Buoyed by her victory in the coffee competition, Situ Qingshan’s spirits quickly recovered. After composing herself, she descended the stairs with Mu Xinyue. The first thing Situ Qingshan did was look for Ye Sijue, but after a full scan of the room, he was nowhere to be found. She pulled aside a socialite she was friendly with. “Where’s Ye Sijue?” “He left a while ago.” “Did he say anything before he left?” Situ Qingshan pressed. The socialite thought for a moment. “He was talking with your sister the whole time, but he was surrounded by bodyguards, so I couldn't hear what they were saying. It didn't look like a pleasant conversation, though.” “Unpleasant?” A smile touched Situ Qingshan’s lips. “How so?” “I don’t know the details, but he said something and then just left. Your sister tried to follow him to say more, but his bodyguards stopped her.” “So, he’s not that close to her after all.” The socialite nodded. “Of course not. Your sister may be pretty, but she’s just a country girl. How could a family as prestigious as the Yes possibly associate with someone from the countryside? Qingshan, don’t you lose heart. I think you’re the only one in all of Jingdu worthy of him!” Situ Qingshan’s mood lifted, and she raised an eyebrow. “I’m quite fond of you. I’ll tell my father to send a few more contracts your family’s way.” “Oh, that’s wonderful! Qingshan, thank you so much…” As they were talking, Situ Qingshan overheard a few socialites mocking her from a short distance away. “Situ Qingshan still has the nerve to come downstairs? Seeing her sister made her faint from anger…” “If I were her, I’d lock myself away for three years until everyone forgot about this!” Situ Qingshan’s face flushed with anger, and she started towards them to confront them. But halfway there, she stopped. *No,* she thought. *I can’t argue with them.* These people were nothing but fair-weather friends, swaying with whichever way the wind blew. They weren’t worth her anger. A public spat would only damage her reputation as a socialite. Besides, Jingdu’s socialite rankings were coming up, and daily conduct was factored into the scores. The real problem was that country bumpkin, Mu Xia. Once Mu Xia was dealt with, who could possibly outshine her? Then these people would have nothing to gossip about. A vague idea began to form in Situ Qingshan’s mind. Mu Xia needed to disappear, and quickly. She couldn’t afford to be slow and methodical, like her mother. The longer this dragged on, the more chances there were for things to go wrong. Who knew what other trouble Mu Xia’s arrival would stir up? Later that night. The guests had all departed. The servants had cleaned the main hall and retired to their own rooms. A room had been prepared for Mu Xia. Situ Hai had given her a suite with a balcony—a clear sign of favor, indicating how highly he regarded her. Of course, Mu Xia knew it wasn't *her* that Situ Hai valued, but the benefits she could bring him. She had also noticed that ever since the latter half of the banquet, a servant had been watching her, subtly keeping her under surveillance. So even after washing up and preparing for bed, Mu Xia remained on high alert. Who knew what malicious schemes the people in this villa were plotting against her? Situ Qingshan tossed and turned in her bed, her mind racing with ways to deal with Mu Xia. Suddenly, a brilliant idea struck her. “Nanny, come to my room.” She dialed the nanny’s number. A few moments later, a knock came at the door. “Eldest Miss, what can I do for you?” the nanny asked as she entered. After receiving the million-dollar bracelet, the nanny’s loyalty to the mother and daughter had solidified. Even though the other servants now referred to Situ Qingshan as the Second Miss, she stubbornly called her Eldest Miss, recognizing only her. “Any unusual activity from that little bitch?” Situ Qingshan asked. The nanny shook her head. “After the banquet, the Master called Miss Mu to his study. She came out with a bank card—spending money from the Master, I suppose. After that, she went straight to her room to sleep. She asked for some water once, but other than that, she hasn’t done anything out of the ordinary.” Jealousy flared in Situ Qingshan’s eyes. Her allowance came from her mother. Situ Hai was a stingy man, yet he had given Mu Xia a card on her very first day back. This only strengthened her resolve to make Mu Xia disappear. Immediately. “Nanny, I need you to get something for me. Then I need you to put it in her room.” “What is it?” “A venomous snake.” She had it all figured out. They lived on a manor on a mountain; if a snake slithered into Mu Xia's room in the middle of the night and bit her, her death would be a pure accident. No one could ever trace it back to her. “A… a venomous snake? You want a snake to kill her?” The nanny’s hands trembled. She had done plenty of dirty work for the mother and daughter, but she had never been involved in a murder. “What? You’re not willing?” “It’s not that I’m not willing… I am completely loyal to you and the Madam.” The nanny tried to explain. “It’s just… the Madam said not to act rashly for now…” “Enough! I don’t want to hear it. Mother is too soft. She doesn’t understand that delays only breed more trouble. Striking first is the only way! If you won’t do it, I’m sure I can find someone who will. But, Nanny,” Situ Qingshan’s voice dropped, “I seem to recall your youngest son has a bit of a gambling problem. To cover his debts, you’ve taken quite a few things from our house, haven’t you?” The nanny stared at Situ Qingshan in disbelief. So young, yet she had already learned to use blackmail to get what she wanted. The things she had stolen from the manor were all valuable—valuable enough to land her in prison for a very long time. “Of course, Nanny, you watched me grow up. I wouldn’t be so cruel,” Situ Qingshan continued smoothly. “As long as you do this for me, those little incidents will remain our secret. And in the future, if you need money, you can come directly to me. So, Nanny, what’s your choice? Will you do it, or not?” The nanny slowly closed her eyes. Did she have a choice? The night grew deeper. Mu Xia was asleep, but a thread of tension kept her alert. The slightest disturbance in the room would wake her instantly. In the middle of the night, she heard a faint, shuffling sound from her window. Mu Xia’s eyes snapped open, but she remained perfectly still, lying flat on her back. She heard footsteps on the balcony. They paused for a few seconds, then receded, quickly vanishing into the night. Someone had been on her balcony. But they hadn’t come inside. She didn’t know what they had done. Mu Xia lay still for another minute, making sure the person wasn’t coming back. Then, she switched on the phone Situ Hai had given her, using the dim light of its screen to see. She confirmed the balcony was empty. To just stand there for a moment and then leave? What was the purpose? To check if she was asleep? It couldn’t be that simple.