Chapter Sixty-Three: In Disarray, Tumbling Down Together

"Our... our young master did not..." The servant waved his hands frantically, hurrying to explain.

"Is it because your young master holds a grudge against our young lady? Even if that's so, he shouldn't have done such a thing—you want to ruin her!" Out of fear and terror, Meixue could no longer control her voice and began to wail loudly.

"Shut up, you wretched girl! Do you want us all to be caught?" Before the young servant could react, one of the ruffians turned and gave Meixue two hard slaps, then scooped up Qin Yuru from the ground and pulled her into his arms. With his other hand, he grabbed the young servant and called to his companion, "Let's go! It's not safe here!"

Meixue's desperate cries echoed far through the silent forest. Though they thought no one would be around at this hour, the men's nerves were fraying.

"Help! Someone, help us!" Meixue, having thrown caution to the wind, shouted with all her might.

A ruffian, searching for something to gag Meixue with and finding nothing, reached out and tore a swath from Qin Yuru’s sleeve. The delicate, luxurious fabric ripped easily, exposing a portion of her fair arm. He stuffed the torn sleeve into Meixue’s mouth, and the two thugs began dragging their captives away.

"Let go of my sister!" An angry shout rang out behind them. All heads turned in surprise to see Qin Wanru darting out from behind a tree, Qingyue following closely at her heels.

"Two more? This is turning into quite the business," one of the ruffians muttered, first startled, then delighted. These two were even younger than the previous pair; the one in the lead was just a child.

One ruffian shoved Qin Yuru into the servant’s arms, then lunged toward Qin Wanru, intending to seize her and her maid.

Caught off guard by the ruffian’s shove, the servant and Qin Yuru toppled heavily to the ground, the servant landing beneath her.

Meixue’s eyes brightened as she saw Qin Wanru charge out. She kicked at the ruffian gripping her, making him stumble backward—right onto Qin Yuru’s foot as she fell. Losing his balance, he tumbled forward, landing right atop Qin Yuru and sending the young servant crashing back to the ground with a muffled cry of pain.

A crowd burst from the shadows, halting in shock at the scene before them. Qin Yuru, utterly disheveled, was wedged between two men—the servant, though only thirteen or fourteen, was still a boy, and the ruffian behind her was a man in his prime.

Qin Yuru’s arm stuck out awkwardly, and as the ruffian landed on her, she started to wake, opening her eyes in bewilderment.

"Hurry, save my sister!" Qin Wanru shouted at the stunned onlookers.

Qingyue rushed forward, bravely shielding Qin Wanru and snatching a small stone from the ground, which she hurled at the approaching ruffian’s face.

The ruffian, shocked by the little maid’s fierce and shameless defense, took the stone full in the face. Seeing so many people had arrived, he realized things had gone awry. He spun around, yanked up his fallen companion, and the two fled as fast as their legs would carry them.

Several people gave chase.

The two ruffians, locals who knew the terrain well, quickly lost their pursuers with a few deft turns.

"Sister, are you all right?" Qin Wanru hurried to Qin Yuru's side, reaching out to help her up, her young face full of panic befitting her age.

"You..." Qin Yuru, still dazed, turned her empty gaze from Qin Wanru’s face to those beside her. Why was Qi Tianyu’s servant here?

"Young lady, young lady, it was Young Master Qi who had you captured! It was his man!" Meixue rushed over, clutching Qin Yuru and sobbing hysterically, pointing an accusing finger at the servant. The terror of their ordeal overwhelmed her, and she lost all control.

The young servant, terrified out of his wits, was seized by several matrons of the Qin household, arms twisted behind his back. Hearing Meixue’s accusation, he shook his head and protested loudly, "It wasn’t our young master! Miss Qin, I found out someone was plotting against you and came to help. You misunderstand!"

Clever as ever, the servant dared not implicate Qi Rongzhi, insisting it was mere coincidence he’d been there.

"Miss, I was sent by the young master to meet you. How could I ever wish you harm? Surely you know his feelings for you?" The servant’s desperation grew, hints of another meaning lacing his words, hoping to avoid further trouble.

Though the others didn’t catch the implication, Qin Yuru did. Her face paled and flushed by turns. Her mind was in chaos—how had things gone so awry? She could hardly process it.

