Jin Chao couldn’t help but laugh coldly inside.

With just one sentence, Madam Qin had completely distanced herself from any blame. She was truly formidable. No wonder no one dared to cause trouble while she managed the household.

Mama Zheng looked up and immediately spotted Chen Xuan Yue hiding behind Gu Jin Chao. She quickly put on a face of tearful joy and reached out to pull him: “So the Ninth Young Master is here! I’ve been searching everywhere for you. Come quickly, return with this servant…”

Chen Xuan Yue, however, reacted as though he’d seen the most terrifying ghost in the world. Frightened, he screamed continuously, desperately hiding behind Gu Jin Chao.

Only then did Jin Chao hear his hoarse voice: “No… beat…”

Like someone who hadn’t spoken for a long time trying to speak, his voice was hoarse and unclear.

Gu Jin Chao pushed away Mama Zheng’s hand: “How did you lose the Ninth Young Master? Mama Zheng, you’d better explain clearly first!” She then grabbed Chen Xuan Yue’s small hand, “Ninth Young Master, tell your aunt, did someone beat you?”

Chen Xuan Yue looked at Gu Jin Chao blankly, opened his mouth, and could only say: “Beat…”

Madam Ge, the most tender-hearted, immediately felt her nose tingle: “This child can’t even speak clearly, and doesn’t know how to complain. How could anyone bear to bully him!”

Gu Jin Chao stroked his freshly washed head and said gently: “Don’t be afraid, Ninth Young Master. Everyone is here, and no one will beat you.”

The child’s hair was unusually soft.

Chen Xuan Yue seemed not to understand her words and continued trembling.

Gu Jin Chao could only take a nearby welcoming pillow and let him hold it tightly.

Madam Qin said tearfully: “This child… I saw him fine just a few days ago, how… how has he become like this now!”

Old Madam Chen looked at her expressionlessly: “Old Second’s wife, explain yourself clearly! The child lives with you and pays respects to you daily. How could you not know which day he went missing? When he first arrived, he bit everyone and was both hungry and filthy. How have you been caring for him?”

Madam Qin wiped her tears and said: “Mother, you don’t know. Xuan Yue became possessed a few days ago, always saying someone wanted to beat him, to harm him. When coming to pay respects to me, he had to be supported by the nurse to come over! The moment no one was watching, he would run away. I had no choice but to have Mama Zheng watch him every day, and excused him from paying respects to me. Who would have thought that yesterday at noon, he ran away while the maid wasn’t paying attention… Mama Zheng searched privately for a day without finding him before telling me.”

What a convenient explanation! She could fabricate whatever story she wanted. Chen Xuan Yue now couldn’t speak clearly and couldn’t refute her.

Old Madam Chen smiled slightly: “Old Second’s wife, look at the clothes he’s wearing. How many days has it been since they were changed? Did he only run away yesterday? The servants you’ve trained would search for a missing young master privately without reporting to you? Do you think I’m senile and don’t pay attention to anything anymore?”

Madam Qin’s face turned pale. Previously, Old Madam Chen had turned a blind eye to matters concerning Chen Xuan Yue, but now she was suddenly taking it seriously!

“It’s my fault… I failed to train the servants properly!” Madam Qin said softly, glancing at Mama Zheng.

Mama Zheng immediately fell to her knees with a thud, weeping profusely: “It’s all this servant’s fault! This servant didn’t watch the young master carefully, causing him to suffer!”

Old Madam Chen closed her eyes and sighed: “Go… bring the two maids who attend to the Ninth Young Master. Xian Lan, take Mama Zheng to the side room to wait.”

Madam Qin’s expression became even more unpleasant. Old Madam Chen was determined to investigate this thoroughly!

She curtsied and withdrew.

Chen Xuan Yue turned his head to watch her leave, not blinking once. Madam Wang noticed this too and cupped his small face: “Xuan Yue, no one is here now. Tell your aunt, has someone beaten you? Who beat you?”

Xuan Yue no longer spoke, turning his head to one side. He spotted Chen Zhao Chang’s tangram puzzle and seemed attracted by its colorful pieces. After cautiously glancing at Jin Chao and seeing she wouldn’t stop him, he quickly crawled over and grabbed the tangram.

Old Madam Chen sighed: “I don’t think he’s frightened; I fear he hasn’t spoken to people for so long that he’s forgotten how to speak.”

With the people he disliked gone, Chen Xuan Yue relaxed considerably. He knelt on the arhat bed playing with the tangram.

Soon, the two maids arrived. Chen Xuan Yue looked up at them once, then lowered his eyes indifferently.

These two maids were about fourteen or fifteen years old and quite attractive. Madam Qin selecting these two maids likely had the intention of having Chen Xuan Yue take them as concubines when he grew up. Named Yu Zhang and Yu Huan, they nervously surveyed their surroundings, their faces turning pale upon seeing Chen Xuan Yue.

These two maids’ resolve was not as firm as Mama Zheng’s. After several threats from Old Madam Chen, they revealed everything.

“…It’s not our fault. Mama Zheng was the one who personally attended to the Ninth Young Master. Mama Zheng recently became obsessed with playing pai gow and often gathered with several matrons from the laundry room to gamble. When she couldn’t look after the Ninth Young Master, she would… lock him in his room. Sometimes she forgot to return, and the Ninth Young Master would go hungry for an entire day before getting any food. When the Ninth Young Master threw tantrums, Mama Zheng would also lock him up…”

“Gradually, the Ninth Young Master became increasingly afraid of Mama Zheng, not daring to make a sound even when locked up. Mama Zheng’s actions were improper, but we servants didn’t dare speak up… It was the day before yesterday that the door wasn’t locked properly, and the Ninth Young Master ran away by himself. Mama Zheng was terrified but didn’t dare tell the madam, so she took us to search everywhere, but we couldn’t find him…”

“When did the Second Madam learn that the Ninth Young Master was missing?” Old Madam Chen suddenly asked.

