Chapter 29: Danger

Suddenly feeling a tightness in his chest, Xifeng unconsciously swallowed hard, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. He prided himself on treating the princess with respect, but it seemed she wanted to put him in a difficult position!

“No, I just think Xifeng works so hard every day, so I wanted to say a fair word for him,” Xia Tong quickly explained, believing she was helping someone.

Xifeng, standing nearby, was visibly distressed. He couldn’t understand what he had done to offend the princess to warrant such treatment!

“Fair words…” Gu Qin squinted his eyes, fixing his gaze on the person before him. After a pause, he spoke coldly, “Return to the residence.”

In an instant, Xifeng hurriedly exited the room, though there was no sign of relaxation on his face. He knew he would definitely be punished, it was just a matter of severity. At that moment, he understood one thing. He needed to stay far away from the princess!

As they were about to return to the residence, Xia Tong felt she hadn’t had enough fun, but she dared not oppose the boss’s wishes. Before leaving, she had Qing,er reward a few pieces of silver to the little girl performing tricks. Life was tough for those out there. After all, if she could help, she would.

Back at the residence, Gu Qin went to the study, and Xia Tong eagerly came over to grind ink for him. Pleasing the villain was her only way to survive now.

However, when her hands started to ache from grinding the ink, Xia Tong couldn’t help but grab a stool to sit down, occasionally stealing glances at the documents in front of him, but he remained utterly focused and silent.

“Your Highness, if you give me the account books of the residence, aren’t you afraid that I will do something to them?” After a moment, she finally asked out the questions in her heart.

Without looking up from his work, the man merely cast a glance at her, his voice flat, “Are you going to continue sending incense money to the Guanglu Temple?”

Xia Tong’s expression stiffened. Suddenly, she remembered the twenty thousand taels she had accumulated but lost, a wound that had long since left her heart aching.

“I’m not a believer! I might visit occasionally, but I would never contribute to ‘incense money’ regularly!” Her face was grave, as if she were on the verge of swearing an oath.

Ignoring her, the man continued to review the documents. Meanwhile, Xia Tong’s hands ached from grinding the ink, yet she couldn’t leave. She needed to create the illusion that she was favored. Otherwise, even if she had authority of the housekeeper, she would still be seen as an insignificant princess. Her mother would definitely worry.

The room was quiet, only the sound of documents closing breaking the stillness. Outside, the branches rustled gently in the autumn wind, creating a soft whispering noise. After a moment, the man set down his brush and picked up a tea cup, taking a gentle sip. Lost in thought, he suddenly tilted his head slightly, only to find a small head resting on the table, eyes tightly shut. The fair little fingers were smeared with ink, leaving dark stains on the inkstone.

He wondered how this woman could be so quiet, even able to sleep in his study. Was she really risking her life?

The mark on her forehead had faded significantly, and a strand of hair clung to her cheek. Her delicate face looked somewhat youthful, with her rosy lips pressed lightly together. She was breathing steadily, indicating she was in a deep, peaceful sleep.

Slowly raising his hand, he gently pressed his finger against her injury. Suddenly, he pressed down hard, causing the sound sleeper to bolt upright, ink splattering everywhere from her hands.

“Hiss——” Xia Tong subconsciously covered her head, but when she found that her hands were sticky, a large amount of ink suddenly came into her eyes.

“Sleeping instead of working? A person like you won’t last even a day under my command,” Gu Qin said nonchalantly, glancing at her before returning to his documents.

“I… I was deep in thought, not slacking off!”

Xia Tong stammered an explanation, quickly grabbing a handkerchief to wipe the ink off her hands. But the more she wiped, the more ink seemed to spread, prompting her to abruptly stand and dash out of the room.

Watching her figure disappear, the man frowned slightly, and suddenly a delicate beaded flower appeared in his hand, his gaze turning deep and contemplative.

*

Returning to her room, Xia Tong scrubbed at her hands for a long time but still couldn’t remove the ink. She cursed herself for being foolish enough to fall asleep there.

It was Fang Yu who brought her a certain herb that finally cleaned her hands. Her clothes were stained with ink as well, so she hurried to take a bath, only to realize that she seemed to have lost a beaded flower from her hair—her most expensive one. She was deeply saddened by this.

“It might have fallen into Madam’s room. It’s just a beaded flower; next time, we can ask Yu Defang to send over some new styles,” Fang Yu suggested kindly.

Xia Tong was still focused on examining her hands for remaining ink when she felt a twinge of regret. After reviewing the accounts, she realized that Yu Defang was part of the villain’s property. She thought she should choose some nice items next time since they wouldn’t cost her anything.

“Master, Butler Lin has arrived.”

Suddenly, Qing’er entered, leading the respectful butler, who was holding a box and wore a warm smile.

“Is there something you need, Butler Lin?” she asked, leaning back on the soft couch and sipping from a nearby cup of tea.

Hearing this, the butler still stepped forward respectfully and raised his hand to hand over the box, “This is what Lord Xifeng asked me to give to the princess.”

At that moment, Xia Tong’s body stiffened. She took the box, opened the clasp, and her eyes lit up when she saw the travel pass inside.

