Chapter 367: The Voice of Tan Chun

"Grandma Hui, it may have fallen into some corner; we still can't find it for the moment!"

"Search again! Even if we have to turn the whole house upside down, we must find it!" Jia Mu heard this, felt a bit flustered, and hurriedly ordered repeatedly.

Lady Wang stood nearby, stamping her foot anxiously, and echoed:

"That jade is Baoyu's lifeline; it cannot be lost, cannot be lost! Today we must find it no matter what…"

Seeing Jia Mu and Lady Wang's urgent expressions, Yingchun and the other young ladies couldn't just stand still and also began to help search.

Yingchun bent over, looked around under the tables and desks, her skirt dragging on the floor, and couldn't attend to anything else.

Xichun squatted beside the chess table, slipped her small hand under it, felt a handful of ash, frowned, yet didn't stop.

Xing Xiuyan wouldn't just stand by, and also looked around behind the windowsill and flower pots.

Tan Chun stood beside Daiyu, watching the familiar chaotic scene, her brows knit, she thought several times of speaking out to stop it, but held back.

As time passed and everyone still couldn't find the spiritual jade, Lady Wang and Jia Mu's faces grew increasingly displeased.

Lady Wang became completely panicked, unable to help but grab Baoyu's hand and ask repeatedly:

"Baoyu, my Baoyu, where did you drop the jade? Do you remember? How come we can't find it?"

But at this moment Baoyu's eyes were distant, like a mud statue, staring only at Daiyu, not uttering a word.

Lady Wang followed Baoyu's gaze, her eyes landing on Daiyu, and her face instantly turned cold, her expression extremely gloomy.

With urgency in her heart, she couldn't mind the propriety of her words, and coldly scolded Zijuan, who stood before Daiyu:

"What's wrong with your lady? How did Baoyu get so angry that he dropped the jade again?"

"Baoyu's temper is quick, you all know that. When he speaks to you, just respond a few words properly; why trouble him?"

"Now the jade is missing too; isn't this trying to kill him?"

Zijuan, faced with Lady Wang's rebuke, naturally couldn't retort; her expression briefly stalled, she lowered her head, frowned, her face full of grievance as she stood before Lin Daiyu.

Lin Daiyu, witnessing Lady Wang's gloomy stare and cold words, trembled, her complexion as white as snow, and felt an instant overwhelming bitterness.

Again this happens; every time Baoyu drops the jade, the one who receives the blame and cold words is inevitably me.

Now the jade is missing, and I have become the troublemaker, the chief culprit!

Recalling this, Daiyu's delicate nose twitched, and the tears she had restrained silently began to flow down.

Standing beside Daiyu, Baichai saw her tears and her expression became momentarily complex.

After a brief silence, she gently extended her hand to grasp Daiyu's hand, took a handkerchief to wipe her tears, and softly comforted:

"You've always been a sensible person; why cry? Everyone knows the fault isn't yours!"

"Moreover… if you cry and hurt yourself now, there will be many people feeling sorry, and we won't know where to summon a physician…"

Baichai's fair, snow‑white pretty face showed an inexplicable expression; the scene before her reminded her of a similar incident last year!

Back then she still naively believed that her own Jia Jing's massive reorganization of the mansion had been planned long ago, and Lin's maid's affair was just a pretext to act.

But after nearly a year of observation, she realized she had been mistaken; having a plan might be true, but she also harbored intentions to vent against Lin's maid.

Otherwise, why later request the Imperial Medical Institute's verdict, send books to the two of us, and this time present Lin's maid that "Desert Rose"?

Even… she couldn't utter a few sour words about Lin sister in his presence.

The deeper meaning behind each action, though she was reluctant to ponder, was already clear in her heart.

Her own Jia Jing probably has intentions toward Lin's maid!

Daiyu, hearing Baichai's words, showed a slight surprise, a faint flush crossed her pale face, and she couldn't help casting a glance at the girl beside her.

This appraisal only made her feel that the "scheming Baoyan" she once thought of now somehow appeared a few inches taller.

However, she had no mood to say much, and with a trembling voice she whispered:

"Bao Jie, I'm fine!"

And while in the side room everyone was turning boxes upside down searching for the jade, amid the chaos.

"Enough! Stop searching!"

A sharp, coquettish shout rang through the room, dispelling the chaotic atmosphere entirely.

Tan Chun's expression was solemn; after a few steps she stood before Baoyu, blocking his vacant gaze toward Daiyu, and also cutting off Lady Wang's occasional icy glances.

Today Tan Chun wore a silver‑red robe, a jade sash at her waist, and a crimson‑gold phoenix‑head hairpin on her head,

making her face look like freshly peeled lychee, white with a hint of pink; yet at this moment her face bore no smile, only a composure and chill that belied her age.

"Grandma, madam, the jade was smashed in a fit by second brother, and now it may have fallen into some corner."

"But as long as it's still in this house, it can't escape! With so many people stirring up a commotion, turning boxes upside down, what does that look like? Is there any household rule left?"

"Third Brother explicitly said last year that Second Brother must never smash the jade at home again, as it disturbs the whole family."

"Today Second Brother again caused this uproar without reason; I think the urgent matter now shouldn't be finding the jade, but thinking how to explain to Third Brother!"

The maids and old women who had been bustling inside all stopped at Tan Chun's command, especially when she mentioned Jia Jing, the room fell silent.

Even Baoyu, Lady Wang, and the maids in Jia Mu's quarters also halted, standing with heads bowed at the sides, daring not to move further.

After all, Tan Chun is the rightful housekeeper of the Rong Guo Mansion now, wielding life‑and‑death authority over all its servants.

Moreover, over the past half‑year as housekeeper, Tan Chun's fairness and impartiality have earned her great prestige throughout the household.

Jia Mu's expression hardened, clearly awakened by Tan Chun's words to a lingering fear of Jia Jing, and she couldn't hide a hint of panic, saying hoarsely:

"This is just a trifle between your second brother and your sister Lin, no need to disturb Brother Jia Jing."

"He's busy every day; we shouldn't bother him with our household's minor issues!"

Of course it's best not to tell him; if Third Grandson finds out, who knows what reprimand he'll receive!

She herself isn't afraid, but what about Baoyu?

Lady Wang glanced at the stern‑faced Tan Chun, tightened her Prayer Beads, and felt a surge of dissatisfaction.

Now second brother's "lifeline" is missing; instead of urging everyone to help search, she keeps bringing up "Third Brother".

She even says the jade was dropped without cause—could she be trying to shift all responsibility onto our Baoyu?

Lady Wang opened her mouth with a grim complexion:

"Third Miss, how could this be said that Baoyu accidentally broke his jade for no reason? Nobody provoked him; he was fine, so how could he have broken his lifeline?"