When Qin Yining and Bingtang stepped through the main gate of the Garden of Compassion and Filial Piety, Nanny Qin was anxiously waiting beneath the corridor.

Seeing Qin Yining pulling Bingtang as they ran in, she hurried forward and said in a low voice, “The Old Dowager is currently keeping the First Madam company. The First Madam is still unconscious, and the Old Dowager is as anxious as anything. When she saw you weren’t here, she became even more anxious.”

Qin Yining understood Nanny Qin’s meaning and explained, “I was afraid the physician would have too far to travel and wouldn’t make it in time.” She wiped away some sweat and anxiously urged Bingtang, “Hurry and go examine my mother.”

Bingtang nodded and quickly ran into the room.

Seeing Qin Yining so anxious, Nanny Qin couldn’t help but sigh with emotion: at crucial moments, it’s still one’s biological daughter who proves most reliable.

These past two days, Duke Dingguo’s manor had experienced such a major incident, yet she hadn’t seen Miss Huining show much concern. Moreover, she had just carefully inquired and learned that it was Sixth Miss who had gone to the ancestral hall to report the news.

Sixth Miss and Miss Huining had been close for quite some time now, so the key point wasn’t hard to understand at first thought.

Nanny Qin sighed.

“Miss, don’t be too anxious. The First Madam has perhaps only fainted from excessive grief. A person’s life must experience both good and bad things – after enduring all manner of disasters and troubles, one’s life becomes complete. Don’t be sad either, just console the First Madam properly.”

“What Nanny Qin says is true.” Qin Yining nodded, then smiled bitterly, “I won’t hide it from you – I’m truly at my wit’s end with panic. Though I haven’t been home long, aside from our family members, my closest relatives are my maternal grandfather’s family. Now that such a terrible thing has happened to them, I feel truly awful inside. It’s just that as a woman, there’s no solution I can think of.”

As they spoke, the two had already climbed the steps arm in arm. Qin Yining continued, “All I can think of now is to console my mother properly, ensure she doesn’t grieve anymore, and serve the Old Dowager well with filial piety – that’s all.”

Hearing this, Nanny Qin nodded. “Miss speaks truly.” She knew Qin Yining was sensible and would never act rashly. The Old Dowager had previously worried that Qin Yining might do something extreme for her maternal grandfather’s family – it seemed she had overthought it.

Bingtang had already examined Sun Shi and reported to the Old Dowager and the newly arrived Qin Yining: “The First Madam fainted from excessive grief. It would be better to let her rest well and try taking some calming medicine.”

Seeing that Sun Shi had no serious illness, and that even if she had collapsed at the gate of the Garden of Compassion and Filial Piety there would be no reason to blame herself, the Old Dowager finally breathed a sigh of relief. With a stern face she said, “Fine then, let her take the medicine and rest first. We’ll discuss other matters later.”

The Old Dowager didn’t want to gain a reputation as an evil mother-in-law, but Sun Shi’s earlier confrontation, even cursing her as an “old hypocrite,” was something she couldn’t pursue right now.

She could hardly send the unconscious Sun Shi back to the ancestral hall, could she? Besides, everyone knew Sun Shi’s maternal family had just experienced such a major disaster.

This Sun Shi certainly knew when to faint! She didn’t faint early, didn’t faint late, but chose precisely this moment to collapse!

The Old Dowager glared at Sun Shi once before coldly leaving, not speaking a single word to Qin Yining from beginning to end.

Nanny Qin followed the Old Dowager out and quietly relayed all of Qin Yining’s earlier explanations. After hearing this, the Old Dowager’s expression softened slightly. “At least she’s sensible.”

Inside the room, Qin Yining dismissed all irrelevant people, leaving only Bingtang to guard the entrance. Seeing no outsiders around, she crouched beside the footrest and whispered in Sun Shi’s ear, “Mother.”

Sun Shi’s eyes flew open. Seeing no outsiders around, she sat up and grasped Qin Yining’s hands anxiously, “Yining, have you arranged everything?”

“Yes. I’ve already found a way to send word out just now. Mother, please be at ease. It’s just that I must trouble you to pretend to be unconscious for now, otherwise I worry the Old Dowager will immediately punish you.”

Hearing this, tears began streaming down Sun Shi’s face. She didn’t dare cry aloud for fear of attracting the Old Dowager’s people, so she could only cover her mouth and weep quietly with grief. “Your grandfather’s entire family – they died so tragically. Looking at your grandmother’s attitude, she clearly wants me to sever ties with your maternal grandmother’s family. Your grandfather’s body is barely cold, yet your grandmother already wants to divorce me. How is my fate so bitter, to marry into such a family…”

The more Sun Shi spoke, the more sorrowfully she wept. Qin Yining could only grasp her hands and console her in a low voice: “Mother, regardless of how the Old Dowager acts, at least Father is good. To tell you the truth, the matters of secretly having people rescue Grandmother and the others, as well as arranging for someone to prepare Grandfather and the others for burial – Father knows about all of this, and even tacitly authorized me to do it.”

“Really?” Sun Shi looked at Qin Yining with tears still on her face, full of hope.

Qin Yining nodded. “It’s just that Father’s position is special. Even though he has the heart to help, it’s inconvenient for him to take action directly, so he can only secretly authorize me. Mother should be able to understand Father’s difficult position.”

Sun Shi felt somewhat comforted and nodded. “Naturally I can understand.”

“So Mother must be even stronger, live your days well with Father. Even if Grandfather and the others see you living well from the underworld, they’ll be comforted. Besides, if you yourself aren’t living well, how can you have the energy to care for Grandmother and the others? The people I arranged have already taken Grandmother and the others to my properties. Now that Grandfather and the others are gone, our family still has some capability – shouldn’t we look after Grandmother and the others even more?”

Hearing this, Sun Shi nodded, her eyes showing more determination.

Only then did Qin Yining feel somewhat more settled in her heart.

“The more we encounter difficulties, the stronger we must become. The dead are gone; the living must shoulder responsibility even more.”

Sun Shi had long been moved by Qin Yining’s words, tears welling up in her eyes again.

Qin Yining smiled, “Mother, don’t be sad. Take advantage of this time to sleep for now. I’ll stay here and keep you company.”

Sun Shi lay down with Qin Yining’s support. Looking at her beautiful, gentle features, she felt secretly moved, but thinking that Qin Huining hadn’t come to see her even once up to now, she felt very disappointed.

Amidst the various emotions of sorrow, gratitude, disappointment, anxiety, and anger, Sun Shi unknowingly fell asleep.

Qin Yining sat on the footrest, resting her head against the bed’s edge for a brief nap.

The room was completely quiet, candlelight flickering, shadows cast on the latticed windows.

The person outside the back window sighed softly, leaped up onto the roof, and with several bounds reached the exterior of the Qin manor.

Huzi, hidden behind a large tree, saw his master emerge. After looking around carefully, he quietly approached: “Master, you’ve returned? Everything has been arranged properly. It’s just that our people arrived somewhat late – the corpses had already been collected by several waves of people. We’re currently arranging for someone to investigate who did it.”

Pang Xiao accepted the cloak Huzi handed him and draped it over himself, saying indifferently, “No need to investigate. She did it.”

Huzi exclaimed in surprise, “Master means Fourth Miss Qin?”

A faint smile appeared in Pang Xiao’s eyes, and his sharp gaze softened considerably. “She’s quite clever – she even knew to find several waves of people to act in batches.”