Coroner's Diary

"Ninth Miss, is there something wrong with this letter?"

Qin Guan furrowed her delicate brows, deep in thought, making Xu He increasingly uneasy. After a moment, she turned to him. "What's written here reminds me of something."

She then looked toward the front courtyard. "What are the Prefect and the Crown Prince doing now?"

Xu He hesitated before answering. "Earlier, the Prefect arrested someone, but now both he and the Crown Prince have left the residence. It seems the pawnshop owner escaped, and they've gone after him."

Yan Chi and Huo Huaixin were both away from the residence?!

Qin Guan's heart sank. Seeing her grave expression, Xu He quickly asked, "What did Ninth Miss think of? Is there anything I can do? We don't know when the Crown Prince and the Prefect will return."

Her frown deepened as she gestured with the letter in her hand. "This mentions that when Second Concubine's husband ran his silk shop, he often misjudged colors—mistaking dark green for bright red, or grayish-blue for deep black. Coroner Xu, do you know why that might be?"

Xu He blinked. "Perhaps... his eyesight was poor?" When Qin Guan remained expressionless, he scratched his head and added, "What else could it be? Or maybe he had an eye condition?"

Qin Guan finally nodded. "It was an eye condition—one that couldn't be cured and could be passed down to his children."

Xu He's eyes widened. "Passed down to children?"

She confirmed, "I read in a medical book that some people are born unable to distinguish colors properly—seeing dark green as vermilion or grayish-blue as deep black. It's an incurable condition, though rarely seen. However..."

She hesitated before continuing, "This condition is peculiar. If both parents have it, their child will definitely inherit it. But if only one parent has it... it's uncertain. The book didn't explain why. This letter only mentions Second Concubine's husband having it, and after all our inquiries, no one has said she suffered from it. So, she likely didn't."

"That makes it hard to determine." Qin Guan sighed, her tone uncertain. "But could it really be such a coincidence?"

Fuling, standing nearby, looked puzzled. "Miss, what are you talking about?"

Xu He was equally half-understanding. "Ninth Miss, are you suggesting that Second Concubine and her husband's daughter might have had this condition? But one daughter is likely already dead, and the other perished in the fire..."

Qin Guan pressed her lips together. "If their daughter were still alive, would she seek revenge?"

Xu He's eyes widened. "If it were me, I probably would..."

Qin Guan nodded and turned to Fuling. "Do you remember our umbrella?"

Fuling nodded. "Yes. It was damaged, but you repaired it so skillfully that it looked even better than before."

Qin Guan's voice lowered. "It wasn't my skill—someone sent the wrong umbrella paper."

"The wrong umbrella paper?" Fuling thought for a moment. "Ah, yes! Our umbrella was green, but Sister Cai He asked the storeroom to send umbrella paper, and they brought water-red instead..."Fuling's eyes widened instantly. "Miss, are you saying Sister Cai He has that color-blindness condition?!"

Qin Guan pondered for a moment before speaking softly, "Only she could give orders in the storeroom. That day she was accompanied by male servants, so the commands must have come from her. If she said to take green, it was green; if she said to take pink, it was pink. Green is so distinct—she couldn't have mistaken the color..."

What Fuling had heard from Qin Li was already shocking enough, but she never expected that based on this single letter, Qin Guan could deduce even more. Cai He... not only was she involved with Qin Chen, but she might also be Second Concubine's daughter?

Fuling's breath hitched as her mind flooded with information, struggling to process it all. "But... but the age doesn't match. And... if she were Second Concubine's daughter, shouldn't she hate the eldest young master? Why would she..."

Qin Guan shook her head. "No, it's not confirmed yet. She might not necessarily be Second Concubine's daughter. This condition has uncertainties. Moreover, even if Second Concubine's daughter did have that condition, it still wouldn't prove it's Cai He. It's just that among the people connected to this matter, she happens to have this condition, which suddenly makes her more suspicious."

