Framing Qin Shuying was crucial, but protecting the child in her womb was even more important. Qin Feifei quickly turned to Nanny Liu and said, “Nanny, Sixth Sister has something going on. Let’s head back for now and discuss this ter.”

  Nanny Liu was suspicious. She understood the intentions of both Madam Xu and Qin Feifei. However, with Qin Shuying going to the washroom, their original pn was naturally foiled. Was Qin Feifei improvising with a new strategy? Regardless, Nanny Liu complied with Qin Feifei’s request and said to Ziteng, “Miss Ziteng, please let Seventh Miss know that Third Miss will visit another time.”

  Ziteng smiled warmly. “Of course, I will inform my mistress. Third Miss, Nanny Liu, please take care!”

  Her every movement adhered strictly to the standards of etiquette, her smile as gentle as a spring breeze, revealing no hint of malice or fw.

  Nanny Liu saw no reason to doubt her and helped Qin Feifei out of Yin Garden.

  After walking a short distance, Qin Feifei hesitated and gnced back, only to meet Ziteng’s eerie expression.

  Ziteng had apparently not expected her to turn around and quickly repced her sinister look with a smile.

  But that smile was even more unsettling, a blend of strangeness and horror. Under the gloomy sky, amidst the desote bare tree branches, Qin Feifei felt a suffocating heaviness in her chest, making it hard to breathe.

  After taking a few more steps, when they reached a secluded area with no one around, Qin Feifei turned to Nanny Liu. “Nanny, who was that maid just now? Why have I never seen her before?”

  Nanny Liu herself hadn’t interacted much with Ziteng, but she had made it her business to know all about Qin Shuying’s maids to ensure preparedness. Thus, she replied, “Third Miss, that maid’s name is Ziteng. Seventh Miss purchased her three months ago. It’s said that Ziteng can read and write, so Seventh Miss quickly promoted her to first-rank maid, responsible for the study, painting room, and music room. She is someone Seventh Miss trusts deeply.”

  Qin Feifei was uneasy and walked on, lost in thought. Just as they approached Yanfei Garden, she spotted a figure slipping behind a rockery.

  It was the silhouette of a woman wearing a bck dress with red patterns, her hair disheveled. The figure’s desote gaze fell on Qin Feifei for a moment before disappearing behind the rockery.

  Qin Feifei’s mind went bnk, her body trembling uncontrolbly.

  Second Sister!

  The outfit, hairstyle, and expression all matched those of her second sister, Qin Yaoyao, when she was still in the secluded side courtyard!

  Nanny Liu instinctively supported Qin Feifei, her back to the figure. Armed, she asked, “Third Miss…?”

  Qin Feifei’s eyes widened, staring at the figure, but no words came out of her mouth. The woman made a motion as if to slit her own throat before vanishing behind the rockery.

  When Nanny Liu turned around, sensing something amiss, there was nothing there.

  “Nanny…” Qin Feifei clutched her belly. “Quick…”

  Nanny Liu panicked and shouted for help. Soon, people came to support Qin Feifei.

  That night, Qin Feifei did not return to the Lu household but instead rested in Qin Yunyun’s courtyard. Shortly after, she developed a high fever and began rambling deliriously.

  “Second Sister, don’t harm me! Don’t harm me! Second Sister… Second Sister…”

  Although Nanny Liu and the reliable maids didn’t say much, their expressions conveyed a shared understanding: Qin Feifei was being haunted by Qin Yaoyao.

  Their original pn had been for Qin Feifei to feign a fall and bme Qin Shuying. This would have justified putting Qin Shuying under house arrest, thereby disrupting her business. However, Qin Shuying had kept her distance and didn’t take the bait.

  Qin Shuying remained safe and sound, while Qin Feifei…

  No, it couldn’t be. Qin Yaoyao hadn’t managed to best Qin Feifei in life—what could she possibly do in death?

  As Madam Xu pondered this, a Daoist priest was summoned.

