Chapter 162: The Famished Miss Su

Nangong Bi and Chang Huan entered Hu Dapao’s room, and as expected, a bowl of medicine that had already gone cold was on the table. Hu Dapao was lying in bed with a blanket over his head. When he heard the sound of the door, he assumed it was Chang Huan again, and huffed.

“I’m not drinking that, Chang Huan! Take the medicine away immediately! The smell of it alone makes me want to puke!”

“I dare you to puke, and you’ll see what happens!” Nangong Bi retorted.

Hu Dapao flung the blanket off and scrambled up at once. He looked at Nangong Bi in astonishment and stammered, “What… are you doing here?”

The memory of the previous incident made Nangong Bi blush, but her face remained expressionless. “Su Jiu told me to come!”

“I see…” Hu Dapao mumbled in reply.

With his arms slanted backward, Chang Huan leaned on the table behind him and laughed at the two individuals. He found Hu Dapao’s docility in front of Nangong Bi a comical sight.

Nangong Bi glanced back in annoyance at Chang Huan’s mischievous laughter. Angrily, she said, “What in the devil are you laughing about? Feed him his medicine!”

Chang Huan shrugged his shoulders innocently, and said with a frown, “Miss Nangong, didn’t you come to personally feed Dapao his medicine? What does that have to do with me? If you find me standing here an eyesore, I’ll leave right away!”

“If you dare to leave…” Nangong Bi glared at him, but she realized that she couldn’t follow up with that threat. There was nothing she could do to him. Her eyes reddened, and she was about to break out into tears.

Chang Huan quickly tried to placate her. “Alright, alright. It was all my fault. Please don’t cry, otherwise, Dapao will beat me up into a bloody pulp!”

“What does my crying have to do with him? You members of the Dragon Conqueror Gang are ganging up on me!” Nangong Bi’s face turned scarlet, and her whole body trembled.

“Fine, it was all my mistake! That wasn’t what I meant!” Chang Huan saw that Nangong Bi was truly livid, and didn’t dare to joke at her expense any further. He picked up a random handkerchief from the table and passed it to her. “You’re the quintessential heroine. You cannot cry!”

“Pfft!” Nangong Bi laughed through her sniffles and scoffed, “What a glib tongue you have!”

Hu Dapao’s expression slowly turned hard as he sat on the bed behind, watching Chang Huan and Nangong Bi bicker with each other. Frostily, he said, “Chang Huan, bring me that medicine!”

“Sure!” Chang Huan ran over immediately and held the bowl out toward Hu Dapao. He wiggled his brows at Nangong Bi in a silent gesture that meant, “Your presence is still the most effective method.”

Nangong Bi blushed instantaneously, and she quickly turned to look out of the window.

From Hu Dapao’s point of view, that exchange looked like Nangong Bi and Chang Huan were making eyes at each other, and his expression turned icy. Clenching the bowl in his hand, he guzzled his medicine down. Then, he shoved the empty bowl into Chang Huan’s hands and demanded, “I want another!”

Chang Huan was speechless.

Did the great Master Pao think he was drinking liquor?

And he wanted another!

“The physician said that you could only take one serving at a time,” Chang Huan said with a smile.

Hu Dapao grew incensed. “If I asked for it, just go and get it! What’s with all that bullsh*t?”

Chang Huan suddenly realized that Hu Dapao was trying to get rid of him!

“Fine. I’ll get you another bowl. Since you’re the patient, I’ll let you have your way!” Chang Huan said with a sigh and walked out with the empty bowl.

Nangong Bi saw Chang Huan leaving, and was about to follow suit.

Hu Dapao’s eyes suddenly widened, and his brows shot together.

“Where are you going?” Chang Huan turned around and stared at the young lady behind him.

“Since he’s done with his medicine, I’m going back!” Nangong Bi replied matter-of-factly.

“You can’t leave yet! Didn’t you hear the great Master Pao asking for another bowl? Wait here!” Chang Huan pushed Nangong Bi back into the room gently, before dashing off with the empty bowl.

When Nangong Bi turned around, she saw Dapao staring at her. Blushing, she went forward and helped pull the fallen blanket back to cover him.

Hu Dapao’s expression was ominous, and he didn’t say a word.

“Would you like some water?” Nangong Bi quickly opened her mouth to ask, terrified of the sudden silence that had descended between the both of them.

“No!”

Hu Dapao’s expression didn’t change as he spat that word out.

“Have you changed your bandages today?” Nangong Bi asked again.

“It doesn’t need to be changed!” The man’s tone remained just as gruff.

Nangong Bi whirled around at him and asked in anger, “What’s up with this attitude of yours? If you don’t want to see me, I’ll just leave!”

With that, she made a move to leave.

Hu Dapao held her back by her arm and pulled her into a crushing embrace. His uninjured arm tightened firmly around her waist as he said, “You’re not allowed to leave!”