Xu He was stunned for a long moment before finally reacting. "Ninth Miss, is the young lady you're referring to the most trusted attendant by Old Madam's side?"

Qin Guan nodded, and Xu He couldn't help but express his surprise. "Her status in Old Madam's service isn't low, and she's been in the manor for quite some time, hasn't she? If that's the case, wouldn't it be too..."

Xu He struggled to find the right words in his agitation before finally waving his hand. "That would make her utterly terrifying!"

If Cai He were Second Concubine's daughter, did she know when she entered the manor that her mother and sister had died at the hands of the Qin family? Or did she find out later? If she knew from the start, then she entered Qin Manor for revenge. If she found out later, the fact that she could conceal it without exposing herself shows her cunning cannot be underestimated.

Qin Guan understood Xu He's meaning and pursed her lips tighter. "We can't be certain yet. If only we could find a portrait of Second Concubine—"

After a brief moment of thought, Qin Guan's expression firmed. "Let's set this aside for now. We'll go to the front courtyard again."

She folded the most crucial letter and handed it to Xu He, who carefully placed it in his official document pouch. As Qin Guan turned to head to the front courtyard, Xu He followed.

"I'm in no hurry to return to the yamen. I'll accompany Ninth Miss."

Qin Guan neither agreed nor disagreed. Fuling followed closely and whispered, "Miss, we've already searched the front courtyard. Will we find anything if we go now?"

"It's fine if we don't. We can ask those two elderly servants if there are any other places in the manor where Second Concubine's portrait might be kept."

As Qin Guan spoke, she began walking, but questions slowly surfaced in her mind. Qin Li was involved with Cai He, who might be Second Concubine's daughter. During that great fire years ago, why didn't Second Concubine's daughter die?

And if Cai He truly were Second Concubine's daughter, she should despise the people of Qin Manor—so why was she with Qin Chen?

Was Cai He the one who poisoned Yao Xinlan, killed Liu Shi and Liu Chun, and also poisoned Qin An?With Cai He's years of accumulated knowledge within the manor, it wasn't impossible for her to uncover Liu Shi's affair with Liu Chun. Having discovered this secret, she could have used it to lure Liu Shi out. As for Liu Chun, given Cai He's status, it wasn't surprising he trusted her. She had access to Yao Xinlan's medicine—but what about Qin An? How did she poison him?

Qin An's medicine was prescribed by Qian Bairen, fetched by a young servant from the front courtyard, and brewed by those two elderly attendants. But then?

Cai He never came to the front courtyard. She had been staying in the Buddhist shrine the whole time, with no opportunity to tamper with the medicine.

Qin Guan's thoughts weighed heavily on her. She looked up to see dusk settling in, the night lamps of Qin Manor lighting up one after another. The curtain of night fell, and a chilly autumn breeze seeped into her skin, making her instinctively pull her collar tighter.

"Miss, should we wait for the Crown Prince and the others to return? Wouldn't it be easier to have them arrest Cai He directly for questioning?" Fuling whispered to Qin Guan.

Qin Guan shook her head. "Cai He won't talk. We need more evidence."

As they spoke, the three arrived at the front courtyard. Earlier that morning, Qin Guan had seen Qi Lin on guard here, but now only two yamen constables stood watch. Spotting Qin Guan and Xu He, they hurried over to bow.

"Where is Captain Qi?" Qin Guan asked.

One constable stepped forward. "The magistrate is short-handed and temporarily reassigned Captain Qi."

Huo Huaixin was investigating Qingyuan Pawnshop—likely involving many people. Qin Guan nodded. "I'll go in and look around. No need to accompany us."

The constables naturally didn't dare stop Qin Guan and Xu He, nodding immediately. "Ninth Miss, please—"

After exchanging greetings with the two, Xu He followed Qin Guan into the courtyard.

As soon as they entered, a stream of curses reached their ears.

"All you do is laze around! Do you even want this month's wages?!"

"Can't even wash a medicine jar properly—wasting good herbs for nothing!"

"Useless brat! Kneel there and don't you dare get up!"

