In an instant, every hair on Qin Xiang’s body stood on end! She instinctively tried to stand up, but at that moment, a cold, sharp blade pressed against her lower back.

“Don’t move—” The man’s voice was hoarse and cold, like a devil lurking in the darkness ready to devour Qin Xiang at any moment. Her spine went rigid, and though her body was frozen stiff, she couldn’t stop trembling.

Qin Xiang’s chambers were divided into two sections. When Qin Xiang had stormed into the inner chamber in anger, Wan He hadn’t rashly followed her in. Usually, when Qin Xiang was in a temper, she didn’t want anyone near her, so Wan He remained in the outer room.

“You…” Qin Xiang’s voice suddenly went hoarse, as if an invisible hand had gripped her throat. As soon as she spoke, the cold blade pressed harder against her back. Qin Xiang’s scalp tingled as she could almost feel the blade about to tear through her light pink silk dress. She clenched her fists, not daring to make a sound.

The inner chamber was pitch black, with only a faint glimmer of light from the entrance. Qin Xiang stared desperately at that tiny point of light as large drops of cold sweat rolled down her forehead.

Qin Xiang deeply regretted her decision. She shouldn’t have come back; she should have listened to Wan He’s advice.

Though the inner chamber was completely dark, Qin Xiang could hear the wind at the window. She had come with Wan He, and Xiu Zhi had been left in the room. When she returned, Xiu Zhi had been guarding the outer chamber, looking surprised and confused at her angry expression. Qin Xiang knew the person behind her must have climbed in through the back window.

Qin Xiang gritted her teeth, her heart pounding wildly with fear. Thinking about how she was alone in the inner chamber, and remembering Wan He’s mention of the two people in the mansion whose limbs had been cut off, her nose began to sting. At this moment, besides silently crying, Qin Xiang had no idea what else she could do.

“Young Miss?” After a moment, Wan He’s voice suddenly sounded at the entrance of the inner chamber. Qin Xiang’s heart jumped, and then she heard Wan He say, “Shall I come in to light the lamps?”

Standing outside, Wan He could only faintly see Qin Xiang sitting by the bed, her head slightly lowered, but nothing seemed amiss. Given Qin Xiang’s current temperament, entering without her permission would only anger her further.

When there was no response, Wan He sighed, having expected such a scene.

When Qin Xiang was angry, she either exploded in rage or ignored everyone. Wan He had grown accustomed to this in recent days. Seeing the situation, she sighed quietly again and simply stood guard at the door without saying anything more.

Inside, Qin Xiang was now drenched in cold sweat, and the blade pressed even harder against her.

Qin Xiang trembled, understanding the intention of the person behind her. Through gritted teeth, she said, “Leave me alone, go away—”

Hearing how Qin Xiang’s voice had changed, Wan He thought she must be extremely angry. She sighed again and walked toward the room, “Young Miss, be careful not to make yourself ill—”

Before she could finish the word, Qin Xiang suddenly screamed hysterically, “Get out! Don’t come in!”

Qin Xiang’s sudden shout startled Wan He. Such a delicate young lady rarely shouted like this, even when truly enraged. Having served Qin Xiang for many years, Wan He was particularly surprised, and this somewhat shrill cry made her feel somewhat fearful. She quickly nodded and stepped backward repeatedly—

“Yes, yes, yes, this servant is leaving right now.”

As she spoke, Wan He instinctively glanced up again, intending to see what was wrong with Qin Xiang. She only saw Qin Xiang sitting rigidly upright, and at the same time, caught a glimpse of something cold and shining from the corner of her eye.

Though Wan He felt something was strange, she couldn’t quite place it and hurriedly retreated.

As soon as she came out, Xiu Zhi looked at her questioningly. Wan He gave a bitter smile, taking two steps toward the hall while growing increasingly puzzled. Just now, Qin Xiang had seemed too stiff and rigid, as if someone had held a knife to her throat. At this thought, Wan He’s footsteps suddenly halted. That cold gleam… could it be…

A chill crept up from Wan He’s feet, and she widened her eyes in disbelief. Xiu Zhi, watching from the side, also began to look suspicious. “What’s wrong with you…”

“Shh!” Wan He suddenly made a gesture for silence, and Xiu Zhi’s words cut off as she froze.

