The two held their breath and strained their ears for a long time, but heard no further sound.
Fu Yingzhi gently patted Xiao Yu's arm and softly reassured him, "It was probably just a stray cat, Xiao Lang need not be so nervous."
Xiao Yu nodded and whispered, "This place is no place to linger, you should head back quickly as well."
With that, he flicked his body and vanished into the night, leaving Fu Yingzhi standing in place with lingering reluctance...
As the night grew deeper, Count Jingwen's Estate became increasingly restless. From the corridors came the hurried footsteps of servants and the faint sounds of sobbing from time to time.
Inside Mengyun Pavilion:
Fu Yingzhi was too unsettled by these noises to concentrate. Seeing Qinxin enter to refill the tea, she put down the book in her hand and asked, "What has happened?"
"The Fourth Miss has fallen ill, and over at Huaxiang Residence they've sent for the estate physician many times, but no one has come."
"Oh?" Hearing this, Fu Yingzhi sat up straight. She remembered that this Fourth Miss should currently be not yet six years old.
Seeing that Fu Yingzhi was interested, Qinxin continued chatteringly, "That Side Consort of ours truly has remarkable skills. The Master only told her to reflect on herself this morning, but after a trip to Wenxin Pavilion this afternoon, she actually managed to coax the Master back into a good mood! And look, tonight the Master has gone to Jinxiu Courtyard again."
"What does that have to do with the estate physician?" Fu Yingzhi quickly interrupted the rambling Qinxin, telling her to get to the point.
"With the Master in Jinxiu Courtyard today, they're probably afraid a repeat of yesterday might happen, so the estate physician went to wait on standby early this morning. Concubine An and the Side Consort have never gotten along, so how could the people from Huaxiang Residence expect any good treatment when they go begging at Jinxiu Courtyard?" Qinxin finished speaking, curled her lips, and sighed softly, "It's just pitiful for the Fourth Miss. She was perfectly fine this morning, yet somehow started running a high fever as night fell."
Utterly ridiculous! Fu Yingzhi cursed inwardly. A physician holds a benevolent heart; unable to simply sit by and do nothing, she called for Qinxin and Qinyin, and hurried through the night toward Huaxiang Residence.
...
Huaxiang Residence was in utter chaos at the moment. Fu Zili, the Fourth Miss of the Count's Estate, was currently lying weakly on her small bed, running a high fever.
Little Xiaoli, not yet six years old, was burning hot all over from a persistent high fever. Her cheeks were flushed red, cold sweat continually broke out on her forehead, and her two tiny hands clutched the quilt tightly out of distress.
Madam An was nearly heartbroken, her eyes red and swollen, guarding her side without stepping away for a moment. She constantly wiped Xiaoli's body to bring her fever down, while the maidservants and older women she had dispatched to find the estate physician had gone back and forth several times, only to hear that the physicians had all been summoned away by the Side Consort, and the people from Jinxiu Courtyard wouldn't even let them through the gates.
The last young maid to return was now kneeling on the ground, wiping her tears. Her face was heavily swollen, with the distinct imprint of five fingers clearly visible.
"Concubine An, Mammy Zhou said that no one is to disturb the Master and the Side Consort tonight, and the young miss's illness is no big deal for one night."
Madam An's gaze remained fixed on that tiny figure on the bed. At this moment, Xiaoli's breathing was so faint it was almost imperceptible. Madam An's heart felt as though it were being gripped ruthlessly by an invisible hand, aching unbearably.
Unable to worry about anything else any longer, a flash of resolute determination crossed her eyes. She abruptly stood up and said with a firm voice, "I'll go myself! No matter what, tonight I will beg the estate physician for Xiaoli!"
The very instant her words fell, she saw an older woman hurry forward and report in a low voice, "Concubine An, the Third Miss has arrived."
Madam An's heart sank abruptly, her brows locked in a tight frown.
The Third Miss? That Fu Yingzhi from Madam Wen's care? The two of them had always been on bad terms; coming here at this hour, was she not here to kick her while she was down? She had no spare energy to deal with her right now! Madam An's fingers unconsciously tightened around her sleeves.
However, even as she pondered, Fu Yingzhi was already standing before her.
The young lady was dressed in blue, appearing exceptionally cool and beautiful against the night backdrop. Her pair of eyes were clear and profound, yet devoid of any hostility as she looked toward Madam An. With a light nod, she strode past toward Xiaoli's bedside.
"What are you trying to do!" Madam An's voice rose sharply, carrying a hint of panic and acuteness. She lunged forward a step, raising a hand to block her.
Fu Yingzhi's gaze darkened as she said in a low voice, "Do you still want to save her?"
Seeing that Madam An's expression was filled with suspicion and worry, she could not help letting out a soft sigh. She reached out to gently pat the back of Madam An's hand, her tone softening with a measure of helplessness and pity: "She is my younger sister, and moreover, a child."
Hearing this, Madam An froze, the guard in her heart slightly shaken at that very moment. The hand blocking the path also involuntarily loosened, and tears slipped from the corners of her eyes, though she still followed closely behind Fu Yingzhi, fearing she might harbor malicious intentions.
Fu Yingzhi walked straight to Xiaoli's bedside, bent down to sit, and gently rested her fingertips against Xiaoli's delicate wrist, concentrating to closely examine the pulse.
A moment later, her tense expression relaxed slightly, and she let out a long breath of relief.
On her way here, Fu Yingzhi had harbored hidden worries, terrified that Xiaoli might have been poisoned; now it appeared to be a high fever brought on by shock.