The voice was familiar—one of the elderly attendants caring for Qin An. Frowning, Qin Guan walked around the spirit wall. Under the dim lantern light of the corridor, two figures came into view: the elderly attendant she'd seen earlier, standing, and a young boy of about ten kneeling on the ground, quietly sobbing.

The sound of Qin Guan's footsteps startled the attendant, who turned in surprise. "Ninth Miss, what brings you here?"

The attendant hurried over, ignoring the kneeling boy, who shrank further at Qin Guan's presence, lowering his head and stifling his sobs.

"What's going on here?" Qin Guan glanced at the boy.

The attendant forced a smile. "Ninth Miss, with everything happening, the household is on edge, and people are getting careless. This little servant is no exception—he didn't clean Master's medicine jar properly." He sighed. "No need to trouble yourself, Miss. A little punishment will teach him a lesson."

Qin Guan had no interest in meddling in household affairs and didn't press further. Instead, she asked, "I came to ask you—aside from the study and the manor's library, are there any other places where Master's paintings might be kept?"The old servant could tell that Qin Guan was still troubled by the events of the day. After a moment of thought, he said, "The rest would be in Old Madam's treasury. Sometimes, when the master acquires some extremely valuable paintings, he would gift them to Old Madam."

Qin Guan shook her head, "Think again—"

No matter how incompetent Qin An might be, he would never dare to give Second Concubine's portrait to Jiang Shi.

The old servant pondered for a few more moments, "Then the only other place would be the main hall at the front, where the master usually receives guests. There’s also a study there for meetings, though the master rarely uses it."

A glimmer of hope appeared in Qin Guan's eyes, "Take us there."

The old servant nodded, "Please wait a moment, Ninth Miss. This servant will fetch the keys."

Qin Guan acknowledged, and the old servant turned to enter the main house. Xu He and the other two stood in the courtyard, their expressions complicated. Xu He glanced around, then looked at the kneeling child with a hint of sympathy.

Qin Guan noticed but said nothing. Qin Manor had its own rules. No matter where one was, mistakes had to be punished. She didn’t want to disrupt the order, and besides, a little punishment wasn’t entirely a bad thing.

Soon, the old servant returned and gestured, "Ninth Miss, please follow me."

He led them toward the moon gate on the eastern side of the courtyard. The guest hall wasn’t located in Qin An’s quarters; they had to walk east for a while to reach it. As Qin Guan approached, she realized this was the very hall where Yan Chi had first met her in Qin Manor.

"Ninth Miss, the outer study is this way—"

The old servant guided them forward. Qin Guan and the other two followed, first entering the guest hall, then turning left through a door. Behind the hall, they discovered another courtyard—the place the old servant had mentioned.

Since this area was unused, no lamps had been lit at night. The old servant carried a bright lamp, entering first to light the corner lamps before allowing Qin Guan and the others inside. Upon entering, Qin Guan noticed a layer of dust had settled on the desk.

The old servant set down the lamp and pointed to two tall cabinets, "Ninth Miss, there are some calligraphy and paintings in here."

Qin Guan looked over, feeling uncertain. The cabinets mostly held books, with only a few scrolls of calligraphy and paintings—far too few. Nevertheless, she stepped forward and opened the cabinet doors.

Fuling immediately came to assist. Qin Guan unrolled scroll after scroll, but they were all landscapes, flowers, and birds. As she neared the end, there was still no sign of the portrait. Qin Guan sighed, disappointment evident.

"Miss, there’s one more at the very bottom—"

Just as Qin Guan thought this search would yield nothing, Fuling suddenly pointed to a scroll buried beneath the rest. "This one—let me pull it out—"

Fuling bent down, almost crawling into the cabinet. Soon, she straightened up, holding a yellowed paper scroll. At the sight of the aged paper, Qin Guan’s heart stirred slightly—at least the material seemed old.