Though she didn’t know why Qin Xiang was angry or why Wan He was acting this way, the usually composed Wan He’s behavior made her instinctively sense danger and unease. Wan He slowly turned around, her eyes fixed unwaveringly on the silent inner chamber. After watching for about ten breaths, Wan He suddenly bit her silver teeth.

She looked around, fear and panic in her eyes, but forced herself to remain calm. She called out to the inner chamber, “Young Miss, don’t be angry. This servant will go to the Young Master’s place to get some food, lest you become hungry later.”

Her sudden, seemingly random words made Xiu Zhi raise an eyebrow. As Xiu Zhi looked at her, about to speak, Wan He pulled her toward the door and walked a few steps before lowering her voice to say, “Don’t go in, wait here.”

Xiu Zhi was startled, and Wan He’s words sent a chill down her spine. Without waiting for her to nod, Wan He turned and walked outside.

Night had already fallen heavily, and the winter night was deeply cold outside. Wan He stepped on the not-yet-melted snow on the ground, forgetting even to light a lamp. She couldn’t care about such details now, only making her way toward Qin Yan’s courtyard by the faint light, stepping carefully through the snow. The short distance felt like it took several hours to traverse. She had unconsciously broken out in a cold sweat, and when the biting winter wind blew, she felt an even more bone-chilling cold. By the time she entered Qin Yan’s courtyard, whether from fear or cold, her teeth had begun to chatter…

“Wan He? Why have you returned?”

Zhou Huai stood at the entrance of the main room, his tone slightly surprised. Earlier, he had been guarding the door of the warm room, and when he turned around, Qin Xiang and her servant had disappeared. When he went to look, he saw them already at the courtyard entrance. Zhou Huai had hurried back to report to Qin Yan, who, upon hearing that Qin Xiang had left without saying goodbye, had merely said quietly that it was fine to let her go rest.

Therefore, Zhou Huai hadn’t pursued them, but now, less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea later, why had Wan He returned?

“Manager Zhou—”

Wan He hurried toward the main room’s entrance, her voice trembling as she spoke. Zhou Huai heard this and immediately noticed Wan He’s strange expression. He immediately furrowed his brow, “What’s wrong?”

Wan He’s eyes were slightly red, “Manager Zhou, quickly told the Young Master, I think… I think there’s someone in our courtyard.”

Wan He spoke very quickly, and as she finished, Song Li and Qin Yan walked out of the warm room together. Song Li’s eyes lit up, “What? There’s someone in your courtyard?!”

Wan He didn’t look at Song Li but kept her eyes on Qin Yan, “Young Master, after the Young Miss returned to the inner chamber, something wasn’t right. She wouldn’t let this servant enter, and when I stood at the door looking in, it seemed the Young Miss was being held hostage. This servant made an excuse to run out, please Young Master, quickly go save the Young Miss…” After saying this, Wan He’s tears fell silently.

Song Li laughed harshly, “No wonder we couldn’t find them anywhere, so they were hiding in an occupied house. Let’s go! We’ll rescue Miss Qin right now—”

Song Li’s sudden enthusiasm didn’t reassure Wan He; on the contrary, she felt somewhat worried. Qin Yan looked at Zhou Huai and also strode toward the courtyard entrance. Seeing this, Wan He quickly followed. Qin Yan turned to look at Wan He, “Did you see clearly? Is there someone in your Young Miss’s room?”

When asked this way, Wan He suddenly couldn’t give a definitive answer, “This servant… this servant didn’t see clearly… but, but the Young Miss was acting very strangely, and this servant vaguely saw a knife being held against the Young Miss.”

Qin Yan and Zhou Huai exchanged a glance, their expressions immediately darkening. Qin Wan and Sun Muqing also walked out of the warm room. Neither of them had heard Wan He’s words clearly, but seeing everyone walking out together, they followed along. Qin Shuang fell behind, running up a few steps to say, “What is she making a fuss about now? I don’t believe there’s anyone in her room!”

