The second concubine did not stop spouting nonsense, even after she felt like her throat is burning. "I sure you would agree with your second niang right? Our first Xiaojie is very bright! She would know what's the best." Liu Bai Pan hid the sinister grin threatening to take over her face.
Zhi Ruo could somewhat understand what was going on, Liu Su Yang was desperate; desperately looking for someone to blame on. General Liu might've been furious by now, and it would be no surprise if he would impulsively put the blame on Su Yang's head. It was very likely that she would be the only one who would have known the location, and access of the warehouse.
Zhi Ruo tapped on the rotting table, her eyes crinkled with a smile. But under her mask, she was baring her teeth in silent laughter. "Indeed, I do know what's the best course if actions."
"Yes, yes, should I accompany you to go and tell the master?" Liu Bai Pan eagerly bit the bait.
"Oh no, you are mistaken." Zhi Ruo was pleased, at the greed and selfishness of this second concubine. "I'm not agreeing with you." She would be perfect to act as a sheild.
It didn't take a second for the second concubine's face to be replaced in a disbelieving face. She widened her eyes viciously, not believing that she was brushed off just like that. "What did you say?!" Her voice bacame harsh and hoarse.
"I said im not agreeing with you," Zhi Ruo shook her head. "Even an idiot would know how desperate you are, trying to fabricate a lie from my mouth."
Zhi Ruo tilted her head, and she looked at Liu Bai Pan dead center on her eyes. "Desperate, stupid, and impatient. Tsk, and you call yourself a concubine of General Liu."
Pah! The crisp sound of slapping echoed around the barren courtyard.
Something snapped inside in Liu Bai Pan, as she stood up from her position and went to slap Zhi Ruo.
The girl didn't even try to dodge the incoming hand, and the slap landed neatly on her masked face. Zhi Ruo didn't bother to stop the grin that crept up to her face. Liu Bai Pan might have not noticed, but Zhi Ruo did.
The flimsy paper door was suddenly slammed open, an imposing man stood on the entrance of that flimsy door. His eyes looked at the scene before him, Zhi Ruo fell dramatically on the floor, and Liu Bai Pan hovered above her hands still outstretched. The maid crept on the corner of the room, trying to make her presence on the room as invisible as possible.
The man with an imposing aura was visibly amplified when he saw Zhi Ruo's body on the ground.
"Master!" Liu Bai Pan snapped out from her reverie as she called out.
She didn't call out to the imposing man, but to the man behind him. There stood general Liu behind the man, his body was hunched over, beside him Concubine Liu Su Yang was assisting him, though it was apparent that she was not faring much better.
"Kneel! What are you doing?!" General Liu didn't bother correcting his body as he shouted bloody murder at Liu Bai Pan.
Taken aback, Second concubine registered the man who was looking at her. The man's eyes promised blood as he stared at Liu Bai Pan's figure who was shaking in fear.
"Who dares..." A few of the man's hair fluttered revealing some white hair underneath. His beard seemed to coil in anger upon seeing Zhi Ruo sprawled weakly on the floor.
Zhi Ruo could feel Ravel's will humming within their connection. 'stay put' Zhi Ruo stated, feeling that Ravel would jump on the man if this entire charade goes on any longer.
"Father-in-law please quell your anger, that woman is but a lowly wench from a brothel. " General Liu called out to the man. "If you want, you can kill that woman," The general hurriedly appeased. It looked like standing up was too painful for him. Liu Su Yang also was not faring any better beside him.
Disgusted, Zhi Ruo sneered in her heart when she heard how the general tried to handle the situation. She was glad that her poison was working, it was little payback. 'Hopefully you survive this General Liu, it would be a pity if you just died here. I was just getting started.' Zhi Ruo mused quietly.
Liu Bai Pan, who already kneeled in front of the man general Liu called father-in-law. She trembled in fear and anger when she heard what general Liu stated.
'Liu Su Yang's father? No it doesn't seem like it. Unless that concubine became 'that' impatient that she had to call over her family in helping of getting rid of me.' Zhi Ruo mused, still weakly sprawled on the floor.
"Child," The man called out, he kicked Liu Bai Pan who was already kneeling to the side. With no regards wether she was important or not. Zhi Ruo's heart drummed against her chest.
She was warily looking through her lashes at the man, her face still facing at the ground. It was becoming apparent that this person was dangerous, and powerful enough to ignore the general with no regards. So she stayed silent, contemplating if the man who called out 'child' was aimed at her.
"You. All of you, get out!" Seeing that Zhi Ruo didn't respond to his call. He pointed at everyone in the room and told them to get out. He didn't even acknowledge the maid that was becoming paler and Liu Bai Pan who was gritting her teeth to hard that blood started coming out from her mouth.
The people inside the room scrambled to get up and run, and as for the general and the concubine outside. They didn't not hesitate to walk away as the man ordered. But right when the door was closing, she could clearly see the general shoot a sneer behind the man's back.
As the people outside was out of the ear shot, the people inside the room stayed silent.
With a thud, the man suddenly kneeled on front of Zhi Ruo.
"Child, is it really you?" The man called out again.
This time Zhi Ruo looked up and met the eyes of the man. 'He looks familiar,' Zhi Ruo thought, after finally getting a good look at the man.
