Xue Lian slowly opened her eyes. She was in her own room.

  "Young Madam, you're awake!" Xiao Dun'er excimed excitedly.

  "How did I end up here? I was just..." Xue Lian thought about what had just happened, and a chill ran down her spine.

  "Young Madam, I told you from the day you entered the Gong family that there are many rules here. Since you're the daughter-in-w of the Gong family, you must follow the rules. You shouldn't be wandering around." The same yin-and-yang tone came from Shen Ma. Xue Lian weakly looked at Shen Ma, whose small eyes were fixed on her, as if she were a wounded prey.

  "I..." Xue Lian didn't know what to say. She only felt exhausted, and a fear she couldn't quite describe lingered in her heart.

  Shen Ma didn't pay her any more attention. Instead, she coldly said to Xiao Dun'er, "Take good care of the Young Madam. If there are things you shouldn't say, even if others ask, don't say them!" When she spoke the st sentence, Shen Ma gnced at Xue Lian. That look made Xue Lian feel an indescribable sense of mystery.

  The room was left with only Xiao Dun'er and Snowlian.

  "Young Madam, please have some hot porridge," Xiao Dun'er said kindly, handing the porridge to Xue Lian. Xue Lian gnced at the porridge, then at Xiao Dun'er. Suddenly, she grabbed her hand and asked, "Xiao Dun'er, what exactly happened?"

  Xiao Dun'er was startled by Snowlian's sudden action, spilling some of the porridge. She struggled to pull back, saying, "Young Madam, please don't ask like this. I can't say anything. As Shen Ma said earlier, you know, I can't speak about it."

  "Xiao Dun'er, I must know the truth today! You have to tell me; I need to know!" Xue Lian shouted, her grip tightening on Xiao Dun'er, refusing to let her go. She could no longer endure the uncertainty. She had to understand—why were there five pques with her name on them?

  Xiao Dun'er stopped struggling and took a deep breath, as if making a difficult decision. She set the bowl down and cautiously approached Xue Lian, whispering, "Young Madam, I'm telling you because I think you're a good person, but you mustn't tell anyone it was me."

  Xue Lian nodded frantically. She just wanted to know the truth, and she was determined to get it.

  From Xiao Dun'er's words, Xue Lian learned that the five "Xue Lians" were all women who had married into the Gong family within the past few months, and each of them died thirteen days ter. The first died in the well in the center of the courtyard, the second under a tree on the right side of the courtyard, the third hung herself in the room, the fourth collided with the courtyard gate and died, and the fifth... the fifth one died at the entrance of the "tomb house" courtyard.

  The first four died in this very courtyard, but the fifth was different. Xue Lian felt that something was off, but what troubled her the most was that each of the "Xue Lians" held a red embroidered shoe when they died... the kind of shoe only a bride would wear...