Volume One, Chapter 19: Her Thousand Words Could Not Compare to a Single Sentence from Her

At the mention of Qin Wan, the three of them wore different expressions. Su Yan’er lowered her head; after all, the person across from them was the current Fifth Prince. She was merely someone being fostered in the Marquis’s estate, not even holding the status of a daughter of the house, so what right did she have to speak to a prince?

However, if she were to become the daughter-in-law of the Marquis’s estate, things would be different. Thinking of this, Su Yan’er’s desire to marry Qin Lang grew even stronger.

Qin Yi was about to speak, but Qin Ye cut him off. "In reply to Your Highness, my younger sister was punished with the rod and has yet to recover from her injuries. She is unable to sit for long, so she missed today’s performance."

"Oh? Still not recovered? It has been over ten days since the caning. Theoretically, it should have healed with golden sore medicine!" Xiao Jingyan tilted his body slightly, his brows furrowed. "Perhaps a woman’s constitution is more delicate than a man’s. Regardless, she should take good care of herself; one must not let scars remain!"

"Yes, thank you for your concern, Your Highness!"

The speaker meant no harm, but the listener took it to heart. Qin Ye felt as though a heavy stone were lodged in his chest. The scar-removal ointment that the Fourth Prince had sought for Wan’er had actually been shattered by his own hand. If she were left with scars because of that, what would he do?

If only he hadn’t been so impulsive at the time; if only he had been able to remain calm. Qin Ye then recalled the torn wound he saw on Qin Wan earlier that day, which caused a sharp pang in his heart. Hadn't the second brother sent her golden sore medicine? Why had her injuries not healed? The medicine used in the military camp was the best available. Qin Ye felt a flicker of suspicion—could there be a problem with the medicine, or had she refused to use it out of spite?

"Yi... ya..."

A vocal warm-up drew cheers from the crowd below. This was the performance everyone had been anticipating. As the props were moved onto the stage, the atmosphere intensified. Xiao Jingyan stopped speaking and gestured for them to watch the play. Qin Ye bowed in return.

Hearing the music, people from the various private boxes emerged and took their seats on their respective balconies. It was the depths of winter, near the New Year, so the performance was fitting: it told the story of a frontier general who fought bravely to return home before the holidays. Watching the families gathered together below, Qin Ye was reminded that whenever there was a celebration in the capital, Qin Wan would always be the first to join in. If there was somewhere she dared not go, she would drag him along to back her up before pushing forward. Had this been the past, she would certainly have come to hear this play, yet today, she was absent.

The cheers from below rose and fell, contrasting with the cold solitude of their private box. This should have been a joyful day, but it lacked its usual luster because of certain people. Su Yan’er sat across from them, looking at the empty seat that should have been Qin Lang’s; he had left after visiting the Fourth Sister and simply never returned.

Su Yan’er couldn't quite describe her feelings, only a sense of grievance. "Big Brother, Third Brother, today’s events are all my fault. If not for me, Fourth Sister wouldn't have been angry, and she wouldn't have skipped the play at the Fan Pavilion!"

"Yan’er, that Qin Wan is simply ungrateful; what does this have to do with you? Besides, today’s matter was her fault to begin with. If she hadn't said those things, would Big Brother have struck her? In my opinion, he didn't hit her hard enough!" Qin Yi gritted his teeth. Thinking of how Qin Wan had given away the concentric knot he had gifted her, he was incensed. He had waited days for an explanation from her, but it never came.

Su Yan’er glanced at Qin Ye, who was hiding in the shadows opposite. Seeing that he remained silent, she said nothing more.

The performance was stunning, but none of them truly took it in. It was already the hour of the boar when they returned to the estate.

"Big Brother, I will escort Yan’er back!" Qin Yi, ever the gentleman, personally took Su Yan’er to the West Wing. He thought to himself that if only Qin Wan were half as gentle as she was.

Qin Ye walked toward his own courtyard. Passing the pharmacy, he caught a glimpse of a figure darting by. Thinking a thief had entered the estate, he took the opportunity to give chase. Qin Ye’s martial arts were excellent; he apprehended the intruder in an instant.

"Ah!" The voice was familiar. Qin Ye looked closely and saw it was Qin Lang, who had not gone to the Fan Pavilion.

"Second brother?" Qin Ye released his grip on Qin Lang’s arm and asked, "What are you doing skulking about so late at night?"

Qin Lang felt as though Qin Ye’s grip had crippled his arm, and he winced in pain. "Big Brother, are you trying to kill me? And how was I skulking? I just came out of the pharmacy and you grabbed me!"

Qin Lang rubbed his arm, thinking to himself that he would surely need a few days to recover from that move. Qin Ye gave an embarrassed smile and asked, "What were you doing in the pharmacy? I told you to take Wan’er to the Fan Pavilion; why did you let Yan’er go alone? What did Wan’er say to you?"

Qin Lang pulled Qin Ye aside, and they both leaned against a wall. "Your slap was quite heavy. Wan’er’s face is still swollen, so naturally, she couldn't go to the play."

Qin Ye froze, a surge of shame rising within him. He hadn't wanted to strike her, but had she not acted as she did, he never would have.

Qin Lang continued, "Wanshuang says the golden sore medicine I sent earlier was fake, so I am currently investigating. How could perfectly good medicine turn out to be fake?"

"Fake?" Qin Ye’s brows tightened. "You said the medicine you sent was fake?"

Qin Lang nodded. "Yes, I don't know what happened. I’ve investigated all night and haven't found a single clue. I’ll go to the military camp tomorrow to look into it. I fear something went wrong when it was being retrieved!"

Qin Ye’s heart trembled slightly. He had already wronged Wan’er regarding the caning, and then he had sent her fake medicine. She must be even more furious now. He could not let her continue to misunderstand; he had to find a chance to explain.

Qin Wan rested for two days and was finally able to get out of bed. She could now go to the Jingxin Garden to pay her respects to the Old Madam. She looked at herself in the mirror and asked, "Wanshuang, can you still see the swelling on my face?"

Wanshuang leaned in for a closer look. "No, I’ve checked several times, and I can’t see it at all!"

Hearing this, Qin Wan felt relieved. She couldn't pay her respects with a swollen face; she could hide the wounds on her body, but not her face. Now that the swelling was gone, she could finally go to pay her respects with peace of mind.

Qin Wan walked slowly toward the Jingxin Courtyard. Passing through the back garden, she heard the voices of Han Shu and Su Yan’er.

"Auntie, next year we could plant some crabapple trees here, and perhaps some winter jasmine over there, and here as well..."

"Good, everything will be as you say, Yan’er!"

Qin Wan stopped in her tracks, watching the two of them. She saw the way Han Shu looked at Su Yan’er—it was with such intimacy, something she had never shown her. For her, Han Shu only had perfunctory indifference and impatience.

Qin Wan had once suggested to Han Shu that they plant crabapples in the back garden, but Han Shu had dismissed her immediately, saying crabapples were too bland and not as good as plum blossoms. Yet now, when someone else suggested it, she agreed. Perhaps it wasn't that the crabapples couldn't be planted, but that she simply didn't care for the person making the suggestion.