Late at night, after the servants had gone to bed, the main hall of the He family mansion remained brightly lit.

Second Madam He stood in the center of the room, accompanied by Cui’er, the maid who had gone up the mountain with her earlier that day. He Yuanliang and He Yuansheng’s couple sat on opposite sides, while He Rufei sat in a chair to the side, his gaze heavy as it swept over Second Madam He, his thoughts unreadable.

“Second Aunt, what exactly did you say to Xiao Huaijin at Yuhua Temple today?” He Rufei finally spoke, “Now that Xiao Huaijin has returned to the capital, the political situation has been thrown into chaos again. At this time, every step is crucial. That Xiao family and our He family… we’re not on the same side.”

“I didn’t say anything,” Second Madam He replied softly, her gaze calm, “I only took a look at his fiancée.”

Xiao Jue’s fiancée was He Yan—a name the He family was reluctant to mention, as it reminded them of unpleasant past events.

He Rufei smiled, “What are you doing, Second Aunt? Your daughter is dead. Even if they share the same name, you can’t possibly think this He Yan is your deceased daughter.”

“I’ve told you before,” He Yuanliang had already dropped his usual smile, his face extremely unpleasant, “stop mentioning He Yan. She’s dead, it’s in the past. Do you want to destroy our entire family?”

Cui’er knelt on the ground, trembling uncontrollably. She had long been bought by First Madam He, and was required to report Second Madam He’s every move to First Madam He, whether at home or outside. This mountain visit was no exception. Unable to join Second Madam He for the vegetarian meal, she had only seen Second Madam He talking to Xiao Jue from afar and had hurriedly reported this to First Madam He upon returning, hoping to curry favor.

But now, Cui’er regretted it. The He family was discussing these secrets in front of her… This wasn’t out of trust, but because a dead person couldn’t reveal secrets.

She would never have the chance to leak these secrets.

“She’s already dead,” Second Madam He looked at him, anger suddenly emerging in her previously wooden eyes, “She can’t harm the He family. The He family harmed her!”

“What do you mean?” First Madam He’s face turned cold, her tone very displeased, “Are you resenting us now? When the decision was made back then, you knew about it. Besides, it was for the entire He family!”

“What do you mean ‘for the entire He family’?” Second Madam He laughed coldly, “When the decision was made, did I have any choice? She didn’t die for the entire He family, she died for your greed. You killed my daughter and feel no guilt or regret. She’s dead, I just wanted to see my daughter again. Even if they just share the same name, even knowing it’s impossible, I still wanted to see my daughter!”

By the end, she was hysterical.

“Second Brother,” He Yuansheng frowned slightly, “is this how you usually discipline your wife?”

He Yuanliang spoke angrily: “She’s just insane! I said keeping her around would be trouble!”

“Then kill me,” Second Madam He gave a bitter laugh, desperation, and madness in her eyes, “Kill me, then you won’t have to worry about secrets being revealed. Kill me, and I can reunite with my daughter in the underworld. I want to watch from heaven how long you people who stole someone else’s destiny can keep your stolen glory and wealth. Even as a ghost, I will curse you from the underworld every day, may all your desires come to nothing, and may none of you die peacefully!”

These words sounded particularly eerie in the night. He Yuanliang shouted angrily: “She’s gone mad, completely mad!”

He Rufei’s gaze was cold as he spoke calmly: “Don’t say that, Second Aunt. Even in the underworld, your niece might not want to reunite with you—after all, you were one of those who pushed her down that path. You have no right to be her mother. Even in the underworld, she would hate you.”

His words stunned Second Madam He. After a moment, tears welled up in her eyes and she sobbed painfully.

“Second Aunt, stop talking about death all the time. Have you forgotten how devastated Second Sister would be if you died?”

Second Madam He’s crying stopped abruptly: “…Xin Ying, Xin Ying knows nothing!”

“Of course, I know Second Sister knows nothing,” He Rufei smiled noncommittally, “otherwise she wouldn’t be alive now, married to Xu Zhiheng.”

“It’s fine if Second Aunt doesn’t want to talk. Whatever you said, I’ll visit the Xu family tomorrow, and the Second Sister will tell me everything.”

He Rufei played with the ring on his hand, “But Second Aunt, you should know that He Yan is dead, but she’s not your only daughter. If you want to cause the death of your other daughter, feel free to do whatever you want.”

“I won’t… won’t tell anyone,” Second Madam He fell to her knees with a thud, crawling to He Rufei, “Don’t hurt Xin Ying, she knows nothing!”

He Rufei helped her up, smiling as he spoke: “Xin Ying is so well-behaved and sensible, how could I hurt her? Second Aunt, don’t worry. However, I see your illness has become more severe lately, and you’re not fit to go out. We should announce that you’re seriously ill and bedridden, and find doctors to treat you.” His expression seemed sympathetic, “Second Aunt, focus on getting better. After some time, when all this passes, everything will be fine.”

