Seeing this, Bai Ci feigned confusion. “Second Brother, you don't look very well. Has something happened?”
Xu Jingan paused mid-step, lowering his gaze as he answered honestly, “Just now, a maid from Zhaoyue's courtyard found me and asked me to pass on a message.”
“However, she specifically warned me that this message is highly sensitive and can only be told to Sister-in-law if she remembers what happened during breakfast yesterday morning.”
“Since Sister-in-law no longer remembers yesterday's events, there is no need to mention this message.”
With that, he turned around and prepared to leave.
But just as he turned, a sudden change occurred in Bai Ci behind him.
Her figure swayed slightly. Having just stood up to see him off, her body suddenly lost all strength, and she collapsed heavily back into her chair with a dull thud.
Hearing the noise, Xu Jingan stopped in his tracks and instinctively looked back in concern.
The person before him still had the same face, but her entire aura had completely changed. An inexplicable sense of familiarity welled up in his heart.
This aura was far too familiar.
It was exactly the same demeanor that had briefly appeared on his sister-in-law yesterday morning.
Xu Jingan was a scholar of the classics and had never believed in ghosts or gods.
But when he thought of the warning Xu Zhaoyue had passed to him through the maid, and then of everything that had happened yesterday morning, several ideas flashed through his mind. He felt as though he had caught a thread leading to some supernatural truth.
Xu Jingan's heart was filled with shock and doubt. He spoke again, his voice instinctively lowering as he asked with a probing solemnity, “Sister-in-law... do you remember what happened during breakfast yesterday?”
Bai Ci slowly raised her eyes to look at him. There was no longer the slightest hint of bewilderment in them; her gaze was clear and bright, her tone crisp and gentle. “I remember.”
“Why do you suddenly ask this?”
Xu Jingan's mind trembled, and his breath hitched slightly. Steadying his nerves, he began to relay the message. “It's what Zhaoyue said.”
“She asked the maid to pass on these words: ‘Mother is hiding a secret in her heart, deliberately keeping Sister-in-law in the dark, and this matter concerns Eldest Brother. But if Eldest Brother knew, he would definitely not hide it; he would absolutely tell Sister-in-law the truth.’”
These words were cryptic and roundabout. Anyone who didn't know the inside story wouldn't understand them at all.
But for someone who did know, a moment's thought would quickly yield an interpretation.
First, the first sentence—Madame Xu's secret regarding Xu Qinghe could only be about the ritual of stitching a body to house a soul.
Saying that she was “deliberately keeping Sister-in-law in the dark” could imply many things, making it impossible to pin down the exact meaning of the phrase for the moment.
Then, looking at the second sentence, the word “absolutely” was the key.
Why would it be absolute? Wouldn't there be a chance that he might hide it out of concern that Bai Ci couldn't handle it, or that she might act impulsively upon finding out?
This “absolutely” did not refer to Xu Qinghe's moral character, but rather pointed to the necessity of Bai Ci knowing the truth.
In other words, if Bai Ci were to find out about this, it would definitely pose a massive obstacle to Madame Xu's plans.
And coincidentally, there was a piece of information Bai Ci already knew: if the person being stitched into a body found out they were being used to house a dead person's soul, in severe cases, it would cause the entire ritual to fail.
Looking at it this way, Xu Zhaoyue had indeed overheard quite a lot.
Chronologically, she had most likely overheard this from the conversation between Madame Xu and that strange doctor.
After a brief thought, Bai Ci understood the hidden meaning behind Xu Zhaoyue's words. She then began to press for details about Xu Zhaoyue's current situation.
“What exactly happened to Zhaoyue? Tell me everything that transpired, in detail.”
Xu Jingan gathered that the person in front of him seemed to have understood the meaning of those words, but he himself was completely in the dark.
He wanted to ask, but the next question followed immediately, forcing him to focus back on answering.
“Today, after being denied entry to visit my sister, I ran into a sweeping maid from her courtyard on my way back from the ancestral hall.”
“That maid is of low status, usually quiet and inconspicuous, but she possesses a loyal and righteous character.”
“Some time ago, her mother fell gravely ill, and they had no money for treatment. Zhaoyue's heart softened, and she personally called a doctor for her, paying for the expenses and saving her mother's life.”
“Because of this, she has always been deeply grateful to Zhaoyue.”
“Late last night, Mother went to Zhaoyue's courtyard. She dismissed all the servants and stayed alone with her in the room. Although the doors and windows were shut, their fierce argument could be faintly heard from inside.”
“After the argument, Mother came out in a rage and immediately ordered Zhaoyue to be confined to the ancestral hall. She stationed many guards there and forbade anyone from visiting.”
“Zhaoyue knew Mother was resolute. Realizing that once she was confined, she would likely never have another chance to send word out, she took advantage of the confusion among the servants before Mother could seal the courtyard and secretly entrusted that maid with a task.”
“She understood the situation in the estate. She knew that if someone from her own courtyard tried to find Sister-in-law, Mother would surely notice and intercept them. Only my movements would not arouse suspicion.”
“Thus, she specifically instructed the maid to find me so that the message could be passed on through me.”
At this point, Xu Jingan raised his eyes to look at Bai Ci, whose aura had completely shifted. He asked in a low voice, “Sister-in-law, what on earth is going on? I truly cannot make sense of any of this.”
Bai Ci merely looked calmly at the troubled youth before her. “In your heart, you have already guessed the answer. Why ask?”
Xu Jingan's eyes widened instinctively, his Adam's apple bobbing. He wanted to say something, but for a moment, no words would come out.
All the inconsistencies and doubts he had accumulated over time finally connected at this moment, crashing down with full clarity.
Seeing that Xu Jingan had finally realized the truth, Bai Ci spoke slowly, her tone carrying the air of ending the conversation. “As for Zhaoyue, I will go see Mother and have her released.”
Xu Jingan stared at the unfamiliar yet familiar face before him. He spoke in a low voice, his tone filled with absolute devotion. “Eldest Brother, what do I need to do?”
He had instinctively uttered the address he held true in his heart, without a single moment of hesitation.
After a brief pause, he added earnestly, each word filled with sincerity, “No... what can I do to help you?”
Hearing Xu Jingan's reaction go exactly as she had anticipated, Bai Ci couldn't help but feel a sigh of relief in her heart.
She had been reflecting on this earlier. Although playing the role of Xu Qinghe had indeed allowed her to seize some initiative and gain some unexpected help, it had also stimulated Madame Xu.
Madame Xu's impatience to accelerate the process wasn't entirely a bad thing. Haste bred errors, and it could also divert some of the cult members' attention.
However, as the one drawing that attention, things became somewhat difficult for Bai Ci.
With the process sped up, she was left with even less time.
Although she hadn't been exposed, she was still wearing her own appearance after all, unable to mobilize the full resources that Xu Qinghe should have possessed. Her investigation remained constrained.
The only harvest was Xu Qinghe's younger brother and sister.
Those raised by a true gentleman might have minor flaws in their character, but their core was trustworthy.
She could place her hopes on them to carry out some of the additional investigations.
Rate on N.U.
