“Young Miss, what are you thinking about?” On the way back to Tinglan Court, Qin Wan hadn’t spoken a word, which made Fu Ling curious enough to ask with suspicion.
Qin Wan snapped back to reality, paused her steps, and turned to look in the direction of the Concubines’ Quarters. As she looked, Fu Ling and Wan Xing followed her gaze. Fu Ling asked again, “What is Young Miss looking at?”
Qin Wan shook her head and turned to continue walking. “Nothing much. I just saw Eighth Concubine’s prescription earlier and found it somewhat strange.”
Fu Ling quickly asked, “Strange? What’s strange about it?”
Qin Wan took a shallow breath. “The proportions of several medicines in her prescription are incorrect.”
Fu Ling responded with an “Oh,” and Qin Wan sighed, explaining, “You haven’t reached the level where you can write prescriptions for others yet, so you might not understand what I mean. Every prescription has specific quantities for each medicine. Look at the prescription I gave you earlier – the Tu Fu Ling only required five Qian. This is because if this particular medicine is used in excess, it will overpower the effects of other medicines. Sometimes, too much of certain medicines can even harm the patient.”
Fu Ling nodded somewhat confusedly. “I suppose… the doctor who wrote Eighth Concubine’s prescription must not be very skilled, hence the oversight. Young Miss, will the prescription harm Eighth Concubine?”
Qin Wan shook her head. “No, it won’t harm her. It will just render the prescription ineffective.”
Fu Ling snorted lightly. “Then let’s leave it be. We needn’t specifically mention it. I still remember Eighth Concubine’s ambiguous tone when she saw Young Miss before.” Her voice lowered as she continued, “Third Master used to favor her greatly. Though she didn’t dare do anything to Madam, she was extremely arrogant and tyrannical toward other concubines. She was also very harsh to the servants in the mansion. I heard someone in her service had their arm broken from her punishment and was later sold off. No one knows if they’re even alive now.”
In wealthy households buying servants, who would want one with disabilities? Such people inevitably end up being sold to the most degrading places. Just thinking about it, one could imagine the terrible fate of that servant from Eighth Concubine’s household.
Fu Ling sighed and continued, “Now that Master is ill and Madam has reorganized the inner court, her arrogance has finally been suppressed. But once Third Master recovers, who knows what things will be like.”
As a servant herself, Fu Ling was kindhearted and always felt particularly sorrowful when hearing about such tragic events happening to other servants. Qin Wan turned back to look at her reassuringly. “Don’t worry. Her illness isn’t progressing well. Just because of this alone, Third Uncle won’t favor her as much as before.”
Having seen the prescription, Qin Wan knew that Eighth Concubine was suffering from continuous lochia discharge. While this illness might not sound terrifying, many men in Da Zhou considered women’s menstruation inauspicious. In many noble households, even when the principal wife was menstruating, the husband would avoid her chambers for several days. This was even more significant for Eighth Concubine, who was merely a concubine, suffering from pathological lochia discharge.
Fu Ling blinked and snorted lightly. “Indeed, heaven sees everything we do. Young Miss has done so many good deeds, she will surely be healthy and fortunate. Madam used to say that doing good deeds brings blessings to oneself. I’ve been thinking about Madam’s words for years and didn’t agree, but now I’m starting to believe it.”
After the deaths of Qin Yi and his wife, Qin Wan, and Fu Ling experienced great hardships, both in the capital and in Jin Zhou. Where were the blessings that Second Madam Qin spoke of then?
Fu Ling had been extremely doubtful before, but now seeing how their lives were improving, she began to believe.
Qin Wan exhaled. “Yes, doing good deeds is never wrong.”
As they spoke, the three arrived at Tinglan Court. In the courtyard, Wan Tang was leading Wan Tao in cleaning, while Wan Li was still nowhere to be seen. Qin Wan swept her gaze across without showing any emotion and went straight inside. Turning her head, she saw Wan Tang had already started directing Wan Xing in cleaning.
Qin Wan asked Fu Ling, who had followed her inside, “Is Wan Li still not coming out?”
