Han Yunqian glanced at Han You. Though he didn’t speak, his calm and gentle gaze gradually helped Han You regain her composure.

Ren Yaoqi pretended not to notice Han You’s unusual behavior and just looked at the red lacquered wooden door without any decorative carvings.

“I heard this used to be a study?” Ren Yaoqi asked casually.

“The original owner of the residence built this small study here. When we moved in, we found that the bookshelves inside had become damp and infested with insects. Worried that storing books here would cause them to mold, we abandoned its use,” Han Yunqian nodded and said peacefully.

At this moment, the red lacquered wooden door creaked open, and Shan’er emerged, followed by a hunched, small figure.

Ren Yaoqi looked carefully and saw that it was an elderly woman. The woman appeared aged and decrepit, looking at least sixty years old. Seeing her master standing outside, she walked over to pay respects, moving somewhat slowly.

“Young Master, the mute woman says she was… was cleaning the main hall earlier, so she didn’t see anyone. This servant also looked around and didn’t find Miss Ren Seven,” Shan’er stepped forward to report to Han Yunqian.

The mute woman wasn’t deaf. After hearing Shan’er’s words, she quickly gestured with her hands.

Though the mute woman was standing with her back to Ren Yaoqi, Ren Yaoqi still noticed several of her movements. In her previous life, when living in the capital, the Pei family had a cook who, despite excellent culinary skills, was both deaf and mute. Ren Yaoqi had interacted with her, so she could interpret some hand gestures.

The mute woman seemed to mention that she had been burning incense earlier.

Ren Yaoqi’s heart stirred.

She had originally thought this courtyard might be hiding someone related to the Han family’s secrets, and fearing the secrets would leak out, they had only arranged for a mute woman who couldn’t speak to serve them, delivering meals daily.

But the mute woman didn’t seem to mention any person, but rather mentioned burning incense.

What place requires burning incense? A Buddhist hall? An ancestral shrine?

Ren Yaoqi felt the truth seemed to be getting closer, but she couldn’t quite grasp the thread.

If the person she had glimpsed earlier was indeed Ren Yaoting, then Ren Yaoting was still in this courtyard, having evaded both Shan’er and the mute woman.

Han Yunqian’s attitude toward the mute woman was very gentle, and he even gestured a few words to her. They seemed to be words of comfort.

Just then, an unfamiliar woman hurriedly ran out: “Young Master, Miss, the old master is coming this way.”

Hearing this, Han You instinctively glanced at the courtyard, her face growing tense again.

Han Yunqian said to her quietly: “Let’s go meet Grandfather.” Then he said to the mute woman: “There’s nothing more here. You may go inside first.”

Shan’er said, “Young Master, this servant should continue looking for Miss Ren Seven. This garden isn’t particularly large or small—it would be troublesome if Miss Seven got lost.”

Han Yunqian nodded slightly without saying anything.

The mute woman bowed and withdrew. Shan’er hurried to catch up and whispered a few words in her ear. The mute woman nodded and entered the courtyard. Shan’er didn’t follow her in.

The red lacquered wooden door closed once again, and Ren Yaoqi even heard the sound of a latch falling.

“Sister Yaoqi, please come with us,” Han You hurriedly said to Ren Yaoqi. She seemed to fear something and didn’t want Ren Yaoqi to remain there.

Ren Yaoqi nodded and followed behind Han Yunqian together with Han You.

Han You was still murmuring: “Where could Sister Ting have gone? How can we not find her?”

Ren Yaoqi looked back and noticed that Shan’er, who claimed she was going to look for Ren Yaoting, hadn’t gone far but was only lingering around that door.

Ren Yaoqi couldn’t help but worry about how Ren Yaoting would get out. If she came out through the main door, the sound of moving the door latch, even if it didn’t alert the elderly mute woman, would probably be caught by Shan’er, who was guarding the entrance. Moreover, once the mute woman entered the courtyard, she would probably search everywhere.

The group hadn’t walked far when they heard hurried footsteps approaching.

Soon, Han Dongshan appeared around the corner.

