Chapter 058: You Believe Everything She Says!

“Jin’er! Jin’er…” In the busy market streets, Xiao Jiu, drenched in sweat, ran while calling out her name, searching every alley and every corner without letting a single spot go unchecked. Noon was approaching, and he had scoured more than half of the entire city, but there was still no trace of her.

Jin’er, where are you? Please come out. Come back with me, I promise you’ll never suffer again, Jin’er… Xiao Jiu stood at a crossroads, gasping for breath, looking exhausted and utterly dejected.

The sun blazed overhead, and streams of pedestrians bustled all around him, their voices humming in his ears, making everything feel oddly unreal. In that moment, he could hear his own heartbeat—so clear, so heavy.

He could not imagine his world without that small, stubborn figure; could not imagine her facing the sun and rain alone, enduring a life of misery. Was that sorrowful, suffocating gaze in her eyes the result of too many hardships?

Thinking of this, Xiao Jiu felt a sharp pain in his chest. He pressed his hand firmly against his heart, gritted his teeth, and continued running forward.

He must find her! He absolutely must!

At the Imperial Physicians’ Hall, the dishes had been sitting on the table for two hours, long since cold. Yet Doctor Chen, Qin’er, and the shop assistant remained seated, none touching their chopsticks.

“Why hasn’t Senior Brother returned yet? It’s so late already, really…” Qin’er touched her empty stomach, unable to stop herself from complaining.

She desperately wanted to eat—she was famished to the point of near collapse.

Doctor Chen’s face was dark as he stared at the entrance, feeling a wrenching discomfort in his heart.

“What exactly happened?! Did you all bully her while I was gone?!” Doctor Chen suddenly turned to them, his voice full of anger.

His outburst startled Qin’er and the assistant, making them shudder.

“Ma-master, how would we dare?” Qin’er shrank her head, lowering it as she spoke.

Seeing her guilty demeanor, Doctor Chen began to suspect her. He had long noticed Qin’er’s attitude toward Jin’er, but since Jin’er was obedient and never quarreled, he hadn’t thought much of it.

“Speak! Why did she leave so suddenly? Did something happen?” Doctor Chen’s face was grim as he turned to the assistant, forcing him to answer.

The assistant, chilled by Doctor Chen’s gaze, swallowed nervously before replying, “I—I don’t know. Maybe it was because she was frightened by a snake last night.”

“A snake?!” Doctor Chen’s eyes widened in shock. “What snake? Where did it come from?”

“Two poisonous snakes. Jin’er was bitten, but she wasn’t poisoned, which we found strange,” the assistant explained.

“What? Bitten by venomous snakes? Where are they? Show me!” Doctor Chen stood abruptly.

Qin’er, seeing his anxious state, grew increasingly uneasy, desperately reminding herself not to betray anything.

When Doctor Chen reached the corner of the courtyard and saw the two dead snakes still unhandled, a chill shot up from his feet to the top of his head.

Green-scaled serpents! Rare and deadly snakes, with venom so fierce even he couldn’t cure it!

These snakes preferred damp environments and were usually only found in swamps or thick-leafed forests. How could they appear here?

After pondering for a long time, Doctor Chen reached a conclusion—this could only be manmade!

Realizing this, he suddenly turned, staring sternly at Qin’er. “Qin’er, tell me honestly, was this your doing?” He remembered she had gone out to buy medicinal herbs two days prior and had just returned yesterday. The incidents seemed connected.

Qin’er’s expression changed and she shook her head desperately. “No, it wasn’t me! Master, you must trust me! You know me best—though I’m a bit willful, I’d never dare do such a thing! Please believe me!”

Her face was pale, her hands nervously twisting her clothes.

Doctor Chen stared into her eyes, and with just one glance, Qin’er couldn’t maintain eye contact, her gaze shifting, clearly uneasy.

After all, she was only fifteen or sixteen—a mere girl. Her nervous gestures and demeanor could not escape Doctor Chen, who had served in the palace for years.

“Yun, you’re lying. If you truly hadn’t done it, why do you avoid my gaze? If you truly hadn’t done it, why the nervous, guilty gestures?” He cast his gaze to her hands.

Qin’er froze, but quickly recovered, rushing forward to tug Doctor Chen’s sleeve in panic. “Master, I’m innocent—it’s not my fault! You can’t judge me based on mere suspicion, please investigate thoroughly!”

“Innocent? What about last time?” Xiao Jiu’s voice sounded from behind. Qin’er was startled and turned quickly—it really was her senior brother.

