The Nuan Pavilion instantly descended into chaos.
Maids screamed as they rushed to summon the physician. The Marquis lady threw herself beside the bed, trembling hands wiping the blood from Old Madam Xiao’s lips, while Xiao Che supported her faltering body, calling out urgently.
No one paid any further attention to why Lin Wan’er had slapped herself, nor did they investigate Lin Shu’s peculiar behavior.
Everyone’s hearts sank to the depths along with that mouthful of spilled blood.
Standing amidst the turmoil, Lin Shu felt the tightly strung cord in her mind buzzing incessantly.
Damn system.
It hadn’t directly stopped her, but had cleverly diverted everyone’s attention by pulling the rug out from under her feet.
Brilliant, yet more malicious.
Watching Old Madam Xiao’s breathing grow increasingly faint on the bed, the leisurely amusement she’d felt watching the drama vanished completely, replaced by a heavy sense of responsibility.
The person must be saved.
Not only to alter the course of events, but also for this Old Madam Xiao who had genuinely cared for the original host, and to clear up the misunderstandings and dislike the old madam held toward the original host.
She would clarify all the foolish things the original host had done, as repayment for occupying her body and continuing to live.
“Sister, you…” Lin Wan’er wanted to seize this opportunity to deal with Lin Shu, but before she could finish, she was interrupted by Xiao Che’s furious roar.
“All of you, get out!”
Xiao Che’s eyes were bloodshot now, his handsome face twisted with extreme rage and anxiety, showing none of his usual calm composure.
He shoved away the still-sobbing Lin Wan’er, his gaze cutting through her like a knife before sweeping over Lin Shu standing nearby.
In his eyes, both of them were currently the culprits endangering his grandmother’s life.
Terrified by the murderous intent in his eyes, Lin Wan’er’s sobs caught in her throat as she scrambled out supported by her maid.
Lin Shu didn’t move.
She simply watched Xiao Che quietly, observing this man pushed to the brink.
Then, without saying a word, she turned and left, her back ramrod straight.
Reason is for the clear-headed to understand.
There’s no need to waste words on an enraged lion.
Returning to Tingxue Courtyard, Hua Ping anxiously brought hot tea. “Miss, Young Master he…”
“He’s nearly gone mad.” Lin Shu took the teacup, blowing on the steam. “Go, have someone keep watch on Songhe Hall, and also keep an eye on that fool Lin Wan’er. Report to me immediately after she leaves.”
“Miss, aren’t we going to wait for news from the physician?” Hua Ping asked somewhat confused.
“Wait?” Lin Shu sneered. “Wait for them to exhaust Old Madam Xiao’s last breath?”
She set down the teacup heavily and began pacing the room.
“Just being in the same residence with her makes the air feel dirty. How can I go save someone if she doesn’t leave?”
Hua Ping nodded with partial understanding and hurried off to carry out her orders.
About half an hour later, Hua Ping came running back, panting.
“Miss, Second Miss has been sent back to the Prime Minister’s residence by the Marquis lady’s orders. I also heard that Imperial Physician Li from the palace just left, shaking his head and saying… saying the Marquis residence should prepare for the funeral arrangements.”
Lin Shu’s heart sank. Without further delay, she lifted her skirts and hurried toward Songhe Hall.
Entering the Nuan Pavilion again, the earlier chaos had subsided, replaced by a suffocating stillness.
The attending maids and matrons knelt outside the door with bowed heads, even their breathing cautious and restrained.
Inside the room, the scent of medicine hung even heavier in the air.
Old Madam Xiao had fallen into a deep slumber, her breathing so faint it was almost imperceptible.
Xiao Che sat on the footstool beside the bed, motionless. His tall frame was hunched over, like a statue that had lost its soul.
Hearing footsteps, he turned his head slightly, his voice raspy as if scraped by sandpaper.
“Why have you come back?”
Lin Shu ignored him and went straight to the bedside, leaning over to check on Old Madam Xiao’s condition.
“Here to mock the Young Master? To laugh at the Jing An Marquis Estate?” Xiao Che slowly raised his head, his bloodshot eyes filled with unresolvable despair and hatred. “It’s you, it’s all of you. If you hadn’t been arguing before Grandmother, how could she have…”
“If the Young Master thinks I’m cut from the same cloth as Lin Wan’er, then I have nothing more to say,” Lin Shu interrupted him, her tone calm and unruffled. “The person is right here, whether she lives or dies depends on fate. What good does it do for you to wallow in self-pity here, except to move yourself to tears?”
Stung by her implication, Xiao Che abruptly stood up, clenching his fists until his knuckles cracked.
But Lin Shu didn’t even glance at him. She wrung out a hot towel herself, sat by the bed, and carefully wiped Old Madam Xiao’s cheeks and hands.
Her movements were gentle and steady, exuding a composure beyond her years.
Xiao Che’s raging anger was stifled by her impervious demeanor, ultimately dissolving into a defeated sigh as he sat back down.
In the Nuan Pavilion, only their uneven breaths remained.
As she wiped, Lin Shu observed carefully.
When she reached Old Madam Xiao’s hands, her movements suddenly halted.
The base of the nails had taken on an eerie bluish-black hue.
The poison had penetrated deeply, invading the internal organs.
Lin Shu’s heart felt as if gripped by an invisible hand.
The deviation in the plot was more severe than she had anticipated.
If this dragged on any longer, even a divine immortal wouldn’t be able to reverse it.
She had to obtain the antidote.
The only breakthrough was that Wang Daifu, who had been driven mad by the system.
She set down the towel, stood up, and her gaze fell on Xiao Che’s weary profile.
“Where is Wang Daifu being held?”
Xiao Che didn’t even lift his eyelids, assuming she was just making conversation. “The Marquis Estate’s dungeon.”
“Take me there.”
“Have you lost your mind?” Xiao Che finally reacted, turning sharply with a piercing glare. “He’s a madman. What do you want with him?”
“What the Young Master couldn’t extract through interrogation doesn’t mean I can’t get answers,” Lin Shu met his gaze, her eyes clear and resolute. “I told you, since I came to save Grandmother Xiao, I have my methods.”
“Your methods?” Xiao Che sneered, the sound dripping with sarcasm. “You mean making servants kneel in the Woodshed? Or forcing your sister to slap herself in the Nuan Pavilion? Lin Shu, put away your evil magic. My grandmother’s life is not a plaything for your disgraceful tricks!”
“Whether it’s disgraceful or not, we’ll only know after trying,” Lin Shu remained unmoved. “Young Master Xiao, do you have any other choices right now? Trust the imperial physicians to prepare for the worst, or trust me and gamble on a possibility?”
Xiao Che’s breath hitched. He looked at his grandmother on the bed, barely clinging to life, then at the terrifyingly stubborn woman before him.
Reason told him her words were utterly absurd.
But deep in his heart, a voice screamed wildly.
Take the gamble.
What if?
After a long silence, Xiao Che stood up, the struggle and pain in his eyes finally turning into a lifeless stillness.
“Come with me. If you dare try anything, I’ll make you wish you were dead.”