Wife Doting Addiction：My Abducted Tsundere Husband - Chapter 72

Chapter 72: Night Visit to Prince Rui’s Manor

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

The two courtyards were not far apart, so they arrived shortly. The servant guarding the door saw Su Jiu and immediately announced her arrival: “Welcome, Young Madame! Eldest Young Master has been waiting for you for a long time!”

Su Jiu nodded at him and went directly to the dining room. The Chuyun Pavilion was brightly lit, and the glass had fogged up with smoke. The deep winter chill had broken, giving way to more luxurious tranquility. The servant guarding the dining room opened the door for Su Jiu. He called out, “Young Master, Young Madame has arrived!”

Once inside, Su Jiu could not help but take a deep breath. How fragrant! The smell of food, cosmetics, and a fleeting coldness that seemed there and yet not there wafted through the air. Together, they melded into an intoxicating atmosphere.

Ji Yuxian had waited so long that he had grown bored. His hand propped up his forehead as he dozed. Once he heard them, he slowly opened his eyes, and his lips immediately curled into a light smile as beautiful as flowers. “Dear, you’re here!”

Seeing his smile and hearing him call her ‘dear’ made Su Jiu’s skin crawl. She shrugged and said, “Eldest Young Master, what did you call me here for?”

Ji Yuxian rose from his seat and went over, pulling Su Jiu over to sit next to him. With his mouth curved in a smile, he said, “I called my dear wife here to have supper together, of course. You and I have been married for a few days already. Why should we still be such strangers?”

Chang Huan subconsciously wanted to pull Su Jiu back. His arms were already in the air, but he rigidly held himself back.

Ji Yuxian looked at him, his sharp gaze roving over Chang Huan’s face. He moved his thin lips moved as he said lightly, “You are dismissed! When I am eating, I don’t appreciate strangers around.”

Beneath his long sleeves, Chang Huan’s hands suddenly clenched shut. He did not move and only looked at Su Jiu. Su Jiu turned her head and gave Chang Huan a meaningful glance. “Wait for me just outside the door!”

Chang Huan bowed his head. “Yes, Young Miss!”

Chang Huan excused himself. Ji Yuxian watched his retreating figure with a meaningful look. “This servant girl of yours, she is very loyal to you!”

“She is my servant, so of course she is loyal!” Su Jiu’s tone was indifferent. She lifted her eyes to meet Ji Yuxian’s. “Just tell me, why did you ask for me? You might as well tell me first, otherwise I’ll be too anxious to eat!” Eating food was extremely important to her, and she would rather have no distractions!

Ji Yuxian pursed his lips into a smile. “Dear, why do you think your husband called you here?”

Su Jiu frowned. “Because of your Second Young Madame?”

“Did my dear forget what her husband said to her last time?” The man’s tone was light, sweet on the ears as light rain and gentle music.

Su Jiu rolled her eyes. Of course, she remembered. He had said: “she was his wife, and he was the master of Ji Manor, so anything she did was fine.” But this time, she had severely injured Xie Shi, did it not matter to him? So sentimental, and yet so fickle. What kind of person was he anyway?

Seeing Su Jiu doubt herself, Ji Yuxian took her hand and sat down, arms supported behind her seat. With his inky black eyes, he suddenly appeared sinister.

“I do believe that my dear will not be bullied! However,” he paused, his voice becoming gentler and softer, “if my dear wife did get bullied, then right now, the woman sitting here to share my meal would be Xie Shi!”

The man’s warm breath fluttered at her ear, soft and light, but Su Jiu’s body was a block of ice. She looked coldly at him and said, “Eldest Young Master, do you want the two of us to fight to the death then?”

It was just like in the past when the Fulong Gang had matched them together to watch pets that they’d brought up fight. The one that survived was promoted and doted on. Here, she was an outsider. Now, he was forcing her into this game of chess? But did he have what it took to control her and use her like this?

“Don’t be so gory. We still have to eat!” Ji Yuxian sat up straight, “Do you understand now, my dear wife? Today, I simply invited you for a meal!”

Su Jiu wore a light smile. She raised an eyebrow. “In that case, thank you!”

With everything said, there were no more misgivings, so she picked up her chopsticks and dug into the food! The servant girl behind Ji Yuxian also gave him chopsticks and passed out the food. Su Jiu ate with focus and deliberation, but felt a cold, gloomy gaze upon her. She raised her head and saw the servant girl named Jin Mi. She wore a light peach brocade, a butterfly skirt, and a golden hairpin. She ranked higher than the other servant girls. Her face looked elegant, but her expression was unkind. Seeing Su Jiu turn her head to glance her way, she immediately shifted the gaze of her apricot-shaped eyes.