Fu Ling snorted lightly. “Young Miss really should discipline Wan Li. She’s truly getting out of hand. Since coming to our courtyard, she’s barely done any work. From time to time, she even takes the paper and brushes from the side room used for accounting to practice calligraphy like a young lady. I went to look – although her writing isn’t bad, she’s here to be a servant, not a mistress!”
Fu Ling angrily put down the medicine packages, while Qin Wan found a tray and placed the two packages on it, opening them. She then very carefully picked out several medicines. Fu Ling watched with furrowed brows. “Young Miss, these medicines… what are you picking out? Are they not needed?”
Qin Wan shook her head and put the selected medicines in one place.
“No, these are the useful ones. Keep the others separate.”
Fu Ling’s eyes rolled and suddenly widened. “Ah, so that’s what Young Miss meant…”
Qin Wan responded with an “Mm.” Although she planned to save Qin Li, she didn’t want to implicate herself. Moreover, she couldn’t let Fu Ling go buy the medicines she needed, as that would attract attention. Therefore, she divided the medicines Qin Li might need between two prescriptions. Out of the two prescriptions, Qin Wan only needed seven or eight medicines. This way, it was completely undetectable, and with Princess Tai as cover, naturally, no one would discover she was treating Qin Li. This made everything much more discreet.
Fu Ling smiled. “Young Miss is so clever.” Then she added, “Young Miss said last night you weren’t confident, but now that you’ve decided on the prescriptions, does this mean you’ve found a way?”
Qin Wan sighed. “Syphilis is an incurable disease. It might be treatable when first contracted, but he’s well past that stage. If I wanted to, I could write ten prescriptions, but very few would be effective.”
While organizing the medicines, Qin Wan’s face was somber. Qin Li’s illness was a hot potato, but since she had accepted the task, she naturally had to put in maximum effort to deal with it. While instructing Fu Ling to bring the mortar and pestle, she added, “As for the others, keep watching them as usual. Remember to have Wan Xing handle getting the medicines.”
Fu Ling looked over. “Young Miss seems to trust Wan Xing quite a bit?”
Qin Wan’s movements paused. “I wouldn’t say absolute trust, but I always feel she’s somewhat special. At least she bears no ill will toward me. Getting medicines is important, so let her do it. As for the others, we can continue observing them.”
Fu Ling responded cheerfully, and Qin Wan began grinding medicines while reading a book.
Qin Wan read until the afternoon. After half of the Shen period had passed, Mo Shu, who hadn’t been seen for several days, arrived at Tinglan Court.
“Greetings, Ninth Young Miss. Our Young Miss isn’t feeling well, and requests your presence.”
Qin Wan raised an eyebrow – Yao Xin Lan wasn’t well again?
Though suspicious, Qin Wan had already stood up. “What’s wrong with her?”
At this question, Mo Shu’s eyes immediately reddened, and she lowered her head. “You’ll understand when you see her.”
Qin Wan’s heart pounded – Yao Xin Lan hadn’t specifically asked her to check on any illness these past few days. Now that she was summoned again, could something else have happened?
Qin Wan put down the mortar and pestle and the book, tidied up a bit, and headed out.
Upon reaching Linfeng Court, Qin Wan immediately sensed an oppressive atmosphere completely different from usual. All the servants in the courtyard were standing outside, each one silent as cicadas in winter, not daring to make a sound.
Mo Shu led Qin Wan and Fu Ling directly into the main house and straight to the inner chamber. Just as Qin Wan reached the inner chamber’s entrance, voices from inside became audible.
“Stop crying. How am I supposed to explain? It was just a dream!”
“Is a dream worth all this? Lan’er, don’t you know what kind of person I am?”
“Lan’er, you’ve just recovered. For our child’s sake, please stop dwelling on this matter, alright? In my heart, there’s only you. In this Linfeng Court, you are the only mistress. When have I ever looked twice at anyone else?”
Qin Wan’s footsteps halted, and Fu Ling’s expression also changed as she lowered her head.
