Xin He suddenly felt that she didn’t seem to have much time to stand guard anymore. She truly didn’t enjoy this feeling of being in the open while her enemy remained hidden. Due to this unease, even her attempts to understand the current state of the mansion seemed restricted.
Xin He pondered for a moment before pronouncing, "Summon the servants."
Shulan and Jinxiu entered the room at her summons. "Miss, what are your instructions?" they asked.
"Shulan, you must prepare a horse carriage early tomorrow morning. I intend to pay a visit to the Dali Temple," Xin He instructed.
Shulan appeared slightly taken aback. "Miss, you mean to say that you intend to go to Dali Temple..." she trailed off.
"Of course, to submit evidence!" Xin He responded, some irritation seeping into her voice. "I had originally intended to stay out of it, awaiting the outcome from the Dali Temple. However, who would have imagined that these useless people could not manage to come up with an explanation, even to this day. Tomorrow, I will personally go to the Dali Temple and deliver this evidence to them. Perhaps that might hasten the resolution of the case."
Shulan immediately agreed, saying, "Eldest Miss, you are exactly right. After all, the Black Bear Incident nearly cost your life. It shouldn’t be left unsettled. Since we have some evidence on hand, it’s better to deliver it to the Dali Temple."
Jinxiu’s facial color paled slightly. She immediately responded, "Eldest Miss, rest assured. First thing tomorrow morning, this servant will certainly prepare the horse carriage for you."
"Hmm, very well. Everyone may leave. I want to read for a while and don’t wish to be disturbed." Xin He waved them away, impatient to be left alone.
Shulan and Jinxiu saluted and retreated from the room.
Xin He made a subtle glance at Xiaoyu, who nodded discreetly and immediately followed them.
Only after her door was shut did the cold gleam in Xin He’s eyes fully reveal itself. Jinxiu was obviously a spy planted amongst them. Now that there were major actions happening on her side, she couldn’t believe that Jinxiu would remain indifferent.
As Xiaoyu hurried after them, she indeed noticed that Jinxiu did not return to her room. Instead, heading towards the outside, she furtively cast looks around to make sure no one else was there before allowing herself to move.
Xiaoyu’s eyes darkened, and she hastily followed her in silence.
Back in her room, Xin He waited patiently, her fingers tapping lightly on the edge of her tea cup. The tea in her cup had turned cold before she set it aside on the table.
After an indefinite period of time, muted knockings arose from outside the door.
"Miss."
It was Xiaoyu.
"Enter."
Xiaoyu stepped in, her face carrying a hint of gravity.
"How did it go? Where did she go?" Xin He’s voice was cold.
"This servant didn’t see her go to any specific courtyard. She only ran out of the glazed tower and headed toward the artificial hill. This servant vaguely saw that someone was waiting for her over there. They whispered something to each other, after which she hurriedly came back."
"Do you recognize that old lady?"
Xiaoyu looked somewhat uncertain. After struggling internally for a while, she managed to utter, "This servant isn’t sure if it’s just an illusion or if it’s because it was too dark. But the servant in question looked a lot like... Lady Hou’s old maid."
A layer of frost seemed to settle on Xin He’s face as she smirked coldly, "Lady Hou."
Xiaoyu, somewhat hesitant, spoke, "But this servant can’t be sure. Lady Hou is known to be kind-hearted. She doesn’t seem like the type to engage in such activities."
"Indeed? Well, we’ll see tomorrow. It won’t be long before we find out whether it is her or not." Xin He’s voice was icily indifferent.
"What do you mean, Miss?"
"What do you think? After spreading such news today, do you think they will sit idle? I fear that they will not even allow me to remain." Xin He chuckled coldly.
At Xin He’s cold laughter, Xiaoyu couldn’t help but shudder. She nodded her head in fear, "Yes."
The following morning dawned bright and early.
As was routine, Xin He woke up and prepared for the day, with Shulan and Jinxiu attending to her.
Jinxiu’s demeanor was changeable and she seemed less flustered than the previous night, presumably because the arrangements were in order.
Xin He looked at Jinxiu and a chill arose in her heart. "Is the carriage ready?" she enquired.
"Yes, it’s ready and waiting at the mansion gate."
Xin He reached up to touch her hair bun. Today, she opted for a simple falling horse bun, which she found refreshingly straightforward. She felt exhausted at the thought of a complicated hairstyle amidst the sweltering summer heat.
"Well then, let’s go." Satisfied, Xin He got up and retrieved a small box from the drawer by her bed and tucked it into her sleeve.
Just the sight of that box made Jinxiu’s forehead tingle, she knew all too well what was inside.
"Now that summer has arrived, the lotus flowers in our mansion’s Lotus Lake have started blooming. They look very beautiful. Lady Hou is fond of lotus flowers, so she planted a whole lot of them in that lake many years ago. Now, every summer when they bloom the view is magnificent."
Jinxiu trailed behind Xin He, mentioning this seemingly casually as they walked.
"Oh? Is the view really that splendid?"
"Yes, Miss. If you happen to have some free time right now, you could take a detour to Lotus Lake. Revel in the scenery along the way; it wouldn’t be such a bad idea." Jinxiu answered with a laugh.
Xin He considered it for a moment and nodded. "Sounds good. It’s been a long time since I last witnessed such a beautiful scene."
"Yes." Jinxiu immediately flashed a smile, stepping forward to hold the umbrella for Xin He.
Although it was still morning, the sun had already started to shine. For a girl of the boudoir, not used to even a bit of sunlight, this was unbearable.
Xin He had no real intention of visiting the Dali Temple. If she had any lead in her hands, would she still be waiting until now? No, it was merely a tactic to lure the snake out of its hole. Today Jinxiu was unusually verbose, even going out of her way to mention the Lotus Lake. Xin He decided to go along with her and see who was pulling the strings behind the scenes!
Before reaching Lotus Lake, she noticed a figure standing beside the lake from afar.
Li Junyan?
Xin He’s eyebrows raised slightly in surprise.
Upon seeing her, Li Junyan smiled and said, "What a surprise! My eldest sister is also in the mood to admire lotus flowers today?"
Xin He replied wearing a faint smile, "I heard the whole pond is full of beautiful blooming lotus flowers. I thought I’d come to see for myself. I never expected to find you here, too, second sister."
Li Junyan gave a timid chuckle, saying, "My mother has always loved lotus flowers, and so do I. Seeing them in bloom, I decided to admire them early this morning. I didn’t expect to run into you, eldest sister. Since we’re both here, let’s enjoy the view together."
Leisurely walking along the lake, Xin He replied nonchalantly, "Sure."
"Eldest sister, your personality is really agreeable, making me feel at ease. Ever since I met you yesterday, I felt a fondness for you. Li Junyao and company, no wonder she’s an imposter. She doesn’t match your demeanor in the least." Li Junyan said timidly.
"And why is that?" Xin He seemingly admired the lotus flowers while her attention remained focused on the calm lake. On its serene surface, she could see two thin reeds hidden among the flowers. Under such meticulous care, this pool was unlikely to have such residual waste. Her eyes on the lake, Xin He felt a chill creeping into her smile. There were people beneath the pool.
Li Junyan smiled and explained, "Because you didn’t bully me. I never dreamed of having such a congenial elder sister. Hence why those like Li Junyao, that impostor, could never have your temperament."
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