When Cuiyu left Tanxiang Yingyue, her mind was still in turmoil, pondering over what You Yuji had said to her.
You Yuji had told her that it wouldn’t be difficult to send her out of the Prince’s Residence. Even though Chen Anzhi was not currently in the residence, as a concubine, she could easily find a reason to expel her. However, You Yuji wanted Cuiyu to clearly consider her plans after leaving the residence. You Yuji gently asked if she could cope with the difficulties she might face in the future.
All morning, Cuiyu was distracted in the flower hall. Even when Hongzan spoke to her, she often didn’t hear.
The thought of life outside the Prince’s Residence both excited and terrified her.
You Yuji didn’t ask her to respond immediately but suggested she take time to think it over. After all, this wasn’t a trivial matter. You Yuji could easily send Cuiyu away, but in this world, many women with soft personalities struggle without the support of a man.
Near noon, as Cuiyu walked back to her quarters from Tanxiang Yingyue, she saw green shoots peeking out from the snow by the roadside and suddenly made up her mind.
Being a concubine would never bring her prosperity.
The future was uncertain, but she was truly fed up with being cooped up in the back residence, waiting for favor, hoping the new mistress would be kind-hearted.
Cuiyu turned around and looked in the direction of Tanxiang Yingyue, feeling a warmth in her heart. She hadn’t expected that the lady of the house would genuinely care about her situation and think about her future as she was leaving.
Cuiyu felt a surge of gratitude towards her parents, who might be alive or dead, for their virtue, which had led her to meet such a kind and generous mistress.
Then, Cuiyu furrowed her brows, a look of hesitation on her face. The mistress had spoken to her so candidly, yet she felt dishonest, hiding something from her.
—
You Yuji had also asked Chunxing privately if she wanted to leave the Prince’s Residence. Unlike Cuiyu, it was a bit troublesome to send Chunxing out of the residence, but it wasn’t impossible.
However, Chunxing refused.
Chunxing sat by the window, looking at the red lanterns swaying gently in the wind outside. She said, “His shadow is here.”
In this world, only here still had his shadow.
You Yuji looked up at Chunxing in surprise. Although Chunxing’s lips were slightly curved in a faint smile, You Yuji could still feel an indescribable sadness emanating from her.
After Chunxing left, You Yuji sat alone for a while before getting up and returning to her room.
She walked around the screen, resting her hand on its side, and looked towards the bed where Si Que was lying. Near noon, Si Que had said he was tired and had come back to take a nap, not even wanting lunch.
You Yuji did not move forward, worried about waking Si Que.
She looked at Si Que from a distance, gradually furrowing her brows.
Lately, Si Que seemed to tire easily, sleeping more than usual.
Unconsciously, You Yuji thought about Si Que’s health and the rumors that he wouldn’t live past the age of twenty. She tried to suppress these thoughts as much as possible.
Chunxing’s sad, smiling eyes suddenly appeared in You Yuji’s mind, and her hand on the screen clenched tightly.
The greatest pain in this world is probably the separation of life and death.
You Yuji tiptoed to the bed, carefully climbed onto it, and gently nestled beside Si Que. He had appeared in her life like a brilliant beam of light, and she couldn’t bear the thought of this unique light fading away so quickly.
Si Que opened his eyes and looked over, asking, “Why are you here at this time?”
You Yuji, with her eyes closed, rubbed her cheek against his shoulder and softly said, “I don’t want to eat, just want to sleep for a while.”
Si Que reached out and found You Yuji’s hand, holding it in his.
Though the sun was high, the two of them nestled together in the warm bed.
The kitchen had prepared lunch, and Zhenxu came in to ask if they should serve it. Seeing the two of them embracing on the bed, she hesitated and left. After a while, Zhenxu came back quietly and saw that they were still resting, so she left again without disturbing them.
Although Zhenxu’s footsteps were light, Si Que heard them.
“I’m hungry,” he said.
