Upon hearing this, Narcissus was taken aback at first, then quickly looked down at her waist, where a smoky blue purse was embroidered with a begonia flower with silvery-white petals and bright red stamens.

This wasn't originally hers.

One day, the young master Feng from the family of the Vice Minister of Rites came to the pavilion to see her. She noticed that the purse he wore at his waist was exquisite and had a style she had never seen before. Feeling curious, she asked him for it.

If she had known this would happen, even if he had offered to arrange it for her, she wouldn't have dared to accept it.

Seeing that she did not answer, Feng Liu reminded her in a deep voice, "The master is asking you a question!"

“…Yes.” Narcissus quickly composed herself and reported truthfully, “Reporting to Your Excellency, this purse… originally belonged to Feng Heng, Young Master Feng…”

"The woman found it novel and asked him for it, and he gave it to her."

Finally, she touched her head to the ground, her voice trembling: "Every word I have said is true, without a single falsehood. I know nothing else. I beg you, sir, to investigate thoroughly!"

"Take it off."

"W-what?!" Her mind went blank for a moment, and she thought she had misheard.

"Take off your purse!" Xiao Yan's tone was slightly cold.

"yes!"

This time, Narcissus dared not delay. With trembling hands, she hurriedly took off the purse, raised it above her head, and respectfully presented it.

Feng Liu took it and handed it to Xiao Yan.

The purse wasn't made of particularly expensive material, but its workmanship was exquisite.

More importantly, the design of the crabapple blossoms is truly unique.

Xiao Yan only saw it once.

Meanwhile, Narcissus knelt on the ground trembling, her back soaked with sweat, cold sweat dripping down her forehead and falling to the ground drop by drop.

She thought she was going to follow in Fuqu's footsteps.

Just when she had already decided where to be buried after her death, Xiao Yan unexpectedly passed away.

Not only him, but the rest of the Thousand Eagle Guards also withdrew one after another.

Once only the original group remained in Xunxiang Pavilion, she lost control and slumped to the ground, letting out several long breaths as if she had finally come back to life.

The madam leaned closer and asked her, "What exactly happened? Did Young Master Xiao take that purse and that was the end of it?"

Narcissus shook her head blankly: "I don't know either..."

Let alone her, even Feng Liu, who followed Xiao Yan around all day, couldn't understand why his master would steal a courtesan's purse for no reason.

He'd practically pulled his hair out, but he still couldn't figure it out.

It wasn't until he returned to Qiying Pavilion that Feng Liu inadvertently saw the same begonia-embroidered mask on Xiao Yan's desk. Thinking back to the two little turtles from yesterday, he suddenly realized something.

Could it be that you, sir, are...

Have you taken a fancy to the second daughter of the Shen family?

Guangrentang.

"Achoo—" Shen Qiyin rubbed her itchy nose, wondering who was chirping her from behind.

Chunsheng looked at her and asked with concern, "Is the Second Master feeling unwell?"

Shen Qiyin shook her head and said, "Chunsheng, can you change your address? It sounds like you're calling someone a bandit."

"Yes, Second King."

"..."

She's the one who doesn't know what's good for her.

"Let's call it the same one as before." At least the criminal intent isn't so obvious.

"Okay." Chunsheng poured her a cup of hot tea and said considerately, "The weather is getting colder, Second Master, you must take good care of yourself."

“Lately, the head of the household has been busy with something and has been missing from time to time. If even you fall ill, then there will be no one to hold down the fort at Guangrentang.”

Shen Qiyin took the tea, took a sip, and asked calmly, "Has Senior Brother been away from the clinic frequently lately?"

"Yes," Chunsheng said, wiping the wardrobe as he rambled on, "Several times, he didn't come home at night and didn't return until almost dawn."

"I see..."

He's probably about to leave.

After Shen Cang was imprisoned in her previous life, she was too busy to visit Guangrentang again and did not know when her senior brother left.

After being sent to the manor, Ren Dong came to Guangrentang to ask her senior brother and junior brother to treat her injuries, only to find that the place was deserted and even the gatekeeper Ah Huang was gone.

The eldest brother has disappeared without a trace.

The junior brother was elusive, appearing and disappearing like a dragon, and no one knew his whereabouts.

As for Chunsheng...

Shen Qiyin remembered that Ren Dong said that the Jingzhao Prefecture had captured a group of mountain bandits, and one of them, in order to atone for his crime, named Chun Sheng in court.

After being given fifty strokes of the cane, he died on the spot.

That year, he was twelve years old.

Shen Qiyin lowered her eyes, her fine, dark eyelashes sweeping across her eyes, concealing the turbulent thoughts within them.

Chunsheng wiped the cabinets and then the chairs, making sure everything was spotless. He then wiped his hands on his apron and asked with practiced ease, "It's lunchtime. What would you like to eat today, Second Master?"

Shen Qiyin came to her senses and looked at him with some surprise: "You can cook?" It used to be the senior brother who did the cooking.

"The second-in-command is really underestimating us." Chun Sheng was quite unhappy, pouting, and said, "Back when I was at Cuiyun Mountain..."

Realizing he had let something slip, he quickly coughed twice to cover it up. Seeing that Shen Qiyin didn't seem to suspect anything, he continued, "There's nothing I can't do, whether it's something inside or outside the house, on the kang (heated brick bed) or on the floor!"

Shen Xiyin: "Oh, you can do all of that?"

"That's right!"

"So, can you have children?"

"..."

Chunsheng left without a word, fuming.

A short while later, a series of clanging sounds came from behind.

Chunsheng was kneading the dough, and the dough was being slapped so hard it made a deafening noise.

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