Yu Zhang quickly answered: “This morning! Mama Zheng realized she couldn’t hide it anymore and finally told the Second Madam!”

So it seems Madam Qin truly didn’t know about this matter.

“The Ninth Young Master says someone beat him. Do you know who beat him?” Madam Ge asked.

Yu Zhang shook her head: “…When Mama Zheng lost a lot of money, she would take things from the Ninth Young Master’s room to exchange for silver. She wouldn’t let us see, so Mama Zheng didn’t want us to attend to the Ninth Young Master personally. So this servant doesn’t know who might have beaten the Ninth Young Master…”

Old Madam Chen looked toward the matron who had bathed Xuan Yue earlier. She nodded: “The Ninth Young Master has bruises and abrasions on his body… but he’s been wandering outside for two days, so it’s unclear whether they were caused by someone or from falling from a height…”

Since no more information could be extracted, Old Madam Chen punished the two maids by reducing their monthly allowance and demoting them to the laundry room.

As for whether Chen Xuan Yue had been beaten by someone, they still needed to question Mama Zheng.

When Mama Zheng arrived, she knew everything was over and cried with snot and tears flowing: “…Old Madam, I admit everything you said! I was greedy for gambling, and my luck was bad. I took things from the Ninth Young Master’s room to exchange for silver… But regarding beating him, this servant would never do such a thing! Think about it, wouldn’t beating him be easily discovered? How could this servant continue to live if that happened? This servant isn’t that foolish…”

Chen Xuan Yue carefully observed Mama Zheng’s every move. Whenever Mama Zheng made even a slightly larger gesture, he immediately hid behind Gu Jin Chao like a frightened monkey. His hand gripped Gu Jin Chao tightly; his fingernails, which hadn’t been cut for who knows how long, dug painfully into her skin.

Gu Jin Chao removed his hand from her wrist and held it in her own.

Chen Xuan Yue said someone beat him, but it was unlikely to be Mama Zheng. As she said, no matter how bold she was, she wouldn’t dare raise a hand against a young master.

Old Madam Chen summoned Madam Qin again and told her about Mama Zheng’s actions. She then said: “…This is a matron from your household. You decide what punishment is appropriate. You now manage the household and must lead by example. Even if Xuan Yue’s condition wasn’t intentional on your part, the fact that a person went missing for two days without you taking any action shows extreme negligence!”

Madam Qin said: “Your daughter-in-law is ashamed… This wicked matron cannot be kept!” She immediately ordered the matrons who came with her to drag Mama Zheng away, beat her, and then throw her out of the Chen family.

Mama Zheng was dragged away crying and shouting.

Only then did Madam Qin sigh: “I have failed this child Xuan Yue!” She wanted to stroke Chen Xuan Yue’s head and take him back, arranging for another matron to serve him, thus ending this farce. She had already been humiliated enough.

Chen Xuan Yue, however, avoided her with a scream and began muttering continuously: “Beat… beat…”

Was Chen Xuan Yue saying Madam Qin beat him? How could that be possible?

Madam Wang whispered: “Could the Ninth Young Master truly be possessed…”

The matron behind Madam Qin tried to pull Chen Xuan Yue out, but he looked toward Gu Jin Chao, his eyes brimming with tears.

Gu Jin Chao had seen this kind of gaze before. The last time, by the lotus pond, when he was being led away by Mama Zheng, he had looked at her with the same pleading eyes.

If she remained unmoved again, he would fall back into Madam Qin’s hands, and after this incident, who knew how Madam Qin would deal with him?

Gu Jin Chao pondered for a moment. Having her raise Chen Xuan Yue was impossible. Chen Xuan Yue looked younger, but he was already ten years old and from a different branch of the family… She made up her mind and stood up: “Mother, since Xuan Yue is already ten years old, why not move him to the outer courtyard? The Seventh Young Master also moved to the outer courtyard at age ten. I think the Ninth Young Master is about ready too… He can then study with the Eighth Young Master and others. The Ninth Young Master is old enough now; we can’t leave him without any plan.”

In the outer courtyard, he would be beyond Madam Qin’s control, certainly better than his current situation.

Madam Qin quickly smiled: “I had also thought about sending him to the outer courtyard, but he’s too feeble-minded, and I was afraid others couldn’t manage him. Let him stay in the Second House under my watch, to prevent any mishaps.”

Old Madam Chen glanced at her: “Haven’t there been enough mishaps under your care?”

Hearing this, Madam Qin’s face stiffened, and she dared not speak further.

“With his slow-witted appearance, he will always be bullied by others,” Old Madam Chen sighed. “Old Third’s wife, I see he’s still somewhat close to you. Please look after him more in the future. You don’t need to watch him day and night, just check on him regularly, talk to him, and see if anyone is bullying him. It’s good to place him in the outer courtyard; after all, he will eventually need to establish himself…”

Gu Jin Chao stood up and agreed. Seeing Chen Xuan Yue still playing with the tangram, seemingly less afraid now that someone was looking after him.

She was still thinking about Chen Xuan Yue’s situation.

She remembered… Chen Xuan Yue was cured after going to Shaanxi, though no one knew exactly how he recovered, but it was certainly curable. Should she find a couple of doctors to examine him tomorrow? Of the three concubine-born sons in the Second House, only one survived, and he was a simpleton… it was truly strange.