HCB Chapter 254 The second young mistress must have been locked up!
Chapter 254 The second young mistress must have been locked up!
At this time, at Zhiyuan Academy.
The room was dimly lit, with all the windows covered, making it dark and gloomy with no light coming through.
The surroundings were eerily quiet; even the usual birdsong had disappeared.
Inside the house, only a lone lamp hung from the roof beams, its light flickering as if it might go out at any moment.
Xu Liuer sat on an old, carved chair.
His hands hung limply at his knees, and there were scratch marks on the back of his hands.
Her ankles were tightly locked by a black iron chain.
The heavy iron rings dug into the skin, leaving faint red marks.
The other end of the chain was fixed to the bedpost.
Xu Liuer lowered her head, her eyes unfocused, as if she had lost her soul.
The suffocating sense of oppression made her feel utterly hopeless.
But you can't die...
The wooden door creaked open, and bright light shone in from outside.
Xu Liuer squinted subconsciously.
Then I saw a tall, slender figure standing against the light at the doorway, exuding a cold and sinister aura.
"Liu'er".
Xie Zhongzhi slowly walked in, his gaze sweeping across the room like a knife.
Only after finding nothing amiss did the chill in his eyes slowly dissipate.
He walked up to Xu Liuer and looked down at her.
Xu Liuer felt his approach and shrank back abruptly.
However, Xie Zhongzhi leaned down at this moment, his voice soft as if he were whispering, "Liu'er, how could you want to leave us?"
"Didn't I tell you it's dangerous outside? How can a weak woman like you survive?"
His gaze was dark, and his deep voice was like a cold wind that entered Xu Liuer's ears.
“You are my wife, and we are one. Everything about you belongs to me. You are not even allowed to have the thought of running away.”
He reached out and gently stroked her hair. "No matter where you want to go, I will bring you back. Liu'er, you will always be by my side."
Xu Liuer trembled and involuntarily shrank back.
She bit her lip, her voice trembling with panic, "I didn't want to leave, I... I just wanted to go and see..."
"Don't be afraid, I won't hurt you." Xie Zhongzhi leaned closer and gently traced her chin with his fingertips.
“I just can’t bear to let you leave this home. This is where I am, where our children are, this is where you should be.”
"Don't think about leaving anymore, otherwise... I'll be very sad."
His words were like a fine needle, silently piercing Xu Liuer's heart.
Xu Liuer looked up at him, her pupils trembling slightly, her throat so dry she couldn't make a sound.
"……I see."
She forced a smile, but it looked worse than crying.
Seeing her so obedient, Xie Zhongzhi smiled with satisfaction.
Xie Siyuan leaned against the door silently.
Hearing the whispers coming from inside the room, the corners of his lips slowly and uncontrollably turned up.
He leaned against the door like a lurking wild beast, his eyes a mixture of excitement and coldness.
Evening, in the main courtyard.
Dinner proceeded as usual, with a sumptuous spread on the table.
Only... one person was missing.
Xu Liuer is not here.
Qin Jiuwei held the porcelain spoon and glanced at Xie Zhongzhi across from her.
Seeing that he looked normal, my doubts deepened.
She looked up and asked softly, seemingly unintentionally, "Why didn't Liu'er come for dinner? I haven't seen her for the past two days. What's wrong with her?"
Upon hearing this, Xie Zhongzhi abruptly stopped using his chopsticks.
But the expression on his face remained natural.
He said gently, "Liu'er is feeling a little unwell and is resting in her room. Sister-in-law, there's no need to worry."
"Is Liu'er sick?" Qin Jiuwei's voice suddenly rose. "Is it serious? Should we go find a doctor to take a look?"
Her words immediately drew the attention of everyone at the table.
At this moment, Madam Xie also looked over and asked Xie Zhongzhi, "Liu'er is sick. How come I didn't know about this, and I didn't hear that the family doctor was called?"
