Chu Qing naturally smelled this odor too.
The young girl's expression instantly turned cold as she softly said,
"Mandrake incense."
The moment the young girl uttered the words "mandrake incense", Chu Qing herself recalled this smell.
She was actually quite familiar with such a thing.
After all... it had to be said that mandrake incense was really useful when doing certain things.
Subconsciously covering her nose and mouth, Chu Qing signaled with her eyes for Lvluo to do the same. This time, Lvluo was much quicker - witted. Seeing her mistress cover her nose and mouth, she quickly followed suit.
When the mistress - servant pair looked at the young girl who still seemed alert, she was calmly sticking to the window, observing the situation outside.
The young girl's sharp intuition made her sense someone was looking at her. So, when she turned around, she saw Chu Qing and Lvluo staring at her in astonishment, as if trying to find something on her face.
The young girl frowned as if making a major decision. She quietly walked towards Chu Qing, then took out a bottle from her bosom and poured out two small pills.
She opened her mouth but didn't make a sound.
Chu Qing understood. She was telling them to take the pills.
So, Chu Qing didn't hesitate to take the pills. She swallowed one neatly herself, and gave the other to Lvluo.
Just as the young girl turned around and was about to go check what was going on, someone grabbed her.
Chu Qing looked cold as she shook her head at the young girl and gestured to her not to tip off the enemy.
Let's play along and see what they were up to.
The young girl nodded understandingly.
Lvluo looked utterly confused.
Just as Chu Qing was feeling a bit helpless seeing Lvluo's expression, the young girl quickly struck Lvluo on the neck with a chop, knocking her out.
Chu Qing stared at this sudden event in disbelief, but she didn't blame the young girl.
Because... it was better for this silly girl Lvluo to be unconscious.
...
After a while, the door of the room was gently pushed open, and someone peeked in furtively.
Seeing the three people lying unconscious on the ground, that person seemed to have completed their task. They closed the door and left.
Just as Chu Qing thought she was about to fall into a deep sleep, someone gently patted her and woke her up.
"Mistress, the person's gone. Just now, I saw the back. It was a maid," the young girl whispered.
Only then did Chu Qing slowly open her eyes and get up.
And... when she saw Lvluo being carried to the bed by the young girl, Chu Qing was shocked.
Not only could she do martial arts, but she also had such great strength!
...
"Using mandrake incense to knock us out, but then leaving without doing anything. What are they up to?" Chu Qing's throat was a bit hoarse from the mandrake incense.
The young girl surprisingly brought a cup of water and handed it to Chu Qing. Then she said, "Maybe, the real intention lies elsewhere?"
Chu Qing's mood changed, and her face immediately darkened. "Go and check on Shangguan Zhen!"
...
In a corner by the lake, two figures were acting furtively as if plotting something.
"The people have all been knocked out!" a young maid said in a low voice with her head down.
"Is the Second Miss really not lying to me? Is the one who offended her really a beauty?" a man with a fairly decent appearance but extremely vulgar temperament rubbed his hands lewdly.
"Go and see for yourself. Remember, it's the innermost room! The one dressed most splendidly is the target you're going after!" the young maid continued.
"Alright, alright, I know. Come back with people in half an hour. I need to have a good time at least!"
"Got it!"
After saying that, the man left.
After seeing the man leave impatiently, the young maid sneered contemptuously and then left the lake too.
She had to hurry back to report to her mistress. Once this task was completed, not only would her mistress, but even the madam would surely reward her handsomely!
Thinking of this, the young maid's eyes were full of pride.
...
The young girl who had gone out to gather information soon came back. Seeing Chu Qing looking anxious, she immediately reported, "Sure enough, Miss Shangguan and the other two were also affected by the mandrake incense and have fainted."
Hearing this, an idea suddenly popped into Chu Qing's mind.
"Find a way to bring Shangguan Zhen to my room. Then you come with me to her room."
"Yes," the young girl replied without asking why. She was much more straightforward this time.
After arranging Shangguan Zhen properly, Chu Qing came to Shangguan Zhen's room. She told the young girl to hide in the dark, and she herself lay in the position where Shangguan Zhen had just been lying.
"Act according to the situation later," Chu Qing said coldly.
"Yes."
...
Not long after, the door was opened.
Then, Chu Qing felt someone creeping in furtively.
"The Second Miss didn't lie to me! She's really a great beauty! Hahaha! I'm finally going to have some fun today!"
Chu Qing's heart skipped a beat. At this moment, she suddenly didn't quite understand who this person was targeting.
She had met the Second Miss for the first time today. Even though they had exchanged a few words, it shouldn't be a big grudge. It was unlikely that the Second Miss would use such despicable means against her. Otherwise, the Second Miss's mind would be too vicious.
But if it wasn't targeting her, coming directly to this room would be suspicious.
She had swapped rooms with Shangguan Zhen. According to the guide from the servant earlier, the person in this room should have been herself!
Just as Chu Qing was thinking about what was going on, she heard a muffled groan.
The person who had come in was knocked out by the young girl.
After opening her eyes, Chu Qing quickly moved far away from the lecherous man.
"Mistress, what should we do next?" the young girl waited obediently for Chu Qing's next order.
Only then did Chu Qing realize that the young girl had become much more obedient than before.
Humph, it was true that one had to threaten someone with what they valued most to make them obedient.
Thinking of this, Chu Qing said, "Go and bring that girl named Qing'er and the other young maid to our room."
The young girl replied yes and then went to do it.
...
When Chu Qing returned to the room she had swapped with Shangguan Zhen, she found that there were already four people lying unconscious in the small room.
Chu Qing rubbed her temples in distress and asked the young girl beside her, "Do you have any medicine that can wake them up quickly? We can't keep running around while they're sleeping here. I'm really uncomfortable about this!"
The young girl nodded.
This time, she took out a small black bottle from her bosom and waved it under the noses of the unconscious people.
Just as Chu Qing was marveling at the young girl's bosom being like a treasure chest, the people gradually woke up.
Chu Qing briefly told the others what had happened, and they wisely kept silent.
But when Shangguan Zhen woke up, she looked at Chu Qing defensively.
"I knew it! Suddenly feeling dizzy must mean someone has done something! Tell me! Why did the Noble Consort of Ning kidnap me, an unmarried girl! Do you have some dirty intentions towards me!"
Chu Qing trembled and covered her face with her hands.
As expected, the people of the Shangguan family always had such strange ideas in their heads.