On the return carriage, Qin Wan was still thinking about what she had just seen. She couldn’t have been mistaken—the festering swelling on Qin Li’s neck indeed looked like that type of disease. But how could the Second Young Master of the household possibly…?
Qin Wan’s brows furrowed deeply as her thoughts drifted to the bamboo grove. After Liu Chun, Eighth Madam had also gone there. Could there be some connection between Liu Chun and Eighth Madam?
Qin Wan was thoroughly puzzled. Qin Li, Liu Chun, Eighth Madam, Yao Xinlan, Qin Chen… all these people in the Qin Manor were highly suspicious. Yet Qin Wan still found herself surrounded by dense fog, unable to see or grasp clearly. She felt like someone walking along the edge of a cliff, not knowing when she might step into empty air and fall.
By the time they returned to Qin Manor, it was already late. When Qin Wan returned to Tinglan Court, all four “Wan” servants were standing at the door waiting for her.
“Greetings, Young Miss—”
Qin Wan’s gaze swept across each of their faces, pausing briefly when she reached Wan Xing.
Qin Wan nodded, “There isn’t much to do in my courtyard. You may all go rest.”
While the others curtsied, Wan Tang raised her head and said, “Young Miss, we’ve brought back all the festival supplies for our courtyard. When would you like to start the decorations?”
Qin Wan’s lips curved slightly, “Tomorrow.” After a brief pause, she added, “I’ll leave this task to you and Wan Tao.”
Wan Tang was steady, while Wan Tao was lively—these two would make a good pair.
Wan Tang’s eyes brightened slightly, and Wan Tao’s face lit up with joy. Among the four of them, only these two had received specific instructions, clearly showing Qin Wan’s trust in them. “Yes, please rest assured, Young Miss. We will arrange everything properly.”
Qin Wan nodded before entering the main room.
While removing her outer robe, Fu Ling said, “Wan Tang seems truly reliable. Will Young Miss rely on her more in the future?”
Qin Wan glanced at Fu Ling, “If I rely on her, what about you?”
Fu Ling was startled as if only now considering this question. She smiled sheepishly, “Even if you rely on Wan Tang, she doesn’t share the same bond with Young Miss as I do. Besides, I know my worth. It’s good for Young Miss to have more capable people around.”
Having followed Qin Wan for many years, Fu Ling wasn’t born in the Qin Manor of Jing Zhou. Without Qin Wan, she would lose her only pillar of support in life. Yet she wasn’t worried about her position at all.
“It’s not about relying or not relying on someone. It’s good to have people handling these matters.”
While walking inside, Qin Wan asked casually, “You previously told me about Wan Li’s background, what about the others?”
Fu Ling hurried forward and said, “Wan Tang was trained from early on and was originally meant to serve Sixth Young Miss, but was later passed over. Although they’re all house-born servants, Wan Tang’s parents never reached steward positions, so she couldn’t even qualify as a maid for a concubine-born young miss. As for Wan Tao, she’s similar to Wan Tang. I heard her parents had passed away, with only a brother running errands in the outer court. Then there’s Wan Xing—Wan Tang says she doesn’t know her, suggesting she might have been bought from outside and trained as if house-born…”
She sighed and continued, “Those bought from outside have no support in the manor and don’t understand the household dynamics. But the good thing is, Young Miss would be her only support, so perhaps she’ll be more loyal.”
Qin Wan sat down on the long couch. Was Wan Xing’s afternoon behavior a display of loyalty?
Among them all, Wan Xing had the least presence, yet beneath her dull and clumsy exterior, she must harbor a clever mind. Otherwise, how could she have helped her that afternoon? Even Qin Wan herself hadn’t known that Doctor Huang had gone to the outer court.
In such a short time, Wan Xing had known this detail.
“Young Miss, what dress would you like to wear to Li Shui Lake tomorrow?”
Fu Ling’s voice pulled Qin Wan from her thoughts. She turned to see Fu Ling holding two exquisite and beautiful dresses—one previously sent by Madam Jiang, the other by Madam Lin.
Qin Wan shook her head, “Either one is fine.”
Seeing Qin Wan’s expression, Fu Ling sighed. Her young miss had no interest in dressing up now. Tomorrow at the garden party, there would be two young masters from the Marquis’s household, and they would meet other noble young masters. If it were any other young miss, they would already be agonizing over how to stand out among the gathering beauties.
Fu Ling sighed again and went aside to plan what Qin Wan should wear tomorrow.
Master and servant were lost in their thoughts. When they finally lay down late at night, Qin Wan only remembered to instruct Fu Ling, “Remember to remind me tomorrow to bring the medicine for Prince Yu. This second batch of medicine is different.”
Fu Ling quickly responded, “Yes, Young Miss. You’ve put so much effort into these medicines these past few days. I won’t forget.”
Only then did Qin Wan settle down, exhaling deeply before closing her eyes.
In her dreams, she was in a lush purple bamboo grove.
Qin Wan lifted her skirts, running breathlessly. Looking back, Hei Zi’s shadow was closing in. Qin Wan clenched her teeth, fighting back tears that threatened to spill from her eyes.
She used all her strength, but suddenly, her foot caught on something, and she pitched forward violently.
The dull pain in her knees struck Qin Wan, leaving her unable to get up. In that instant, a large hand grabbed her ankle. Qin Wan whimpered, but those hands ruthlessly dragged her deeper into the bamboo grove. Her body left a long trail through the scattered bamboo branches and leaves. She helplessly waved her hands, trying to grab onto something, but her palms only caught dead branches and yellow leaves. Qin Wan was terrified, cold sweat dripping down her cheeks. She tried to scream for help, but when she opened her mouth, no sound came out. Soon, someone grabbed her hair and flipped her over.
