Only then did Situ Hai remember Situ Qingling, still twitching on the floor. He ordered the servants to carry her downstairs while he prepared to leave for the hospital with Mu Xia. “Husband! Don’t leave, take me with you!” Mu Xinyue pleaded, tears streaming down her face. “Shanshan… I watched her grow up. I can’t just wait here at home!” Situ Hai, looking at Mu Xia’s pitiful and frightened expression, hardened his heart. “Absolutely not! You will go to your room and reflect on what you've done. Guards! Take Madam back to her room. No one is to let her out without my command!” “Yes, sir!” The servants forcibly escorted Mu Xinyue away. Mu Xia followed Situ Hai into the ambulance. She spoke up for Mu Xinyue, her voice soft and delicate, “Father, perhaps we should let Aunt come with us? I can see she and my sister are very close. She'll be terribly worried all alone at home.” But Situ Hai’s reply was only four words: “Not another word.” He sighed, turning to Mu Xia. “You poor, naive child. You must have suffered a lot in the countryside, haven't you?” “No… I had a good life.” What Mu Xia said was the truth. She had indeed lived well abroad—impeccably so. But Situ Hai took it as a sign of her stubborn pride. He sighed again. “A simple child like you, how will you ever survive in a place like Jingdu… When we have more time, I’ll teach you about how to navigate things here, how to deal with people.” “Thank you, Father!” “We’re family. No need for thanks…” Soon, they arrived at the nearest hospital. Situ Qingling was rushed directly into the emergency room; her heart had already stopped. The two of them waited anxiously outside. Of course, the anxiety belonged mostly to Situ Hai. Both daughters were assets to his rising career, and both were his own flesh and blood. He was naturally frantic that something had happened to Situ Qingling. After what felt like an eternity, the doors to the emergency room finally swung open, and a doctor emerged. Situ Hai rushed forward. “Doctor, how is my daughter?” The doctor answered gravely, “The patient is out of immediate danger, but she’ll need to be under observation for a few days. That snake was incredibly venomous. If you had been ten minutes later, no one could have saved her. But how did this happen? That kind of snake shouldn't be found in Jingdu.” Situ Hai was confused. “What do you mean? Our home is a manor on a mountaintop. It’s not that strange for a snake to wander in, is it?” The doctor shook his head. “This snake is native to the south. You won’t find any living wild in the north. If one is here, it was brought from the south. Perhaps you should investigate how it got there.” Situ Hai’s face darkened instantly. “Are you suggesting… this might have been deliberate?” “It’s highly likely.” Situ Hai’s fists clenched. “Who on earth would want to kill my daughter!” His gaze involuntarily shifted to Mu Xia, a flicker of suspicion in his eyes. Mu Xia, as if completely unaware, shared his outrage. “To think someone would use a poisonous snake to commit murder! The person who brought that snake to our manor isn't even human! Father, you have to find out what happened. This is an assassination attempt!” Hearing Mu Xia’s words, the suspicion in Situ Hai’s heart slowly faded. He reasoned that a simple, guileless girl fresh from the countryside couldn’t possibly pull off something like this. She had no cunning, and she’d even bravely fought the snake. He shouldn’t have doubted her. “Let’s go home first. I’m going to launch a full investigation into who brought this snake into my house!” “You’re right, Father, you must get to the bottom of this! Today the snake bit my sister, but what if tomorrow it bites you? What would we do then? Father, you have to find the culprit as soon as possible!” Mu Xia urged with a grave seriousness. Situ Hai was convinced. If he ever found out who released that snake in his manor, he would show them no mercy. Situ Hai left some men at the hospital to look after Situ Qingling and returned to the manor with Mu Xia, ready to get to the bottom of things. Back at the manor. Although Mu Xinyue was confined to her room, her phone hadn’t been confiscated. She quickly received news that Situ Qingling was out of danger, and her frayed nerves finally began to settle. But when she heard that the snake had been deliberately released, her entire body trembled with rage. “Madam, the Master is back!” a servant whispered to her from the doorway. Mu Xinyue couldn't stay in her room a moment longer. The door was locked from the outside, and Situ Hai had the key. She paced the room, then, in a fit of desperation, grabbed an inkstone, smashed the lock, and burst out. Just as Mu Xia and Situ Hai stepped through the front door, they saw Mu Xinyue racing down the stairs. “Husband!” she cried as she ran. “It must have been that bitch! She wants to get rid of my Shanshan, so she brought that southern snake back from the countryside with her! She's the only one who came from the south! Husband, you have to get justice for Shanshan!” Mu Xia took two steps back, her voice thick with grievance. “Aunt, from the very beginning, you’ve suspected me of trying to harm my sister. I risked my own life to save her, just to prove my innocence… and that’s still not enough for you? Now you’re slandering me again, saying I brought the snake?” Mu Xinyue pointed a trembling finger at Mu Xia’s face. “It was you! It had to be you! Stop playing the victim! Husband, lock her up and interrogate her!” “That’s enough!” Situ Hai roared, his patience gone. “You’ve already slandered her once, and now you’re doing it again? I will investigate this matter and give you an answer! Now, you will get back to your room and you will not come out again! Guards, take her away and see to it that she stays there!” “Yes, Master.” The servants once again forcibly led Mu Xinyue away. “Husband, you have to believe me! You have to find out the truth…” Watching Mu Xinyue’s retreating form, Mu Xia was now certain of one thing: the cobra incident had nothing to do with her. If Mu Xinyue had been involved, she would never have dared to say “find out the truth.” This was perfect. Situ Qingling would pay the price for her own stupidity and malice. Mu Xia turned to Situ Hai, her thoughts perfectly composed. “Father, I noticed there are many security cameras around the house when I arrived. You could check the footage to see who entered or left the manor tonight. You could also send people to inquire at places nearby that might sell snakes and ask if anyone has recently purchased a venomous one.” “You’re right,” Situ Hai said, then commanded the butler, “Get on that immediately! And another thing, search every room in the manor, check if there are any more snakes.” Though it was now three or four in the morning, sleep was the furthest thing from his mind. He was terrified another snake might appear out of nowhere. A short while later, the servant in charge of the surveillance footage reported back. “Master, we checked the cameras. Around eleven o’clock, the Second Miss's nanny left the manor. Other than her, no one else.” “Her nanny?” Situ Hai’s eyes narrowed. “Bring her here for questioning. Immediately!”