Early in the morning, Sun Muqing arrived at Qin Wan’s courtyard. “Ninth Miss, since you’ll be leaving early tomorrow, I’d like to present you with this notebook I’ve been carrying. Please accept it as a parting gift.”
Qin Wan’s lips curved slightly as she looked at the notebook in Sun Muqing’s hands. She recognized it as the one he had kept with him for many years, containing his collected medical expertise. “The notebook… may I take a look?”
Sun Muqing handed over the notebook and added, “Of course, you can look at it. I intended to give it to Ninth Miss anyway. Feel free to read through it, though my handwriting is poor, and I’m not sure if the contents will be of any use to you.”
Qin Wan glanced at the sky outside, and seeing it was still early, she said, “I see these are records of Master Sun’s essential learnings. It wouldn’t be appropriate to simply accept such a gift. However, given Master Sun’s kind intentions, and since I genuinely wish to learn from you, perhaps… could I borrow your notebook for half a day?”
Sun Muqing was startled, having never expected Qin Wan to propose such a solution. He hesitated briefly, though he had truly intended to give her the notebook. Seeing his hesitation, Qin Wan said earnestly, “I absolutely won’t accept this notebook as a gift. I’ll just treat it as Master Sun giving me some guidance. Since I have nothing else to do today, I’ll spend some time reading your notes. That would be perfect.”
Sun Muqing gave a wry smile. “Ninth Miss, you are…” He couldn’t find the right words, but seeing Qin Wan’s determined expression, he knew he couldn’t change her mind. He reluctantly agreed, “Very well then. If Ninth Miss has any questions, please feel free to ask me.”
Qin Wan nodded, and Sun Muqing, seeing that she truly just wanted to read the book, temporarily left her room.
After Sun Muqing left, Fuling smiled and said, “Master Sun is truly sincere. Even this servant knows how valuable this notebook is, yet he wanted to give it directly to Young Miss…”
“The Medicine King Valley has always been about sharing knowledge, and besides, he has a pure and straightforward nature.”
Fuling nodded. Seeing Qin Wan genuinely settling down to read, she went to brew her a cup of tea. Meanwhile, since they were leaving the next day, Qin Shuang was having Wanqing pack up their belongings in her room. However, since they were only temporary guests, they hadn’t brought much down from the carriage, so there wasn’t much to organize.
Qin Shuang sat across from Qin Wan, leaning forward to look at the scenery outside the window. “I heard Captain Song and his men left early this morning. Uncle Dong sent two people to follow them, and they took that person’s corpse as well. Now that the case is settled, I somehow don’t want to leave anymore.”
Wanqing spoke up, “Young Miss, didn’t you say you disliked how empty this mansion feels?”
Qin Shuang sighed, “Yes, but now we have to start riding in carriages again, just thinking about it gives me a headache.”
As she spoke, Qin Shuang glanced at the composed and serene Qin Wan. In her memory, Qin Wan always maintained this graceful and calm demeanor regardless of the situation. Thinking of this, Qin Shuang recalled the previous night. A playful smile appeared in her eyes – even Qin Wan had been frightened last night.
Qin Wan flipped through Sun Muqing’s notebook. Most of what was written were his notes on treating patients and diagnosing illnesses. She had seen a large portion of it before. Qin Wan skipped the front sections and only looked at the last few pages. Those pages contained records of cases Sun Muqing had encountered after leaving Medicine King Valley and traveling south and west. Since it recorded each patient’s condition, it was quite different from other medical texts.
Qin Wan read with great interest for a while. After finishing Sun Muqing’s notes, her thoughts turned to Sun Haoyue. She had lost interest in seeking medical guidance from Sun Haoyue, not only because she could see that his heart was almost entirely focused on Bai Feiyan, but also because the events in this mansion had left her with an uncanny feeling.
Qin Wan shook her head. Though something felt amiss, they would be leaving early tomorrow morning, so she had no desire to investigate further. Besides, she wanted to return to the capital soon – matters in the capital were more important than anything else.
