Read Novel Full CHAPTER 44 PART2
CHAPTER 44 PART2
“Is that…” Xiao Shuo stared at her for a long while before finally recognizing the figure.
He had seen her once—on the day the imperial edict granting Xiao Yanfei’s engagement was delivered to the marquis manor.
This was the momo sent by the Empress herself?
What happened to her?
Xiao Shuo couldn’t help but glance at Xiao Yanfei.
What exactly had she done to this woman?
And just like that, the image of that arrow—fired straight at him that day—flashed through his mind again. The corner of his eye twitched almost imperceptibly.
Xiao Yanfei took a seat gracefully at the head chair and looked at Zhu momo, her lips curving into a faint, unreadable smile beneath the veil.
“Miss,” Zhiqiu said, handing her a booklet.
Xiao Yanfei flipped through it casually.
It contained a record of Zhu momo’s behavior over the past several days:
Day One – She stormed about the room, shouting threats, hurling insults, smashing nearly everything in sight—everything except the bed.
Day Two – She declared a hunger strike. Didn’t touch a drop of food or water. Spent the entire day screaming herself hoarse.
Day Three – After two days of screaming, her voice was gone, and she was too weak to fight. She began to eat.
Day Five – She started begging to be let out.
Day Six – She was quiet. Ate her meals. Drank her water. Slept when told. Like a nun in a temple, calm and mechanical.
Day Seven—
The veil made flipping pages rather awkward, so Xiao Yanfei skimmed quickly through the rest. After finishing, she tossed the booklet onto the long table with little interest, then called out cheerfully:
“Zhu momo.”
The dazed woman jolted, as if struck by lightning. She lifted her head to look at Xiao Yanfei.
Slowly, the dull fog in her eyes cleared, as though she were waking from a terrible nightmare. Bit by bit, her gaze sharpened—until it gleamed with fury and venom.
“Second Miss Xiao, how dare you…” Zhu momo growled through clenched teeth, striding forward in fury. Her large hand swung up high, ready to teach Xiao Yanfei a hard lesson.
This little wench—how dare she? How dare she humiliate her like this?
This account couldn’t just be written off!
But Xiao Yanfei remained languidly leaned against the back of her chair. She adjusted her veil casually, then let out a light sigh.
“Zhu momo, my face is ruined.”
The room fell silent.
“Huh?” Zhu momo froze mid-motion, her raised hand suspended in the air, the rest of her accusations forgotten on her tongue.
Xiao Yanfei lifted the edge of her veil, revealing part of her right cheek. Layers of white gauze wrapped tightly around it, faint traces of vivid red bleeding through.
Zhu momo’s eyes widened in disbelief—nearly bulging out of their sockets. It was only in this moment that she truly registered what Xiao Yanfei meant by “my face is ruined.”
Xiao Yanfei took a dagger from Zhiqiu. The blade gleamed with cold light, its edge dangerously sharp.
She sighed again, her voice soft, almost sorrowful.
“I’m about to be married. And now, with my face like this… I’m heartbroken. If I were to act out of grief and do something drastic, I suppose even Her Majesty the Empress would understand, wouldn’t she?”
She turned to Zhu momo with a sweet smile. “Wouldn’t you say so, momo?”
Through the veil, the shape of her eyes curved into an upward slant—like a cat’s. The shimmer of the blade reflected in her pupils, shining with a clear, chilling light. It made her look both gentle and dangerous, equal parts charm and menace.
Zhu momo: “…”
The righteous fury she had built up dissipated all at once, like air rushing out of a punctured balloon.
She stared blankly at Xiao Yanfei’s bandaged face, momentarily stunned.
“Ahhh…” Xiao Yanfei let out another long sigh, lowering her hand. The veil fell again, hiding her face from view.
“Momo, you came all the way from the palace just for me—such a hard task. I’m young and ignorant. If you fail in your mission… will Her Majesty blame you for it?”
Zhu momo: “…”
She had no words. Her heart clenched violently.
She’d been sent by the Empress herself to serve as Second Miss Xiao’s etiquette nanny—this was her appointed duty outside the palace.
Even now, she could still hear the Empress’s cold voice ringing in her ears:
“Zhu momo, when you go to the Marquis of Wu’an’s household, you must make that illegitimate girl obedient. She must serve me, not only now—but especially after she marries into the Duke of Wei’s family.”
“I want her to become a dog trained by me. If I say ‘sit,’ she will never dare to stand. If I say ‘one,’ she will never say ‘two.’ Whatever I instruct her to do in the Duke’s household—she must obey.”
“Zhu momo. Do you understand?”
“Can you do that?”
Zhu momo had naturally agreed. Under Provost Zheng’s goading, she even swore an oath in front of the Empress, promising to carry out her task flawlessly.
She thought it would be easy.
Just like handling unruly palace maids. Suppress them, degrade them, nitpick their faults. Use the rod and a mix of fear and favor.
If they didn’t listen, beat them. Starve them. After a few days, they’d be obedient as dogs—bowing, groveling, desperate for her approval.
If she told them to bark, they wouldn’t dare speak like a person.
Xiao Yanfei, she assumed, would be no exception.
But she never even got the chance to use her methods. Barely had she arrived at the marquis household when she was tricked—deftly, effortlessly—by a few words from Xiao Yanfei.
Before she knew what was happening, her room was locked tight.
In the days since, she’d been confined to a side room—small, square, sealed from all sides. The windows shuttered, the door bolted. Darkness all around, and only herself for company.
Alone.
Utterly alone.
She had called out for help—screamed until her voice cracked—but no one came. It was as if the world had gone deaf to her existence.