Untying the delicate ribbon around the scroll, Fuling eagerly unrolled it. But the next moment, a sharp "rip" froze her in place. Upon closer inspection, the paper had somehow stuck together, and Fuling’s pull had torn a large hole in the painting. Fuling’s face tightened in alarm, "Miss—"

Qin Guan quickly reassured her, "It’s fine. Let’s see what’s on it."Qin Guan didn't dwell on it further. The scroll was rolled upside down, and through the torn corner, she could faintly glimpse a section of a skirt. Her eyes brightened slightly, "Although I don't yet know what the painting depicts, it should be of a person."

Fuling anxiously said, "But what if the painting is stuck together? What should we do?"

Qin Guan shook her head reassuringly, "It's alright, I have a way. Roll it up first, and we'll take it back with us."

Hearing this, Fuling hurriedly rolled up the painting again. Meanwhile, Qin Guan turned to the old servant and said, "We'll take this scroll back first. If we finish examining it, we'll return it..."

The old servant didn't dare to say much, "Of course, Ninth Miss, as you wish."

Having found a painting but only catching a glimpse of a corner, Qin Guan was eager to see its full image and immediately prepared to leave. The old servant extinguished the lamp, locked the door, and they all retraced their steps back to Qin An's residence.

Upon arriving, Qin Guan initially intended to bid farewell directly, but a glance out of the corner of her eye revealed the young servant boy still kneeling under the eaves.

Unable to hold back, Qin Guan said, "The autumn air is chilly, and he's still young. Kneeling like this for long might make him ill. The household can't afford to be short-handed—a light punishment should suffice."

Understanding her implication, the old servant quickly waved his hand, "You may rise. The Ninth Miss has spoken on your behalf. Come and thank her properly."

The boy immediately stood up and scurried over to Qin Guan.

"Thank you, Ninth Miss, for your great kindness—"

It was just a word of mercy, hardly a grand favor. Qin Guan looked at the boy reassuringly, "It's nothing."

The old servant sighed admiringly, "Ninth Miss, your heart is truly kind. Other masters would have considered a mere kneel insufficient for failing to clean a medicine jar properly and wasting precious herbs."

He then glared at the boy, "Though he did deserve punishment. How could he leave such obvious residue unwashed?"

The boy hunched his shoulders and lowered his head, "But I did clean it thoroughly..."

Qin Guan had been about to leave, but these words sparked a sudden suspicion in her. "What residue?"

Cleaning a medicine jar was the simplest of tasks. She had initially thought it was just grime left uncleaned, but to leave medicinal residue behind was truly odd...

The old servant quickly explained, "When preparing the medicine today, before I could inspect it, I added the herbs and poured in water. Then I noticed a layer of black ash floating up. Upon closer look, I found a layer of burnt residue at the bottom of the jar."

"Burnt residue?"

Qin Guan pressed further. The old servant hesitated, "Well, if not residue, then some other filth. Regardless, he didn't clean it properly. Though Master is in no state to mind, such carelessness cannot be overlooked."

Qin Guan frowned, "Where is the residue? Let me see it."

The old servant was taken aback, and Fuling and Xu He also looked puzzled. Why would she suddenly want to inspect someone else's medicine residue?

Though confused, the old servant didn't dare question her and led Qin Guan to the side room. "Seeing the filth inside, I poured it all out—into the usual basin for discarding residue."

He pointed to a basin in the corner of the room, "It's right there."

Qin Guan handed the painting to Fuling and walked over to the medicine basin.Looking down, Qin Guan saw the dregs of medicine in the basin. The burnt residue the old servant had mentioned was scattered among the herbs. Unafraid of the filth, she picked up the black fragments with her fingers, rubbed them lightly, then brought them to her nose for a sniff. Soon, her brows furrowed. She stood up and looked at the young servant, asking, "Were you the one who washed the medicine pot?"

The boy was startled by her sudden serious expression and nodded dumbly.

Qin Guan narrowed her eyes. "Where did you wash it? Did you meet anyone else there?"