After sitting for a while longer, Qin Wan took the notebook intending to return it. Seeing her about to leave, Qin Shuang naturally followed. Fuling found it both amusing and exasperating how Qin Shuang had truly become Qin Wan’s shadow. Both Qin Wan and Qin Shuang put on their cloaks. Just as they walked out the door, they saw Bai Feiyu entering the courtyard with two attendants. Upon seeing Qin Wan and Qin Shuang, Bai Feiyu showed slight surprise and immediately cupped his hands in greeting.
Qin Shuang and Qin Wan hurriedly curtsied in return, then Qin Shuang asked with a smile, “Why has Young Master Bai come?”
Bai Feiyu’s lips curved slightly, “I’ve come to bring Fifth Miss some medicine for her injuries—”
Before he could finish speaking, the door of the opposite wing opened, and Qin Xiang appeared in the doorway. Today she wore a goose-yellow dress that accentuated her graceful figure and delicate beauty. Qin Shuang smiled, “Please proceed, Young Master Bai. We’ll take a walk.”
Bai Feiyu bowed again to the two of them, and Qin Shuang and Qin Wan left the courtyard.
Once outside the courtyard gate, Qin Shuang frowned, “This Young Master Bai shows so little regard for propriety.”
Qin Wan shared this thought, but since Bai Feiyu was one of the mansion’s masters, they couldn’t say anything. “If Young Master Bai is truly sincere in his intentions, it could be a good thing.”
Qin Shuang gave a light snort, “Yes, it could be very good indeed. Fifth Sister could become the Young Madam of the Bai family.”
Hearing a slight sourness in Qin Shuang’s words, Qin Wan just smiled without commenting.
After two days of clear weather, much of the snow in the mansion had melted. The bluestone paths had emerged from beneath the snow, though patches of white could still be seen on the high trees and rooftops, but it was much better than the previous days. Soon, Qin Wan and Qin Shuang arrived at Sun Muqing’s courtyard gate. Fuling knocked on the gate, and Sun Muqing quickly came out. Seeing Qin Wan returning with his notebook, he asked in surprise, “Ninth Miss finished reading so quickly? Or are you just being polite…”
Qin Wan smiled at this, her dimples showing, causing Sun Muqing to become momentarily transfixed.
“Of course not. I’ve always been a fast reader, and today I only chose to read what interested me. There’s no politeness involved.”
Even if Qin Wan were being polite, she would never be so regarding medical knowledge. If there was an opportunity to learn more, she was naturally eager for knowledge. Hearing this, Sun Muqing felt relieved and sighed, “With Ninth Miss heading to the capital, I too have thoughts of going there…”
Qin Shuang raised an eyebrow, and her gaze toward Qin Wan took on an interested look.
Qin Wan was also somewhat surprised to hear this. “Master Sun is also going to the capital?”
A dark flash passed through Sun Muqing’s eyes, but his face maintained a smile. “Yes, to… visit an old friend.”
Qin Wan’s heart stirred slightly, but Qin Shuang quickly asked, “What old friend is Master Sun going to see?”
Sun Muqing curved his lips, “To see someone from my teacher’s school.”
Qin Shuang made an “oh” sound and asked no more. Qin Wan only asked, “When will you go?”
Sun Muqing smiled, “Probably in half a month. Having finally met my senior brother, I need to stay here for a while.”
Qin Wan nodded. Since Sun Muqing would leave in half a month, they couldn’t travel together. This was probably for the best.
“Very well. When Master Sun arrives in the capital, please be sure to send word to the Marquis Manor. This time we are greatly indebted to Master Sun’s invitation, otherwise, we siblings would have been in quite a predicament,” Qin Wan said warmly.
Sun Muqing laughed heartily, “Of course, I will come to see you all then.”