Hearing Wan He say she was going out to get food, Qin Xiang’s heart turned ice cold. She wanted to call out to stop Wan He from leaving, but the blade pressed so painfully against her lower back that she didn’t dare make a sound.

Soon, the sound of footsteps and the door opening and closing echoed through the room.

As Wan He’s footsteps faded into the distance, Qin Xiang couldn’t hold back her tears.

Although Xiu Zhi was Lady Lin’s person, Qin Xiang had always trusted Wan He the most. With Wan He gone, she had lost her last hope. Qin Xiang’s tears flowed more heavily as she felt she was already as good as dead, with her limbs soon to be severed.

Qin Xiang bit her teeth, feeling she could barely breathe. The entire mansion was being searched, but who could have imagined the person they were looking for was hiding in her room? Through tear-blurred eyes, clinging to her last thread of hope, she said, “If… if you don’t… leave now… you won’t… be able to escape later…”

Qin Xiang spoke in a hushed voice mixed with sobs, sounding utterly pitiful.

The person behind her didn’t speak, but after a moment, there was a rustling sound, and simultaneously, the knife pressed against her back loosened slightly. Qin Xiang felt a small measure of relief, “My… servants will return soon. If you don’t leave, they’ll surely find it strange, they’ll have to come in sooner or later.”

Seeing her words had some effect, Qin Xiang continued speaking. Though the man’s knife remained at her back, he hesitated for a moment. Qin Xiang’s throat felt blocked by an iron weight, and seeing the man’s lack of response, she dared not speak further. Meanwhile, the man behind her was listening intently to the sounds outside.

Shortly after, the man suddenly pushed Qin Xiang. Her expression immediately changed as she slowly stood up. At that moment, her legs had gone numb, but seeing the man finally taking action, her heart was both excited and afraid. She only hoped that since she wasn’t a resident of this mansion, he wouldn’t harm her. As for where he might run to, she couldn’t care about that now, but she feared the man had developed a taste for killing and might kill her before leaving.

Qin Xiang kept her head slightly lowered as she was pushed at knifepoint toward the back window. The usually tightly closed back window was now open, with melting snow creating a muddy slush on the windowsill.

Step by step, Qin Xiang walked forward, growing increasingly nervous as she approached the window frame. She didn’t know what choice the man would make, and if he decided to kill her, it would take only a moment. Qin Xiang clenched her fists tightly, her steps growing heavier. The man seemed to be checking for any ambush outside and didn’t hurry her. After a few moments, when Qin Xiang was only a few steps from the back window, the deathly silence of the room was suddenly broken by the rough sound of a door opening.

Song Li threw the door open, “Where is your Young Miss?”

The sudden voice startled Qin Xiang and caused the man, who had just begun to relax slightly, to tense up again. Especially when he heard the following heavy footsteps, the man suddenly shoved Qin Xiang toward the nearby window frame. The unexpected voices had already unsettled Qin Xiang, and this sudden push caught her off guard. She instinctively cried out, and Song Li, who had been wondering where she was, immediately found his direction!

“Captain Song, don’t be hasty—”

Qin Yan had also heard Qin Xiang’s cry and was almost certain that Wan He had spoken the truth. If Qin Xiang was indeed being held hostage, rushing in recklessly might result in her death, so Qin Yan quickly called out a warning.

Song Li had intended to charge straight into the inner chamber, but Qin Yan’s words made him pause. Though he didn’t rush in, he shouted orders, “Quickly inform Uncle Dong, tell him to bring the others here and surround this place! We absolutely cannot let the killer escape!”

Song Li had searched the mansion all day and was both tired and irritated. He had come here in the evening merely intending to vent some anger while questioning Qin Wan and the others, but he never expected to discover the killer’s whereabouts this way!

