Li

Last chapter's complaints about the abrupt cutoff—did you really think certain details would appear in the main text? ╮(╯_╰)╭

The moonlight was hazy.

Two lanterns emerged from the corridor, one before the other. The foremost was held high, illuminating Qiu Ju's anxious face.

She was craning her neck and looking about when Su Yun hurried up from behind, grumbling repeatedly, "Why are you walking so fast? It's pitch-black out here. Aren't you afraid of taking a nasty fall?"

Qiu Ju spun around with a swish, stamping her foot. "You have the nerve to say that? You were the one dawdling the whole way and making our mistress wait until she got anxious."

Under her glare, Su Yun could not help feeling guilty. Yet she knew she absolutely could not give herself away now, so she forced a stiff smile. "Why are you in such a panic? In a place as large as this, could Aunt Xue possibly get lost? If you ask me, she probably went back with our mistress."

"Then what are we waiting for?"

Qiu Ju said anxiously, "Hurry and go check your place. Before we left, our young lady repeatedly told me to take good care of our mistress."

Had Su Yun been any sharper, she might have caught the hidden meaning in those words.

In truth, after that day, Xue Baochai had noticed that her mother was acting somewhat strangely. After probing twice without getting anywhere, she had quietly instructed the servants to watch over Aunt Xue carefully and never leave her side for even a moment.

Otherwise, Qiu Ju would not have been so nervous.

But Su Yun was wholly focused on completing the task Li Wan had assigned her. How could she have thought of any of that?

Feeling uneasy, she accompanied Qiu Ju