“Come—” he ordered the guards outside, “Take Second Madam to her courtyard. From today onwards, she needs rest and is not to see any visitors.”

Second Madam He was pulled out of the hall, her earlier confrontation with He Rufei having drained all her strength. Nobody else in the room spoke. After Second Madam He left, He Yuansheng frowned and said: “Is this really alright? I feel that keeping her around will only cause trouble sooner or later.”

He Rufei glanced at He Yuansheng, contempt flashing in his eyes. This man had no talent in his official career, only obtaining a position through He Yuansheng’s connections. Even so, the cowardice and selfishness ingrained in his bones hadn’t diminished one bit. Regarding his wife and daughter, as long as his interests were involved, he could ruthlessly strike without hesitation, yet he was unwilling to be the one making the final decision. Compared to him, even He Yuansheng was more decisive.

“Second Uncle needn’t worry,” He Rufei smiled faintly, “With Xin Ying around, Second Aunt will know her limits. Besides, if something were to happen to Second Aunt now, it would arouse more suspicion. At this crucial moment, the He family should remain cautious.”

“Rufei,” First Madam He asked worriedly: “What should we do now? If Xiao Huaijin knows something, won’t all our efforts be in vain?”

When He Yan was still alive, He Rufei would discuss He family matters with He Yuansheng and his wife, but since He Yan’s death, the He family has been following He Rufei’s arrangements entirely. In the eyes of the He family members, the greatest danger had completely vanished with He Yan’s death, and what awaited the He family in the future was endless glory and wealth. However, with Xiao Huaijin’s involvement, the situation had changed, and that sense of security now seemed to have many loopholes, no longer entirely reassuring.

“I’ll visit the Xu family tomorrow.” He Rufei narrowed his eyes, “Second Aunt has kept the secret for so many years, and with Second Sister by her side, I doubt she would have said much to Xiao Huaijin even if they talked. Compared to that, I’m more worried about Xu Zhiheng.”

“Xu Zhiheng?” He Yuansheng asked: “What about him?”

“A worthless coward, useless.” He Rufei spoke of Xu Zhiheng with great contempt. This man always talked big, but would immediately cower at the slightest trouble. That day at the palace banquet, just seeing someone with the same name had nearly made him give everything away. He didn’t even think about how could a dead person come back to life. It was someone’s deliberate manipulation, intended to throw them into disarray.

He could remain calm, but Xu Zhiheng might not. If Xu Zhiheng couldn’t withstand intimidation and made some mistake in his panic, his downfall would be a minor issue, but given his character, he would reveal all the secrets he knew, dragging the entire He family down with him.

If it weren’t for fear of alerting others by acting now, compared to Second Madam He, He Rufei would rather silence Xu Zhiheng. Because in some ways, the secrets Xu Zhiheng knew were no fewer than Second Madam He’s.

Even if just to reassure everyone, he needed to see Xu Zhiheng as soon as possible.

“That’s all for now.” He Rufei stood up, rubbing his temples. There had been too many sudden situations these days, and he wasn’t entirely unaffected. When he walked past the maid called Cui’er, he seemed to notice something, looking down to see the maid kneeling very low, her body trembling, exposing a stretch of the white neck that looked particularly vulnerable.

“What about this maid?” He Yuanliang asked.

He Rufei looked at Cui’er with pity, then expressionlessly stepped past her, saying: “Kill her.”

A woman’s scream echoed through the room.

…

The next day, He Yan went to the Xu family.

When she arrived, coincidentally, she saw a He family carriage stop at the Xu mansion’s gate, and He Rufei alighted from it. The Xu family servants familiarly welcomed him inside. He Yan stood in a corner across the street, most of her body hidden in shadows, lowering her eyes to conceal the mockery in them.

In others’ eyes, He Rufei was probably visiting his sister, but only He Yan knew that having just seen He Xin Ying at Yuhua Temple yesterday, He Rufei’s hurried visit today was less about seeing people and more about questioning. She also understood one thing: there must have been He family spies around Second Madam He, and she was most likely no longer free now. It seemed her appearance had somewhat rattled He Rufei after all.

There was no point staying here. She turned and walked towards the teahouse where she had arranged to meet Fu Wang.

In the Xu residence, upon seeing He Rufei, Xu Zhiheng pulled him into the study as if seeing a savior. After closing the door, he turned back and asked eagerly: “How is it? Have you found out about that woman called He Yan, what her background is, and why she’s here?”

He Rufei looked at him with contempt: “Just a few days without seeing you, and you’re already too scared to leave the house?”

