Chapter 440

Chapter 447: Return to the Mansion (Part 2)

Upon returning to Lotus Lane, Lady Eleven immediately shared the news with the Elder Madam.

The Elder Madam clasped her hands together and uttered the same words as Her Majesty: "May heaven bless us with a noble son this time."

Madam Du answered with a smile and departed.

A page boy hurried in: "Elder Madam, Madam, the Second Young Master has returned!"

The attendants in the room either glanced toward the Elder Madam and Lady Eleven or feigned deafness. The Elder Madam’s smile faded slightly, and the previously cheerful atmosphere turned frosty.

The page stood there, uncertain what to do.

Lady Eleven quickly said, "Why are you just standing there? Go and invite him in at once!"

Relieved, the page rushed out.

Lady Eleven then instructed Amber, "Go inform Lian Jiao from the Second Young Master’s quarters to prepare hot tea and water. When the young master returns, he’ll need someone to attend to him."

Only then did the tension ease in the room. Some went to relay the message to Xu Siyu’s quarters, while others prepared refreshments, and smiles gradually returned to everyone’s faces.

Xu Siyu strode in hurriedly.

"Grandmother, Mother!" He hastily bowed to the Elder Madam and Lady Eleven. "How is my mother now?"

He wore an unadorned sapphire-blue silk robe, his face travel-worn and haggard, dark circles shadowing his eyes.

The Elder Madam glanced at him, slowly picked up her teacup, took a sip, and then said calmly, "Have you seen your father yet?"

Xu Siyu’s face flushed crimson, and a trace of shame flickered across his expression. Before he could speak, the Elder Madam continued, "It’s been some time since you were last home, hasn’t it? Now that you’ve returned, it’s only proper to first pay respects to your father and see if he has any words for you. Though he may not say it, he’s been thinking of you. You should also let him see how you’ve been faring in Le’an. And then there’s Qin Ge and Jian Ge—you grew up together, so your bond is no common one. You ought to greet them as well. And don’t forget Zhenjie, Chunge, and Jiege..." She paused slightly, her gaze resting on Xu Siyu. "This undignified haste—what kind of behavior is that?"

A sheen of sweat had already formed on Xu Siyu’s brow. As soon as the Elder Madam finished speaking, he bowed respectfully and said, "This grandson has been thoughtless. I shall return to my quarters to change clothes and then go see Father, followed by my elder brother and younger siblings."

The Elder Madam acknowledged with a hum and said, "Go on, then."

Xu Siyu withdrew with a measured pace and graceful bow.

The Elder Madam’s countenance clouded slightly, and she called Lady Eleven closer. "From the look of him, I doubt he can wait even a moment. Later, arrange for someone to accompany him. Though Qin Yi’s mind is addled, upon seeing her son, who knows—she might become even more confused or suddenly come to her senses. Whatever she says or does must be reported back to us in full detail. Otherwise, we might assume he knows nothing when, in fact, he knows everything."

She must suspect whether Xu Siyu was involved in the matter after all.

As this thought crossed her mind, Lady Eleven couldn’t help but wonder: Was allowing Qin Yi and Xu Siyu to meet one last time an act of compassion for their mother-son bond? Or was it an attempt to confirm whether Xu Siyu had played any role in the sorcery affair?

She instinctively shook her head, quickly quelling her misgivings, and began considering whom to send with Xu Siyu to Leaf-Falling Mountain Villa.

If Qin Yi merely rambled incoherently during their meeting, it would be one thing. But if she said something she shouldn’t have, the person sent to observe might end up meeting the same end as Tea Fragrance...

Lady Eleven frowned slightly, remaining silent in contemplation for a long moment.

Noticing her silence, the Elder Madam glanced at Madam Du beside her and said quietly, "I think there’s no need to send anyone else. Let Lian Jiao from Yuge’s quarters go. She’s one of his attendants. Wen Zhu and the others have just accompanied him all the way back from Le’an—they must be exhausted from the journey. Those who’ve been at home all this time ought to spell them in their duties."

Lian Jiao and the others, being close attendants to Xu Siyu, had always been near Qin Yi.

Someone had to go—if not her, then someone else...

Suppressing the unease in her heart, Lady Eleven replied, "Very well."

Afterward, the Elder Madam couldn’t help but sigh to Madam Du, "Her qualities are beyond reproach—just too tender-hearted."

Madam Du smiled and said, "No one in this world is flawless. Besides, everyone has their own ways. What you may see as a flaw might be exactly what the marquis values—her soft heart."

The elder madam gave a slight nod and fell silent.

**********

The Falling Leaves Villa was located southwest of Yanjing City, some thirty-odd li away. Due to the poor soil quality, even in favorable weather, the fields yielded little harvest. Most able-bodied people had left for work in Yanjing, leaving large tracts of land empty and desolate. The Xu family's estate at Falling Leaves Mountain was originally part of the dowry from his great-great-grandmother’s family. Though it included over a hundred mu of farmland, the villa itself covered only four or five mu.