After giving these orders, Song Li exchanged glances with the constables who had followed him in, and several of them immediately headed for the door. The inner chamber had no lights, so Song Li grabbed an oil lamp from the table. Wan He and Xiu Zhi stood together at the entrance, and Xiu Zhi now understood the meaning behind Wan He’s earlier words. Both of them were so frightened their eyes had reddened.

When Qin Yan and Song Li entered the inner chamber together, they saw at the back window a man wearing servant’s clothes holding a sharp chopping knife against Qin Xiang’s throat.

Qin Xiang, tear-streaked, was being held hostage by the man. Her pink dress was disheveled and creased, and her makeup smeared, making her look wretched. Qin Yan’s pupils contracted slightly, while Song Li’s eyes lit up, a smug smile appearing on his face with its folds of fat. He pointed at the man and said, “Made us search so hard, and here you were hiding.”

As he spoke, Song Li stepped forward, about to say more, but Qin Yan walked past him to the front.

“The person you’re holding hostage isn’t a resident here. What will it take for you to release her?”

Qin Yan’s voice was cold and dignified, displaying the full bearing of the Marquis’s heir. Seeing this, Song Li didn’t dare speak further and temporarily retreated to the back. The man wore a grey cotton jacket, his hair messily tied up on his head, his features barely visible in the dim light, but the knife he held against Qin Xiang gleamed with a cold, sharp light.

“Let this mansion’s Divine Physician die before me…”

The man spoke, his cold voice matching the gruesome deaths of Xiao Song Zi and Da Cheng.

Qin Yan narrowed his eyes, naturally thinking of what Sun Haoyue had said earlier that day, “Your enemy is Divine Physician Sun, not my sister. My sister is about the same age as your daughter. You feel your daughter died unjustly, and so would my sister.”

“Make him come here, bring him here.”

The man stepped back, his body against the wall, pressing the knife more tightly against Qin Xiang’s throat. Qin Xiang was pulled back with him, but because she couldn’t retreat quickly enough, her neck struck against the blade. In an instant, blood began to flow. Qin Xiang’s tears fell like jade beads, but she pressed her lips together tightly and looked at Qin Yan with pleading eyes.

Qin Xiang knew that now only Qin Yan could save her.

“Very well, I’ll have them send the message right away.”

After speaking, Qin Yan turned and gave Song Li a warning look. Song Li had also seen Qin Xiang’s injury and didn’t dare act rashly, quickly stepping back as well. Qin Yan left the inner chamber, and at the doorway, Qin Wan and the others had already seen the killer’s appearance.

She stepped back with Qin Yan, her expression particularly grave, “It’s the man we rescued!”

Qin Wan’s breathing was unsteady as she spoke. During the day she hadn’t thought of him, and in recent days had almost forgotten about that person, but when she stood at the doorway and looked through the dim light of Song Li’s lamp, she immediately recognized him. She vaguely remembered that the man had a dark complexion, looking like a farmhand who had done hard labor for many years. He had been nearly frozen when they found him, and though he had regained consciousness after they rescued him, he wouldn’t speak, and then he disappeared.

He was too ordinary, too common, so common that he could only be taken for a medicine thief who had fled in fear of punishment. The west gate of the courtyard had been opened, and no one had imagined that not only had he not escaped, but he had stayed and killed people.

Qin Wan’s lips were tightly pressed together, feeling vaguely that she bore some responsibility for the current situation. She should have realized it earlier! That piece of black cotton cloth – hadn’t he been wearing a black cotton jacket when they rescued him?!

When he killed for the first time, he hadn’t yet changed into the mansion servant’s clothes. Because people had died, everyone in the mansion had become vigilant, so he had thought of changing clothes. Even when she had encountered him the previous night, she hadn’t recognized him at first. Qin Wan didn’t believe this was a coincidence. This seemingly simple farmer whose appearance was so unremarkable possessed a cunning mind, or perhaps when someone intends to do evil, especially premeditated evil, they instinctively become crafty.

