A ghostly figure sneaked into the General's mansion, silently subduing everyone in the courtyard.
A withered, emaciated hand lifted the curtain, revealing Xiao Man lying lifelessly on the bed. The figure stepped inside.
"What a reckless girl!" The newcomer, wearing an evil ghost mask, exclaimed. "You still claim he's not your lover. To save him, you almost bled yourself dry, and you won't admit it!"
If Xiao Man had been awake, she would have recognized this person as the old man she met in Wu Yue Country. The old man took out a medicine bottle from his robe, poured out three pills, and put them into Xiao Man's mouth. Su Dan Novel Network.
"You cannot die," the old man cackled. "Originally, I thought you weren't capable of opposing him, but now, with you two little ones teaming up, that person might not be your match!"
Seeing the color return to Xiao Man's pale face, the old man's eyes lit up. He poured out two more pills, and with great reluctance, fed them to Xiao Man. "You troublesome girl, you refused to become my disciple, but you don't hesitate to take my medicine. Do you know how much rare heavenly and earthly treasures I used to develop this medicine? And it all ended up in your stomach!"
Xiao Man slept soundly, only waking up the next day when the sun was high. As soon as she opened her eyes, she saw Qiu Tong guarding her bedside. Seeing her awake, Qiu Tong was overjoyed.
"Miss, you're finally awake!" Qiu Tong helped Xiao Man sit up. "You looked so terrifying last night."
Xiao Man smiled. "Aren't I fine now?"
"You say you're fine, but you looked dreadful last night." Qiu Tong helped Xiao Man dress. "Yinzhu took leave from the Old Madam, saying you've caught a cold and are afraid of spreading it. So, you won't be paying respects. The Old Madam agreed."
"She agreed so easily?"
"Aunt He from the He family has arrived," Qiu Tong chimed in. "She comes to the General's mansion every few days. Anyone can see her intentions."
Xiao Man stood before the dressing table, looking at her rosy complexion with some confusion. She had lost so much blood. Even with her fast recovery, she should have been weak for days. Yet, her complexion was ruddy, showing no signs of significant blood loss.
Xiao Man felt her pulse, finding it steady and strong, with no discernible issues. Strange!
Even more surprising to Xiao Man was a lingering medicinal power within her that hadn't been fully digested. Her quick recovery was likely related to this undigested medicine!
After finishing her breakfast, Xiao Man summoned Dongfang Wei. "Last night, did anyone enter my room?"
Dongfang Wei shook his head. "I left for a while. After I returned, I didn't find anyone entering your room..."
A hint of confusion flickered in Dongfang Wei's eyes. He had dozed off once. When he woke up, he found Xiao Man was not unusual in any way. Could something have happened while he was asleep?
"Did you recall something?"
"Last night, I slept for about fifteen minutes."
Fifteen minutes was a long time. The intruder had silently infiltrated Shuiyue Xiaozhu and subdued everyone, not even sparing Dongfang Wei. This person either wished to conceal their identity or had malicious intent!
The intruder sneaked into Shuiyue Xiaozhu, only to give her medicine. It didn't seem like an enemy, but if not an enemy, why the extreme secrecy?
At the same time, this incident made Xiao Man wary. Her courtyard had strict security, yet someone had managed to sneak in silently, administered medicine, and left just as quietly. If the intruder had intended to kill her, wouldn't she be unable to resist?
"I understand. You can go rest," Xiao Man said calmly. It seemed the defenses of Shuiyue Xiaozhu needed to be strengthened!
Someone who could silently subdue everyone in the courtyard was likely skilled in using medicine. Among the people she knew, there were very few with such ability. Ye Qing was one of them, but Ye Qing remained at Prince Qin's mansion to care for Nangong Yu and had no time to visit.
Her master, Feng Moran, was also a possibility. However, her master was elusive, and even if he came, it wouldn't be to see her in this state!
Who was that person?
A dangerous smile curved Xiao Man's lips. A person could be subdued with medicine. Could traps or hidden weapons be countered with medicine? She wanted to find out who this uninvited guest was, who had broken into Shuiyue Xiaozhu in the dead of night!
"Miss, Aunt He from the He family has arrived."
Xiao Man's eyes flickered. "Please invite her in."
When He Qingyi entered, she saw Xiao Man sitting by a small table, holding a warming pan in one hand and flipping through a book on the table with the other.
"I heard the eldest young lady caught a cold. Are you feeling better?" He Qingyi removed her cloak and handed it to a maid.
"Please, Aunt He, have a seat."
He Qingyi sat opposite Xiao Man. "What book is the eldest young lady reading?"
"Chronicles of Yuzheng."
"The eldest young lady reads history books?" He Qingyi was somewhat surprised. History books were usually dry and dull, and few young ladies of the inner chambers were interested. The book in Xiao Man's hand was already more than half-read.
"I read them occasionally," Xiao Man said gently. "Thank you for your concern, Aunt He. It was just a cold, and I'm much better after taking medicine."
"It's good that you're feeling better, eldest young lady. It's freezing cold, and one can catch a cold with just a slight carelessness." He Qingyi glanced at her maid, who immediately presented a food box she was carrying.
"This is ginger candy date and chestnut cake I made in my spare time. It's best eaten in winter to ward off cold and keep warm. Please try some, eldest young lady," He Qingyi said solicitously.
"No wonder Grandmother likes you, Aunt. Grandmother loves this ginger candy date and chestnut cake the most, but none of us sisters can make it taste quite like hers." Xiao Man praised.
"You young ladies don't need to do anything. The Old Madam dotes on you all the most," He Qingyi said with a smile.
"Speaking of which, my third sister also quite likes this ginger candy date and chestnut cake..."
"Eldest young lady, please rest assured. When I came, I had my servants send some to all the young ladies. Because I heard you were unwell, I came to see you personally."
Xiao Man smiled gently. This He Qingyi was truly adept at social graces, no wonder she was doing so well in her maiden family. She curried favor with the Old Madam, yet she didn't neglect the other masters in the mansion. Knowing that Xiao Man was greatly favored by her father, she came to visit personally without appearing overly solicitous. Such a woman entering the General's mansion would likely be quite interesting.
"You are truly considerate, Aunt. I lost my mother at a young age. Besides Father and my brothers, no one has ever cared for me as you do," Xiao Man said, reaching out to hold He Qingyi's hand. "If only you were my real aunt, how wonderful that would be."
He Qingyi's smile remained unchanged. "It is only right for elders to dote on the younger generation. Since you call me Aunt, how could I not cherish you?"
"Aunt truly cherishes me, but some people might not. No matter what I do, some people just dislike it," Xiao Man said slowly. "And I'm not someone who likes to offer a warm face to a cold backside. I know very clearly who treats me sincerely."