Chapter 128
Chapter 128: Lucky to Survive
A man dropped down beside Zheng Ming Lan and reported in a low voice: “Eldest Miss, we did not find him.”
Zheng Ming Lan’s face turned dark as she stared at the pillar of fire shooting into the sky. She wondered if she had guessed wrong and Duan Yi Chen was not at Xia Meng Yan’s side, then she snapped: “Useless. Keep searching. Has Xia Meng Yan come out?”
The man answered: “No, she is still inside.”
Zheng Ming Lan’s lips curved. Still inside? If Xia Meng Yan died, the Heir Apparent Duan would be heartbroken, and she could take advantage of that: “Post men around the wing rooms and keep watch on all sides. Whether alive or dead, bring her out.”
“Yes.” The man flickered away into the night.
Qiao Xi Wan had seen the man bowing to whisper his report. She tried to ask, but he vanished so fast that she only asked Zheng Ming Lan: “Sister, who was that?”
A faint smile crossed Zheng Ming Lan’s face. She slid an arm through Qiao Xi Wan’s and said: “Father worried about me coming out, so he sent men to protect me. By the way, where is your maid? I don’t see her.”
Only then did Qiao Xi Wan notice her maid was missing. She forced a calm reply: “She may have had something to do. She will be back soon.”
Nanny Song and Chun Yue kept their eyes locked on the flames. They wanted to rush in, but they knew they would only get in the way and help with nothing.
Chun Yue pressed her palms together and whispered a prayer: “With Young Master Duan here, Eldest Miss will be fine.”
She regretted not pulling Eldest Miss out sooner when the flames were still small. She thought, [My cheap life can be thrown away, but Eldest Miss must not come to harm.]
Nanny Song clenched her hands and echoed: “Yes. With Young Master Duan here, Eldest Miss will be fine.”
Every word they said was heard by someone behind them. That person listened, then turned and left.
Zheng Ming Lan watched as the building groaned and collapsed. Excitement flared in her eyes. In the firelight, her fine brows and eyes took on a cruel edge, like a ghost crawling out of hell.
The flames leaped higher and higher, the glow shooting into the clouds. After the rolling smoke came a spray of sparks.
Many faces turned pale under the red light.
A thrill unlike anything before rose in Zheng Ming Lan’s chest. So this was the craving of someone who controls everything.
Suddenly, a figure burst out through the smoke. Duan Yi Chen soared into the air, holding Xia Meng Yan in his arms.
Nanny Song cried out: “Eldest Miss, Eldest Miss!”
The monks saw Xia Meng Yan and finally relaxed. They hurried forward to help and check her condition.
Sparks clung to Duan Yi Chen’s clothes. People rushed up with water and slapped them out.
Zheng Ming Lan hurried over. Her eyes locked on the man as she asked: “Is Miss Xia all right?”
The human-skin mask on Duan Yi Chen’s face had already come off. Thankfully, smoke blackened his features so no one could see his true looks.
Xia Meng Yan met Zheng Ming Lan’s gaze. She sneered inside but kept her face calm as she said: “I am fine. Thank you for your concern, Miss Zheng.”
Zheng Ming Lan could not stop staring at Duan Yi Chen. Sadly, soot hid his face, so she could not make out his features. His clothes looked like an attendant’s uniform, yet she believed Duan Yi Chen would not lower himself to act as a servant boy for Xia Meng Yan. A wild thought flashed through her mind: if Xia Meng Yan died, would Duan Yi Chen attend her funeral?
Chun Yue and Nanny Song lifted Xia Meng Yan, checked her up and down to make sure she was not hurt, then supported her to see the physician of Cloud Mountain Temple.
Duan Yi Chen followed close behind and did not spare Zheng Ming Lan a single glance.
Seeing Xia Meng Yan unharmed, Song Mo signaled the men. Two of their people were injured; the rest were fine.
Before leaving the courtyard, Xia Meng Yan looked at the roaring blaze and fell into thought. She thought, [If this really looked like an accident and my baby and I died, neither Cloud Mountain Temple nor the Zheng siblings would be suspected. After all, everyone tried hard to fight the fire. Whether I lived or was hurt would be called fate.]
She continued to think, [So is someone reaping the fisherman’s profit, or is it the Zheng family’s doing? I must find out.]
Her eyes fell on Qiao Xi Wan. Qiao Xi Wan happened to look over. Their gazes met in the air, and Qiao Xi Wan lowered her head.
