The thunder roared and the lightning flashed as a sudden downpour drenched the night sky. The cold wind seeped through the half-open window, causing the candles inside the room to flicker incessantly.
Someone hurriedly rushed to the window and with a loud “bang,” shut it tightly. Now, the room was only dimly lit, with the border between the dimness and the shadows casting an eerie glow on a face that, though slightly aged, still retained its beauty. However, as the face turned slightly, the exposed side revealed a complete disfigurement, with gaping black holes like crawling insects, and dark cracks spreading across the entire surface. Fingers, as white as jade, traced over the ruined cheek, while a pair of almond-shaped eyes brimmed with resentment. The person slammed the bronze mirror in front of them onto the ground, muffling a pained groan.
The one who closed the window turned back, startled by the scene. Hastily, she opened a hidden compartment and retrieved a fan.
Made of Xiang bamboo for its bones, and porcelain jade for its handle, the tightly stretched fan surface gleamed under the lamp, resembling polished white tallow. Strangely, there were no patterns painted on the fan surface, just a plain fan that seemed out of place amidst the embroidered fabrics strewn around the room.
The person under the lamplight beheld the fan with intense desire in their eyes, clutching it tightly to their chest as their breath heaved. The other person, with a composed expression, received the fan from their hands, about to speak, when suddenly their gaze sharpened. They strode to the window and shouted, “Who goes there!”
The only response was the sound of the rain and the endless darkness of the night. They leaned out the window for a long time, until even the sleeve was damp, before carefully closing the window and inspecting both inside and out. Finally, they walked back to the table, frowning. Yet, at the very spot where their gaze had just shifted away, a towering tree obscured a figure hastily departing…
##
Xiao Zhixuan had disappeared!
When Yuanyi, still in confinement, heard the news, the entire mansion had been searched from top to bottom. His Highness, in a state of panic, was on the verge of ordering a thorough excavation, but no matter how they searched, Xiao Zhixuan seemed to have vanished into thin air, leaving no trace behind.
“I believe it’s related to the Princess!” Yuanyi blurted out almost instinctively after hearing the whole story from Xiao Du.
Sitting beside her, Xiao Du’s expression was filled with deep concern. “I’ve questioned the Princess, but she claims she has never seen Zhixuan before. We’ve searched the Buddhist hall as well, but there’s no trace of a cellar.”
Yuanyi bit her lip, her mind filled with swirling doubts. Their investigation into the Princess had been conducted very discreetly, and she had been the one to handle the situation in the Buddhist hall. There was no reason for the Princess to suddenly target Xiao Zhixuan. Unless… something unexpected had occurred without her knowledge.
Quickly, she inquired, “How did Zhixuan disappear? And when did it happen?”
Xiao Du explained, “According to her maid, she left early in the morning without saying where she was going, and specifically instructed that no one should follow her. But she never returned, and by lunchtime, the maid was alarmed enough to report it to her father. We searched inside and outside the mansion for several hours, but found no clues.”
“Was there anyone suspicious leaving the mansion during that time?”
Xiao Du shook his head. “All the guards at each gate have been questioned, but there’s no sign of any suspicious individuals or activities.”
“So, Zhixuan should still be in the mansion!” Yuanyi paced anxiously around the room, then added, “I believe she, or even more likely, she might be hidden in a place we haven’t found yet.”
Furrowing his brow, Xiao Du replied, “Then I’ll go question the Princess again. This time, I must get to the bottom of it.”
Yuanyi, however, grabbed him and said, “We have no evidence. After all, the Princess is your mother. Even if His Highness intervenes, what can he do to her?”
Xiao Du’s gaze was somewhat downcast. Over the years, no matter how he charged into battles or played political games, he had never shown any signs of retreat. But now, faced with someone he had considered family for so long, the Princess, he couldn’t remain calm.