Nangong Bi lost her footing, and she fell forward into his bosom. She was stunned for a moment, before remembering that he was injured. She struggled to get up.

“I don’t like you getting close to other men, not even if it’s Chang Huan,” Hu Dapao blurted out suddenly.

Nangong Bi froze for a moment, and asked in befuddlement, “What are you talking about?”

“I’m upset! I’m extremely upset! When I see you bickering and joking with someone else, my heart feels like a fuse has been lit under it and that it’s going to explode!”

Dapao’s baritone voice exploded right in her ear and she stiffened, the blush on her face spreading to her ears.

Was he confessing his heartfelt feelings to her?

Nangong Bi bit her lip and reached out to push his arm away. “What are you blabbering on about? Let go of me!”

His injury had finally started healing, and Nangong Bi was worried that the force of her body landing on his might have caused the wound to reopen. If it did, his hand would truly become disabled.

“No way! I’m not letting go regardless of what you say!” The man was suddenly overcome with stubborn paranoia and tightened his hold even further.

The man was dressed only in a thin tunic; his hard and solid muscles pressed tightly against Nangong Bi’s soft body. Nangong Bi was extremely embarrassed, but she was also concerned about his wound. Seeing how stubborn he was, she couldn’t help choking back her tears as she asked, “Hu Dapao, what on earth is wrong with you?”

When Hu Dapao heard the sound of suppressed sobs in her voice, he suddenly felt as if he’d been walloped hard on the head. With a jerk, he suddenly regained his senses and released Nangong Bi’s waist. “I’m sorry!” Flustered, he said, “I was a jerk! Please don’t cry!”

Nangong was sitting on the edge of the bed, and she turned her head to the side to wipe her tears away.

Hu Dapao was brimming with remorse and heartache, and he lifted his hand to deliver a resounding slap to his cheek.

“Apologies! I was being a huge jerk!”

The resounding slap made Nangong Bi whirl her head around. When she saw the red hand mark on his face, her emotions surged, and her tears flowed with renewed vigor.

Hu Dapao reached out, intending to wipe her tears off her face. However, he suddenly paused with his hand in the air and looked at her nervously. “Please don’t cry! If you need to vent your anger, just slap me a few more times!”

Nangong Bi sniffled a few times and wiped her tears with her sleeves. Then, she reached out to unbutton Dapao’s clothing to check on his wound.

Fortunately, no blood had seeped out—a good sign that the wound hadn’t reopened.

However, Nangong Bi was still worried, and carefully unwound the bandage, intending to reapply the ointment for him after checking on the injury.

Hu Dapao looked at the girl’s exquisitely fair face with a frown. Annoyed at himself, he said, “I’m sorry. This won’t happen again. I keep telling myself to keep my distance and not to upset you, but I just can’t help wanting to be close to you.”

Nangong Bi blushed as she lowered her head and applied the ointment to his wound.

“I lost control of myself and hurt your feelings today because I was overcome by jealousy. I was being a jerk. Please don’t take it to heart.”

Nangong Bi remained silent as she continued spreading the ointment on him, but her eyes flickered.

“I think it’ll be for the best if you don’t come in the future. I’m afraid that my impulsiveness will get the better of me, and that I’ll lose control of myself again. I find it hard to maintain my cool whenever you’re around me!” Hu Dapao lamented.

Nangong Bi’s finger froze for a moment, and she placed the bottle of ointment down. After wrapping his injury up in the bandage, she said in a whisper, “As long as you don’t do what you did just now ever again, I’ll come by every day to feed you your medication and to reapply ointment to your injury.”

Hu Dapao’s eyes lit up immediately. “Are… are you serious?”

Of course! Of course, he would agree to it!

He was willing to even give up his life if that meant that he could see her face every day!

Nangong Bi narrowed her eyes at him and scoffed, “Don’t let your imagination run wild! I’m only here to take care of you out of guilt! After all, it was because of me that you came to Youzhou in the first place and got hurt!”

The light in Hu Dapao’s eyes dimmed slightly, but he couldn’t restrain the smile that remained on his face. “Got it! I’ve never assumed otherwise.”

Nangong Bi glanced at him without saying another word.

After the wound had been dressed, Hu Dapao lay down to sleep at Nangong Bi’s insistence.

However, with the woman occupying his thoughts in the day and filling his dreams at night right beside him, he couldn’t bear to sleep at all. At the same time, he didn’t dare go against her and had no choice but to close his eyes and feign sleep.

Nangong Bi spent her time in the room looking through the books on the table and brandishing Hu Dapao’s sword for fun. She was curious about everything, like a young child.

Hu Dapao lifted an eyelid to sneak a peek at her. His heart was thumping hard against his chest, and he could feel butterflies in his stomach.