Qin Wan nodded, not planning to say more, and left with Qin Shuang after bidding farewell to Sun Muqing. Sun Muqing’s mood had also grown heavier during their brief exchange, and he didn’t try to keep them any longer.
After walking a few steps, Qin Shuang suddenly smiled and said, “I thought Master Sun was going to the capital for Ninth Sister.”
“How could that be possible?” Qin Wan raised her chin slightly, her gaze becoming distant.
Qin Shuang giggled, “Master Sun treats Ninth Sister so well, perhaps…”
“Meow—”
As Qin Shuang was speaking teasingly, before she could finish, they suddenly heard a faint cat’s cry. Qin Wan and Qin Shuang both stopped in their tracks and Qin Wan particularly keenly walked toward the source of the sound.
The sound seemed to come from a dark alley to the east. Qin Wan and her companions had originally intended to return to their courtyard in the west, but now they were drawn to the east by this cat’s cry.
“Meow—” Another cry sounded, and Qin Wan more accurately identified the direction. After walking about ten steps, Qin Wan finally saw the entrance to the alley. As soon as she stood at the entrance, she saw a pair of glowing eyes in the dim light of the alley.
It was a black cat. Qin Wan looked carefully and realized it was the same black cat she had seen near the pile of dead cats that day. It was crouching in the dark alley and showed no fear at Qin Wan’s appearance. Instead, it “meowed” again.
Qin Wan frowned, instinctively looking around at the black cat. She feared she might find another pile of dead cats nearby, but this time she saw nothing. Scattered dry leaves lay on the ground of the dark alley, and because the roofs above were sealed, the ground wasn’t even wet. Qin Wan stared at the black cat for a moment, wondering what it was doing there.
Just when Qin Wan thought the black cat would stay still, it suddenly darted toward the back exit of the alley. Seeing it run away didn’t surprise Qin Wan, but moments later, the cat stopped at the exit.
“Meow—”
“Meow—”
The black cat stopped at the back exit and wouldn’t move further. Instead, it stopped and watched Qin Wan. When she neither left nor approached, it continued calling one cry after another. Qin Wan’s brows furrowed tightly.
Qin Shuang and Fuling stood behind Qin Wan. Fuling said, “What… what is it doing? Could it be calling us to follow?”
Qin Shuang shook her head. “This must be the same cat from before. No, this cat is completely black, it’s somewhat frightening… I remember someone saying that cats, like dogs, can see things that humans cannot.”
These words sent a chill down Fuling’s spine. “Sixth Young Miss, don’t believe in such things. It’s just a small pet.”
Qin Shuang snorted, about to speak when her eyes suddenly widened because she saw Qin Wan walking forward. “Hey, hey, hey, what are you doing? Are you going over there…”
Fuling wasn’t afraid of cats, but she feared the black cat might lead Qin Wan to see more dead cats. She hesitated, and while she was hesitating, Wanxing followed beside Qin Wan. Qin Wan turned back to see it was Wanxing, her eyes slightly brightening.
Seeing her approach, the black cat remained still, waiting until Qin Wan was five or six steps away before moving again. It swiftly turned around the corner, appearing to run away, but when Qin Wan turned the corner, she saw the black cat sitting at the next turn, waiting. Qin Wan’s eyes showed a hint of the bizarre. “This cat seems quite intelligent.”
Seeing that Wanxing had followed, Fuling also joined them. Qin Shuang, seeing this, had no choice but to come along as well. Seeing the black cat waiting at another corner, Qin Shuang remarked in surprise, “Could it be trying to lead us somewhere?”
“Can cats be this intelligent?”
Fuling asked in surprise. Qin Wan looked at those around her. “We’re many people together, there’s nothing to fear. Let’s follow it and see.”
As she spoke, Qin Wan continued forward. As before, when they got close to the black cat, it would disappear, and when they turned a corner, they would find it waiting not far ahead. After walking for a while, Qin Shuang began to marvel at this strange occurrence. Without realizing it, Qin Wan’s group had been led to the eastern side…
Half an hour later, the black cat stopped at a pavilion in a courtyard.
