shu finished feeding the ginseng soup, she fed the honey pills to Yao Xin Lan. After waiting a moment and seeing the bleeding had largely stopped, Qin Wan finally removed the silver needle.

As soon as the needle was removed, Yao Xin Lan’s half-closed eyes quickly opened.

Mo Shu rejoiced while Qin Wan announced steadily, “Prepare to begin.”

Qin Wan’s words made Mo Shu’s heart jump. Before she could comfort Yao Xin Lan, Yao Xin Lan cried out in agony, her face covered in sweat. Qin Wan quickly said, “Sister-in-law, try—if you can deliver naturally, let’s do it naturally.”

Hearing this, Mo Shu hurried to say, “Young Lady, Young Lady, don’t fear the pain, hold on!”

Qin Wan spread Yao Xin Lan’s legs and looked carefully for a moment. “Sister-in-law, the baby is coming. Sister-in-law, push!”

Yao Xin Lan’s eyes were full of moisture, but hearing Qin Wan’s words, she instinctively pushed. However, each push brought heart-rending pain. Yao Xin Lan shook her head in despair. “I… I can’t… I’m going to die…”

“Young Lady won’t die, Young Lady just hold on a bit longer!”

Yao Xin Lan shook her head, her legs going limp. Qin Wan called two old servants, “Help the Young Madam.”

These two servants were elderly but experienced. They came up to support one of Yao Xin Lan’s legs each, then placed their hands on her abdomen, gently pushing. One called out, “Young Madam, push! If you don’t push, the baby will suffocate!”

Hearing this, Yao Xin Lan struggled to push again. Her hands clutched the brocade quilt beneath her, sweat soaking her collar, but no matter how hard she pushed, the baby’s head remained unseen. The bleeding that had been partially stopped earlier started flowing again. Two other servants were responsible for cleaning the blood, carrying out basin after basin of bloody water. The two helping servants’ faces went pale.

“Ninth Young Lady, I fear the Young Madam can’t deliver…”

One spoke tremblingly. Qin Wan’s expression set. “Go open the medicine package on the table, mix the six medicinal powders with strong wine, and feed it to the Young Madam.”

Mo Shu turned to do this immediately. Qin Wan had prepared for contingencies, with the wine already heated. Mo Shu was practiced at these tasks and quickly prepared the medicinal wine. However, this medicine was different from usual, being mixed with wine and having a strange smell. While feeding it to Yao Xin Lan, Mo Shu asked, “Ninth Young Lady, what is this?”

“Mafeisan,” Qin Wan answered, picking up Han Yue from where it lay aside.

Seeing Qin Wan take up the knife, the two servants exchanged glances. Then they watched as Qin Wan lifted Yao Xin Lan’s undergarments. A faint smell of wine mixed with blood spread through the room. Seeing Yao Xin Lan swallow the Mafeisan, Qin Wan waited while mapping something on Yao Xin Lan’s swollen belly. The two servants watched with trembling hearts. After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the two servants watched in disbelief as Qin Wan made an incision across Yao Xin Lan’s belly.

“Ninth Young Lady, you can’t!”

Their faces instantly turned ghost-white. One cried out while the other’s knees buckled and she collapsed to the ground. Han Yue’s sharp blade cut through Yao Xin Lan’s belly—the servants could even see her flesh parting.

The two servants cleaning the blood also turned pale with fright. Mo Shu’s heart was in her throat. However, amid the room’s shock, Qin Wan’s expression never changed. She focused intently on the knife, on every inch of Yao Xin Lan’s flesh, with an incredibly calm certainty that subdued Mo Shu’s fear.

“Don’t shout. The Ninth Young Lady is a divine healer of our time. Only she can save the Young Madam,” Mo Shu cautioned. Though the servants still looked frightened, none dared make a sound to disturb Qin Wan.

Qin Wan had her sleeves rolled up, her hands covered in blood, large drops of cold sweat falling from her forehead.

“Mo Shu.”

Qin Wan called out, and Mo Shu immediately came with a handkerchief to wipe her sweat. After wiping the sweat, Qin Wan continued working on Yao Xin Lan’s lower abdomen. A strong smell of blood filled the room. Mo Shu dared not look, only tightly holding Yao Xin Lan’s hand, but soon she felt Yao Xin Lan’s hand growing cold.

“Ninth Young Lady… Young Lady’s hand is cold…”

Mo Shu forced down her fear, but still felt dread in her heart. In all her life, except for seeing people injured in fights with torn bellies, she had never seen someone deliberately cut open.

