Chapter 6: Hiding Schemes

It was the latter part of the first lunar month in the twenty-sixth year of the Jiade reign of the Daxing Dynasty. The atmosphere of the New Year had long since dissipated, and the lingering spirit of the Lantern Festival was slowly fading. The weather, however, remained dry and bitingly cold, with a piercing winter wind.

Early in the morning, the Prime Minister’s residence was already bustling with preparations to receive the Crown Prince. It happened to be a day off from the palace, so there was no morning court session.

Cuilian carried a basin of steaming hot water, gently nudged the ajar door open with her body, and stepped inside.

There was no movement on the bed. Cuilian set down the basin and walked to the bedside, only to see Qin Wanyi sprawled out in a completely unladylike fashion, limbs splayed wide. From time to time, she would let out a faint, whistling snore. Most of the quilt was wrapped around her, leaving her feet exposed, as she slept in total oblivion. Meanwhile, Qin Suyue was huddled in the corner, half-covered by the quilt, her body curled up and shivering.

Cuilian heaved a deep sigh. She had gotten up no fewer than five times that night, and every time she saw this scene. No sooner would she manage to pull a bit of the quilt back over Qin Suyue than Qin Wanyi would roll over and snatch it away again. Qin Wanyi had occupied a full eighty percent of the large bed.

Just as she was about to tuck the quilt back around Qin Suyue, the latter shivered and opened her eyes, sitting up with a haggard and drowsy expression.

"Miss, are you awake?"

Qin Suyue rubbed her eyes and sat there in a daze for a moment. While Cuilian turned to fetch some clothes, she suddenly heard a smacking sound. Looking closely, she saw Qin Wanyi with her head tilted, sleeping soundly, a small white mark at the corner of her mouth.

Cuilian brought over the clothes and draped them over Qin Suyue.

As Qin Suyue shivered, a wisp of cold air slipped into the quilt. Qin Wanyi trembled all over and slowly opened her eyes. Upon seeing the two people hovering above her getting dressed, she felt a bit disoriented.

"Sister, did I wake you?" Facing Qin Wanyi, Qin Suyue still carried a hint of fear and caution; she wasn't sure if everything from yesterday was reality or a dream.

"No, it’s about time to wake up anyway." She wasn't picky about beds; she would sleep wherever it was comfortable. Otherwise, when she was on night duty, she could only sit there with her eyes wide open—no doctor could handle that.

Seeing Qin Suyue heave a sigh of relief, Qin Wanyi sighed helplessly. It would take some time for the sisters to be at ease with each other; as the older sister, she had a long and arduous road ahead.

Sitting up, Qin Wanyi accidentally touched Qin Suyue’s small hand and found it ice-cold. She immediately took hold of Qin Suyue’s hands, which felt as if they had just been pulled out of a water vat. Frowning, she asked, "You’ve just gotten up, why are your hands so cold?"

Not only were Qin Suyue’s hands cold, but her complexion was also poor. Qin Wanyi felt her forehead; there were no signs of a fever, nor were there symptoms of a cold.

"Are you feeling unwell anywhere?"

Hearing her words, Qin Suyue pursed her lips. As her eyelashes fluttered, warm tears suddenly rolled down, dripping onto the back of Qin Wanyi’s hand.

"Don't cry. If you've been wronged, tell Sister, and Sister will stand up for you." Qin Wanyi couldn't handle seeing a fragile woman cry; she was at a loss for what to do. She didn't think she had scolded anyone harshly, she reflected, and was certain she hadn't done anything wrong.

Qin Suyue shook her head while sobbing. Seeing this, Cuilian couldn't bear it any longer and complained with a pout, "The Eldest Miss was hogging the quilt all night; it’s no wonder the Third Miss is cold. If anyone has been wronged, it can only be the Third Miss."

Upon hearing this, Qin Wanyi rubbed her nose and chuckled apologetically. She knew her sleeping posture was poor; she was used to sleeping alone and had forgotten that Qin Suyue was beside her.