Su Jiu did not understand where this young woman’s hostility was coming from, but after thinking about it for a moment, she understood. It seemed that the young lady liked Ji Yuxian and thought of her as a romantic rival.

With a quick scoff, Su Jiu continued to eat. Her head was down, and she picked at the dishes in front of her. She ignored the gazes full of amazement and disdain and focused on eating her food. She ate very fast and downed three bowls of rice in a row. She put down her chopsticks, licked up a grain of rice that was stuck to the corner of her mouth, then lifted her head and said, “I’m full now!”

Ji Yuxian had received half a bowl of rice more than usual, and he had not finished yet. His eyes fell on the white porcelain bowl that Su Jiu had cleared, and he chuckled. He nodded and said, “Sit over there. Wait for me to finish before you leave!” Then, he ordered, “Mo Yu, ladle out a bowl of soup for my dear wife!”

“No need!” Su Jiu refused.

She had never gotten into the habit of drinking soup. Before, with the Fulong Gang, having a bun to eat at each meal was quite good already. When would they ever have soup? Later, when they were with Nanny, she always cooked porridge for each meal. Su Jiu still wasn’t used to that.

“Go on!” Ji Yuxian said quietly.

“Yes, sir!” A servant girl in a light pink skirt answered promptly. She stepped up and took a soup bowl, filled it with bird’s nest soup, and set it in front of Su Jiu. “Young Madame, please enjoy this!”

“Thank you!” Su Jiu gave a small nod.

The servant girl was stunned for a moment. Her face turned red, and she said, terrified, “I don’t dare!”

She immediately hung her head and bowed, retreating. Jin Mi’s gaze swept across Su Jiu, and she rolled her eyes without any trace of a smile on her lips. Once Su Jiu finished her soup, she went ahead and poured a cup of water, setting it beside Su Jiu. The bird’s nest soup had a taste that she didn’t like. Without even thinking, Su Jiu took the water cup and downed half of it in two gulps.

“Hee!” The laughter that couldn’t be held back erupted overhead. She heard Jin Mi say softly, “Young Madame, that water is for rinsing your mouth. It is not for drinking!”

Su Jiu was stumped and looked at her blankly. “Why would you put water in your mouth and not drink it? Is there poison in it, or pee?”

Jin Mi’s smile was rigid. She never would have expected Su Jiu to be so straightforward and vulgar. If there were poison or urine in the water, how would her Young Master possibly use it to rinse? For a moment, she had no idea how to respond.

Su Jiu looked up and drank the rest of the water. She stood up and said, “I still have other things to do, so I won’t stay and finish with you, Eldest Young Master. I’ll be on my way!” As she said this, she didn’t even spare a look at Ji Yuxian and turned to leave. Her back was straight, without the slightest trace of embarrassment or disgrace.

“Pah!”

Ji Yuxian put his chopsticks on the table, not lightly but not loudly, either. The servant girls behind him still turned red, and they all fell onto their knees. “We know we were wrong!”

“What was wrong?”

“We should not have laughed at Young Madame!”

Out of everyone, only Jin Mi remained standing. Her pearly teeth bit down on her lower lip, and her face was pale. She didn’t speak a word. Ji Yuxian stood up and went outside. Jin Mi immediately followed him.

“Master, I didn’t mean to. Young Madame is a young lady of a noble household, how could I have known that she didn’t know that it was water for rinsing?” Jin Mi’s voice was coquettish, and her tone was completely innocent.

Under the lanterns along the corridor, reddish shadows flickered across Ji Yuxian’s face. He was as handsome as a banished immortal, and his expression was indifferent.

“Young Master, don’t ignore me! I’ll admit that I was wrong. Isn’t that enough? I won’t ever give water to Young Madame again!”

Ji Yuxian laughed lightly and glanced back at her. “No more mischief from you!”

Jin Mi immediately burst into a smile, like a flower blooming. “Yes! I understand!”

It was nearly midnight. Su Jiu was lying in bed, tossing and turning and unable to fall asleep. On the other side of the partition, Chang Huan had fallen asleep long ago in the outer room. Since the second day of the marriage, Chang Huan had slept in that outer room. As a devoted “servant girl,” his natural place was to be by his master’s side, day and night.

