It was around midnight on the seventh day of the Lunar New Year when she was awakened from her dream by a piercing scream.
"Miss Xiao! Save my daughter!"
She immediately got up, put on her clothes, and took her medical kit.
Waiting outside the door was a flustered noblewoman. Xiao Qingyin felt that she looked somewhat familiar, but she couldn't remember who she was for a moment.
Qin Wenjun also came out and whispered in her ear, "This is Princess Yongfu."
Xiao Qingyin suddenly realized.
So it was this person.
Princess Yongfu was the third half-sister of Princess Zhaoyang. She was married to the Earl of Shunyi, but they divorced less than two years later.
The couple had one daughter, who grew up with Princess Yongfu.
At this moment, the one she had carried to Xiao Qingyin was her only daughter, Situ Zhi.
Xiao Qingyin's expression changed when she saw the strangulation mark on Situ Zhi's neck.
She immediately performed CPR on Situ Zhi.
Princess Yongfu knelt to one side, clutching the hem of her clothes, watching with a nervous expression.
Xiao Qingyin performed seven sets of CPR, but Situ Zhi still did not resume breathing, and she almost thought that she could not be saved.
Fortunately, when they reached the eighth set, Situ Zhi let out a soft moan and finally woke up.
Princess Yongfu breathed a long sigh of relief.
Then, pointing at her daughter, she cursed, "I only said a few words to you, and you're acting like you want to kill yourself? Are you trying to drive me crazy?! How could I have raised such a wretched child!"
Situ Zhi looked at her blankly: "Mother, where is this? How did we get here?"
Princess Yongfu frowned and said, "Don't you remember what you did again?"
“I remember,” Situ Zhi replied, “I couldn’t sleep at night and heard someone calling me to swing on a swing, but I didn’t have one, so I found a piece of white silk and made one. I fainted as soon as I sat on it.”
Princess Yongfu said angrily, "Can't you use your brain?! Who would swing on a swing in the middle of the night? Really..."
Situ Zhi turned her head away and said nothing more.
Princess Yongfu scolded her, then turned to Xiao Qingyin: "Miss Xiao, you should have noticed that this child has a bit of hysteria. I've seen several doctors for her and she's taken a lot of medicine, but her condition is getting worse and worse. I don't know what to do."
Just as Xiao Qingyin was about to speak, Situ Zhi suddenly sat up from the ground and crawled behind Princess Yongfu.
She glanced at the alley corner not far away and whispered, "Mom, they've followed us again. They're hiding around the corner. Look, one hand isn't hidden properly and is sticking out."
Xiao Qingyin looked in that direction and saw only a sleeve fluttering in the wind.
She remembered there was a persimmon tree there, bare in winter, where people from the surrounding area would occasionally hang their clothes to dry.
He then said, "Those are robes drying on the trees, not people."
Situ Zhi said with a serious expression, "They are people. I've encountered them several times; they've been following me."
"Why are you being followed?"
“Take me back to Heaven. I am a Heavenly Musician who has fallen into the mortal realm.”
Xiao Qingyin: "..."
She realized that the girl had a severe case of schizophrenia.
“You’d better leave quickly,” Situ Zhi warned, “otherwise they’ll think you’re in cahoots with me, and you’ll get dragged into this too…”
"Stop talking!"
Princess Yongfu interrupted her.
"How many times have I told you, no one is following you. That's all in your head. Can you be normal for once?!"
Situ Zhi looked terrified.
"Are you in cahoots with them?"
Princess Yongfu wished she could slap this wretched girl.
Let's knock the demons out of her head.
To restore her to her senses.
But this wasn't the manor, and she couldn't lose her temper; she had to endure it.
“Miss Xiao, this is what she looks like when she has an attack. See if you have any prescriptions that match her symptoms and write one for her.”
Xiao Qingyin was silent for a moment, then chuckled and said, "I do have the prescription, but I need your cooperation."
Princess Yongfu was overjoyed.
She had given up hope for her daughter's hysteria, but she never expected that Xiao Qingyin could cure it.
"Just tell me how you need my cooperation!"
“Leave the princess with me. You cannot come to see her, write letters to her, or send anyone to deliver things. In short, you must completely separate yourself from her for a while.”
Princess Yongfu was taken aback.
“That won’t do! Zhizhi has never been apart from me since she was little. She won’t be able to bear it if I’m not by her side.”
Xiao Qingyin ignored her and turned to ask Situ Zhi, "Would you be willing to stay with me and be separated from your mother for a while?"
Situ Zhi glanced at her mother, hesitated for a moment, and nodded, saying, "I'm willing."
Princess Yongfu looked astonished.
"Zhizhi, do you know what you're saying? How are you going to learn the piano if you stay here? The orchestra is holding auditions for new members next month, and you were already in a bit of a precarious position. If you don't seize the time to improve..."
Before he could finish speaking, Situ Zhi interrupted him.
"I want to stay here!"
She was like a sick cat trying to be strong, both fragile and stubborn.
Princess Yongfu bit her lip and asked Xiao Qingyin, "Miss Xiao, if I don't come, can the musicians come over?"
Xiao Qingyin asked her, "Is your daughter's life more important, or is joining the orchestra more important?"
These words pierced Princess Yongfu's heart like an arrow.
"What...what do you mean by this?"
Xiao Qingyin sighed: "She's terminally ill, can't you tell? This time she was only able to save me because she was pretending to be dead. She won't be so lucky next time."
Do you really think she can snatch someone from the jaws of death?
Princess Yongfu was startled.
Will Zhizhi try to kill herself again in the future?
The servant's report from a few days ago floated into her mind: "The princess accidentally pricked her wrist with a broken zither string this afternoon and just applied medicine."
Was it really an accidental stab wound?
Perhaps, like tonight, it's just wishful thinking?
But why does she always imagine such dangerous things?
A series of questions flashed through Princess Yongfu's mind.
An answer began to emerge.
But she quickly pressed it down again.
No, it won't happen.
Her little twigs are so well-behaved and obedient, how could they possibly not want to live?
It must be because they are sick.
Once she recovers, everything will be fine.
With that in mind, she reluctantly agreed.
"Okay, I'll bring her daily necessities when I get back."
Before parting, she instructed, "While you are here receiving treatment, don't neglect your musical skills. Finger technique is something that will become rusty if you don't practice for a day."
Situ Zhi nodded: "Okay, Mother, I'll remember."
Princess Yongfu left with a heavy heart.
Xiao Qingyin yawned and said to Qin Wenjun, "Take her to the guest courtyard to rest."
Qin Wenjun glanced at Situ Zhi, pulled her aside, and whispered in her ear:
"Young lady, her condition seems a bit dangerous. Should we have someone watch over her?"
"No need," Xiao Qingyin said clearly. "Can't you take care of yourself?"
The second half of the sentence is directed at Situ Zhi.
Situ Zhi glanced at the alley corner where someone had been hiding earlier, and said weakly, "Is...it should be okay?"
"Don't worry." Xiao Qingyin patted her shoulder. "Our manor is very safe. Those mysterious people can't withstand my medicine."
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