When Xu Siyu and his party arrived, it was dusk, with a few crows flapping past noisily overhead.

Xiao Luzi couldn't help shivering and stepped forward to knock on the gate.

The villa had already received word of their arrival, and an older woman came at once to answer the door.

"Second Young Master, you've finally come," the older woman said, wiping her eyes with a handkerchief. "Our Qin Yi has been waiting for you!"

Xu Siyu stood with his hands behind his back on the steps of the gate, looking down at this unfamiliar older woman before him. His lips curled slightly downward, his expression cold and stern. "Where are the maids and older women who served my aunt?" he asked, showing no intention to enter.

The older woman hesitated for a moment before replying, "Two who weren't infected were taken back to the manor. The others... weren't so fortunate and were long gone..."

Before she could finish, Xu Siyu interrupted sharply, "So, apart from those two who weren't infected at the start, all of my aunt's attendants are gone?"

The older woman was quick-witted. She quickly ran his words through her mind, found nothing amiss, and answered, "Yes."

Xu Siyu's face remained expressionless as he suddenly strode inside.

The older woman hurried after him, taking the lead to show the way.

Xu Siyu said nothing, silently following behind her.

"When did Cui Er die?" he abruptly asked as they turned a corner.

Xu Siyu walked briskly, and the older woman, barely keeping pace, had to alternate between walking and trotting. When he posed the question, she was focused on her footing and hastily replied, "Cui Er died the day after we arrived."

"How did she die?" Xu Siyu quickened his pace further.

The older woman also sped up but was clearly out of breath. "She hanged herself!" she panted.

Xu Siyu stopped abruptly without warning. "Malaria may be difficult to treat, but with our family's resources, it's not incurable. Why would she hang herself?"

The older woman let out a relieved breath.

Madam Du had already instructed her on how to answer such questions.

"She started breaking out in rashes on her face and couldn't bear it, so she took her own life."

Xu Siyu nodded and strode forward, his posture erect as a pine.

The older woman hurried after him, leading the group to the side chamber where Qin Yi resided. "Second Young Master, be careful not to get infected," she cautioned. "I'll open the window—you can speak to Qin Yi from there." With that, she pushed the door open.

A thick, medicinal smell assaulted them.

Xu Siyu stood at the doorway, surveying the room.

Despite the summer heat, the windows were tightly shut, covered with Korean paper, keeping the room dim. Fortunately, the high ceiling kept the space cool. The black-lacquered furniture was old but neatly arranged, though the bare altar table gave it a desolate look.

"The concubine has been... confused," the older woman explained, following his gaze. "So we've cleared away all objects." She carefully adjusted her position. "Second Young Master, when Madam Du came the other day under the elder madam and the fourth madam's orders to check on her, she only took a distant glance. You..." Her implication was clear—he should just take a look and leave.

Xu Siyu paid little heed to her words.

Against the wall stood a black-lacquered canopy bed draped with a blue-green cotton gauze curtain. The figure on the bed was indistinct, but a slender arm adorned with a jade bracelet dangled limply over the side.

He recognized the bracelet.

It was Qin Yi's favorite piece of jewelry—a shimmering jade, like spring water. She would often admire herself in the mirror, saying, "...This looks best on my plump arms."

The memory flashed through Xu Siyu's mind, and his vision blurred.

The bracelet was still the same, emerald and translucent, but the arm had grown reed-thin... the bracelet dangling weakly, as if too heavy for the frail limb to bear.

Whispering, "Auntie Qin," he rushed inside.

But soon, he stood frozen before the bed.

Xu Siyu no longer recognized the person lying there.

Her skin was sallow, her eye sockets sunken, her cheekbones sharp and protruding... she lay motionless, her chest barely moving.

"Auntie Qin!" He dropped to his knees in alarm, one hand tightly gripping her bony fingers, the other gently hovering beneath her nose.

Suddenly, Qin Yi sat up.

Xu Siyu was startled.

With unexpected strength, she wrenched her hand away from his grasp.

"Who? Who? Who?" Her voice was shrill and frantic. "Who are you?"

As she demanded, she scrambled backward on hands and knees, pressing herself into the bed's corner.

"I am the mother of the second young master of Yongping Marquis's household! If you dare harm me, the second young master will return and have your head!"

Xu Siyu stared at Qin Yi in shock—her gaze was vacant, unfocused.

She was blind!

His throat tightened; he could not speak.

Hearing none of the usual taunts, Qin Yi tilted her head, listening.

The room was silent, save for faint breaths and the faint fragrance of fresh grass lingering in the air.

"Second young master!" Her face brightened with recognition. "Second young master, you've returned! You've come back to see me!" Her hands groped frantically through the air. "I knew you would come back for me!"

Xu Siyu seized her searching hands.

"Auntie Qin," his voice thick with emotion, "I've come back to see you!"