Qi Mingyue finally raised her eyes, her gaze icy: "What is Miss Lin doing?"

Just then, several students happened to pass by Tingxue Studio and were stunned by the scene. Lin Wanqing sobbed uncontrollably, "Wanqing only begs for your forgiveness, sister... The assessment is imminent tomorrow, and if you refuse to guide me, Wanqing... Wanqing is afraid..."

The crowd exchanged bewildered glances, their gazes towards Qi Mingyue tinged with reproach. Xie Ansu arrived upon hearing the news, and his expression immediately darkened upon seeing the scene.

"Wanqing, get up." He helped Lin Wanqing up, then turned to Qi Mingyue, his tone unusually stern, "Mingyue, no matter how much you dissatisfaction you have, you don't need to humiliate people like this!"

Qi Mingyue put down her pen, her gaze sweeping over everyone before finally settling on Xie Ansu's face: "Ansu also thinks that I was the one humiliating her?"

Xie An was speechless. Lin Wanqing quickly tugged at his sleeve: "Young Master Xie, please don't blame Sister Qi, it's Wanqing's fault..."

Qi Mingyue suddenly laughed: "What a brilliant performance." She stood up, her gaze sharp as a knife, "Lin Wanqing, what is it you seek after all this scheming?"

Lin Wanqing's face turned deathly pale, and she was on the verge of tears: "Sister, why do you say such a thing... Wanqing doesn't understand..."

“You understand perfectly,” Qi Mingyue said calmly. “You’ve understood perfectly from the very first day you arrived.”

She didn't look at the crowd again, turned around and went inside, closing the door behind her.

Outside the door, Lin Wanqing's sobs and the sounds of others comforting her gradually faded into the distance. Zhishu trembled with anger: "Miss! Why didn't you expose her true colors!"

Qi Mingyue looked out the window and saw that the autumn rain had started to fall again.

"The time is not yet right," she said softly.

The following day, the examination was held, and the academy was bustling with activity. The prefect, the headmaster, and several renowned scholars sat on the platform, while the students took turns showcasing their talents. Xie An presented a pre-written poem, its literary brilliance soaring; Lin Wanqing played a zither piece, its lament so poignant, both earning thunderous applause.

When it was Qi Mingyue's turn, she carried her zither to the stage and curtsied. Just as her fingertips touched the strings, a sharp "clang" was heard, and one of the strings snapped.

The entire audience gasped. A broken string during an assessment was a major taboo.

Qi Mingyue's expression remained unchanged as she carefully examined the broken string, finding the cut clean and indicating that someone had tampered with it. She looked up and met Lin Wanqing's concerned gaze.

"Is Sister Qi alright?" Lin Wanqing exclaimed in surprise, "How could she be so careless..."

The prefect on the stage frowned: "Miss Qi, would you like to change your zither?"

Qi Mingyue remained silent for a moment before saying, "No need." She sat down again and began to play the broken-stringed zither.

Although the zither was missing a string, the sound was still clear and moving. What was even more wonderful was her impromptu arrangement, using the sound of the broken string to simulate the patter of autumn rain, creating a unique atmosphere. When the piece ended, the entire hall was silent, then erupted in thunderous applause.

Several renowned scholars nodded in approval: "Turning the rotten into the miraculous, truly ingenious!"

The prefect also smiled and said, "Miss Qi is exceptionally talented and remains calm in the face of adversity; this is truly rare."

Qi Mingyue curtsied and thanked her, her gaze sweeping across the audience. Lin Wanqing was pale, forcing a smile as she clapped; Xie Ansu's eyes were filled with amazement and guilt.

After the assessment, Qi Mingyue returned to Tingxue Studio alone. Zhishu said indignantly, "It must have been Lin Wanqing who did this! Why didn't Miss expose her on the spot?"

Qi Mingyue gently stroked the strings of the zither: "Without evidence, what's the point of exposing it?"

"But……"

"No need for 'buts'," Qi Mingyue said calmly. "Since she has made her move, she must have a follow-up plan. Let's just wait and see."

Before taking a break that evening, Qi Mingyue inspected the instrument and discovered that not only were the strings cut, but the inside of the instrument was also filled with fine sand. If the instrument were used today, it might explode.

She stared at the fine sand, her gaze growing cold.

Three days later, news spread from the academy that Lin Wanqing was seriously ill and, in her coma, kept calling out Qi Mingyue's name. Everyone said that she had fallen ill due to depression after failing the assessment and being treated coldly by Qi Mingyue.

Xie Ansu came to find Qi Mingyue, his face grave: "Mingyue, Wanqing... she's very ill. Could you...?"

"Is there any way?" Qi Mingyue looked up. "Go and apologize to her?"

Xie Ansu was speechless: "That's not what I meant... It's just that she keeps mentioning your name, perhaps..."

Qi Mingyue suddenly asked, "Does An Su know that the strings of my zither were cut on the day of the assessment?"

Xie Ansu was taken aback: "What?"

“Not only the strings,” Qi Mingyue said calmly, “the inside of the instrument was also sprinkled with fine sand. If it had been used forcefully that day, it might have exploded.”

Xie Ansu's expression changed drastically: "Does Mingyue suspect..."

“I don’t doubt anything,” Qi Mingyue interrupted him. “I’m just stating the facts.”

Xie Ansu remained silent for a long time before finally saying, "I will investigate this matter." He turned to leave, then stopped. "But Mingyue... no matter what, Wanqing is ill now, and you..."

"I know what I'm doing," Qi Mingyue said calmly.

After Xie Ansu left, Zhishu asked anxiously, "Why didn't Miss just tell him that Lin Wanqing was behind it?"

Qi Mingyue looked out the window. The autumn rain had returned, tapping urgently against the windowpane.

“He won’t believe it,” she whispered, “at least not now.”

Amidst the sound of rain, a sudden, urgent knocking came at the door. Zhishu opened it to find a young maidservant, soaked to the bone and panting heavily.

"Miss Qi! Something terrible has happened! Miss Lin...she hanged herself!"

The news of Lin Wanqing's suicide attempt by hanging herself exploded like a thunderbolt at the Yingzhou Academy. Although she was rescued in time, she was already unconscious and on the verge of death. Under her pillow, a suicide note was found, each word filled with anguish and piercing pain.

"...Wanqing is foolish and has offended Sister Qi without realizing it. Lately, I've been unable to sleep or eat, fearing only that Sister Qi will despise me... My failure in the assessment was truly due to Wanqing's lack of aptitude, not Sister Qi's fault. However, rumors are spreading throughout the academy, all because of Wanqing, damaging Sister Qi's reputation. Wanqing deserves to die... Only death can prove Sister Qi's innocence and atone to the world..."

This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!