Chapter 6: Hypnosis

Thinking of this, An Ran found it hard to stay lying down.

"Mmm." An Ran let out a murmur.

The two whispering maids immediately fell silent and looked toward the bed, only to see An Ran’s brows tightly furrowed, looking as if she were in great discomfort.

"The fool seems to be waking up. I’ll go call Imperial Physician Liu!"

"Alright, I’ll go check on the fool!"

Hearing the voices, An Ran realized the one leaving was the maid whose cousin had been abducted, and she sighed in relief at her luck.

One step, two steps. An Ran counted in her heart as the remaining maid came to her bedside, leaned over, and reached out to touch her forehead.

An Ran suddenly opened her eyes and grabbed the maid’s hand. The maid was startled and opened her mouth to scream.

"Shut up!" An Ran growled. Although her voice was slightly hoarse, the sharpness within it could not be ignored.

The maid was stunned, looking at An Ran in disbelief.

Is this still that fool?

An Ran stared straight at the maid, her pitch-black eyes deep and profound, appearing almost eerie.

The maid became immersed in that abyss of blackness, slowly drowning in it, her expression turning dull.

An Ran spoke, her voice very soft, "Relax, just relax."

The maid’s expression became even more vacant and listless, and An Ran’s voice grew softer still.

"You are safe now. Relax and trust me."

The maid’s expression eased, though she hadn't reached a state of complete trust.

In truth, according to the principles of hypnosis, one shouldn't ask questions at this stage. However, An Ran had limited time, and fortunately, this maid’s guard wasn't very high. Plus, the question she intended to ask wasn't a secret, so the hypnosis shouldn't fail.

"Tell me, what is your name?"

The maid offered no resistance. "Chunhua."

"Who told you that he saw someone dressed in purple?"

An Ran held her breath, but her expression remained unchanged; the most dangerous thing during hypnosis is an unstable state of mind.

"Xiao Peng, who is responsible for dumping the night soil in the Eldest Miss's courtyard."

Chunhua answered crisply. An Ran curled her lips. "Nothing happened today."

"Yes."

"Alright, it’s dawn. Wake up!"

Chunhua woke up in a daze, her eyes clouded for a moment, but as she looked down at An Ran, she remembered why she was there.

Just as she was about to place her hand on An Ran’s forehead, she heard footsteps and turned to greet them.

"Imperial Physician Liu, you’ve come. Could you see if the Third Miss is better?"

Imperial Physician Liu checked An Ran’s pulse and smiled after a long moment. "You have taken good care of her. At most, in half a day, Third Miss Yan will be completely awake!"

"That is truly wonderful!" Chunhua patted her chest in relief—not out of concern for An Ran, but for her own life.

After all, a group of servants who had attended to her had already been put to death.

"Go quickly and report this to the Old Master; he will be very happy to hear it."

"Yes, yes!"

Imperial Physician Liu prescribed some medicine, packed his things, and left. The maids went to report to King Yan and to see him off, leaving the room in silence.

An Ran opened her eyes, sat up with a start, threw off the quilt, and ran outside.

Chunhua, having seen off the physician, returned to see An Ran running out in disarray and was shocked. "Miss, why are you running out?!"

An Ran ignored her and bolted toward the courtyard gate. Every moment she delayed in finding Xiao Peng, the higher the chance he would be found by Young Master Shen, which meant her own life would be forfeit.

Chunhua couldn't stop her and shouted, "The fool is running away! Stop her!"

Third Miss Yan lived in a remote area with no guards, so Chunhua’s shouting didn't bring anyone.

This worked in An Ran’s favor. With agile movements, she darted out of the courtyard, using the plants and trees to conceal her figure, and soon vanished without a trace.

Once out of the courtyard, An Ran headed straight for the Eldest Miss’s courtyard, feeling her way to Xiao Peng’s room.

Inside the room, a young man was rummaging through cabinets, looking for something. He was startled by the noise and turned to see the disheveled An Ran. "Who are you?"

"Xiao Peng?"

The man’s expression grew tense. "Are you looking for Xiao Peng?"

An Ran had a bad feeling. "Where is he?"

"I don't know where he went. He went out to dump the night soil last night and never came back. I’ve been looking for him all day, but I haven't seen a trace of him."

An Ran’s heart sank. Unwilling to give up, she asked, "He hasn't been back since last night? Did he say where he was going?"

"He really hasn't returned, and I haven't heard of him going anywhere."

An Ran gave up hope. Xiao Peng had likely been taken by Young Master Shen’s men. She erased the man’s memory and turned to leave.

She didn't know how much Young Master Shen knew, but given his twisted influence and the equally twisted efficiency of his forces, she would be found in three days at most.

Three days. Could she survive this death trap?