The scorching heat wave hit her face, making her eyes ache. Those who were closer felt as if their hair was being singed, and the fragrance of gardenias was no longer detectable in the air.

  Nanny Xu, being an experienced elder, quickly recovered after the initial shock and hurriedly scolded a few young girls, "What are you wailing about?! It's just anger making her vomit; it's not a big deal. Calm down and don't lose your composure."

  Song Chuyi was in a daze, feeling pain throughout her body, with tears streaming down her face. Recently, she had been busy investigating the Cui family, looking for a way out, and contacting the Cui family, as well as trying to secure some advantages for her future with Song Yan. In the process, she had forgotten her original purpose.

  Why was she alive again?! What was the reason for her restlessness in death?! She had sworn she wouldn't let Song Yan live such a miserable life as in her past life, yet she had neglected him, allowing him to be caught in such danger! How could she face her mother? How could she face Song Yan, who had worried about her until the very end in her previous life?!

  Song Chuyi struggled to break free from Ziyun, not realizing that she had even bitten her lips until they bled.

  But she felt no pain at all; compared to the heartache of losing her younger brother, the pain in her body was negligible.

  Luyi's eyes were red from crying, but she stubbornly stood in front of Song Chuyi, refusing to move.

  Nanny Xu looked at the courtyard already engulfed in fmes and felt a wave of dread in her heart. God bless Steward Qin for successfully rescuing people... Otherwise, if something were to happen to Song Yan, judging by Song Chuyi's appearance, she would surely follow him...

  It felt like an eternity had passed, but Steward Qin finally stumbled through the threshold, carrying a half-grown boy on his back.

  Ziyun felt her heart leap, and she instinctively released Song Chuyi, pressing her palms together as she recited the Amitabha. Fortunately, he had been rescued... She patted her still-racing heart and let out a deep sigh of relief.

  Song Chuyi stumbled over and didn't even have time to say a word to Qin Chuan. She knelt on the ground, pushing aside the hair of the person, but then she suddenly froze.

  It wasn't Song Yan! It wasn't Song Yan! Her gaze went bnk, and she colpsed to the ground for just a moment before jumping up again, ready to rush into the sea of fmes.

  Nanny Xu and Luyi could barely hold her back, their hearts leaping to their throats.

  Fortunately, Qin Chuan was quick to block her path, panting as he said, "Sixth Miss, don't worry! Fourth Young Master is being carried by Lin Hai; he's fine!"

  His face was grimy and unrecognizable, but his words made tears stream down Song Chuyi's face in an instant.

  Sure enough, moments ter, a disheveled Lin Hai rushed out, hastily carrying Song Yan.

  Immediately, a steady stream of housemaids came rushing over with water buckets.

  Song Chuyi felt her limbs go stiff, and upon clearly seeing Song Yan's face, she lunged forward and hugged him tightly. Song Yan had passed out from the smoke, and she frantically supported him, leaning him against a tree trunk. She took a wet handkerchief and carefully wiped his face clean.

  Since being reborn, aside from the day Song Yan returned from Jinzhong, it seemed she hadn't looked at him this carefully. As she wiped him down, her tears fell like a broken string of pearls.

  She was truly grateful that Song Yan was okay; otherwise, even if she died, she wouldn't have the face to meet her mother in the underworld, nor would she be able to face her past self...

  Old Lady Song and the First Lady rushed over and saw Song Chuyi squatting on the ground, wiping Song Yan's face, and they both sighed in relief.

  As long as he was okay... as long as he was okay.

  Before long, the Fifth Master, Eldest First Master, Eldest Young Master, and his wife arrived one after another. When they saw the raging fire at Song Tao Courtyard, their expressions stiffened. They only felt relieved when they confirmed that Song Yan was safe and sound.

  "What happened?!" Song Ren asked anxiously, watching the housemaids and young servants continuously carrying water in and out. He turned to Qin Chuan, who was wiping his sweat, and asked, "The residence has never had a fire in so many years; how could such a big fire break out today?!"

  The Marquis of Changning's residence was especially cautious about fire, requiring servants to pay respects to the Fire God during holidays, reminding them from time to time, and strictly forbidding them from carrying firestones or oil. How could such strict regutions still lead to a fire?

  Or was it that someone serving in Song Yan's room was careless?

  But it didn't make sense. When Song Tao Courtyard was built, the wood was treated with cement, and the floor was paved with tiles. Even if things like candles fell to the ground, they shouldn't catch fire...

  Qin Chuan shook his head, feeling a wave of fear wash over him. "It's fortunate that my boy is clever; he pulled the Fourth Young Master and hid in the water room, covering their mouths and noses with wet cloths. Otherwise..."

  Steward Qin's son had been assigned as a servant next to Song Yan and had recently been very useful to him. This time, it was he who rushed into the study and found Song Yan.

  Old Lady Song trembled as she reached out to touch Song Yan's head, then suddenly turned around and gred at Lin Hai, who was also a bit dusty and dirty. Through gritted teeth, she said, "Investigate! Make sure to investigate thoroughly!"

  She needed to find out whether it was due to someone's carelessness or if someone had malicious intent!

  Even if it was unintentional, she would still strip the skin from all those serving in the household! Earlier, Yun and Ziwei had mentioned that most of the maids in Song Yan's room were more focused on being flirtatious rather than doing their jobs. She had wanted to discipline them before, but various matters had deyed her.

  Yet it was this dey that almost cost her grandson his life!

  Song Yan was the only male descendant of the Second House! What would Song Yi do if something happened to him?!

  Her eyelids twitched, and she coldly ughed, "The weather is dry, and the residence has repeatedly warned about fire hazards, yet a fire broke out! And it happened in the Young Master's room... These people are becoming increasingly insubordinate! Confine everyone left in Yan'er's room to Taoran Courtyard for a thorough interrogation to find out who is responsible!"

  Lin Hai, understanding the gravity of the situation, quickly nodded in agreement. At the same time, feeling a bit relieved, she thought that since her husband had risked his life to save the Fourth Young Master, he would definitely be rewarded handsomely.

  Song Chuyi raised her eyes, expressionless, and called out to Lin Hai, who had just turned to leave: "Send someone to inquire who has left their courtyard and where they went. Is there anyone who can testify? Also, ask the servants patrolling the residence to recall if anyone has been seen wandering around Songtao Courtyard at night."

  Lin Hai's steps suddenly halted. Did Song Chuyi suspect that someone had deliberately set the fire?! Realizing the severity of the situation, she noticed that both Old Lady Song and First Lady had no objections, so she respectfully replied in the affirmative and turned to personally lead the effort.

  ________

  Author's note: Seeing everyone filled with righteous indignation, I must say a few words on behalf of the female lead. Although the female lead has been reborn, she is not omnipotent, and after her return, she has indeed faced numerous dangers. There are many matters she simply cannot manage in time. Take this incident, for example: was there any sign? First Lady Cui had just given the female lead two vils, and that very night, an incident occurred. Even if she could calcute outcomes, she couldn't possibly act that quickly. Furthermore, the female lead does not have an omniscient perspective; she is unaware of the huge threat posed by Song Chuning... Not to mention, she had just come back from a life-and-death ordeal in Tongzhou, and within a day, she had overturned the Li family.

  There are priorities in life. Before the Li family falls, anything the female lead does will face obstacles. In reality, Song Yan was not in any real danger. Besides me, who would have thought that Song Chuning would dare to be so ruthless?

  As the saying goes, one should eat rice grain by grain and walk the path step by step. This incident is indeed a solid lesson for the female lead, reminding her to think more thoroughly and cautiously in the future. I kindly ask everyone to show a little more patience towards her.