A Dropped Potion Packet, Did She Really Just Find It

Evan Xiao suddenly burst out laughing, looking genuinely amused.

"What are you laughing at?"

"It seems you know this feeling all too well..."

"What do you mean?"

Evan Xiao pulled her onto his lap and asked, "When you first found out I was immune to all poisons, did you almost die of frustration?"

Grace: "..."

...

The next day, at Serenity Pavilion.

Ginger knelt before Grace, trembling all over.

"Speak!" Grace said coolly. "Was this your own idea, or did someone put you up to it?"

"I... I don't understand what you mean, Miss Grace."

Grace stared right at her: "Last night, you put a Love Potion in the Sobering Soup you brought to the General."

"No!" Ginger shook her head hard. "I didn't put anything in there! I don't know anything about it!"

"You don't know anything..." Grace gave a little laugh. "Ginger, you do know what I do for a living, don't you?"

"You... you're a Spiritual Alchemist..."

"There's a drug in this world that makes people tell the truth after they take it," Grace said. "But you're just an ordinary person with no cultivation. If you took it, you'd end up a complete idiot!"

Ginger shuddered all over, her face turning pale.

"Speak up! For the sake of our time together as mistress and maid, if you tell the truth, I'll go easy on you."

Ginger clenched and unclenched her fists several times before finally saying, "Miss Grace, it's true—I slipped the drug into the Sobering Soup when I delivered it. I was dazzled by the General's looks, and I got delusional, thinking maybe... maybe he'd take me as his woman..."

"That kind of Love Potion isn't cheap. Where did you get it?"

"I... I just picked it up," Ginger said. "I overheard two young servants talking about going to the brothel, and they accidentally dropped the packet of drugs..."

Grace tapped her fingers on the table.

Accidentally dropped the packet of drugs?

"Miss Grace, the General is so talented and handsome—it's not just me, every maid in this house likes him." Ginger said. "I just lost my head for a moment. Please have mercy!"

"So you're saying it's not your fault, it's just that the General is too good-looking?"

"That's not what I meant, I... I'm guilty!" Ginger bowed her head to the ground.

Grace sighed and said, "Actually, you're right. Back in Danyang City, there were plenty of maids crazier than you."

Ginger had no idea what she meant and looked up in confusion and fear.

"Go back and do your job well!" Grace said. "I won't tell anyone about this. And I trust you won't either, right?"

Ginger froze. "Miss Grace, you're letting me go?"

"I'm always merciful," Grace said. "Go! And don't mention you came to see me."

Ginger felt like she'd just dodged a bullet. She kowtowed three times, then got up and left, full of gratitude.

Grace gave Nanny a look, and Nanny followed Ginger out.

"Miss Grace, how could you let her go? That lowlife deserves fifty lashes and to be thrown out of the house!" Hope said angrily from the side.

"That's right! Miss Grace, how could you be so lenient with a maid who covets the General?" Claire was furious too.

Grace smiled and asked, "Do you really think it's just a coincidence? Someone dropped a packet of drugs and she happened to pick it up?"

"You think she's lying? There's more to the story?" Hope asked.

"She might not dare to lie," Grace said.

"What do you mean?"