“Ninth Sister has arrived—”

As soon as she entered, Qin Wan was greeted by Qin Li’s smiling face.

Two large boxes sat in Lin Feng Court’s main hall, filled with high-quality silks and satins. On the table was a square black ebony box, about a foot wide, containing several sets of jade and white jade jewelry. Qin Li was idly playing with a white jade waist pendant, while Qin Xiang, accompanied by Wan Qing and Wan He, was selecting items. Upon seeing Qin Wan enter, Qin Xiang’s face immediately darkened.

Qin Xiang quickly picked several items, then turned to Wan Qing behind her, “Since your Young Miss can’t come out, carefully choose some things according to her preferences. She must be quite lonely alone in her courtyard now, so feel free to pick several of the better items.”

These words were meant for Qin Wan. Fuling, following behind Qin Wan, had already furrowed her brows.

She wasn’t concerned about the gifts; rather, it was truly Qin Shuang’s fault for speaking out of turn that day, yet now Qin Xiang was blaming everything on her Young Miss. She felt deeply aggrieved.

Qin Wan’s face showed no reaction. She nodded to Qin Li and instructed Fuling, “After Fifth Young Miss finishes selecting, just take any two items. I’m going inside to see how Sister-in-law is doing.”

Hearing this, Qin Xiang wrinkled her brow. She had deliberately spoken those words for Qin Wan to hear, but Qin Wan hadn’t taken the bait and even appeared completely indifferent. What kind of life had she lived before that she could act so nonchalant about such treasures? She was putting on quite an act!

As Qin Wan stepped toward the inner chamber, Qin Li watched her with an ambiguous smile, his gaze only blocked when she passed through the door curtain. The discomfort from Liu Chun’s staring still lingered in Qin Wan’s heart, and Qin Li’s gaze made her even more annoyed. These two were both subjects of her suspicion, yet she couldn’t react without revealing her hand.

Exhaling, Qin Wan had just reached the inner chamber doorway when Yao Xinlan, lying on the bed, looked over at her from afar.

“Ninth Sister, come quickly—”

Qin Wan quickened her pace, walking to the bedside in a few steps. Yao Xinlan took her hand and had her sit beside her. Yao Xinlan’s complexion showed some color, and her breathing was stronger. Mo Shu, knowing the two needed to speak privately, retreated to guard the inner chamber door.

“Did Ninth Sister meet Fifth Sister outside?”

Qin Wan nodded a faint smile on her face. “Yes, I did.”

“That’s just Fifth Sister’s nature. Although she’s the legitimate daughter of the family… anyway, don’t take offense. She and Sixth Sister are alike—somewhat domineering, but not malicious people.”

As Yao Xinlan gently advised her, Qin Wan felt somewhat rueful.

There weren’t many truly evil people in the world, and many tragedies came from these people who committed minor wrongs. Qin Wan didn’t think such people should be overlooked. While major evils deserve severe punishment, minor wrongs shouldn’t be tolerated or appeased either.

“Fifth Sister and Sixth Sister’s temperaments aren’t truly evil, but they won’t live in the Qin household forever. When they leave, no one will be as tolerant as Sister-in-law.”

Yao Xinlan seemed to think of herself, her eyes reddening as she sighed, “Yes, at home, parents won’t truly blame you no matter what you do, but it’s different after marriage. Ninth Sister understands the reason.”

Seeing her eyes redden again, Qin Wan sighed, “Sister-in-law, don’t think too much. Take the medicine pills I gave you daily as scheduled. Once your health improves, your mind will settle too. You must avoid overthinking these days.”

Yao Xinlan nodded, grasping Qin Wan’s hand, “I know, don’t worry, Ninth Sister. I’m fortunate to have Ninth Sister to talk with in this household. I want to recover soon, if for nothing else, then for my child’s sake.”

Though women are weak, they become strong as mothers. Seeing Yao Xinlan’s determined expression, Qin Wan was quite moved. Though she had never been a mother herself, she remembered how her mother had endured hardships during her father’s official duties and later devoted all her care and love to teaching her. She had thought she would be able to care for her parents in their old age, but one incident had turned everything into nothing.