Qin Wan’s expression remained coldly serious as if she hadn’t heard Mo Shu. The servants in the room exchanged glances. Though they didn’t speak, their eyes showed deep sorrow. The Young Madam was delivering prematurely, and had already lost much blood—mother and child likely couldn’t both be saved. Moreover, Ninth Young Lady’s method was terrifying. Childbirth already brought women to death’s door; cutting open a pregnant woman’s belly would only cause more unbearable pain.

These servants were all close attendants Yao Xin Lan had brought from Jian Province. Thinking this, their eyes reddened. They had watched Yao Xin Lan grow up; if mother and child both died tonight, not only would their positions be forfeit, but they would feel deep remorse.

“Ninth Young Lady… Young Lady she…”

Mo Shu called out softly again, but Qin Wan’s brows remained unmoved. Cold sweat covered Yao Xin Lan’s face, her eyes now closed. Moreover, when Mo Shu checked Yao Xin Lan’s breathing, she could barely detect it. A chill crept up from Mo Shu’s feet. She didn’t blame Qin Wan, only felt grief. Yao Xin Lan had suffered so much lately, and now she might lose her life too. Mo Shu suddenly felt resentment toward Qin Chen.

With this thought, Mo Shu froze—what had happened to Qin Chen?

“Waaah!”

Mo Shu had been staring at Yao Xin Lan’s face when suddenly, a faint infant’s cry rang out. At this sound, Mo Shu quickly turned to look at Qin Wan, seeing in her hands a tiny, blood-covered baby. The child was as small as a cat, with wet hair on its head, its features unclear under the blood.

Mo Shu felt her whole body’s blood surge with joy. “Ninth Young Lady!”

“Bring the clean cotton cloth—take the baby!”

The two servants stood dumbfounded. Mo Shu hurriedly shouted, “What are you doing? Hurry!”

Qin Wan, drenched in sweat, held the baby. Her long period of calm focus left her unable to smile, but seeing the moving child in her hands, Qin Wan’s heart lifted. Following this, a feeling of fullness filled her heart. This tiny infant had no blood relation to her, but she could feel its heartbeat in her palm.

“It’s a daughter,” Qin Wan said, her voice hoarse.

Mo Shu’s tears fell continuously, though her lips couldn’t help but turn up in a smile. The servants brought clean cotton cloth to receive the child. Qin Wan cut the umbilical cord and began suturing Yao Xin Lan’s wound.

“Bring needles and the nettles!”

The two servants held the baby while Mo Shu, now calmer, quickly responded to Qin Wan’s instructions. Soon, the needles and nettles were brought. Qin Wan quickly cleaned them and miraculously turned the wine-softened nettle stems into thread. Mo Shu dared not approach but watched as Qin Wan sewed Yao Xin Lan’s wound as if mending clothes.

“Mo Shu, get medicine—one portion of Notoginseng powder, then three qian each of Licorice, Mugwort, Cinnamon Heart, Donkey-hide Gelatin, and Dried Rehmannia. Brew them in cold water, quickly.”

Qin Wan spoke rapidly but moved her hands very slowly. Mo Shu hurried to comply. As she ran out, she saw the two servants had properly wrapped the baby and cleaned its face. Seeing the tiny wrinkled face moving slightly, Mo Shu’s eyes reddened again. The baby was born—her Young Lady must not die.

Qin Wan sewed the wound with extreme care. Mo Shu returned quickly, and by the time Qin Wan finished suturing and cleaning, the medicine was ready. While bandaging Yao Xin Lan’s wound, Qin Wan instructed, “Feed it to Sister-in-law every half hour until she wakes.”

Mo Shu hurried to feed Yao Xin Lan the medicine, but somehow she vomited it back up. Mo Shu grew anxious. “Ninth Young Lady, Young Lady can’t keep it down!”

“Force it down.” Qin Wan’s tone was serious, leaving no room for argument.

Mo Shu hesitated for a moment, then suddenly took a mouthful herself, pinched Yao Xin Lan’s nose, and fed it to her mouth-to-mouth. Qin Wan saw Yao Xin Lan’s throat move and finally felt relieved.

“Half a bowl at a time is enough.”

As Qin Wan finished speaking, she had finished bandaging Yao Xin Lan’s abdomen. The baby in the two servants’ arms was whimpering. Seeing Mo Shu successfully feed half a bowl, Qin Wan exhaled. “Cover her with clean brocade quilts, add two hot water bottles for warmth, and only open the outermost window.”

