Zhao Shi, who had been watching her for quite some time, finally found an opportunity to ask, “Chunxiu, what exactly is going on?”

“Wu Meixue…” Chunxiu had just said a few words when she remembered that Zhao Shi wasn’t Jirong. She quickly changed the subject and said evasively, “Nothing, I was just curious for a moment, so I watched for a while.” At this point, she glared at Zhao Shi and said, “And you’re one to talk! If you hadn’t suddenly appeared just now, how would they have discovered us?”

Zhao Shi said aggrievedly, “How can you blame me for this? I didn’t know you were peeping at them bathing.” As she spoke, she muttered, “You really are something – what’s the point of sneaking around watching that? Fortunately, there was no one else around just now, otherwise who knows what kind of rumors would spread.”

Chunxiu turned her face away and ignored her. Seeing her like this, Zhao Shi secretly shook her head. She took the food box that Chunxiu had brought from the kitchen, arranged the dishes on the table, and divided out the bowls and chopsticks, saying, “Hurry up and eat.”

Chunxiu was about to take the bowls and chopsticks when suddenly her whole body shivered, and a flash of inspiration struck her mind. She abruptly stood up and said, “Can I still leave the mansion at this hour?”

Zhao Shi didn’t know why she suddenly asked this and casually replied, “As long as Steward Lin is willing to give you a waist token, it should be fine. But what would you leave the mansion for at this hour? Besides… Hey, Chunxiu, where are you going? You haven’t had dinner yet!”

Chunxiu paid no attention to Zhao Shi’s calls from behind and just walked quickly outside. She groped her way in the dark to Steward Lin’s residence. The latter was drinking wine and heard the continuous “bang bang” knocking outside. He said impatiently, “Who is it?”

An urgent voice came from outside: “Steward Lin, I’m Chunxiu. I have urgent business with you.”

“What urgent business could there be so late at night?” Steward Lin muttered as he got up. As soon as he opened the door a crack, Chunxiu eagerly squeezed in, startling Steward Lin. He said with suspicion, “What are you trying to do?”

Chunxiu didn’t beat around the bush with him and said directly, “Steward Lin, I have urgent business and need to leave the mansion immediately. Please give me a waist token.”

“A waist token? Now?” Steward Lin looked at Chunxiu as if she were some kind of strange creature, then shook his head, “The mansion’s rules state that servants may leave on the first and fifteenth of each month, or with written orders from their masters. You have neither, so how can you leave the mansion?”

Chunxiu pleaded, “But I really have extremely urgent business. Please, Steward Lin, be accommodating and flexible.”

“No!” Steward Lin refused her without hesitation. “Today is the ninth day of the first month. Come get the waist token in six days.”

“Six days will be too late!” Before Steward Lin could understand what she meant, Chunxiu had already knelt down: “Steward Lin, I beg you, this matter is really very important. Please be accommodating.”

Steward Lin said firmly, “The state has its laws, and families have their rules. The mansion’s established regulations cannot be violated by anyone. Go back!”

No matter how much Chunxiu pleaded with good words and bad, Steward Lin refused. Finally, he even darkened his face and said, “If you continue to pester me, don’t blame me for being impolite.”

Chunxiu was extremely anxious. This matter had to be clarified quickly – every day of delay meant another day of danger. But she couldn’t tell Steward Lin directly. What should she do?

“Alright, leave quickly.” As Steward Lin stepped forward to drive her away, Chunxiu caught sight of the token he had placed on a shelf nearby. She gritted her teeth, grabbed the waist token, and ran out.

“Stop!” Steward Lin never expected Chunxiu to be so bold. He shouted repeatedly, but this only made her run faster. Steward Lin was corpulent and nowhere near as fast as Chunxiu. By the time he reached the mansion gate, the gatekeepers said Chunxiu had already left the mansion with his waist token. He gritted his teeth and said, “What a Feng Chunxiu, actually daring to steal a waist token and leave the mansion! Hmph, what urgent business? I bet she’s probably gone to meet some lover. What a shameless little slut! Tomorrow I’ll definitely report this to Second Madam and have her severely punished, then thrown out of the mansion!”

What Steward Lin didn’t know was that while he was cursing Chunxiu, a pair of eyes was watching him from the darkness…

As soon as Chunxiu left the Governor’s mansion, she hurried toward Shuangqiao Village. She ran very urgently, constantly looking back over her shoulder as if afraid of something. After great difficulty reaching Shuangqiao Village, she didn’t go to the Feng family home but ran toward Changshi Lane instead. She only stopped when she reached the front of a house with an osmanthus tree planted by the door, and knocked vigorously.

After a while, someone came to open the door carrying an oil lamp. When they saw clearly who was standing at the door, they said in astonishment, “Miss Feng, you… how are you here?”

Chunxiu caught her breath and said, “Wu Laosan, I ask you – does Meixue have a plum blossom tattooed on her left shoulder?”

“Plum blossom?” Wu Laosan said in surprise, “No, Meixue has never had anything tattooed on her body. Why do you ask?”

Chunxiu didn’t respond to him, just lowered her head and muttered to herself, “As expected, she doesn’t have one. I didn’t remember wrong. She’s not her – she’s not Meixue.”

Wu Laosan waited a while but still didn’t see her answer, so he couldn’t help asking again, “Miss Feng, what’s wrong exactly?”

Chunxiu raised her head and smiled lightly, “You’ll understand. Very soon… you’ll understand.”

Under the cold moonlight, the smile at the corner of Chunxiu’s lips seemed particularly eerie, giving Wu Laosan an ominous premonition.

Zhao Shi waited in the room for an entire night. Who would have thought that even when dawn broke, Chunxiu still hadn’t returned? She was worried and wanted to go out to inquire, but as soon as she stepped out and walked just a few steps, she saw several familiar dancers gathered together talking. Sun Shi was among them. When she saw Zhao Shi come out, she immediately waved and said, “Sister Zhao, come quickly.”

“What are you all talking about?” Before Zhao Shi finished speaking, one of the dancers said mysteriously, “Sister Zhao, you shared a room with Chunxiu yesterday, didn’t you?”

Zhao Shi nodded, “Yes, why?”

“Then do you know why Chunxiu grabbed Steward Lin’s waist token and forcibly broke out of the mansion?” Sun Shi’s words greatly surprised Zhao Shi, who exclaimed, “Such a thing happened?”

Seeing her reaction, Sun Shi frowned, “What, sister, you didn’t know?”

Zhao Shi steadied herself and said, “I only know that Chunxiu hurriedly left during dinner time yesterday. Before leaving, she asked me if it was possible to leave the mansion, and then she didn’t return all night. But I never imagined she would be bold enough to steal Steward Lin’s waist token – she’s simply gone mad.”

Someone nearby said, “Isn’t that the truth? I just saw Steward Lin going to Yuxiu Pavilion, and judging by his expression, he was quite angry.” Then she added, “It looks like Chunxiu will have to go back to the woodshed again.”

Another woman shook her head, “Forcibly stealing a waist token and privately leaving the mansion – that’s no small crime. In my opinion, this time she probably won’t even be able to stay in the woodshed.”

Sun Shi nodded, “Exactly. In the past, Jirong was here and could help her plead with the eldest young master, but now she’s gone to Hedong. No one can protect her anymore.”