Heavy dark clouds accumulated on the horizon, gradually swallowing the moonlight and shrouding the entire estate in darkness. Yuanxi regretted that the lamp in her room was lit too brightly, illuminating those eyes so clearly—the whites bloodshot, the dark pupils staring fixedly at the window, with only occasional movements proving they weren’t ghostly, yet more terrifying than any ghost.
Yuanxi was so frightened she wanted to scream, but couldn’t make a sound. She tried to run from the bed in terror, only to discover she couldn’t summon even half her strength. Those eyes noticed her movement and pushed hard at the door again.
Yuanxi felt as if her throat was being strangled tight, gasping for air in horror. She struggled to stand, and after just a few steps was already drenched in sweat. Barely supporting herself against the desk, when she looked up again, she discovered those eyes at the paper window had vanished.
She hurriedly looked left and right, seeing the main door hadn’t moved at all and no human figure was visible in the room, only then did her heart settle slightly. But her body felt increasingly wrong, and her head grew more severely dizzy.
For some reason, she felt she absolutely couldn’t fall asleep like this, so she forced herself to move toward the door, hoping to make noise to summon An’he and the others. But her steps were heavy—she had barely moved when the dancing candlelight made her head split with pain. In her confusion, she seemed to see a face emerge from the candle flame, its ravaged surface so thin only skin remained. That face became clearer and clearer—it was actually Nanny Zhang, who had once taught deportment at the Chancellor’s Manor and should have died five years ago.
She saw her extend a withered yellow skeletal hand, grinning as she said, “Miss, come with me.” But that smile seemed to emerge from the underworld itself, making one’s entire body turn cold.
Yuanxi had been most afraid of this nanny since childhood. Now she was already terrified to tears, only able to keep reminding herself this was fake, definitely her hallucination, she absolutely couldn’t go with her—she had to keep walking forward, only by reaching the door would there be hope.
But all the strength in her body seemed drained away, her consciousness growing more and more blurred. Just as despair was about to swallow her completely, sudden “bang bang bang” knocking sounds came from outside the door!
Xiao Du stood before the door, puzzled as he looked at the tightly locked room door while light showed from within. “Could it be she’s angry because I came late?” With this thought, he tried knocking a few more times, but still received no response. Just as he was growing impatient with knocking and preparing to turn and leave, he suddenly heard a “thud” from inside, as if something had been knocked to the ground, then the light in the room suddenly went out.
He immediately understood something had happened inside. Kicking open the door with one foot, he rushed in. By the faint moonlight, he saw Yuanxi with tear stains covering her face, collapsed on the ground trying to support herself to stand.
Seeing Xiao Du, she was like a drowning person seeing salvation, immediately grabbing him tightly in a death grip, afraid that if she loosened her hold he would disappear. At this moment, a thought suddenly flashed through her mind: was he real, or her hallucination? So she used her last bit of strength to poke hard at Xiao Du’s chest muscles several times—mm, the feel was solid and warm, should be a real person—then she fainted with relief.
Xiao Du was first embraced by warm fragrant softness, then nearly strangled breathless, then saw her inexplicably poke his chest a few times before fainting with a look of relief. His face immediately darkened, wanting nothing more than to shake her awake right now and ask what exactly was stuffed in her brain.
Then he saw strange green smoke rising from the fallen lamp shade. By now the commotion here had spread, and people from the estate were lighting lamps and coming to look. Xiao Du quickly had a running servant hold up a lantern to examine it, discovering some blue-gray powder stuck in the lamp shade.
His heart sank heavily—it was indeed Green Stone Powder: colorless and odorless when burned, but violently toxic and hallucinogenic. If he had arrived a step later, perhaps…
When Yuanxi woke again, she found it was already morning. Opening her eyes, she saw many pairs of eyes surrounding her—red-eyed An’he and Rong Qiao, anxious Xiao Zhixuan, and Xiao Du whose eyes were filled with gravity. At this moment, Yuanxi had only one thought: those eyes, she had definitely seen them before! But who, exactly who?
Seeing her finally wake, though her gaze was still vacant, An’he hurried to help her sit up, wiping tears as she said, “Miss, you’ve finally awakened.” Yuanxi tried to speak but found her throat felt like fire was burning. Rong Qiao quickly handed her a cup of tea. After drinking it down, Yuanxi felt somewhat better and asked, “What exactly… happened?”