When Nangong Bi turned around to look at him, he quickly shut his eyes again and released a snore for good measure.

The young lady walked over to the bed and bent over to look at him. With a harrumph, she walked out.

Hu Dapao opened his eyes in disappointment, and sadness clouded over them. She must have been unwilling to spend a second more in his company. Just like she had said the other day, the mere sight of him must have annoyed her.

The young lady’s expression of undisguised revulsion in the rain the other day had reappeared countless times in his dreams. He had awakened from them in the middle of the night, unable to restrain his sense of self-loathing.

He could tell that his existence was causing her so much pain. If he were no longer around, would she return to the happy and carefree version of herself from before?

That bright and beautiful girl was so enchanting and easy to love.

Just as Hu Dapao was lost in his thoughts, the door creaked open. The yellow fabric of her robe billowed in the wind as the young lady walked in.

Hu Dapao quickly closed his eyes and pretended to be asleep once again.

Nangong Bi was holding a basin of steaming hot water in her hand. Upon entering the room, she placed the basin on a chair and wet a towel. Then, she sat at the edge of the bed and began to gently wipe the man’s face.

Because of the previous altercation, a layer of perspiration had appeared on Hu Dapao’s forehead, soaking the loose strands of hair on Hu Dapao’s head, and making his appearance seem wild and savage.

The girl leaned in so closely that Hu Dapao could hear her breathe. He swallowed involuntarily as his body tensed, and he didn’t dare to move a muscle.

This had to be a dream—a very long dream where she had come all the way from Shengjing to Youzhou, had appeared in Mount Hala, and at this moment, was taking care of him and helping him to clean his face.

This had to be a dream.

He couldn’t open his eyes. The moment he opened his eyes, the dream would end, and she would disappear!

The damp towel in Nangong Bi’s hand followed the lines of the man’s forehead. As it slowly made its way past his masculine brows, and his straight and prominent nose… Her face slowly flushed. This was her first time scrutinizing the man’s features in such close detail, and she realized that he was very handsome indeed.

“Hu Dapao…” Nangong Bi whispered, her voice especially soft and delicate, “I know you had nothing to do with the betrothal. I was just angry then, and I spoke without thinking. You don’t have to apologize for today either. I won’t hold it against you. We’re even now. However…”

The girl’s voice grew even softer, almost as if she were speaking to herself, “…You shouldn’t fall for me. I feel undeserving of the way you’re treating me. If anything bad were to befall you because of me, Su Jiu will hate me for it. So, let us just remain friends, as we were before.”

The man lay quietly on the bed, and his fiercely-beating heart suddenly calmed down at that moment.

After the girl had said her piece, she sighed and covered him with the blanket, before walking out with the basin in her hand.

This time around, she did not return.

Silence settled in the room, and the only sound that could be heard was that of the wind howling outside. In the darkness of the room, Hu Dapao slowly opened his eyes and was greeted with nothing but silence.

This was his first time finding out that his secret affection towards her was already enough to be a burden.

…

In the Ji Manor in Shengjing City…

The year was coming to a close. Shangguan Yunkun had concluded his duties in Jiangnan ahead of time and had returned to the capital.

Upon returning, the first place he headed to was Chunhua Brothel to visit the person who had dominated his thoughts and dreams.

After a night of unbridled passion, Shangguan Yunkun slept in the next day till late in the morning. When he awoke, he intended to pay a visit to Ji Yuxian at the Ji Manor.

With her long ebony hair scattered around her shoulders and draped around her voluptuous figure, Jin Ming arose seductively to help Shangguan dress. Smiling coquettishly, she said, “I’ll go with you!”

“Whatever for?” Shangguan’s heart couldn’t stop beating at the sensual sight of her body after a night of passion. He leaned over to kiss her and rubbed his nose into her neck, her scent making him heady.

Jin Ming giggled, feeling tickled by his actions. She pushed him away by his arm, and said with a charming smile, “I heard he changed a wife. Naturally, I should congratulate him!”

“Don’t!” Shangguan pushed her back onto the bed. “With his wife gone, that man has turned crazy! Don’t get yourself hurt! I’ll go into the tiger’s den on my own!”

“Don’t all men dislike monotony? Out with the old and in with the new! Isn’t that change a good thing?” Jin Ming glanced at him and said with a humorless laugh.

“With heaven as my witness, I’m someone who prefers the old! I can’t get used to changing my woman at all! You fit me best!” Shangguan tilted Jin Ming’s chin up and kissed her on the lips.

Jin Ming wrapped her arms around his neck, and said coquettishly, “Judging from what you just said, am I right to assume you’ve tasted your way around town?”

Shangguan Yunkun began to panic. “Not at all! The last time a few women merely entertained me, you almost killed me upon discovering it! I haven’t dared to chase any other woman after that! You’re more than enough for me in this lifetime!”

