Chapter 3: Fake Amnesia

Qin Wanyi’s eyes were clear as a mountain spring, seemingly devoid of any mockery. Her serious tone left Madam Zhang and the others stunned into silence.

“This little maid was just frightened by my appearance; it’s not her fault. Anyone would be the same upon seeing me, wouldn’t they? Isn’t that right, Second Madam and Miss?”

Qin Wanyi emphasized the word “Second” heavily, her expression so innocent that no one could find fault with it.

The strange, distant tone made Madam Zhang and Qin Jingshu exchange glances.

Madam Zhang gave a light cough, her face clouded with suspicion. Her eyes darted slightly, filled with a hint of probing. “Wanyi, Second Mother knows you are in a bad mood, but if you keep saying ‘Second Madam’ this and ‘Second Madam’ that, you will be punished again if your father hears you.”

Madam Zhang wore a look of concern. Had Qin Wanyi not already known her true colors, she might have been deceived.

“Second Mother?” Qin Wanyi continued to feign amnesia. She rubbed her temples, pretending to recall something, but her face was full of distress. “I seem to have a vague impression, but having just woken up and hearing so much from Suye, I don’t know if it’s because my head was burned, but I seem to have forgotten many things. If this little maid hadn’t mentioned it, I wouldn’t have known such a great tragedy had occurred. If I offend you in the future, please forgive me, Second… Mother.”

Although she held the status of the legitimate daughter, it was no longer what it once was. Furthermore, Qin Wanyi had offended many people in the Prime Minister’s residence and was not as adept at social maneuvering as Madam Zhang and Qin Jingshu. Thus, she dared not burn bridges with them. Perhaps the arson case was related to them; if she showed any sign of insight, she, being isolated and helpless, would only be silenced. But she could not simply act as if nothing had happened. She still had to protect Qin Suye, so she could only lower their guard, wait to know her enemy, and strike when the time was right.

Qin Wanyi’s extreme politeness made Madam Zhang very uneasy, as if she had seen a ghost in the middle of the night. She had never heard of a fire burning someone’s brain into such a state.

“What is to be done?” Madam Zhang navigated around the debris covering the floor and walked to the bedside, trying her best not to look at the wounds on Qin Wanyi’s face. “Do you remember how the fire started? If it hadn’t been discovered early, the entire Prime Minister’s residence would have been burned to ashes. Your father was furious at the time.”

Cuiping also looked up, as if waiting for her answer.

Only upon looking up did Qin Wanyi clearly see Cuiping’s features. It was a very ordinary face, the kind you would see a dozen of in a crowd, yet there was a unique aura about Cuiping that made her feel unfathomable.

“This…” Qin Wanyi struggled to recall, but could not find a single fragment of memory. She could only shake her head. “I don’t remember. I only recall going to sleep early that night, and when I woke up, I was like this.”

Prompted by Madam Zhang, she realized that what she had seen was not a dream; she had been reborn in a sea of flames. But she had passed out, nearly dying in the fire again.

“Do you know who saved me?”

“It was… Nanny,” Qin Suye said, tears streaming down her face again.

Qin Wanyi remembered that her biological mother, Lady Ye, had a dowry maid who was kind to everyone and had always taken care of both sisters, though she favored and protected Qin Suye more. Because of this, Qin Wanyi had never liked the nanny and usually acted as if she didn’t see her. In the Prime Minister’s residence, besides Cuiping, there was almost no one she could trust. Yet, perhaps the one who betrayed her was the one she trusted most.

“And where is Nanny? Why don’t I see her?”

“Nanny, she…” Qin Suye suddenly burst into loud, uncontrollable sobs.

Qin Wanyi’s heart sank; she knew it was likely not good news.

“Eldest Miss, Nanny…” Cuiling shifted her kneeling position to face Qin Wanyi, wiping her tears as she replied, “To save you, just as she was about to bring you out of the fire, she was… crushed to death by a falling beam.”