"Yuru, what happened? What’s going on?" A gentle voice reached her ears. Qin Yuru looked up and saw Shui Ruolan’s face, twitching at the corner of her eye.

"You... why are you unharmed?"

"Should I not be?" Shui Ruolan asked, puzzled.

"Someone said you were in trouble, that’s why I came running. Aunt Shui, someone tricked me!" Tears filled Qin Yuru’s eyes as she threw herself sobbing into Shui Ruolan’s arms, her performance flawless. "I’m just glad you’re safe, truly. I thought something had happened to you!"

"You thought I was in danger?" Shui Ruolan frowned.

"Yes, that’s what those two said. Where are they?" Now fully alert, Qin Yuru realized her scheme had failed—bitterness seethed within her, but she knew she must pin everything on Shui Ruolan.

"Sister, is that servant one of Young Master Qi’s men? Why is he here? Is it related to what happened to you?" As Qin Yuru tried to keep up her act, Qin Wanru tugged her sleeve. Following her gesture, Qin Yuru saw Qi Tianyu’s servant and hesitated. Should she implicate Qi Tianyu or not?

"When did Miss Qin become so close to Miss Shui? One man’s message and you run off with him, not even asking who he is!" Qi Rongzhi, having entered with the crowd, could no longer hold back, stepping forward with biting sarcasm.

She disliked her brother’s infatuation with Qin Yuru but hated even more the thought of him being drawn into this scandal.

"You..." Qin Yuru’s heart lurched as her gaze fell on Qi Rongzhi. Why was she here?

"Miss Qin, what’s the matter with you? Do you always run off with any man who brings a message? Is this the sort of upbringing they provide in the General’s House of Ningyuan? If any man says a few words, you follow him, and now you want to drag my brother into this? He’s unlucky enough to be associated with you at all—why do you have to involve him again and again? What exactly are you after?" Qi Rongzhi’s voice dripped with contempt.

Qi Rongzhi sneered, her eyes fixed on Qin Yuru’s wrist. "Look at you now—are you still hoping to cling to my brother? Just now you were entangled with other men, your clothes in disarray. Did those two men say something so important that you simply had to come?"

She had no intention of letting Qin Yuru off easily, standing above her with scorn in every word.

"I... I really thought it had to do with Aunt Shui. I was worried about her," Qin Yuru stammered, realizing Qi Rongzhi meant to ruin her, but she dared not implicate Qi Tianyu further.

"Is it truly about Miss Shui?" Qi Rongzhi asked coldly.

Qin Wanru did not look up, a trace of ridicule at her lips. Qi Rongzhi and Qin Yuru—what a pair of 'good friends,' working in such harmony even now.

"It’s true, it was said Aunt Shui was in trouble," Qin Yuru wept anew, tears streaming down her face, all pitiful helplessness. Head bowed, she appeared deeply wronged, but her eyes darted over the ground, searching for Shui Ruolan’s sachet—the one she’d planned to use to lure her here. If she could find it, her story would be half-proven.

"Whose sachet is that?" Suddenly, Chunxi, Qi Rongzhi’s maid, cried out, pointing near Qin Yuru.

"Yes, that’s the sachet! Those two used it to trick our young lady, saying Miss Shui was in trouble, and she ran here out of concern, falling into their trap," Meixue called out. Having failed to protect her mistress, she desperately hoped to redeem herself. She knew about the sachet, and now, hearing it had been found, seized the chance to show her loyalty.

Shui Ruolan started, instinctively reaching to her waist. Her face changed—her usual sachet was missing.

"Aunt Shui..." Qin Yuru sobbed even harder, as if suffering all this misfortune solely out of concern for Shui Ruolan.

Shui Ruolan’s hand trembled. A small hand reached over and gently squeezed hers. She turned to see Qin Wanru’s clear, calm eyes, their composure bringing her sudden, quiet reassurance.

"Bring the sachet to me," she instructed evenly.

A matron picked up the sachet and handed it to Shui Ruolan.

Shui Ruolan examined it, puzzlement flickering across her features. She gently pushed Qin Yuru aside, her elegant brows knitting. "Yuru, how do you know this sachet is mine?"