Qin Wan looked around this courtyard. From afar, she could smell the fresh fragrance of red plum blossoms. She had never been to this courtyard before and didn’t know where it was. Moreover, the mansion had few servants, and they hadn’t seen any during their walk.
Qin Wan felt somewhat suspicious. She saw that the potted landscapes still had remnants of snow, and the pavilion stood straight in the courtyard, making the winter courtyard seem somewhat empty. As she thought about this, she walked along the stone path toward the pavilion.
Just as Qin Wan reached the pavilion, the black cat didn’t leave. Somehow, it suddenly leaped onto the pavilion’s roof. Qin Shuang couldn’t help but laugh, “Could it want us to go up there?”
Fuling ran outside first, “There’s nothing up here—”
The black cat continued to pace on the roof, showing signs of anxiety as it made low sounds. Qin Wan was momentarily puzzled. She looked around the courtyard but still found nothing unusual. As everyone stood there confused, a figure suddenly appeared around the corner.
“Oh? Miss Qin? Why are you all here…” Madam Lin came over carrying a food box, surprised to see Qin Wan and Qin Shuang there.
Qin Shuang and Qin Wan exchanged glances, and Qin Shuang quickly said, “Madam Lin… have you made something delicious again?” She pointed to the pavilion roof, “We were just walking around when we encountered this little cat. We tried to play with it, but it just kept running…”
Madam Lin laughed immediately and patted her food box, “I was just about to make plum blossom cakes. As for this black cat you mentioned, it’s quite the glutton. Not just you, but even the men in our mansion can’t catch it. At first, when we saw it stealing food, we wanted to catch it and teach it a lesson or throw it out, but after discovering we couldn’t catch it, this servant gave up. It’s a regular visitor to my kitchen.”
Qin Wan stepped forward, “Was this black cat originally from this mansion?”
Madam Lin nodded, “This servant doesn’t know. I only remember suddenly seeing the cat stealing food in the kitchen one day. At the time, I thought it was just a stray… Later we saw it more often, but still don’t know where it came from. This mansion is so large, and there aren’t many servants to maintain it daily, so having a few stray cats is normal.”
Qin Wan scanned the courtyard, still not understanding why the black cat had led them here, so she asked, “What place is this? We followed the cat here and don’t know if we’ve trespassed.”
Madam Lin waved her hand, “No, no, this is just an ordinary place. The southern courtyard is uninhabited, there’s a plum forest to the northeast, a small flower garden to the direct north, and beyond that is Renxin Court.”
Qin Wan suddenly understood, unconsciously looking north. So they were near Renxin Court again.
The men who killed Little Song and Da Cheng wanted revenge for their daughter and had sneaked near Renxin Court, but what was this black cat’s purpose?
“The two Miss Qins are leaving soon. When this servant finishes making the plum blossom cakes, I’ll send some for you to try. I won’t disturb you two misses now, I’m going to pick some fresh plum blossoms.”
Qin Wan nodded, and Madam Lin walked toward the plum forest while scolding the black cat.
The black cat made a low cry, looked at Qin Wan and Qin Shuang again, then leaped down and disappeared behind the dense potted landscapes before Qin Wan could even see it.
“It ran away just like that?” Qin Shuang was surprised. “This little thing was just playing with us!”
Qin Wan was also confused. She had thought the black cat led them here because of something strange, but they only arrived at this somewhat empty courtyard. Qin Wan sighed, “Perhaps it was just playing with us. Let’s go back.”
Qin Wan and Qin Shuang returned to the courtyard together. Qin Shuang glanced at Qin Xiang’s room, saw that the doors and windows were closed, and noticed that Bai Feiyu’s attendants were no longer in the courtyard, indicating that Bai Feiyu had left.
