Before half a cup of tea could cool, Nanny Liu rushed to Qixia Courtyard.
Liu Tingyue did not give her a chance to catch her breath, throwing the ledger directly in front of her.
“You have a lot of nerve, you old hag!
How dare you cook the books right under my nose and line your own pockets…”
THUD.
Nanny Liu fell to her knees.
Looking at the scattered private ledgers, she was frightened out of her wits and immediately kowtowed repeatedly, begging for mercy.
“My Lady, spare my life!
I know my wrongs…
I was foolish for a moment, completely blinded by greed.
I’ll never dare to do it again…
I beg Your Ladyship for mercy…
Please spare me this once…”
Liu Tingyue did not tell her to rise.
She just looked down condescendingly as Nanny Liu kowtowed.
After more than a dozen strikes against the floor, the skin on her forehead broke.
Beads of blood oozed out and trickled down the bridge of her nose.
“That’s enough,” Liu Tingyue said, watching coldly with a wave of disgust in her heart.
Nanny Liu didn’t dare to stop.
She kowtowed a few more times before raising her head, trembling.
Liu Tingyue picked up her teacup and slowly skimmed the foam off the top.
“I know exactly how much you’ve embezzled.
I won’t demand you cough it all up right now, but you have to pay it back.”
Nanny Liu shuddered.
“My—My Lady…
I don’t have that much on hand…”
“Then pay it back slowly.” Liu Tingyue took a sip of tea.
“From today onward, your monthly allowance will be suspended until the debt is cleared.
Furthermore—” Her gaze fell on Nanny Liu’s face.
“Your son, the steward at the estate, is quite an honest man, as I recall?”
Nanny Liu’s face instantly drained of color.
“My Lady, I truly will never dare to do it again!
I beg Your Ladyship for mercy, please don’t punish my son…
From now on, my life and my loyalty belong entirely to you…”
Liu Tingyue put down her teacup and smiled.
“Your son’s fate depends on you, not me.
Behave yourself in the Heir’s Mansion from now on and do your best to handle tasks for me.
If you do, I can wipe this slate clean.
But if you dare to harbor any disloyalty again, I will settle both the old and new scores with you at once.”
A heavy stone lifted from Nanny Liu’s heart.
She frantically kowtowed in gratitude and scrambled out of the room.
Back in the Heir’s Mansion, she slipped into her own room in a daze.
Trembling, she dug out the wooden box.
She unlocked it and flipped the lid open.
The ledger was gone, and the golden thread was missing too.
She froze in place, her mind buzzing with a loud BOOM.
“Who did this?” she wondered.
There were no signs of forced entry in the room, making it look nothing like a burglary.
She thought, “Shen Ci’er?
It couldn’t be her.
That girl was locked in the shed last night; she couldn’t possibly have gotten out.
Was it Yunxiang?
Or…
Consort Liu?”
The more Nanny Liu thought about it, the more terrified she became.
Cold sweat drenched her back.
She dared not let anyone know about the golden thread, and she definitely couldn’t speak of the missing ledger.
As she mulled it over, her chest filled with a vicious anger that had nowhere to vent—and right at that moment, Yunxiang came knocking to claim credit and ask for a reward.
SMACK.
“You reckless little wench!
“You’re the one who cleaned the shed?
Are you trying to get me killed?”
Before Yunxiang could dodge, her hair bun was grabbed tightly.
Nanny Liu slapped her back and forth more than a dozen times, leaving her mouth bleeding and her face swollen and red.
Still unsatisfied, Nanny Liu kicked her viciously a few more times and forced her to kneel on the blue brick floor, publicly scolding her for stirring up trouble and making a humiliating scene that everyone now knew about.
A Tao ran back to deliver the news, stomping her feet in excitement.
“Miss, that was so satisfying!
Yunxiang was beaten severely by Nanny Liu and forced to kneel and get scolded in public…
The heavens truly have eyes, and karma has struck!”
Ci’er sat elegantly at the desk, methodically sifting fragrant powder without even lifting her head.
“She brought it upon herself.”
A Tao sat cross-legged in front of her, resting her chin in her hands, and asked with a face full of admiration, “Miss, did you predict all of this from the very beginning?”
Ci’er looked up and blinked playfully.
“Didn’t you just say that the heavens have eyes?
Perhaps the heavens made the shed incident blow up, causing Nanny Liu to get reprimanded by the concubine.
With all that pent-up anger, if she didn’t take it out on Yunxiang, was she going to slap herself?”
A Tao suddenly understood, laughing so hard she couldn’t stand straight.
“Oh my god!
Yunxiang was still smugly trying to steal the credit, thinking she had scored a huge bargain, but it turns out she was digging her own grave.
You are amazing, Miss…”
Ci’er replied lightly, “It didn’t take much effort on my part.
The heavens did the heavy lifting.”
A Tao couldn’t help but let out a PFFT of laughter.
She scooted over and linked arms with her, affectionate and overjoyed.
“Miss, you are truly a genius.
How can you guess everything?”
“Don’t celebrate just yet.
They’ve lost face and suffered a silent loss; they won’t just let this go,” Ci’er said with a smile, cautioning A Tao.
“From now on, while working in the Heir’s Mansion, watch your mouth.
Don’t ask what shouldn’t be asked, don’t say what shouldn’t be said, and be careful in all matters.”
A Tao quickly nodded with a serious expression.
“I understand.
I will strictly follow the rules and won’t cause any trouble for you.”
That night, A Tao went to her shift.
Ci’er blew out the lamp and leaned against the headboard alone, running through the day’s events in her mind.
Around midnight, a few soft sounds came from the window lattice.
Two long taps, two short taps, and a quick flick—like a bird pecking at the window.