  The priest recited incantations, examined the surroundings, and concluded that Qin Feifei was possessed. He prescribed a talisman to be burned, dissolved in water, and administered to her.

  Madam Xu followed the instructions, forcing the talisman water into Qin Feifei despite her unconscious state.

  Strangely enough, after drinking the water, Qin Feifei calmed down. Although her fever persisted, she stopped muttering.

  Doctor Liu arrived and prescribed gentle medicine. “Third Miss’s pregnancy was stable, but today’s fright has jeopardized it. She must rest well and avoid any further shocks.”

  Madam Xu heaved a sigh of relief, though her heart remained gripped by fear.

  Qin Feifei’s sleep was restless. She woke up several times throughout the night, mostly in a daze. It wasn’t until the next morning that she finally regained full consciousness, feeling as though her head might split open.

  Seeing everyone gathered around her, she felt a little confused. “Mother, what happened?”

  Madam Xu, convinced that Qin Yaoyao’s spirit had attacked Qin Feifei, avoided saying much and ordered Nanny Liu to bring over the medicine. “Fei’er, you nearly scared your mother to death!”

  Looking at the bowl in Nanny Liu’s hands, Qin Feifei vaguely remembered fragments of the previous day’s events. Her face turned pale instantly, and without hesitation, she drank the medicine as though a ghost were chasing her.

  Once her emotions calmed, she recounted to Madam Xu what she had seen near the rockery the day before.

  After finishing, Qin Feifei angrily decred, “Mother, you must help me! Get a talisman to curse that wretch and send her to Hell, where she will suffer for eternity!”

  Madam Xu fully agreed, and the matter was settled.

  The commotion caused by Qin Feifei the previous night had been significant. To others, it was expined that her pregnancy had left her with insufficient yang energy, leaving her susceptible to possession. By the afternoon, she had improved significantly, prompting her sisters to visit and check on her.

  At the doorway, Qin Lulu and Qin Shuying crossed paths and entered together.

  “Third Sister, are you feeling better? I was so worried I couldn’t sleep all night!” Qin Shuying spoke with a bright smile and elegant demeanor, fwless in every way.

  Qin Feifei made a show of thanking her, to which Qin Shuying politely said she wouldn’t disturb her rest and took her leave.

  As she walked along the keside near the pavilion, Qin Shuying casually broke off a tree branch and began to py with it in her hands. She turned to Ziteng, who was following behind her. “Have all the arrangements been made?”

  Ziteng replied, “Miss, rest assured, everything has been taken care of.”

  “That’s good. Remember, we’ll use them again next time. When we return, think more about what I’ve told you.”

  “Yes, Miss.”

  Qin Shuying tossed the branch into the ke, her bright eyes glinting as she smiled faintly at Ziteng. Yet her tone was as cold as ice. “Ziteng, this is only the beginning. Remember that—just the beginning.”

  Ziteng stood respectfully, her smile unwavering as she replied, “Miss, I understand. Rest assured, I will handle everything personally, without involving others.”

  Qin Shuying stared at her for a moment before nodding. “Good.”

  To do it herself would bring the most satisfaction. Having someone else handle it could never compare to the thrill of doing it personally.

  Did they think Qin Shuying didn’t know why Qin Feifei had come to Yin Garden? It was just another attempt to set her up. Back at the Lu household, Qin Feifei had orchestrated a simir drama, making Lu Changxuan believe that Qin Yaoyao had pushed her. That incident had pnted seeds of hatred in Lu Changxuan’s heart against Qin Yaoyao.

  This time, how could Qin Shuying fall for the same trick again?

  Those who do no wrong have no fear of ghosts knocking at their door.

  Qin Feifei, I hope you’re ready for what’s coming.

  Qin Shuying’s gaze fell on the melting snow in the distance. Her eyelids lowered, concealing the sharp glint in her eyes.

  If they wanted control of the shops, she would make sure they wouldn’t get their way.