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Chapter 99: The Search
So this small courtyard hidden deep in the garden was actually the forbidden place of the Han Family?
Qin’er and Fan’er whom Hua’er had spoken about were the two maids that had stopped them from coming over earlier and were supposed to be Old Madam Han’s trusted senior maids. If even Old Madam Han’s trusted maids were not allowed to go to that courtyard… Ren Yaoqi was curious about what kind of secrets were hidden in the courtyard.
The little maid Hua’er took Ren Yaoqi to a bathroom on the east side of the garden. The bathroom in the garden was not as spacious and exquisite as the one in the courtyard, but it was still neat and smoked with sandalwood incense.
When Ren Yaoqi had finished dressing, Hua’er was about to take her back the way they came, but Ren Yaoqi said, “We came this way just now, and I have only wandered half of the garden. It’s a good idea to take a look at the garden as well.”
The bathroom is on the east side, and the mysterious yard is on the west side at the back. If you stick to the garden wall and go around from the north, you can bypass the courtyard through.
Originally, Ren Yaoqi thought that it would need more words to convince Hua’er, but she readily agreed then immediately turned the direction and led Ren Yaoqi towards the north side of the garden.
Although the little maid had been taught not to barge into the forbidden places of the Han Family since she entered the house, she did not think that even the road in front of the forbidden place was forbidden to anyone. There were always maidservants who passed by there regularly, and people from the kitchen would go there every day to bring food to the mute woman who looked after the courtyard.
The gardens of the big families all looked much the same. Although there were some differences between the gardens in the north and those in the south, Ren Yaoqi who had seen both, felt that there was nothing unusual about them. So all the way there, although she pretended to be surveying the flowers and trees in the courtyard, she was looking at the courtyard in secret.
When she was almost at the entrance of that courtyard, Ren Yaoqi with her shard eyes suddenly saw a flash of a figure running past her.
Ren Yaoqi was stunned and glanced at her maid, Hua’er, who was oblivious and did not notice the figure’s appearance.
But Ren Yaoqi recognized that the person was a woman, and her clothes were very similar to those worn by her Seventh Sister, Ren Yaoting, today.
Was that person Ren Yaoting?
Hadn’t Ren Yaoting gone with Han You to see the flowers? Why did she appear here alone? The place where that person disappeared just now was exactly the entrance to the mysterious courtyard. And wasn’t that courtyard said to be guarded? How did Ren Yaoting get in? What was the reason for her going in?
The gate of the mysterious courtyard was finally fully presented in front of Ren Yaoqi. To be honest, it was just extremely ordinary two red wooden doors, there was nothing special about them.
The door was ajar, and Ren Yaoqi could see that the crack in the door was not closed. But everything inside the doors was blocked in by red thick wood gates, so it was impossible to peer in from the outside.
Ren Yaoqi’s steps stopped in front of the courtyard gate.
Suddenly from the northwest corner, footsteps were coming this way. Ren Yaoqi heard someone saying, “…Seventh Miss Ren is playing around with our Miss and asked me to find her. But us two maids haven’t found Seventh Miss”
Another person said sharply, “Young Master, Old Madam’s maids have instructed this servant to take good care of the Young Miss and to not let them run around. But now Seventh Miss Ren…”
Then they happened to turn out from around the corner and came face to face with the pair of Ran Yaoqi and her maids.
It was the maid called Fan’er who was just speaking and then immediately stopped. The one who came with the two maids was Han Yunqian, who had not been present before.
Han Yunqian was also stunned to suddenly bump into Ren Yaoqi. Fan’er reacted first, sizing up Ren Yaoqi suspiciously and asking, “Is it Fifth Miss Ren? Why are you here?”
Ren Yaoqi stepped forward and greeted Han Yunqian. Smiling, she greeted Young Master Han.
After saluting, the maid Hua’er went up to Fan’er and whispered a few words, as if explaining the reason for Ren Yaoqi’s presence here.
The senior maid who served Old Madam Han was indeed a formidable one, and her eyes flicked around Ren Yaoqi’s body stealthily a few times. Only then did she smile and curtsy to make amends, “It was this servant who neglected the guest, so please forgive me, Fifth Miss.”
Han Yunqian nodded at Ren Yaoqi, his dark gaze making it impossible for anyone to see its depth.
At this time someone else came this way, and not long after appeared in front of them. Turned the one who was arrived was Han You.
“Brother, have you found Sister Ting yet? Grandfather is back, if….” Han You said hurriedly as soon as he saw Han Yunqian, not even seeing that Ren Yaoqi was also present.
Suddenly she realized it and hurriedly stopped. Somewhat embarrassed, she nodded and smiled at Ren Yaoqi, but the anxiety in her eyes was palpable. She was not one to hide her emotions.
“My Seventh Sister is missing?” Ren Yaoqi seemed to have reacted only now and asked in shock.
Han You frantically explained, “Sister Ting and I were playing around earlier. She rushed behind the rockery to hide and let me seek her, but I couldn’t find her anywhere, and she didn’t answer when I called her. I asked Fan’er and other maids to help me look for her, and when Brother came back, we came together to look for her.” Han You continued, “Sister Ting was just playing around with me and hid, don’t worry.”
Ren Yaoqi shook her head and said somewhat apologetically, “It’s my Seventh Sister who has been naughty and caused you all trouble.”
“Did Fifth Miss Ren run into Seventh Miss all the way to here?” Fan’er asked Ren Yaoqi, but her eyes stopped on the junior maid called Hua’er, who was beside Ren Yaoqi.
Ren Yaoqi thought for a moment and shook her head, “We didn’t meet anyone else.”
Hua’er felt Fan’er’s line of sight and hurriedly nodded.
Han Yunqian thought for a moment, turned his head to stare at the red-painted gate a few steps away, and his eyes froze.
Although the two maids, Qin’er and Fan’er, pretended to be calm, their pale faces betrayed their true emotions. Were they afraid?
“Go and call that mute woman out and ask her if she’s seen Seventh Miss.” When Han Yunqian said this, his face returned to its normal subdued expression.
Fan’er bowed her head and replied “Yes”, hurriedly walked to the red-painted gate, pushed the hidden gate open a little, and sneaked inside. Then she turned back and closed the gate behind her.
Ren Yaoqi looked at the different expressions of the people present and stood still without moving.
“Would Fifth Miss like to go to the pavilion to rest first?” Han Yunqian said gently to Ren Yaoqi, his tone only concerned, not forced.
Ren Yaoqi shook her head, “I want to find my Seventh Sister first.”
Han Yunqian paused for a split second, then nodded and didn’t say anything else.
“Brother…,” Han You called out to Han Yunqian in a small voice, looking like she wanted to say something but couldn’t.