The boy's eyes widened slightly before he replied softly, "I... I washed it at the well in the east. When I went there, Huan'er from Old Madam's side was also washing things. Old Madam has been taking medicine these days, and the pot and bowl need to be cleaned after each dose, so I always run into her."

Huan'er! Qin Guan's eyes darkened instantly. So that was it, that was it—

Fuling, noticing Qin Guan's grim expression, hurried forward. "Miss, what's wrong?"

Qin Guan shook her head without elaborating, then turned to the old servant. "Keep these dregs."

Seeing Qin Guan's sudden change in demeanor, the old servant seemed to realize the gravity of the situation and nodded obediently. Satisfied, Qin Guan looked back at the boy. "Where is Huan'er now?"

The boy blinked. "Huan'er must still be serving Old Madam. She's a second-tier maid in Old Madam's service, one of the few allowed to stay in the Buddhist shrine."

Jiang Shi was devoutly Buddhist and lived simply, with only a handful of maids in the shrine. Huan'er was one of them. Qin Guan nodded and said to the boy, "Stay in this courtyard and don't leave."

The boy was unsettled by Qin Guan's intense gaze. Sensing this, she softened her tone. "It's nothing serious. Just keep an eye on Qin Laoye. The Prefect will come to see him later."

The boy was confused but nodded meekly under Qin Guan's clear-eyed stare.

Qin Guan smiled slightly, bid farewell to the old servant, and turned to leave. Fuling and Xu He quickly followed. At the courtyard gate, Qin Guan specifically instructed the guards on duty. Xu He's gaze never left Qin Guan, and once they were out of the front courtyard, he urgently asked, "Ninth Miss, what's wrong? Was there something wrong with the dregs?"

Qin Guan stopped abruptly and nodded. "Yes, there was. Those weren't burnt medicine dregs—they were traces of a metallic poison. We've been questioning those who prescribed, fetched, and brewed the medicine but overlooked the pot itself. The poisoner likely tampered with the pot while the boy was distracted. Huan'er is the prime suspect."

Xu He's eyes lit up. The poisoning of Qin An had left Huo Huaixin in a difficult position, with no leads on how the poison was administered. Now that they knew the method, the maid must be the culprit!

"Did Huan'er poison Qin Laoye?"

Qin Guan hesitated slightly. "Not confirmed yet. Let's not alert her."

She glanced at the scroll in Fuling's hands. "Once we unroll this, we might have our answer. But time is of the essence—delays could complicate things. Coroner Xu, can you find a way to notify the Crown Prince or the Prefect? Either one returning would suffice. There are several matters to report, and waiting too long could be problematic."Upon hearing this, Xu He immediately nodded, "I know where they went. If all else fails, I'll go find them!"

With those words, Xu He turned and ran off before Qin Guan could stop him. After a moment's thought, Qin Guan decided to let him go. At the very least, they had identified the person who poisoned Qin An. However, this Huan'er was in the Buddhist shrine, and Qin Guan wasn't sure if they could apprehend her.

"Do you know this Huan'er?"

Qin Guan looked at Fuling, who shook her head. "I don't recognize her, but Old Madam doesn't have many young maids around her. All the personal tasks for Old Madam are handled by Cai He alone. The young maids are only responsible for chores like sweeping and laundry. This Huan'er must be one of them, not a high-ranking servant."

Qin Guan grew increasingly certain that this Huan'er was likely acting under someone's orders.

"Miss, what should we do now?"

Qin Guan steadied herself. "Let's go back and open this scroll first—"

As she spoke, she headed in the direction of Orchid Isle Courtyard. Just as they reached the inner courtyard, Fuling suddenly said, "Oh, Miss, weren't we also going to ask at the gatehouse?"

Qin Guan paused, feeling a pang of frustration—how could she have forgotten that?

After a brief moment of thought, however, she shook her head. The case of Ninth Miss had been pushed into the shadows, and the most urgent matter now was to open the scroll. It was already late, and going to the gatehouse would cause too much commotion.

