If you were cold and aloof in your past life, why are you crying in this one?

The light outside the window gradually dimmed.

Xi Song yawned. "I'm done playing. I'm tired. I'm going back to rest."

Xi Wen smiled and shook his head, then gathered the five dice into the dice cup.

He smiled and pushed all the prizes in front of him toward Xi Lingxian, saying, "It's not much, my sworn sister, take it and buy some flowers to wear."

Xi Lingxian chuckled. Over the years, no matter how much wealth and status he had witnessed, her sworn brother still couldn't hide his simple and honest nature.

Buying flowers to wear is the thing he can think of that women like the most.

"Thank you very much, sworn brother. I won't stand on ceremony with you."

She stood up, supporting herself on the low table. Suddenly, her legs went weak. She had been sitting for too long, and her blood circulation was poor. It felt like thousands of tiny needles were pricking her entire left leg at the same time.

She swayed slightly, and before she could grab the edge of the table, a hand reached out from the side and steadily supported her elbow.

"careful."

Xi Wen's hand was very steady, and the force he used to support her elbow was just right.

Xi Lingxian steadied herself and glanced down at his hand.

Xi Wen had already relaxed in time, taking half a step back with his usual gentle smile, as if nothing had happened.

"Thank you, Brother Xie," she said.

Xi Wen shook his head: "Why are you being so polite with me?"

He stepped aside, naturally making way for them. "If your legs are numb, walk slowly. There's no rush."

As they talked, the two took two steps toward the aisle.

Taozhi caught up and draped the cloak over Xi Lingxian's shoulders.

Xi Wen lowered his head slightly as he listened to Xi Lingxian speak, his profile gentle and focused.

Wang Jue remained seated, his gaze passing over the low table and landing on the backs of the three people at the entrance of the passageway.

He didn't want to admit it, but the scene was indeed jarring.

A tightness gripped my throat, and a sense of irritation inexplicably arose within me.

He suddenly remembered how Xie Wanyi would always get jealous in his past life, and how she would always have a big fight with him, ordering him not to look at them, not to talk too much, and if possible, not to see them again.

At the time, he thought she was just being unreasonable, and even felt that she was petty and incomprehensible.

Just like him now, the intense anger rising and falling in his chest was so strong that it almost made him lose his composure.

His pupils contracted slightly, his jawline tightened for a moment, he lowered his eyes, stood up, and brushed away non-existent dust from the hem of his robe.

Xi Lingxian stepped away from Xi Wen and turned to walk towards her cabin.

The two met face to face in the narrow passageway.

Wang Jue stepped aside to make way, and Xi Lingxian also stepped aside.

The aisle was so narrow that the two people's shoulders almost brushed past each other.

She smelled the faint scent of pine on him, mixed with the heat from the charcoal brazier and the old wood smell in the cabin.

"Are your legs still numb?" he asked.

Xi Lingxian paused, "The numbness is gone."

Wang Jue hummed in agreement.

Xi Lingxian watched his figure disappear around the corner of the corridor.

"Miss, it's time to go back, it's cold outside," Tao Zhi urged her from behind. Xi Lingxian pulled her cloak tighter and turned back to her cabin.

The moment the hatch closed, all outside sounds were cut off.

The charcoal brazier was burning brightly, and the orange-red flames reflected on the cabin walls, making the whole room warm and cozy.

Xi Lingxian took off her cloak, changed into a casual nightgown, and snuggled into the thick quilt on the couch.

Half-asleep, I suddenly heard three soft knocks on the cabin door.

"Young lady, are you asleep?"

Xi Lingxian opened her eyes groggily, thinking that Tao Zhi had returned.

That girl just said she was going to get her a hand warmer, but she hasn't come back for quite a while.

"Come in," she replied in a hoarse voice.

The cabin door was pushed open, and a maid in a blue vest came in carrying a bowl. The light from the candlestick illuminated her lowered profile.

Xi Lingxian squinted at her—round face, thin eyebrows, and unfamiliar eyes.

But this time she brought many maids with her, some of whom were temporarily transferred from the estate, so it was common for her not to recognize them all.

"What time is it?" Xi Lingxian asked.

"It's just past 7 PM." The maidservant lowered her head and placed the bowl on the small table beside the couch. "Sister Taozhi was worried that you wouldn't sleep well on your journey, so she specially asked me to brew some calming soup and bring it to you. Please drink it while it's hot to warm yourself up."

With the boat adrift on the water, she couldn't sleep soundly.

Taozhi was very thoughtful.

She propped herself up on her elbows, took the bowl, and brought it to her lips to take a sip.

The warm medicinal juice slid down my throat, its sweetness overpowering the medicinal taste, almost completely masking the bitterness of the herbs themselves.

She took two sips and suddenly felt that something was wrong.

It is too sweet.

She had drunk the calming soup made from peach branches countless times, and it always had a strong medicinal taste and a light sweetness.

This bowl of sweetness is cloying, as if it's deliberately using sweetness to cover something up.

She paused for a moment, then looked up as if to ask the maid a question.

The maid was looking at her.

The candlelight flickered between the two, illuminating the maid's face.

His face, which had been demure just moments before, was now expressionless. His eyes were fixed on the bowl in Xi Lingxian's hand, like a hunter eyeing prey in a trap.

Xi Lingxian's heart sank suddenly.

"you--"

Before she could finish speaking, the maid suddenly grabbed Xi Lingxian's chin with one hand, as strong as an iron clamp, and with the other hand snatched the bowl and poured it down her throat.

The warm medicine, like a snake, forced its way into her throat, causing her to cough violently.

There's something wrong with this person!

Xi Lingxian struggled desperately, the blanket was kicked to the side, and her elbow hit the cabin wall, causing her to groan in pain.

But the maid's hand seemed welded to her face, remaining motionless, and she poured out the bowl of medicine completely, not a drop left.

The bowl was thrown on the ground and rolled twice.

Xi Lingxian leaned over the edge of the bed and gagged a few times, but nothing came out.

Her head was starting to spin.

With her last bit of strength, she raised her head and stared at the maid, trying hard to see her face clearly.

"Who are you?"

The man remained expressionless and did not answer.

He bent down to pick up the bowl, glanced around, and turned to leave.

No, we can't let her get away like this!

Although Xi Lingxian's hands were trembling and her head was spinning, she still reached out and touched the celadon vase on the bedside table. Grasping the neck of the vase, she used all her strength to smash it against the back of the figure that was about to walk out of the cabin.

As the celadon vase flew from her hand, she felt all her strength drain away.

She didn't even see whether the vase hit her or not; she only heard a muffled thud, like porcelain hitting bone.

Then came the sound of something falling to the ground, heavy and dull, like a heavy object crashing to the ground.

A sharp cry suddenly came from outside the cabin door.

Then came a flurry of footsteps, someone shouting "What happened?" and someone yelling "Help!"

Xi Lingxian's consciousness flickered like a candle flame extinguished by the wind.

She lay sprawled on the edge of the couch, her forehead covered in cold sweat, everything in her vision spinning.

who is it?

Who wants to harm her?

As her last vestiges of consciousness faded, her fingers slipped off the edge of the bed, and she plunged into boundless darkness.