Too much had happened today. He had indeed sent people to investigate the lakeside, but there was still no news. How did this girl assume he already knew something?
Qi Yunchi chuckled.
“Don’t change the subject!” Wen Ninghan glared at Qi Yunchi. Though the man's face was hidden behind a mask, making his expression invisible, she could clearly see the smile in his eyes.
“When I was treating the young master just now, I accidentally discovered that he had a peculiar heat-toxin within his body.”
“Heat-toxin?"
"Yes, a heat toxin. Usually, when the family physician takes his pulse, they'd probably just think the young master has some dietary or constitution-related sensitivities.
At most, they'd prescribe some heat-clearing and fire-reducing decoctions to help him dissipate heat. But this heat toxin has likely been accumulating in the young master's body for a long time, hidden within his meridians.
Ordinary decoctions can't dispel it. In fact, the decoctions the family physician usually prescribes not only fail to remove the heat toxin but also cloud their judgment, exacerbating the toxin's impact on the young master's body.
Today, when the young master fell into the water, the cold air rushed in, and this heat toxin began to erode his meridians. That's why the high fever came on so aggressively, leaving even the imperial physicians helpless."
Even if Du Xinghu hadn't drowned in the Crooked Water Lake, he probably wouldn't have escaped this premeditated high fever.
And all of this would have been naturally dismissed as an accident, just the young master's bad luck to die so young.
Qi Yunchi understood Wen Ninghan's point. Everything Du Xinghu had suffered was definitely not an accident. As for who was behind it, that was what he needed to investigate.
"And you, what's going on with your body?" Wen Ninghan questioned.
Wen Ninghan didn't understand. With her help in suppressing the poison, and him saying he could find an antidote, how did he manage to end up in such a state?
She could see that although the poison in Qi Yunchi’s body was gone, it had left considerable after-effects. After all, coughing up blood wasn’t something that could just be brushed off.
Qi Yunchi, however, didn’t seem to care, “I’ll be fine after a while.”
“You didn’t rashly engage in combat with someone again after I suppressed the poison, did you?”
This time, Qi Yunchi was silent. In fact, he had not only fought someone but also delayed treatment time a bit. Coupled with Fu Ling's unconventional and violent treatment methods, it was truly a miracle that he was still alive.
Wen Ninghan muttered under her breath, “The most annoying patients are the ones who don’t listen to their doctor…”
Qi Yunchi: “Should I pretend I didn’t hear that?”
When they arrived back at the Arc Light Courtyard of the Yong'an Marquis Residence, Qi Yunchi remained as elusive as a ghost in the dark night.
Qing Tuan and Zhixin were guarding the door of the house, afraid of missing any movement.
With others present, Qi Yunchi didn't linger. He simply transformed into a black shadow and vanished again in the blink of an eye.
Wen Ninghan looked up and met Zhixin's teary eyes and Qing Tuan's worried gaze.
"Alright, I'm back, aren't I! Zhixin, how old are you? Why are you still crying?"
"I'm only thirteen years old, Miss! You say Zhixin is still a child!"
Well, she was actually using her own words against her now?
Wen Ninghan raised her hand and gave a delicate yawn, “Aiyah, it’s so late, I’m so sleepy, Qing Tuan.”
She usually went to bed early and got up early, at this time, she should already be sound asleep.
Moreover, acupuncture was also very mentally and physically demanding, and she was indeed tired.
Qing Tuan helped Wen Ninghan get ready for bed. Seeing Wen Ninghan so sleepy that she could barely keep her eyes open, she then whispered softly,
"Next time, Miss, you can't leave me behind..."
She had been utterly terrified when she heard Zhixin say Miss was going out, and then came out to find Miss was gone. Her soul had almost flown away.
She repeatedly confirmed with Zhixin that it was indeed Miss who had personally instructed her, and only then did she barely manage to calm down. Otherwise, she would have rushed out to look for her long ago.
Even though Wen Ninghan had returned safely, Qing Tuan's heart was still pounding in her chest!
The next two days were even calmer than Wen Ninghan had expected. No one from the Marquis’s residence came to disturb her.
Only Concubine Su sent people over with a generous amount of gifts, claiming they were from the Marquis himself.
Of course, Concubine Su herself didn't dare to come to see Wen Ninghan, afraid that as soon as she saw Wen Ninghan, she would hear her mention Qin Xi's dowry.
"I wonder how long Consort Su plans to hide. She still owes Miss so much money!" Zhixin grumbled while combing Wen Ninghan's hair.
"I really think these people in the Marquis Residence don't treat Miss as one of their own. Speaking of which, Miss has been back for so many days, and the whole family hasn't even eaten a meal together. The Marquis doesn't seem to have any intention of publicly announcing Miss's identity.
Although the Marquis Residence doesn't have a female head of the household right now, the Old Madam is still around, and she doesn't seem to plan on introducing Miss to other ladies and young misses either."
Zhixin felt that although she didn't understand much, she had seen, heard, and experienced extraordinary things in the Qin family.
The Qin family's wives all had their own social circles, which was a necessary means of expanding their networks.
She had even witnessed the First Madam and others sitting in the garden, eating and drinking, and then closing business deals.
Even in the capital, socializing was an essential part of life for noblewomen. It was unnatural for a young lady to be left alone in her courtyard, ignored by the household.
But Wen Ninghan only chuckled. "Zhixin, have you ever considered that it’s not that the people of the Marquis’s residence don’t want to introduce me, but that they can’t?"
"Huh?"
Just then, Qingtuan passed by, carrying a stack of clothes. "You’re such an idiot, Zhixin."
Zhixin: "???"
Why did she feel like Miss and Qingtuan were ganging up to look down on her?
"Miss, which outfit would you like to wear today?"
Wen Ninghan smiled. "You decide."
Qingtuan sighed as she sorted through the clothing. "Miss, your wardrobe really needs some different colors."
Back in Jiangnan, things had been a little better. The madams in charge of Wen Ninghan’s clothing had ensured she had a variety of colors, even if she didn’t particularly like wearing them. At least, once in a while, she would be seen in something different.
But since arriving at the Marquis Residence, the clothes Miss brought were all sorts of shades of green, differing only in tone, embroidery, and pattern.
The entire wardrobe was a verdant green.
Although Miss hadn't explicitly said so, Qing Tuan could guess Miss's intention. From the beginning, she hadn't planned to stay at the Yong'an Marquis Residence for too long, so she hadn't brought many things.
Most of the items in this courtyard were things Qing Tuan had gradually taken charge of and added after they arrived.
Miss didn't mind, but Qing Tuan didn't want Miss to suffer any grievances.
"Miss, how much longer will we have to wait for days like these to end!" Zhixin opened the jewelry box, letting Wen Ninghan choose her accessories for the day.
"Never mind, we're not going out today, these things can just be..."
Just then, Qi Feng's voice came from the doorway, "Eldest Miss, someone from the front courtyard has arrived."
Having spent so much time together, due to Qing Tuan and Zhixin's strict guarding, the other maids and older female servants couldn't easily get close to Wen Ninghan.
However, Wen Ninghan also knew that Qi Feng, this honest girl, spent her days lying down and doing nothing but working and eating, not involving herself in anything else.
But hearing Qi Feng say "front courtyard," Wen Ninghan felt that this girl was perhaps more astute than she had thought.
"Front courtyard," naturally meant someone sent by her cheap father, the Yong'an Marquis.
Wen Ninghan nodded, and Qing Tuan went to bring Qi Feng in.
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