"My lady, you don't know. The second young mistress hasn't been out for several days. She really hasn't stepped out, not even the door of her bedroom."
Bitao unconsciously lowered her voice, looking like she was meeting a spy.
Su Nansheng was already used to such things and said with a smile, "That's really rare. What's going on?"
Bitao shook her head. "I don't know, miss."
As soon as she finished speaking, she saw Su Nansheng raising her eyebrows at her.
"Is there anything in this mansion that our Bitao doesn't know?"
"My lady~~"
Bitao rarely acted coquettishly. "I really don't know this time, but..."
Saying this, Bitao let out a couple of he-he laughs.
"But I can guess. I heard that Concubine Li went to Bitao Courtyard a few days ago and caused quite a stir. So, surely she..."
At this point, Bitao made a motion of slitting her throat.
"Surely she got a lesson. It's a pity I didn't get to see it."
Seeing this, Su Nansheng couldn't help but smile helplessly. "You'd better not try to watch every bit of excitement. Be careful."
Su Hele was vicious. She didn't want Bitao to be on her radar.
However, for Su Nansheng to be so quiet that she didn't even leave her room, Concubine Li's methods had improved.
"Auntie, auntie, it's bad. I heard there was a flood near the imperial palace. The palace was flooded and many people were washed away."
Ruyi came running in, looking anxious.
Su Nansheng suddenly stood up. "Any news about Linchuan?"
Ruyi shook her head, on the verge of crying.
If anything happened to the eldest young master, wouldn't the Marquis Mansion then belong to the second young master?
What would happen to them, the people in the eldest young master's courtyard? Would they be sold off...
"What are you panicking about? No news means Linchuan is fine. There are many bodies of water in the north. He's seen every kind of situation. You need to calm down. And there's still the mistress. The sky won't fall!"
Su Nansheng looked solemn and calm.
Seeing her like this, Ruyi gradually calmed down. That's right, there was still the mistress.
"Let's go to Qionghua Courtyard."
...
In the ancestral hall, Chen Wanrong clasped her hands together and mumbled something. A copy of the Southern Buddhist Canon was spread out on the nanmu table in front of her.
Su Nansheng quietly knelt on the cushion next to her and closed her eyes slightly.
He Xun would be fine. In the previous life, he was in high spirits at this time. But she still prayed that the ancestors would bless him and keep him from getting hurt.
After more than an hour of praying, Chen Wanrong opened her eyes and stood up. She saw Su Nansheng sitting beside her.
"Mother, Linchuan will be fine."
Su Nansheng's smile was gentle, just like when they first met in Hanguang Temple, which made Chen Wanrong feel at ease.
"Yes, my son has noble people to protect him."
So, Su Nansheng supported Chen Wanrong and went to the front hall to wait for news.
Apart from a moment of panic when the news first spread, everything in the mansion was as usual.
...
In Yurong Courtyard, Concubine Li was also waiting for news.
Her expression was a mix of excitement and restraint. She couldn't say what she was thinking and could only silently pray to the heavens to open their eyes and drown that martial man who was competing with her son for the title.
Concubine Li sent people to guard the door constantly, just to get the good news earlier.
The imperial palace was in such a remote place. There was no way to call for help. Surely...
"Reporting to Concubine Li, the eldest young master is safe and sound. He has escorted the emperor back from the imperial palace."
The maid who brought the news said happily.
Concubine Li's face immediately changed, but she still forced a smile.
"This is really a great thing. Reward her."
After the maid left with the silver, Concubine Li said with a gloomy face.
"What an unobservant thing. Find an excuse to transfer her to the outer courtyard to be a water carrier tomorrow."
Nanny Wang immediately replied, "Yes."
...
When Su Nansheng heard that He Xun had returned to the mansion, she had just sat down in the small study.
She thought that Chen Wanrong would surely fuss over He Xun for a while. And since she hadn't looked at the accounts today because she had been accompanying Chen Wanrong, Su Nansheng simply didn't move. She might as well finish looking at the accounts first.
By the time she had sorted out the accounts, it was already dark.
When she returned to the bedroom, she found that the inner room was not lit. Su Nansheng frowned. Was He Xun still with Chen Wanrong?
She should have asked Bitao to take the stew pot directly to Qionghua Courtyard.
Su Nansheng walked into the inner room and lit the candle. She found He Xun sitting on the beauty's couch, motionless.
"You scared me. Why didn't you light the lamp?"
Su Nansheng's voice carried a hint of blame.
"You're always calm. What are you afraid of?"
He Xun was completely hidden in the flickering candlelight. The candlelight made his expression look gloomy and unpredictable.
Through the candlelight, He Xun saw Su Nansheng slightly frowning, looking confused but not saying a word.
He Xun couldn't help but sneer. She was always like this. When something good happened, she would get closer to him. When she was unhappy, she would put on a fake smile and say nothing.
She said nothing and asked nothing. She was distant and cold.
When they returned to the city today, the wives of his colleagues all waited at the city gate when they heard that their husbands were in danger.
But where was she? He didn't even see her at the mansion gate.
So he waited in his mother's place, but he didn't see her come even when his mother asked him to have dinner with them!
"Mother said you weren't panicked at all when you heard I was in danger. You thought I would surely be fine. You really trust me."
Seeing that Su Nansheng kept silent, He Xun got even angrier. His tone was full of sarcasm.
Su Nansheng finally realized that He Xun was acting strange. He seemed angry, but she didn't understand where the anger came from.
"The north has a lot of water. You can swim. You must be fine."
Was it wrong to trust him?
He Xun suddenly stood up and walked closer to Su Nansheng step by step.
"Can a flood be the same as an ordinary lake? Besides, what if I fainted accidentally or got injured and couldn't swim when I was in danger?"
Su Nansheng was forced to look up at him.
"But you still have Feiyu."
Feiyu was highly skilled in martial arts and always by his side. It couldn't be that both of them fainted or got injured, could it?
Seeing her analyze things so logically, He Xun gritted his teeth in anger.
"Yes, you're calm. Your analysis is all right, all right!"
As the saying goes, one loses one's calm when one is concerned. Su Nansheng's behavior showed no sign of concern for him.
The more He Xun thought about it, the angrier he got. He turned around and wanted to leave, but Su Nansheng grabbed his sleeve.
"What's wrong with you?"
He Xun looked at the fair fingers holding his sleeve. He gritted his teeth and gently shook off her hand.
"Keep analyzing."
He Xun quickly walked to the door and pushed it open forcefully.
He saw Feiyu and Bitao both jump. They stood at attention immediately, and then their four eyes darted around, not knowing where to look.
He Xun gave them a cold look and walked forward quickly.
Just as he passed by Bitao, he heard her stutter, "M-Master."
He Xun glanced at her and saw the stew pot in her hand. His face became even more unpleasant.
She still had the mood to eat and drink here.
So, He Xun walked even faster and left the courtyard like a gust of wind.
Behind him, Bitao's eyes widened. She stretched out her hands, looking sad.
"Master, this is a tonic specially prepared for you. Do you... want to drink it?"