The speaker was Young Master Qin Chen and the content of the conversation seemed particularly inappropriate for outsiders to hear. No wonder Mo Shu had been hesitant to explain earlier when asked by her mistress – so the Young Master and Young Madam were arguing? Had Mo Shu called her young miss because she was worried the argument might affect the Young Madam’s health?
Fu Ling had formed her guess and sighed inwardly. So even the most loving couples couldn’t avoid arguments and squabbles.
However… the Young Madam’s words seemed to suggest something else. Could it be that the Young Master had another woman outside?
“Young Master, Ninth Young Miss has arrived…”
Mo Shu’s words brought a moment of silence from inside. Soon, Qin Chen said, “Please ask Ninth Sister to come in.”
Mo Shu turned to look at Qin Wan, her eyes containing a hint of pleading. “Ninth Young Miss, please enter.”
Qin Wan stepped forward, and as soon as she reached the inner chamber’s entrance, she saw broken medicine bowls on the floor. Qin Chen stood before Yao Xin Lan’s bed, while Yao Xin Lan lay face-up on the bed, tears streaming down her face, her eyes tightly closed. Only her slightly heaving chest showed her current emotional state.
Qin Chen turned around, forcing a smile. “Ninth Sister is here, please come in.”
Qin Wan nodded to Qin Chen. “Elder Brother…” Then looked at Yao Xin Lan, “Sister-in-law…”
Qin Chen exhaled. “Your sister-in-law isn’t feeling well. Please check on her and keep her company for a while.”
Yao Xin Lan lay motionless on the bed, but in an instant, Qin Wan saw her tears falling more fiercely. Her delicate, palm-sized face was covered in teardrops, her eyes red from crying, making her look increasingly like a porcelain doll that might shatter at any moment.
“Alright, I’ll check on Sister-in-law first.” Qin Wan had no choice but to respond this way.
Qin Chen nodded, looked back at Yao Xin Lan, and said, “Good, you stay here. I’m going to the front courtyard study room for a while. I’ll come back later. Please help me look after your sister-in-law…”
After speaking, Qin Chen left without lingering.
Qin Chen’s footsteps were quick and soon became inaudible. Listening to these footsteps, Qin Wan felt as if Qin Chen had been eager to escape from Linfeng Court all along – as soon as she arrived, he couldn’t wait to leave.
If even Qin Wan felt this way, Yao Xin Lan certainly felt it even more strongly.
She still wouldn’t speak or open her eyes, lying there like a wooden doll, but Qin Wan could see crystalline tears rolling down her cheeks onto the pillow, which was already soaked through.
Being a woman herself, and with Yao Xin Lan pregnant, Qin Wan couldn’t help but step forward. “Sister-in-law, let me examine you.”
After these words, Yao Xin Lan still didn’t move. Meanwhile, Mo Shu silently cleaned up the broken medicine bowls on the floor, picking up porcelain shards while crying. Qin Wan and Fu Ling stood awkwardly, watching the tears of both mistress and servant. The atmosphere in the room seemed even more sorrowful and oppressive than before. Qin Wan sighed softly.
She sat on the high stool beside the bed and spoke gently, “Sister-in-law, I know you’re upset, but crying like this will harm both the child and yourself.”
Yao Xin Lan’s lips pressed tightly together, then she spoke through gritted teeth in a hoarse voice, “You’re just worried about harming the child, aren’t you? After all, you’re also from the Qin family, and this child belongs to the Qin family – that’s what’s most important.”
Qin Wan blinked. “Sister-in-law, what are you saying? Without a mother, how can there be a child? To be frank, when I saved you that day, I wasn’t thinking about saving the unborn child – I was thinking about saving you, the living person before my eyes…” Her tone grew serious, “Sister-in-law, whether you’re a mother or not, what’s most important is taking good care of yourself. Just days ago, I was happy to see you regaining your vitality. Why have you let yourself become like this again?”
Yao Xin Lan’s tears suddenly flowed more violently, but she finally opened her reddened eyes. She looked at Qin Wan with utter misery, her voice desperate and heartbroken, “I know Ninth Sister must think I’m pathetic in her heart, but Ninth Sister doesn’t know the pain of putting all your heart into loving a man who doesn’t love you back.”
