Huai Tree’s Repayment of Kindness – Part 2
The next morning, Su Qingtang unusually woke up early. She pushed open the window and looked at the branches swaying by the window, leaning on one hand as she thought about how she had nearly died of shock last night when she placed the dragon tooth somewhere else before sleeping.
She looked down at the dragon tooth necklace resting quietly on her chest. Alright then—perhaps the dragon pearl really worked. Or rather, anything that carried Yin Guhuai’s aura seemed to work.
But… would he really give her a dragon pearl that easily?
“Miss, Miss, good news!” came Yiyuan’s shout from outside.
Su Qingtang turned around and saw her maid’s figure running closer. Unless Yin Guhuai had decided to give her the dragon pearl, she doubted there was any “good news.”
“Slow down, don’t make such a fuss.” Su Qingtang stood up to meet her, handing over the tea that was already prepared on the table. “Here, have a sip.”
Yiyuan drank quickly, panting. “The Ministry of Rites—Lord Lu’s residence—something happened!”
“I heard that Lu Wanting’s maid got pregnant! She was discovered by a coachman while fetching medicine, and then, in panic, she jumped off Tianxiang Pavilion!”
Su Qingtang caught onto one particular word. “What?”
“What about my fried chicken?!” she exclaimed. “Tianxiang Pavilion’s fried chicken doesn’t have a substitute! Damn it all!”
Yiyuan froze, momentarily unable to keep up with her mistress’s train of thought. But then she remembered how her lady had been practically addicted to that pavilion’s fried chicken, always sending servants there to buy it, and seeing Su Qingtang so furious, she added, “But Tianxiang Pavilion is now sealed off by the City Patrol Department because of the murder.”
Su Qingtang paced back and forth in her room. “Then we’ll go find the Crown Prince—for the sake of my fried chicken!”
And also… for the sake of my life!
Who knew how long the dragon tooth’s effect would last?
Yiyuan didn’t understand, but she obeyed. After greeting the gatekeeper of the Prime Minister’s Manor, she took coachman Xiao Li and followed her mistress out—destination: Tianxiang Pavilion.
Tianxiang Pavilion was the largest restaurant in Yingyue City, located in the busiest district. The main building was nine stories tall, with several branch buildings surrounding it like petals around a flower.
“Miss, the carriage can’t go any farther,” coachman Xiao Li said, seeing the dense crowd ahead.
Su Qingtang lifted the curtain and looked out. Wow, so many people.
“It’s fine. Yiyuan and I will walk.” She jumped off the carriage and took Yiyuan’s hand, heading toward Tianxiang Pavilion.
“Make way, make way!” Yiyuan, dutiful as always, used her strength to clear a path through the crowd. With several sharp elbow jabs, she successfully made a small passage for the two of them.
After some effort—and a few bribes—they managed to squeeze into the front rows.
A line of city patrol officers in blue uniforms stood guard, holding wooden staffs to block the crowd and keep the entrance to the pavilion clear.
Su Qingtang craned her neck to see the doorway, but it was too far and too dark to make out anything inside. Suddenly, Yin Guhuai’s figure emerged from the crowd. He was wearing the Crown Prince’s court attire rather than the uniform of the City Patrol Department—clearly, he had just come from the palace.
“Your Highness! Your Highness!” Su Qingtang called out.
A dark-skinned patrol officer nearby sneered. “Don’t bother shouting. His Highness won’t answer you.”
Su Qingtang was about to retort when she spotted a figure in white following behind Yin Guhuai. The two seemed to be talking, and soon the woman in white tugged lightly at his sleeve.
That single gesture caught everyone’s attention. The Crown Prince—who had never kept any woman in his residence despite being of age—was now seen with one standing so close? The crowd strained to see the woman’s face.
“Miss, that’s Lu Wanting,” Yiyuan whispered, clenching her fists. “I saw her this morning when I came to buy roasted chicken. The patrolmen were taking her away. Her maid’s dead, and her coachman’s a suspect, and she—”
As Yiyuan spoke, she noticed her mistress’s expression—Su Qingtang looked disgusted, even smirking coldly. “M… Miss?”
Her mistress had been acting strange ever since returning from the Ancient Ferry Temple.
“It’s fine,” Su Qingtang said, but then suddenly leapt and shouted, “Brother Crown Prince! Yin Guhuai!”
Her distinctive voice, soft yet clear, immediately drew Yin Guhuai’s attention. He turned and saw the same girl from yesterday.
He hadn’t slept all night, pondering the Bodhi spirit’s words. He’d discovered that Su Qingtang’s “heart voice” could indeed be heard by others—but those who heard it were cursed: they couldn’t speak of it aloud, not even privately, or else they would suffocate and die.
Seeing her lively and full of energy now… perhaps the dragon tooth really was working.
“Gu An, bring Miss Su here,” Yin Guhuai instructed one of his handsome officers.
With permission granted, Su Qingtang grabbed Yiyuan and ran up to him. “Your Highness.”
