After returning to her room, Ren Yaoqi stayed quietly inside without going out. She wondered what actions Ren Shijia and Lin Kun might take; as an outsider, it was best for her to avoid involvement whenever possible.
However, as the sky darkened, there was no major commotion in the courtyard. Xiangqin only mentioned that shortly after she left the main room in the afternoon, Lin Kun had called a physician into the residence.
First Madam, upon learning of this, sent someone to inquire. Ren Shijia merely replied that she had accidentally gotten caught in the rain while out that day and was feeling unwell, without mentioning that it was for Lin Cen's diagnosis.
In the evening, when Ren Yaoqi and Ren Yaoyin went to have dinner with Ren Shijia, Ren Yaoqi observed Ren Shijia closely. Although she seemed preoccupied, her spirits were not particularly low, and there was no significant abnormality in her expression. Ren Yaoqi couldn't help but feel relieved—it seemed Cen-ge'er was not in serious trouble.
Ren Yaoqi had always believed that while family conflicts and struggles to the death might be unavoidable, harming descendants was truly a violation of virtue.
Lin Cen, unusually, was not asleep but was instead held by the senior maid Chunlan, sitting to the side with wide eyes watching them eat. The wet nurse stood nearby, occasionally rubbing her hands uneasily and casting anxious glances toward Ren Shijia.
Even while eating, Ren Shijia’s gaze never left her son.
Ren Yaoyin seemed to sense the peculiar atmosphere and left shortly after finishing dinner. Ren Yaoqi originally intended to leave as well but was stopped by Ren Shijia, who asked if one carriage would be enough for their outing the next day. Ren Yaoyin then departed alone.
After Ren Yaoyin left, Ren Shijia called Ren Yaoqi into the inner room. The wet nurse and Chunlan, who was holding the child, also entered.
Ren Yaoqi initially wanted to ask about Lin Cen’s condition, but with others present, she wasn’t sure if it was appropriate. However, after instructing the maid Chunmei to guard outside, Ren Shijia immediately grasped Ren Yaoqi’s hand.
Ren Yaoqi instantly realized that her earlier judgment—that Ren Shijia seemed unaffected—was wrong. The hand holding hers was icy cold and trembling uncontrollably.
Startled, Ren Yaoqi exclaimed, "Aunt..."
Ren Shijia’s eyes immediately reddened, her voice choked with emotion. "Qi'er, it’s all thanks to you this time, truly thanks to you. If you hadn’t noticed something amiss, my Cen-ge'er might have fallen victim to foul play."
Ren Yaoqi, however, felt relieved. She glanced at the wet nurse standing nearby.
Noticing her gaze, Ren Shijia sniffled and explained, "It’s alright. The wet nurse was also deceived this time. She was recommended by my mother, so there’s no issue with her."
Hearing this, the previously uneasy wet nurse said gratefully, "Madam, thank you for trusting this servant. It was my negligence that..."
Ren Shijia waved her hand, cutting her off.
Ren Yaoqi asked, "Did the physician come today? What did he say?"At the mention of this, Ren Shijia's eyes reddened again, but there was an added cold severity not usually seen in her: "Cen'er has indeed been poisoned, which explains his constant drowsiness lately. Fortunately, the poison wasn't administered directly to the child. The perpetrator used a slow-acting drug to avoid detection, requiring at least half a year to take full effect. The doctor said it was fortunate we discovered it early—once the medication is stopped, there will be no lasting impact. My Cen'er almost became a fool. The doctor said this drug, while not fatal, would have hindered the child's development."
Ren Yaoqi frowned upon hearing this—the perpetrator was truly vicious.
"Qi'er, I don't know how to thank you. It was your vigilance that saved Cen'er."
Ren Yaoqi shook her head. "Cen'er is my brother, and you are my aunt. There’s no need for thanks among family."
Ren Shijia patted Ren Yaoqi’s head, her expression complex and filled with grief and indignation. "Yes, family. But how can some people be so cruel? Cen'er is still so young and has never harmed anyone. I truly hate..." She paused, lowering her voice, "Thankfully, Cen'er is fine. Otherwise, I would have... I would have..."
What she would have done remained unspoken, but precisely because she left it unsaid, Ren Yaoqi understood the depth of a mother’s hatred and resolve. Ren Yaoqi had no doubt that if anything had truly happened to Lin Cen, Ren Shijia would have fought tooth and nail, despite her inherently gentle and kind nature.
Just then, Lin Cen began to cry. The wet nurse instinctively moved to pick him up but was subtly blocked by the maid Chunlan, leaving her somewhat disheartened. Ren Shijia immediately stepped forward and took the child herself.
"Madam, the young master is likely hungry," the wet nurse whispered.
Ren Shijia nodded, carrying the child to sit aside as she began to unfasten her clothing.
Ren Yaoqi was taken aback. "Aunt, what are you..."
With Chunlan’s help, Ren Shijia undid the buttons of her garment. "Mother originally arranged two wet nurses for me, but after the doctor examined them today, it was found they are currently unfit to feed the child. I’ve already written to Mother, asking her to send another trustworthy one. But Cen'er can’t go hungry in the meantime. Fortunately, while at my maiden home, I secretly nursed him a few times against advice, so my milk hasn’t dried up yet. I plan to feed him myself."