Qin Wan felt something gently pierce her heart, but looking at Yao Xin Lan’s bloodshot eyes, she still couldn’t fully comprehend her pain. “I’ve never put all my heart into another person, so I don’t know Sister-in-law’s hardship and heartbreak. But Sister-in-law, why must one put all their heart into another person while living in this world? Even in love, one should love oneself first.” After a slight pause, Qin Wan suddenly asked, “Does Sister-in-law know about a flower called dodder?”
Yao Xin Lan was slightly startled, not understanding why Qin Wan had suddenly changed the topic.
Qin Wan didn’t need Yao Xin Lan to answer, and continued, “This flower is a medicine that can treat kidney deficiency and qi weakness, but Sister-in-law surely doesn’t know that this flower mostly parasitizes other large trees. Its tragedy lies in the fact that if the flower dies, the tree remains vigorous, but if the tree dies, the flower must wither and die as well.”
After Qin Wan finished speaking, Yao Xin Lan seemed to freeze. As she froze, her tears stopped, and after a few moments, her eyes, full of despair, gradually regained some life.
She sniffled, staring at the canopy. “Do you know? I had a dream. I dreamed he had another woman. That woman wore a peach-red dress, and her silhouette was extremely beautiful. He held her, careful and full of tenderness in his eyes. Do you know? The dream was so real. I saw his expression – he had never looked at me that way.”
As she spoke, tears fell again. “I know I shouldn’t be so obsessed with a dream, but it’s as if I’m bewitched. This dream circles in my mind; I just can’t forget it.”
Qin Wan frowned. “A dream? When did you have this dream?”
Yao Xin Lan sniffled. “Last night. I dreamed I woke from a nap and wanted to take a walk, so I followed the side door’s corridor outside. By Half Moon Lake, in that small grove, I saw them.”
Qin Wan sighed inwardly. When she heard Qin Chen earlier, she had been suspicious, but now hearing Yao Xin Lan’s account, she helplessly confirmed Qin Chen’s words – it was just because of a dream. Qin Wan shook her head and smiled wryly. “Sister-in-law, dreams often reflect our daily thoughts. Sometimes, they have no cause at all. Has Elder Brother been too busy lately, making you suspicious? Is that why you had this dream?”
Yao Xin Lan pressed her lips together. “I… I’m not…”
Qin Wan glanced at Fu Ling, who wore the same expression as her. Making such a scene over a dream seemed rather excessive. Fu Ling felt quite wronged on Qin Chen’s behalf.
After thinking for a moment, Qin Wan continued, “Does Sister-in-law feel the dream was too real as if it reflected something? Then can your Sister-in-law think about whether your Elder Brother’s care for you these days has been enough? Has anything been different from before?”
At these words, Yao Xin Lan indeed fixed her gaze and thought for a moment. Qin Wan turned to Mo Shu, “Mo Shu, tell me, has the Young Master shown any strange changes lately?”
Mo Shu shook her head. “No, none at all. Young Master stays here every night. When he goes out in the morning and afternoon, he always tells Young Miss where he’s going and what he’s doing, and returns when he says he will. There’s nothing improper.”
Qin Wan looked at Yao Xin Lan. “Did Sister-in-law hear that? Sister-in-law is haunted by this dream, but observers see clearly.”
At this, Yao Xin Lan was stunned. Mo Shu was her close attendant, brought from the Yao family, so she certainly wouldn’t deceive her. Yao Xin Lan stared at Mo Shu in a daze. “Is what you said true?”
Mo Shu’s eyes reddened. “Of course it’s true. Young Miss has been through so much with the pregnancy and was frightened by recent events, so you’ve been unsettled lately. I’ve been so worried watching Young Miss quarrel with Young Master over this. Young Miss and Young Master are husband and wife – Young Master is Young Miss’s support in this household, the person you should trust most. It’s not good to become estranged from Young Master. If Young Master had done something wrong, that would be different, but from what I’ve seen, Young Master hasn’t done anything wrong.”