Lu Wanting frowned, her tone unfriendly. “Sickly girl, what are you doing here? The aura of blood and death lingers—don’t let it harm your fragile heart.”
Lu Wanting and Su Qingtang had never gotten along since childhood. They used to maintain appearances, until one day Su Qingtang used her “speech of nature” to expose Lu Wanting’s bullying at the academy, resulting in her expulsion. Since then, all civility was gone.
Su Qingtang didn’t respond—her gaze was fixed on the locust-wood hairpin in Lu Wanting’s hair. Normally, plants appeared normal in her eyes, but those imbued with spiritual energy glowed faintly green. Yet this one shone red.
Just as Lu Wanting said, the area was heavy with violent energy. But even so, that wouldn’t turn the aura red—there was only one explanation: Lu Wanting had taken a life, and the hairpin made from sacred locust wood was suppressing her curse.
Lu Wanting opened her mouth again to sneer—when suddenly, Su Qingtang went pale and collapsed.
“Miss! Miss! My poor frail lady who can’t walk ten steps without gasping!” Yiyuan shrieked in panic. “What did you do to my lady, you murderer!”
Lu Wanting instinctively released Yin Guhuai’s sleeve and stepped back. “You’re raving! She’s always been weak—what does that have to do with me?”
Yiyuan pushed Su Qingtang toward Yin Guhuai. “Please hold her, Your Highness!” Then she lunged at Lu Wanting, gripping her wrist. “It’s you! Everyone knows you bullied others in the academy until my lady exposed you! You’re full of malice! My poor lady!”
Lu Wanting froze, staring at the sobbing maid and the unconscious Su Qingtang resting in Yin Guhuai’s arms. The scene was too familiar—it was like that day years ago, when she had fallen from grace and become the laughingstock of the city.
“No—it’s not true, Your Highness! Su Qingtang is slandering me again! It’s just like before—she’s framing me!”
But Yiyuan didn’t let her speak. “Are you going to push my lady into the water again?”
That memory struck deep—it had been the first time Lu Wanting had almost killed someone. Su Qingtang had jumped in to save the bullied girl’s life.
“…”
Yin Guhuai decided the scene had gone far enough. “Miss Lu, return to the City Patrol Department first.”
Several officers stepped forward to escort her away.
He then lifted Su Qingtang easily, glancing at Yiyuan. “Come inside and take care of your mistress.”
On the first floor of Tianxiang Pavilion, Yin Guhuai set Su Qingtang down in a chair. “Speak. What are you trying to do this time?”
Yiyuan trailed behind, rubbing her nose. Seeing her mistress secretly open one eye, she bowed her head in silence.
Su Qingtang grinned. “Why, I was just helping our Crown Prince out of an awkward situation.”
Yin Guhuai gave a cold snort, clearly unconvinced.
“Oh, fine,” she said brightly. “I just couldn’t stand someone standing that close to you. I like you, after all.”
Her sudden confession caught everyone off guard. The surrounding officials froze mid-motion, all eyes turning toward her.
Su Qingtang continued in that soft, lilting voice that seemed to wash over the heart like spring rain. “I said, I like you. I want to be with you.”
Yin Guhuai remained unmoved. “Alright. I know. You can go now.”
That’s it?!
She’d stayed up all night, racking her brain for a way to survive, and this was his response?!
“What’s your answer, then?” She tugged on the same sleeve Lu Wanting had touched earlier, refusing to let go.
He shifted slightly—she didn’t budge. “I said I know.”
“Miss Su,” came that annoying familiar voice from behind—the dark-skinned officer again. “His Highness is investigating a case. He doesn’t have time for your romantic games. You should go home.”
Su Qingtang glared at him, then looked back at Yin Guhuai. “I can help.”
She signaled to Yiyuan with her eyes.
Yiyuan immediately caught on. “Oh! Miss Lu Wanting is pregnant—at least three months along. But her pulse is strange. Sometimes it’s normal, sometimes it matches that of a pregnant woman, and sometimes it disappears completely.”
She pulled out the locust-wood hairpin. “After I removed this and took her pulse again, it vanished entirely.”
Su Qingtang looked at the now-faded red hue of the hairpin and lifted her chin toward Yin Guhuai with a proud smile. “Brother Crown Prince, does this count as helping?”
If she was going to win his heart, she might as well start with how she addressed him.
Her delicate face, inherited from her beautiful mother, glowed in the light. Her peach-blossom eyes shimmered like a pool of spring water, full of affection. A beam of sunlight fell across her just then, making Yin Guhuai’s eyes blur for an instant—as if the spring light itself had caught him off guard.
He lowered his gaze after a long silence and gave a faint, self-mocking smile. What nonsense—he, of all people, lowering his head for anyone? Impossible.
“If you want to help, then stay quiet and don’t wander off,” he said curtly. After a pause, he added, “Only because your assistance is useful to the case. Nothing more.”
And nothing to do with romance.
Su Qingtang tilted her head, not quite understanding his complicated tone, but she answered sweetly, “Alright then, Brother Huai.”