“Yes! It’s him—” Sun Muqing’s reaction was slower than Qin Wan’s, but having cared for the man for half a day, he finally remembered. As this thought struck him, he unconsciously stepped backward twice. That day, he had wanted to show Qin Wan and the others the herb garden, and later he had treated the man, and it was his negligence in watching him…

“How could it be him? He was just stealing medicine! And, and he was nearly frozen to death!” Sun Muqing shook his head, “Did he come intending to kill, or did he only kill because he happened to enter the mansion by chance?”

Qin Yan had already instructed Zhou Huai to find Uncle Dong. Hearing this, he turned and said, “Now is not the time to discuss these matters. An evil person with evil intentions is always evil; if not for this opportunity, there would have been others. Right now, we must save Fifth Sister.”

Qin Yan’s expression turned stern, and Qin Wan’s eyes were full of gravity. No matter what, no one wanted to see anyone else in the mansion come to harm, especially not Qin Xiang. Qin Wan moved to the entrance of the inner chamber as Qin Yan returned inside.

“I’ve given the order; he will be here soon.” As he spoke, Qin Yan’s brows furrowed slightly, “You’ve been hiding in the mansion all these days just to seek revenge on Divine Physician Sun?”

Qin Yan spoke with an outsider’s tone, not showing any particular closeness to Sun Haoyue. The man heard this and looked at Qin Yan, only responding coldly after a moment, “He’s no divine physician, he’s harming people.”

Qin Yan naturally didn’t believe these words. He looked at the man in the distance, and in the dim light, he couldn’t even make out the man’s features. He only vaguely remembered that when they rescued him, his appearance had been utterly ordinary. Though the man was looking at him now, his gaze carried no force. Qin Yan could sense neither anger nor hatred as if his eyes were merely two dark holes. Yet this same person had so cruelly killed Xiao Song Zi and Da Cheng.

“Divine Physician Sun has saved many people,” Qin Yan said coldly. If it were an ordinary vengeful killer, such words would likely have provoked anger, but the man showed no reaction.

Qin Yan couldn’t tell if this indicated great mental strength or if the man was already like a walking corpse.

Qin Wan and Sun Muqing stood behind, watching, their hearts tightening slightly. Others might have forgotten, but they hadn’t—that day when this man awoke, his eyes had been almost the same as now. At the time, they had thought he was just listless and hadn’t recovered, but now Qin Wan understood. It wasn’t that the man hadn’t recovered his spirits; this was simply how he was.

“My daughter, from birth, could not walk. Everyone called her a monster, but she was the flesh of our flesh, mine and her mother’s. All these years, I worked myself sick to ensure she could eat and stay warm. She just couldn’t control her limbs, that’s all. She wasn’t supposed to die, but after leaving here, she did.”

The man’s voice was mechanical and cold, only showing the slightest tremor when speaking of his beloved daughter.

After a brief pause, he continued, “Her mother cried for days after returning home, then fell into the Red Water River and died. Raising our daughter wasn’t easy, she brought great hardship to our family, but we didn’t want her to die. Once she died, neither her mother nor I wanted to live.”

Qin Yan’s brows furrowed slightly, and Song Li seemed somewhat stunned. The man spoke in a flat tone, his words incomprehensible to those from normal, wealthy families. Only Qin Wan felt a sudden prick in her heart. Raising a “monster” daughter—perhaps someone of Qin Yan’s background could never understand what an enormous burden this placed on an already impoverished family, yet they had never thought of abandoning this daughter who had dragged the whole family into the abyss.

Looking at the man’s indistinct features, Qin Wan couldn’t tell if he had gone mad with grief over losing his daughter or if he was speaking these words with extreme rationality and restraint. A hidden thought arose in Qin Wan’s mind: what illness had his daughter suffered from?

Qin Wan had seen many criminals—cruel and heartless while committing crimes, then either weeping with remorse or becoming cynical when caught. But she had rarely seen someone like this man. She felt no sympathy for someone who had brutally murdered two innocent lives, yet more questions arose in her mind. A father who wouldn’t abandon his “monster” daughter, and a demon who killed indiscriminately—it was extremely contradictory. Within this extreme contradiction, because of the former, Qin Wan carefully searched for truth in the man’s words.