Ren Yaoqi looked up and couldn’t help but be slightly shocked. At this moment, Han Dongshan’s steps were hurried, and his expression was full of cold severity, completely different from the cheerful and kindly elder Ren Yaoqi had seen in the Ren family garden last time. It was hard to believe that the same person could have such two different faces.

Could this version of Han Dongshan be his true nature? Was this why his grandchildren, Han Yunqian and Han You, were so wary of him?

Ren Yaoqi instinctively looked away, pretending to examine the surrounding scenery.

It wasn’t until Han Yunqian and Han You called “Grandfather” that Ren Yaoqi belatedly turned her head.

When she looked at Han Dongshan again, though his face was still somewhat rigid, the previously abrupt cold expression had been restrained.

“Old Master Han,” Ren Yaoqi lowered her head and curtsied.

Han Dongshan changed his expression quickly. When he spoke, his tone was already warm and loving: “Oh, you’re a daughter of the Ren family?”

Ren Yaoqi quietly acknowledged that she was.

Han Dongshan’s gaze lingered on Ren Yaoqi for a moment, then looked at Han Yunqian and Han You, a sharp gleam flashing in his eyes. Han Yunqian stood with his head lowered obediently, but Han You couldn’t help shivering.

“You go accompany Miss Ren Five to sit in the pavilion first,” Han Yunqian, though not looking at Han You, seemed to know of her fear of their grandfather, and gently helped her out of the situation.

Han You glanced at Han Dongshan. Perhaps because he was mindful of Ren Yaoqi’s presence, Han Dongshan nodded and let Han You withdraw.

While Han You breathed a sigh of relief, she also looked at her brother with some worry, appearing hesitant.

Han Yunqian smiled gently at her: “Go on. Take good care of our guests.”

Only then did Han You lower her head and lead Ren Yaoqi away.

As soon as Ren Yaoqi and Han You left, Han Dongshan’s face immediately turned cold again, and without another word, he left Han Yunqian behind and continued forward.

Han Yunqian lowered his head and followed.

Han Dongshan went straight to the courtyard entrance. Shan’er, who was guarding nearby, saw Han Dongshan approaching and hurried over to pay respects.

“Have you found the person?” Han Dongshan asked coldly.

Shan’er shook her head, saying somewhat nervously: “She probably didn’t go in, but went elsewhere. The mute woman has already locked the door.”

Han Dongshan raised his hand and knocked on the red lacquered wooden door. Soon, the door opened again. The mute woman poked her head out, and seeing Han Yunqian, she quickly welcomed them inside. Han Yunqian followed them in.

As soon as the courtyard door closed, Han Dongshan coldly glared at Han Yunqian and demanded, “Who gave you permission to bring people here?”

Han Yunqian lowered his head: “Guests are guests. We can’t forbid guests from even entering the garden.” Han Yunqian glanced at the mute woman. “The mute woman has been guarding here and hasn’t seen anyone enter. That room is also locked from the outside. Even if someone wandered in by mistake, they couldn’t get inside.”

The mute woman seemed to want to gesture something, but when she met Han Yunqian’s peaceful and gentle gaze, she lowered her slightly raised hands again.

Han Dongshan’s expression finally improved somewhat, but he said coldly, “In that case, she’s lucky to keep her life!”

His voice was cold and sinister, making listeners’ hearts tremble with fear.

“Go open the door. Qian’er, come with me!” Han Dongshan signaled to the mute woman.

The door he mentioned wasn’t the courtyard gate, but the main hall of the courtyard’s rear section.

The mute woman took out a bronze key from her waist and walked ahead of the Han grandfather and grandson toward the back courtyard.

After the three figures disappeared from the front courtyard, a cautious head suddenly emerged from behind a column base under the eaves of the north room in the front courtyard.

Because this column base was visible immediately upon entering and was considered to be under everyone’s noses, and wasn’t particularly large, the mute woman had overlooked this spot when searching the entire courtyard earlier.

The person who emerged wasn’t anyone other than Ren Yaoting. Fortunately, she was slender and could hide there; otherwise, she would have been caught.

