It was midday, the sun hanging high in the sky. Yan Shiyao and her companions were enjoying their lunch beneath a makeshift canopy.

Yan Yunning came rushing over, breathless and carrying a bundle on her back, catching up to Yan Shiyao’s group.

“A’Jie, I… after you left, Mother… Mother, she… there’s no one to protect me anymore.” Yan Yunning’s breath had not yet steadied, and her voice carried the edge of tears.

“Ningning, don’t tell me Mother has gone and… again?” Yan Shiyao’s beautiful eyes filled with concern.

Yan Yunning sat down on the wooden stool, lifted a teacup, and took a sip of water. “Mm. A’Jie, can I come with you?”

The young girl tilted her head up, her eyes rimmed red.

Yan Shiyao looked at her pitiful little appearance and said gently, “Alright, you can come with me then.”

Yan Yunning smiled sweetly, picked up the flatbread on the table that had gone a little cold, and took a bite. The dry, rough bread scraped between her teeth as she chewed. [Fafa, I want to cry. This bread tastes terrible.]

Fafa: [I told you to enjoy life properly, but you just had to follow them and suffer!]

“Ningning, stop eating that. Yuyu brother bought that to crumble up and feed to the puppies.”

Yan Yunning’s eyes went wide. She looked down at the flatbread in her hand, the bite already taken.

Xuan Yanyu’s lips curved into a smile. “It’s fine. Second Miss, please, help yourself.”

Yan Yunning couldn’t decide whether to swallow or spit out what was in her mouth.

Xuan Yanyu observed her flustered state, the amusement in the depths of his eyes growing ever more obvious.

“Miss Yan, I noticed many people buying osmanthus cakes from the street stall over there — it seems they must be quite good. Why don’t you try some?” Qi Qingchen said, walking up to Yan Shiyao with osmanthus cakes he had just bought from a street vendor.

Yan Shiyao bit her lip, her gaze flickering briefly toward Yan Yunning, and her expression dimmed ever so slightly. “I don’t care for them. Give them to Ningning.”

Yan Yunning quietly repented — she hadn’t meant to ruin anything for them! It was all Xuan Yanyu’s fault. She snuck a glare at him, only to find Xuan Yanyu already watching her with that half-smiling, inscrutable expression of his.

Yan Yunning’s heart lurched. She hurriedly looked away and let out a slow breath.

Qi Qingchen’s gaze fell away in quiet disappointment. He held up one osmanthus cake between his fingers. “Ningning, would you like to try one?”

Yan Yunning pressed her lips together. Should she eat it or not?

She’d eat it.

One couldn’t wage war against good food!

Yan Yunning accepted the plate of osmanthus cakes from Qi Qingchen’s hand, took a small bite, and her eyes lit up. “A’Chen, these are delicious. Have one yourself.”

She held the osmanthus cakes out toward Qi Qingchen.

Qi Qingchen smiled and shook his head. “Ningning should eat them herself.”

“A’Yao, let’s not disturb them here any longer.” Xuan Yanyu said, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

Yan Shiyao’s soft pink lips had been bitten so hard they had gone nearly white.

Yan Yunning took out the sachet she had bought previously and smiled lightly. “A’Chen, you gave me osmanthus cakes, so consider this a return gift.”

“Ningning, there’s no need for that.” Qi Qingchen took an imperceptible step back.

Did she even understand the significance of giving someone a sachet?

“I already bought it. Just take it.” Yan Yunning smiled.

“I…” Qi Qingchen had just started to speak when he heard Xuan Yanyu call out with sudden urgency: “A’Yao.”

Yan Shiyao’s eyes fell shut, and her delicate body went limp, collapsing softly into Xuan Yanyu’s arms in a faint.

Qi Qingchen’s attention snapped away from Yan Yunning. His expression turned anxious as he took Yan Shiyao from Xuan Yanyu’s arms and hurried off toward the inn at a near-run.

Xuan Yanyu turned and dashed out into the bustling street market. Yan Yunning guessed he had gone to fetch a physician.

Fafa: [Mistress, we haven’t changed the plot at all. See? The second male lead and the male lead are destined to revolve around the female lead.]