"Don't listen to Cuilian's nonsense, I'm just... happy." Qin Suyue wiped her tears and broke into a smile. "In the past, if I were truly sick, Sister would never have cared for me like this."

"If I care for you every day from now on, you'll surely find me nagging. How about it, are you still cold?" Qin Wanyi rubbed Qin Suyue’s hands.

"I'm fine. Once I put on some clothes, I'll be warm in a moment." Qin Suyue’s eyes curved into crescents, brimming with happiness.

Qin Wanyi’s courtyard had been destroyed, and she didn't know when it would be repaired, so she would have to occupy Qin Suyue’s room for the time being.

"Cuilian, prepare another quilt tonight so your Third Miss won't be cold. That way, you won't be able to blame me again. That’s quite a heavy charge, and I really can't afford to bear it," Qin Wanyi teased self-deprecatingly.

"Eldest Miss, this servant didn't mean it. How would I dare to blame you?" Cuilian stomped her feet, her face turning red with anxiety.

"How would you not dare?" Qin Wanyi widened her eyes. "The tone you used just now was exactly like a wronged little daughter-in-law. Could I possibly offend our Cuilian?"

"Eldest Miss..."

Qin Wanyi stopped teasing her and raised her hands in surrender. This maid was thin-skinned and timid, unable to handle being frightened. Just as she was about to get out of bed, she glanced up and saw someone pushing the door open. She raised an eyebrow, remaining calm.

"Eldest Miss, Third Miss, so you are already up. Just a moment ago, the Master sent someone to inquire about the Eldest Miss's condition." In Cuipeng’s hands was a wooden tray with a cloud pattern, upon which a set of elegant and luxurious clothes was neatly folded. "The Eldest Miss's clothes were all burned. The Second Miss's and Third Miss's clothes are not suitable for the Eldest Miss, so the Second Madam specially had someone prepare a set to be sent over."

After Cuipeng had escorted Madam Zhang and the others out of the room yesterday, she had expected to leave with them, but she hadn't expected to be sent back—perhaps Madam Zhang had further instructions. Cuipeng was Qin Wanyi’s personal maid and had to stay to await orders; leaving with Madam Zhang wouldn't have made sense and would have seemed even more suspicious.

This way, Cuipeng could continue to monitor her at any time. If they couldn't burn her to death this time, they would surely find a way to drown her; there were many ways to die by "accident." Since she had lost part of her memory, Madam Zhang and Qin Jingshu certainly wouldn't believe her easily. However, she naturally hadn't let Cuipeng stay in the room to keep watch at night. She knew Cuipeng was poisonous; while she couldn't remove the threat entirely, it was necessary to keep some distance.

The clothes Madam Zhang had sent over were brand new, elegant, and luxurious—worthy of the daughter of the Prime Minister’s house. However, on elegant clothes, any flaw would be immediately apparent, and the scar on her face would surely be even more prominent against them.

"It was kind of Second Mother to go to such trouble. Cuipeng, thank Second Mother for her kindness on my behalf tomorrow. I like these clothes very much," Qin Wanyi said with a smile. Today, Cuipeng was like a different person compared to yesterday, composed and at ease. Even with her head lowered, she appeared to be listening dutifully, and her speech was impeccable. It seemed she had recovered from yesterday's shock.

"This servant will remember." Cuipeng set down the tray and took out the clothes. "The Master sent word that the Crown Prince and Imperial Physician Han have already left the palace and will arrive at the Prime Minister’s residence in a few moments. If the Miss needs anything, please tell the Master early. If we are unprepared, I fear we might be poor hosts."

She was not the protagonist today. As long as Madam Zhang’s schemes remained within her tolerance, she could turn a blind eye. Besides, this played right into her hands; the one truly jumping into the fire pit was Qin Jingshu, so why should she stop her?