Lin Ning had woken up, feeling her cheek still sting from the time that the man had slapped her across the face. Her lip on the side had been cut at the same time which she hissed to feel it sting. “Young miss, don't touch the cut. You need to let it heal.” Hun Lian entered to see that her young miss was now awake.

“Lian, what time is it?” Lin Ning asked.

“Young miss, it is almost past noon.” Hearing that, Lin Ning did not think that she almost slept the entire day. Getting up, she was helped dressed for the day with Xia Ling entering in to help her young miss dress up.

“Ning’er, you're awake.” Her parents saw that she had entered into the dining room, allowing them to have her seated in between them both.

“En, I’m sorry that I worried everyone.” Lin Ning heard her parents lecture her throughout that entire rest of the day, seeing how they were in tears while yelling at her about how it is important for her image, but also she was their child and that she needed to stick close to them no matter what. ‘It seems as though I will continue to be treated like a child.’ Sitting outside in her new garden, she sighed to feel her ears tired from all the lecturing. Lin Ning could catch the scent of pomegranates that seemed to have been planted in this place and had grown over time from the previous owners. Hun Lian and Xia Ling had left to do some other chores around the new manor with both her guards keeping a close eye on her.

Qin Yun and Duan Fa were both guarding Lin Ning until they were sent a message about what their master wanted them to do after, leaving them both to silently retreat for a bit. Hun Lian had returned to see that her young miss had been quiet for quite some time. It was strange to see her young miss so quiet on a beautiful day.

“Young miss, are you feeling better?” Hun Lian asked, seeing how her young miss looked just as sad as the time when the marquis' son had broken her heart.

“Sorry, I was just thinking about something.” Lin Ning did not understand the novel anymore, forgetting all about the main characters that were in it. She decided that it may have been time to start being able to stand and fight for herself if she could. If she wanted to live, then she needed to start being more independent on her own now that her role was completely unknown in this place.

“If this maid may ask, what was the young miss thinking?” Hun Lian hoped that her young miss would be able to tell her.

“You don’t have to worry about it.” Lin Ning turned to face her maid, opening her eyes behind the blindfold to see Hun Lian was holding a red color. ‘Lian…’ Seeing the color appear on her maid for the first time, she had never seen something like this happen before. “Lian, can you get me some fresh plums at the market?” Being able to only think of this option, she needed to find out what Hun Lian was thinking or up to.

“Eh? Are you sure you want me to leave you so soon?” Hun Lian did not think that her young miss would ask her to look for plums during this time. Lin Ning nodded her head like a child, making her assume that things would be fine. “I will do my best to find the plums in the market.” Hun Lian had left to find the plums that Lin Ning had asked for.

“Duan Fa.” Lin Ning had called Duan Fa who just barely returned after leaving for a short time.

“Miss Lin, what do you wish for me to do?” Duan Fa did not know what Lin Ning wanted him to do.

“Follow Lian and then report back to me about what you find.” Lin Ning had sent Duan Fa to find out what was going on with Hun Lian. ‘I do not want to think ahead too soon.’ She thought.

***

Duan Fa had gone out to follow Hun Lian, seeing what was going on that made Lin Ning grow suspicious of her own maid. Looking at the maid, she had a basket of plums in her hands which she should be on her way home now, but it did not look like she was on her way home. Hun Lian went on ahead over to a strange inn, he followed after to see that she met up with a figure that hid under a cloak. Both had gone into a room, seeing how this turned into a serious matter. “What happened?! Why did this fail?! You do realize that I can just kill you right now!” Hearing the voice of the fifth princess, Duan Fa did not think that Hun Lian would be working with the fifth princess.

“Please, I did not think that Cao Peizhi would come to rescue her! Please do not hurt my little brother! I will not fail you this time! I promise!” Begging on her knees, she was willing to get beaten by the fifth princess to protect her little brother.

‘So, she was trying to save her brother.’ Duan Fa could see now that there was a reason for Hun Lian to do this to her young miss. ‘It’s no wonder she would go through all of this.’ Duan Fa knew that there would be no reason for Hun Lian to go against her young miss who she was raised with since fame or wealth did not matter to her, only her family did. ‘How did the young miss know about Hun Lian then?’ Feeling a bit confused, he then pushed the question back for another time.

“Tsk! Here!” Yi Jiao had tossed something in front of Hun Lian. “This is a poison.” Yi Jiao said, looking at the maid who was shocked to see a bottle of poison in front of her. “If you continue to give it to her for the next five days then she will look like she died of stress or depression. I hope that you do not fail me this time. Make sure that it is a reasonable death and does not appear suspicious.” Yi Jiao said, threatening Hun Lian to not betray her. Hun Lian simply just nodded her head lowly, only being able to comply with it.

Hun Lian was walking down the streets after that whole conversation, sadly with her feet obviously dragging on the ground with the basket of plums still in her hands. Walking to the river, it was getting late with people all leaving with their businesses closing. She looked at the river, tears fell as droplets which she then held the bottle of poison into her own palms. Holding a letter out in her other hand, she sobbed holding the bottle to her chest. “Young miss, we’ve been together for a long time. How can I bear to let you die? You and your family took care of me and my little brother. I’m sorry.” Hun Lian opened the bottle, about to drink it as it was then smacked out of her hands. It had flown hitting the soil ground as it soaked into the soil.

“Do you even hear yourself?!” Duan Fa angrily said, looking to see how Hun Lian was being an idiot at that moment.

“W-Why are you here?” Hun Lian looked to see that one of the guards who protected Lin Ning was there.

“If you are sorry, then go and personally tell the young miss about what you have been doing.” Duan Fa found that this woman was making things quite complicated if she was going to make it harder for them.

“How can I?!” Hun Lian shouted back, shocking Duan Fa to see that she could actually get mad.