In the darkness, Su Jiu stared up at the gleaming moon outside. Her gaze was clear, without a hint of sleep in her eyes. She was still thinking of the boneless ginseng. Qiao An had told her not to act rashly. She understood in her heart, but not being able to get it was irritating and frustrating. An hour later, Su Jiu sprang up. Even if she couldn’t steal it tonight, she could go and scope out the situation at Prince Rui’s Manor. Either way, she wouldn’t get any sleep tonight! She put on tight clothes and, somewhere, came up with a strip of clothing to tie her hair back. Without disturbing Chang Huan, she lightly pushed the window open and bounded out of the bedroom.

It was a cold night in the deep of winter. Everyone in Ji Manor was already deep in sleep. It was an exceptionally peaceful night. Su Jiu’s shadow was like a demon, flying through the air like a goose. Not a soul noticed as she left the manor. After coming back from supper, she had already found out the location of Prince Rui’s Manor from Fan Mama. After leaving Ji Manor, she went straight westward without stopping.

The street was so dark that she couldn’t have even counted the five fingers on her hand. Even the moon was an indistinct shape. In the cold and lonely wind, she didn’t pass anyone on her way down the long street. Those who lived on the west side of the city were all high officials and dignitaries. Mansion after mansion, the buildings were impressive and expansive. After passing two large estates, Su Jiu found to her dismay that she had gotten lost yet again. These noble estates all had the same black lacquered front doors with two large lions protecting the entrance. They all looked about the same. In the middle of the night, how could she have told them apart?

In the distance, there was the man in charge of sounding the night watch, but Su Jiu couldn’t exactly go up to him to ask where Prince Rui’s Manor was. In the middle of the night, that would definitely frighten him to death! Even if it didn’t, she would be hauled off as a thief.

Su Jiu sat panting on the stone steps in front of some noble house, when, suddenly, her eyes lit up. She had an idea. Since Prince Rui was a royal prince, his residence would probably be closer to the palace. She ought to be looking in that direction. Su Jiu jumped up in excitement and dashed toward the palace.

The palace was in the center of Shengjing. Su Jiu set a hurried pace for an hour and only saw the palace gates still in the distance. Slowing her pace, Su Jiu began to look around again. Although she ran around this labyrinth for the entire time it would take an incense stick to burn, she couldn’t find the smallest sign of where to go. Dispirited, she sat down on the stone steps of another door. She was covered in cold sweat and was wiping herself down with her sleeve when she saw the stone lions beside her. They seemed to be mocking her with their gaze.

“What are you looking at?” Su Jiu sneered at them in her bad mood.

Just then, something caught her eye. Su Jiu quickly turned to look. At the magnificent door, two red lanterns full of dancing light shone down on a sign hanging over the black lacquered door. The sign announced three, bold, beautifully inscribed words: “Prince Rui’s Manor!”

Su Jiu let out a long, hearty sigh of relief! Obviously, she would not be able to go in through the front door. If she put one foot in, as soon as her second foot followed, then a whole swath of guards would surround her right away. Su Jiu followed the wall for a while, listening closely for any sign of movement. When she found the quietest nook possible, she flipped over and entered the estate.

The area she’d jumped into looked like some kind of garden. It had pavilions, running water, intertwining flowers, and trees. It was the perfect place for her to hide. A vault full of valuables was an especially important place, so they would probably put it in the very center of the manor, right? Su Jiu’s body moved with grace and lightness, dodging the imperial guards keeping watch. She crossed the garden and went through a flower door into what seemed like a courtyard. She leaped over to the top of the corridor, her dark slender figure almost seamless with the black night. From the distance, she could hear the call of a night owl. Su Jiu hid on the corridor roof, raising her head slightly to survey how the manor was laid out.

Suddenly, a dark shadow scampered out. Su Jiu dodged it in a flash. The dark shadow fell onto the glazed roof tile. Two dark green eyes stared at her unblinking. Then, came a cry: “Meow!”

D*mnit! Su Jiu sprang into action, throwing the stones in her hands out like bullets. The cat disappeared into the black night like a ghost. However, from far away, torches began winding toward her. The manor guards had been alerted. Su Jiu quietly bit her lip. She’d wanted to kill that cat when it had suddenly appeared out of nowhere! In the middle of the night, instead of sleeping nicely, it had to come ruin her plans!