Yao Xin Lan remained dazed. After a moment, she raised her hand to wipe her eyes. “Fine, since you say so, I’ll let it go. I don’t know why I keep thinking about these things, and can’t control my temper…”
Yao Xin Lan spoke to herself, then looked at Qin Wan. “Ninth Sister, could you write me a prescription for calming the mind?”
Qin Wan naturally nodded. “Sister-in-law has already passed the previous crisis. Now you only need regular supplements. I’ll write the prescription you want, and it can be made into pills. Sister-in-law shouldn’t think too much.”
Yao Xin Lan immediately nodded. “Good, that would be wonderful.”
After saying this, Yao Xin Lan lay still. Mo Shu came forward to cover her with a thin blanket, then said to Qin Wan, “Please check our Young Miss’s pulse.”
Qin Wan looked at Yao Xin Lan, noting her tired expression, and nodded before beginning to check her pulse. After checking, she wrote a new prescription. By the time she finished writing, Yao Xin Lan had fallen into deep sleep with steady breathing.
Mo Shu kept the prescription and accompanied Qin Wan out, her eyes still red.
Fu Ling watched and said, “Sister Mo Shu, why are you still sad? Isn’t Young Madam better? After taking our Young Miss’s medicine, she’ll only get better.”
Mo Shu looked at Qin Wan, her face full of unspoken words. “Ninth Young Miss…”
Qin Wan raised an eyebrow, while Fu Ling anxiously said, “Sister Mo Shu, just say what you want to say. You’re making us anxious.”
Hearing this, Mo Shu’s tears immediately fell, and she cried, “Ninth Young Miss, I’m afraid our Young Miss isn’t well at all.”
“What do you mean?” Qin Wan frowned. “Just now when I checked her pulse, your Young Miss only showed signs of qi deficiency and excessive worry.”
Mo Shu shook her head. “Ninth Young Miss, our Young Miss has been forgetting many things these past few days. The day before yesterday, she had taken her medicine but said she hadn’t, almost taking it a second time. She had already gone out for walks but couldn’t remember, and wanted to go out walking late at night again. And last night, Young Miss went to bed early, but mistook her dream for reality, saying she had gone out while sleeping…”
Mo Shu’s tears fell steadily. “Young Miss isn’t right, but you can’t detect anything from her pulse. It’s just like… just like when her aunt died from madness. Back then, many good doctors were called, but none could detect anything wrong through pulse-taking, yet the person still went mad…”
Mo Shu couldn’t continue, but Qin Wan understood her meaning. Qin Chen had mentioned before that someone in Yao Xin Lan’s family had suffered from madness, and this madness had a high chance of being inherited by children or other relatives. Mo Shu had witnessed so many strange incidents with Yao Xin Lan that she worried Yao Xin Lan would also develop madness.
Qin Wan’s brows furrowed tightly. No wonder, no wonder Yao Xin Lan could make such a scene with Qin Chen over a dream – it turned out she had already experienced so many memory disorders!
But what was causing this? Was it a precursor to madness?
Looking at Mo Shu’s tears, Qin Wan suddenly felt a sense of helplessness. She had always believed her medical skills were not weak, that as long as she wanted to save someone and there was a chance, she could save many lives. But now, first with Qin Li and then with Yao Xin Lan, they both had such strange and difficult conditions. Whether it was syphilis or madness, even Medicine King Sun Xi wouldn’t be completely confident in treating them, let alone her. For the first time, Qin Wan felt powerless.
“Don’t think that way yet. Elder Brother told me about your Young Miss’s family…”
Qin Wan stopped there, seeing Mo Shu’s face heavy with worry, and continued, “When someone’s constitution is very weak, memory problems during pregnancy are normal. Don’t be afraid; not everyone will develop madness.”
Mo Shu wiped her tears. “I’m just worried. With Young Miss like this, even if nothing happens to her, if she keeps causing scenes like this, she’ll lose Young Master’s heart. Then…”
Mo Shu’s concerns were indeed reasonable. Although Qin Wan’s earlier words to Yao Xin Lan were sincere, she understood that in this world, those words only worked for her. Other women married and followed their husbands – their husband was their only hope and their entire life.