Qin Shuang snorted lightly, “He probably came to say goodbye…”
The Qin family was heading to the capital, while Bai Feiyu was returning to Yizhou. One going north and one going east, they naturally wouldn’t travel together.
After reading for a while and being led around the mansion by the black cat, it was getting late. They were leaving tomorrow, and although Qin Wan’s group had been in the mansion for many days, they hadn’t developed a deep relationship with the master, Sun Haoyue. In the afternoon, only Qin Yan went to Renxin Court to bid farewell to Sun Haoyue. When he returned, Madam Lin came along, bringing two boxes of plum blossom cakes.
“These are for the young ladies to take with you. Please don’t mind this servant’s cooking skills. The mansion doesn’t have many precious foods, but there are also tea pastries, all packed and ready to be placed in the carriage.”
Qin Shuang’s eyes lit up, “Madam Lin’s tea pastries are the best! Thank you, Madam Lin!”
Qin Wan also said, “Thank you for your trouble, Madam Lin.”
Madam Lin repeatedly waved her hands and said a few words wishing them a smooth journey before leaving.
Shortly after Madam Lin left, Uncle Dong came over with several small gifts, mostly medicinal herbs and tea leaves. “These are all grown in our courtyard, along with some common medicinal pills and ointments made by the young master. They might come in handy for emergencies on the road. As you’ve seen, this mansion is quite modest and truly doesn’t have anything valuable…”
Qin Yan had someone accept the gifts. Although they had been traveling in haste, they still carried some items with them. Having stayed here for several days, Qin Yan had also prepared a modest gift in return. He repeatedly emphasized that if Sun Haoyue came to the capital in the future, they must be informed, and so forth. After properly completing all these courtesies and Uncle Dong’s departure, the sky was growing dark.
After instructing Qin Wan and Qin Shuang not to forget anything and to rest early, Qin Yan left. Knowing they had to rise early the next day for travel, Qin Wan and Qin Shuang went to bed.
Qin Wan fell asleep quickly but slept restlessly. In her dreams, bright lights and phantom images appeared, faces of people she had seen in the past emerged one after another, and even the black cat she had seen during the day appeared. Just as Qin Wan found the black cat terrifying, Yan Chi’s figure suddenly flashed by. In the dream, Yan Chi’s figure was extremely tall, noble, and proud. He stood before her like a mountain that could shelter her from wind and rain. A moment later, Yan Chi’s face gradually drew closer, and just as Qin Wan was about to speak, Yan Chi suddenly embraced her.
This dream was long and romantic. When Qin Wan awoke, the sky outside was just beginning to brighten. Her body felt warm all over, and her cheeks were flushed red. She touched her face, her heart suddenly beginning to race…
“What?! How can she be gone?!”
Just as Qin Wan was flustered by her racing heart and feverish cheeks, Fuling’s voice suddenly rang out from outside. Although it wasn’t very clear due to the distance, Qin Wan could still hear it because Fuling was shouting quite loudly.
She frowned, her thoughts drawn to the commotion outside—
“We must quickly inform the Young Master, be careful something might happen!”
Fuling shouted urgently, then rushed toward the inner chamber.
Her movements were not small, even waking Qin Shuang, who asked drowsily, “Is it time to get up?”
Qin Wan didn’t answer because Fuling had already rushed in, “Young Miss, Young Miss, something terrible has happened, Fifth Miss is missing!”
Qin Wan sat up immediately, “Fifth Sister is missing?! What happened?!”
Fuling explained in great distress, “This servant saw it was time to rise and got up first. The opposite wing probably saw our lights come on and also lit their lamps. But very quickly, Wanhe rushed out and came to our side, saying right away that Fifth Miss was gone. A bundle is also missing, along with all the jewelry and gifts Young Master Bai gave to Fifth Miss, as well as some silver notes, all gone… Wanhe said… her Young Miss might have gone with Young Master Bai…”
Qin Wan was stunned, and Qin Shuang stared at Fuling with wide eyes, “You mean… you mean she eloped with the Bai family’s young master?!”
