Another guard quickly followed, his hand already reaching for the maid's pulse as he crouched beside her. "She's breathing," he reported after a brief check, frowning. "Likely fainted from shock."
"Move her aside," the first guard ordered impatiently. "Don't block the inspection."
The guards waved their arms sharply, forcing the maids back. Panic-stricken servants stumbled away, forming a loose circle around the fallen girl. Some covered their mouths, others clutched their sleeves tightly, eyes filled with terror as whispers erupted anew.
"What happened to her…?"
"She was fine just now…"
"Could it be poison…?"
The moment the words left someone's mouth, fear exploded even further.
"Silence!" a guard snapped. "Anyone who spreads rumors will be punished!"
All attention was now firmly fixed on the unconscious maid. No one noticed Xia Yuqing. She took a small step backward, then another, her movements unhurried and perfectly in tune with the chaos.
