"Han Yunxi, stop it!"
"I'm warning you, if you don't stop now, you'll have to shoulder the consequences!"
"Han Yunxi, do you hear me? Stop!"
… …
Chu Qingge was already in Han Yunxi's hands, but she was still wasting words on her? Han Yunxi's lips curved into a wicked smile as she removed the waistband. Very soon, the bow came undone, freeing the robes around Chu Qingge. As the various layers of her clothing came loose, it exposed her white inner robes.
"Ahh!" Chu Qingge screamed. The Chu Clan had always taught conservative values, so how could her proud and haughty personality bear such a thing? Very soon, tears gathered at the corner of her eyes. Han Yunxi really was devious. Despite Chu Qingge's tears, she was still smiling innocently as she pretended to continue. Now Chu Qingge was truly scared and implored, "Han Yunxi, I'm begging you! I'm begging you to let me go!"
"Han Yunxi, I was the one who was wrong at the poison grounds, just spare me." Chu Qingge was frightened out of her wits, enough to give up her pride and admit her wrongs to Han Yunxi. After all, this was Tianning's capital city, and she was here with Duanmu Baiye as representatives of Western Zhou to congratulate the empress dowager on her old age. Once she lost her clothes and things grew serious, she'd be losing face for both the Chu Clan and Western Zhou Country!
Her life would be ruined as well!
The ice beauty was begging for mercy, so how could Han Yunxi still be shameless enough to continue? She smiled before retying Chu Qingge's waistband and patting her. "What are you so nervous about? I was only making a joke. Did Eldest Young Miss Chu take it seriously? Am I that obscene?"
All right, Han Yunxi wasn't some saint. But she did have her scruples. Moreover, Chu Qingge was had come this time as a foreign guest. If she made too much of a ruckus, Emperor Tianhui would definitely object. She still hadn't figured out the problem of the western mountains, so she couldn't let the man get another hold on her. Furthermore, the bet between her and Chu Qingge had happened at the poison grounds. If she pissed off this woman until she revealed the secrets of the poison grounds, wouldn't she end up offending Medical City as well?
Han Yunxi wasn't the type of person to show off and flaunt as she liked. She had a proper sense of her own limits. Besides, there was still Mu Linger around. She wasn't someone easy to provoke. Give her a chance and she'd definitely kill off Chu Qingge for real.
Chu Qingge was still in the throes of panic, her face pale. When she saw that Han Yunxi had withdrawn for real, her heart finally sank back into her chest. But how could she be content with that? Arrogant types like her hated when others flaunted their arrogance at them! If she'd only felt jealousy for Han Yunxi before, now it had grown into a full-sized grudge! She didn't dare express her feelings here, but silently vowed to get her revenge in the future. Otherwise, my name isn't Chu!
Mu Linger had been feeling worried while completely absorbed in the exchange, but lost all interest when Han Yunxi relented. She couldn't help but think that she'd give Chu Qingge a few slaps herself if she could move.
"Child, come here," Han Yunxi beckoned gently towards the little beggar girl in the corner. Immediately, she ran over, her wide eyes shining with gratitude. Mu Linger's face fell at the sight. She was the one who defended her! Han Yunxi just happened to seize the chance to take her own revenge!
Han Yunxi gave an antidote pill to the little beggar and smiled. "Although they've both been poisoned with different toxins, both of them will recover their mobility within an hour. This antidote can dispel the poison, but there's only one pill. You can pick who to give it to."
As soon as Han Yunxi finished speaking, Chu Qingge glared at her. "Han Yunxi, you!"
Of course the little beggar girl would save Mu Linger! Wouldn't Mu Linger rip her to shreds within the hour, then?
Mu Linger was caught off guard. She looked at Han Yunxi at the same time she looked back, and the two of them stared at each other in silence. Finally, both of them averted their eyes. Han Yunxi stroked the little beggar girl's head before she teased, "I'm going now. It's fine if you don't give the antidote to anyone, either."
This was just a joke, at most. How was that possible? The little girl wasn't a fool.
When Chu Qingge saw Han Yunxi go down the stairs, she shouted, "Han Yunxi, come back! You can't do this! Get back here!"
The little beggar girl immediately went to Mu Linger's side and placed the pill in her mouth. "Big sister, thank you. My name is Su Xiaoyu."1
This was the only thing she said before she ran off to chase after Han Yunxi. She didn't even care whether Mu Linger would demand an apology from Chu Qingge anymore. Now there was only Mu Linger and Chu Qingge left in the second floor of the restaurant. Soon enough, Mu Linger recovered her ability to move. When Chu Qingge saw her drawing near, her heart began to beat quickly. "What are you planning to do?"
Mu Linger loved and hated in equal measure. She adored without fail the people she loved, and loathed without end the people she despised. "What do you think I'm going to do?" she asked seriously.
"I'm warning you, if you dare–"
Before Chu Qingge could finish, Mu Linger slapped her soundly on the face! Just like how Chu Qingge had left a handprint on the little beggar girl, she now sported five red fingerprints of her own against her skin.
"You don't have to apologize anymore, are you happy?" asked Mu Linger. Compared to that, slapping her was much better!
Chu Qingge only felt as if her face was stinging so much that it was practically on fire. Still, it couldn't compare to the flames raging in her heart. "Damned girl, tell me your name if you have any guts!" she roared.
"Medicine City's Mu Clan, Mu Linger! How's that?" Mu Linger replied immediately. She didn't change any part of her name, but declared it outright!