The torches began to close in on the courtyard where she was hiding. Su Jiu leaned back, flipped over and down, using her leg to kick open the wooden window of the nearest room. She disappeared inside. She closed the window as soundlessly as she could, then pasted her ear against it, listening for any movement outside.

Ding Fei, the head of the imperial guards, brought his unit out, following the sound closer and closer. He was surprised to find himself coming up to his Highness’ courtyard! Ding Fei halted his men and ordered, “Do not wake up his Highness. I will go take a look!”

“Yes, sir!”

The twenty imperial guards behind him formed a single line. In the darkness, there was only the sound of torches burning. Ding Fei entered through the main door alone. The two guards on night watch were asleep in the corner. Hearing his approach, they immediately jerked awake.

“Hello, Commander Ding!”

Ding Fei frowned at them. “Tomorrow at dawn, report for a beating of fifty strikes!”

The two men hung their heads and answered, “Yes, sir!”

“Have you heard any suspicious noises?” Ding Fei asked.

The guards looked at each other, shaking their heads simultaneously. “No, sir!”

Ding Fei gave them a cold look and walked a few steps farther in. Suddenly, right before his eyes, a black shadow flashed, then dashed away of its own accord. It was that cat they were raising in the back kitchen! Ding Fei let out a sigh of relief. He patrolled the courtyard one more time but did not find anything out of the ordinary, so he left with confidence.

“Continue patrol!” Ding Fei left the courtyard and called the order quietly. Everyone answered, and together they left the main rooms.

Su Jiu hid below the window until she didn’t hear any signs of movement for quite some time. She was just about to open the window and leave when she heard a muffled voice from behind her: “Who’s there?”

Had she been found out? First, she’d come across that cat on its midnight stroll. Now, there was someone inside the room where she’d happened to take cover! She’d forgotten to check the horoscope before leaving!

Su Jiu was annoyed and reached out her hand to push the window open and escape. The breathing behind her, however, had grown louder as it came closer to her. She arched back and nimbly dodged the attacking bed curtains. Hiding in the dark, she waited for an opportunity to move.

The man pulled open the bed curtains, his cold eyes now clear. He was about to get out of the bed when the cotton canopy above the bed came fluttering down. The man was surprised, stretching his arms out sideways as the bed curtain tore into numerous little pieces, falling like snow. At the same time, a dagger cold as ice pressed against his throat. Someone knelt in front of him grasping the dagger. The figure arched like a panther, seemingly ready to attack at any time.

“Don’t move, or I will kill you right now!”

The moonlight was hazy yet crisp as frost. It shone on the figure’s chilly eyes. On hearing the words, Xiao Lie suddenly froze. He quickly reached out, too fast for the assailant to react, and pulled down the black cloth covering the face. He stared at her, laughing coldly. “Su Jiu!”

The man was blocking the light, and Su Jiu could not see his face. She was surprised to hear him speak and leaned over to let the moonlight shine in. When she saw the man’s face, she was also startled, “What are you doing here?”

Xiao Lie’s long gaze fell upon the dagger at his neck. His lips curled into a smile, and he said, “Bursting into my room in the middle of the night, did you want to see me that badly?”

“Why would I want to see you?” Su Jiu scoffed, but the dagger at the man’s throat did not budge. Her eyes turned to his, and she asked, probing, “What are you doing in Prince Rui’s Manor? Xiao Rui? Wait, are you Prince Rui?”

Xiao Lie winked at her, the corner of his lips turning into an indifferent smile, “If I were Prince Rui, how could I be so easily captured?”

“That sounds about right!” Su Jiu grew more curious. “Then, who are you?”

“An official advisor at Prince Rui’s Manor!” The man spoke mildly, leaning back onto the soft brocade pillow. His inky eyes were completely calm.

“What’s an official advisor?” Su Jiu was even more perplexed.

The man looked at her, smiled softly, and explained, “An official advisor lives at Prince Rui’s Manor. Usually, his chief responsibility is to load up on free food. Every now and then, he’ll pop out and give Prince Rui some ideas.”

He paused, raised a brow and asked, “If you didn’t miss me, what are you doing here?”

“Why should I tell you?” Su Jiu scoffed coldly and put her dagger away, not forgetting to threaten him one more time: “Don’t you yell, or I will kill you right away!”

“Tell me. Maybe I can help!” Xiao Lie’s thin lips smiled again.