Mo Shu complied with everything before going to look at the baby in the servants’ arms.

“Ninth Young Lady is truly miraculous!”

The servant spoke tearfully. Qin Wan asked, “Has a wet nurse been arranged for the household?”

The servant sighed. “A wet nurse was selected but hasn’t been brought into the household yet, since Young Madam wasn’t due for another month.”

Qin Wan nodded. “This is a joyous occasion. Go inform Madam.”

As the words fell, Qin Wan remembered that Madam Lin had fainted earlier. She wasn’t sure how to proceed. “A wet nurse is essential. Whoever knows the original arrangements should go now to fetch her. Young Madam cannot nurse in this condition.”

A servant stepped forward. “Thank you, Ninth Young Lady. This servant knows I’ll go right away, but… but there are guards at the gate…”

Qin Wan considered. “I’ll write a note as a guarantee. Take it and try. If it doesn’t work, we’ll think of something else.”

Qin Wan went to a nearby desk and wrote the note. Soon the servant left with it. Though Madam Lin had fainted earlier, Qin Wan didn’t know her current condition. After consideration, she sent another servant to check on her. Shortly after, the servant returned with news.

“Ninth Young Lady, Madam has awakened and heard the news, but… but Madam seems disappointed. She’s lying in bed unable to get up. And… and word from the Buddha Hall is that the fire has diminished somewhat, but there’s no sign of Young Master.”

Qin Wan’s heart sank. After so long, Qin Chen hadn’t emerged. Even without supernatural martial skills—even Yan Chi couldn’t stay inside long, let alone him.

Qin Wan nodded. “I understand. Just take good care of the Young Madam.”

The servant sighed. “Yes, we will do our utmost.”

As they spoke, Qin Wan walked to the window. She had broken out in cold sweat earlier, and now as it cooled, she felt chilled. The fire at the Buddha Hall had indeed diminished but still illuminated the eastern night sky. Qin Wan wanted to go check but was worried about Yao Xin Lan, so she had to stay at Lin Feng Court.

“Ninth Young Lady, Little Miss is so good!”

Qin Wan turned to look. After feeding Yao Xin Lan, Mo Shu picked up the little girl. Qin Wan remembered what Yao Xin Lan had said before. “Qi Qi—Sister-in-law said before, if she had a daughter, she would name her Qi Qi.”

“Would Ninth Young Lady like to hold her?” Mo Shu, grateful to Qin Wan, offered the baby.

Though Qin Wan had delivered this child from Yao Xin Lan’s womb, she had never actually held a baby before. She carefully took her and saw Qi Qi’s slightly closed eyes suddenly open. Though her face was wrinkled, her eyes were intensely black. Qin Wan immediately fell in love with those eyes. She called softly, “Qi Qi.”

The tiny person seemed to hear Qin Wan’s voice, her mouth opening and closing slightly.

Mo Shu quickly said, “Ah, Little Miss likes Ninth Young Lady!”

Qin Wan’s lips curved, and warmth finally crept into her chilled body.

A newborn is delicate, so Qin Wan held her only briefly before handing her back to Mo Shu. Though the wet nurse hadn’t arrived, all the baby’s necessities had been prepared. Qin Wan had the servants watch the baby while she and Mo Shu attended to Yao Xin Lan.

After all these events, it was now late night. The darkness outside was ink-black, and the room was quiet. Mo Shu had given Yao Xin Lan medicine twice more, but she still showed no signs of waking.

“Ninth Young Lady, why hasn’t Young Lady awakened yet?”

Qin Wan’s heart was heavy too. “Let’s wait longer.”

The smell of blood hadn’t fully dissipated from the room. Qin Wan opened the outer window briefly, which improved the air somewhat. Time passed second by second. At the fifth watch, the servant who had gone to fetch the wet nurse returned with a woman in her thirties. Seeing the wet nurse arrive, Qin Wan felt relieved but sighed looking at Yao Xin Lan’s tightly closed eyes on the bed.

“Ninth Young Lady, someone outside is looking for you.”

A servant announced from outside. Qin Wan’s attention was immediately drawn. She first glanced at the eastern sky and noticed the bright flames had diminished considerably. Qin Wan hurried outside. At the courtyard gate, sure enough, Bai Feng was accompanying Yan Chi. Qin Wan walked forward to bow. “Greetings, Your High—”

Before she could finish, Yan Chi suddenly grabbed her arm. “You have blood on you.”

