The room had been quiet for a long time. Outside the window, the wind blew gently, and the black orchids that had just been delivered to the flower stand emitted a faint, lingering fragrance.

The child had been standing quietly at the lower end for so long—so long that she almost thought the person above had fallen asleep. Unable to resist, she raised her head to secretly glance upward, only to fall directly into a pair of eyes as dark and deep as ink.

She could no longer pretend not to see. Chu Qiao licked her lips and called softly: “Fourth Young Master.”

“Have you prepared your lies to deceive me?”

The young man picked up a teacup beside him, slowly took a sip, and spoke in a relaxed, calm voice.

Indeed a little fox, Chu Qiao coldly snorted inwardly, but outwardly she knelt in fear, hurriedly saying: “Xing’er wouldn’t dare to lie.”

“Is that so?” Zhuge Yue lowered his head with a slight smile and said: “Then let me hear it.”

“On the fourth day of last month, Xing’er and a group of young female slaves were taken to the hunting grounds by the First Young Master. In the end, only Xing’er returned alive. After returning, Xing’er was very afraid and prepared to escape while recovering from injuries.”

“Escape?” Zhuge Yue raised his eyebrows slightly: “You’ve lived in the manor since childhood. The Jing family was destroyed three years ago. You have no relatives outside. You are so young—where could you escape to?”

The child was slightly startled and said in a small voice: “Xing’er doesn’t know either, but just didn’t want to stay here waiting to die. The Young Master might think Xing’er is disloyal, but a person only lives once. Xing’er’s life may be worthless in others’ eyes, but in Xing’er’s own eyes, it is still very precious.”

“When Xing’er was preparing to escape, Guard Song discovered me and slapped me hard. Today when he saw me, he was afraid I would get the Young Master’s favor and take revenge on him, so he tried to harm me.”

“Is that so? So that’s what happened. He truly is audacious.” Zhuge Yue took a sip of tea and said slowly in a calm voice: “Do you still remember him hitting you?”

Chu Qiao was startled. Seeing Zhuge Yue’s sharp gaze, like that of a nimble snake, she immediately lowered her head and said: “This happened not long ago, so Xing’er still remembers.”

“Your memory is quite good,” Zhuge Yue nodded and said: “Then, would you remember Jin Si and Jin Zhu encouraging me to kill Lin Xi? Would you remember Zhu Shun giving away all your family members to others? Would you remember someone killing your sisters?”

Chu Qiao was inwardly alarmed but rationally did not raise her head. She kowtowed on the ground, crying sorrowfully, and said: “Young Master, Xing’er remembers everything, but Xing’er also clearly knows her place, knows her duty, and knows her capabilities.”

“So what you’re saying is that when the day comes that you have the ability, you will seek revenge, is that right?”

The child immediately raised her head, looking up in fear: “Fourth Young Master!”

“No need to deny it. The first time I saw you, I knew you were not a child with an ordinary mind. Your eyes hide many things; I can see that.”

The child’s tears remained in her eye sockets as she pressed her lips together and said: “What does the Young Master think Xing’er would do? Does he think Xing’er would kill people? Or does he believe that Sisters Jin Zhu and Jin Si were harmed by Xing’er? Xing’er is young, and even if there is occasionally hatred in my heart, I know what should and shouldn’t be done. The Jing family was exterminated, with tens of thousands of clan members scattered and dead overnight. Xing’er went from being a young lady to a lowly servant. If there is hatred, shouldn’t Xing’er hate the Emperor in the Sheng Jin Palace? Shouldn’t she hate the Council of Elders who issued the order? Shouldn’t she hate the Huang Tian Army Corps that raided Xing’er’s home? Young Master, Xing’er doesn’t have such great abilities. I just want to live well. Those burdens are too heavy; Xing’er cannot bear them.”

The child kowtowed on the ground, her small back straight, her head lowered firmly. But those thin little shoulders were trembling uncontrollably, as if she were very afraid, wanting to cry but holding back.

Zhuge Yue’s gaze examined the child back and forth, his eyes sharp and penetrating. Finally, amid the child’s soft, restrained sobbing, he softened. Zhuge Yue put down his teacup, leaned back on the soft couch, and slowly said: “You may rise.”

The child pressed her lips tightly together, her eyes wide open, all red and watery.

Zhuge Yue looked at the child before him, seeing how small she was, with her rosy cheeks and her small fists clenched nervously, trying hard to hold back tears. She looked like a small animal that had been wronged, quite pitiful. He couldn’t help but sigh softly, thinking to himself that having experienced so much deception, he was indeed seeing snakes in shadows.

“Alright, I admit I’ve wronged you. If you want to cry, then cry.”

This was already a kind of apology. Given Zhuge Yue’s character, when had he ever been so polite to anyone? But the child still stood stubbornly in place, pressing her lips and staring with her eyes, refusing to let a single tear fall.

Zhuge Yue felt an inexplicable irritation and waved his hand: “Go now, don’t stand here in my way.”

The child turned around defiantly, not saying a word, intending to leave.

“Stop!”

Today’s third update, and the fourth update coming soon.