"Your Eldest Brother's Wife has several family members who suffered from madness..."
"Her maternal grandmother and elder sister both died from madness..."
"Before the wedding, a physician once mentioned that your Eldest Brother's Wife might also..."
Qin Guan's eyes were fixed on Yao Xinlan's frail yet innocent smiling face, while her mind echoed Qin Chen's words.
"Yes, I did meet Fifth Sister."
Qin Guan answered stiffly, watching as Yao Xinlan sighed. "Fifth Sister has always been like that. Though she's the legitimate daughter of the family... In any case, don't take it to heart. Neither she nor Sixth Sister are truly wicked people..."
A chill crept up from Qin Guan's feet. Pressing her lips together as she met Yao Xinlan's sincere gaze, she raised her hand and placed her fingertips on Yao Xinlan's wrist. Yao Xinlan looked slightly surprised before smiling gently. "Ninth Sister is concerned about my health—thank you."
Qin Guan steadied herself and carefully examined Yao Xinlan's pulse. Perhaps because her expression was too grave, Yao Xinlan's eyes also filled with worry. "Ninth Sister, how is it?"
After a long pause, Qin Guan withdrew her hand and shook her head. "The same issue as before. You must take the medicine I prescribed for two more days before you'll see improvement. Eldest Brother's Wife, you're already seven months pregnant—you shouldn't lie in bed for too long. Once you feel better, you must get up and move around to promote blood circulation. For these two days, avoid crying, bathing, and cold foods. You may eat more rice and millet."
Yao Xinlan noted each instruction carefully. After a brief hesitation, Qin Guan added, "If you suddenly feel panicked or alarmed, accompanied by abdominal pain or a heavy sinking sensation, have Mo Shu inform me immediately. Similarly, if you experience restlessness, shortness of breath, or abdominal bloating, let me know. Right now, the child in your womb has already formed bones and is not as delicate as before. These days, you should try to stay cheerful and relaxed. Excessive worry will only have the opposite effect."
She paused briefly. "Tomorrow, I'll bring you some calming pills."
Yao Xinlan's eyes shone with gratitude. "Alright, alright, I've noted everything."
Qin Guan still seemed uneasy. "Eldest Brother's Wife, are you sure you've remembered everything?"
Yao Xinlan chuckled softly and exhaled. "I have, I have. For the sake of my child, I'll think of happier things." As she spoke, she lovingly caressed her rounded belly.
After giving a few more reminders and seeing that it was getting late, Qin Guan finally stood to take her leave. Though Yao Xinlan seemed reluctant to let her go, she obediently took her medicine and lay down when Qin Guan insisted she needed more rest.
Qin Guan walked out slowly, her mind in turmoil. She wasn't sure what had caused Yao Xinlan's earlier dazed state—her pulse showed no signs of illness. On the contrary, her pregnancy-related bleeding and physical weakness could very well lead to mental instability.
She had never specialized in studying madness, having only read about it in medical texts, and had never treated a mad patient before. It must be true that Yao Xinlan's family had a history of madness. And if Yao Xinlan truly showed symptoms of madness, then her words couldn't be fully trusted.
But then, who had placed the musk and angelica?
Qin Guan shook her head, feeling that even just the Windward Courtyard in Qin Manor was a murky pool she couldn't see through.
"Ninth Sister, why did you take so long?"
As soon as she stepped out of the inner chamber, Qin Li's voice rang out. Qin Guan looked up to see him still toying with the white jade waist pendant, while Fuling stood nearby clutching two bolts of silk, eyeing Qin Li nervously—clearly displeased with him.
"Second Brother also took quite a while picking gifts, didn't he?"Qin Guan stepped out, not intending to engage in further conversation with Qin Li. She had planned to leave directly, but unexpectedly, Qin Li followed her and said bluntly, "It wasn’t because Second Brother took too long picking a gift—it’s because Second Brother was waiting here especially for Ninth Sister."
Qin Guan frowned, and Fuling also pursed her lips tightly. Qin Li glanced at the darkening sky and said, "It’s getting late. Second Brother can’t rest easy letting Ninth Sister return to Orchid Isle Courtyard alone. Let me escort you back."
Fuling hesitated, wanting to speak but holding back. After all, she was just a maid—how could she dare to argue with the young master of the household?
Qin Guan curved her lips slightly and actually agreed. "In that case, I’ll trouble Second Brother then."
Qin Li was taken aback. He had expected Qin Guan to respond with cold indifference, but instead, she accepted his offer with neither arrogance nor humility. His smile widened as he took two steps forward to walk side by side with her.
"Ninth Sister’s medical skills are astonishing—truly unexpected."
"I didn’t wish to reveal them, but I couldn’t hide in the western back courtyard forever."
Qin Guan spoke frankly, and Qin Li’s eyes brightened. "Did Ninth Sister have an epiphany after jumping into the lake?"
Qin Guan turned her head sharply, her gaze piercing as she studied Qin Li. Yet his expression held more teasing and curiosity than malice. Uncertain of his intentions, Qin Guan smiled faintly. "Having died once, naturally, I don’t wish to die a second time."