Ci’er slid the window open, and a tall, dark figure vaulted inside silently.
She calmly closed the window panels and softly scoffed.
“Second Master certainly has a lot of free time.
Sneaking around like a thief in the dead of night, aren’t you afraid of being caught and charged with trespassing in a Maid’s quarters?”
A low chuckle rippled through the darkness, lazy and captivating.
“I’m not free at all.
I’ve been busy cleaning up your mess.”
Xie Yunjin sat down at the table across from her, holding something that he slowly rolled between his fingers.
Only when Ci’er stepped closer did she see it clearly—it was one of the pearl earrings.
She instinctively touched her earlobe.
It was bare.
The right earring had gone missing at some unknown point.
Xie Yunjin offered a half-smile.
“How are you going to thank me?
If I had arrived even a step later, Nanny Liu would have used this to bite you back.”
Ci’er reached out to take it.
But his hand covered hers first.
The pressure wasn’t heavy, just perfectly measured, pressing down on the round pearl and against her knuckles.
It felt like he was firmly holding down an unsettled chess piece—gentle, yet carrying a strength that permitted no escape.
“Is this how you thank me?” he asked, raising an eyebrow, his tone both stubborn and loose.
“If there’s a next time, I’m washing my hands of you.”
Ci’er didn’t move.
She glanced down at her pinned hand, then looked back up at him. This chapter was copied from g.com without permission.
“Then Second Master should just leave me be.”
“But I have to,” Xie Yunjin chuckled softly, releasing her hand.
His fingertips smoothly slid upward, brushing past her fair earlobe before giving it a light pinch.
“How could I not?
I’m stuck with you now.”
Ci’er’s ear flushed hot, though her face remained expressionless.
“Should I build a shrine to worship you, then?”
“Save that for after I’m dead,” he replied lazily.
Then, he leaned forward slightly and fastened the earring back onto her earlobe.
His fingertips were cool, and his movements were slow, carrying an almost careful solemnity, as if he were completing some grand ritual.
“Little castrator, you’re becoming more capable by the day.”
“What did I do?” Ci’er glared at him with a roll of her eyes.
Their eyes met, and silence spread between them.
The wind outside picked up, puffing against the paper windows.
In the distance, an unlatched window swung back and forth, going CREAK, CREAK.
Their two silhouettes were cast against the wall, so close they seemed to meld into one…
Xie Yunjin coughed lightly, rubbing his straight nose as he resumed his careless demeanor.
“Xie Chen is leaving you out in the cold, and you’re just perfectly willing to do heavy chores and suffer abuse?”
“Yes,” Ci’er answered bluntly.
“Have you forgotten why you entered the Prince Mansion?” Xie Yunjin leaned in close, bringing with him a faint, crisp scent.
His laugh held a hint of mockery.
“You bear your fangs and flash your claws at me, so why are you so willing to let a few lowly maids boss you around?”
“What else should I do?” Ci’er looked up.
“Flip the table and curse them out, only to be kicked out of the Heir’s Mansion, leaving Second Master to find another obedient chess piece?”
Xie Yunjin fell suddenly silent.
The room was dim, making it impossible to see his true expression clearly.
Only his dark, bottomless eyes remained visible, locked deeply onto her.
Ci’er neither dodged nor hid, speaking candidly, “I am just a lowly Maid in the Heir’s Mansion right now.
Anyone can step on me.
If I shirk a chore today, even more harassment will wait for me tomorrow.
I can’t just butt heads and flip tables every single day.”
Her eyes were bright and clear; every word she spoke was thoroughly perceptive.
“If Second Master trusts me, then don’t mind the methods I use.
If you don’t trust me, we might as well part ways right now, and you can find someone better suited for the job.”
Xie Yunjin looked at her quietly, then gave a soft chuckle.
His laugh was different this time.
It wasn’t mocking; he was genuinely amused.
“Let’s go.”
Without waiting for Ci’er to reply, he reached out and firmly gripped her wrist.
“I’m taking you somewhere.”
Ci’er paused slightly, instinctively reminding him, “Second Master, this is the Heir’s Mansion.”
“I’m not stupid.”
Completely disregarding the fact that this was Xie Chen’s courtyard, Xie Yunjin casually took off his outer cloak and, without a word, tossed it over her head.
The large fabric wrapped her up securely, leaving no room for the wind to seep through.
“Away we go—”
Amidst his low laughter, his arm suddenly exerted force, firmly wrapping around Ci’er’s waist and lifting her effortlessly.
Ci’er only felt her body lighten before he swept her up and vaulted out the window.
“Are you crazy?” she cried out softly, keeping her voice low.
“Put me down.”
“Don’t make a sound.”
The arm around her waist tightened slightly, the pressure gentle but commanding.
The night wind whipped past her ears, carrying the biting chill of early spring.
Under the moonlight, the rooftops of the Prince Mansion undulated like the backs of great beasts.
The roof tiles were freezing, yet his embrace was scalding hot.
She was practically molded into his chest.
Even through the fabric, she could feel the muscles of his shoulders and back tensing and releasing.
He moved like a predatory panther, exceptionally fast and agile…
He expertly dodged the night-patrolling Protectors and the guards on duty.
With clothes fluttering in the wind, he carried her silently over multiple courtyard walls, leaving the Nine-Bestowments Royal Mansion behind.
Ci’er was tossed about until she was dizzy.
With everything black before her eyes, she couldn’t tell which direction they were going.
She could only listen to the vibration of his heartbeat—thump, thump, thump—steady and powerful.
She was absolutely certain that Xie Yunjin was not taking her anywhere pleasant…
But she never in a million years expected their destination to be the Embroidery Bureau’s morgue.