"We'll go tomorrow. Let's head back first—"

Qin Guan made the decision decisively. But just as they were nearing Orchid Isle Courtyard, she spotted a figure standing at its entrance. Upon closer look, it was Qin Chen...

Her steps slowed. Fuling also noticed Qin Chen. "Eldest Young Master..."

Qin Chen seemed to have been waiting specifically for Qin Guan. When he saw her and Fuling approach, he walked over with a faint smile.

Qin Guan glanced back at Fuling and whispered, "Keep today's matter to yourself for now."

This warning referred to Qin Chen's affair with Cai He. Fuling nodded, gritting her teeth to avoid revealing anything. But as she watched Qin Chen approach them with a lantern in hand, the admiration she once held in her eyes was gone.

"Eldest Brother, why are you here?"

Qin Guan asked brightly, but Qin Chen's gaze fell on the scroll in Fuling's hands. "I came looking for you, but they said you weren't here, so I decided to wait for a while."

Qin Guan blinked. "What did you need me for? Is Eldest Brother's Wife...?"

Qin Chen shook his head, his eyes warm. "No, she's much better. This afternoon... we had a small argument, but I realized I was wrong and went back to her. She really does like you—seeing you improved her mood, and she also received a letter from Jianzhou."

A dimple appeared on Qin Guan's cheek. "Though it's not my place to comment on matters between you and Eldest Brother's Wife, she is with child and her emotions are unstable. You should take more care of her. When I visited today, she seemed quite upset."

Qin Chen gave a helpless smile, though his tone was reassuring. "You've grown up, Guan'er. Don't worry, Eldest Brother understands."

After a slight pause, he looked again at the scroll in Fuling's hands. "Were you out searching for paintings again?"

Qin Guan tensed slightly—if Qin Chen said this, he likely knew she had visited the library.

"Yes, I went to the front courtyard."

Qin Chen sighed. "If you wanted to find paintings, why not ask me? I'm the one who organizes all the calligraphy and paintings in the household. Whatever you're looking for, wouldn't I know about it?"

Then, he gestured to the scroll in Fuling's hands. "What is this?"

For a moment, Qin Guan wrestled with her thoughts, but meeting Qin Chen's steady gaze, she finally answered honestly. "This is a painting by Third Uncle. I don't know who it depicts, but it might be Second Concubine."

Qin Chen seemed slightly surprised. "Second Concubine? You were looking for paintings related to her?"Qin Guan felt a bit embarrassed. "It's not exactly like that. I just heard that Second Concubine was exceptionally beautiful, which piqued my curiosity. But it seems there are no portraits of her in the residence."

Qin Chen looked both amused and exasperated. After studying Qin Guan for a moment, he suddenly asked, "Does Ninth Sister truly wish to see them?"

Qin Guan was momentarily taken aback. Hesitantly, she asked, "Do portraits of Second Concubine actually exist?"

Qin Chen sighed, his eyes lowering briefly. "How could there not be? Father doted on Second Concubine so much back then—he painted countless portraits of her. But after certain events occurred, all those paintings were stored away."

He continued in a calm tone, "There's a small storeroom in the residence, usually housing scholarly items like the Four Treasures of the Study and elegant decorative screens. Some calligraphy and paintings are also kept there. If I recall correctly, Father's portraits of Second Concubine are among them."

Upon hearing this, Qin Guan's heart began to race. The scroll Fuling held remained unopened—Qin Guan didn't know if it contained what she sought, and even if it did, the face might be indistinct. Having more portraits from that time would be immensely helpful.

"Where is it?" she asked instinctively.

Qin Chen pointed eastward. "Not far from the library."

Qin Guan immediately recalled that the area around the library was indeed filled with storerooms, confirming Qin Chen's words.

"If Ninth Sister wishes to see them, I can take you there now to retrieve them," Qin Chen offered.

Though tempted by the chance to view Second Concubine's portraits, Qin Guan hesitated due to her lingering suspicions about Qin Chen. She hadn't yet questioned the gatekeepers, but once doubt took root, it was hard to dispel.

