“That Eunuch Li has always been brutal, treating human lives as worthless weeds. It’s no surprise that any maid who served him either ended up dead or injured.
Moreover, his adopted son, Li Fugui, is even worse. Miss Bai Er must have suffered greatly over these three years. Over time, even someone as tough as iron would struggle to endure.”
Smack!
Chu’er got a slap on the head.
Chi Yanqing was displeased: “Nonsense! What I need is intelligence—solid, insider information, not your guesses! Do I not have a brain to make my own guesses?”
Chu’er shrank his neck: “Since Eunuch Li returned to Xianghe, no outsiders have entered his residence, and no one has come out alive. So, there’s no way to gather any information.”
“What about the coachman the Bai family sent to Xianghe to bring Bai Jingchu back to the capital? He must know something.”
Chu San said with certainty: “That coachman wasn’t sent by the Bai family.”
Chi Yanqing was taken aback: “He wasn’t?”
“That’s right. The Bai family didn’t even receive any news, and no one was sent to fetch her. After that coachman delivered Miss Bai Er to the Bai residence, he immediately drove away.”
Chi Yanqing pondered for a moment before finally realizing: “So that’s it!”
What a brilliant move to survive in a desperate situation.
That coachman had merely used the Bai family’s name. After all, no matter how insignificant the Bai family might be, they were still a fifth-rank official household, especially one that accompanied the emperor and could report directly to him. The other party, fearing repercussions, would still exercise some caution.
Bai Jingchu was indeed pretending to be foolish. Moreover, she was skilled at disguising herself, clever, and knew how to create and leverage influence.
She had long known that the Bai family’s heartlessness would offer her no pity. Rather than seeking help from them, it was better to hire a fake coachman.
So why did she choose to stay with the Bai family now? Was it to seek protection, or did she have other plans?
This woman was truly an enigma, always revealing something new.
And Chi Yanqing, in his lifetime, had a particular fondness for solving cases and unraveling mysteries—a kind of pathological obsession.
As Chu’er put it, in their young master’s eyes, solving a case step by step was more addictive than undressing a woman layer by layer.
He had no interest in women, but this little Bai Jingchu had piqued his curiosity, making him itch to uncover the truth.
Xinyi Courtyard.
While Bai Jingchu was still lazing in bed, Li Ma and Xue Cha had already quietly prepared breakfast.
Xue Cha gathered the dirty clothes Jingchu had changed out of the day before and carried them outside.
Li Ma stopped her: “Where are you going?”
“To take them to the laundry room to be washed.”
Li Ma grabbed her and glanced at Jingchu’s still-closed door:
“Aren’t you just asking for humiliation? This household already makes us prepare our own meals, separate from the main kitchen. Do you think the laundry room will wash our clothes? You’ll only get mocked and shut down.”
Xue Cha was completely unfazed: “Li Ma, you’re overthinking it. Aunt Bai saw me yesterday afternoon and told me to bring any dirty clothes to her—she’ll take care of them.”
“She just got beaten with the rod, and she’s back at the laundry room so soon?”
“That beating was just for show—only superficial wounds. She was back at the laundry room yesterday, still limping as she walked.”
Li Ma frowned: “She probably hates our young lady to the core. Do you really think she’d be so kind?”
“Some people just don’t know what’s good for them until they’re taught a lesson. A good beating is all it takes to make them behave.”
Li Ma was half-convinced, half-doubtful: “You’d better keep your wits about you. Don’t fall for that sly woman’s schemes.”
Xuecha waved her hand dismissively, hugged the clothes, and left.
This child, so sincere at heart, truly believes there are no bad people in the world.
Bai Jingchu had already woken up and overheard their entire conversation.
Unwarranted kindness often hides ill intentions—she didn’t believe for a moment that Granny Bai had genuinely repented.
Sure enough, when Xuecha brought the freshly ironed clothes back to Xinyi Courtyard that evening, Jingchu inspected them carefully and immediately noticed something amiss.
The clothes had clearly been soaked in a solution made from nettle and pokeberry.
Granny Bai wouldn’t have dared to do this on her own—it must have been Bai Jingshu’s doing.
What was she trying to achieve?
Deliberately creating the illusion that she had contracted a venereal disease?
Was it to drive her away? Or to break off the engagement?
Should she ignore it, or play along with the scheme?
Holding the skirt, Bai Jingchu smiled faintly. This time, she would sacrifice herself for the greater good—and grant Bai Jingshu her wish.
She would also teach her what it means to lift a rock only to drop it on one’s own foot.
Jingchu didn’t have many clothes.
She had fled back from the countryside, and when she returned to the capital, the clothes she wore were not only stained with mud but also soaked in Xuejian’s blood.
After bathing, Madam Bai Chen ordered someone to fetch a set of Bai Jingshu’s discarded clothes for her to wear.
Later, Mama Li picked out two more outfits from old clothes, stayed up all night altering them to fit, and managed to make them barely wearable.
Over the past three years, she had grown slightly taller but had become two inches slimmer around the waist.
The tampered outfit happened to fit her the best.
So the next day, Bai Jingchu wore that same dress again.
After the midday rest, Madam Bai Chen and Bai Jingshu arrived at Xinyi Courtyard with a crowd of maids and matrons in tow.
Their aggressive demeanor immediately put Mama Li and Xuecha on guard, and they stepped forward nervously to greet them.
“Where is your young lady?”
Mama Li kept her eyes lowered. “Madam, the Second Young Lady is feeling unwell today and is resting on the couch.”
“What’s wrong with her?”
“Nothing serious, just some itchy red rashes. This old servant advised her to cover up with a quilt and sweat it out.”
Bai Jingshu’s eyes gleamed with barely suppressed excitement.
Madam Bai Chen shot a meaningful glance at Mama Rong behind her. “Then we’ve come at just the right time. Go and see what’s wrong with the Second Young Lady. Examine her carefully.”
Mama Rong and another matron entered the room and drew back the bed curtains.
“Second Young Lady, we heard you’re unwell. Let this old servant take a look at you.”
As she spoke, she pulled back the brocade quilt covering Bai Jingchu.
Jingchu clutched a corner of the quilt, holding it against her chest. The sleeve of her inner garment slipped down, revealing her slender arm.
On her jade-like skin, clusters of red spots the size of rice grains were already visible.
“What are you doing? Stay away from me!”
Mama Rong and the other matron exchanged a wary glance.
Judging by the Second Young Lady’s condition, could she already be showing symptoms? What if she bit or scratched them—would they catch the disease?
Mama Rong knelt one knee on the edge of the bed and tried to pull the quilt from her grasp. “Be a good girl and take off your clothes. We won’t hurt you.”
“No! You’re all villains—get away from me!”
Bai Jingchu suddenly became frantic, thrashing and flailing with her arms and legs. Her hair became disheveled, and her collar was torn open, exposing her chest and one shoulder covered in red spots.
Mama Rong and the other matron were left panting and exhausted, unable to even pull down one of her pant legs.
With a troubled expression, she turned to Lady Bai Chen for guidance, saying, “Madam, we truly cannot control her.”
Bai Jingshu peeked in and exclaimed dramatically, “Oh heavens, why is she covered in bumps? Could she really have contracted a venereal disease?”
Nanny Rong replied with certainty, “It’s almost certainly the case.”
Nanny Li dared not step forward to intervene and only defended, “No, that’s not it. Xuecha and I have checked—it might be an issue with the young lady’s dress.”
“Nonsense! If there really is a problem, then it’s because the two of you haven’t been careful enough in your service. Do you want a beating?”
Bai Jingshu glared fiercely, threatening them.