Fafa: [We ended up in this book by accident. Maybe once we get killed off, we can go back.]

Yan Yunning stared blankly at the sachet in her hand. [But what if we can’t go back? I still have my father, my mother, my brothers and sisters. I don’t want to actually die inside this book.]

[Fafa, only if I’m alive do I have a chance of getting home.] Yan Yunning’s lashes trembled.

Fafa: [Mistress, how about this — you get rid of Xuan Yanyu right now. That way he won’t be around later to use you as a threat against the female lead.]

Yan Yunning’s eyes brightened. [Right! Why didn’t I think of that? But I can’t beat him in a fight. What if he gets rid of me first?]

Fafa: [Poison him! Though the odds of success are slim, because he’s a major character in this novel. He has a lot of scenes — without him, many of the story’s plotlines can’t unfold.]

[…The odds of success are slim? So I’d just be making an enemy of him ahead of schedule??]

Fafa: [Give it a try, Mistress. What if it works?]

Yan Yunning hesitated. [Then I… should I try?]

Fafa: [Go for it, Mistress!]

Yan Yunning pulled a piece of cloth over her face to hide her features, and while Xuan Yanyu and Qi Qingchen were both keeping watch at Yan Shiyao’s bedside, she crept off and slipped away to the apothecary.

She pitched her voice low. “Hello, could I get one packet of arsenic — make it two packets, actually.”

She was worried one packet wouldn’t be a strong enough dose.

The pharmacy apprentice gave her an odd look. “Miss, our pharmacy requires that we keep a record. May I ask what you intend to use it for?”

Yan Yunning raised her hand to pull the cloth tighter across her face, leaving only her eyes exposed, and said under her breath, “We have a severe rat infestation at home.”

The apprentice passed the medicine packets into her hands.

Yan Yunning accepted them, dug several silver ingots from her sleeve, and stuffed them all at once into the apprentice’s hands. Then she clutched the packets tightly and bolted out of the apothecary.

She ran all the way back to the inn. Using the clay pot that was already there for brewing Yan Shiyao’s medicine, she boiled a small amount of water, then took out the medicine packets with trembling hands and emptied them into a bowl.

[Fa… Fafa, I… I… This is the first time I’ve tried to hurt someone. I…]

Fafa: [Stop with the stammering! Just remember, he’s going to be the one who kills you later!!!]

Yan Yunning breathed out slowly. [Right. I can’t be blamed for this. I’m only doing this to…]

“What are you doing?” A languid voice drifted over from behind her.

She spun around sharply. Xuan Yanyu was leaning against a pillar, watching her with an unhurried, careless expression.

“You… you, you — how long have you been standing there?” Yan Yunning’s voice wavered slightly, and her words came out stumbling.

“Since you started boiling the water.” The man lifted his eyes and glanced at her.

Yan Yunning’s breath hitched. “Then you… you saw me pour in the… the medicine packet?”

“Mm. What did you put in it?” Xuan Yanyu narrowed his eyes.

“I… I, I’m ill.” Yan Yunning’s voice went small, and she swallowed hard.

Xuan Yanyu stepped closer. His gaze dropped to the bowl of clear water on the table, and his brow furrowed slightly. “Quite a mild medicine — not even the faintest smell.”

“It’s… it’s medicine for a wind-cold infection.”

Xuan Yanyu caught the strange edge to her manner, and his brow arched. “Are you afraid? Why are you trembling?”

Yan Yunning tightened her grip on the medicine packet in her hand.

Xuan Yanyu walked closer, step by deliberate step, lifted the medicine bowl from the table, and held it beneath his nose for a light sniff. “Medicine for a wind-cold?”

“Yes.” Yan Yunning lowered her head, her heart hammering wildly inside her chest.

“Drink it.” Xuan Yanyu raised the medicine bowl to her lips.

Yan Yunning held her breath. [What do I do? What do I do?!]

Fafa: [Mistress, if you were going to do something like this, couldn’t you at least have been subtle about it?]

[How was I supposed to know he’d suddenly walk out — and that he’d catch me at it?!]