Qin Yan didn’t know how bitter poverty could be; he only knew that these rough, violent commoners, once turned evil, would stubbornly commit the most cruel acts. Though Qin Xiang had been with him less than a month, because she bore the surname Qin, he was determined not to let anything happen to her. If he couldn’t even protect someone from the Qin family, what face would he have to be the Marquis’s heir?

“What evidence do you have that the Divine Physician’s treatment was inadequate?”

Qin Yan asked slowly. The man shook his head, “None. When I returned from the mines, both her mother and her bodies had already decomposed. But I know my daughter—she survived as a cripple for over ten years, she wouldn’t have died for no reason.”

This answer greatly displeased Qin Yan. The man had never been educated and didn’t understand worldly principles, yet had come to commit murder based on mere speculation. This further convinced Qin Yan that he was a violent commoner. “You believe Divine Physician Sun is your enemy, yet why did you kill those two young people? They weren’t much older than your daughter.”

“They revered him. They deserved to die.”

The man’s voice suddenly grew colder, even the outside winter wind seemed tainted by his words.

Qin Yan watched the man, his gaze suddenly flashing toward the area behind him.

Behind the man was the open window, where the vast night spread like an ink sea, capable of concealing any murderous intent.

Watching the man speak these words, that tiny spark of sympathy in Qin Wan’s heart immediately disappeared. The man harbored hatred, but it had reached such an extreme that it no longer manifested as raging and cursing. He only kept his deepest hatred buried in his heart, releasing it when his blade pierced flesh, even if his victims were innocent.

“When is he coming—”

Seemingly realizing that Qin Yan’s conversation was distracting him, the man suddenly grew alert.

He tightened his grip on the knife, and Qin Xiang let out another low moan of pain.

“Young Master has arrived—”

Before Qin Yan could speak, Uncle Dong’s voice suddenly rang out. This slightly aged voice immediately drew all of the man’s attention. At the same time, he nervously pressed Qin Xiang tighter. Qin Yan turned around, and Qin Wan and the others looked toward the door, but they only saw Uncle Dong enter alone.

Qin Wan blinked, watching as Uncle Dong walked slowly but steadily to the entrance of the inner chamber.

He stopped, looked at the man at the far end, then turned to look at the door, as if waiting for Sun Haoyue to arrive. Those inside—Qin Yan and Song Li—couldn’t see, but those standing outside—Qin Wan, Sun Muqing, and the others—could see that the outer room was empty, with no sign of Sun Haoyue. Qin Yan was waiting for Sun Haoyue, Song Li was waiting for Sun Haoyue, and the man was waiting most eagerly of all.

His eyes stared straight at the inner chamber entrance. His enemy, whom he hadn’t seen during all his days of lurking in the mansion, was finally about to appear before him. The man tightened his grip on the chopping knife.

Qin Wan’s frown deepened, not understanding Uncle Dong’s act, when suddenly she heard a faint whistling sound through the air. Qin Wan’s heart jumped—this whistling was so familiar, almost immediately triggering her deepest fears. The next moment, a sharp “clack” of metal hitting the ground startled Qin Wan back to her senses!

“Third Brother—”

“Fifth Sister—”

“Who has such precise archery?! Well done!”

“Young Master Bai has returned, it must be him.”

Qin Xiang’s crying call, Qin Yan’s reassurance, Qin Shuang’s amazement, and Uncle Dong’s relieved explanation.

Qin Wan stood frozen in place, turning to see the man with an arrow in the back of his head. He had already fallen to the ground, his blood flowing like that of Xiao Song Zi and Da Cheng, trickling through the cracks in the floor tiles like a small stream. Wan He and Xiu Zhi rushed in, supporting and comforting Qin Xiang. Qin Yan stood at the window, seemingly exchanging a few words with someone outside. Zhou Huai leaped in through the window, and several constables together dragged the man’s body out.

Qin Wan’s heartbeat suddenly slowed, though the scene before her eyes changed rapidly. Only when the man’s corpse passed in front of her did the smell of blood jolt her back to awareness.