Su Jiu looked him up and down, giving it some thought. She said, “I came to Prince Rui’s Manor to take something.”

“Take?” The man raised an eyebrow.

Su Jiu’s big eyes avoided him, and her voice faltered. “Steal!”

“Didn’t you say you were going to stop stealing?” The man’s tone ridiculed her.

“This is different. I’m saving a life here!”

“Saving whose life? What are you stealing?”

“Boneless ginseng! And as for whose life, you don’t need to know!”

Xiao Lie watched her as he contemplated for a moment. Then he said, “I will help you take it!”

Su Jiu’s eyes widened, and she looked at him with complete distrust. “Why would you help me?”

The two of them weren’t that close, were they?

“If you don’t believe me, go ahead and keep your dagger on me. If I betray you, you can kill me anytime!” In the dark, the man’s face was still handsome, his lips red. His speech was neither quick nor slow.

Su Jiu stared him down for a good long while then nodded. “Fine. I will trust you this one time!”

Since she was already here at Prince Rui’s Manor, of course, it would be for the best if she could steal the boneless ginseng straight away. On top of that, she had someone to lead the way. So, why not? Her intuition told her that this man was not some two-faced little villain. He could probably be trusted!

The man stood up, put on his robe, and strode outside. He walked a few steps before realizing that she had not followed him out. He raised an eyebrow, turned back and asked, “Why aren’t you coming?”

Su Jiu pointed at the window, “Aren’t we going to go through the window?”

The man was dumbfounded. “…” He went back, grabbed her hand, and confidently walked out through the door. Once out, they went through the corridors. The night’s cold wind blew at them. The man looked back to see Su Jiu wearing her thin clothes, and asked, “Are you cold?”

Su Jiu shook her head. Practitioners of martial arts didn’t get cold. Xiao Lie originally wanted to take Su Jiu through the courtyard doors, but then he remembered that guards were posted there. His footsteps stopped abruptly. He turned and took them through the side door. As they walked, Su Jiu paid vigilant attention, watching for any sign of movement. On the contrary, the man in front of her, pulling her by the hand, seemed entirely at ease.

“Wait, if we get caught, what are you going to say?” Su Jiu asked very quietly.

“Sleepwalking!”

Su Jiu looked at him in astonishment. “Sleepwalking with someone?”

“Yes, with the person in my dream!”

Su Jiu gaped, “…” Even so, she simply could not relax. Suddenly, she heard footsteps nearby. Alarmed, she pulled at the man’s hand and rushed to hide in the corner.

“Hush, someone is coming!” Su Jiu held his waist firmly, keeping them tight against the wall.

With the two of them pushed so close together, they could feel each other’s warmth. The girl’s two hands were grasping him tightly, and her breath was like a flower. She very carefully peeked out around the corner. As it was past midnight, the night was darker than black ink. Xiao Lie could not see her face clearly. He could only make out her black and white eyes dancing wildly back and forth. A strange feeling suddenly welled up in his heart, like numbness from being stung by ants. He stood without moving, only leaning forward to compensate for her, protecting her under his body. After a long while, the patrolling guard finally passed.

Su Jiu leaned out and hissed, “Let’s go!”

Xiao Lie subconsciously grabbed her by the hand again and said quietly, “Follow me!”

Su Jiu nodded. Since he was a resident of Prince Rui’s Manor, he’d naturally be more familiar with the place. After a moment, the two of them stood before a three-story loft. Su Jiu looked up at it and asked, “This is the treasure vault?”

“Yes!”

Xiao Lie lifted the hem of his robe to step forward and took Su Jiu inside. The guards that kept watch over the loft were above them. Watching Xiao Lie’s movements, they suddenly stopped. Although they did not understand why Xiao Lie had come to visit the treasure vault in the middle of the night, they tacitly understood and did not move against him.

Su Jiu looked around. It felt strange. “Isn’t the treasure vault a very important place to Prince Rui’s Manor? Why isn’t there a single guard here?”

“For over a dozen years, no one has come to steal anything, do you think that it would still be necessary to post guards?” Xiao Lie said lightly.

Su Jiu frowned. “I guess that makes sense!”

They came within about ten meters of the pavilion, when Xiao Lie suddenly stopped, holding Su Jiu’s hand very tightly.

“I’m going first. Watch very carefully which stones I’m stepping on. Follow me without any mistakes!”

Traps? Su Jiu nodded solemnly. “I understand!”