“Your lips are dripping with honey!” Jin Ming said warmly with a laugh.

“How can they not be sweet after being immersed in your fragrance?” Shangguan Yunkun’s voice was hoarse. He lowered his head and kissed the woman’s smooth, fair shoulders.

The smile on Jin Ming’s face reached her eyes as she reached out to stop his roaming hands. “Stop playing around! I’ll go to the Ji Manor with you today.”

“Are you sure you want to go?” Shangguan’s brows rose.

“Yes, I do!”

Jin Ming’s words were like an imperial order to Shangguan Yunkun, and he didn’t dare to deny her.

He retrieved her clothing and helped to dress her, before helping her with her hair and makeup. After serving her to the best of his ability, he ate breakfast with her, and both of them got into the carriage to head to the Ji Manor.

When they arrived at the Ji Manor, they were fortunate that Ji Yuxian was at home to receive them, and the housekeeper led them through the yard.

Upon entering the backyard, Jin Ming’s footsteps suddenly slowed before she stopped walking altogether.

“Why have you stopped?” Shangguan asked her gently as he snaked his arm around her waist.

“You were right. That man just lost his wife. It might be inappropriate and unkind of us to display our affection to him,” Jin Ming said with a smile.

“In that case, shall we return?”

“Not at all. You should visit Ji Yuxian on your own. I’ll pay a visit to the new Young Mistress Ji in the meantime!” Jin Ming replied meaningfully with her brows raised.

“Why on earth would you pay her a visit?” Shangguan asked in befuddlement.

He had heard a fair share of shameful details about this new Young Mistress and empathized wholeheartedly with Ji Yuxian for wanting to nullify the marriage.

“You don’t have to bother about that!” Jin Ming gave Shangguan a nudge. “Go on and do whatever you need to. I’ll return on my own when I’m done!”

With that, she turned to ask the housekeeper behind her, “Where does your new Young Mistress reside?”

Surprise flashed in the housekeeper’s eyes before he quickly replied, “In the Lotus Pavilion!”

“Would you be so kind as to lead the way?” Jin Ming asked with a tilt of her head.

“Sure! Please come with me!” The housekeeper replied immediately.

Shangguan raised his eyebrows. Judging from how skittish the housekeeper was behaving, one would have thought it was a beast who resided in the Lotus Pavilion and not the Young Mistress.

Jin Ming, however, didn’t care and followed the housekeeper’s lead to the Lotus Pavilion.

Two guards stood guarding the entrance of the Lotus Pavilion, and the door was locked. With a smile, Jin Ming said, “Open the door. I’m here to visit the Young Mistress!”

When the guards hesitated for a moment, the housekeeper spoke up, “This lady came together with Young Master Shangguan. Please open the door!”

“Right away!” The guard unlocked the door and allowed Jin Ming in.

When she noticed that the housekeeper was about to follow her in, Jin Ming turned around and said, “I’ll just go in to take a quick look. You may remain here.”

The housekeeper hesitated for a moment, before relenting eventually. “Please be careful, Miss!”

What was there to be careful about?

A look flashed across Jin Ming’s eyes as she stepped in.

It had snowed heavily a few days ago, and evidently, no one had come to clean the Lotus Pavilion. There was snow everywhere, and the garden was muddy. With that yard looking desolate and unkempt, it was almost as if no one was living there.

Jin Ming took several more steps in. Throughout her entire journey, she didn’t see a single soul.

She couldn’t help raising her brows in amusement. This Young Mistress was unusual indeed! Not only were her quarters locked up from the outside, but she also didn’t even have a single servant in view.

Moreover, the entire place was bleak and deathly still. It didn’t look like the residence of the manor’s mistress at all!

She made her way further in and found that the trees were bare. The branches seemed to have been gnawed upon by someone.

Jin Ming was stunned for a while. Suddenly, she heard a rush of footsteps, and saw a dozen scrawny and shabbily-dressed men running out, all chasing a chicken!

These people looked like wild, famished wolves. Their eyes were blind to everything around them except that chicken. Upon catching it, they stomped their feet in excitement before ripping it apart and eating it raw.

They had even swallowed the feathers!

Jin Ming suppressed the urge to throw up in revulsion and she retreated in terror. What was going on here? Was this the Ji Manor or a refugee camp?

The group of men seemed to notice another live creature that could be eaten and immediately gave chase.

Jin Ming was so shocked that she stood dumbfounded for a while.

It was fortunate that they hadn’t noticed her. If they had, they might very well have pounced on her, torn her apart, and swallowed her alive.

Jin Ming couldn’t help but shudder at the memory of the branches that had been gnawed upon, almost certain that it had been the doing of these individuals.

What on earth was Ji Yuxian doing?

All of a sudden, something grabbed on to her foot. Jin Ming looked down and saw a boney-looking hand holding on to her ankle. All color drained from her face, and she screamed.