"Ninth Sister no longer wishes to see them?" Qin Chen chuckled lightly. "Perhaps it's for the best—they're all relics of the past anyway."

Qin Guan glanced back at Fuling, whose eyes sparkled with excitement. Resolving herself, Qin Guan nodded. "Of course I want to see them. I want to witness Second Concubine's beauty for myself."

Qin Chen's expression darkened slightly as he turned away. "Then let's go."

Qin Guan followed Qin Chen, with Fuling trailing behind. Initially tense, Qin Guan gradually relaxed knowing Fuling was with her. Changing the subject, she asked, "What are your future plans, Eldest Brother?"

Hearing this, Qin Chen turned back. "Most likely heading to Jianzhou first."

Jianzhou... Qin Guan maintained a neutral expression, though inwardly she knew Yao Xinlan still hadn't mustered her courage.

She sighed quietly. Since Yao Xinlan had made her decision, it wasn't her place to comment.

"Does Ninth Sister wish to visit Jianzhou?" Qin Chen suddenly inquired.

Qin Guan looked up to find Qin Chen gazing at her with concern. For a moment, she wondered if she had misjudged him. "I've never been to Jianzhou and don't know what it's like, so I can't say whether I'd want to go or not."

Qin Chen turned forward again, his tone light yet admiring. "Jianzhou is a land of abundance, more prosperous and affluent than Jinzhou. It lies at the confluence of the Xu and Wu Rivers, with highly developed water transport."

Places with thriving water transport were naturally wealthy. Recalling what she'd read about the region, Qin Guan formed a general impression of Jianzhou. She then asked Qin Chen, "Are you planning to have everyone move there together?"Qin Chen nodded, "That's only natural. Grandmother and Mother are likely unwilling to leave Jinzhou, but it's better for the younger generation to depart. That's what Grandmother and Mother think as well."

As he spoke, Qin Chen turned to look at Qin Guan. "Your Eldest Brother's Wife must want you to accompany her."

The evening breeze was gentle, and the further east they went within the manor, the dimmer the lamps became. Yet the bright lamp in Qin Chen's hand remained steady, coupled with his warm tone and concerned gaze. Unconsciously, Qin Guan felt her wariness toward him lessen slightly. Staring at his earnest expression, she suddenly wondered—had Qin Chen already made a decision? At this moment, was he resolved to set aside his past with Cai He and commit to treating Yao Xinlan well for the sake of family and future prospects?

Perhaps having witnessed too many of Yao Xinlan's tears, this thought brought an indescribable ache to Qin Guan's heart. Though as an outsider, she still saw little sincerity in Qin Chen's actions, wasn't this exactly what Yao Xinlan desired?

The image of Yao Xinlan lost in thought that afternoon surfaced in Qin Guan's mind. Back then, she had assumed Yao Xinlan would change her current circumstances—at least investigate her suspicions thoroughly. Yet in the end, she had altered her stance.

A lingering melancholy settled in Qin Guan's chest—not quite disappointment, but a mix of frustration at Yao Xinlan's resignation and sorrow for her plight. In the end, she could only console herself bitterly: if Qin Chen intended to devote himself wholeheartedly to Yao Xinlan from now on, perhaps it wasn't entirely bad.

"Eldest Brother's Wife would rather have Eldest Brother by her side. She loves him deeply."

Unable to hold back, Qin Guan uttered these ambiguous words. Qin Chen, walking ahead, seemed to chuckle softly. "You're still too young to understand such matters. But rest assured, I'm aware."

He then turned back again. "However, Ninth Sister, you're nearly of age to consider these things. Lately, I've noticed the Crown Prince has been exceptionally attentive toward you. He even involved you in the manor's case investigations. What do you think of him?"

The image of Yan Chi flashed through Qin Guan's mind, and she nearly began pondering Qin Chen's question seriously before rationality pulled her back. "Eldest Brother misunderstands. We merely crossed paths twice at the Marquis's residence, and the Crown Prince knew I saved the Grand Princess, hence his trust in me. It's certainly not what you imagine."

