Su Zhi took a deep breath and kowtowed heavily to Song Chuyi again, her eyes misty with tears as she pleaded: “Sixth Miss, if I may presume to say so, we watched you grow up. Though clever, you have an upright character, unlike Eighth Miss…” She paused, seeming to carry infinite fear and resentment as she continued: “She has no humanity.”

Fearing Song Chuyi wouldn’t believe her, she recounted the incident of Song Chuning throwing the cat, then took a deep breath before continuing with a bitter smile: “Later I went to see that poor little cat. Though half-dead, it could still have survived. But later… later Eighth Miss had someone catch the cat and bring it back. I heard that Eighth Miss personally took a large jar meant for storing paintings and smashed the cat into a bloody pulp…”

This incident had spread throughout the entire Second Branch in private. Since then, people in the Second Branch would rather take detours when they saw Song Chuning, fearing her even more than they had feared Li Shi.

Su Wen also nodded hastily. Seeing that both Song Chuyi and Qing Tao showed shocked expressions, she quickly added: “There’s more. In private, Eighth Miss calls Old Madam ‘that old thing who won’t die’ and once tormented Third Young Master—on a freezing cold day, she nearly got Third Young Master trapped in the courtyard to freeze to death. We were so anxious we went crying to Second Madam, and even Second Madam was scared out of her wits. But Eighth Miss acted as if nothing had happened… She’s not afraid of Madam, not afraid at all…”

Calculating the dates, that was around the time of the incident with Fifth Madam Wang Shi. Song Jie’s days had been difficult then, yet Song Chuning hadn’t even spared him—presumably out of hatred that he was on good terms with herself. Song Chuyi smiled faintly, but her heart grew increasingly vigilant due to Song Chuning’s hostility toward her.

Qing Tao was so shocked she nearly cried out improperly. Her eyes widened in disbelief, and after a long moment, she touched her jaw that had nearly dropped, feeling an extremely deep sense of dread toward Song Chuning in her heart.

Such a cold, emotionless person—a venomous snake who showed no feelings even toward her birth mother—truly made one fear being bitten.

Ziyun had already frozen in shock, stupidly thinking of that little kitten—she had seen that kitten before. When her grandmother had taken her to Old Madam’s courtyard, she had heard about the Persian cat giving birth to a litter of kittens, and she had even held one later… Suddenly hearing how terrifying Song Chuning was, she unconsciously touched her own neck.

Song Chuyi carefully listened to everything the two of them said, then nodded and looked at Cui Qiao beside them: “You heard everything those two sisters just said?”

Cui Qiao’s entire body trembled as she listened. She didn’t know about other matters, but she had witnessed the kitten incident with her own eyes. Recalling it now, she couldn’t help but shudder, and she nodded tremblingly.

“Since you heard it, you should know what kind of person your young mistress is. You can’t rely on her, can you?” Song Chuyi coaxed persuasively, making her voice as gentle as possible: “Even if you don’t trust me, you can trust your Sister Ziyun, can’t you? As long as you tell me the truth in a moment, I’ll arrange a future for you. What do you think?”

Cui Qiao had always been timid. Earlier, upon hearing that Song Chuning had actually hired an assassin, her legs had already been trembling. Now, hearing Song Chuyi say this and seeing Ziyun’s expression, her heart naturally agreed wholeheartedly, and she said yes several times in succession.

Song Chuyi nodded with satisfaction and asked her what exactly Hong Yu and Song Chuning had discussed today.

Hearing this question, Cui Qiao couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. Hong Yu had also been brought by her last night, and today when they were in the room, she had attended nearby. Therefore, when asked about it, she had something to answer. After deliberating for a while, she watched Song Chuyi’s expression and repeated everything Hong Yu and Song Chuning had said, striving not to make any mistakes.

By the end, Song Chuyi couldn’t help but feel a chill of shock—not only had Hong Yu told everything about Lianyi and the others, she had even told Song Chuning about her giving advice to Ye Jingchuan, about Miss Chen setting her up, and about Ye Jingchuan and the Crown Prince coming to her rescue!

Qing Tao also couldn’t help but curse bitterly: “Eating from within while crawling to the outside!”

They couldn’t wait any longer. Song Chuyi made an immediate decision and stood up: “Qing Tao, come with me to Ningde Court. Ziyun, stay here and settle them!”

Ziyun curtsied in acknowledgment. Song Chuyi then headed straight for the covered corridor with Qing Tao. At this time, Song Chengru should also be at Ningde Court.

Yushu was standing in the courtyard watching old women use hooks to catch cicadas. Seeing Song Chuyi, she hurried over with a smile: “Oh, what perfect timing! A cart of watermelons just arrived from the estate, and Old Madam was about to have me go find you.”

Song Chuyi responded absentmindedly a few times. Watching Qing Tao lift the curtain, she walked inside. Ice basins were placed in all four corners of Ningde Court, and several large windows were also open wide. When the draft blew through, it instantly swept away all the summer heat from their bodies.

Her heart settled down somewhat. Seeing that Song Chengru was indeed there, she hurried forward to pay her respects first, then spoke of Song Chuning’s matter. In the end, she finally couldn’t help but show some anxious color: “Earlier at the Tongzhou estate, although I didn’t do anything that could be used against me, it’s still not good for people to know that we have connections with Prince Zhennan’s manor and His Highness the Crown Prince. Eighth Sister truly frightens me. If she really, as I suspect, also had a fortuitous dream like mine by coincidence…”

Song Chengru and Old Madam Song listened with iron-blue faces. When they heard that Song Chuning was not only involved in the fire in Song Yan’s room but had even had a hand in hiring the assassin in Tongzhou, they couldn’t help but show dramatic changes in expression.

How could a six-year-old girl have such capability and scheming?!

Song Chuyi’s concern was correct—she very likely had also had the same dream as Song Chuyi.

And this granddaughter, having had the same dream as Song Chuyi, had done things that were all harmful to others in every single instance…

Song Chengru immediately stood up and instructed Nanny Huang: “Go quickly to the Second Branch’s main courtyard and have Second Master and Eighth Miss come see me!”

But Nanny Huang and the others came up completely empty. When they arrived at the Second Branch’s main courtyard, where were Second Master and Eighth Miss? A few kittens and puppies remained, but nothing else was to be seen.

The situation was urgent. Nanny Huang dared not delay and immediately returned to report.

Old Madam Song gripped the armrest of her chair tightly and cried out in shock: “They’re gone?! How could they just disappear? Where did they go?!”

Nanny Huang stood respectfully with her hands lowered, answering carefully: “I heard that before the midday meal, Second Master called for two carriages—one loaded with belongings, one with Eighth Miss seated in it…”

They had just left like that!

Old Madam Song’s teeth chattered with cold fury. In a moment of extreme agitation, she coughed violently several times, and her body went soft as she collapsed into the chair.

Song Chengru was also enraged. She immediately had someone fetch the First Madam, sent someone with a calling card to summon the imperial physician, and went herself to the front study to see Song Ren and Song Jue.