The weather in late May was unbearably hot. The blazing sun hung high, wilting the vegetation on the ground until it drooped listlessly. Occasional cicada calls made one’s heart irritable.

Taoran Residence had ice basins placed everywhere, and several large banyan trees provided shade, completely isolating it from the scorching heat outside. Yet Nanny Yu and the others felt none of the refreshing comfort of being in a cool place—their hearts were full of panic and fear.

She looked at Song Chuyi sitting in the seat of honor, appearing lofty and superior. Never before had her heart been filled with such fear and dread. This girl had grown up under her and Li Shi’s very noses since childhood, her every move controlled in their hands, obeying their words countless times.

But when exactly did Song Chuyi begin to break free from Li Shi’s and her own control?

Thinking of Li Shi’s previous wariness and precautions toward Song Chuyi, she suddenly felt regret. If only she had discovered something wrong earlier, if only she had earlier…

The fire basin placed in the center of the courtyard suddenly crackled and burst with scattered sparks, startling her back to her senses. Only then did she realize that Song Chuyi was staring straight at her, her eyes carrying a faint trace of mockery.

Her heart tightened, but then she steeled herself, straightening her body and looking at Song Chuyi without avoidance: “Sixth Miss need not ask further. One takes responsibility for one’s own actions. I set the fire—it has nothing to do with anyone else!”

Although Li Shi had been defeated, her own son, daughter-in-law, and daughter were still held in the Li family’s grasp. Old Master Li had warned her to obey Song Chuning in everything. If she exposed Song Chuning… Thinking of Old Madam Li’s methods, she couldn’t help but shudder.

“I know you set it.” Song Chuyi looked at her coldly, seemingly not angry at all, even with a smile at the corners of her mouth: “Yesterday the patrolling servant woman saw you lurking suspiciously near Songtao Courtyard. The gatehouse also said you instructed a young maid to go out to the back street to buy lamp oil and flint. With all this evidence strung together, it would be difficult for you to deny even if you wanted to.”

Nanny Yu bit her lip as she looked at her, finding that smiling-yet-not-smiling expression extremely difficult to fathom. She couldn’t help but lower her head. At worst, it would just be death… Her daughter-in-law had just become pregnant, and her younger daughter would soon marry. If she sacrificed her life for Li Shi and Song Chuning’s sake, the Li family surely wouldn’t mistreat her children and grandchildren. She steeled her heart—in any case, she would just consider it accompanying Li Shi in death.

It was only a pity that this time they still hadn’t managed to truly burn Song Yan to death. Otherwise, it would have been worth it.

Song Chuyi beckoned Qing Tao over, took a handkerchief from her hands, then carelessly tossed it in front of Nanny Yu, asking with a cold laugh: “Nanny, you’ve been your young miss’s chief steward for so many years—your eye for things must be very good. Now, do you or don’t you recognize which embroiderer made this handkerchief?”

Nanny Yu’s gaze was initially disdainful, but when she caught sight of the handkerchief, her expression changed dramatically. With a loud cry, she pushed away the restraining matrons on either side, her voice urgent and changed: “Where did you get this?!”

This was clearly her daughter-in-law’s handiwork!

“Naturally I got it from the person who embroidered it.” Song Chuyi stepped on the handkerchief rather carelessly, looking challengingly at Nanny Yu: “In your life, you’ve done countless evil deeds as a tyrant’s accomplice, yet you still have descendants to carry on your line. Thinking about it, I find it rather unfair. Nanny, you’ve even made a move against my younger brother. Tell me, shouldn’t I retaliate in kind and collect some interest from you?”

Nanny Yu’s eyes nearly split with rage. Her heart almost burst directly from her throat. She crawled forward stumbling and staggering, trying to pull the handkerchief from under Song Chuyi’s foot.

But Song Chuyi kicked her back with one foot, sending her reeling backward.

Only then did she see the look in Song Chuyi’s eyes when she regarded her—this kind of look she had also seen on Song Chuning before. That gaze viewing life and death as nothing, cold to the extreme, truly made her heart plunge into an icy abyss.

“No, no, no…” She hugged Song Chuyi’s leg, finally realizing she had still underestimated this girl. Nervous to the point of incoherence: “Those were all sins I committed—they have nothing to do with my son and daughter-in-law. Sixth Miss, whether you want to kill or torture, I’m right here. I only beg you to spare them…”

“Then why didn’t you spare my younger brother?!” Song Chuyi’s voice suddenly became sharp. She looked at Nanny Yu almost coldly, laughing in extreme anger: “Your relatives are relatives, but mine aren’t?! What makes you think that with just a few words from you, I would spare your son and daughter-in-law?! Let me tell you honestly—today, if you speak the truth to me, that’s one thing. But if you still want to play games with me… Not only your son and daughter-in-law, but even your younger daughter who’s about to marry, I won’t spare a single one!”

Nanny Yu’s pupils suddenly dilated. She collapsed to the ground, unable to speak a complete sentence for a long while.

Song Chuyi appeared harmless as a lamb, looking no different from other girls her age. But Nanny Yu knew that every word she spoke could become reality.

“It was, it was… Eighth Miss…” Nanny Yu was utterly devastated, feeling her mouth was no longer under her control, her legs shaking like chaff: “She, she told me to set the fire…”

Qing Tao and Hong Yu simultaneously widened their eyes, mouths gaping open enough to fit an egg. How old was Song Chuning?! A little girl ten months younger than Song Yan—how could she have such a venomous heart and such decisive boldness?!

The room fell silent for a moment. Nanny Yu seemed afraid Song Chuyi wouldn’t believe her. She clutched at Song Chuyi’s skirt hem, crying until her voice became distorted: “Sixth Miss, I truly haven’t lied to you. It was Eighth Miss who told me to do it, no mistake. You must believe me! I’ve already told you everything—please spare my son and daughter-in-law! I beg you!”

So Song Chuning had harbored such great hatred toward her and Song Yan from such a young age. Song Chuyi laughed scornfully. Who would be on guard against a five-year-old little girl? In her previous life, dying so miserably—it wasn’t really that unjust after all.

Hong Yu’s eyes reddened with hatred. Looking at Nanny Yu with both hate and disgust, she asked Song Chuyi softly: “Miss, shall we hand Nanny Yu over to Old Madam?”

Song Chuning was so malicious at such a young age—she couldn’t be left unchecked.

Hearing these words, Nanny Yu’s eyes widened again, scared into backing away repeatedly. She couldn’t say anything. If she spoke these words before Old Madam Song, her son and daughter-in-law would still die all the same. Moreover, she didn’t only have a son and daughter-in-law—her parents and relatives were all house-born servants of the Li family. By then, they would probably all be implicated…

Before Song Chuyi could respond, Nanny Xu hurried in. She first glanced at Nanny Yu, then quickly walked to Song Chuyi’s side, saying in a low voice: “Miss, Princess Consort of Zhennan and the Eldest Young Madam of Duke Yingguo have arrived. Old Madam sent me to call you over.”