Fuling dared not nod, only saying with a bitter smile, “That’s what Wanhe said.”
Qin Shuang hurriedly got up, “How outrageous! Qin Xiang is truly too outrageous!”
…
…
Qin Xiang’s audacity not only angered Qin Shuang but also provoked unprecedented fury in Qin Yan.
The sky was fully bright now, and Qin Xiang’s disappearance had completely disrupted the Qin family’s travel plans.
“Young Miss was wearing the clothes this servant prepared last night, including the cloak. She also took a bundle containing her favorite pieces of jewelry and some silver notes that this servant usually carries for expenses along the way.”
“Neither this servant nor Xiuzhen heard any movement. When we woke up, she was gone.”
“Young Miss was fine last night, only asking this servant to prepare warmer clothes.”
In Qin Xiang’s wing, Wanhe and Xiuzhen were kneeling on the ground crying. Wanhe spoke with great self-reproach while Xiuzhen wore an expression of having committed a capital offense. At this point, Wanhe suddenly said, “Oh right, Young Miss only asked one question last night. She asked this servant if we had been traveling on one main road when we came here. This servant thought about it and said it seemed so. Young Miss didn’t show any unusual reaction then. This servant never imagined she would…”
Qin Yan’s brows were tightly knitted. Usually handsome and composed, showing neither joy nor anger, his face now displayed deep anger. Just sitting there, he had already frightened Wanhe and Xiuzhen to the extreme. First, they worried about Qin Xiang’s safety, and second, they understood that in the master’s eyes, the fault lay entirely with them. Even if they were dragged out and beaten to death today, it would be justified!
The room was filled with oppressive silence. Qin Wan and Qin Shuang stood to the side, Qin Shuang was too frightened to speak, while Qin Wan didn’t know what to say. Just then, footsteps sounded in the courtyard, and after a moment, Zhou Huai pushed open the door and entered. “Young Master, the west gate is open, and all our carriages and horses are there. This humble one checked outside the west gate and found footprints on the small path by the herb garden. Also, when asking the mansion’s servants, they said Young Master Bai had already left last night.”
The snow had mostly melted, leaving the small path by the herb garden muddy. If someone had walked there, they would naturally leave footprints. Qin Yan immediately stood up, “Chase after them, chase them immediately—”
Zhou Huai hesitated slightly, “Should we ask for help from the mansion’s people?”
Qin Yan looked at Zhou Huai, “Do you think this was her willful action alone, or was Young Master Bai’s instigation?”
Zhou Huai frowned slightly, “This matter is highly improper. Young Master Bai knows our status and would never dare to entice Fifth Miss to elope with him. Moreover, Young Master Bai doesn’t seem like someone who would disregard propriety.”
“Then it was her own doing—” Qin Yan spoke through gritted teeth. “In that case, don’t look for Uncle Dong. If she left alone, even if she left at midnight, she couldn’t have gone far. We’ll set out now and discuss how to find her after leaving the mansion. Perhaps she’s only gone a few li away.”
At Qin Yan’s command, Zhou Huai immediately went to make arrangements. Though later than they had originally planned, it was still very early for the people of Baicao Garden. When they all arrived at the main gate, Sun Muqing came with Uncle Dong, Madam Lin, and others to bid farewell. With Qin Yan anxious at heart, they quickly left Baicao Garden.
After leaving the mansion and descending the mountain to reach the main road, Qin Yan finally muttered a curse under his breath.
He had come to escort the three Qin sisters to the capital. Let alone eloping, he wouldn’t even allow Qin Xiang to be injured. But now, since Qin Xiang had acted on her own accord and run away, while he didn’t oppose a marriage alliance between the Qin and Bai families, Qin Xiang’s shameless behavior would undoubtedly bring disgrace to the Marquis Manor. Regardless of whether the Marquis Manor ranked among the prominent clan names in the capital or was just a modest wealthy family, they would never allow their daughter to engage in such improper private dealings…
If news of this reached the capital, not only would Qin Xiang face a lifetime of shame, but the Marquis Manor would also face public criticism. With court factions growing increasingly intense, even small matters could be reported to the Censorate. For personal and public reasons alike, Qin Yan had no choice but to capture Qin Xiang and somehow minimize this incident.