As if she had been erased from the eyes of everyone.
That kind of isolation… was terrifying.
Even the faintest noise became unbearable in the silence.
By the third day, Zhu momo’s old affliction—ringing in the ears—had flared up again. The constant buzzing tortured her day and night, leaving her unable to sit still, let alone sleep.
She hadn’t had a good night’s rest in days.
That small, square room was worse than a prison cell.
Just thinking about it made her whole body tremble.
Xiao Yanfei let out a soft sigh. “Momo, you see? You couldn’t even handle such a simple task. How do you think Her Majesty will trust you again in the future?”
“There are plenty of capable people in the palace. I doubt Her Majesty will continue to rely on you… what a shame.”
“I’ve heard,” she added with a gentle smile, “that nobles only care about results—not the process. If someone fails, they’re cast aside without a second thought.”
“Momo… isn’t that right?”
Behind her veil, Xiao Yanfei’s lips curved into a faint smile.
To belittle her. To suppress her. To make her question herself at every turn—that wasn’t difficult at all.
“Isn’t that so?” Zhu momo murmured, her voice hollow. Her nails dug into her palm, the haughty composure she once held now nowhere to be found.
After days in isolation, her mind had grown fuzzy, her thoughts slow and clouded. She couldn’t think clearly anymore. Her willpower was no match for Xiao Yanfei’s few deliberate sentences. Her heart trembled with the dawning realization:
It was true.
The Empress hadn’t sent her to the marquis household just to hear her complaints.
She had been sent to control Xiao Yanfei—to make her obedient.
If she returned saying she had failed, the Empress would only see her as useless, disappointing.
Xiao Yanfei sighed again, her tone soft, almost pitying. “Ah, perhaps only I understand how hard this has been for you. How much effort you’ve put in.”
Make her see you as her only lifeline.
And in the next moment, she saw it—Zhu momo’s gaze filled with emotion, as though she had found someone who finally understood her.
Xiao Yanfei’s smile deepened.
“So, momo,” she said sweetly, “am I right?”
Zhu momo: “…”
Her dry, pale lips opened and closed. There was still a faint flicker of hesitation in her eyes.
Xiao Yanfei let out another sigh. “It seems momo still needs time to think it over.”
“Zhiqiu—”
At the mere suggestion of being sent back to that pitch-black little room, Zhu momo’s face twisted with horror. Her complexion went paper white.
She wanted to speak, to beg for a moment—but the last sliver of reason left in her mind screamed: Don’t nod. You’re the Empress’s person.
But that single hesitation was enough.
Zhiqiu clapped twice.
The two burly servant women returned without a word and seized Zhu momo, one on each side, dragging her out the door.
Zhu momo looked utterly broken, like half her soul had been scattered. She didn’t resist. Didn’t speak. Just let them take her away.
Xiao Shuo had stood silently through it all, not saying a single word.
He watched, stunned, as Zhu momo was dragged off.
Then, slowly, his gaze shifted to the girl in the veil—Xiao Yanfei—who still held the dagger in her hand, her fingers lazily tracing the sharpened edge.
Their eyes met in the air—silent, unreadable.
After a moment, Xiao Yanfei spoke lightly: “I’m about to marry into the Duke of Wei’s household. Her Majesty sent Zhu momo to make me obedient—to serve as her spy within their walls.”
“What do you think? Does that sound reasonable?”
Of course not.
Xiao Shuo’s eyes flashed cold. Though slim and youthful, his posture was as upright and steady as a red-spear cavalryman standing tall.
He wasn’t stupid. If Second Sister actually played along with the Empress’s plan and the Duke’s family ever found out, the consequences would be disastrous.
A woman who holds secrets against her husband’s family? She would never be trusted—never be safe.
The Empress wanted to use his sister as a pawn—a weapon. What a fine move she thought she’d made.
Xiao Shuo gave a cold little smile, though a dark glint passed through his eyes.
“If we try to send her back,” Xiao Yanfei said with another soft smile, “Her Majesty will just send someone else.”
“So rather than that…” she looked to her brother, “isn’t it better to keep Zhu momo here?”
“Right.”
Xiao Shuo still said nothing, but the slight downturn of his lips was as good as a reply.
So obedient.
Xiao Yanfei caught the answer from his stubborn little expression.
A teachable child indeed.
“So, just watching isn’t enough,” she said casually, using the dagger to lift the edge of the veil covering her face. It revealed the unscarred left side of her face, radiant and flawless. She lightly tapped her temple with one slender finger.
“You have to use this…”
After all, people were given a brain for a reason — to think.
“Don’t you agree, Second Brother?” She smiled, soft and lovely, the curve of her lips sweet and gentle. Her cheek was almost brushing the sharp edge of the blade.
The cold glint of the dagger against her smooth, delicate skin made for a striking contrast.
Xiao Shuo: “…”
The corner of his eye twitched. She’d already injured her face — why was she still playing with a dagger?! Didn’t she worry about cutting herself again?
Couldn’t she just put the damn thing down for once?
“Miss—Miss!”
Just as Xiao Shuo was about to speak, Dingxiang’s excited voice came from outside.
She came running in through the courtyard gate, her face full of joy. Kneeling quickly, she reported, “Miss, Madam just sent word back. Old Master Yin’s condition has improved. Madam plans to set off and return to the capital in three days.”
Linqing City was only three or four days’ journey from the capital.
After a pause, Dingxiang added with a smile, “The First Miss also asked if you would accompany her to the docks to welcome them back.”
Oh my…
Xiao Yanfei’s smile deepened, her eyes curving like crescent moons.
Xiao Luanfei really can’t wait, can she?
***