Chapter Thirty-One: The Search Bears Fruit

Testing the effects of the drug and finding that it had already begun to take hold, Yan Heru wasted no more time and immediately got to the heart of the matter.

“Do you know what truly happened with the rumors about Yan Heru’s supposed impropriety? Is there any evidence?”

“Yes, I know. There is evidence,” Yan Hemiao answered obediently.

Yan Heru pressed further, “Then tell me everything you know, and also where the evidence is.”

“She was framed by my mother, Madam Lin, and another person I don’t know. The evidence is in Madam Lin’s hands.”

Yan Heru’s brows knitted at this. She hadn’t expected so many to be involved in the plot against her. Clearly, none of them could tolerate her well-being.

“Where does Madam Lin keep the evidence?” Yan Heru continued to ask.

But this time, Yan Hemiao did not answer. Her gaze began to grow unfocused.

Seeing this, Yan Heru realized something was wrong and quickly left the room. Yan Hemiao was clearly about to break free of the drug’s control. The potion she had coated on the needle wasn’t particularly strong; if Yan Hemiao hadn’t had such weak willpower, Yan Heru would never have been able to extract so much information from her.

Knowing when to stop, she hurried away.

Yan Heru returned to her own quarters with lightning speed, dodging the Yan family’s servants along the way. She was confident no one had seen her, but what she didn’t know was that while the Yan family’s servants hadn’t noticed, others had.

When Yan Hemiao regained her senses, she found her room in disarray, with two maids collapsed on the floor. She herself couldn’t recall what had just happened.

“Could it be... I smashed things too violently just now? And got tired out? That makes sense, since with my delicate constitution, how could I withstand such exertion?” Yan Hemiao pouted and nudged the two maids lying on the ground.

“Wake up! How useless—you both fell asleep in my room.”

Roused by her kicks, the maids had no idea what had happened. But with the ferocious Yan Hemiao glaring at them, they had no time to wonder and hurried to return to their duties.

Meanwhile, on the roof above the path Yan Heru had taken back to her quarters, there stood a man and an elder.

“She’s quite promising, isn’t she?” the elder remarked, satisfied.

But the young man only smiled, not entirely agreeing. “Perhaps she is promising, but don’t you think it’s rather odd for someone so young to have such methods? And don’t forget her background.”

His words gave the elder pause, and a conflicted expression crossed his face. “Ah... It’s so rare to find such talent. Why don’t you investigate her background thoroughly? It might not be as it seems—perhaps someone has deliberately concealed the truth from us.”

“That makes sense. But... Teacher, shouldn’t you go rest now? It’s already late, and at your age, why are you climbing around on rooftops?” the young man chided.

The elder gave an awkward laugh, leapt down from the roof, and strode away. The young man watched him go, shaking his head in resignation.

...

Yan Heru, instead of resting upon her return, began refining poisons. She sensed that those plotting against her might have even greater schemes in store, and since she had no means of self-defense, she decided to prepare some toxins for her own protection.

After all, neither Shen Yi nor Mo Yi could protect her every moment.

She worked late into the night before finally lying down, staring up at the moldy ceiling. Her thoughts wandered back to the day she first arrived in this world.

More than half a month had passed since then—how quickly time had flown.

She wondered if the person in the modern world missed her...

As she drifted off, her dreams returned to scenes from her past life.

“Why?”

“Why so many whys? So what if she’s more considerate than you?”

“But... you once promised you’d stay with me forever, that you’d never love anyone else. Why did you lie to me?!”

“I didn’t lie. I truly don’t like anyone else; I don’t even like her. But I do love her.”

“You—!”

“Yan Heru, just die! The world would be better off without you! Hahaha!”

“No!! Don’t! Don’t, Ye Ying!!”

Yan Heru jolted awake, drenched in sweat, her eyes unfocused. She closed her eyes to compose herself, and only then did her emotions settle.

“So I dreamed of those two again... Hah, I still haven’t forgotten them,” she sneered bitterly, lying back down. But this time, sleep eluded her.

The next morning, Yan Heru went to see the Old Madam Yan again. As before, she was not allowed to meet her; even the words of refusal were exactly the same as previous days.

Leaving the old lady’s courtyard, Yan Heru headed straight for Madam Lin’s residence.

With Master Yan absent from the manor and Yan Heqi out as well, the brainless Madam Lin was no match for Yan Heru.

Madam Lin was enjoying tea in the sun when suddenly a shadow fell across her. She opened her eyes to see Yan Heru.

“Mother seems quite at leisure today, in a good mood. Is there some happy occasion you might share with me?” Yan Heru asked, eyes crinkling in a smile.

Madam Lin’s face darkened immediately, her earlier cheer vanishing. “What are you doing here? I didn’t summon you.”

“I only wished to see how Mother was. Does Mother find me unworthy? Am I unfit for the title of Ninth Princess Consort?”

Yan Heru deliberately invoked her status to pressure Madam Lin. Though angry, Madam Lin couldn’t refute her—she dared not openly defy the Ninth Princess Consort. Still, resentment simmered inside her.

“If Your Highness has no business here, why come to my humble, rustic courtyard? It can hardly compare to the splendor of the Ninth Prince’s residence,” Madam Lin sneered.

Yan Heru laughed. She hadn’t expected Madam Lin to master the art of veiled barbs—it was progress, though she was still no match for Yan Heru.

“What are you saying, Mother? This is, of course, the best place in the household. You need not belittle yourself. The Yan family’s current prosperity is all thanks to your management. I actually came today hoping to learn from you how to manage such a large household.”

Yan Heru purposefully adopted a humble demeanor, knowing that this would please Madam Lin and make her more likely to reveal useful information.