The rain in Yuncheng came quickly and went quickly.

Xin Jiuwei stood under the veranda in the backyard of the Qi residence, watching the raindrops dripping from the eaves. The raindrops pounded on the bluestone slabs, breaking into countless tiny water droplets, just like her chaotic thoughts at that moment.

Three days ago, when she left Yingzhou, Xiao Xun had already been urgently summoned to the capital by the emperor. After that night, they said nothing to each other, yet they said everything. She remembered the warmth of his slender fingers brushing through her hair, remembered his whispered "Wait for me" in her ear, and remembered how she quietly left before dawn.

"Miss, the master requests your presence in his study." The maid's voice interrupted her thoughts.

Xin Jiuwei took a deep breath and straightened her sleeves. Today, she was going to tell her maternal grandfather the truth about her mother's death—the mystery that had been buried in her heart for so many years.

Inside the study of the Qi family mansion, the air was filled with the fragrance of sandalwood. Old Master Qi sat behind his sandalwood desk; though over sixty, his eyes remained bright and piercing. Seeing Xin Jiuwei enter, he put down his book and gestured for her to sit down.

"Grandfather." Xin Jiuwei bowed and sat down opposite the old man.

"Wei'er, could you tell me in detail what you said in your letter?" Old Master Qi got straight to the point, tapping his fingers lightly on the table.

Xin Jiuwei pursed her lips, took out a yellowed letter from her sleeve, and carefully unfolded it. "I found this while sorting through my mother's belongings; it was tucked inside her poetry collection and had never been shown to anyone before."

Old Master Qi took the letter, his brows gradually furrowing. The letter was written in the handwriting of Xin Jiuwei's mother, Qi Mingyue, and recorded a secret she had accidentally discovered—the current sixth prince, Xiao Xun, had not died young as rumored, but had been secretly sent to Lingyin Temple to become a monk.

"Mingyue...it was because of this..." Old Master Qi's hand trembled slightly.

"My mother mentioned in the letter that shortly after discovering this secret, she began to encounter various 'accidents'," Xin Jiuwei's voice was eerily calm. "Until the year she gave birth to me, she finally couldn't escape the last 'accident'."

The study was silent for a moment, except for the rustling of leaves outside the window after the rain.

"I always thought my mother died in childbirth," Xin Jiuwei continued. "I investigated many clues from back then, only to discover that there was more to her death than met the eye. And all of this was cleverly framed against Xiao Xun's faction."

Grandpa Qi sighed heavily, "When your mother suddenly passed away, I felt something was amiss. Your father claimed it was a difficult childbirth, but Mingyue had always been healthy..." A trace of pain flashed in the old man's eyes, "...and all these years, I never suspected anything."

"It's not my maternal grandfather's fault," Xin Jiuwei said softly. "The Second Prince's faction was too secretive. If I hadn't been reborn, I probably would never have known the truth."

Old Master Qi suddenly slammed his fist on the table and stood up: "What a Second Prince! To seize the throne, he dares to harm my Qi family's daughter!" His eyes burned with anger, but he quickly calmed down. "Wei'er, this is no small matter. What are your plans?"

Xin Jiuwei raised her eyes, a resolute light flashing in them: "I will make those who killed my mother pay the price. Not only for my mother, but also to ensure that the Xin and Qi families never repeat the same mistake."

"You're a young lady..." Old Master Qi stopped abruptly when he saw the determination in his granddaughter's eyes. He sighed deeply, "Fine, you're even more stubborn than your mother. But this matter is dangerous; you must promise me you won't act on your own."

Xin Jiuwei smiled slightly: "Grandfather, rest assured, Wei'er will act cautiously. However..." She paused, "there are some things I must do personally."

Old Master Qi gazed at her for a moment, then finally nodded: "Very well, the Qi family will do everything in its power to help you. Although we are no longer in the heart of the court these past years, our influence in the Yunzhou area remains. Tomorrow I will summon your uncles to discuss and secretly investigate what happened back then."

"Thank you, maternal grandfather." Xin Jiuwei rose and bowed, a great weight lifted from her heart. With the support of the Qi family, she felt much more confident in confronting the Second Prince's faction.

It was already dark when she left the study. Xin Jiuwei walked slowly along the corridor when she suddenly heard footsteps behind her.

"cousin."

She turned around and saw her cousin, Qi Huaihe, standing by a pillar in the corridor. The young man was dressed in a moon-white robe, with a handsome face, but his brows held a hint of inquiry.

"Cousin." Xin Jiuwei curtsied.

Qi Huaihe, however, was not about to let it go so easily: "My cousin seems to have something on her mind since she came back this time. Did she encounter some... special person in Yingzhou?"

Xin Jiuwei's heart skipped a beat, but she didn't show it on her face: "Cousin is joking. I was just feeling a little sentimental thinking about Mother."

Qi Huaihe stared at her for a moment, then suddenly said softly, "Wei'er, you've changed. Before, when you came to the Qi residence, you were always lively and cheerful, but now..." He paused, "If you have any difficulties, just tell your cousin. The Qi family will always be your support."

These words brought a lump to Xin Jiuwei's throat. In her past life, Qi Huaihe had said the same thing to her, but at that time, she only had Qi Huaiyu in her heart and rejected her cousin's kindness.

"Thank you for your concern, cousin," she said sincerely, "but there are some things I need to figure out myself."

Qi Huaihe seemed to want to say something more, but in the end he just nodded: "Get some rest. Your yard is always cleaned, just like always."

Back in her small courtyard, Xin Jiuwei finally shed all her pretenses. She sat before her dressing table, gazing at herself in the bronze mirror. The person in the mirror had beautiful features, yet she couldn't hide the weariness and complexity in her eyes.

Her fingers unconsciously traced a faint red mark on her neck—Xiao Xun's mark. Memories of that night flooded back: his kisses, his whispers, the burning desire and tenderness in his eyes...

"Xiao Xun..." she murmured the name silently, her heart filled with mixed emotions.

Their relationship was far too complicated. It started with mutual exploitation, then it developed into mutual respect, and now... after that night, she didn't know how to define it.

Outside the window, the lights of Yuncheng gradually came on. Xin Jiuwei opened the window, letting the night breeze dispel the heat from her face. Whatever her relationship with Xiao Xun might be, now was not the time to think about it. Her mother's blood feud, the safety of her family, Qi Huaiyu's conspiracy... there were too many things waiting for her to do.

"Miss, the hot water is ready," the maid called softly from outside the door.

Xin Jiuwei snapped out of her thoughts: "Come in."

After bathing and changing, she sat under the lamp and began to sort through the clues at hand. Her mother's death in her past life, Qi Huaiyu's conspiracy in this life, the movements of the Second Prince's faction... Could these seemingly isolated events be connected in a deeper way?

She picked up her pen and wrote down several key names on the paper, then connected them with a thin line. When the pen stopped on the characters "Xiao Xun," her hand paused slightly.

That man should be in the capital by now, right? The emperor suddenly summoned him back—did he discover something, or... was the second prince interfering?

The thought of the potential danger Xiao Xun might face made Xin Jiuwei's heart tighten. She forced herself to look away and continue analyzing other clues.

In the stillness of the night, Xin Jiuwei finally blew out the candle. Lying in bed, she couldn't fall asleep. The night in Yuncheng was much quieter than in Yingzhou; there were no temple bells, and no trace of that person.