“Alright, it’s better to eat something before sleeping again,” You Yuji said, sitting up.
The two of them got up and went to the outer room, where Zhenxu quickly brought in the lunch with the maids.
Si Que didn’t eat much. He wasn’t really hungry; he just wanted to sleep. But he didn’t want You Yuji to skip a meal to sleep with him.
You Yuji noticed that Si Que didn’t have much of an appetite. She softly said, “I need to visit the Zhao family later. When I come back, should I bring you some treats?”
Si Que, perhaps imagining it, felt that You Yuji’s tone was a bit like coaxing a child. He looked up at her and asked, “What treats will you bring?”
“Soft fruit candies from Baimi Shop, roasted fish from Drunken Pavilion, meat buns from Furong Alley, and maybe some candied haws from the roadside?” You Yuji’s eyes curved into a smile. “Oh, and I can’t forget to buy you a bag of sugar-roasted chestnuts!”
Si Que slowly sipped his congee and said, “Make that two bags.”
“Alright.” You Yuji smiled gently.
Si Que ate his congee and looked at You Yuji’s radiant smile.
In the afternoon, after You Yuji left the Prince’s Residence, Si Que went back to bed. Before falling asleep, he was still thinking about You Yuji’s lovely expression when she promised to bring him treats.
“Meow.” Baisui jumped onto the bed.
Si Que casually grabbed the increasingly chubby black cat and placed it on himself. He slowly tapped its hard skull and said, “Sleep. When we wake up, there will be treats. I’ll share half with you.”
Si Que slept until the sky grew dark.
Baisui had woken up long before, gotten off him, and sat nearby playing with its new blanket. The brightly colored red dudou was now its new blanket.
Si Que, fully rested, got up from the bed in a leisurely manner.
However, Si Que hadn’t expected that You Yuji still hadn’t returned. He waited a while longer, then opened the window and looked outside. Gazing at the crescent moon in the sky, he realized that the meat bun shop in Furong Alley would have closed long ago at this hour.
After another half hour, Si Que sensed something was wrong.
He walked out quickly, encountering Lady Jing asking Baohe about why Madam hadn’t returned yet. Baohe frowned and shook her head, saying she didn’t know either. Baohe added that the lady had mentioned she would be back by mid-afternoon before she left.
Lady Jing’s brows furrowed tightly. Her square face looked even more serious when she frowned. She had watched You Yuji grow up and knew her considerate nature too well. Even if something delayed her return, she would have sent someone back to inform them.
“Go, send someone to the Zhao residence!” Lady Jing ordered.
Soon, a guard hurried back from the Zhao residence, reporting that You Yuji had left the residence long ago.
“How could she just disappear?” Lady Jing panicked. “Such a grown woman, with Zhuo Wen and several guards with her! How could she disappear without a trace or any news?”
Baohe, also frightened, stood up with a pale face.
Suppressing her anxiety, Lady Jing immediately called for the guards to search outside the residence and instructed them to find Zhuo Wu and have him look for You Yuji.
“Why only send Zhuo Wu to search? Shouldn’t the household servants be looking too?” Baohe hurriedly asked.
“No, no…not yet…” Lady Jing shook her head, “Let’s search ourselves first…”
Lady Jing was concerned about You Yuji’s reputation and didn’t want to cause a public uproar just yet.
While Lady Jing and Baohe were anxiously discussing, they didn’t notice Si Que slipping out quickly.
The guards went to the Zhao residence to inquire, and Zhao Sheng and Jiang Chun were also alarmed to learn that You Yuji had not safely returned to the Jinnan Prince’s Residence. They immediately went out to search for her themselves.
Near midnight, the princess’s attendant, Gu Momo, hurried over. The princess wanted to speak with You Yuji. She naturally knew You Yuji was not in the residence and would occasionally stay at her own family’s home. The princess had sent Gu Momo to ask if You Yuji would return the next day.
