After seeing that Madam Wu had left the table, Lanqin chatted with Madam Song.

"Why hasn't Ruyue gone back yet?" Song, who was seated next to Lanqin, suddenly asked. She had been looking indifferent and didn't seem to have spoken much to Wu.

"Didn't Sister Wu tell my sister?" Lanqin asked.

“She said she would send Ruyue back after the New Year. But how come she’s still here?” Madam Song said. “My father and Shucheng have already proposed to the Wu family, and their marriage is settled. It’s not good for Ruyue to still be living here.”

It turns out that in ancient times, once a man and woman were engaged, they were not supposed to see each other again before the wedding. Madam Song was slightly displeased that Wu Ruyue was still staying at Madam Wu's place.

Lanqin didn't know what to say, so she could only comfort her, "Perhaps Sister Wu wants Ruyue to stay a little longer. Since the Imperial Secretary isn't in the mansion, Sister Song doesn't need to mind so much."

Song Shi was not a demanding person to begin with; her earlier dissatisfaction with Wu Ruyue stemmed from traditional values. After Lan Qin's explanation, she no longer cared so much.

The opera continued to be performed on stage, while the audience members were all lost in their own thoughts. Fortunately, nothing particularly noteworthy happened.

Meanwhile, Madam Wu was waiting for Wu Ruyue at the entrance of the washroom in the east courtyard. Wu Ruyue had just said she needed to use the restroom and insisted on dragging Madam Wu along. Seeing that this was the east courtyard, Madam Wu, fearing something might go wrong with Wu Ruyue, went along with her.

But after waiting and waiting, Wu Ruyue did not come out. She called out a few times towards the washroom, but there was still no response. Having no other choice, Madam Wu went inside to look for Wu Ruyue herself.

They hadn't brought lanterns when they arrived, and now, entering the washroom, it was pitch black, without a single ray of light. Wu felt a little frightened, and she mustered her courage to call out, "Ruyue, Ruyue, are you there?"

But there was no one there; the place was completely empty. Where did Wu Ruyue go?

A sudden fear rose in Wu's heart. She had clearly seen Wu Ruyue enter. But now, the room was empty; there wasn't a single person in sight.

Wu was filled with horror, but she couldn't afford to panic. She quickly went out and began searching for Wu Ruyue. The East Courtyard was the largest courtyard, and its first owner was the long-deceased Li Shi. Wu was familiar with the East Courtyard; she had been there many times when she was dependent on Li Shi. So, Wu quickly headed towards another washroom. She knew this courtyard well and knew how to get there quickly. Thus, Wu began searching for Wu Ruyue alone in the East Courtyard.

Meanwhile, under Lanqin's guidance and comfort, Song's complexion gradually improved. As the two chatted, they realized that the Wu sisters seemed to have been gone for quite some time.

"Where did Sister Wu go? Why did she take so long?" Song asked.

“Her maids are still here taking care of the Third Princess. The two sisters couldn’t have gone anywhere. They probably went to the outhouse,” Lanqin said.

Song nodded. Although Lanqin said this, she was actually starting to have doubts in her heart.

At this moment, the maids began serving soup. Several dishes had already been served, and the last dish, a sweet soup, arrived. Lanqin helped Hongli eat some. She noticed that Nian Shi across from her was also eating the sweet soup, but her expression seemed a little off.

"Consort, something seems off about the person opposite me," Madam Song said to Lanqin in a low voice, turning her head away.

"You noticed it too? Something was off a long time ago, but he was just putting on a brave face because we were here," Lanqin said.

As the two were discussing, Nian suddenly vomited, and the sound immediately attracted everyone's attention.

Then she slumped to the side, and Lady Fucha, who was closest to her, panicked and cried out, "What's wrong with Consort Nian?"

The maids had already restrained Lady Nian, and Nian Gengyao suddenly stood up from his seat and strode over to her. The Fourth Prince also quickly stood up and went over to her.

Seeing this, Lanqin and Songshi also got up angrily, instructed the maids to take good care of the children, and then went over to see what was going on. Only Gengshi remained seated, protecting Hongzhou, and did not go forward to see.

"Shilan, Shilan, wake up!" Nian Gengyao held Nian Shi in his arms and shook her anxiously.

"Su Peisheng, go and call Doctor Lin over, quickly!" Fourth Master immediately instructed Su Peisheng.

He wanted to go see Lady Nian in person, but Nian Gengyao had already embraced her, so he could only stand aside and watch.

"Carry her inside and lay her down. Sitting like this is definitely not comfortable," Lanqin reminded her.

Nian Gengyao glanced at Lanqin and then picked up Nian Shi as instructed.

“Your Highness, my sister seems to be unwell. It’s best if everyone stays here and doesn’t move around. We’ll wait for the doctor to come and examine Shilan before making a decision,” Nian Gengyao said, turning back to the Fourth Prince.

Lanqin found the scene somewhat comical. How much did Nian Gengyao dote on his younger sister? The Fourth Prince was standing right there, and he was actually carrying Nian Shi into the inner room. Although they were siblings, they were no longer children, and such intimacy was rather awkward.

Fourth Master nodded to Nian Gengyao and said, "Sit down where you are and wait for Doctor Lin to examine Nian's pulse before we talk."

Upon hearing this, everyone understood immediately: they were being suspected and were being prevented from leaving.

But since the Fourth Master had spoken, everyone had no choice but to sit down. The actors on the stage, seeing the situation below, didn't know whether they should stop or not. They all stood on the stage in shock, not knowing what to do.

Lanqin waved to them, signaling them to hurry down; their master had already encountered trouble, and he had no interest in listening to opera. The actors quickly and efficiently left.

Meanwhile, Madam Wu finally found Wu Ruyue in one place. When asked why she had wandered off, Wu Ruyue only said that the buildings in the East Courtyard were all too similar, which made her lose her way. After scolding her, Madam Wu took her and led her towards Madam Nian's main courtyard.

When the Wu sisters entered, they found the stage empty. Lanqin and Song were talking together, while Fucha and Geng across from them remained silent. The maids all had their heads down. Wu immediately noticed that the Fourth Prince, Nian, and General Nian were all absent.

"Sister Song, what's wrong?" Madam Wu asked hurriedly after pulling Wu Ruyue to sit down.

"Madam Nian has fainted. She's already been carried inside, and Doctor Lin just went in too," Madam Song said to Madam Wu, glancing at Wu Ruyue.

"Ah!" Wu was stunned, not expecting so many things to have happened so soon after she left.