“Senior Brother, what are you saying? Even you don’t trust me?” Qin’er pouted, her eyes brimming with tears.

Xiao Jiu pulled out a somewhat crumpled letter from his pocket and looked at it. “This is a letter Jin’er left for me. She told me everything—including what happened last time.” He glanced at Qin’er, his gaze so cold it felt unfamiliar to her.

“Last time?” Qin’er repeated, memories of that night in the study flashing through her mind.

Heavens, that wretched girl actually told Senior Brother? Hadn’t she kept it secret before? How hateful—to harm her even after leaving!

“Senior Brother, don’t believe her accusations. I didn’t do it on purpose! Really, I didn’t! I heard something, went in, and saw her lying on the floor. I went closer to check, but didn’t notice the antidote pill on the ground and accidentally crushed it. It wasn’t intentional!” Qin’er quickly invented an excuse.

With Jin’er gone, whatever she said couldn’t be challenged, right?

Hearing her words, Xiao Jiu raised an eyebrow, deeply shocked.

Lying on the floor? Antidote? What was this about? He suddenly recalled that morning when Qin’er had crawled on the floor, screaming like she’d seen a ghost, and instantly linked the two events.

“You crushed her antidote? So you thought she would die? The next morning, when you saw she was still alive, you panicked and begged me to save you?” Xiao Jiu laid out his suspicions.

Qin’er nodded, biting her lip, tears streaming silently. “I didn’t mean to—I crushed it by accident.”

“Then why didn’t you come to me for help?” Xiao Jiu demanded.

“She… she looked so frightening, like… like she was about to die from the poison. I—I was scared. I feared you’d think I’d harmed her, so… so I…”

Hearing the end, Xiao Jiu took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and clenched his fists under his sleeves, trembling.

She just left her there, letting her suffer alone in the study! How could she be so heartless?!

But this was only her side of the story—perhaps she had done it deliberately! Otherwise, why would Jin’er suddenly change so dramatically and urge him to ask Qin’er himself?

“All because of you! It’s all because of you!!” Jin’er’s desperate and furious face appeared before him, and his heart felt wrenched, almost unable to breathe.

Heavens, when did his Qin’er become so cruel, so terrifying?! He staggered, barely keeping his footing, and Doctor Chen hurried over to steady him.

“Senior Brother…” Qin’er called timidly.

“Hahaha… hahahaha… Today, I lost two junior sisters. One is Jin’er, the other is the innocent, lovable Qin’er!” With that, he turned and strode away, his eyes faintly moist.

He didn’t know when that small, resilient figure had started to sway his emotions—sadness, loneliness, pain, and pity. He couldn’t control it, truly couldn’t. Especially now, regret weighed heavily on him!

He had known Qin’er’s animosity toward Jin’er—her constant dissatisfaction and cold treatment—yet he had always turned a blind eye. Even when Jin’er’s attitude toward him suddenly changed, he hadn’t insisted on finding the cause.

Everything, all of it, was because of him, truly because of him…

Xiao Jiu raised his hand and slapped his forehead in frustration, his heart aching beyond words. He wandered into a tavern, ordered several jars of wine, and poured cup after cup down his throat.

If she could live a better life from now on, perhaps he would have some peace. If any harm befell her, he would never forgive himself!

Seeing Xiao Jiu depart in such a daze, Doctor Chen sighed helplessly and sorrowfully, then turned to Qin’er. “There’s an old saying that physicians should have the heart of a parent. You’re half a doctor yourself, yet you stood by and watched her suffer, unmoved—even though she was your junior sister! How could you be so callous?!”

Doctor Chen’s words caught in his throat, his chest tightening with pain. He quickly clutched his chest, breathing heavily.

“Master! Master, are you alright?” Qin’er rushed to support him, speaking hurriedly.

After catching his breath, Doctor Chen pushed her hand away, speaking with deep sorrow. “Back in the palace, I saw countless women fighting for favor and power, using any means necessary, with human life meaningless to them. I never expected such things to happen in my humble clinic, and to my cherished disciple. Qin’er, I am truly disappointed…” With a sigh, he turned and walked toward the front hall.

Qin’er bit her lip, standing in place, silently weeping. After a while, she suddenly shouted, “You all side with her! You believe everything she says, but never believe me! You’re disappointed? I’m even more disappointed!” With that, she ran upstairs in tears.

Doctor Chen paused for a moment but ultimately only shook his head, sighing deeply before continuing onward. His slightly hunched figure seemed especially desolate and powerless that day.