Seeing the sky completely dark outside, Lady Jing, after much internal struggle, personally went to the princess to report You Yuji’s disappearance and seek help. Despite her concerns, nothing was more important than ensuring You Yuji’s safety.
Upon hearing Lady Jing’s report, the princess stood up abruptly, causing a sharp, heart-wrenching pain in her back. She couldn’t help but gasp.
“Take it slow! Slow!” Gu Momo hurriedly went over to support the princess.
The princess immediately asked, “Do you have any suspects? Has Yuji ever had enemies? Did the entire group disappear, not even a single guard returning? Did you search along the route? There must be some clues!”
Seeing the worry in the princess’s eyes, Lady Jing felt slightly relieved, thinking she had made the right decision. She quickly explained, “There are no suspects. Not a single servant has returned, and the entire group, along with the carriage, has vanished without a trace. We searched along the route but found no clues…”
The princess was silent for a moment before immediately ordering a search.
“Wait,” the princess called out to Gu Momo again. “Tell everyone outside that the residence is looking for a maid who stole something. Everyone must keep their mouths shut and not spread the news about the missing princess!”
Hearing this, Lady Jing exhaled deeply in relief. She thanked the princess profusely and then hurried back to Tanxiang Yingyue, sending people out repeatedly to gather news from Zhuo Wu outside the residence.
Since it was near the New Year, You Yuji had given many people time off. Zhuo Wu had some difficulty in gathering the manpower for the search.
In the quiet night, different groups set out from multiple directions to search for You Yuji.
Zhao Sheng, looking at Jiang Chun beside him, was worried about her stumbling in the dark and advised, “You should go home. I’ll keep searching.”
“No!” Jiang Chun refused. “She went missing after leaving my place. Even if I went home, I wouldn’t be able to rest!”
Zhao Sheng knew Jiang Chun’s temperament well enough to realize he couldn’t persuade her otherwise. He insisted that Jiang Chun must stay within his sight. Jiang Chun, understanding the gravity of the situation, agreed to Zhao Sheng’s request.
—
As night fell, the busiest street in Chingjing quieted down. Si Que stood on the high rooftop of a bustling tavern, overlooking the surroundings.
The night wind constantly blew at the hem of Si Que’s dress.
He hadn’t even had time to change clothes, still wearing women’s attire, with a white silk veil hat on his head.
The crescent moon hung high, casting its light behind him.
Through a wisp of smoke, shadows in black silently gathered from all directions, occasionally stepping on loose tiles.
The black shadows knelt densely, glancing surreptitiously at the fluttering hem of the dress on the rooftop, their eyes filled with doubt. Another gust of wind blew, lifting Si Que’s veil, revealing a blood-red mask underneath.
Only when Si Que spoke did the familiar voice dispel the doubts of the kneeling shadows, confirming that the person on the rooftop was indeed their Poison Pavilion master. Soon after, the shadows looked up again, only to find the figure on the rooftop had vanished. They dared not linger and swiftly rose, disappearing into the night as silently as they had come.
In a corner, Tingyun stood with her arms crossed, deep in thought.
—
The carriage wheels rumbled as You Yuji leaned weakly against the wall, eyes closed as if in a daze.
Listening to the sounds outside the carriage, You Yuji slowly opened her eyes. The effects of the drug hadn’t worn off yet, leaving her without strength, feeling limp.
She glanced at the small table inside the carriage, where soft fruit candies from Baimi Shop, roasted fish from Drunken Pavilion, meat buns from Furong Alley, two sticks of candied haws, and two bags of sugar-roasted chestnuts were placed.
The candies were still fine, but the other items were inedible. The red candied haws, in particular, were a sticky mess as the sugar coating had melted.
What a pity.
You Yuji sighed. Her beloved was the most skilled in poison in the world, yet she had been drugged and kidnapped. It was quite embarrassing.
When she returned, she decided she must learn some poison techniques from Si Que.