Having made up his mind, Qin Yan even kept this from the Qin Manor guards. In Qin Xiang’s carriage now sat only Wanhe and Xiuzhen, but after traveling almost ten li along the main road, Qin Yan still hadn’t seen any sign of Qin Xiang.
For someone of Qin Xiang’s temperament, leaving before dawn was already astonishing enough – could she have taken small paths instead of the main road? Both Qin Yan and Zhou Huai wore anxious expressions. After traveling quite a distance further, Zhou Huai suddenly frowned and said, “Young Master, could Fifth Miss have known we would take this road back, and therefore deliberately taken another small path?”
Speaking thus, Zhou Huai turned back and said, “Young Master, do you remember we passed a small path earlier? This humble one recalls that path leads to a road to Huai County after about ten more li, and Huai County is east of Ji County…”
To reach Yizhou, one had to keep traveling east, but most people would take the official road through Yuanzhou City eastward. If Qin Xiang knew Huai County was east of Ji County, she might have thought of going to Ji County first, since it was all eastward anyway.
Qin Yan’s grip on his horsewhip kept tightening. Their journey was already delayed, and now they had to deal with the reckless Qin Xiang! Though furious, he couldn’t ignore the situation. If Qin Xiang had truly gone to Huai County, would they have to take a detour to chase after her…
Qin Yan took a deep breath. “We’ll split into two groups. I’ll take some men along the small path, while you lead them forward.”
After a brief pause, he added, “We’re supposed to rest at Guanyin Town tonight, still going north through Sanyuan Village. If she took the main road, you’ll encounter her not far ahead. If she took the small path, I could catch up with her on horseback. Depending on the timing, if it’s early, I’ll turn back to catch up with you; if it’s late, I’ll take another route to meet you at Guanyin Town.”
Zhou Huai hesitated, “Young Master, let this humble one go instead…”
Qin Yan gave a cold laugh, “She dared to act this way, so she must be determined. If you find her and she refuses to return, what will you do? What if she threatens to kill herself?”
Zhou Huai, being a servant, found this difficult to handle. Qin Yan laughed coldly again, “I’ll go. I want to see just how far she’ll go for that Bai Feiyu!”
Zhou Huai sighed. They couldn’t abandon the search for Qin Xiang, but they also needed to look after Qin Wan and Qin Shuang properly. He nodded, “In that case, Young Master, take a few guards with you and return quickly.”
Qin Yan nodded and quickly selected five or six guards to turn back with him.
In the carriage, Qin Wan and Qin Shuang were puzzled by Qin Yan’s departure until Zhou Huai came to explain in a low voice. Qin Shuang immediately said angrily, “I never imagined she would go this far. When we reach the capital, let’s see how she explains this to Uncle and Aunt. She has truly… completely disgraced our Third Branch!”
Qin Shuang’s indignation matched Qin Yan’s. Qin Wan frowned slightly, also strongly disapproving of Qin Xiang’s actions. However, she was still surprised that Qin Xiang dared to leave Baicao Garden alone in the dark and travel east by herself… For a young lady who had never left her courtyard and had been waited upon her entire life, this required tremendous courage.
Qin Shuang continued cursing Qin Xiang along the way, but as she cursed, she grew increasingly worried. Though their carriage moved slowly, it was still much faster than walking. With Qin Yan pursuing on horseback at lightning speed, after more than two hours of travel, they had neither seen any sign of Qin Xiang on the main road nor had Qin Yan caught up from behind.