Qin Wanyi lowered her eyes. Nanny and Qin Suye were like mother and daughter, with a deep bond. If even she was dead, who else in the Prime Minister’s residence could Qin Suye rely on or hide behind? No wonder she was crying so bitterly; she was, after all, just an innocent young girl who had lost her loved ones one after another.

She took Qin Suye’s hand, wanting to offer her some warmth.

Although the Nanny had intended to save the original Qin Wanyi, she had already occupied the body by then; the Nanny had died saving her.

Her eyes grew moist. Qin Wanyi looked up slightly and closed her eyes, not wanting Madam Zhang and the others to see her vulnerability or her hatred. “Where is Nanny’s body? Has she been laid to rest?”

Hearing this, Qin Suye cried even more heartbrokenly, choking on her sobs.

“We only had time to save the Eldest Miss. When Nanny was found, Steward Zhao said she was already… unrecognizable. Steward Zhao wouldn’t let us get close, so she was buried hastily,” Cuiling finished, wailing loudly.

Since she died for her, how could she be so cold-hearted? Just because she was a servant, could she be disregarded so easily?

“I could hear the wailing from far away. What happened?” Amidst the crying, a middle-aged man walked in with his hands behind his back. He wore a red official robe embroidered with cranes, and a four-colored flower-patterned sash tied at his waist, giving him a scholarly air. However, his expression was cold and stern.

Qin Suye and Cuiping immediately stopped crying, looking at the man timidly.

“Master, why are you here?” Madam Zhang had been thrown off balance by Qin Wanyi’s sudden amnesia and change in personality. Seeing Qin Zheng, she hurried to greet him. Her words, however, carried a hint of guilt, though Qin Zheng, seemingly preoccupied, did not notice.

“The maids told me Wanyi had woken up and that you were here to visit, so I came to see as well.” Qin Zheng’s sharp gaze swept the room, his brows furrowing deeply. Seeing the chaos in the room, the wounds on Qin Wanyi’s face, and the red mark on Qin Suye’s forehead, an unnamed fire ignited within him.

“Master, Wanyi has suffered such an ordeal; it is only natural for her to be upset and act out,” Madam Zhang wiped the corner of her eye with her sleeve, though it was unclear if she was truly crying. Through her sleeve, she peeked at Qin Zheng’s expression and said sorrowfully, “No one expected such a thing to happen at this time. Fortunately, only one courtyard was burned. It is just a pity that their Nanny is gone.”

“Hmph, acting out! She still has the heart to act out!” Qin Zheng’s words were laced with irritation, as if he had been angered elsewhere. “Her room catching fire—wasn’t it some stunt she was trying to pull? How many disasters has she caused in these past few years? Now look at her, a perfectly good face ruined like this. Her marriage to the Crown Prince is completely ruined by her own hands. She destroyed the path that was paved for her. Hmph, this is fine, it suits her wish. She didn’t want to marry the Crown Prince—does she think the Crown Prince still wants to marry her?”

Crown Prince? Marriage? Didn’t want to marry? What was going on?

Qin Wanyi sat up straight immediately; she did not want to be dismissed so inexplicably.

“Master, what did the Crown Prince say? The wedding is in ten days,” Madam Zhang looked at Qin Zheng’s gloomy face, feeling a chill. Her eyes darted around, seemingly contemplating a strategy.

“What else could he say? The Crown Prince never favored her to begin with. Now that the news of the Prime Minister’s eldest daughter playing with fire, burning down her house, and disfiguring herself has spread through every street and alley, who would still marry her? The Crown Prince is destined to rule the world, and the Crown Princess must be a model for the nation. Have you ever heard of an Empress with a disfigured face?”

“Then what should we do? This marriage was decreed by the Emperor,” Madam Zhang asked tentatively, though she was secretly expectant. Qin Jingshu listened intently, her focus as sharp as if it were her own life-altering event.