Xiao Lie gave her a look, then turned his head and took the first step. The man stepped sometimes left and other times right, without any logical order at all. Su Jiu followed closely, not missing a single step. Once they were up the stairs, Su Jiu looked behind her to see that nothing had changed.

She asked, “What would have happened if we stepped somewhere wrong?”

“The ground would have rotated and given way. You would never have found out where you’d ended up, because you’d never come out again!” The man said this emotionlessly.

Su Jiu’s eyes abruptly grew big. Then, she shrugged. Within her happiness there was some regret. She would have liked to have given that trap a try!

“Don’t think about it too hard!” the man huffed coldly.

He held his hand to the door and pressed a finger to an inconspicuously raised part of the door frame. Then, he grabbed her hand, pushed the door open, and went inside. The room was so dark they couldn’t even see their hands. The furnishings were invisible to them. Xiao Lie took her through the room with ease and steered her up the stairs.

“The boneless ginseng is on the third floor!”

Su Jiu followed him through the darkness, chuckling quietly. “You are really familiar with this place!”

Xiao Lie nodded. “His Highness Prince Rui trusts me very much!”

He trusts you and you bring in people to steal his treasures! Su Jiu shot a glance at the man’s tall back. The two of them slowly followed the wooden stairs up. Their eyes could not make out anything in the dark. Their surroundings were new, and the two of them could not be said to be in a close relationship, but there was some kind of indescribable trust and understanding that circulated in their joined hands.

They ascended to the second floor and were just about to turn the corner when Su Jiu’s ears pricked up. She heard the very faint sound of gears rotating in the wall. She looked up quickly and saw countless tiny black tubes suddenly appear on either side of where they stood. The dark holes were aimed directly at them. Su Jiu didn’t have any time to think. All she could do was abruptly throw herself down on the ground, taking him with her and calling urgently, “Don’t move!”

The moment they fell, Xiao Lie suddenly twisted his body, catching her in his embrace. He heard her voice and obeyed her words, not moving. It was dark and silent in the loft. Time crawled by. The walls on either side showed no signs of change. Initially, Xiao Lie had taken her into his arms automatically, without thinking. Now that the two were glued together, their breath intermingled, and her delicate fragrance floated around him. He even felt her hair fall on his neck, and it tickled a little. The tickle spread through his blood all the way to his heart, which jumped. Darkness was all around them. Only their two hearts were beating in their chests on this lonely night. It seemed like they were the only two people in the world.

Though she’d bound her chest, he could feel the special softness. Xiao Lie just barely tightened his arms around her waist. She was slender but filled out where she should be. As his thoughts turned to this, his ears suddenly heated up. Thank goodness it was night!

After a long time without any movement, Su Jiu looked around and scrambled up. Confused, she approached the tubes on the wall. She frowned and asked, “It’s been a long time. Could the trap be stuck?”

Xiao Lie also rose slowly. He held onto her hand. “That’s possible!”

“The guards here at Prince Rui’s Manor are really slacking off!” Su Jiu scoffed, then turned to Xiao Lie and said, “Follow behind me. Don’t get yourself hurt!”

“Don’t worry about that. The traps are broken, what is there to be scared of?” Xiao Lie kept his voice low and soft.

He led the way up the stairs, climbing just one step. He kept a hand on the railing and pressed on an unobtrusive, hidden button. They went all the way to the third floor without further incident and pushed the door open to enter. By the moonlight, they could just make out rows of ornately carved wooden display shelves. The moonlight shone down on their antique gloss. Regardless of the treasures those shelves might have held, the precious wooden frames alone were of staggering value.

“It’s over here!” Xiao Lie led her through the shelves toward the right.

On their way, though other treasures couldn’t be made out clearly, what they could see were several shining pearls as large as fists.

“Wow!” Su Jiu looked at them in amazement, her eyes gleaming.

Xiao Lie looked at her and asked quietly, “Do you want to take a few with you?”

Su Jiu was taken aback for a moment, then immediately shook her head. “No, forget it. I’m afraid that all three princes would call for my arrest and hunt me down!”

Xiao Lie chuckled. They went to the very last wooden shelf. From the middle shelf on the third row, he took out a mahogany box inlaid with gold. He opened it and said quietly, “This is the boneless ginseng!”

Su Jiu took a curious look. The box was lined with a snowy white cloth on which lay two pieces of scarlet ginseng as big as her palm. She counted and found that each piece had nine roots. Xiao Lie closed the wooden box and handed it over to Su Jiu. “Take this with you.”

