The weather in Qingzhou seemed to have grown even colder recently. The plum blossoms on the branches appeared somewhat listless under such harsh cold, drooping limply on the branches and scattering everywhere with the snowflakes at the slightest breeze.

Yun He had been restless since early morning. Although she counted the days daily and Old Madam Song was drawing ever closer to Qingzhou, at the same time Song Linlang’s health was deteriorating. Last night she stayed up until late into the night before finally managing to coax Song Linlang to sleep. If this continued, she truly didn’t know whether Song Linlang could hold on until Old Madam Song arrived.

Bougainvillea was arranged all around the main courtyard, their branches and leaves now extending from all directions. Seeing this made Yun He’s heart even more troubled. For some reason, she felt her heart beating faster and faster. She quickened her pace around the corridor and came face to face with Concubine Bai.

For a moment both were stunned. After recovering, Concubine Bai smiled timidly, somewhat anxiously and shyly shrinking back as she softly explained her purpose. “The weather is getting colder and colder. I was afraid elder sister might catch cold, so I specially came to deliver some newly fluffed cotton.”

To be fair, this Concubine Bai’s surface efforts were always faultless. Although she appeared pitifully delicate like an unweathered flower on the outside, she acted without leaving any trace—even now with Song Linlang’s illness, she hadn’t behaved like others who fawned on the powerful and scorned the weak. She often brought things to visit, and there was thought in what she brought—never food or anything that needed to be consumed.

Yun He knew this Concubine Bai was now Xiang Yunzhang’s precious darling, and that she never left any vulnerabilities in her actions. She nodded to complete the courtesies and stepped aside to let Concubine Bai pass.

But the moment she entered the room, she was shocked into standing frozen by the blood Song Linlang had spewed out. This thick bloody smell mixed with the hot burning charcoal almost made her unable to control her dizziness.

This time Song Linlang didn’t stop after vomiting once. Toward the end, she was practically vomiting blood in great mouthfuls. Yun He’s eyes widened in panic as she looked at Nanny Zheng, only to see Nanny Zheng violently smash the white porcelain bowl on the small stool beside her and scream hoarsely, “What a fine Concubine Bai!”

Concubine Bai?! It was actually Concubine Bai?!

Yun He rushed over to wipe Song Linlang’s mouth with a handkerchief, but the beige silk handkerchief was quickly soaked crimson with fresh blood. Song Linlang soon appeared on the verge of death.

Nanny Wang’s rotund body shook the earth as she ran, stumbling as she called for someone to fetch a physician.

Yun He held Song Linlang, supporting her to keep her from lying flat—lying flat made even breathing difficult. Unable to stop her tears, she changed to another handkerchief in panic to wipe for Song Linlang.

But no matter how much she wiped, it wouldn’t come clean. The plain-colored velvet blanket spread on the bed was soon stained with a large patch of red.

Xiang Yunzhang and Concubine Bai, who arrived shortly after, also stood frozen in place. Concubine Bai even shrieked and hid behind Xiang Yunzhang.

“How could this happen?!” Xiang Yunzhang’s heart couldn’t stop panicking. He wanted to stride forward but was frightened motionless by that shocking pool of blood. He roared at the people in the room, “Why would this happen out of nowhere?!”

If Song Linlang died at this time, how would he explain to the Song family?! How would he explain?!

Concubine Bai was equally dumbstruck. Her mind went blank for a while before clearing somewhat. She urgently asked along, “Yes, when I just came over, everything was fine. How did it suddenly become like this?”

Nanny Zheng gnashed her teeth and pounced on them, pushing and shoving them relentlessly, her face covered in tears and snot. “We were just about to ask why this happened! Madam was clearly still fine. How is it that after Concubine Bai spent just a moment alone with her, she became like this?!”

Xiang Yunzhang suddenly turned to look at Concubine Bai, his expression looking ready to devour someone.

Concubine Bai’s face instantly went pale. She looked in disbelief at Song Linlang on the bed, whose eyes had become unfocused and couldn’t even speak. Her legs went weak and she sat on the ground.

She knew something was wrong, she knew why Song Linlang, who usually disdained her, had suddenly changed her temperament and even kept her alone to talk for a while—even sending away Nanny Zheng and Nanny Wang who were by her side.

So it was for this, so it was for this…

“No!” Concubine Bai cried out, her face full of terror. “I only spoke a few words with Madam, not even half a cup of tea’s time. And when I left, she was clearly still fine…”

Xiang Yunzhang looked with complex expression at his wife beginning to convulse on the bed, then lowered his head to look at Concubine Bai crying pitifully. He reached out and pulled Concubine Bai up.

Yun He’s heart turned cold watching this. She held Song Linlang’s hand, continuously rubbing it, her tears falling in large drops to the ground.

Song Linlang struggled to stretch her neck to look outside. Xiang Yunzhang’s heart stirred. For some reason feeling somewhat pained, he unconsciously took a few steps forward.

But he quickly discovered Song Linlang wasn’t looking at him—she was looking behind him.

He dazedly followed Song Linlang’s gaze and turned around to see Xiang Mingzi standing just one step outside the threshold.

Xiang Mingzi hadn’t stood there dazed for long. She almost immediately lifted her skirts and stumbled past him to collapse at the bedside, grasping Song Linlang’s hand and using all her strength to call out “Mother.”

Neither mother nor daughter looked at him again.

He stood with clenched fists for a while, his heart in turmoil, then turned and pulled Concubine Bai outside, as if fleeing a terrifying scene of carnage.

Concubine Bai’s heart was beating so fast it hurt. After struggling along with Xiang Yunzhang for a stretch, she gasped to explain to him, “Master, I truly didn’t…”

Xiang Yunzhang’s steps didn’t stop. He released her hand and walked even faster. “Wait until the physician comes and explains the cause.”

He had indeed suspected Concubine Bai at first, but after recovering from the panic, he rejected this thought—whether Song Linlang was alive or dead made no difference to Concubine Bai now. Moreover, Concubine Bai had always been respectful toward her, never adding insult to injury even when she was down. There was no reason for her to make a move against her.

Song Linlang’s health had been deteriorating anyway. These past few days, with frequent anger and exposure to cold, it was already adding disaster upon calamity. Death was just a matter of time—it had merely come earlier.

Nanny Zheng was just confused from concern, and because she resented him, she deliberately wanted to push the responsibility onto him.

In a moment, he would have all these people dealt with—keeping them around to speak nonsense before Old Madam Song, who knew what unreliable things they would say.

Only the way Song Linlang and Xiang Mingzi had looked at him just now was truly hair-raising. He unconsciously shivered, his steps growing faster and faster, not caring whether Concubine Bai behind him could keep up.

He had to find the physician too. After he finished examining Song Linlang, he needed to give him thorough instructions not to speak carelessly.