“Ah!”

“No! Please don’t scream, Miss!”

A weak voice came from the corridor, and a head suddenly emerged out the corner. Its hair was in a mess, its cheeks were sallow and sunken, its left cheekbone had collapsed in, and its eyes were exceptionally big to the point that they protruded out. It looked like the face of a demon.

“Miss, do you have anything to eat?” The woman looked at her and swallowed. It was obvious that she was starving.

Jin Ming stood frozen to the spot in a daze.

After a moment, when Jin Ming realized that this was the new Young Mistress Ji, her jaw dropped to the floor in horror.

What a vicious person Ji Yuxian was!

Miss Su had been starving for numerous days. She was gaunt beyond recognition and was covered in dirt. When she heard that Jin Ming was here as a visitor, she fell to her knees and knelt in front of her. In a choking voice, she said, “Miss, I beg you to send word to my family! I cannot bear this any longer. I don’t want to be the Young Mistress anymore! I don’t want it anymore!”

The lady prostrated herself as she knocked her forehead on the ground repeatedly. Jin Ming looked at her and sighed. If not for the fact that she had personally witnessed it, it was impossible to believe that this woman on the floor was the Young Mistress of the Ji Manor.

“If I remain here any longer, I’ll be eaten up by them eventually. Please help me pass a message to the Eldest Young Master Ji. Tell him I don’t want to be the Young Mistress anymore! I beg him to please let me out! I want to go home!” Miss Su wailed. She was so dirty that she looked like a beggar humbly prostrating on the ground.

There was no sympathy in Jin Ming’s eyes. Perhaps it was because she had experienced her fair share of life, and knew that there was usually a reason why miserable people fell that low. They usually had a despicable side to them.

Therefore, she had zero pity at all towards the miserable Miss Su.

“Alright. If I meet Ji Yuxian, I’ll pass the message for you!”

“Thank you so much, Miss! I will never forget your kindness! When I leave this place, I will repay you for this!”

That last statement was like a joke to Jin Ming. With a grin, she turned to walk out.

After taking a few steps, she turned back to look at Miss Su. The woman looked left and right furtively before going back into hiding.

Evidently, the servants in here had been forced to starve along with Miss Su, and they hated her to the core.

Jin Ming chuckled to herself and turned to leave.

Inside the study, Jin Feng came to report that Young Master Shangguan had come!

Ji Yuxian was seated behind his table, reading a letter in his hand. He had been reading the letter for over two hours and had read every word more than a few times. Still, he couldn’t bear to put it down.

Jin Feng heard Ji Yuxian place the letter down in a stack, followed by the instruction, “Let him in!”

Before Ji Yuxian couldn’t finish his sentence, Shangguan Yunkun pushed the door open and stepped in. With an elegant smile, he said, “I was wondering why you were at home today! I see now it’s because you’re missing your beloved!”

Ji Yuxian picked up his teacup and took a sip, glancing at him frostily without a word.

“I know you’re feeling vexed!” Shangguan sighed sympathetically. “If I’d met with the same situation, I’d probably be getting myself drunk right now!”

“If you have nothing better to do, scram back into the arms of your woman!” Ji Yuxian said coldly as he rested his forehead on his hand.

“I came to visit you out of the goodness of my heart!” Shangguan said in a grievance.

“I didn’t ask you to!” The other man retorted brusquely.

“But seriously speaking, ever since the two Su brothers, Su Di and the other guy, came to Shengjing, they’ve been spending money like it was water! They racked up a huge bill at the Drunken Joy Pavilion and Chunhua Brothel. Recently, I heard that they’re now addicted to gambling, and have plenty of outstanding debts. The old man, Su Wenqian, is going to go broke because of his two sons!” Shangguan said with a straight face.

Ji Yuxian glanced over. “You suspect that I’m responsible for that?” he asked.

Shangguan shook his head. “No, even in Fuyang City, those two guys already had a reputation for their eating, drinking, and gambling. They were merely blinded by the opulence of the capital upon arriving here. Nobody needed to do a thing!”

“Indeed, I have nothing to do with Su Di and his brother’s current circumstances, but I’m responsible for Su Wenqian having no recourse in the city,” Ji Yuxian said.

“What are you intending to accomplish by driving the Su Family into a corner?” Shangguan asked.

The Su Family had sold off all their property and possessions in Fuyang City, and could no longer return there. If they had no way to make a living in the Shengjing City, given the kind of spendthrifts that the Su brothers were, the family would soon be plunged into poverty.

The Su Family would then have their hands thoroughly tied!

Ji Yuxian was out to pull the carpet from under the Su Family’s feet.

“I want the Su Family to nullify the marriage on their own accord, and repay me with the life of their Second Mistress!” Ji Yuxian looked out of the window, ruthlessness firmly etched into his handsome face.

