The room remained silent for a long time. Outside the window, the wind blew gently, carrying the faint, delicate fragrance of the newly delivered ink orchids on the flower stand.
The child had been standing quietly below, but the wait was so prolonged that she almost thought the person above had fallen asleep. Unable to resist, she stole a glance upward, only to meet a pair of deep, ink-black eyes.
She could no longer pretend not to notice. Chu Qiao moistened her lips and called out softly, "Fourth Young Master."
"Have you finished concocting the lies to deceive me?"
The young man picked up the teacup beside him, took a slow sip, and spoke in a calm, unhurried tone.
Sure enough, a cunning little fox, Chu Qiao thought coldly to herself, but on the surface, she feigned fear and knelt hastily, saying, "Xing'er wouldn't dare to lie."
"Is that so?" Zhuge Yue lowered his head and chuckled softly. "Then let's hear it."
"On the fourth day of last month, Xing'er and a group of young slave girls from the mansion were taken by the Eldest Young Master to the hunting grounds. In the end... only Xing'er returned alive. After coming back, Xing'er was terrified. While recovering from her injuries, she packed her belongings and prepared to escape."
"Escape?" Zhuge Yue raised an eyebrow slightly. "You've lived in the mansion since childhood. The Jing family was wiped out three years ago—you have no relatives outside. You're still young; where could you possibly go?"
The child was momentarily taken aback and replied in a small voice, "Xing'er doesn't know either. She just didn't want to stay here waiting to die. The Young Master might think Xing'er is rebellious, but a person only lives once. Xing'er's life may be worthless in others' eyes, but to Xing'er herself, it is still precious."
"When Xing'er was about to escape, she was discovered by Guard Song, who slapped her hard. Today, when he saw me, he feared that I might gain the Young Master's favor and seek revenge, so he tried to harm me."
"Is that so? So that's how it is. He truly has some nerve." Zhuge Yue took a sip of tea and spoke in a placid tone. "Then, do you still remember him hitting you?"
Chu Qiao was startled. Seeing the sharp, serpent-like intensity in Zhuge Yue's eyes, she immediately lowered her head and said, "It happened not long ago, so Xing'er still remembers."
"Your memory is quite good," Zhuge Yue nodded. "In that case, do you remember Jin Si and Jin Zhu urging me to kill Lin Xi? Do you remember Zhu Shun giving your family members away to others? Do you remember someone killing your sisters?"
Chu Qiao's heart jolted with alarm, but she restrained herself from looking up. Instead, she kowtowed to the ground and wept bitterly, saying, "Young Master, Xing'er remembers everything. But Xing'er also clearly knows her place, her duty, and the limits of her abilities."
"What you mean is, if one day you have the capability, you will seek revenge, right?"
The child immediately looked up, her eyes wide with terror. "Fourth Young Master!"
"No need to deny it. The first time I saw you, I knew you were no ordinary child. Your eyes hide many things—I can see it."The child's eyes brimmed with tears as she pressed her lips together and said, "What does Young Master think Xing'er would do? Does Young Master believe Xing'er would go kill someone? Or that Sister Jinzhu and Jinsi were killed by Xing'er? Xing'er is young, and though I may occasionally harbor resentment in my heart, I still know what should and shouldn't be done. The Jingmen clan was exterminated, with tens of thousands of clansmen scattered or dead overnight. Xing'er went from being a young lady of noble birth to a lowly servant. If we're speaking of hatred, shouldn't Xing'er hate the emperor in Shengjin Palace? Shouldn't I hate the Elder Council who gave the order? Shouldn't I hate the Huangtian Army who raided Xing'er's home? Young Master, Xing'er doesn't have such great capabilities. I only wish to live peacefully. Those burdens are too heavy for Xing'er to bear."
The child kowtowed on the ground, her small back straight as she firmly kept her head lowered. Yet her thin little shoulders trembled uncontrollably, as if she were terribly frightened, wanting to cry but stubbornly holding back.
Zhuge Yue's eyes scrutinized the child, his gaze sharp and penetrating. Finally, softened by the child's suppressed sobs, he set down his teacup, leaned back on the soft couch, and said slowly, "Rise."
The child pressed her lips tightly together, her eyes wide open, red-rimmed and misty.
Zhuge Yue looked at the child before him, seeing how small she was, her cheeks flushed pink, her little fists clenched tightly in tension. She wanted to cry but was straining to hold it back, resembling a wronged young animal—utterly pitiful. He couldn't help but sigh softly, thinking to himself that after experiencing so much deceit and betrayal, he had indeed become overly suspicious.
"Alright, consider it my fault for wronging you. If you want to cry, then cry."
This was already an indirect apology. Given Zhuge Yue's nature, when had he ever been so courteous to anyone? Yet the child remained stubbornly rooted in place, lips pressed together and eyes glaring, refusing to shed a single tear.
For no apparent reason, Zhuge Yue felt a surge of irritation and waved his hand. "Leave. Don't stand here being an eyesore."
The child turned away resentfully without a word, intending to return.
"Stop!"
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