During the banquet, several Taitais chatted and laughed merrily while maids and servants bustled about with trays. Xianglan stood for a while before growing tired, her stomach growling faintly from hunger. She discreetly clenched her fists to massage her legs when she noticed Cao Lihuan secretly tucking a peach into her sleeve before standing up and slipping out.
Xianglan quickly followed. Cao Lihuan headed to the privy at the back and said to Xianglan, "I need to relieve myself. Guard the door for me and don’t let anyone in."
Xianglan nodded in agreement but couldn’t suppress her curiosity. She thought, "Why would she hide a peach just to use the privy?" Peeking through the door crack, she saw Cao Lihuan take out a small Beauty's Shoulder vial from her pouch, pour out the Fluid-generating Dewdrop Pills inside, peel the peach, and squeeze its juice into the bottle. The remaining pit and flesh were tossed out the window into the lake before she wiped her hands with a handkerchief.
Xianglan quickly lowered her gaze and stood properly as Cao Lihuan emerged and returned to her seat. Puzzled, Xianglan wondered what the Cousin was up to. Cao Lihuan picked up the wine jug before her, gave it a gentle shake to confirm there was still a small amount left, then discreetly uncorked the small vial hidden in her sleeve and poured the peach juice inside. Amidst the laughter and eating, no one noticed—except Xianglan, who stood slightly behind Cao Lihuan and had been watching her closely, witnessing the entire act. She then saw Cao Lihuan fill Lin Dongqi’s cup to the brim, clink glasses, and press her to drink. Unable to refuse, Lin Dongqi downed a cup. Not to be outdone, Lin Dongling also proposed a toast, and Cao Lihuan refilled Lin Dongqi’s cup, forcing her to drink another.
The girls’ table was served Fruit Wine, made from grapes, so the added peach juice wouldn’t be easily detectable. After coaxing Lin Dongqi to drink several cups, Cao Lihuan curled her lips into a cold smile.
A shiver ran down Xianglan’s spine as she suddenly recalled that when Cao Lihuan had previously gifted Palace Flowers to the Lin sisters, Lin Dongqi had mentioned she couldn’t tolerate peaches—even touching them would cause rashes to break out on her skin! In an instant, Xianglan understood: so this was Cao Lihuan’s vicious scheme!
Xianglan’s heart pounded, though she forced her expression to remain calm. As she pondered what to do, Cao Lihuan beckoned her over and said, "Go fetch the small pouch from my dressing table."
Xianglan had no choice but to leave. Watching her retreating figure, Cao Lihuan smirked coldly, sipped her wine, and thought to herself, Just wait—soon you’ll suffer, and you’ll spend the rest of your life obediently under my thumb!
Once outside, Xianglan slowed her steps, thinking, In my past life, I once broke out in rashes and swelling from eating the wrong seafood, and my throat swelled so badly I nearly suffocated. If Second Miss suffers from the peach juice, it could be disastrous. I must find a way to alert Taitai. Clenching her fists, she glanced around and spotted Qin Shi’s head maid, Hongjian, laughing and chatting with a few maids under the corridor. Relieved, Xianglan approached and whispered urgently, "Sister Hongjian, I have something important to tell you."
Hongjian looked up and saw a fair, delicate maid with large, anxious eyes. Though her face seemed familiar, Hongjian couldn’t place her. "You are...?" she asked.Xianglan hurriedly said, "I have something extremely urgent to tell you, sister." Without waiting for Hongjian's consent, she leaned in and whispered, "I just saw Cousin put peach juice into the wine and coaxed Second Miss into drinking several cups."
Hongjian's expression changed dramatically, and she exclaimed in shock, "Is that true?"
Xianglan nodded and whispered again, "I saw it with my own eyes. Cousin took a peach from the plate, excused herself to the privy, squeezed the peach into juice, poured it into a porcelain bottle, then secretly added it to the wine jug and filled several cups for Second Miss. I saw everything clearly from behind her."
Hongjian's face flickered with suspicion and alarm. She stood up, pulled Xianglan to a less crowded spot, and asked, "What's your name? Where do you work?"
Xianglan replied, "My name is Xianglan. I'm a household slave of the Lin family. After entering the mansion, I've been serving at Gauze Snow Dock."
Hongjian scrutinized Xianglan up and down a few more times, then nodded and said, "I see." With that, she went back inside.
Xianglan let out a sigh of relief. She thought about waiting for Hongjian there but was afraid Cao Lihuan might see her. As she hesitated, she suddenly noticed Lin Jinlou standing behind a rockery by the lake with a young servant, staring straight at her with piercing cold eyes. Startled, Xianglan quickly turned her back, thinking it best to avoid trouble and return to fetch Cao Lihuan's pouch.
Exiting the garden and heading toward the western side of the mansion, the crowd gradually thinned. As she reached the courtyard gate, she spotted Si Shun'er peering around furtively. A wave of irritation washed over Xianglan, but she ignored him and went straight inside.
Note: Lin Dongqi is allergic to peaches, as mentioned in Chapter 19.
Thank you to Huaxiyuexi for five PK votes and to bubu8915 for one PK vote! Much appreciated!
The past two days have been incredibly busy. Last night, I skipped dinner and went straight to bed as soon as I got home—only to sleep straight through, haha. So this chapter is a bit shorter, but I promise a much longer update tomorrow. Thanks for your patience! ^_^b
Also, some readers have asked about the book discussion group: 70981280. This is one of my groups—just mention the name of any of my novels to join. Thanks for your support! =3=
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