She raised her eyes to look at Madam An, speaking in a soft voice that carried an assuring strength: "Concubine An, rest assured. Once I feed her some medicine shortly, her fever will break quickly."
Hearing that Fu Yingzhi intended to give Xiaoli medicine, Madam An's just-released heart tightened once more. Though she harbored doubts regarding Fu Yingzhi's medical skills, she had vaguely caught wind of the rumors spreading through the estate yesterday—that this Third Miss had suddenly become proficient in medicine after taking a trip out, even daring to treat Prince Jing, and successfully at that!
With the estate physician currently detained by Madam Wen in Jinxiu Courtyard, there truly was no one more suitable than the Third Miss. She could only nod, forcefully suppressing the unease in her heart, and silently prayed that nothing untoward would happen to Xiaoli.
Fu Yingzhi said no more, simply calming her mind and closing her eyes to rapidly formulate a prescription in her head.
A moment later, she drew a small pill from her sleeve and instructed Qinxin, "Go fetch a bowl of warm water."
Qinxin complied and quickly returned with a bowl of warm water.
Fu Yingzhi gently placed the pill into the water, stirring slowly with a spoon until it completely dissolved.
She sat by Xiaoli's bed, gently supporting Xiaoli's head with one hand while holding the bowl with the other, patiently feeding the medicinal water into Xiaoli's mouth a little at a time.
Madam An stood to one side with clenched hands, her gaze locked tightly onto Xiaoli's face, afraid of missing the slightest change.
Not long after this bowl of medicine was administered, Xiaoli's complexion visibly improved, and her breathing steadied considerably. Seeing this, Madam An hurriedly leaned forward to touch Xiaoli's forehead, discovering that the temperature had indeed dropped. She let out a deep breath, and the gaze she cast toward Fu Yingzhi softened significantly.
Fu Yingzhi handed Madam An an exquisite small porcelain vial, instructing softly, "The pills inside should be given three times a day, dissolved in water, following the method I just used. In three days, Xiaoli will be fully recovered."
Madam An accepted the vial, her hands trembling slightly while tears shimmered in her eyes.
She suddenly dropped to her knees with a thud, her voice choking with sobs: "Thank you, Third Miss! If not for you today..."
Fu Yingzhi hurriedly bent down to lift Madam An up, speaking in a gentle yet firm tone: "Concubine An need not be like this. Xiaoli is my younger sister, so naturally I would not sit by and ignore her. Previously, my mind was clouded and I committed many offenses. I have no wish to make an enemy of you; henceforth, as we dwell together in this estate, simply come to me should you need anything." Her gaze was sincere and open.
Suddenly, as if recalling something else, she leaned close to Madam An's ear and whispered, "Once Xiaoli wakes up, Concubine An might do well to ask her what she experienced. Xiaoli's illness came on with such fierce momentum that it is likely the result of severe fright."
Madam An stood back up, looking into Fu Yingzhi's eyes with puzzlement. Seeing the solemn expression on her face, she tightened her grip on the porcelain vial, though she did not show much on the surface.
After a profusion of tearful thanks, she personally escorted Fu Yingzhi and her maid out of Huaxiang Residence.
"Concubine An, I keep feeling as though the Third Miss has truly become a completely different person," murmured Concubine An's personal mammy as she watched the Third Miss's slender retreating figure. "In the past, she always looked at us with cold indifference, yet today she's so warm and helpful. It's truly baffling."
Madam An sighed softly, a complex look in her eyes. "In the past, I merely assumed she was cut from the same cloth as Madam Wen and her daughter, viewing us as thorns in their sides. But seeing her today..." She paused before continuing, "I never had any intention of contending with them over anything; I only ask that Xiaoli grow up safe and sound. If we can coexist peacefully, that would naturally be for the best. I have noted down the favor the Third Miss did us today, and given the opportunity in the future, I will certainly repay this debt."
The mammy nodded, yet added worriedly a moment later, "It's just that the current situation in the estate is complicated; we still need to keep our guards up."
With a tumult of thoughts in her mind, Madam An turned back indoors and seated herself beside Xiaoli's bed...
The night was heavy; candles flickered within Huaxiang Residence, casting their light upon Madam An's exhausted visage.
...
Late into the night, Fu Yingzhi lay abed unable to sleep for a long time, trying hard to recall Madam An's life story. The original novel had not detailed much about Madam An, but in the original host's memories, she had occasionally heard some rumors about Madam An back when they were living at the countryside estate.
Not long after the original host left the Count's Estate, Madam An had died under mysterious circumstances, and the younger half-sister had also vanished one morning without a trace. At the time, however, the original host was barely able to protect herself, and coupled with her general dislike for Madam An and her daughter, she had never delved deeply into the matter. Thinking back now, there must have been more to it.
Presumably, the fates suffered by Madam An and Xiaoli in their past lives were inseparable from Madam Wen.
How many lives within this household had perished at Madam Wen's hands?
...
Early the next morning, just as she finished breakfast, Fu Yingzhi was summoned to the Main Hall by people from Wenxin Pavilion.
As she sat holding her teacup, quietly pondering the reason for this summons, she caught a familiar scent of perfumed powder once more.
Lifting her gaze, she saw the "powder-heap" Side Consort Wen smiling brightly as she looped her arm through Count Jingwen's, crossing the threshold with the equally pleased-looking Fu Jing'an following right behind.
Fu Yingzhi saw it clearly: ever since stepping through the door, Fu Jing'an's gaze toward her had been filled with sympathy, causing her to frown involuntarily.