Qin Wan didn’t know how to comfort her. After thinking, she could only say, “With you there to remind her, your Young Miss will understand what’s important. The relationship between two people is very important, and Elder Brother isn’t a heartless person.”
Mo Shu pressed her lips together, seemingly thinking of something that made her expression desolate, but she didn’t speak ill of Qin Chen. She only said, “Young Master is human too, he will… I will naturally remind Young Miss. I’ve said those words many times already, but Young Miss never listens, sometimes she forgets right after hearing them. I’m worried…”
Qin Wan exhaled. “Sister-in-law is already carrying Elder Brother’s child. No matter what happens, Sister-in-law still has the child.”
Qin Wan wasn’t trying to paint the situation as particularly bad. If nothing else, Lady Lin was the best example – despite Qin An’s promiscuous nature, Lady Lin was still doing fine. Without judging right or wrong, it was never wrong for a person to make themselves live well at any time.
Mo Shu wiped her eyes. “Yes, I understand. I will certainly guide Young Miss more. Young Miss… she was cherished by her father and mother since childhood. Seeing her parents’ deep affection, she always thought her future husband would love her the same way. When she met Young Master, Young Master liked her, and Young Miss liked Young Master, so she immediately put her whole heart into Young Master. But as time passed, there were inevitably some unpleasant aspects, and Young Miss is stubborn and can’t tolerate even the smallest imperfection.”
Qin Wan understood Yao Xin Lan’s thoughts, but these matters weren’t for her to manage. She only pitied Yao Xin Lan for marrying into the Qin family alone, being kindhearted, and carrying a child. “Counsel Sister-in-law well. A peaceful mind is most important.”
Mo Shu nodded, expressing profuse thanks before bidding farewell to Qin Wan, who then led Fu Ling back to Tinglan Court.
Fu Ling sighed. “Everyone envies Young Madam, but seeing her like that just now was truly heartbreaking. How strange – why would someone with a husband like Young Master still have such sorrowful moments?”
Qin Wan raised her eyes. “Perhaps… because there’s no perfect love in this world. No matter how deep the love is, ultimately one must live day by day, and in daily life, how can everything go as one wishes?”
Fu Ling nodded. “That’s exactly right.”
The autumn chill grew heavier. Qin Wan drew her clothes tighter, but her mind drifted to Yao Xin Lan’s tear-stained face. She remembered how Yao Xin Lan looked when smiling – exquisite, with eyes bright as polished lacquer. Combined with her gentle nature, she was truly a sight to behold. Perhaps because of this, Qin Wan paid extra attention to her illness. But compared to her smiling face, Qin Wan had seen far more of Yao Xin Lan crying or staring blankly.
Yao Xin Lan once said that when a woman meets the one she loves, it marks the beginning of tears.
But if love only transforms one into a perpetually weeping, resentful wife, why pursue it at all?
Qin Wan wondered if her mother had ever said such things. In her memory, her mother and father had quarreled at times, but her mother seemed to say nothing except one thing – that a woman would suffer whichever path she chose.
Though Qin Wan had never experienced love herself, her heart seemed dampened by Yao Xin Lan’s tears, feeling heavy. As she walked with lowered eyes, suddenly a commotion caught her attention. Looking up, she saw Steward Liu Chun leading several male servants toward the inner courtyard, carrying hoes and ropes. Qin Wan frowned, feeling a sense of déjà vu.
Fu Ling quickly said, “They’re going to clean the well. When Madam reorganized the inner court some days ago, all such tasks were stopped. Now that the reorganization is complete, they’re starting again. Hasn’t Young Miss noticed the ginseng soup tasting strange lately?”
Qin Wan shook her head, and Fu Ling continued, “Old Lady Liu from the kitchen says the well water is harder to use now. They’re using water brought in from outside for the masters’ meals.”
Fu Ling was eager to nourish Qin Wan’s health, and Qin Wan always drank her soup in one gulp, naturally not noticing its taste. Moreover, cooking could produce hundreds of flavors from one person, so even if there were occasional changes, Qin Wan didn’t pay attention.