“You don’t know… don’t know…” Xu Zhiheng held his head in distress, “You didn’t speak with Marquis Wu’an that day. Her mannerisms and movements were exactly like He Yan’s, and her eyes… I feel there’s something more to them. Even if the dead can’t come back to life, she must know something. She’s here for us!”

He Rufei sat down in a chair, speaking unhurriedly: “Even if she’s here for us, it’s not unsolvable.”

“What do you mean?” Xu Zhiheng asked.

“Aren’t you suspicious about whether she’s He Yan?” He Rufei said, “Then we’ll kill her again. Whether she’s real or not, as long as she’s dead, that’s all that matters.”

“How is that possible?” Xu Zhiheng was terrified, “She’s now Xiao Huaijin’s fiancée. How dare we touch someone of Xiao Huaijin’s?”

Since Xu Zhiheng hadn’t connected with Minister Xu, the Xu family, naturally wanted to avoid conflict with Xiao Jue if possible. He Rufei couldn’t tell Xu Zhiheng that Xiao Jue had already targeted the He family due to Minister Xu’s involvement. Otherwise, given how cowardly and useless Xu Zhiheng was, he might even betray them to Xiao Jue in hopes of survival.

He Rufei said, “My people have investigated. The He family in Shuojing had a blood feud before. Although the matter is settled, and now with Xiao Huaijin’s involvement, no one would bring it up, they lost a son, and surely harbor resentment. I suspect He Yan had something to do with young Master Fan’s death. If someone were to kill He Yan…” he smiled slightly, “The Fan family seeking revenge would be a natural explanation.”

Xu Zhiheng seemed tempted but still worried, “If you do this, Xiao Huaijin might still discover it… He is General Fengyun after all.”

“And I am General Feihong!” He Rufei suddenly shouted.

Xu Zhiheng was startled, seeing the man’s eyes dark with displeasure, as if his earlier words had touched a sore spot. He realized and said, “I didn’t mean…”

“Enough,” He Rufei waved dismissively, “I’ll arrange this matter, you just need to know about it. Don’t do anything stupid to cause me trouble in the meantime. I didn’t come today solely for you anyway. Where’s Xin Ying?”

“What do you want with my wife?”

“Yesterday she and her mother went to the temple to pray and met Xiao Huaijin and He Yan on the way. I don’t know what was said,” He Rufei explained.

At these words, Xu Zhiheng immediately became nervous, “I’ll fetch her right away!”

He Xin Ying was drying books in the courtyard when she learned of He Rufei’s arrival and his request to see her. Her first thought wasn’t joy, but nervousness.

Little Liu asked her, “Madam, why do you look unwell?”

He Xin Ying took a mirror to look, seeing her lips had turned white. She had Little Liu bring rouge, which she applied heavily, took a deep breath, and finally put on a smile before heading to Xu Zhiheng’s study.

At the study, He Xin Ying called out, “Husband, Elder Brother.”

Xu Zhiheng quickly asked her to sit.

“Your Elder Brother was passing by and came to see you,” Xu Zhiheng smiled, “He’s very concerned about you.”

He Xin Ying obediently expressed her thanks.

“I heard you went to Yuhua Temple with Second Aunt yesterday to pray,” He Rufei looked at He Xin Ying, smiling, “Second Aunt hasn’t been well lately, praying would do her good.”

He Xin Ying nodded: “Yes, I saw Mother looking unwell and was quite worried.”

“Father has already invited famous doctors to treat Second Aunt, don’t worry too much.” He Rufei comforted her, then immediately changed the subject, asking casually: “I heard you two met General Fengyun and his fiancée at the temple yesterday?”

He Xin Ying’s heart tightened, though her face showed nothing. She displayed a surprised expression, “I didn’t expect Elder Brother to hear about that! Mother and I were quite surprised to see them. Who would have thought that someone as cold and aloof as General Fengyun would believe in Buddha?”

“That has nothing to do with believing in Buddha.” He Rufei took a sip of tea and smiled, “What did you talk about?”

He didn’t ask “Did you talk” but rather “What did you talk about,” showing that their every move at the temple had already been reported. He Xin Ying grew more nervous, not knowing what her mother had encountered when she returned to the He family last night. From He Rufei’s manner, he seemed to know everything.

But He Xin Ying wasn’t entirely foolish. Hearing this, she sighed, appearing quite sad, “Elder Brother knows that since Sister’s death, though Mother doesn’t say anything, she’s been heartbroken. Hearing that Commander Xiao’s fiancée shares Sister’s name, she wanted to see her.”

“Mother only asked, ‘Are you He Yan?’ I was afraid of offending Commander Xiao, so before she could continue, I apologized to Commander Xiao and Miss He, and pulled her away.”

