The person who went to inquire returned and reported that Third Young Madam hadn’t mentioned anything about her husband, but was crying and insisting on seeing Old Madam.

Qin Yongtao pondered for a moment, “Let her go see her.”

Dong Shi withdrew and told someone to wait while she went to see Old Madam first.

Old Madam had already gone to bed. When Dong Shi explained her purpose, Nanny Gu had no choice but to wake Old Madam, since this was the Grand Master’s intention after all.

Old Madam listened to Dong Shi’s explanation and pondered for a moment, “Let her come in.”

Then she said to Xiangqin, “My old ailment is acting up again. Go call Seventh Miss to come massage me.”

Qin Feifei walked through the vast Qin residence with an excited heart, arriving at Xuan Hall.

In the room, Nanny Gu and Dong Shi stood while Old Madam sat in a round chair with her eyes slightly closed.

As soon as she entered, she knelt on the ground: “Old Ancestor, please save your granddaughter!”

“Speak. Why should I save you?”

Old Madam’s tone sounded aged and dry.

Qin Feifei looked up in shock and saw Old Madam’s calm, emotionless face. The way she looked at her was extremely cold.

Her heart skipped a beat, “Old Ancestor, granddaughter begs you to save me, save me!”

As she spoke, Qin Feifei began to cry.

She started from the incident where Lu Changxuan slapped her so hard it deafened her ear, continuing all the way to being abused these past few days, not being allowed to eat, and how Lu Changxuan had become addicted to black incense and probably didn’t have much time left…

Qin Feifei spoke for a full tea time’s worth, and no one interrupted her.

Qin Feifei was truly weeping bitterly – when had she ever suffered such hardship?

While she was recounting her story, Qin Shuying quietly walked in and sat by the couch, massaging Old Madam.

Qin Feifei continued crying and sobbing while Qin Shuying remained calm-faced, as if all of this had nothing to do with her.

“Old Ancestor, if I continue staying at the Lu family, you’ll have to collect my corpse… Old Ancestor, I know you’ve always treated granddaughter the best. You surely won’t bear to watch granddaughter be tortured to death like this…”

Old Madam opened her eyes and unhurriedly interrupted her: “What do you want to do?”

Thinking her tearful plea had moved Old Madam, hope rose in Qin Feifei’s heart and she was overjoyed: “Old Ancestor, just let me come back! Divorce – if divorce isn’t possible then abandonment is fine, abandonment is fine too… Even Eighth Sister could return home and is now married off to Guangnan Prefecture. I’m not inferior to Eighth Sister – I can definitely bring assistance to the family…”

Old Madam looked at Qin Feifei, her eyes showing pity and sorrow, but no compassion or warmth.

Nanny Gu really couldn’t bear to watch anymore, “Old Madam, may this servant ask Third Young Madam a question?”

Old Madam gave her a meaningful look, sighed, and waved her hand, “Ask away.”

“Third Young Madam, a few days ago, your sister-in-law came to the residence saying that Second Miss’s death was related to you. Is this true or not?”

All of Qin Feifei’s joy instantly turned to terror. The image of Nanny Yuan’s crazed appearance these past few days was still before her eyes. Ever since Nanny Yuan arrived at the Lu family residence on Gaode Lane, those embroidered shoes never appeared again.

But Nanny Yuan would alternate between lucidity and madness.

When she was mad, she would run to find Qin Feifei: “Third Miss, the madam really has returned, the madam has returned! You tell her that you made me do all of that, you made me do all of that. Tell her not to haunt me, don’t…”

Qin Feifei shuddered and instinctively shook her head in denial: “Nanny Gu, Second Sister’s death has nothing to do with me.”

“Third Young Madam, then do you dare swear to Heaven?”

Qin Feifei’s lips immediately began trembling.

“Do you dare swear to Heaven that if Second Miss’s death is related to you, you will be haunted by her ghost day and night, never finding peace?”

Qin Feifei was like someone whose spine had been yanked out, “No, no…”

Nanny Gu sighed and said to Old Madam, “Old Madam, this servant has finished asking.”

Dong Shi looked at the disheveled Qin Feifei before her, stunned speechless.

Third Miss really set fire and burned Second Miss to death?

How could she bring herself to do it?

Qin Feifei wasn’t stupid either. Seeing everyone’s grave expressions, she realized that her burning Qin Yaoyao to death could no longer be hidden. She wailed: “Old Ancestor, Second Sister is already dead. The dead cannot be brought back to life. I know I was wrong now. I’ll change, I’ll change. Old Ancestor, please give me a chance!”

“Give you a chance – what do you want to use it for?”

“Old Ancestor, I don’t ask for much. Just let me accompany you in chanting sutras and worshipping Buddha to spend my remaining life.”

“Your child – you don’t want him anymore?”

Qin Feifei was immediately struck speechless.

Child?

Her child was still small and needed his mother. Her child was so adorable and needed companionship…

But without her, the child would still grow up, wouldn’t he?

But could she really not miss him?

Old Madam looked at Qin Feifei with painful disappointment, shaking her head, “Third girl, you should return to the Lu family. The Qin residence cannot shelter you.”

Qin Feifei stared blankly at Old Madam.

“Old Ancestor, please, please, if I go back, I’ll definitely be tortured to death…”

“That’s still better than dying in prison.”

Prison?

Qin Feifei immediately crawled forward on her knees and hugged Old Madam’s legs, tears streaming down like rain, “Old Ancestor, I really know I was wrong, I know I was wrong. Please, please… As long as I don’t speak, as long as Father doesn’t speak, no one will know, no one will know… There’s no need to go to prison…”

Old Madam’s gaze became three parts sharper, “Then Second girl deserved to die?”

Qin Feifei cried and trembled, continuously defending herself, “Old Ancestor, I only meant to frighten Second Sister at the time. I didn’t really want to burn her to death. She insisted on arguing with me, grabbing back and forth, which finally led to the tragedy. Old Ancestor, it was unintentional… I didn’t do it on purpose… I really didn’t do it on purpose…”

Qin Shuying continued massaging unhurriedly, as if everything had nothing to do with her.

But then—

“Seventh girl, tell me, do you believe what your Third Sister said? How do you think your Third Sister should be dealt with?”

Qin Shuying stopped her movements and said without hesitation: “I don’t believe Third Sister’s words. The reason is simple – regardless of what the circumstances were at the time, Second Sister died because of you. As for those accidents, when it comes to the yamen, court testimony doesn’t recognize such things. Regarding punishment, I think Old Ancestor’s consideration is very thorough. Third Sister returning to the Lu family is the best choice.”

Qin Feifei had always disliked Qin Shuying the most. Her detached attitude earlier had already made her very angry, and now hearing her say this, she immediately shrieked: “Seventh Sister, you haven’t suffered that kind of hardship, so of course you don’t know how painful it is! You don’t know anything, so what right do you have to make judgments for me…”

Qin Shuying shook her head: “Third Sister, how have I not suffered that kind of hardship? How did you forget so quickly? The suffering I endured was probably even more than yours, and some of it was because of you.”

Dong Shi couldn’t help but take two steps back. Could it be, could it be…

Was Seventh Miss about to admit that she was Second Miss reborn…

A ghost…