The intense pain made Qin Wan’s vision go dark. Then, a pair of hands clutched her throat. With her throat constricted, Qin Wan struggled like a fish, but those hands were incredibly strong—she couldn’t break free.
Tears brimming in her eyes, Qin Wan could only stare wide-eyed at the face above her.
Through the watery haze in her eyes, Qin Wan only saw the blurry outline of a man’s face. She strained to open her eyes wider, trying to see that face before her last breath. Gradually, the man’s chin became visible, followed by his features slowly coming into focus—mouth, nose, ears, eyebrows… Among his features, only the eyes remained unclear…
Qin Wan’s heart raced anxiously. Suddenly, the man’s eyes also began to take shape…
“Young Miss! Wake up…”
Qin Wan’s eyes flew open, staring wide-eyed at the bed canopy, with Fu Ling’s worried voice in her ears.
Qin Wan gasped for air, her hands tightly gripping the brocade quilt beneath her.
“Young Miss, did you have a nightmare?”
Fu Ling’s voice grew gentle, as if afraid of frightening Qin Wan. After taking several more breaths, Qin Wan blinked and turned to look. Fu Ling was so worried her eyes were brimming with tears. Qin Wan’s tense back softened slightly as she exhaled.
“Yes, I had a nightmare.”
Her voice was extremely hoarse, and Fu Ling hurried to pour her some water.
“Young Miss usually wakes at dawn, but today you slept longer. When I came in, I heard Young Miss quietly sobbing. When I lifted the bed curtain, I saw Young Miss clutching the quilt, as if caught in a nightmare.”
Fu Ling helped Qin Wan sit up and handed her the water cup. “I’ve heard that nightmares can steal people’s souls. I was so afraid Young Miss’s soul might be taken…”
Qin Wan’s tension, caught between dream and reality, dispersed somewhat at Fu Ling’s words. After drinking some water, Qin Wan gradually calmed down. She must have had this dream because she’d been thinking too much about the case lately. But that face at the end—whose was it?
Qin Wan wiped the sweat from her face and touched her neck. Thankfully, it was just a dream.
If she was so terrified just from a dream, how frightened must Ninth Young Miss have been when she died?
This prolonged torture of being strangled was even more painful than her death by an arrow through the heart.
Qin Wan’s eyes gradually darkened. She turned her head to look—it was already bright outside.
“Let’s get up. We’re going out today.”
Qin Wan was most adept at adjusting her mood. She got up to wash and ate a meal that could have been either lunch or breakfast. Then she sat by the window to practice calligraphy. She had barely written half a piece when she heard a commotion in the courtyard. Looking out, she saw Wan Tang and Wan Tao decorating the courtyard. Her courtyard had been uninhabited before, so there were only two wind lanterns under the eaves. Now that the Mid-Autumn Festival was approaching, Wan Tang had brought new lanterns. Once hung, they immediately added a touch of life to the courtyard.
In the courtyard, Wan Tang directed while Wan Tao climbed the borrowed ladder. Finding they were short-handed, Wan Tao went into the side hall. Soon after, Wan Xing followed out silently and woodenly. Qin Wan smiled faintly—apparently, they couldn’t persuade Wan Li to help.
With an extra person in the courtyard, Wan Tao became more energetic. Now she and Wan Tang both gave directions, while the heavy lifting somehow all fell to Wan Xing. Qin Wan narrowed her eyes—indeed, hierarchies exist everywhere.
Qin Wan continued watching with interest. At one point, her eyebrows suddenly raised.
Wan Xing appeared thin and weak, but she handled the heavy objects—which would be quite difficult for young ladies—very smoothly. She also performed dangerous tasks like climbing the ladder with fluid grace. Watching Wan Xing climb to the top of the ladder and reach out with a supple arch of her body to remove a wind lantern, Qin Wan’s eyes suddenly grew deep with thought.
She had thought Wan Xing was merely hiding her cleverness and playing dull, but now it seemed there was more to it.
Besides her wooden demeanor, she not only had a shrewd mind but also possessed an extremely agile and deft physique. Her movements and posture suddenly reminded Qin Wan of Yue Ning.
Her past experiences made Qin Wan particularly attentive to details. Without needing to deliberately observe or examine others, she could remember everyone’s habits and behaviors. Many of Yue Ning’s habits stemmed from her martial arts training, giving her an excess of capability but less feminine grace.
Yue Ning… Wan Xing… Two such different people, yet they gave Qin Wan a similar impression.
Qin Wan’s eyes contracted. Could it be… that Wan Xing knew martial arts?!
Once this thought occurred, Qin Wan had to scrutinize Wan Xing more carefully.
As she watched, there came a knock at the courtyard gate. Wan Tang quickly walked to the door, and after a moment, headed toward the main room.
Fu Ling was outside. Wan Tang said something quietly to Fu Ling, who then turned and entered the room, “Young Miss, people from the Marquis’s household have come to escort you. We should leave…”
Qin Wan looked at the sky outside—why had Yue Ning come half an hour early?
Though she thought this, Qin Wan still ordered Fu Ling to pack up and prepare to leave. Half an incense stick’s time later, Qin Wan and Fu Ling arrived at the western side gate of Qin Manor. Before they got close, Qin Wan saw Yan Chi standing outside the gate in an elegant black robe.