As she had been constantly preoccupied with this matter, after nightfall, Su Yuanyuan asked Caiyun to stay alone to attend to her bedtime.
When Caiyun stepped forward to take out Su Yuanyuan's hairpin, Su Yuanyuan pressed down her hand and said to her, "Caiyun, I'd like to meet your master. Can you help me?"
Caiyun was taken aback for a moment, a look of hesitation crossing her face. "This... This servant will do her best."
In the Prince Cang's Mansion.
The Qianji Pavilion, which was specially built for making mechanisms, was brightly lit. Cang Xuan rolled up his sleeves and sat in the middle of the room, concentrating on repairing the qin in his hand.
If other members of the pavilion were here, they would surely be greatly shocked! Because at this moment, he looked completely different from the man who had flaunted his magic and stirred up a storm in the court that morning.
Amid the tinkling of the hammering, Tian Shu stood in front of him, recounting the miserable state of Su Qingyu.
"The tendons in that woman's hands were all severed, and her eyes were also ruined..."
At the end, Tian Shu sighed and said, "I didn't expect that the Fourth Miss Su, who seems so innocent, could be so ruthless when she gets angry. It's completely different from what I imagined."
Cang Xuan didn't think Su Yuanyuan was cruel. Instead, he felt very heart - ache.
It seemed that the little girl was really extremely angry, which was why she had taken matters into her own hands. But the thought of her hands stained with someone else's blood made a hint of hostility cloud his eyebrows.
"Where is Su Qingyu now?" he asked coldly.
Tian Shu replied, "She was abandoned by the Fourth Miss Su in a dilapidated temple in the southern suburbs, only ten li away from the south city gate. Honey was smeared on her wounds, and the smell of honey has attracted insects, ants, snakes and rats in the vicinity. I'm afraid she's having a really hard time now."
Cang Xuan's gaze fell on the Jiaowei Qin in his hand. Thinking of what Su Qingyu had done to Su Yuanyuan, he raised his eyebrows and smiled. "Having a hard time means she still has a chance to breathe. Have her Achilles tendons severed too, and smear an incurable poison on the wounds. I want her to be in so much pain that she doesn't even wish to live or die."
Never expecting that his master also disliked that Su Qingyu so much, Tian Shu stroked his chin and replied, "Yes, my lord!"
Tian Shu got up and was about to go and do what Cang Xuan had told him. As he walked out of the door, he saw Caiyun waiting there.
Surprised to see Caiyun at this time, Tian Shu couldn't help but look up at the sky.
"It's this late. Why are you here?"
Caiyun: "Naturally, I have something to ask to see the master about."
Every time Caiyun came, wasn't it for the Fourth Miss of the Duke Yong's Mansion? The gossip in Tian Shu's heart immediately burned brightly. He really wanted to stay and listen, so his steps hesitated a bit.
Cang Xuan's voice came from inside the room. "Tian Shu, why aren't you going?"
Tian Shu had no choice but to walk away quickly, with a look on his face as if his favorite food had been snatched away.
"Come in," Cang Xuan said.
Caiyun entered the Qianji Pavilion and walked up to Cang Xuan. She bowed and said, "Caiyun pays respects to the master."
"Speak. What's the matter?" Cang Xuan didn't even lift his head, concentrating solely on the qin in his hand.
Caiyun said, "Master, the young lady wants to see you."
As expected, Cang Xuan replied, "I won't see her."
Caiyun said, "But... the young lady is now in the Prince Cang's Mansion."
With a "clang", Cang Xuan pressed too hard, and the string of the qin in his hand snapped in the middle, leaving a bloodstain on his finger. Seeing the blood bead well up from his fingertip, Caiyun stood there trembling, not daring to even breathe loudly.
The veins on Cang Xuan's forehead bulged with anger. He suddenly stood up from the chair, turned around and looked at Caiyun. The anger in his eyes made Caiyun lower her head even more.
"She's being reckless, and you're following her lead?" Cang Xuan gritted his teeth and said. "Don't you know the current situation of the Prince Cang's Mansion? How many people are watching this place? How could you just bring her here? If anything goes wrong, can you take the responsibility?"
"This subordinate... This subordinate paid attention on the way here. It was safe all the way," Caiyun said tremblingly.
"I can't even guarantee my own safety, let alone others," Cang Xuan said coldly.
Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes to calm his irritable mood.
"Remember today's lesson. Go and take your punishment yourself."
Caiyun let out a sigh of relief. "Yes."
In the back courtyard of the Prince Cang's Mansion, Su Yuanyuan stood in the dark, wrapped in a black robe. Her figure almost blended in with the night.
Caiyun had fulfilled her request. After changing her into a night - suit, she quietly brought her here. Since she had come uninvited, Caiyun didn't dare to take her to see Cang Xuan rashly. So she asked her to hide here temporarily and told her not to step around randomly in case she accidentally triggered some mechanism. Then she went to inform Cang Xuan.
It was already late at night, and the cold seeped in from all directions. Even though Su Yuanyuan had taken a pill that could prevent all diseases, her hands and feet were still cold.
She blew on her palms and frowned. That night, he had run away when he saw her, which meant he still didn't want to face her directly. And coming here today was equivalent to exposing his identity. Would he agree to see her?
Or would he just kick her out of the Prince Cang's Mansion?
As if sensing that she was cold, a warm current suddenly spread through her limbs, and her body became warm. Xiao Ba said in her mind, [Don't be afraid, Little Yuanbao. With Xiao Ba here, you won't be cold.]
Xiao Ba's thoughtfulness made Su Yuanyuan smile. This system was sometimes like a child with an immature mind, always making people can't help but laugh.
She deliberately said, [When you were with Su Qingyu, did you treat her like this and give her warmth at any time?]
Xiao Ba's voice sounded quite exasperated. [Xiao Ba has never provided such services for her. At most, Xiao Ba was just... her eyes, to scout the situation around her and prevent the coming danger.]
Its voice got softer and softer as it spoke, and it sounded quite guilty at the end.
Su Yuanyuan wouldn't blame it. It had been eager to find its lost master, so it had formed a contract with others and provided services for them. This was its duty. Moreover, it had also said that it had accidentally formed a contract with Su Qingyu, and helping Su Qingyu was not its will.
After waiting at the back door of the Prince Cang's Mansion for a while, they heard hurried footsteps approaching from the front. A figure carrying a lantern was coming towards them from afar.
Thinking that she would soon know the result, Su Yuanyuan's heart couldn't help but beat faster, and she quietly clenched her fists.
The footsteps got closer and closer. When the figure came near, it was indeed Caiyun who had gone to inform.
Caiyun walked up to Su Yuanyuan, her voice tinged with excitement. "Miss, the master invites you."
Su Yuanyuan's eyes lit up. Cang Xuan had really agreed to meet her!
Caiyun turned around with the lantern in her hand and said, "Miss, follow closely behind this servant and step where this servant steps. Be sure not to make a mistake."
Su Yuanyuan nodded. "I know."