Su Jiu shook her head and opened the box. Wrapping just one piece in a cloth, she said seriously, “One piece is enough!”

Xiao Lie frowned, “Since you’ve already broken into Prince Rui’s Manor, why not just take both pieces?”

“This ginseng is incredibly precious and can save lives. Just by taking one, I might be taking a life from Prince Rui. I must leave them at least one to save a life here. As a human being, you can’t be too greedy!” Su Jiu tucked the ginseng away and looked up to smile at him.

The moonlight shone on her delicate features. Her two eyes glistened like broken starlight. Xiao Lie’s gaze deepened, and he nodded with a chuckle. He put the box back and said, “Fine. Because of those words, I’ll not pursue you for the crimes you’ve committed today!”

Su Jiu frowned; they were obviously in it together! “That’s right. Why did you help me?”

Su Jiu still didn’t understand. The two of them did not have much of a relationship. In fact, since she’d stolen his money, they could even be considered enemies. He was an official advisor at Prince Rui’s Manor, so he was Prince Rui’s man. Why would he help his enemy?

Xiao Lie’s eyes were thoughtful. He said quietly, “Probably because Prince Rui is brutal by nature. Doing this tips the scale back a bit!”

“Is Prince Rui very cruel?” Su Jiu frowned. “Then, if he finds out that he’s been robbed, won’t he put it on your head? Would he…kahh!” Su Jiu mimicked a beheading with a slashing gesture.

Xiao Lie laughed, muffled and deep. He said quietly, “Don’t worry. No one will know that I stole it!”

“That’s good. If you are found out, just put it all on me. Say that I held you at knifepoint and made you do it!”

“Alright!” Xiao Lie’s dark eyes were bright as he looked at her. He chuckled softly and nodded.

The two of them descended through the pavilion. Xiao Lie escorted Su Jiu all the way out the side door.

“Go out from here, turn down the alley, and then you’ll reach Chang’an Street!”

Su Jiu nodded and saluted him, fist in palm. “Because of today, I owe you a big favor. I will repay my thanks another day!”

“Alright, I’ll remember that!”

“See you again!” Su Jiu grinned and turned to walk away.

“Su Jiu!” Xiao Lie ran up to her and asked quietly, “Where do you live?”

“The tavern called Qinghe, on Sunset Street. If you need anything, come find me there!” Su Jiu turned to say this. She did not leave through the door. She leaped up and over the wall and, with a few more jumps, disappeared into the dark night.

Xiao Lie stared at her disappearing silhouette for a long time before turning around. Behind him was a group of guards, all kneeling on the ground.

“Your Highness!” Ding Fei was on one knee before him, his eyes downcast.

Xiao Lie’s entire body exuded a frosty coldness. His eyes swept over them and he said quietly, “None of you even noticed that someone broke into my bedroom. What do I even need you for?”

In the icy wind, the cold of Ding Fei’s sweat prickled his back. “I know I was wrong. Please punish as you see fit!”

“Please punish as you see fit!” the twenty-some men behind him responded in unison.

Xiao Lie strode past them in large steps, going toward the main courtyard. The sound of his steps dissipated into the cold night air.

“Each of you is to receive fifty strikes as not to repeat tonight’s performance!”

“Yes, sir!” Ding Fei, unmoving, let out a sigh of relief as he answered in a loud tone.

Su Jiu returned to Ji Manor and changed her clothes. By the time she laid down again, the sky was already bright. She’d originally planned to just scout the place out. She’d never expected to actually steal the boneless ginseng and bring it back. Closed inside the bed curtains, Su Jiu’s eyes were shining bright. She could scarcely wait to bring the ginseng straight to Li Tai.

As for Xiao Lie, who would have thought that he was an official of Prince Rui’s Manor? To offer ideas to Prince Rui, he would have to be a military advisor, just like Qiao An. So, his status at Prince Rui’s Manor must be quite high. No wonder Liang Shizi and Nangong Shu had treated him with such respect and deference.

Su Jiu stretched her hand under her pillow to take out the jade pendant. She held it in front of her and softly caressed its grooves. He’d helped her with such a big job. Next time, she had to remember to return the jade pendant to him!

She put the jade pendant around her neck and tucked it beneath her clothes. Once it was settled in carefully, she patted it with her palm and closed her eyes to catch at least a little bit of sleep while the sun was not yet all the way up.