Ren Yaoting seemed to know she had caused trouble. Her face was pale and anxious. She looked toward the courtyard gate. She had heard the sound of the latch falling earlier and knew that even if she ran to the gate now while the people were in the back courtyard, she might alert those inside. Moreover, she didn’t know if anyone was still guarding the entrance—she had heard a woman’s voice speaking earlier.

She deeply regretted letting curiosity lead her to deceive Han You and sneak inside. Han Dongshan’s earlier words made her tremble, though she didn’t understand why Han Yunqian, such a refined and elegant gentleman, would have such a hot-tempered grandfather.

Though Ren Yaoting realized she had caused trouble, she didn’t think the trouble was life-threatening. So she only thought Han Dongshan was a hot-tempered person, and regarding his earlier statement, “In that case, she’s lucky to keep her life!” she thought it was just the old master venting his anger and didn’t take it seriously.

At this moment, she was more worried about leaving a bad impression on the Han family elders than about her own life.

Meanwhile, Ren Yaoqi followed Han You for a while, but Han You suddenly stopped, touching her wrist and exclaiming: “Oh? My bracelet is missing!”

She lifted her sleeve, and indeed her right wrist was bare.

“What should I do? This bracelet was given to me by Grandmother to ward off evil,” Han You said anxiously.

Her attending maid was also startled: “Miss, how could your bracelet disappear? If it had fallen to the ground, there should have been a sound.”

Han You looked anxious: “That bracelet was originally a bit loose and prone to falling off. It must have been caught and pulled off by some branch when Sister Ting and I were at the dove tree earlier. The grass there is thick, so even if it fell to the ground, we wouldn’t hear it.”

Han You then instructed her maids: “Quickly go there and look for it. Great Aunt Xiao said my fortune this year is poor, which is why Grandmother gave me this jade bracelet that she used to wear and had blessed by eminent monks. If I lose it, I’ll have failed Grandmother’s kind intentions.”

The maids behind Han You quickly responded and left. Seeing that Qin’er, the maid from Han Laotaitai’s side, was still standing there, Han You said anxiously: “Sister Qin’er, please help me look too. Those few are all clumsy!”

Qin’er hesitated: “Don’t you need someone to attend you, Miss?” She also glanced at Ren Yaoqi.

“The pavilion is just ahead, and there are women and maids there. Am I short of attendants? Quickly, go help me look. Oh, and check around the artificial mountain too—I was there earlier when looking for Sister Ting.”

Qin’er looked at the nearby pavilion, thinking that the old master must have gone to that courtyard, and the young miss surely wouldn’t deliberately violate the old master’s taboos by going there again, so she nodded in agreement: “This servant will go look right away. Don’t worry, Miss—it’s there and won’t run away.”

Han You nodded: “Go quickly, go quickly.”

Qin’er hurried toward the eastern path.

Once the person left, Han You grabbed Ren Yaoqi’s hand with a grave expression: “Sister Yaoqi, come with me.”

“You’er?” Ren Yaoqi looked at Han You in surprise.

Han You didn’t care whether Ren Yaoqi agreed or not and pulled her back the way they came, explaining quietly: “I deliberately sent them away. Sister Ting…” She paused, looked back at Pingguo behind Ren Yaoqi, and gave Ren Yaoqi an inquiring look.

Ren Yaoqi smiled: “It’s fine. She won’t tell anyone.”

Only then did Han You sigh: “You all have trustworthy people around you. If I do anything, the people around me will surely tell Grandfather and Grandmother. Even Brother…” Realizing she had misspoken again, she quickly stopped.

Ren Yaoqi pondered her words. Han You meant that she and Han Yunqian had no confidants around them? That the people serving them all loyal to Han Dongshan and Han Laotaitai?

Han You’s voice became even quieter: “Sister Yaoqi, listen to me. Sister Ting must have secretly run into that courtyard just now. But my grandfather has gone there too, and she definitely can’t get out now. If my grandfather finds out, the consequences would be unthinkable. We must get her out before she’s discovered.”

Han You’s small face was full of seriousness.

Ren Yaoqi also whispered to her: “Why would the consequences be unthinkable if she’s discovered? Isn’t it just an abandoned study?”