Qin Chen shook his head with a smile and turned away. "Ninth Sister, you must realize—no man treats a young woman well without reason. If he does, it means he has intentions."

Qin Guan parted her lips to respond, but Qin Chen pointed ahead. "We're almost there—"

The night was ink-dark, with sparse lamps glowing throughout Qin Manor. Raising her eyes to the sky, Qin Guan was surprised to find countless stars scattered across the celestial river. A sudden clarity washed over her, and she dismissed Qin Chen's words, simply following him past the library and onward until they stopped before another storeroom.

"Here we are."

This place was even more secluded than the library, surrounded by heavy silence. Qin Guan glanced around but saw no sign of any yamen guards. Only then did it strike her—they hadn't encountered a single constable along the way.

Had Huo Huaixin withdrawn all personnel from the manor?

With a metallic click, Qin Chen unlocked the storeroom door. "Ninth Sister, come inside."This storeroom was much larger than the book repository. As Qin Chen had said, it indeed housed many decorative screens and painted panels. From the doorway, Qin Guan could see an eight-panel landscape and beauty screen inside. Qin Chen stood within, gesturing toward the interior. Qin Guan lifted the hem of her skirt and stepped in, while Qin Chen lit the two lamps by the entrance, instantly brightening the room.

"The screens in the main courtyards of the manor are usually replaced yearly. Most of these here are the old ones, though there are also newly purchased or gifted pieces, including some valuable jade screens. When setting up a new courtyard, items are taken from here. Many of the furnishings in Ninth Sister’s quarters came from this place. Feel free to take anything you like."

Qin Chen spoke unhurriedly, but Qin Guan declined with a smile, "No need. Everything in my quarters is already quite satisfactory."

"Ninth Sister dislikes extravagance and complexity—I know. But none of the items in this room will likely be taken away," Qin Chen said solemnly. "The painting you’re looking for should be up ahead. You may retrieve it yourself."

Qin Chen remained by the door, while Fuling stood outside. Qin Guan glanced back, feeling a sense of reassurance.

She walked a few steps further in the direction Qin Chen had indicated. Sure enough, a shelf against the wall held a stack of scrolls and paintings, their yellowed paper and haphazard storage suggesting they were not particularly valuable.

Qin Guan brushed off the dust and unrolled the topmost scroll. As it unfurled, she saw a painting of a beauty amidst bamboo groves. Her heart skipped a beat—she recognized the bamboo as the Purple Bamboo Forest of Qin Manor. The beauty, clad in a white dress, seemed to float lightly between the bamboo stalks, her skirts fluttering like an ethereal immortal...

Aunt Liu had mentioned that Second Concubine favored plain colors. Qin Chen hadn’t lied—there were indeed paintings related to Second Concubine here.

Though she had found the paintings, they weren’t the portrait she had hoped for, one that would reveal the subject’s features. Qin Guan rolled up the first scroll and hurriedly reached for the second. Just then, Qin Chen’s voice came from behind her, "Second Sister, aside from searching for paintings, did you go anywhere else earlier?"

Distracted by the scroll, Qin Guan answered without thinking, "No, I only went to the front courtyard to look for the paintings." She left unsaid that the matter of uncovering the poisoning method could only be discussed with Yan Chi and Huo Huaixin.

"Didn’t you go to the gatehouse to ask anything—"

Qin Guan was about to reflexively reply, "Ask what at the gatehouse?" when the words died on her lips.

How did Qin Chen know she had intended to visit the gatehouse? Only she and Fuling were aware of that!

The scroll in her hands was only half-unrolled, but a sense of danger slithered up her spine like a serpent. She no longer had the heart to examine the painting. Whirling around, she looked toward the doorway—and her pupils constricted instantly.

Fuling, who had been standing by the door moments ago, now lay motionless on the floor inside the room.

Qin Chen stood at the threshold, his expression indifferent. With a single push, he shut the half-open door.