At those words, Su Jiuguo tried to grab her by the collar. However, his daughter was so immeasurably strong that she did not budge even after a long time, and he almost sprained his back from the effort. Wheezing, he snapped, "They eat and spend from our family's coffers, and you're sending them off without even getting anything out of it? Did your mother take your brain when she left?!"
Seeing how strenuous the topic was for her father, Su Ye simply rocked along with his movements to avoid him getting embarrassed. Still, perhaps because she had done too many outrageous things before, Su Jiuguo was much more resistant to such things compared to other fathers.
He seemed to cool down soon enough, and freed Su Ye as he calmed down, waving her off. "It's fine, it's just pocket change and not important. However, you are not to return the one you bought with a hundred thousand golden leaves… because he basically bankrupted me."
For some reason, Su Jiuguo often spoke like a common thug despite being a powerful governor. Su Ye did not say a word, which left him perplexed. "What's wrong? Why are you silent whenever I mention the new gigolo? Are you that protective of him?" Chuckling as a thought crossed his mind, he patted her on the shoulder and coaxed, "Don't worry—I'm not into men and won't steal from you. Nonetheless, you should at least let me see what a hundred thousand golden leaves looks like."
Su Ye quietly took two steps back at that, refraining from looking her father in the eye. "Father, I have made a mistake."
"Eh? What are you saying? Be confident now, you are the daughter of Su Jiuguo—my daughter. What, are you afraid of being unable to conquer a little gigolo?" Su Jiuguo chided her, assuming that his daughter was worried that she could not claim the gigolo's heart.
Nonetheless, Su Ye's gaze darted to a nearby pillar when she was his concerned look, avoiding his gaze before she spoke: "It wasn't a hundred thousand golden leaves for the person… but a hundred thousand golden leaves for one night."
Su Jiuguo stood there for a while, reflecting and muttering, "One night…?"
In the next instant, he was jumping in rage again. "You spent a hundred thousand golden leaves to fool around for one night?! Is that gigolo made of gold?! Argh! You were drugged, weren't you?!"
Su Ye was once again about to be scolded, though she managed a quick retreat this time. As she gathered her skirts and ran off, she looked back and called out, "Don't worry, Father! I'll make sure to support you after you retire!"
Her words were supposed to set his mind at ease, but Su Jiuguo almost fainted out of sheer frustration.
He cold-shouldered her for days after that.
Once Su Ye had fled her manor, she leaned on a wall and breathed a sigh of relief. Her father had just been cannon fodder in the book, and his first appearance was also the moment when he had been killed. The key to dowries or whatnot had never been mentioned in the book either.
Holding the rusted key between her fingers, Su Ye studied it closely. She had been in such a rush to leave just now that she forgotten to ask which door it opened!
As the thought crossed her mind, Xiao Xing's anxious voice called out from behind, "Milady, milady…"
Running up to her, Xiao Xing saw Su Ye studying the key, and quickly wiped off her sweat as she told her, "You ran off too quickly just now, milady… Anyway, the governor wanted me to relay his words—he wed your mother at the imperial city, and the dowries were kept there."
Su Ye nodded, and thought to herself, 'The distance between Mystic Moon City and the imperial city…'