“Looking for me?” Meixue stared at Chunxiu with surprise and said, “Didn’t you know that we went to get dinner together with Sister Jirong?”

Chunxiu pretended to suddenly realize and said, “Oh right, look at my terrible memory. By the way, why did you come back?”

“I felt a bit unwell, so I came back midway. You were looking for me… is there something you need?” Although Jirong said Chunxiu felt remorseful, based on her understanding of Chunxiu over all these years, the latter had always looked down on her, so how could she feel regret? It was just that Jirong’s words had been so sincere at the time that she didn’t want to expose it.

Chunxiu forced a smile and said, “It’s nothing really. I just… felt that what I said before was a bit excessive, so… I wanted to come talk to you and tell you not to take it too much to heart.”

Meixue looked at Chunxiu with surprise. An apology? This was truly beyond her expectations. Could it be… just as Jirong had said, that Chunxiu had come around?

If that were truly the case, then being able to coexist peacefully in the mansion would not be a bad thing. She was about to speak when she inadvertently saw something that had fallen on the ground. Picking it up, she saw it was one of her earrings that she had worn before. Strange, hadn’t she placed it on the dressing table? How could it have fallen on the ground?

While pondering this, Meixue noticed that her bed curtains also seemed to have been disturbed, and the cabinet door beside them was half-open, which definitely wasn’t how she had left it when she went out. Could it be…

She suddenly looked at the nervous-looking Chunxiu and said suspiciously, “You didn’t come to find me, did you?”

Chunxiu’s eyes flickered as she said, “If I didn’t come to find you, what else could it be? Could I have come here to steal something? How ridiculous. Look at yourself—you’re so shabby, what could you possibly have worth stealing?”

Meixue was naive, but she wasn’t foolish. Seeing Chunxiu’s behavior, she became even more certain that her suspicions were correct. “Then tell me, what exactly did you come here to do?”

“I already told you. If you refuse to believe it, there’s nothing I can do about it.”

Meixue knew she was definitely hiding something, but since Chunxiu wouldn’t speak, there was nothing she could do. She could only say, “In that case, please leave.”

Chunxiu glanced at the cabinet not far away and said coldly, “After I’ve checked over there, I’ll naturally leave.” With that, she was about to go pull open the cabinet, but Meixue felt disgusted and stepped forward to block her, saying, “These are all mine and Caiping’s private belongings. What are you looking at them for?”

Chunxiu smiled coldly and said, “If they’re truly just private belongings, then naturally there’s nothing wrong. But I’m afraid they’re not. Move aside!”

Meixue listened with complete confusion and said, “What exactly are you talking about? Why can’t I understand a single word?”

By this point, Chunxiu was too lazy to continue the charade with her and said, “Wu Meixue, do you really think I don’t know anything? You and Shen Yunyi are accomplices. No, I should say, both you and Jiang Caiping are.”

Meixue said with a face full of confusion, “What nonsense are you spouting? Second Young Master already said this matter has nothing to do with me. Why are you still clinging to it?”

Chunxiu mocked, “You have the ability to completely bewitch Second Young Master, but unfortunately, heaven’s net is wide and lets nothing through. You still revealed your flaws in the end. Wu Meixue, this time, you won’t escape.”

“Escape from what? I haven’t done anything at all. It was Yunyi who used…” Before she could finish, Chunxiu had already said, “Enough! I don’t want to hear any more of your nonsense. Move aside immediately!”

Meixue looked back at the cabinet and said incredulously, “You couldn’t possibly think that Yunyi is hiding in there, could you?”

“It’s not suspicion, it’s certainty. Otherwise, why would Jiang Caiping go to the kitchen to get so many steamed buns, and why would you prevent me from opening this cabinet?”

Meixue shook her head repeatedly and said, “You’re insane. Yunyi committed the serious crime of attempting to assassinate the Governor. How could I possibly harbor her? As for Caiping…” She suddenly remembered what Jiang Caiping had mentioned when she first returned. At the time, she thought Caiping was confused, but Kitchen Matron Li had indeed mentioned that Caiping had asked for many steamed buns. If all of this was just Caiping being confused, then where had those extra steamed buns gone?

But Yunyi looked completely different from herself. If it had really been Yunyi at the time, there was no reason for Caiping to mistake her for herself, was there?

Chunxiu mocked, “Nothing to say now? The reason the eldest young masters have been unable to find Shen Yunyi all this time isn’t because she’s particularly skilled at hiding, but because she’s hiding in a place no one would think of—your room!”

Faced with her accusations, Meixue hurriedly said, “No, she’s not here. Don’t talk nonsense. Besides… I only just came out of the dungeon today, so how could I possibly be harboring Yunyi?”

Chunxiu said coldly, “This place has already been searched countless times, so no one would think to search it again. As they say, the most dangerous place is the safest place. Meixue, you’re really bold!”

“I…” Meixue didn’t know what to say and could only respond, “In any case, I’m not harboring Yunyi, and you have no right to search my residence. Leave immediately!”

Chunxiu sneered, “So eager to drive me out—isn’t that a guilty conscience? Get out of my way!” With that, she forcefully pushed Meixue, causing her to crash into the cabinet door with a “bang,” sending sharp pain through the back of her head.

Meixue endured the pain and said, “You’re going too far. In any case, this is my room, and I won’t allow you to act wildly here!”

“That’s not for you to decide!” Chunxiu was unwilling to give up. The more Meixue prevented her from searching, the more convinced she became that Yunyi was hiding in the cabinet. One insisted on searching, the other refused to allow it, and in this situation, the two began pushing and shoving each other.

Chunxiu was worried that if this continued, Jiang Caiping would return with dinner before she could open the cabinet. Taking advantage of Meixue’s momentary inattention, she used all her strength to push her forcefully aside.

Meixue was caught off guard and was pushed so hard that she crashed into the cabinet again, then her whole body slumped down softly, sitting in front of the cabinet with her eyes wide open, staring at Chunxiu.

“Move!” Seeing that she was still blocking the cabinet and preventing her from opening the cabinet door, Chunxiu tried to push her away. But as soon as she touched her, Meixue collapsed like a broken rag doll, which startled Chunxiu greatly, not knowing what had happened.

She steadied herself and stepped forward to kick Meixue, saying, “You… get up quickly! Don’t lie there pretending to be dead to scare people!”

Meixue had no reaction to her actions whatsoever, remaining completely motionless, while those eyes continued to stare at Chunxiu, making her skin crawl. Could it be that…

“It can’t be, it can’t be!” Before this thought could fully form, Chunxiu was already hastily denying it. She had only pushed Meixue once—how could she possibly be dead?

But no matter how much she called or kicked, Meixue had no reaction. Chunxiu crouched down and reached out with trembling fingers to check Meixue’s breathing. As soon as she touched her, she immediately pulled back, her whole body shaking uncontrollably.