Liu Chun and his men quickly disappeared into the distance. Watching his retreating figure, Qin Wan felt the urge to follow.
Would Liu Chun use well-cleaning as an excuse to go to the bamboo grove again?
Just as this thought arose, Fu Ling suddenly said from behind, “Oh, who’s that…”
Qin Wan snapped back to reality and followed Fu Ling’s gaze. Her brows immediately furrowed.
From the direction of the front courtyard, Qin Chen was walking with a man in silver robes. Looking closer, who else could it be but Huo Ning?
Qin Wan felt somewhat surprised – what was Huo Ning doing at the Qin residence?
This thought was merely instinctive; Qin Wan had no desire for any entanglement with Young Master Huo, lest he again mistake her intentions. That would be too unfair to her.
Qin Wan turned around, walking quickly toward Tinglan Court—
“Ninth Sister…”
Before Qin Wan could take two steps, Qin Chen’s voice suddenly rang out. Qin Wan felt two gazes fall upon her back. She stopped, having no choice but to turn around. “Elder Brother—”
Qin Chen beckoned to her. “Come here.”
Qin Wan raised an eyebrow. Though puzzled by Qin Chen’s actions, she maintained a neutral expression and walked over gracefully.
“Elder Brother, Sister-in-law has gone to sleep. I’ve written her a prescription for calming the mind. Don’t worry, just spend more time with her when you return.” Qin Wan spoke as soon as she approached, assuming Qin Chen wanted to ask about Yao Xin Lan.
Qin Chen seemed to relax, smiling. “That’s excellent.” He glanced at Huo Ning beside him. “You know Brother Huo. He’s come to our residence to interpret some books. I need to search in the inner storage now. Could you show Brother Huo around the courtyard?”
Qin Chen’s gaze was frank, but Qin Wan’s brows furrowed.
Qin Chen should know that the Ninth Miss had previously liked Huo Ning, so why would he ask her to accompany him?
Seeing Qin Wan’s hesitation, Qin Chen stepped forward and patted her arm, then said softly, “Don’t worry, Ninth Sister. This won’t get out. Take Brother Huo for a walk by Half Moon Lake. I’ll be back soon.”
After saying this, Qin Chen’s eyes held encouragement. Before Qin Wan could speak, he walked away. Qin Wan turned, watching in astonishment as Qin Chen disappeared into the distance. Could it be that Qin Chen thought she still harbored feelings for Huo Ning as before and wanted to create an opportunity for her?!
Qin Wan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. In the past, the Ninth Miss would have been deeply grateful, but now she was no longer that same Ninth Miss. She didn’t need such opportunities…
Looking up, she saw that Huo Ning seemed somewhat thinner after not seeing him for several days. This made his handsome features even more defined, though there were dark circles under his eyes and his brows were slightly furrowed, as if worried about something. Yet this slight haggardness didn’t affect his pride; he still held his chin high, casting a distant glance at Qin Wan.
At this moment, Qin Wan only hoped that Qin Shuang hadn’t been confined to the Buddhist hall.
Qin Chen left quickly, and neither he nor Huo Ning had brought servants. Suddenly, only Huo Ning and she were left standing there. When Fu Ling saw it was Huo Ning, her expression became complex for a moment before she stood silently at attention.
Qin Wan looked at Huo Ning, showing neither shyness nor nervousness, appearing completely indifferent. She could have turned and left, but Qin Wan suspected this Young Master Huo would likely develop some strange thoughts again.
Thinking this, Qin Wan steeled herself – why think so much? Since her heart was clear, why not treat him with the most ordinary attitude? When someone she’d met a few times entered the Qin residence, it was perfectly acceptable to show him Half Moon Lake at Qin Chen’s request.
With this thought, Qin Wan glanced at Huo Ning. “Young Master Huo, please…”
Huo Ning stood stiffly, having prepared himself for Qin Wan to turn and leave without acknowledging him. Unexpectedly, Qin Wan followed Qin Chen’s words and agreed to show him the lake. Watching Qin Wan’s departing figure, Huo Ning was stunned before following.
