Chapter 599 Missing
Shen Mingxuan nodded and deliberately lowered her voice to say "Mmm".
She followed Shen Wantang's gait as she walked out. Du Juan and Qin Xin exchanged a glance, then lowered their heads and followed.
Shen Guannian and Madam Qi personally escorted Shen Mingxuan to the door. Once outside, Qin Xin had just helped Shen Mingxuan onto the carriage when she clutched her stomach and squatted down with a cry of "Ouch!"
Immediately afterwards, Dujuan also clutched her stomach in pain and collapsed.
Madam Qi looked displeased: "What's wrong with you two?"
Qin Xin clutched her stomach in pain and said, "Madam, I... I think I ate something bad."
Du Juan: "Madam, I need to relieve myself!"
Shen Guannian said coldly, "You two are always lazy, and now you're getting stomach aches at a time like this. I think we should just kick you out!"
Madam Qi sighed, "Never mind, Master, we have plenty of maids in our mansion. Since these two are sick, let's replace them. Luo Yan, Hua Yi, you two go with the Second Miss to the Duke's mansion!"
This had been planned beforehand, so Chu Yanluo and Huayi naturally stepped forward and said in unison, "Yes, Madam."
"Alright, let's go quickly, don't delay the treatment of the Duchess."
Although the servant leading the way was slightly puzzled, he didn't say anything. As long as the person sitting in the carriage was Miss Shen Er, his mission was complete!
Soon, they left.
Shen Guannian and Madam Qi watched the carriage disappear from sight before turning back to their residence. Both of them had an excited look in their eyes, feeling proud of their cleverness—replacing the second son with the eldest son, they were simply geniuses!
Du Juan and Qin Xin, who had finished acting with Shen Mingxuan, had already gotten up from the ground. They were both fine. Seeing that Shen Guannian and Madam Qi had returned to the hospital, they hurriedly returned to Shen Wantang's courtyard.
"Miss, we're back!"
Du Juan walked to Shen Wantang's side and saw that she had changed her clothes and was practicing calligraphy with a calm expression.
She couldn't understand why her young mistress was still in the mood to practice calligraphy at a time like this: "Miss, aren't you worried that the eldest young lady will replace you at the Duke's mansion and anger the Duchess? Master and Madam clearly want the eldest young lady to replace you!"
Shen Wantang gently shook her head: "She can't replace me, and she won't anger the Duchess."
Du Juan, recalling the extremely close and special relationship between her young mistress and the second young master of the Gu family, felt slightly relieved. She lowered her voice and asked cautiously, "Miss, is it because the second young master trusts you and likes you?"
Shen Wantang smiled and gently poked the maid's head with her calligraphy brush: "What are you thinking? That's not the reason."
Du Juan looked puzzled: "What is the reason? I'm so angry and sad to see Master and Madam being so biased, and using tricks to get Miss to go to the Duke's mansion to treat the Duchess instead of you. Aren't you sad?"
"I'm not sad."
Shen Wantang wasn't really sad, because she had long since given up on Shen Guannian.
Qin Xin, who was standing to the side, said thoughtfully, "Miss, have you also noticed something amiss?"
She used the word "also," and Shen Wantang chuckled, "What, has Qin Xin discovered something? Tell me about it."
"I have a feeling that the servant's arrival tonight is very suspicious."
Qin Xin frowned: "When the Duke's mansion sent people before, the worst one was the Duchess's capable head nanny. Those nannies were always accompanied by a bunch of maids. It was quite a grand affair, which shows how much the Duchess values Miss."
"But today, the Duke's mansion only sent one servant, and that servant was so reckless. I couldn't sense any respect from him for you, Miss. This is so strange!"
"What's even stranger is that how could Second Young Master Gu so casually send a servant to deliver a message to you? Wouldn't that give people something to gossip about?"
"Although I haven't seen Young Master Gu many times, I feel that he is not such a rash person."
Shen Wantang looked at Qin Xin with admiration. As expected of a maid from the palace, and having served Princess Ning for so long, she was meticulous, perceptive, and knowledgeable.
She said softly, "Gu Qianhan is definitely not such a rash person. That letter wasn't written by him."
Du Juan was shocked: "Ah?! It wasn't written by the Second Young Master?"
Although Qin Xin had some suspicions, she still gasped when Shen Wantang confirmed it himself: "Someone actually dared to impersonate Young Master Gu and write you a letter?! That's terrifying! Luckily you didn't fall for it!"
Shen Wantang nodded indifferently, a cold smile appearing on her lips: "Yes, the letter is fake, and the servant is also fake. That's not a servant from the Duke's mansion at all."
Du Juan and Qin Xin exchanged bewildered glances, both seeing confusion and shock in each other's eyes. The servant was also an imposter? Then where would the young lady be taken?
Both of them felt like they had escaped a disaster. No wonder when the master asked them to go with Shen Mingxuan, their young lady secretly told them to pretend to have a stomachache and stay behind!
So the young lady knew that the servant was suspicious!
Qin Xin couldn't help but ask, "Miss, who sent that fake servant? What was his purpose?"
Shen Wantang shook her head: "It's still unclear who sent them, but didn't Shen Mingxuan already go? Let's see where she's taken, and the answer will be clear. No rush, let's do what we need to do. There are people who are more anxious than us!"
After she finished speaking, she lowered her head again and continued practicing calligraphy.
Du Juan quickly adjusted the wick of the lamp and lit another lamp, making the room much brighter.
Qin Xin was very curious. She tried to hold back, but couldn't help herself and said, "Miss, I'd like to go and inquire a little with the master and madam. Is that alright?"
Shen Wantang smiled and nodded: "Go ahead, remember to be careful."
"yes!"
Qin Xin's eyes lit up, and she responded and ran out.
Time passed little by little.
It wasn't until late at night that Qin Xin rushed back in a panic: "Miss, the eldest young lady has disappeared! Luo Yan and Hua Yi, who went out with the eldest young lady, are also gone!"
Shen Wantang had already taken a shower and was lying in bed. Hearing Qin Xin's words, she remained calm and composed: "Disappeared? That's not entirely unexpected. Where are my father and stepmother? What's their reaction?"
"The master and mistress are frantic; they've sent people everywhere to search for them!"
"No one was sent to the Duke's mansion to demand their return?"
"We sent someone to inquire, but the people from the Duke's mansion said that their Duchess is perfectly fine and has not been sick at all, and they have never sent any servants to our mansion to deliver messages! Now the master and mistress have realized that they have been deceived and are extremely anxious!"
Shen Wantang laughed. Only now did she realize she'd been tricked? Too late!
She closed her eyes with relief: "Those few clever people have only themselves to blame. Let them worry. I'm going to sleep now. I need to be well-rested so I can watch the show tomorrow."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