Han You shook her head: “You don’t understand. My grandfather… he doesn’t allow people to enter that courtyard. Only my grandfather, grandmother, father, and brother can go in. My mother and I aren’t allowed either. Even trusted maids can only wait in the first courtyard if they enter—only the mute woman who guards the courtyard can move around freely inside. When we first moved here, I once went in out of curiosity and happened to encounter Grandfather coming in. I hid behind a column base, but my personal maid Ling’er, whom I brought from Jizhou, was discovered by Grandfather. Later… later, Brother came in quietly and took me out, but Ling’er was beaten and sold for violating Grandfather’s taboo.”

Han You’s eyes dimmed: “Ling’er had served me since childhood and was the only one who was devoted only to me.”

Even Han You, a member of the Han family, didn’t know about that courtyard’s affairs? Ren Yaoqi was surprised.

“Earlier, Sister Ting asked me about that courtyard, and I told her these things. She even asked me to take her in to see, but I said I didn’t dare, so she didn’t say anything more. But now we can’t find her anywhere in the garden, so I’m certain she must have gone into that courtyard.”

Ren Yaoqi asked puzzledly: “If she can’t get out, how can we get in to find her? That maid called Shan’er seems to be guarding the entrance constantly, and the door might be locked.”

Han You blinked: “Just come with me. I have a way to secretly get someone out.”

Though Ren Yaoqi was somewhat skeptical, her curiosity about the Han family’s secrets made her continue following Han You.

Shan’er was indeed still guarding the courtyard entrance. Han You asked Ren Yaoqi, “Can your maid wait here?”

Ren Yaoqi thought for a moment, then nodded and instructed Pingguo: “Wait here. If anyone asks, just say you came to help Miss Han look for her bracelet.”

Pingguo quietly agreed.

Han You pulled Ren Yaoqi into a side path in the garden.

When they emerged again, Ren Yaoqi discovered that Han You had led her around Shan’er and finally stopped in front of a courtyard wall.

Ren Yaoqi carefully examined the surroundings and found that this should be the side wall of that mysterious courtyard.

Han You pulled Ren Yaoqi through a narrow passageway, walking while looking down at the wall bricks. After a while, she finally stopped: “It’s here.”

She released Ren Yaoqi’s hand and crouched down to tap the wall bricks herself.

Ren Yaoqi stood aside, watching curiously. She saw Han You target a large blue brick and somehow manage to push it inward by half an inch, revealing an iron wire. Han You grabbed the wire and pulled outward with force, then turned to pull it out further. Realizing this brick was movable, Ren Yaoqi also crouched down to help Han You apply force.

Together they pulled out the brick, and Han You went to move the adjacent one. After the first brick came out, the rest became easier. After removing four bricks in succession, Han You pointed below for Ren Yaoqi to see.

There was a hole, and the earth below had been hollowed out to accommodate a person, like a dog hole.

Ren Yaoqi was amazed.

Han You explained quietly: “The original owner of this residence had a very mischievous youngest son. He built this study in the garden to confine the child here for reading. But that young son was quite clever and secretly dug this hole to sneak out from time to time. I discovered this secret by accidentally finding a notebook that a person left behind. That time I also entered through here. Sister Yaoqi, please keep watch here. I’ll go in alone to find her. You’d better not come with me—more people would be inconvenient.”

Ren Yaoqi looked at the “dog hole” and nodded: “Be careful when you go in. Don’t let anyone see you.”

Han You took off her outer robe and gave it to Ren Yaoqi to hold, so when she came out, she could put on the outer garment, and others wouldn’t notice her inner clothes were dirty.

“There’s a fish tank blocking the entrance from inside. If I’m careful, I shouldn’t be discovered. My grandfather and the others shouldn’t be in the front courtyard now.”

How did Han You know Han Dongshan wasn’t in the front courtyard? Ren Yaoqi wondered.

Han You probably knew more than she was saying.

However, from her willingness to risk her grandfather’s displeasure to look for Ren Yaoting, and her willingness to explain so much to someone she wasn’t familiar with, Han You was fundamentally kind-hearted.