The distance wasn’t far, and after a few steps, they could faintly see the artificial mountains and pavilions beside Half Moon Lake. Qin Wan realized she hadn’t visited Half Moon Lake for several days herself, and the last time she was there was when Qin Shuang had pushed her in.
That day, right here, she had discovered the secret of her possible murder in the bamboo grove.
“Hey, why are you walking so fast?!”
Lost in thoughts about the case, Qin Wan’s mind had wandered. Hearing Huo Ning’s call, she realized with a start that he was speaking to her. She slowed her steps and turned around to see Huo Ning approaching with his chin raised. “I don’t want to go to Half Moon Lake anymore. Take me somewhere else…”
Qin Wan’s brows immediately furrowed. “There’s a patch of autumn chrysanthemums in the Western Garden. Would Young Master Huo like to see them?”
Huo Ning snorted at her words. “Fine, let’s go see them then.”
Having said this, Huo Ning turned around. Having visited the Qin residence multiple times, he naturally knew where the Western Garden was. However, after taking four or five steps, he suddenly realized something was wrong. Huo Ning turned back, his eyes widening!
Not only had Qin Wan not followed him, but she had already walked to the edge of Half Moon Lake!
“Hey, your elder brother told you to show me around the residence! What are you doing?”
Without turning her head, Qin Wan replied, “My elder brother asked me to show you Half Moon Lake, not to tour the gardens.”
Qin Wan walked along the lake’s edge, soon reaching a huge black tortoise stone. Fu Ling followed Qin Wan closely, afraid she might fall in again. Meanwhile, Huo Ning clenched his fist and walked toward the lake.
“I don’t want to walk here. Why won’t you lead the way?”
Without even raising her head, Qin Wan responded, “If you don’t want to be here, you can leave. Is anyone stopping Young Master Huo? Go straight ahead and turn east – there’s the steward’s office of the outer court. You’ll find household managers there who can take you to see the chrysanthemums in the Western Garden.”
As she spoke, Qin Wan frowned. This Huo Ning, even after several encounters, still hadn’t learned to restrain his temperament!
Watching Qin Wan crouching down to look at the lake water, Huo Ning grew increasingly angry. He stood gritting his teeth on the opposite bank of the lake from Qin Wan. She only needed to raise her eyes to see him, but she seemed to ignore him completely!
Pride or honesty? Huo Ning glared fiercely at Qin Wan. At one point, he suddenly shouted, “I didn’t want to walk here because I know you fell into the lake here before. Aren’t you afraid to come here again?”
Qin Wan was looking at the lake water. The autumn Half Moon Lake was crystal clear, with a deep green color in its depths. Most wonderfully, there was no wind, and the area around Half Moon Lake was completely silent. The lake’s surface was like a mirror, reflecting her and Fu Ling’s images. Looking at such still water, Qin Wan’s heart also grew quiet, and then she heard Huo Ning’s words.
She hadn’t expected Huo Ning to say such things…
Seeing Qin Wan looking at him expressionlessly, Huo Ning stubbornly jutted out his neck and said, “It’s because you fell in that time for my—”
Before he could finish saying “sake,” Qin Wan suddenly stood up. Across the lake, Huo Ning was startled into silence. As he was about to continue, Qin Wan said to Fu Ling, “Look, what’s that over there?”
Fu Ling looked up. “Where is Young Miss pointing? Ah… there’s something there…”
Before she finished speaking, Qin Wan had already walked toward Huo Ning. Huo Ning stood in place, watching Qin Wan approach with overwhelming momentum, inexplicably growing intensely nervous. Just as he was anxiously wondering what she would do, Qin Wan suddenly passed by him and went to the lakeside beside him…
Huo Ning felt a chill through his whole body. Meanwhile, Qin Wan rolled up her sleeves and pulled a jade pendant from the lake water.
Fu Ling said, “Is this what we saw glinting from the other shore?”
Qin Wan looked at the exquisitely crafted jade pendant in her hand. “It wasn’t glinting, it was reflecting light. This is—”
Qin Wan’s voice broke off as she turned the pendant over.
On the back of the jade pendant was carved a single character: “Yao.”