The 10th Day.

  Shen Ma didn't ask Xue Lian anything, as if nothing had happened. Even the courtyard gate was no longer locked.

  Xiao Dun'er continued with her usual tasks, humming a tune that only she seemed to understand. Xue Lian kept a close eye on her, trying to figure out if there was anything she could discover from her. Perhaps the Xiao Dun'er lying in the well and the one in front of her were twins... Thinking of this, Xue Lian suddenly felt much better in her heart.

  Night.

  Xue Lian y still on the bed, unable to sleep well for several days, but today she finally managed to drift off.

  Xiao Dun'er sat up and gently called out, "Young Madam, Young Madam."

  Xue Lian didn't respond.

  Xiao Dun'er lifted the bnket, revealing Xue Lian's dirty clothes lying under the bed. She smiled, but this smile was different from usual. Reaching down, she pried at the bed's wooden sts, revealing a hole in the ground. Slowly, Xiao Dun'er began to descend into it...

  Xue Lian opened her eyes. She had been waiting for this moment, and now Xiao Dun'er was finally making her move. Xue Lian smiled. When she had noticed Xiao Dun'er gncing at the well during the day, she realized that Xiao Dun'er must have been hiding something, because her gaze when she looked at the well was no longer that of an innocent child.

  The hole led to a staircase, with several candle mps on each side, likely lit by Xiao Dun'er herself. Xue Lian carefully began to descend, making sure not to make a sound that might alert Xiao Dun'er.

  At the bottom, there was a door. Xue Lian cautiously pushed it open, making sure it didn't creak or make the slightest noise.

  It was a room, a very rge one. The furnishings in the room were no different from any ordinary room—there was a bed, a table, a mirror, chairs, a cabinet, and... a pair of men's shoes.

  Xue Lian couldn't believe it—she had ended up here again. She looked at the copper mirror, and behind it… The thought of the body wearing embroidered shoes made her shiver with cold.

  Suddenly, a sound came from the room with four boxes, and Xue Lian was startled. In her panic, she didn′t know where to hide. Seeing the stone door about to open, she hurriedly crawled under the bed to hide.

  It was Xiao Dun'er. When Xue Lian cautiously peeked from under the bed, she immediately recognized her. Xiao Dun'er tossed some things onto the bed, then casually grabbed a stool and sat in front of the copper mirror, completely unaware that someone else was in the room.

  Xiao Dun'er reached up and fiddled with something above her head. After a short while, she removed the two braids—Xue Lian was stunned to realize that Xiao Dun'er had been wearing a wig all along, and she had never noticed. Now, Xiao Dun'er was left with short, cropped hair. Xue Lian stayed silent, watching intently.

  After removing the wig, Xiao Dun'er took a towel and carefully wiped her face. Within moments, a yer of skin began to peel off around her face. Slowly, she lifted the fps of the skin with her fingers, revealing what y beneath.

  Xue Lian felt a slight strain in her neck and lowered her head. It was true—this wasn't Xiao Dun'er. The real Xiao Dun'er was the one in the well. But then, who was this? Why was she pretending to be Xiao Dun'er?

  Xue Lian lifted her head again, but "Xiao Dun'er" had already stood up and moved to the bedside. Xue Lian couldn't see her face, only a piece of skin pced on the table next to the mirror. It seemed that "Xiao Dun'er" was changing clothes now, and Xue Lian could do nothing but wait patiently.

  When "Xiao Dun'er" stood before the mirror again, carefully inspecting herself, a look of satisfaction appeared on her face. Xue Lian's mouth fell open in shock, almost gasping out loud. She could hardly believe her eyes.

  This "Xiao Dun'er" no longer had the innocence or the feminine figure of a young girl. Instead, he was now a mature man, with sharp eyes that seemed more astute than anyone else's. "Xiao Dun'er" was actually a man. This was something Xue Lian never could have imagined, and only now did she realize why she had felt a strange heaviness when supporting "Xiao Dun'er" that day.

  "Much more comfortable in men's clothing," he said, stretching his arms as if to rex. Then, he walked to the bed, put on a pair of men's shoes, and took something from the bed, sitting down in front of the mirror.

  Xue Lian cautiously leaned forward, carefully watching what he was holding.

  It was a needle and a red thread, skillfully maneuvered in his right hand, while his other hand held a pair of unfinished embroidered shoes.

  Embroidered shoes! Xue Lian saw them again, but now they were in a man's hands. Suddenly, she remembered what Madam Shen had said about "Ah Xiu's story." Her specialty had always been embroidering shoes…