And Ninth Young Miss’s parents had both passed away seven years ago.

“That’s the right way to think. For your child’s sake, Sister-in-law must keep your spirits up and get better.”

Yao Xinlan nodded, and then her eyes flickered. She glanced at the inner chamber door and whispered, “Ninth Sister, I didn’t drink the noon medicine either. Look, I poured it into that flower pot over there…”

Qin Wan followed Yao Xinlan’s gaze and indeed saw three pots of orchids on the distant windowsill.

Qin Wan took a deep breath, “Has Sister-in-law found any evidence?”

Yao Xinlan’s eyes darkened as she shook her head, “How could it be so easy? For now, I can only protect myself. Fortunately, Ninth Sister knows medicine and can come to check on me often. Otherwise, I really wouldn’t know what to do…”

Qin Wan lowered her eyes. The waters of the Qin household ran deeper than she had imagined.

On the surface, Yao Xinlan indeed appeared weak and pitiful. She had married into the Qin family but was being plotted against by someone in the household. Her husband and the caring Old Madam should have been her support, but for some unknown reason, she didn’t trust them anymore. Thus, she could only rely on her “outsider” Ninth Sister, who conveniently appeared kindhearted and skilled in medicine.

But was it really that simple?

Qin Wan felt she had reached a fog-shrouded crossroads—one path led to staying uninvolved and keeping her distance, the other to following Yao Xinlan’s words and helping her investigate and observe.

After a brief hesitation, Qin Wan looked up and said, “Why doesn’t Sister-in-law tell Elder Brother? Elder Brother and Sister-in-law share deep affection. If Elder Brother knows someone is trying to harm his child, he will surely investigate. My sister-in-law still has three months until delivery. What if that person continues to target Sister-in-law during these three months? That person lurks in the shadows, making it almost impossible for Sister-in-law to guard against them.”

A trace of desolation appeared in Yao Xinlan’s eyes, “Ninth Sister… I… I told Chen Ge once, but he didn’t believe me. I… felt disheartened. Then I thought, these people in the Qin household are all his relatives, bound by blood. Although I’m his wife, I’m… still an outsider. The Madam and Old Madam are both very caring toward me, and Chen Ge cherishes me in every detail. I can’t tell who’s trying to harm me. I…”

Yao Xinlan lowered her head, tears brimming in her eyes, “I love him, and naturally don’t want to put him in a difficult position.”

Qin Wan’s brows furrowed tightly. Yao Xinlan’s face showed genuine feelings, but she and Qin Chen were husband and wife—such a major incident had occurred, yet Qin Chen took no action. What use was he?

Qin Wan felt somewhat stifled. Seeing Yao Xinlan’s fragile, crying appearance, she didn’t know how to console her and could only suppress the topic for now. Pressing her lips together, Qin Wan said lightly, “Then we’ll do as Sister-in-law wishes.”

Yao Xinlan wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and coughed lightly twice, making her appear even more weak and pitiful. Qin Wan’s heart felt heavy, and she could only hold Yao Xinlan’s hand in silence as the room grew quiet.

Qin Wan didn’t try to persuade her further, and Yao Xinlan calmed down. She slowly wiped her tears, gazing distantly toward the windowsill. Her expression gradually changed from sorrowful and aggrieved to blank. After a moment, her hand stopped wiping tears, and she sat there with a vacant stare, like a lifeless wooden puppet…

Qin Wan grew worried. This state resembled the despair of a dead heart, which would be extremely detrimental to her illness. Qin Wan quickly squeezed her hand, “Sister-in-law?”

Yao Xinlan slowly turned her gaze, her clouded eyes gradually becoming clear. Her lips curved slightly, revealing a childlike yet haggard smile as she asked, “Did Ninth Sister meet Fifth Sister outside?”

Yao Xinlan’s voice was gentle and warm, but as Qin Wan looked at her delicate smiling face, she felt a chill crawl up her spine.