Meanwhile, Qin Shuang grabbed her hand and pulled her inside, saying in a tearful voice, “Although she’s usually excessive, this time she suffered. It was terrifying! You usually have the greatest courage, how did you get scared stiff too?”

Qin Wan wasn’t scared stiff; rather, this scene had somehow triggered memories of that night’s blood, fire, and cold arrows—her deepest, most secret, and only fear.

Even in similarly critical moments, like when she had almost been killed by Qin Chen at the Qin residence, or nearly crushed by the collapsing lantern tower by the Li River, she hadn’t felt such fear…

Qin Wan’s hands and feet felt cold. Looking at the tearful Qin Xiang, she felt a surge of melancholy. Though she hadn’t faced death this time, she still felt strangely dejected. With this thought, an image flashed through her mind—yes, the last time and the time before that, Yan Chi had been by her side.

Suddenly, something seemed to pierce Qin Wan’s heart, causing an overwhelming wave of bitterness to rise unbidden. Throughout this journey, she had spent far more time thinking about the Marquis’s mansion and worrying about Yao Xinlan than remembering her time with Yan Chi, yet now his shadow filled her thoughts. Qin Wan shook her head, her ears buzzing with noise, her breathing becoming slightly labored.

“It’s alright now, everything’s fine. While talking to him, Uncle Dong and Zhou Huai had already made arrangements outside. We were certainly going to save you, just couldn’t act rashly with him holding the knife…”

“Yes, who knew Young Master Bai’s archery would be so excellent.”

Qin Yan’s voice mingled with Qin Xiang’s tear-filled, barely audible voice. As Qin Wan stood lost in thought, a figure in silver robes suddenly entered through the inner chamber door. Looking over, Qin Wan saw that the newcomer was tall and lean, with an air of capability about him. His features were quite handsome. Qin Wan’s heart steadied as she glanced behind him, seeing no one else enter, and knew this must be Young Master Bai.

“Look, that’s the Young Master of the Bai family. Quite handsome indeed!”

Qin Shuang stood beside Qin Wan, pointing him out, but Qin Wan had no interest in looking at the moment.

This terrifying case was over, though she still didn’t even know the man’s name. Her heart felt slightly relieved, yet at this moment she thought of Yan Chi, her emotions becoming complex and confused.

This had never happened before—what was wrong with her?

As Qin Wan stood dazed, Qin Shuang quickly nudged her arm, “Look, look at Fifth Sister’s expression…”

The room was now crowded with people, with Qin Wan and Qin Shuang standing to the side watching. Though Qin Xiang’s eyes were still filled with tears, when Bai Feiyu entered, her gaze immediately fixed on him, her whole demeanor brightening. When Bai Feiyu quietly greeted her, the light in her eyes changed. Though Qin Wan didn’t understand matters of the heart, she was good at observing details and being a woman herself, she understood something of a young woman’s thoughts. It seemed Qin Xiang had truly developed feelings for Bai Feiyu.

“Did you see that? With her looking like that, how could Young Master Bai not notice?” Qin Shuang said, then suddenly sucked in a cold breath as if her teeth hurt after hearing something Qin Xiang said. “Did you hear that? She said she had been thinking of when Young Master Bai would return, even in such danger, she… It proves that saying… in life-and-death moments, one thinks of their beloved…” Speaking thus, Qin Shuang herself made a gagging gesture, “How sickeningly sweet…”

Hearing these words, Qin Wan’s thoughts wandered again. “Life-and-death moments?”

Qin Shuang let out a light snort, “She dares to say that. Come on, this room’s uninhabitable now, let’s go out first.”

Qin Xiang’s wound had received basic treatment, and Qin Wan heard Qin Yan instructing her to change rooms. Wan He and Xiu Zhi were already packing up, and when Qin Shuang pulled at her, Qin Wan left with her.

As they walked, Qin Shuang continued, “What else? When facing death, of course, one thinks of the person they care about most. Oh, Fifth Sister…”

Hearing Qin Shuang’s words, another ripple stirred in Qin Wan’s heart. She unconsciously reached for her sleeve pocket, immediately touching the quietly resting Han Yue. She gripped it tightly, feeling slightly comforted.