Xiao Zhixuan sat on the bed edge, grasping her hand. “The doctor came earlier and said you were poisoned. Fortunately you didn’t inhale deeply, otherwise…” Her eyes also reddened, and she continued, “Fortunately the doctor said there shouldn’t be any lasting effects. You might have headaches and dizziness for a few days, but you’ll be fine after resting.”
“It’s all my fault,” An’he cried. “Why didn’t I notice the fire contained poison? Why didn’t I guard outside Miss’s door!”
“Stop talking. Pack things up—we’re returning to the manor!” Xiao Du spoke coldly from the side.
Everyone turned to look at him. Xiao Zhixuan couldn’t help saying, “Sister-in-law just woke up—how can she ride in a carriage?”
“Didn’t the doctor say she could get out of bed within an hour? Riding in a carriage should be fine too.” Xiao Du stood up, looked deeply at Yuanxi once, then went out to instruct the servants to begin packing. Seeing she couldn’t argue with him, Xiao Zhixuan could only hold Yuanxi’s hand and ask a few more questions before taking her maids back to pack.
Yuanxi felt her head still ached somewhat and was thinking of lying down to rest when she suddenly saw a figure flash past the corridor pillar outside. Her heart jumped as she called softly, “Little Tutor?”
Seeing he couldn’t hide, Luo Yuan had to approach the door, bowing to her across the threshold while asking with concern, “Madam Xiao, are you all right?”
Yuanxi quickly shook her head. “Nothing serious now. Thank you for your concern, Tutor.”
Seeing her pale complexion yet still forcing a smile for him, Luo Yuan felt an inexplicable hidden pain in his heart, though he feigned lightness on the surface. “It’s good that you’re fine. I must also bid farewell to Madam.”
Yuanxi said, “We’re preparing to return as well.” Then both fell silent simultaneously. Anything more seemed inappropriate, so they each turned away, treating it as having said goodbye.
Yuanxi leaned against the brocade cushion and gently closed her eyes. After Luo Yuan walked several steps away, he couldn’t help turning back to look. Seeing her profile with closed eyes, he suddenly remembered many years ago in a warm pavilion with a brazier burning, when he was helping her copy poetry and texts while she dozed off lying on the desk. A breeze blew in from the window, constantly flipping the book pages on the desk. Her sleeping profile was buried in the fragrance of books and ink. The warm brazier reflected her slightly childish sleeping face red, and also illuminated his satisfied smile.
The servants’ calling voices made Luo Yuan suddenly return to himself. Looking down, he saw fallen flowers covering the courtyard ground. He buried this scene once more in his heart, turned around, and strode forward.
The return journey was the same, but the people in the carriage carried additional heaviness. Seeing Yuanxi’s melancholy expression, Xiao Zhixuan tried various ways to cheer her up, but Yuanxi couldn’t summon the energy for conversation, only repeatedly thinking: “Those eyes that night—whose were they? Who exactly wanted to harm her?”
Thinking Yuanxi was still unwell, Xiao Zhixuan hung her head, twisting her clothes in dejection. “I thought this trip could bring success for you and big brother, but who knew it would turn out like this. Could it really be that the house has bad feng shui?”
Yuanxi was suddenly shaken, thinking: “Why did something happen every time she and Xiao Du were about to consummate their marriage!” She then connected this to those earlier rumors about Xiao Du—those concubines who died unnaturally before even entering the household, were they really true? The more she thought, the clearer it became: “If so, then the person wanting to harm her must be hidden in the manor. And among those brought from the marquis manor this time, who had opportunity to enter her room were only An’he, Rong Qiao, Xiao Zhixuan, and Xiao Du. Oh yes, and Yunniang—when they went to pick fruit, only Yunniang remained at the estate.”
“Is Madam feeling well? His Lordship sent me to inform Madam that we’re almost there—just a few more li,” came a servant’s voice from outside the carriage, interrupting her train of thought. Yuanxi snapped back to reality, only then noticing her heart was beating violently. She pressed her hand to her chest to calm the deep fear from moments before, lifted the carriage curtain, and said, “I’m fine. Just keep traveling.”
Horse hooves clattered, finally stopping before the pair of stone lions at Marquis Xuanyuan Manor’s entrance. Xiao Zhixuan was helping Yuanxi down from the carriage when suddenly a little maid ran out from the gate—it was Juan Bi from Madam Zhao’s quarters. She anxiously rushed to the carriage where Xiao Du was and shouted, “Your Lordship, you’re finally back! Something has happened to Madam!”