"Help me out," Li Nuan took a deep breath, forcing herself to stand straight. She couldn't collapse like this; her grandmother was still outside.
Seeing Li Nuan emerge, Old Madam Qian's worried expression eased considerably. "A'nuan, are you alright?"
Li Nuan shook her head. "Grandmother, don't worry. A'nuan is fine, and the baby is fine too."
"It's thanks to your quick thinking," Old Madam Qian said, her face still pale with lingering fear. "If this old woman dies, so be it. You are still so young, you have a long road ahead with Yuanbao, and you're carrying my great-grandchild. You cannot afford to have any accidents, for the continuation of the Qian family line."
As she spoke, Old Madam Qian felt a sharp pain in her chest, and large beads of sweat broke out almost instantly.
Li Nuan quickly fumbled in her purse and took out another incense pellet. "Grandmother, this Bixi Pill can temporarily suspend vitality. That insect is inside your body, and now it's part of you. I suspect it might have some effect."
Li Nuan knew nothing about Gu worms. All she could do now was stabilize the old lady's condition until Qian Yuanbao returned.
Old Madam Qian knew Li Nuan wouldn't harm her and swallowed the incense pellet without hesitation. Within a few breaths, she went limp and collapsed. Li Nuan and a young maid helped support her, half dragging and half carrying her to the couch.
The maids who had been serving her closely were all dead, and there was no one else to attend to her in the courtyard. Li Nuan had no idea what was happening outside and dared not go out. She could only hope that Qian Yuanbao would return quickly; with him back, she would have someone to rely on.
Meanwhile, Qian Yuanbao was desperately rushing on his way. But halfway there, his horse suddenly stopped, refusing to move no matter how much he whipped it. Qian Yuanbao felt like kneeling before the horse, but it was all to no avail.
The sound of hoofbeats approached from a distance, and a pair of fair hands reached out in front of Qian Yuanbao. "Get on."
It was Bai Su.
"Zhenzhen was afraid something might happen, so she sent me to follow and check on you. You really are quite useless!"
Qian Yuanbao had no time to bicker with Bai Su. He grabbed Bai Su's hand and, using her arm for leverage, swung himself onto the horse. "Hurry, thank you."
"Where are the people with you?" Bai Su asked.
"I ran fast and left them behind."
Bai Su frowned. "I just passed the road you were on, and I didn't see anyone."
Qian Yuanbao was surprised. "There were clearly twelve people following me."
"I'm not lying."
Those twelve men were all from the escort agency, and several of them had fought alongside Gu Sinian. Their loyalty was reliable. Had something happened?
"Did you see any signs of a struggle?" Qian Yuanbao asked.
"No."
Qian Yuanbao grew more bewildered. How had those men vanished so silently?
"Are you going back to find them or returning to the capital?" Bai Su asked.
On one side were his brothers, on the other, his family. Qian Yuanbao hesitated for barely a moment. "Let's keep going."
Those men were skilled. Even if they encountered trouble, they should have been able to escape.
But the situation at home was different. Qin Lang's Gu arts were formidable. The guards left at the mansion were unaware of the severity of the situation. If Qin Lang succeeded, his grandmother and A'nuan would be in danger. Qian Yuanbao prayed desperately that his fears were unfounded, while urging Bai Su to hurry.
Bai Su remained silent, pressing her legs against the horse's belly. Qian Yuanbao felt the horse's speed increase significantly.
"You don't need to worry. If Qin Lang went to your mansion and used Gu worms to cause harm, I can handle him," Bai Su's intermittent voice carried through the rushing wind.
If Qin Lang controlled his grandmother and A'nuan to threaten him, that would be acceptable; at least they would be safe. But he feared Qin Lang might be utterly mad and directly attack his grandmother and A'nuan.
As if sensing the stiffness of the person behind her, Bai Su comforted him, "We are only speculating that Qin Lang might be at your mansion. Perhaps we are wrong?"