“The Second Mistress of the Su Family?” Shangguan asked with raised brows. “Just how did she offend your beloved wife now?”

He had just returned to the capital, and there were many things he was unaware of.

Ji Yuxian didn’t reply. He merely stared into the distance with an indifferent expression on his face.

“Right! I heard that the Young Mistress has gone to Northern Xinjiang. Have you received any news about her?” Shangguan Yunkun questioned.

“Yeah!” At the mention of Su Jiu, Ji Yuxian’s expression turned affectionate. His eyes became gentle, and he said with a slight smile, “Hu Dapao has already been saved from the mountain.”

Perhaps, she would be back soon!

At that very moment, Jin Ming’s seductive voice could be heard coming from outside. “Wow, what a good-looking man we have here! May I ask what your name is? Where do you live, and are you married yet? If you’re free, do drop by the Chunhua Brothel some time!”

Those words were directed towards Jin Feng.

Shangguan’s expression changed immediately, and he rushed out.

As expected, he saw Jin Ming smiling charmingly as she teased Jin Feng.

“Weren’t you visiting Miss Su? What are you doing here? I’m done here, so let’s go back now!” Shangguan grabbed Jin Ming by her wrist and headed out.

“What’s the hurry?” Jin Ming brushed the handkerchief in her hand on Shangguan’s back, and said, “I still have something to say to Eldest Young Master Ji!”

With that, she turned on her heel and made her way gracefully to the entrance of the study. Leaning her head in towards the door, she said with a chuckle, “Eldest Young Master Ji, your new Young Mistress told me to pass a message to you! She says that she can’t take it anymore and wants to go home! She doesn’t want to be the Young Mistress of the Ji Family anymore!”

Shangguan was bemused and asked with a laugh, “What’s wrong with her?”

Jin Ming thought of the miserable condition the Young Mistress was in and covered her mouth as she chuckled.

No reply came from Ji Yuxian inside the room. With her mission accomplished, she held Shangguan by his arm as she looked up at him enchantingly and said, “Let’s go now!”

Shangguan was mesmerized by the look in her eyes, and he felt his entire body tingle. Circling his arm around her waist, he quickly walked out.

Jin Ming had barely taken two steps when she abruptly turned around and darted a flirtatious glance at Jin Feng. “Good sir, you haven’t answered me yet! Let’s talk again next time! Or you can always come to the Chunhua Brothel to look for me!”

The expression on Shangguan’s face hardened. Tightening his hold around the Jin Ming’s waist, he quickened his pace.

“Yunkun, you’re hurting me!” Jin Ming complained coquettishly.

Jin Feng released a long, deep breath and stared at Shangguan Yunkun with pity in his eyes. Shangguan Yunkun had once been known as the ultimate playboy. For him to meet with such a day was deserving of Jin Feng’s pity indeed!

After half an hour, Ji Yuxian appeared at the Lotus Pavilion.

The servants of the Lotus Pavilion came rushing over wailing and sobbing. Prostrating themselves on the ground, they begged, “Eldest Young Master, please release us! We’re really about to die from hunger!”

“Eldest Young Master, please be merciful! I still have an 80-year-old mother waiting for me back home. I cannot die!”

“We beg you, Eldest Young Master! Please let us out!”

…

Ji Yuxian was dressed in a red robe, and his waist-length hair fluttered in the wind. With an aristocratic air, he looked down in disdain at them.

“Where’s Miss Su?” he asked.

Miss Su was hiding behind a tree at that moment. When she heard Ji Yuxian’s voice, she came rushing out and fell to her knees in front of him. “Eldest Young Master!” She pleaded, “I don’t want to be the Young Mistress anymore! I don’t! Please let me go home!”

Ji Yuxian looked at her unsympathetically. “Have you thought it through?”

Miss Su nodded her head enthusiastically and exclaimed, “Yes!”

“Do you know what you’re supposed to say when you go back?” Ji Yuxian asked coolly.

“Yes! Yes, I do!”

Ji Yuxian turned to leave. His luxurious red robe made him look even harsher. “Guards,” he commanded, “Send Miss Su home!”

“Right away!”

Miss Su was escorted home. Upon stepping through the door, looking like she had just escaped from calamity, she was met with a shocked Madame Su. “Yue’er! Why are you in such a state?” Madame Su exclaimed.

The servants in the Lotus Pavilion had resented Miss Su virulently. Not only had they not waited upon her, but they had also even resorted to hitting and swearing at her, threatening to eat her if hunger overtook them.

Even the maid by the name of Lian Zhi had betrayed her and had tried to strangle her with a belt one night.

Miss Su had been frightened out of her wits and had spent her days in hiding. Whenever she was thirsty, she drank from the pond. When she was hungry, she ate anything that could be eaten, including tree barks, grass stalks, and even the raw fish from the pond.