Qin Wan looked down to see spots of blood indeed dotting her smoke-gray dress. She smiled slightly. “It’s not mine, it’s Sister-in-law’s.” Then, her voice softened, “Sister-in-law has given birth to a daughter.”

Yan Chi raised an eyebrow and released her hand. “You saved her.”

Qin Wan’s face showed exhaustion as she shook her head. “Though the child is born, Sister-in-law hasn’t awakened yet. Last night she lost too much blood and suffered shock. The method I used was somewhat dangerous—we don’t know if she’ll wake.”

Then she asked, “How is the situation at the Buddha Hall?”

Yan Chi’s eyes darkened. “The fire is mostly extinguished, but the people inside…”

Qin Wan froze momentarily, though her face showed no emotion. After a while, she lowered her eyes and sighed.

Yan Chi, fearing she would take Qin Chen’s death to heart, said, “It was his own choice. His past evil deeds were exposed, and I caught him in the act. His future wouldn’t have been good anyway. He’d been in the fire once—he knew how dangerous it was inside.”

Qin Wan gave a bitter smile. “Your Highness needn’t console me. I won’t grieve for someone who tried to kill me. It’s just that several lives were lost. After tonight’s events, the Qin household is truly finished.”

Yan Chi lifted his chin. “Even without tonight, the Qin household’s fall was inevitable.”

As they spoke, a yamen runner suddenly came from the east, approaching Yan Chi. “Your Highness, we found the remains inside—currently two bodies in the main hall. The fire in the Buddha Hall isn’t fully out yet; the third body must be in there. We’re continuing to extinguish the fire…”

Yan Chi nodded, and the runner bowed and left.

Qin Wan frowned. “Two bodies in the main hall?”

At that time, Qin Chen had said he was going to save Madam Jiang, and Cai He had also gone into the Buddha Hall. Now with two bodies in the main hall, didn’t that mean Qin Chen had managed to bring someone out? But who?

Yan Chi understood her thoughts and glanced toward Lin Feng Court. “If you want to know who those two bodies are, we can go look.”

Qin Wan agreed this made sense—Yao Xin Lan hadn’t awakened, and they were just waiting anyway.

“Alright, let’s go look.”

With that, she and Yan Chi headed toward the Buddha Hall. It was just before dawn, the darkest time of night, with the coldest wind. As they walked, Qin Wan glanced at Yan Chi’s shoulder. “Your Highness should come to my courtyard later for medicine for your wound.”

A faint smile appeared in Yan Chi’s eyes as he nodded with a soft “Mm.”

They walked side by side, with Bai Feng following far behind. In the cover of the night, it seemed as if they were alone together. Qin Wan didn’t know what to say, and Yan Chi remained silent.

This night had been endless—so long that Qin Wan had faced life and death, and Yan Chi had nearly been lost to the fire. Now walking side by side, the blood scent from Lin Feng Court and the chaos of the fire scene seemed far away. The world seemed to contain only the two of them. Though they didn’t speak, Qin Wan felt deeply at peace.

After a few more steps, Qin Wan still said, “Thank you for saving me tonight, Your Highness. You had warned me before, but I was still careless. Fortunately, I didn’t endanger you—otherwise, I would have felt guilty.”

Yan Chi glanced at her. “Would I fear being endangered by you?”

Qin Wan froze, unsure of his meaning. Then Yan Chi looked away and continued, “When I warned you, I knew you would never simply follow my wishes without taking any action. Tonight, you followed Qin Chen to find the painting. You have your judgment and sense of justice. If you avoided all risk just because of my warning, you wouldn’t be yourself.”

He breathed lightly. “I’m just grateful I arrived in time.”

Qin Wan’s lips pressed together, feeling her recently settled heart stirred up again by his words. In her confused thoughts, she looked up to find they had reached the Buddha Hall. The fire in the main hall had been extinguished, and two burned bodies lay in the courtyard. Qin Li knelt numbly before them, while Qin Xiang and Qin Shuang were nowhere to be seen.

Seeing Qin Wan and Yan Chi approach, Qin Li slowly stood.

Qin Wan had come to identify the bodies. She walked directly to the two blackened corpses, clearly seeing that the larger one was Qin Chen. The other was unrecognizable in appearance or clothing—only the bones could provide identification.

Because they had burned to death, both bodies were slightly curled. Qin Wan crouched down and felt the joints of the body. Soon her brows furrowed. Qin Li and Yan Chi watched as she stood and said, “It’s the Old Madam.”