Hearing this, He Rufei also sighed, though the scrutiny in his eyes still made He Xin Ying’s spine cold. He stared at her and suddenly asked, “So, does that Marquis Wu’an resemble your sister so much?”

Xu Zhiheng looked at He Xin Ying, whose palms were gradually becoming sweaty.

She was stunned for a moment, then suddenly laughed, saying, “Elder Brother, how can you be like this too, talking about such frightening things in broad daylight? Although I didn’t interact much with Sister, from what I saw, Marquis Wu’an and Sister have nothing in common. Sister was proper and courteous, while Marquis Wu’an was lively in temperament. When she spoke with Commander Xiao, she wasn’t afraid at all. If it were Sister, she certainly wouldn’t have been like that.”

He Rufei stared at her as if trying to determine whether her words were true or false. Just as He Xin Ying felt her smile becoming stiff, He Rufei finally looked away and said, “Indeed.”

The oppressive pressure suddenly lifted, and He Xin Ying breathed a sigh of relief.

“I have other matters to attend to. Now that I’ve seen you, I should go.” He Rufei stood up, then as if remembering something, turned back to He Xin Ying and said, “Things are unsettled outside these days. You’d better stay in the mansion and not wander about.”

He Xin Ying quickly replied, “I understand.”

After He Rufei left, Xu Zhiheng said, “I’ll see Elder Brother out,” and followed him out of the study.

He Xin Ying sat alone in the room. After a while, she slowly raised her hand to her chest. For a moment earlier, she felt her heart had almost stopped beating. Although Xu Zhiheng said He Rufei was just “passing by,” He Xin Ying knew very well he had come specifically for her, because of yesterday’s events. However, compared to Xiao Huaijin, He Rufei seemed more focused on He Yan.

Why?

She dared not continue thinking, yet couldn’t help but guess that He Rufei’s final words, though seemingly caring advice, meant that leaving the mansion in the future would not be easy.

Would she have to remain isolated from the world in this mansion? Involuntarily, He Xin Ying shuddered. If she was in such a situation, her mother’s circumstances would surely be even worse.

What should she do?

…

Meanwhile, when He Yan finished her second cup of tea, Fu Wang arrived.

He came straight to He Yan’s room, saying, “Young Master, I’ve finally caught you!” Fu Wang had become clever. He couldn’t come here daily as it would arouse suspicion from the Xu family, but not coming meant he might miss He Yan. So he had given some silver to the teahouse workers to watch for him, and if He Yan came, they would notify him at the Xu mansion gate, allowing him to arrive as quickly as possible.

“I wanted to come as soon as I knew you were here, but there was an important guest at the mansion today, so I didn’t dare leave my post. I had to wait until the guest left before sneaking over.”

He Yan knew he was referring to He Rufei but didn’t pursue it, only smiling and asking, “Since you were so eager to see me, it seems you have news about Nanny Qin.”

Fu Wang cursed inwardly – this master was truly unmannerly, jumping straight to business without any pleasantries, quite inconsiderate. Though thinking this, he dared not say it aloud. Fu Wang smiled and said, “There’s good news and bad news. Which would you like to hear first?”

“The good news.”

“The good news is that Nanny Qin isn’t dead. I’ve been diligently searching for her whereabouts these past days, and there are indeed some clues. Though we might not find her immediately, what’s certain is that Nanny Qin is still alive, and there’s a very good chance she’s staying with her lover outside the city. However, that lover is very cunning, often can’t be found, and moves places every few days. If Young Master trusts me, give me another eight or nine days, and I’ll find out Nanny Qin’s whereabouts.”

“Eight or nine days?” He Yan spoke slowly, “That’s rather long.”

“But,” Fu Wang’s face fell, “I need to grease palms and run around everywhere. This matter is important, and while Young Master trusts me, I can’t trust others. I’m afraid of messing things up, so naturally, I can’t be careless.”

He Yan smiled and took out a silver ingot from her clothes, placing it on the table.

Fu Wang immediately beamed with joy, tucking the silver into his clothes, and said seriously, “As long as Young Master needs it, I’ll go through fire and water to get things done quickly.”

He Yan didn’t care for his glib talk and simply asked, “What’s the bad news?”

Fu Wang paused, looked around as if afraid of others hearing, then leaned forward and whispered, “The bad news is, someone else in the Xu mansion is also searching for Nanny Qin.”

He Yan’s fingers twitched slightly, “Xu Zhiheng?”

Fu Wang’s eyes widened: “How did you know?” He anxiously continued, “That’s right, it’s Master Xu. While making inquiries these past few days, I discovered Master Xu also has people looking for Nanny Qin. Because of this, I was able to use their lead to investigate smoothly without being discovered.”

“Young Master, if you want to find Nanny Qin, you’ll need to see her before Master Xu finds her.”