Indeed, Miss Su had lived the life of a savage within the walls of the Ji Manor.

After going for more than a fortnight without food and grooming, her disheveled hair and grimy face were covered with lice, and she looked no different from a beggar.

“Yue’er, what on earth happened? How did you lose so much weight? What’s wrong with your face?” Madame Su’s eyes were filled with horror.

Miss Su couldn’t be bothered to answer her at that moment. She pushed Madame Su aside and ran towards the reception pavilion.

She yelled, “Food! Food!”

All she could think about was food. She ran straight to the reception pavilion, and when she saw the table laid out with snacks and confectionary, her eyes lit up. She rushed over and shoved the food into her mouth with her bare hands. Not bothering to chew, she swallowed the food immediately, choking till her eyes rolled back.

The two Su brothers emerged from the side chamber, and when they saw Miss Su shoving food into her mouth, they flew into a rage. They hurled a teacup over at her and yelled, “Where did this beggar come from? How dare you come inside the house! Get out!”

The teapot smashed against Miss Su’s shoulder, and she wobbled slightly, but she continued shoving food into her mouth all the same.

“Guards! Throw this madwoman out!” Su Yan bellowed in disdain.

Madame Su ran over and hollered, “She’s not a madwoman! She’s your younger sister!”

“What?” the two Su brothers widened their eyes in shock.

Wasn’t their sister the Young Mistress of the Ji Manor? How did she decline to such a state?

Madame Su rushed forward. When she saw that Miss Su was still cramming cakes into her mouth despite choking uncontrollably, she wept heartbrokenly. “Qiu’er…” She cried, “What’s wrong with you? Say something! Stop eating!”

The two brothers came over and held her down. At the rate their sister was going, she was going to choke to death.

…

A moment later, Miss Su was taken inside the house to bathe and change her clothes.

The Su Family sat in the reception pavilion, puzzled at the situation.

“What is there to be puzzled about? It’s obvious that Ji Yuxian ill-treated our daughter!” Madame Su ground out resentfully.

“How dare he?! I’m going to get him for this!” Su Di was young and brash, and he rose to leave.

“Stand where you are!” Su Wenqian ordered angrily. “Do you have any idea where this is? This is Shengjing City! All Ji Yuxian has to do is snap his fingers, and you’d be dead!”

“Father, why should we have to put up with this here? Why don’t we just return to Fuyang City?” Su Yan asked.

“Return? How are we supposed to return? All our property has already been sold, and both of you have spent all the money! Are we supposed to live on an empty stomach if we go back?” Su Wenqian retorted in anger.

The real reason was that he couldn’t reconcile himself to that fate!

Back then, when he had left Shengjing City, it hadn’t been of his own will. He had waited 18 years for the opportunity to return to finally arise. There was no way he’d be willing to just return empty-handed!

Madame Su wailed, “Why are you going after your sons? They’re still so young! It’s only because our family was weak in the first place that we could get bullied by the Ji Family!”

Su Di had a sudden change of heart, and with a shift in his eyes, he said, “Father is right. We cannot go back to Fuyang. We still have to rely on the Ji Manor in the future. It’s better if Sister returns!”

“I’m not going back!”

A panicked screech suddenly came from the door. Everyone whipped their heads and saw Miss Su in a change of clothes. But she was very thin. Her cheeks had collapsed, and her old clothing was a few sizes too big for her. She looked frail enough to be blown away by the wind anytime!

Miss Su ran in and knelt on the ground. “Father, Mother,” she wailed, “I refuse to go back to the Ji Manor! I won’t return even if you beat me up! Please annul the marriage! I don’t want to be the Young Mistress of the Ji Manor anymore!”

Madame Su cried along with her. Considering that the position of the Young Mistress Ji had been her daughter’s dream, she must have gone through unimaginable hardships not to want it any longer.

Su Wenqian walked over to help Miss Su up. He said, “Qiu’er, get up first.”

“I’m not Su Yuejiu. I’m Su Yueqiu. I don’t want to go back to the Ji Manor. Father, I’m begging you! Please don’t make me return!” Miss Su wailed.

“Alright, then. You won’t have to return. Get up now.” Su Wenqian’s heart couldn’t help aching when he witnessed how terrified his daughter looked, and his hatred for the Ji Manor intensified.

Upon hearing that she didn’t have to return, Miss Su finally calmed down, and she stood there dumbly in a daze.

“Get the kitchen to brew some chicken soup for Jiu’er, and send her back to her room to get some rest. We’ll discuss this again when she’s better!” Su Wenqian said to Madame Su.

“Alright!” Madame Su held Miss Su by the arm as she led her to the bedroom.

When the two women left, Su Di went forward and asked, “Father, are we going to annul the marriage with the Ji Family?”