"I do not know who you are." Zhi Ruo uttered, as she saw the man looking at the lotus mark on her forehead. Zhi Ruo wearily covered the mark with her hand.
"After the engagement was cancelled, I thought you were dead. But—" The man teared up, his voice cracking. This might've been very emotional for him, but Zhi Ruo could not pinpoint as to who the man is. So she continued to listen as the man shed tears as he talked about something that Zhi Ruo could only count as blabbers.
"Child why don't you speak? Do you not recognize this old man? It's me, your grandfather Ye." The man asked seeing that Zhi Ruo was looking at him blankly. "Child! Grandfather has wronged you! Grandfather should've searched for you harder, I shouldn't have never given up on searching." The man, no, Zhi Ruo's Grandfather shed tears as he held onto Zhi Ruo's thin hands.
"I- I do not have any grandfather. This— what are you talking about?" Zhi Ruo decided to play 'im just an innocent abused victim that's been living like a rock.' card. Her face has been concealing everything underneath her eyes. But her voice shook and her eyes displayed weariness someone her age should not have.
This made the old man's heart break, "I have wronged your mother, I have wronged you." Grandfather Ye's voice shook, as if he had done something terribly wrong. "Tell me child, do you have this?" Grandfather Ye lets go of Zhi Ruo's hands and he fished out a familiar Jade token from his robe.
Zhi Ruo's blank eyes sparked with recognition. And then she paused. "I— I recently got something like that." Zhi Ruo slowly began. Careful of the words she uttered. She looked around, as if trying to see if somebody was in the room and listening to the conversation. Seeing this action, Grandfather Ye nodded his head and reassured that nobody was within the vasinity.
Zhi Ruo smiled, when she saw Grandfather Ye's reaction. She began to talk.
She already knew who the man was and what her relationship with her. She would like to hear his side of the story but it was apparent that he would like to hear hers first.
So she lied, she started to talk about this mysterious man that knocked on her windows the night the fire happened. And how the man had given her a ring, and the Jade token saying she must drip her blood unto it. And how the man did not give her any choice as he forcefully pricked her finger and let her blood drip on the two items.
When she asked the man who he was and what the ring and the Jade are for, he only reply with a simple grunt and a motion that she could only consider as 'you will know soon.'
After that Zhi Ruo told Grandfather Ye that she fell asleep immediately with the token gone and the ring under her pillow. She told Grandfather Ye that she did not dare utter a single word about the encounter, fearing that the Liu Fu would accuse her of collaborating with the man who committed the arson.
Grandfather Ye's face became darker by the second as Zhi Ruo narrated her story. He informed Zhi Ruo what the token was and asked her to summon it. After hearing grandfather Ye's explanation, Zhi Ruo puts up an act that told others that she was earnestly listening and demonstrating.
When the token was summoned, Grandfather Ye shed tears again. Grandfather Ye told Zhi Ruo to not lose the ring and to unsummon the token. Grandfather Ye told Zhi Ruo that what's inside the ring was probably the dowry of Ye Yu Yan, Zhi Ruo's mother and Grandfather Ye Gu Shi's daughter.
Without thinking much, Zhi Ruo innocently asked Grandfather Ye why he took so long in finding her when she was just always inside the isolated and rundown courtyard.
Grandfather Ye hang his head low in guilt, as he properly sat down and explained everything to Zhi Ruo. Telling her about how he had worked hard to find her, but general Liu would refuse him saying that his eldest was fine. The old man had told her that it was probably his fault for not trying harder.
Patriarch Ye told her that breaking up of her engagement was something that he had hoped and despise for. Because after the news that the engagement broke, rumors had started to to amble about the eldest of the Liu family had died. He had momentarily given up for a while before he gathered himself up and sent spies to the Liu Fu.
He found out about how the fire had happened, and now the general was mysteriously ill. And coincidentally the token that he had held dead hope for suddenly came back to life and activated. The old man had told her that he had instantly left the Ye estate and went to find the Liu Fu. Leaving his servants catching up to him and convincing him to not act rashly.
Zhi Ruo secretly applauded in her heart, seeing that the incident just happened last night. This grandfather of hers truly did not lie to her, when he had said that he bolted instantly and made his was to the Liu Fu. But there was certain things that Zhi Ruo had caught up to that did not make sense to her.
But for now, she did not mind those. Looking at how this grandfather of hers was truly sincere and genuine.
So Zhi Ruo played her cards right.
"Grandfather, now that you are here now. Does that mean I would get to eat meals? Grandfather if it is possible, could you take me away?" Zhi Ruo pitifully voiced out. Her eyes hopeful as she gazed at the man in front of her.
She clutched the hem of patriarch Ye's robe, and the grandfather decicevly nodded his head resolutely. His heart throbbed when he heard that the first thing his granddaughter had asked for was food, and for him to take her away from this place.
"Yes, of course, when we get back to the Ye resident you will have all the food that you want."
"Even water? And bath?"
"Even jewelries and clothes! Everything that you want this grandfather will give to you!"
Zhi Ruo can't help but laugh delighted, and Patriarch Ye dotingly patted the his granddaughter.
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