Chapter 5: The Mysterious Grandmother

As Bai Nuoli absorbed all her memories, dawn was already breaking.

She was no longer the foolish, weak girl she used to be—she now fully understood her current predicament.

At the estate, she was accompanied by three people: Granny Qian and Granny Du were trustworthy, but Xiao Cui was clearly a spy. However, she was still uncertain about the external situation. Moreover, she didn’t believe for a second that Granny Du was merely here to care for her—there had to be another reason. So, for now, she had to remain cautious, keeping her actions discreet and staying wary of Xiao Cui.

As the first rays of morning sunlight streamed into the room, Granny Qian entered with a basin of water for washing up.

Granny Qian had once served Bai Nuoli’s mother. She could have left, but she insisted on staying until Bai Nuoli was married and settled before reuniting with her own family.

Now that Bai Nuoli knew what was about to happen, she didn’t have time to dawdle. She immediately had Fugui produce a Truth Pill and slipped it into Granny Qian’s mouth.

Although she trusted her, she still needed to test her loyalty. Who knew if anything had changed over the years? After a thorough examination, she confirmed that Granny Qian’s devotion to her was genuine, so she woke her up.

While Granny Qian was still recovering from the effects, Bai Nuoli spoke swiftly:

“Granny Qian, don’t say anything—just listen. I’m no longer dull-witted. I have an urgent matter with Granny Du. Go outside now. If Xiao Cui isn’t awake yet, call Granny Du in and stand guard at the door. If Xiao Cui wakes up, just cough once to warn us. If she’s already awake, pretend nothing happened. And don’t let her know I’ve regained my senses.”

Granny Qian, who had been on the verge of tears, immediately suppressed her emotions upon seeing how serious Bai Nuoli was. Realizing the gravity of the situation, she quickly left.

A short while later, Granny Du arrived.

“Young Miss, you’ve really recovered! Madam was right—she predicted that at twelve years old, you would…!”

“Granny Du, don’t cry! Listen to me first. My recovery is a good thing. I heard you were sent by my grandmother. Do you have something important to tell me?”

“You’re right—this is good news!” Granny Du wiped her tears with a handkerchief and quickly continued, “Madam did entrust me with something crucial. But I can’t make sense of it myself—it’s just a letter and three maps. To avoid suspicion, I buried them outside the estate wall. I can retrieve them immediately.”

“Not yet,” Bai Nuoli stopped her. “Wait until nightfall. There’s no rush. If you act hastily and draw attention, it’ll be troublesome.”

“I have another important question—where is my grandfather? I need to speak with him.”

“Yesterday, I received word that the old master is in Qin’an County, but he’s already on his way to the capital. After all, Madam repeatedly emphasized that he should return when you neared twelve years of age.”

Bai Nuoli’s mind was filled with countless questions. Why was my grandmother so mysterious? It seemed she wouldn’t find out until she read the letter.

With a firm resolution, she said, “I understand now. Granny Du, you need to take this.”

She handed her a pill.

“This is a Secret-Keeping Pill. It won’t affect your thoughts, but it will ensure certain secrets remain sealed. I’m about to tell you something very serious. Of course, you can choose not to take it, but—”

Before Bai Nuoli could finish her sentence, Granny Du had already swallowed the pill.

“You didn’t even hesitate! Aren’t you afraid I might be an imposter?” Bai Nuoli raised an eyebrow.

Granny Du smiled, “I trust the Young Miss completely. Besides, I’ve observed carefully—you are undoubtedly the Young Miss. A beauty mark at the corner of the eye can be faked, but the one behind your ear and the floral-shaped birthmark on your forearm cannot be forged.”

“Alright,” Bai Nuoli acknowledged. “This isn’t the time to praise you. I’ll be direct. If nothing unexpected happens, my scumbag father and his hypocritical main wife will come to fetch me in three days. We must return with them.

For now, we only need to keep an eye on Xiao Cui. She still has her uses, so we’ll leave her be for now. I’ll explain the details after she leaves the room.

Tonight, after you give me the letter and maps, you have only one task: delay Xiao Cui until morning. Don’t let her enter my room. That’s all.

Now, leave. Staying together for too long will raise suspicion.”