After they walked out, Qin Yan soon came to them, “Fifth Sister has been frightened tonight, she probably shouldn’t stay alone in that courtyard. How about letting her stay in Sixth Sister’s former room?”

Qin Yan looked at Qin Shuang, who wouldn’t quibble over such small matters, and immediately nodded.

After speaking, Qin Yan returned inside, and soon Qin Xiang was helped out. Seeing they were changing locations, Qin Shuang pulled Qin Wan toward her courtyard first. Qin Xiang was busy talking with Qin Yan, and when Bai Feiyu arrived, she had eyes for no one else. Though Qin Shuang had been worried earlier, now that the crisis was over, she didn’t want to stand around getting in the way. She turned and pulled Qin Wan back to their room. Once inside, Qin Shuang looked at Qin Wan and asked, “Why are you so listless? Were you scared senseless?”

Qin Wan gave a bitter smile and shook her head, “It’s nothing, don’t worry about me.”

Qin Wan sat lost in thought by the window. Qin Shuang made a dismissive sound and truly stopped paying attention to her. Who knows how long Qin Wan sat there, hearing the courtyard noisy for quite a while until Qin Xiang was settled in the opposite wing and things quieted down. Then there was a knock at the door.

Fu Ling opened the door to find Qin Yan standing outside. He entered and said, “Sixth Sister, Ninth Sister, let’s depart early the day after tomorrow. This case is concluded, and tomorrow Constable Song and his men will leave. Once the snow melts a bit more, we’ll leave the day after tomorrow.”

Qin Shuang had been waiting to leave and immediately agreed, as did Qin Wan.

As they were talking, Qin Shuang saw two people enter the courtyard carrying a small box toward Qin Xiang’s room. Qin Shuang was slightly surprised, “Who is that…”

Qin Yan turned around, naturally seeing them too. His expression turned neutral, “They’re Young Master Bai’s people. We’re leaving the day after tomorrow, and Young Master Bai is leaving early that morning too, even earlier than us. Says he’s returning to Yi Province.”

Qin Shuang immediately let out a “Ha!” “What a pity, they can’t travel together.”

Qin Yan understood what Qin Shuang meant but didn’t reproach her. They watched as the two male servants reached the wing room’s door, knocked, left the box, exchanged a few words with Wan He who opened the door, and then left.

Only after seeing the two men leave did Qin Yan exit the courtyard. Qin Shuang snorted lightly and closed the door, “No matter what, one doesn’t fall in love just from traveling together. Fifth Sister’s feelings might be wasted.”

Qin Wan did not comment on this, while in the opposite wing, Qin Xiang was holding her bandaged neck and saying, “What can be done? We’re leaving the day after tomorrow, and Young Master Bai is returning to Yi Province, isn’t this…”

Hearing this, Wan He hurried to console her, “Young Miss, don’t think about these things now. Young Miss is injured and should rest well tomorrow to prepare for the journey. As for Young Master Bai, if he truly has those intentions, after returning to Yi Province and reporting to the Bai family head, he’ll naturally come to the capital to court you.”

Qin Xiang rose and walked to the newly delivered small box, instructing Wan He to open it. When the lid was lifted, Qin Xiang’s eyes immediately brightened. Inside was a set of brilliant red jeweled hairpins, and beside them lay a pair of mandarin duck jade pendants.

Qin Xiang’s eyes lit up brilliantly, her face suddenly flushing bright red. Wan He, however, frowned, “This… these gifts are too precious. Young Master Bai isn’t even that familiar with us yet, and these jade pendants…”

Wan He stamped her foot and turned to leave, “This servant will call them back and return the box.”

Qin Xiang quickly grabbed Wan He, “No… don’t return it. I understand his meaning…”

Qin Xiang seemed to have forgotten the night’s terrors, her expression full of satisfaction and joy as if the position of Young Mistress Bai was already within her grasp…