No!
Xia Yuqing gasped her eyes wide with disbelief.
No—this wasn't possible. Not her. Not Xinran. Her best friend would never… Her mind raced, searching for explanations. Maybe there was some mistake? Maybe this wasn't— but the earrings.
Her earrings.
The ones she had lent Li Xinran just last week were the evidence. She was the one who was sleeping with their boss. But if she was the one, then how could she stand there, untouched by guilt? Unbothered. How?
"Xinran, you—"
She barely got the words out before Li Xinran's expression shifted. Her wide eyes shimmered—not with guilt, but something more insidious. "Yuqing?" she whispered, her voice trembling. "I… I can't believe this. You… actually did this?"
Xia Yuqing froze.
"Sleeping with a married man? How could you?" she continued, her voice full of disbelief and shock. "I thought you were my best friend, someone with morals. But this? Seducing a married man?" She sucked in a breath, shaking her head as if she were too heartbroken to bear it. "How could you stoop so low?"
Xu Yuqing felt as if someone had pulled the ground on which she was standing. "Xinran, what are you saying? I didn't—It was you! The earrings—"
But before she could finish another slap struck her cheek.
SMACK!
Xia Yuqing's head snapped to the side, her cheek burning from the impact but also from the sting of betrayal from her one and only friend. She staggered back, her legs unsteady as her heel caught on the edge of a chair. Before she could steady herself, she fell, hitting the corner of the table.
A sharp pain hit her head, and everything around her spun. Warm liquid trickled down her forehead.
"It… it wasn't me," she choked out, barely able to form the words. "It was… Xinran…"
Her vision blurred. The voices around her became distant, warped. The room spun.
And then—darkness.
Gasps filled the room as Xia Yuqing collapsed, her limp body sprawled on the cold floor. Blood pooled from the wound on her forehead.
For a moment, there was complete silence. And then, everyone exchanged worried and nervous looks. No matter what Xia Yuqing did, she was human. They needed to help her for humanity's sake.
"If anyone dares help that slut, consider yourself unemployed," Mrs. Hu's sharp voice cut through the room like a knife.
A collective shudder ran through the office. Feet that had instinctively stepped forward hesitated, then stilled. No one moved. As everyone was focused on Xia Yuqing and Mrs. Hu, no one noticed the small flicker of relief flashing through Li Xinran's eyes.
Meanwhile, even after seeing Xu Yuqing faint, Mrs. Hu's anger didn't go down. The sight of Xia Yuqing only reminded her of her husband's betrayal, of the lies, and of the shame. The thought itself was like a thousand ants crawling at her heart.
Her lips curled as she clenched her fist and raised her foot, ready to throw a vicious kick. But before she could, a slender hand shot out and grabbed her ankle.
"Ahhhh!" Mrs. Hu shrieked, losing her balance.
She tumbled backward, but thankfully, two men were standing behind her. They caught her before she could land on the ground. Everyone in the office stared in shock at the sudden turn of events. The woman who had been lying unconscious on the ground just moments ago… was now on her feet.
Xia Yuqing blinked, slightly dazed. "Am I not dead yet?"
Her nose twitched as her fingers brushed against something warm and sticky. Blood. Was it from the poison? No... there was something else, another sharp pain... her cheek. It throbbed as if someone had slapped her hard.
Her gaze darkened. Who dared strike her, the Empress? The thought alone sent a rush of fury through her veins.
Which insolent fool was ready to die?
But wait—something didn't add up. She frowned, trying to piece it together. Hadn't she swallowed the poison? Why was she still alive? The Emperor... No! He wouldn't have saved her.
Then how?
"Xia Yuqing!!!"
A shrill voice yanked her back to the present. The voice was harsh, even enraged. Xia Yuqing's frown deepened. How dare she address the Empress by her full name? Her eyes narrowed, but before she could lash out, something caught her attention. Her gaze moved past the woman, scanning her unfamiliar surroundings.
This wasn't the imperial palace... nor was it the imperial prison.
Where was she? Was this... the afterlife?
She turned her head slowly, her eyes darting around the room, taking in the bizarre sight. Nothing made sense. The room around her was unlike anything she had ever seen. The walls weren't stone; they were smooth and made of some strange material. The air felt different, thinner, and filled with an odd hum.
The people wore strange clothes. Their were weird objects scattered around, some sharp, some black and some glowing. And the men, they had short hair... Even her clothes looked strange and oddly shaped, made of material like cotton and something she couldn't even name.
Confusion washed over her. What was going on?
"How dare you push me?!" the angry woman shrieked, lunging forward. "You want to kill me? Do you want to take my place? I won't let you!"
Xia Yuqing reacted on instinct, her body moving before her mind could process. She grabbed the woman's hand and twisted it—hard, her eyes murderous.
"Ahhhh!!!!" Mrs. Hu's shriek filled the air like a dying pig's squeal.
Everyone in the office including Li Xinran stared in shock, their bodies frozen in disbelief.
"Xia Yuqing, what are you doing? Are you crazy? Let go of her!" Li Xinran exclaimed, rushing forward to help.
"My hand! My hand! It's broken!" Mrs. Hu wailed, tears streaming down her face. "This slut wants to kill me! She wants to take my place!"
While Mrs. Hu continued to wail, Li Xinran looked at her. "Xia Yuqing, let go of Mrs. Hu's hand," she said. Xia Yuqing narrowed her eyes, catching the small look of joy that flashed through this woman's eyes before it disappeared quickly.
For some reason, this woman in red reminded her of the emperor's concubines in the palace who played dirty tricks to blame her. Though she did not understand what was going on, her gut feeling told her that it had something to do with this woman in red.
Still disoriented, Xia Yuqing hesitated, then released Mrs. Hu's wrist. The moment she let go, a deep voice boomed through the room.
"What is going on in here?"