Qin Shuang pressed her lips together and said, “How far can she walk alone? She gets tired just walking a bit more in the courtyard, let alone now. Either she borrowed a horse or carriage from the Bai family, or something has happened to her. Who knows when she left in the night – what if she was kidnapped by village ruffians?”
As Qin Shuang grew more worried, Qin Wan also became anxious. She lifted the curtain and called out, “Manager Zhou.”
Hearing the call, Zhou Huai approached the carriage. Qin Wan said, “We still haven’t seen her. Either she’s hiding somewhere, has a vehicle or horse, or something has happened to her. Manager Zhou, if possible, perhaps we should ask at a roadside household if they’ve seen her pass by. If not, we should go back to search. There’s also the possibility that something has happened to her…”
Zhou Huai also found the situation very strange and replied, “Alright, then let’s go to Sanyuan Village.”
Qin Wan had no good impressions of Sanyuan Village, but today they were just passing through – surely they could stop briefly in the village. Her eyes flickered slightly, “Then let’s ask at the Laifa Inn.”
Zhou Huai, knowing the villagers’ xenophobia, immediately nodded.
That day when they had traveled to Baicao Garden in the heavy snow, it had taken nearly half a day. Today, with the snow melted, they moved faster. After making their decision, they reached Sanyuan Village within another half hour.
The group entered the village in their usual grand manner. Sure enough, they soon encountered villagers showing displeasure in their eyes, and some even recognized them, probably remembering Sun Haoyue’s visit that day. The passing villagers only cast unfriendly glances but did nothing else. Following the village’s main street forward, the caravan soon stopped in front of the Changfu Inn.
“While we inquire, the young ladies should eat something. We’ll need to continue traveling afterward.”
At Zhou Huai’s suggestion, Fuling and others brought out the pastries Madam Lin had prepared. Just as they entered the courtyard, Wei Changfu emerged from inside with an “Oh!” “The two Miss Qins have arrived! Seeing the weather clear up, this humble one was thinking the Qin party might head north, and sure enough, my guess was right. Oh? Why are there only two…”
“The Young Master and Fifth Miss have other matters to attend to.”
Zhou Huai stepped forward to explain briefly, then exchanged pleasantries with Wei Changfu as they entered the main hall. Wei Changfu warmly said, “Though we don’t have fine food and wine, we do have hot tea.” As he spoke, he ordered his workers to serve tea.
In the cold weather, hot tea was very welcome. The previous incident couldn’t be blamed on Wei Changfu, so Qin Wan and Qin Shuang sat down in the hall while Fuling and others opened the food boxes, treating it as lunch.
Meanwhile, Zhou Huai had begun asking questions. Wei Changfu waved his hand and said, “No, the road is extremely quiet now, I hope to see someone pass by…”
Zhou Huai’s questioning was subtle, and Wei Changfu didn’t take it seriously. Turning his gaze, he saw Qin Shuang eating a tea pastry with a very special fragrance. Wei Changfu sniffed slightly and his eyes immediately brightened, “Miss Qin, who made these tea pastries?”
Zhou Huai was anxious, but with Wei Changfu present, he couldn’t speak freely with Qin Wan and the others. Hearing the question, Qin Shuang said, “We brought them from Divine Doctor Sun’s place. Why?”
Wei Changfu sniffed again lightly, “These tea pastries smell truly wonderful…”
Qin Shuang smiled at his words, about to praise Madam Lin’s culinary skills, when Wei Changfu said, “This fragrance reminds this humble one of a little cook in the village, the daughter of the Zhang family at the east end of the village. The Zhang family had been tea farmers for generations, making traditional tea pastries, and the fragrance was the same as what Miss Qin was eating. This humble one had bought some to eat before…”
Qin Shuang’s eyes lit up slightly, “Oh? Exactly the same and available to buy? Where is their home? I want to buy some to take with us…”
At this, Wei Changfu sighed, “You can’t buy them anymore. That Zhang girl died a few months ago.”