"Getting sick at this time is no small matter. You must get it treated properly, lest a minor illness turn into a major one."
Feeling the gazes of everyone, Xie Zhongzhi cursed Qin Jiuwei inwardly for being nosy.
She remained calm on the surface, saying, "Grandmother, don't worry, Liu'er is just too tired. She'll be fine after a period of rest. There's no need to worry."
"It's good that you're not sick." Qin Jiuwei immediately replied, feigning a relieved expression, and then continued.
"I'll go see Liu'er tomorrow and make her some nourishing porridge..."
Before she could finish speaking, Xie Zhongzhi impatiently interrupted her, his eyes filled with coldness.
But his tone remained gentle, “Sister-in-law, you don’t need to worry. You are busy with the epidemic and the entire Marquis’s mansion. It’s more important to deal with important matters.”
"Liu'er dislikes causing trouble for others the most. She said herself that she would come to pay her respects to her grandmother when she felt better."
He spoke flawlessly, and his expression was very natural.
But Qin Jiuwei sensed something was wrong from his actions and eyes.
Xie Zhongzhi was very nervous.
Qin Jiuwei was now even more certain.
Xu Liuer did not leave.
She's still at Zhiyuan Hospital!
The next day.
Early in the morning, Qin Jiuwei instructed her servants to prepare some mugwort and atractylodes, and had Xiaohe personally deliver them to Zhiyuan Courtyard.
Before taking action, it is essential to ascertain the truth and gather sufficient information.
Anyone who charges straight ahead is a fool.
Along the way, Xiaohe kept an eye on the movements of Zhiyuan Courtyard, looking around with her eyes.
She visited Zhiyuan Hospital only a handful of times, but it was still a few visits.
Xiaohe could clearly sense that Zhiyuan Courtyard was unusually quiet and deserted now.
It even... has a kind of eerie feeling.
Xiaohe has just arrived at Zhiyuan Hospital.
Immediately, maids surrounded her, "Sister Xiaohe, what brings you here?"
Xiaohe smiled and said, "I was ordered to deliver some mugwort and atractylodes. Although the epidemic is not as serious as before, we still need to be careful. The young mistress said that the mugwort and atractylodes should still be burned every day."
"Especially since the second young mistress is still recuperating, we need to be even more careful."
While Xiaohe was talking, she kept an eye on the situation in the courtyard.
Her gaze inadvertently swept over a room on the right.
I noticed that the paper on the windows seemed to have been replaced, and there was a thin layer of fabric pasted along the edges of the window frames.
Xiaohe's heart stirred, and she silently memorized the location of the room.
After she finished speaking, she wanted to say a few more words, but a long-faced old woman quickly walked over.
"Oh my, isn't this Miss Xiaohe? Why did you have to come all this way for such a small matter?"
The long-faced old woman spoke warmly, but her eyes were very wary.
Xiaohe smiled and replied casually, "It's just a small matter. The epidemic isn't over yet, so protective measures are essential. The young mistress specifically instructed me to personally deliver them to each courtyard. I just finished delivering to the old lady's and the marquis's courtyards."
The long-faced old woman stood in front of Xiao He, intentionally or unintentionally blocking part of her view, with a smile on her face.
"Young Madam is so thoughtful. This old servant will naturally keep these things safe. It's really a lot of trouble for Miss Xiaohe."
Xiaohe understood the implication that he was being asked to leave, and smiled, saying, "It's alright, I have errands to run at Qinglan Courtyard, so I'll be going now."
She turned and left, pretending nothing had happened.
Seeing that she had left, the long-faced old woman slowly breathed a sigh of relief.
Qinglan Courtyard.
After Xiaohe returned, she told Qin Jiuwei everything she had observed.
"Everyone in Zhiyuan Academy is very strange."
"And that long-faced old woman is very wary. I suspect the Second Young Mistress has been locked up!"
After hearing this, Qin Jiuwei tightened her grip on the cup.