"I'll take care of the two on the left, and you can take care of the one on the right." Seventeen made a throat-slitting gesture.
Xin Jiuwei gripped the dagger tightly, suddenly remembering the acupoint diagram Xiao Xun had taught her. She shook her head and switched to a palm strike: "Just knock him unconscious, don't draw blood."
Seventeen looked slightly surprised, but still nodded in agreement. The two struck simultaneously like ghosts, and the guards collapsed to the ground before they could react. Xin Jiuwei caught one of them and gently laid him down, then took the key from his waist.
The study was pitch black, with only moonlight filtering through the window and casting dappled shadows on the floor. Xin Jiuwei went straight to the largest bookshelf—according to Xiao Ran, the secret mechanism was behind the ancient book "Spring and Autumn Annals."
"Girl, someone's here!" Seventeen, who was guarding the door, suddenly whispered.
Xin Jiuwei's hand froze in mid-air. Footsteps approached, and judging from the noise, there were at least three people. She quickly blew out the candle and pulled Seventeen behind the screen.
"Don't worry, Your Highness, this old servant will keep a close watch on that box." A familiar old woman's voice made Xin Jiuwei stiffen—it was Granny Li! This old woman who had served the Xin family for twenty years was actually the mole?
"Hmph, if anything goes wrong, the Second Prince won't forgive you." Her response was Qi Huaiyu's chilling voice. "At tomorrow's birthday banquet, the contents of this box will ensure the Xin family's eternal damnation."
"This old servant understands. But... what about the young lady..."
"Don't worry, the Second Prince has already agreed to reward me with Xin Xiyao after it's done." Qi Huaiyu's laughter sent a sharp pain through Xin Jiuwei's stomach. "As for that bitch Xin Jiuwei, I'll make her watch her entire family die before I can slowly torture her..."
Seventeen pressed down on Xin Jiuwei's trembling hand and shook his head silently. Only when the footsteps faded into the distance did Xin Jiuwei dare to take a deep breath, her nails already digging deeply into her palms.
"Girl, shall we continue?" Seventeen asked worriedly.
"Continue," Xin Jiuwei's voice was as cold as ice, "but quickly."
She quickly located the mechanism; the bookshelf slid open silently, revealing a secret chamber behind it. Inside, candles burned continuously, and in the center sat an ebony box, presumably the "evidence" that Qi Huaiyu treasured. But Xin Jiuwei had no time to pay attention; her gaze was drawn to a jade box in the corner—through the semi-transparent lid, she could see a crystal-clear snow lotus lying inside.
"Found it!" She carefully took out the snow lotus, wrapped it in the oil paper she had prepared beforehand, and kept it close to her body.
Just as she was about to leave, a portrait on the wall suddenly caught her attention. The woman in the painting had exquisite features and was holding an infant; her face bore a striking resemblance to hers!
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