Shen Su sat by the well, idly tapping the laundry with a wooden paddle in her hand.
Compared to Yunzhi, who was diligently scrubbing the clothes, Shen Su seemed entirely indifferent.
She wasn’t here to wash clothes, she was here to fish.
Qin Yu’s plan was missing just one spark. If Shen Su stayed hidden upstairs every day, the fuse connected to the firecracker would never be lit.
And the net they’d cast would never be drawn in.
A timid, weak puppet, manipulated by others, held no value nor could she decide her own fate.
Though Shen Su was the bait Qin Yu had thrown out, she refused to let Qin Yu dictate her death.
She had to survive.
Hearing faint footsteps by the gate, Shen Su lowered her lashes, tightening her grip on the paddle. She leaned slightly toward Yunzhi and whispered, “Go call Qin Yu down. Tell her it’s time to pull the net.”
Yunzhi was baffled, but meeting Shen Su’s unusually bright eyes in the darkness, she obediently wiped her wet hands on her clothes, nodded, and stood. “Alright.”
Watching Yunzhi head toward the front courtyard, Shen Su deliberately called out in a soft, vulnerable voice, “Hurry back, won’t you? I’ll be scared alone.”
The men drinking outside saw Yunzhi go upstairs and wondered where Shen Su had gone.
Qingmu hesitated, then whispered to the bearded man, “Chen San went to piss and hasn’t come back for ages. And now it’s just Miss Su alone in the backyard.”
The bearded man’s brows instantly furrowed. “Let’s check.”
“Ah, looks like the young master is coming down,” Qingmu said, glancing upstairs.
In the backyard, the moment Yunzhi left, the lurking figure stepped out with a grin.
Chen San stood two paces away from Shen Su, feigning confusion. “Why did Miss Yunzhi leave? I happened to be passing by. If you’re scared, Miss Su, I can keep you company for a while?”
“Really?” Shen Su put on a fragile expression, tilting her face up and blinking innocently. “But everyone’s drinking. Won’t it be bad if you stay here with me?”
Her voice was delicate, barely audible to Chen San alone. “I’m truly so afraid of the dark.”
Chen San felt half his body go numb at the sticky, coquettish tone and the mosquito-like whisper, inwardly cursing, “Damn slut.”
He had always known Su Qingqing was shamelessly cheap, a fickle and promiscuous woman.
With a physique like Qin Yu’s, she surely hadn’t been satisfied, so today, taking advantage of Qin Yu’s bath, she had deliberately come out to seduce men.
Chen San licked his teeth with his tongue and strode toward Shen Su, looking down at her from his height. “Then how about big brother keeps you company properly?”
“Seeing how good I’m being to you, how will you repay me?” Chen San said. “Why don’t you have a go with me behind Qin Yu’s back? From then on, not only will I keep you company, but I’ll give you whatever you want. I can give you pleasures Qin Yu can’t.”
Shen Su felt nauseated listening to this, but on the surface, she maintained the docile appearance of a little white rabbit, deliberately raising her voice: “Isn’t it wrong to speak of Young Master Qin like this behind his back?”
“Behind his back?” Chen San sneered, putting on a show for Shen Su, raising his voice. “I’d curse ‘him’ right to ‘his’ face! Do you think ‘he’d’ dare let out so much as a fart?”
“The Qin family? The Qin family’s all dead, only that effeminate ‘him’ is left. Who’s ‘he’ putting on airs for every day?”
Afraid Yun Zhi might return, Chen San kept his eyes fixed on Shen Su, his impatience growing unbearable. “Good little sister, just give yourself to me.”
As he spoke, he reached for Shen Su’s chest so full, just the sight of it made his blood run hot.
Shen Su narrowed her eyes slightly, tightening her grip on the wooden club in her hand. She didn’t dodge or evade as Chen San reached for her.
Seizing the moment when Chen San let his guard down, she swung her arm in a wide arc and struck his knee with a resounding thud.
The crisp “crack” sounded painful even to the ears.
Chen San had been too focused on Shen Su’s face to notice the clothes-beating club she’d been holding all along in the dim light of night.
The club, as thick as a child’s wrist, came down with full force, sending Chen San to one knee instantly, his face contorted in pain.
Shen Su took the opportunity to stand up, nimbly shifting her position to face the curtained door leading to the front courtyard.
Furious and in pain, Chen San roared, “You damn slut, you’re asking for death!”
Gritting his teeth, he stood up and reached for Shen Su’s wrist.
Spotting a glimpse of dark green robes, Shen Su quickly tossed the club into a nearby woodpile and crossed her arms, shouting loudly, “Help! Someone’s assaulting me!”
Due to Shen Su’s positioning, Chen San had his back to the door.
Unaware of what was happening behind him, his eyes burned with rage, wishing he could kill Shen Su on the spot. “You dare scream, I’ll—”
Before Chen San could finish, a kick landed squarely on his back. Combined with his injured leg making it hard to balance, he collapsed face-first at Shen Su’s feet.
Before he could even turn his head, a cold voice rang out above him: “You’ll what?”
Chen San looked up to see Qin Yu, who had arrived unnoticed. ‘He’ must have just finished bathing, with half-dry hair cascading over ‘his’ shoulders, not even having had time to tie it up casually.
Qin Yu stood beside Shen Su, gripping her wrist tightly and pulling her behind ‘him.’
Shen Su froze for a moment, glancing down at her wrist and then at Qin Yu. Though the grip hurt, she didn’t make a sound.
Miss Qin was angry.
Qin Yu’s face was utterly expressionless. Watching Chen San struggle to get up from the ground, ‘he’ took a leisurely step forward.
Lifting ‘his’ foot, ‘he’ planted it squarely on Chen San’s hand, then deliberately ground ‘his’ toe into it.
“Ah!” Chen San let out an instant scream of agony.
The group outside had all followed Qin Yu inside. Perhaps Chen San had been too carried away earlier, or maybe Qin Yu had unwittingly emboldened him regardless, he had been cursing Qin Yu at the top of his lungs.
They had all heard it, including Qin Yu, who had just come downstairs.
Someone had initially wanted to step in to warn Chen San, but Qin Yu stood in front of the curtain, raising a hand to stop them.
Despite Chen San’s relentless cursing, Qin Yu had shown no reaction, as if waiting to hear what other creative insults he could come up with.
It wasn’t until Shen Su’s cry of “Assault!” that Qin Yu finally lifted the curtain and walked in.
Now, seeing Qin Yu grinding her foot into Chen San’s hand, those who were closer to him opened their mouths to plead on his behalf only to freeze under the sudden lift of Qin Yu’s gaze.
This person, whom they had often teased as being effeminate, now stood with long hair cascading over her shoulders, delicate features paired with striking brows, looking even more like a woman.
But with her foot planted on Chen San and a cold glare sweeping over them, the aura she exuded was so intimidating that none dared meet her eyes, let alone speak up for him.
Only then did Qin Yu withdraw her gaze, turning slightly to look at Shen Su. Seeing that the woman’s clothes were perfectly in place, not a single hair out of order, for some reason, her heart settled back into place.
Qin Yu spoke softly, her tone unreadable, “Qingqing, tell me what happened.”
Shen Su’s eyelids twitched, this was the first time the young mistress had ever called her “Qingqing.”
Even in bed, she had always addressed her as “Miss Su.”
So very proper.