The words resonated so deeply with Qin Guan’s state of mind that they carried an unconscious note of desolation. Qin Li was momentarily stunned, his teasing expression fading slightly. Instead, his eyes deepened with scrutiny. "Not wanting to die a second time—so Ninth Sister went to the Purple Bamboo Forest?"
After a slight pause, Qin Li leaned closer to Qin Guan. "What was it that drew Ninth Sister to the Purple Bamboo Forest?"
Qin Guan stopped walking altogether. "Then why did Second Brother follow me into the Purple Bamboo Forest?"
Qin Li straightened up, scratching his neck casually. "Naturally, I was curious about what Ninth Sister was up to."
"Oh? I was merely curious about what was in the Purple Bamboo Forest."
Qin Li narrowed his eyes and suddenly spoke in a sinister tone, "Ninth Sister really shouldn’t be curious about such things." Seeing Qin Guan’s calm expression, he smirked and whispered, "What’s in the Purple Bamboo Forest? Why, ghosts, of course..."
His eerie grin, combined with his deliberately chilling tone, sent an inexplicable shiver down one’s spine. Qin Guan frowned, about to retort, when he abruptly straightened again and glanced behind her. "Orchid Isle Courtyard is here. Ninth Sister should go back now." After a pause, he added in the same ominous tone, "It’s dark—best not to wander around."
With that, he simply walked past Qin Guan and left.
Qin Guan stood rooted to the spot, bewildered, while Fuling, equally startled, hurried forward. "Miss, what did Second Young Master mean just now? What did you see when you went to the Purple Bamboo Forest last time?"
Fuling clutched Qin Guan’s hand nervously, but Qin Guan held hers in return and led her into Orchid Isle Courtyard.
"Fuling, what kind of person was Second Brother in the past?"
At this, Fuling pressed her lips together indignantly. "Second Young Master idles about all day. Every time he runs into us, he teases us shamelessly—he even touched this servant’s face once! He’s never shown proper respect to you either, Miss. He even said before that he wanted to take me away from you. Every time I see him, my heart pounds in fear, worried he’ll snatch me from your side..."Qin Guan narrowed her eyes slightly. She had intended to test Qin Li, but just when she thought he harbored no ill will toward her, he uttered those inexplicable words—there were ghosts in the Purple Bamboo Forest, and she shouldn't wander around after dark. It seemed he didn’t want her to go there...
Entering her room, Qin Guan instinctively reached for her sleeve pouch, which felt heavy with the Plain Inquiry Nine Needles and Cold Moon that Yan Chi had given her. Through the fabric, she gripped Cold Moon tightly, and only then did her heart, unsettled by Qin Li, gradually calm down.
After so many days, the Purple Bamboo Forest might not retain any definitive evidence, but Ninth Miss’s death was undoubtedly connected to it. She had been killed there. That night, what had driven Ninth Miss to go to the Purple Bamboo Forest?
Suspicions grew like rampant weeds in Qin Guan’s heart, and she almost wished she could sneak back there under cover of darkness. But now that she had moved to a different courtyard, farther from the forest, if she were caught, it would surely stir up trouble in the household.
"Miss, don’t dwell on what Second Young Master said. He’s always spouting nonsense—we should stay far away from him. Come, look at this." Fuling placed two bolts of silk on the low couch in front of Qin Guan. "See? This is the finest Bi Luo Qing from the Brocade Embroidery Workshop in the capital. There were only these two bolts left. Since Fifth Miss and Sixth Miss don’t care for green, I took them all for you."
Fuling’s words pulled Qin Guan from her thoughts. Turning her gaze, she saw the two bolts of silk spread across the couch like two patches of misty indigo. As Qin Guan stepped closer, Fuling sighed regretfully, "Actually, I wanted to bring you a bolt of Xiao Hong Sha as well. It’s extremely rare, and you don’t have any bright-colored clothes... But alas, the only bolt was taken by Fifth Miss..."
As she spoke, Fuling’s voice brimmed with longing. "They say Xiao Hong Sha is dyed with red spruce from the Northwest Plateau—its color is as vibrant as fire. The Brocade Embroidery Workshop reserves it exclusively for noble young ladies to make formal dresses and wedding gowns. A single outfit can cost a fortune. The maids carrying the boxes even mentioned that Xiao Hong Sha doesn’t show stains—except for pine-soot ink. If that gets on it, it leaves a dark bluish-black mark that can’t be removed. That’s why, when it was delivered this time, it was kept far apart from the stationery gifts for the young masters and elders..."
Qin Guan’s eyelids twitched. She looked at Fuling and asked, "You said Xiao Hong Sha is used for wedding gowns?"
Fuling nodded obliviously. "Yes, Miss. But it takes several bolts to make one wedding gown. Today, the only bolt available was taken by Fifth Miss..."
"So, Song Rou’s wedding gown was also made of Xiao Hong Sha?"
Qin Guan murmured softly, her eyes darkening with unshakable intensity. If so, then the marks on the headless female corpse’s wedding gown that night weren’t moss stains—but ink?
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