The pass contained a brand new identity—Zhang Meili, a farmer’s daughter, aged eighteen. This was an entirely new identity, officially certified. Now she could finally repay the heroine’s kindness. Xifeng worked quickly and efficiently, he was truly a good person.

“Why did you come instead of Xifeng?” She tucked the box away and casually inquired.

The butler’s gaze flickered as he looked around nervously, yet he maintained a natural demeanor. “Lord Xifeng had other important matters, so he sent me.”

Xia Tong didn’t doubt him. However, when she glanced at the maidservants cleaning outside, her expression suddenly sharpened, and she coldly looked at the butler. “Those maidservants outside make me uncomfortable. The prince’s residence doesn’t need people who can’t do their jobs. Give each of them a silver tael and send them away.”

What household would be willing to take in servants dismissed from the Regent’s residence?

The butler secretly lamented that the new princess was not someone to be trifled with, and he hurriedly nodded. “You are right, Your Highness. Such unhelpful individuals only obstruct your sight. I will send over a new batch of capable servants shortly.”

Xia Tong waved him off, signaling him to leave. The butler did not linger.

Once he was gone, Xia Tong pulled out the travel pass and examined it for a long time. Noticing that the sky was starting to darken, she realized she had about half an hour left.

“Fang Yu, go to the Minister Shen’s residence and find Miss Shen. Tell her the items she requested are ready, and we’ll meet at Huayun Tower tomorrow at noon.”

Fang Yu did not hesitate and promptly left. Minister Shen’s residence was in the east of the city, which made for a round trip of exactly one hour.

After the butler brought in the new servants, they were far more obedient than the previous ones. This was how it worked. Kind people were often taken advantage of, and even if she had power, she wouldn’t let others bully her.

When Fang Yu returned, she reported that things had gone smoothly. She had only bribed a servant at the back door to see Shen Xin, who confirmed that she would keep the appointment tomorrow.

Xia Tong thought the heroine wouldn’t escape so easily. After all, she was the main character and still had many plot points to unfold. However, she too had her own plot to consider. The old madam’s birthday was coming soon on the twentieth. In the storyline, the third prince attempted to poison the crown prince during the celebration, but when discovered, everyone assumed it was the Xiahou family who did it. The Xiahou family, a mere pawn at that point, would be framed for treason based on the villain’s machinations, leading to the emperor ordering their estate to be raided. Would the villain attempt to make the Xiahou family suffer even more this time?

She wondered if the storyline would change this time. Regardless, she had to prevent everything from happening. If the Xiahou family got into trouble, she would definitely face repercussions too.

That night, Gu Qin did not come over, which suited Xia Tong just fine, though it worried Qing Er and the others, as prolonged absence would invite speculation.

The next day, her departure from the residence was relatively smooth. She chose Huayun Tower because it was quiet and unlikely to draw attention. After all, the villain wanted to kill the heroine. If anyone discovered that she was helping her, she could also be in danger.

When they arrived at the place, the other party had obviously arrived before her. She saw a gorgeous figure sitting in the elegant and quiet box. The woman was wearing an autumn-scented cross-collared floor-length skirt. Although she had no makeup on her face, her eyes and eyebrows were still radiant and it was hard to ignore her at first sight.

Hearing footsteps behind her, Shen Xin quickly turned around. Upon seeing the visitor, she nodded slightly. “Miss Xia.”

After a moment, she paused and smiled warmly, adding, “You should be the Princess Regent.”

Xia Tong smiled back, walked over to sit down, and without further ado, pushed the box in her arms toward Shen Xin. “I didn’t get a chance to thank you for saving me that day. I don’t know what you need this for, but I want to advise you to think things through before acting.”

Shen Xin took the box and opened it, surprised to see that Xia Tong had really managed to get it. But then again, she thought, it was just a simple request from the regent.

“Thank you for your help, princess. I will certainly keep your words in mind,” Shen Xin replied, but then her expression turned serious as she added, “However, forgive me for being nosy, but the regent is truly not a good match. Miss Xia, you should consider your options carefully.”

If it were anyone else, Shen Xin wouldn’t have interfered, but she genuinely believed that Xia Tong was a good person. The regent was brutal and had tried to harm her several times; if it weren’t for Xiao Ming’s rescue, she might not even be alive now. With someone who treats human lives so lightly, how could Xia Tong have a good outcome if she married him?

Seeing that the heroine still cared about her, Xia Tong felt a mix of emotions, but she had no one to share her burdens with. She didn’t want this either, but what choice did she have?

“I…”

Suddenly, Xia Tong was knocked to the ground by Fang Yu, just as a gleaming dagger embedded itself in the spot where she had been sitting. On the other hand, Shen Xin wasn’t so fortunate—she had a small knife suddenly lodged in her arm, blood trickling down, turning her pale.

Xia Tong was stunned, a cold sweat breaking out on her back. Was it always this thrilling being with the female lead?

“Are you okay, my lady?” Fang Yu quickly helped her up and looked her over anxiously.

Gritting her teeth, Shen Xin yanked the dagger from her arm and glanced outside, her face pale as she grabbed Xia Tong’s hand. “This place isn’t safe. We need to leave quickly.”