Xia Meng Yan’s lips curled coldly. She thought, [How did I forget that the Qiao family is also a possibility.]
She paged through everything in her mind, and the faces of each person reflected in her eyes.
The abbot arrived with monks after hearing the news. When he saw injured monks lying on the ground, he turned and asked in anger: “How did a fire start?”
A monk explained quickly: “Abbot, since the Lin family moved into this courtyard, we have not gone in. It may be that a Lin family servant knocked over a candle, or someone set the fire on purpose…”
“Go and check carefully,” the abbot ordered.
“No need.” While everyone was busy, Song Mo had rushed into the fire and quickly searched around the wing rooms. He reported: “Abbot, someone poured fire oil around the wing rooms.”
“Fire oil?” Color drained from many faces when they heard that.
This was attempted murder.
Thinking of how this was the Lin family’s yard, people could not help sighing. Who had the Lin family offended?
Xia Meng Yan left the investigation to Song Mo. The most important thing now was to make sure the baby was safe.
The physician at Cloud Mountain Temple was no famous doctor, but he handled everyday sickness well. After checking her pulse, he said: “Miss Xia is only frightened and inhaled a small amount of smoke. That is why she has a headache. Take two doses of medicine and she will be fine.” He wrote a prescription and handed it to a maid.
“Thank you, physician,” said Xia Meng Yan. She glanced at Nanny Song. Nanny Song understood and, when she sent the physician out, quietly slipped him one tael of silver.
When Nanny Song came back, she heard Eldest Miss saying they would report to the authorities.
“Just now the abbot also sent word,” Nanny Song said. “We will report to the magistrate at daybreak.”
Xia Meng Yan nodded and said: “Our yard is burned, and we do not know where we will sleep tonight.”
At that moment, Song Mo spoke from outside the door: “Eldest Miss, the abbot says there is a small courtyard in the back. Please make do for tonight.”
“All right,” said Xia Meng Yan. She sent Nanny Song to check it. Only then did she think of Lin Qing Wan and asked: “Where is Qing Wan?”
Chun Yue said: “Please be at ease, Eldest Miss. When the fire first started, Guard Song already rescued Miss Qing Wan. But she seems to have been hit by sedative powder and still has not woken.”
Hearing sedative powder, Xia Meng Yan remembered that Nanny Song and Chun Yue had also been knocked out before. She thought, [No. All the people in this yard are mine, and both Song Mo and Duan Yi Chen are highly skilled. If anyone had snuck in, they would have noticed. That leaves only one possibility.]
She asked at once: “How many people did we bring this time?”
Chun Yue said: “Four maids, two servant boys, and in the dark there are Guard Song and the Heir Apparent Duan.”
“Go ask Song Mo who went out before nightfall.”
Chun Yue froze: “Eldest Miss, you suspect someone we brought?”
“We will only know after we investigate,” said Xia Meng Yan. If it had been an ordinary fire, she would not be so angry. But the other side wanted her life, so they must pay the price.
The yard had burned, so many people were crowded together. Worried that Lin Qing Wan would panic if she woke, Xia Meng Yan did not rouse her.
Leaving someone to care for Lin Qing Wan, Xia Meng Yan rose and stepped into the open air.
Cloud Mountain Temple lay by mountain and water. Standing in the yard, she seemed to smell a faint wetness in the night air.
Under the moonlight, she slowly walked toward the gate and ran right into Qiao Xi Wan, who had come out to look for someone. Qiao Xi Wan’s face was very pale and anxious. Seeing Xia Meng Yan, she looked a bit surprised and asked: “Big Sister Xia, why are you not asleep yet?”
“I cannot sleep,” said Xia Meng Yan, then asked mildly, “Sister Wan, why are you out alone so late?”
Qiao Xi Wan’s complexion was so white under the moon that she looked like paper without any blood. By contrast, although Xia Meng Yan had just been through a fright, her skin was rosy. In the dim light she seemed like a blooming orchid.
Qiao Xi Wan suddenly understood why so many noble sons chased after Xia Meng Yan even though she was pregnant. She thought, [With her looks, status, and wealth, even if she had two children trailing behind, someone would still rush to marry her.]
A sting of sadness rose in Qiao Xi Wan’s chest, flashing by and turning into unwillingness. She forced a smile and said: “Sister truly has great fortune, to escape danger in such a big fire.”
Xia Meng Yan’s tone was flat, without any emotion: “My luck is good. I fear some people may not have the same luck.”