At that moment, there was a message from outside the door. Xiao Zhixuan’s maid, Xinger, requested an audience with Madam. Xiao Du and Yuanyi exchanged a glance and quickly had her brought in. Xinger, having not heard from Xiao Zhixuan for a whole day, was both fearful and anxious. As soon as she entered, she knelt down and tearfully explained the situation. After listening for a while, Yuanyi finally understood. It turned out that Xiao Zhixuan had given Xinger a sachet last night, instructing her to deliver it to Madam today. However, because Yuanyi was still in confinement and couldn’t easily meet outsiders, and after Xiao Zhixuan disappeared, Xinger had been busy searching everywhere with the other servants until now. She only remembered it now. Recalling her mistress’s expression at the time, she felt that the sachet must be very important, so she hurried to deliver it.
Yuanyi took the sachet and comforted Xinger before sending her away. Under the bright light, the green silk sachet looked somewhat peculiar. Yuanyi and Xiao Du exchanged another glance and then carefully opened the sachet with scissors, revealing a letter inside.
The handwriting on the paper was Xiao Zhixuan’s, stating that she had accidentally discovered that a missing maid from the same hometown was still working as a nanny in the mansion. So she secretly visited the nanny and learned that the maid had been taken away by another nanny because she had stolen a fan from the Princess’s room. After that, she disappeared. In such a large household, the absence of one or two maids was not a big deal, so the nanny dared not make a fuss and kept it quiet.
It was then that Xiao Zhixuan remembered seeing a strange fan in the Princess’s room a few years ago. At that time, the scene was too bizarre, and she suspected it was just a dream and didn’t dare to be too sure. At the end of the letter, she said she would try to find out what happened and clear Yuanyi’s name. But after writing this letter, she vanished without a trace.
After reading the letter, Yuanyi became even more worried about Xiao Zhixuan’s safety. However, although the letter pointed directly at the Princess regarding the disappearance, it wasn’t considered concrete evidence. The only suspicious thing was the fan. She looked up at Xiao Du, who also wore an anxious expression, and asked, “Do you know if there’s any special fan in the Princess’s room?”
Xiao Du shook his head. “I wasn’t close to the Princess, and I rarely visited her room when I was young, so I’ve never seen any fan.”
Yuanyi tightly grasped the letter and made up her mind, saying, “In that case, we’ll have to take a gamble and search the Princess’s room. Otherwise, if we delay any longer, something might happen to Zhixuan…”
She didn’t continue, but Xiao Du felt a chill creeping over him: If they delayed any longer, would Zhixuan also become one of those white bones? What would become of this family then?
The next day, when Xiao Du led the guards into the Princess’s room, she didn’t show any panic on her face. Instead, she coldly glanced at Yuanyi and said, “Since when does a guilty person have the right to search my room?”
Yuanyi bowed to the Princess and said, “I meant no offense, but Zhixuan disappeared for no reason, and I’m deeply worried. That’s why I came with Xiao Du. After confirming Zhixuan’s safety, I’m willing to take full responsibility.”
Before she could say anything else, Xiao Du stepped forward, shielding her, and said, “Father has ordered a thorough search of the entire mansion. Only your room remains unchecked. After today’s events, if you wish to blame someone, I’m willing to share the blame with you.”
Yuanyi reached into his sleeve, intertwining her fingers with his. The Princess, looking at the united front before her, suddenly felt a pang of pain in her heart. Turning away, she dug her nails into her flesh and said, “Very well! These are my good son and daughter-in-law. Fine! Search if you must, but let me make it clear: if you don’t find any evidence today, even if you take this matter to the Emperor, I will never let it go.”
Xiao Du’s expression darkened, but he still ordered the guards to search the room. After a thorough search, however, they found nothing. They found no trace of Xiao Zhixuan or any special fan.
Xiao Du’s face grew grim, but the Princess wore a mocking smile. Her cold gaze swept across the messy room, and she said loudly, “Yuma, bring His Highness here. I want to know how my good son intends to explain the accusation of framing me as the culprit.”
“Wait a minute!” Yuanyi suddenly walked to a corner and exclaimed, “This scent… something’s wrong!”