"You!" Chu Qingge was surprised. She never thought this was none other than Medicine City's genius pharmacist. But so what if she was from the Mu Clan? "Mu Linger, you better kill me outright. Otherwise, I'll make sure you have a nasty death!" Chu Qingge warned coldly. This was the first time in her life she'd been hit by a woman, and on the face at that.
"You think I don't dare?" Mu Linger asked loudly. Han Yunxi might know her limits, but she was an absolutely impulsive type. She couldn't hold her tongue or tolerate anything. Without another word, she ripped off Chu Qingge's waistband.
"Mu Linger, stop that! Stop!"
"Do you hear me or not? You, stop it! Are you sick of living?"
… …
Mu Linger allowed Chu Qingge to shriek and shout while pretending to not hear a thing. Both of her hands worked together to take off Chu Qingge's outer robes.
"Ah…. Ahhhhh!" Chu Qingge was about to go mad as she screamed for dear life. She was too scared to even beg for mercy, but Mu Linger wouldn't have spared her anyways. Very soon, Mu Linger took off Chu Qingge's long skirt.
"You dared to drug me with an aphrodisiac. I'll let you know what it truly means to be sick of living!"
"Save me, ah…sobsob…save me…" Finally, Chu Qingge was frightened to the point of tears. She was only wearing her inner robes by now, but still unable to move. But as it turned out, Mu Linger still wasn't done. She grabbed the waistband tying Chu Qingge's inner robes together. Han Yunxi might have her scruples, but she had none!
If Han Yunxi wasn't going to do it, she'd do it herself!
"No…" Chu Qingge was on the edge of falling apart.
But right at this moment, a figure flashed into sight and carried off Chu Qingge. Mu Linger instantly gave chase, but lost sight of the two as soon as she reached the window. She gave a cold snort. "Count yourself lucky!"
She stood by the window for a while until her heart gradually calmed down. Then she looked around the disordered room before her eyes rested on the chair where Han Yunxi had sat. She knew that Han Yunxi had done everything on purpose, so she could admit…that the woman had saved her.
But who had saved Chu Qingge?
Mu Linger was too lazy to bother guessing. Her mood was much better now!
—
Currently, Han Yunxi had been stopped in her tracks by the little beggar girl named Su Xiaoyu. Wherever she went, the girl would quietly follow.
"Child, what will make you go away? Why are you following me?" It wasn't that Han Yunxi was unkind. She'd already given Su Xiaoyu a bag full of silver, enough to help her eke out a existence in the capital city. But the girl still wouldn't leave.
Su Xiaoyu stared at her with wide eyes, her lips drawn into a line. It wasn't that she wouldn't speak, but that she didn't dare. Han Yunxi sighed and crouched down, suppressing her impatience. "Speak, what do you want to do?"
Only then did Su Xiaoyu timidly open her lips. "Big sister, I want…I want to be your servant. Please take me in."
Servant…
Han Yunxi didn't even know how to reply. She felt very uncomfortable hearing that word. She might have come from the future, but she knew not to use their concepts of equality for all in the past. In this world, it was the strong who lorded over the weak. Still, she didn't like hearing a child speak of such things.
"Big sister, I don't know who my father or mother are. I've always been by myself, and I can't use up so much silver," Su Xiaoyu said as she returned the bag of silver to Han Yunxi. "Big sister, if you take me as your servant and just give me a place to eat and sleep, it'll be enough. I'm very hardworking."
She was a precocious child despite being only seven to eight years old. Han Yunxi felt her heart ache at the sight of Su Xiaoyu's large, sincere eyes. She thought it over before nodding her head. "Let's go then, come back with me!" There was only an elderly Zhao mama at the Leisurely Cloud Pavilion. It wouldn't be bad to give her a little girl as a companion.
Han Yunxi took Su Xiaoyu to the gates of the Duke of Qin's estate, only to find her skid to a halt with a face full of shock.
"Let's go," Han Yunxi had been holding her hand the entire time, not caring that it was dirty.
"You're esteemed wangfei?" Su Xiaoyu asked timidly.
Han Yunxi laughed. "What, you're afraid of being my servant now?"
Su Xiaoyu quickly shook her head. "I'm not!"
After entering the estate, Han Yunxi first handed Su Xiaoyu to Steward Luo for a few days' of training before she be sent to the Leisurely Cloud Pavilion. By the time she went there herself, Chu Xifeng had already come running over. "Esteemed wangfei, where did you pick up this beggar from?"
Han Yunxi told him about everything that had happened at the restaurant, causing Chu Xifeng's mouth to twitch. He didn't say much, but he was definitely going to privately investigate Su Xiaoyu's origins. Anyone who wasn't personally approved by His Highness Duke of Qin needed a background check, even if she was a child.
"What about His Highness? When is he coming back?" Han Yunxi asked seriously.
The empress dowager's birthday banquet would be the day after tomorrow. Long Feiye had already expressed his stance by moving against Eunuch Xue, but he wouldn't go so far as avoiding the banquet entirely, right?
"This subordinate doesn't know," Chu Xifeng really had no idea. He only knew that His Highness still came home every single night.
Two days later, on the day of the empress dowager's birthday banquet, Han Yunxi sat waiting from noon to night without a sign of Long Feiye! The banquet was supposed to be a dinner feast, but many of the imperial clansmen had already entered the palace by noon. Naturally, Long Feiye would never go early, but he couldn't arrive too late, either! As night fell, Han Yunxi sat by the entrance to his rooms, feeling anxious the longer she waited.
What's happened to him? Did he run into some trouble?
1. Su Xiaoyu – Su is the same character found in lusu, or pesky. Xiaoyu means "little jade."