Two nights later, after Shi Lan finished practicing her physical skills and took a relaxing bath, she had just put on her inner garment when she heard the sound of pebbles hitting the window frame from the window just a step away.
Shi Lan leaned against the wall, watching the window warily, her chubby hand gripping the only thing in the room that could be used as a weapon: a wooden ladle.
"who?"
There was a moment of silence outside the window, then a dark figure appeared on the window frame. "It's me."
The newcomer's voice was clear and bright, but the last syllable carried the strange tone of a boy whose voice was about to change.
Shi Lan breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing who it was, but then frowned again. "What are you doing here?"
"Open the window a little, I have something to tell you," the person said, tapping lightly on the window frame.
Shi Lan pulled down the short jacket and long skirt draped over the screen, put them on, glanced at the tightly closed door, and then opened the window halfway. "How did you get here?"
The newcomer tilted his head, grinned, and smiled smugly. Under the dim light, his fair and jade-like face even had a misty glow. "It's a secret."
Shi Lan rolled her eyes, lowered her voice, and asked, "What do you want from me?"
Rong Qing pouted, feeling wronged, but knowing it was inappropriate for him to be there at this time, he kept it brief and said, "I came to tell you that your sister has some connections, but it's best not to get into a conflict with her unless absolutely necessary."
Shi Lan was startled and blurted out, "What do you want to say?"
Rong Qing chuckled and said, "You know what I want to say."
Shi Lan looked at him coldly, neither denying nor admitting it, but she knew in her heart that he was right, and Shi Yi did indeed have a secret.
Rong Qing chuckled and leaned forward, saying in a way that was both joking and serious, "How about I get rid of her for you? I don't like her either."
Shi Lan sized him up for a moment. Rong Qing's eyes were clear and bright, and his playful manner carried a childlike mischief. Who would have thought that such a handsome and sunny young man was discussing other people's life and death in his laughter?
Shi Lan was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "Thank you for coming all this way to tell me this news. I will handle this matter myself."
Rong Qing looked up at her. Because of the terrain, Shi Lan could barely meet his gaze. "Are you sure you don't need my help?"
Shi Lan shook her head firmly.
Rong Qing slightly curled the corner of his mouth.
Cuizhi gently knocked on the door. "Miss, it's getting late. Would you like me to come in and help you change?"
Shi Lan was startled and quickly waved her chubby hand at the boy.
Rong Qing turned to the side, hiding his body and face from the light.
Shi Lan hurriedly turned around and reflexively used her plump body to block the window, saying, "No need, I'll be right out."
The area outside the door quieted down. Rong Qing leaned against the wall and said in a low voice, "You don't need to answer right away. You can reply to me in a couple of days."
Shi Lan turned to look at him.
The moonlight outside the window was faint, and a pale crescent moon hung high in the sky. Rong Qing lowered his face, his features hidden in the darkness, making it impossible for Shi Lan to see his expression.
Shi Lan hesitated for a moment. To be honest, Rong Qing's suggestion tempted her. Shi Yi was the root cause of the Shi family's downfall. If they got rid of her, the Shi family's crisis would be resolved immediately. Shi Xi could marry into the Marquis's mansion smoothly, Shi Rong could embark on his official career smoothly, and Shi's mother would not die tragically from spitting blood.
Shi Lan stared at him for a while, then said in a low voice, "Thank you, but it's alright. Shi Yi is still my father's daughter, and I don't want to upset him."
Rong Qing looked at her silently. Shi Lan didn't know what he was looking at. She just straightened her back and tried her best to hide her true thoughts.
After a long silence, Rong Qing said, "I'll make up for the snacks next time," and then disappeared into the night with a few leaps.
Shi Lan's gaze wandered for a moment, then she let out a soft, slow breath and sighed silently in her heart.
Rong Qing may have genuinely meant well, but she and he were strangers who met by chance. Shi Yi was of great importance, so how could she entrust the life and death of the Shi family to him? Besides, even if she were to kill him, she should wait until Shi's father had completely given up on her and abandoned her entirely.
Shi Lan peeked out the window. The night was as dark as water, flowing in a deep black, with the chirping of insects echoing in the air.
Shi Lan bolted the window and opened the door. Cui Zhi, without suspecting anything, helped her back to the inner room to rest.
As night deepened, Shi Lan stared at the canopy above her head, unable to fall asleep.
Outside the cubicle, Cui Zhi breathed deeply. Shi Lan stared blankly for a while, her mind a jumble of thoughts, unable to come up with any ideas. It wasn't until dawn that she turned over her stiff body and closed her eyes, her mind heavy with worries.
In the early morning, Shi Lan sat slumped at the long table, her eyes half-closed, almost dozing off. Shi Xi frowned and glanced at her a few times, finally unable to resist tapping on her desk.
Shi Lan was awakened by the noise and looked up to see the teacher staring at her with an icy expression.
Shi Lan smiled sheepishly, sat up straight, and adopted a humble and eager-to-learn posture.
It was already the end of July. One morning, the Shi family's carriage swayed and rattled out of the city, and Shi Rong returned to his ancestral home, which was not far from the capital.
Shi Rong's departure seemed to have taken away most of the family's vitality. Shi's father was busy with official duties and did not show it yet, while Shi's mother was equally indifferent on the surface, but she couldn't help but worry about her son in private.
Shi Xi, being older, would rush to the main house every morning to accompany her mother through these particularly difficult days. Shi Lan, influenced by the original owner's emotions, was too obsessed with Shi Yi and only focused on the side courtyard, neglecting her mother's side.
Three days after Shi Rong left, as night fell, Shi Lan quietly huddled behind a strange rock not far from the side courtyard and whispered to Tian Xing, "Are you sure she goes out every night?"
Sweet Apricot tilted her head and thought for a while, hesitating not to speak too definitively: "This servant is not sure either. This servant just felt that something was wrong and mentioned it to Sister Cuizhi. I did not expect that it would alarm Miss."
Shi Lan looked down at Tian Xing behind her, "What's going on?"
Seeing that she looked somewhat displeased, Tianxing shrugged and explained in a low voice, "The other night, I stayed up a little late on watch. I found a spot behind the rockery over there to take a nap, but I somehow fell asleep. When I woke up, it was already broad daylight. I thought it was just because I was too tired, so I didn't pay much attention. Yesterday afternoon, I was worried about messing things up again, so I took a nap before coming here, but I still fell asleep. I felt something was wrong, so I checked carefully and found that there were trampled flower branches on the ground. Since I came here, I've been paying extra attention to these things. Although I have no evidence, I felt something was off, so I reported it."
Shi Lan nodded. She had rushed over without asking for details after hearing Cui Zhi's report earlier. Now that she knew the details, she felt that she had really come to the right place. "You did the right thing. After this matter is settled, you can come back to my place and help Cui Zhi with some errands."
Sweet Apricot was overjoyed and immediately knelt down to express her gratitude.
Shi Lan stared at the silent courtyard and said in a low voice, "Go behind the artificial hill, just like last night."
Sweet Apricot hesitated for a moment, a little uneasy. After all, she still had reservations about the person who could make her fall asleep without her noticing. "Before coming, Sister Cuizhi instructed that Miss should not be left alone. Should I call Sister Cuizhi over to serve you?"
Shi Lan shook her head and said, "No need. I'm in my own residence. Who can do anything to me?"
Sweet Apricot moved her lips, wanting to persuade him but knowing she wasn't enough, so she turned and slipped behind the nearby artificial hill.
(To be continued.)
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