Su Wenqian shook his head with an eerie laugh. “Annul the marriage? It’s not that easily done!”

At most, they’d prevent Jiu’er from returning to the Ji Manor. However, unless the Ji Manor made the first move and disgraced themselves, an annulment was out of the question!

The maidservant, Peach, was passing by the door when she overheard the conversation inside. When she returned, she related it all to the Eldest Mistress.

The Eldest Mistress was reading at her desk, and when she heard the news, her face remained expressionless, as if the whole matter had nothing to do with her in the first place.

Back then, it had been Su Wenqian and Madame Su who conspired to send Su Yueqiu into the capital to get married. They hadn’t notified her of it, and by the time she had found out, Su Yueqiu had already been on the way to the capital.

She didn’t ask for details to find out more the way she had 12 years ago.

With Jiu’er gone, she no longer cared about the affairs of the world.

And whatever they did, no longer had anything to do with her.

Madame Su probably felt pricked by her conscience, and had wanted to transfer the Su Yueqiu’s parentage to her; she would be considered her biological daughter from then on.

The Eldest Mistress had kept quiet and acted as if she hadn’t heard a word. Uninterested to pursue the matter, Madame Su had left on her own.

At present, whether Su Yueqiu had become the Young Mistress of the Ji Manor, or whether she had been chased out, no longer had anything to do with her.

However, there was one matter that perplexed her.

She had come to the capital because she had received a letter while in Fuyang. However, upon arriving, no one had come looking for her.

She had asked Su Wenqian about it in private and had ascertained that neither he nor Madame Su had written the letter. Therefore, who was the person who wanted her to come to the capital?

And now that she was here, why hadn’t the person revealed his or her identity?

However, she was convinced that it was only a matter of time before the person came looking for her!

When Yu Long emerged from the commercial house and found out that Chang Huan had yet to return, a frown appeared on her face, betraying her worry.

Upon returning to the palace grounds, she saw Prince Zhao’s carriage parked outside the gate. Yu Long arched a brow, and instead of heading back to her chambers, as usual, she made a detour to the reception pavilion.

In the reception pavilion, Prince Zhao was chatting with Lord Yun Nan, and when he saw Yu Long enter, he rose immediately and greeted her, “Princess!”

Yu Long lowered her eyes and returned the greeting. “Prince Zhao, I didn’t know you were visiting, and I didn’t welcome you properly. Please do not take offense!”

Wrapped in fur, the princess looked elegant and glamorous, and Xiao Jing was dumbfounded by her beauty for a moment. It took him a while to regain his wits, and he replied, “You’re being too courteous, Princess. We’ve known each other for some time, and can be considered more than mere acquaintances. There isn’t a need for such formality between us!”

Yu Long nodded her head slightly and sat on the chair across from him. With a smile, she said, “What is the current situation on the battlefield? How did you manage to take the time to come here, Prince Zhao?”

Xia Cang’s gaze shifted to his daughter as he took a sip of tea. Lately, Yu Long had taken a keen interest in the military affairs at Youzhou. She had already asked about it numerous times.

Furthermore, he had been curious as to why she would take the initiative to come forward and meet Prince Zhao. Now he knew that it was because she had wanted to probe for news of the battle.

But why did she care so much?

Xia Cang shifted his eyes and suddenly thought of Prince Rui, who had been sent to oversee the army, and was currently in Youzhou. Was Long’er doing this because of Prince Rui?

Xiao Jing chuckled. “My father, the Emperor, just received the report that General Nangong arrived just in time and decimated 30,000 Naye soldiers, rescuing Hu Dapao who was surrounded on the mountain!”

Yu Long’s eyes lit up. “That’s really good news!” She said with a smile, “But did the report state if anyone was injured?”

Xiao Jing was stunned for a moment, before he replied, “No!”

Xia Cang had his answer. Indeed, his daughter was pining for Prince Rui.

Having heard the news that the Liang army was victorious, Yu Long quietly released a sigh. Chang Huan had gone with Su Jiu to save Hu Dapao. Since Hu Dapao was fine, that meant that Chang Huan had to be fine too.

Now that she had gotten her news, Yu Long was no longer in the mood to converse with Xiao Jing. Using a headache as an excuse, she retired to her room.

Xiao Jing rose in courtesy to see her off.

Xia Cang frowned as he observed the way Xiao Jing craned his neck for the last glimpse of Yu Long. If Yu Long fancied Prince Rui, what was he going to do about Prince Zhao?

Yu Long’s choice didn’t just affect who her husband was going to be. It dictated the future of Diannan City.

Judging from how mesmerized Prince Zhao was with Yu Long, if she married Prince Rui, Xiao Jing would most certainly hold a grudge against them.

If he became the Crown Prince and ascended the throne in the future, that wouldn’t bode well for the Yun Nan Manor at all!

Indeed, this situation warranted further consideration!