Ren Shijia had previously nursed Lin Cen purely out of maternal instinct to bond with her son, though each time he was taken away by the maids after just a few sips. After all, in noble households, it was uncommon for women to breastfeed their own children, as nursing mothers risked dampening their clothing in public, which was considered improper.
Ren Shijia was still somewhat unskilled at breastfeeding her son. However, this scare had left her deeply fearful, and despite the maids’ attempts to dissuade her, she insisted on feeding the child herself. It was only after Lin Kun gave his approval that the maids stopped trying to persuade her otherwise.
As she watched her son suckling with his eyes open, Ren Shijia’s gaze softened with tenderness.
After observing for a while, Ren Yaoqi couldn’t help but ask, "Aunt, has the person behind the poisoning been identified?" Judging by the situation, Ren Yaoqi suspected Lin Kun might intend to continue tolerating the matter, though she wondered how he had managed to persuade Ren Shijia.Ren Shijia paused, then said, "My husband said he would handle it, that he would give me and the child an explanation." Ren Shijia grasped the child's restless, waving little hand, staring blankly at his tender face. Her slightly lowered eyes concealed the true emotions within.
Seeing Ren Shijia like this, Ren Yaoqi sighed inwardly. It seemed Ren Shijia harbored some resentment toward Lin Kun as well.
"Aunt, then I won’t go out tomorrow. I’ll stay at home to keep you company." In the end, Ren Yaoqi still sympathized with this kind-hearted woman.
Upon hearing this, Ren Shijia shook her head, her gaze toward Ren Yaoqi gentle and soft. "You’ve already made plans with the Commandery Princess—how can you cancel? Besides, my husband said we shouldn’t alert anyone for now. We should carry on as usual. Don’t worry, I’ll be extra careful from now on and will never give anyone another chance to harm my child."
Since Shijia insisted that Ren Yaoqi go out, Ren Yaoqi said nothing more. After keeping her company for a while, she excused herself and left.
The next day, Ren Shijia instructed the nanny early in the morning to prepare for Ren Yaoqi’s outing.
However, before leaving, Ren Yaoqi received a letter sent by Ren Yaohua. The day before, Old Woman Luo had said she would take her granddaughter out to buy some things to bring back to the estate, but they had not returned even after nightfall.
Old Woman Luo and her granddaughter Shui Ai had disappeared together.
Nanny Zhou had sent people to search all night, but in the end, they still hadn’t found them.
When Ren Yaoqi received the letter, she was stunned for a moment before frowning with worry. Had Old Woman Luo run away on her own, or had she been captured?
If she had left voluntarily, the reason was likely that she knew about the feud between the Zhai Family and the Ren Family but didn’t want to tell her, so she had slipped away secretly. If she had been captured, then the person who took her must be connected to the Han Family, as the Han Family had recognized her.
Comparing the two possibilities, she preferred the first.
After all, if Old Woman Luo had left on her own, she wouldn’t be in mortal danger. But if she had been taken by the Han Family, she might never return.
Old Woman Luo’s disappearance worried Ren Yaoqi greatly. She immediately sent a letter back, instructing Nanny Zhou to search for her, but not to make a public spectacle of it.
It wasn’t until the agreed-upon hour of Si was almost upon her that Ren Yaoqi hurriedly took a carriage and left the Lin Family. However, even during the carriage ride, her mind was elsewhere.
The journey from the Lin Family to Tanji required going around more than half of Yunyang City, which was quite far. Along the way, they passed the street where the Lei Family was located. However, because the Lei Family was holding a funeral, the coachman took a detour.
As the carriage neared the street where the Lei Family was, Ren Yaoqi finally managed to gather her thoughts. She lifted the carriage curtain and glanced outside from a distance. Several carriages were parked on the street where the Lei Family was, blocking most of the view, and she could only catch a glimpse of white.
Just then, a young man emerged from the alley. The heavy mourning attire he wore made Ren Yaoqi pause as she was about to lower the curtain.
The man appeared to be in his twenties, with a stern face and sharp features. His back was straight, and his steps were steady and unhurried, yet Ren Yaoqi sensed a hint of weariness about him.
He walked briskly out of the alley alone, without any attendants. However, when he reached the intersection, he involuntarily stopped, staring motionlessly at the road ahead.Until someone behind him seemed to have chased out, he lowered his gaze and calmly turned his head, his eyes sweeping past Ren Yaoqi’s carriage, pausing for a moment with a slight frown.
Ren Yaoqi had already lowered the carriage curtain by then.
Lei Ting, the head of the Lei Family.
Leaning against the carriage wall, Ren Yaoqi fell into thought.
With memories from her past life, Ren Yaoqi understood that the Han Family was not easy to deal with. The Lei Family must have encountered trouble.
The unfortunate part was that if the Lei Family could not overcome this hurdle, the outcome was already predictable.
Her warning to the Lei Family’s leader during the Dragon Boat Festival last time might have helped them, but Madam Lei’s identity remained a fatal flaw. As long as the Han Family refused to let go, the Lei Family would remain in crisis, even though Madam Lei was now dead.
If the Lei Family fell so easily, the Han Family would get their wish. And Madam Lei’s death had made the conflict between the Lei and Han families irreconcilable.
She needed to keep this enemy for the Han Family.
So, at this critical moment, should she help the Lei Family once more?
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