Chapter 52.1: Caught

“What?” Shen Xin’s expression changed. She looked around carefully, then leaned in closer, her eyes intense. “This is no small matter. Of course, I want that villain to meet a bad end, but if the evidence disappears from your hands and someone with bad intentions uses it, he will definitely think you did it on purpose. This time, he won’t let you off so easily.”

Their eyes met, and Xia Tong let out a deep sigh. Shen Xin’s concerns mirrored her own. That’s why she hadn’t dared to tell the villain anything—if he found out that she had been scheming against him before, he’d definitely be angry.

“Right now, either you find the person who took it as soon as possible, or join me in bringing him down. If neither of those works, you’ll have no choice but to come clean. After all, you didn’t use the evidence to your advantage. However, that villain is unpredictable, so you need to consider everything carefully,” Shen Xin advised seriously.

It sounded simple, but taking that step was extremely difficult. Would Gu Qin truly forgive her this time?

“Actually, Sister Shen, you are just too biased against the Prince. Although he didn’t seem to care when the Xiahou family got into trouble, he’s been quietly helping me take care of my parents. Last time, when I deliberately distracted him to let you go, he didn’t even scold me harshly. He’s just a bit strange, but as long as you don’t oppose him anymore, I can persuade him not to bother you.”

As Xia Tong spoke, her emotions suddenly felt conflicted. It turned out that the villain had indulged her in doing so many things without her realizing it.

Shen Xin didn’t respond. She simply looked at the performers downstairs with a complicated expression, her voice calm, “You don’t have to speak for him. He will never let me go.”

The atmosphere in the room instantly became heavy, and Xia Tong didn’t press the issue. Shen Xin’s bias against the villain wasn’t something that could be resolved with a few words.

After chatting about other things for a while, Xia Tong leisurely returned to the residence for lunch. Due to the recent incident at the Xiahou family, the atmosphere in court had become particularly solemn, and there were more matters to deal with. Every day, Gu Qin left for court early in the morning and only returned by the evening. When Xia Tong returned, she couldn’t help but ask Qing’er about him.

While setting the table, Qing’er shook her head slightly. “This servant doesn’t know. If you want, I can go check if the Prince has returned to the study.”

“No need.”

Xia Tong glanced at the dishes on the table, her eyes flashing with determination. “I’ll go see for myself.”

If the villain was back, she’d just have to face it. If not, maybe it was fate telling her not to say anything.

Without even touching the meal, she nervously made her way to the study. The cold wind blew, making her hair flutter. By the time she reached the study, she saw Xifeng standing outside.

Great. She really was going to test the limits today.

“Why did the Prince come back so early today?”

She didn’t dare go inside, so she struck up a conversation with Xifeng outside.

Xifeng glanced at the Princess with a strange look and slowly replied, “The Prince doesn’t handle everything personally.”

After he spoke, Xia Tong paced back and forth outside the door, indecisive. The cold wind stung her face, so she pulled her fox fur tighter, her small head peeking toward the door hesitantly.

“Oh, right, I haven’t seen that guard with the big square face recently. What happened to him?” She suddenly remembered something.

Xifeng shot her a deep look before answering softly, “Xi Jin was punished by the Prince and sent to guard the city gate.”

He had warned the fool many times, but that idiot kept picking fights with the Princess. After following the Prince for so many years, he still hadn’t learned a thing.

Xia Tong was stunned for a moment. Seeing that Xifeng wasn’t joking, she was surprised. Had the villain really stood up for her after she casually complained about Xi Jin?

“Is the Princess not going in?” Xifeng asked, noticing the Princess’s odd behavior.

“Of course, I am.”

Gritting her teeth, Xia Tong took a deep breath and, with the air of a martyr, pushed open the door.

The room wasn’t heated, so it didn’t feel much different from the chilly outdoors. Gu Qin, still dressed in his dark robe, sat at the desk, his cold aura unchanged. As she closed the door behind her, Xia Tong suddenly felt like retreating. She couldn’t help but think of all the torturous punishments of the Ministry of Justice.

“What sneaky business are you up to now?”

A cold voice broke the silence. Xia Tong blinked, mustered her courage, and walked over, distractedly grinding ink on the desk. “Actually… I came today to tell you something.”

“Speak.” The man didn’t even look up, his brush strokes sharp.

Watching his indifferent expression, Xia Tong’s internal struggle intensified. Whether she confessed now or later, the outcome was the same—there was no reason to fear.

Clearing her throat, she hesitated before asking cautiously, “If… I did something bad, would you be mad?”

“You haven’t made enough mistakes already?” Gu Qin suddenly lifted his head, casting a faint glance at her.

Xia Tong blushed inexplicably, her guilt growing stronger. Why was she always causing trouble for him?

“Actually… this time, it’s more serious than before,” she said, her heart racing as if it were about to leap out of her chest.

The man stopped writing and glanced at her calmly, saying in a bad tone, “I already know about your tryst with the young heir today.”

Xia Tong: “…”

That damned shopkeeper is really fanning the flames! They just happened to run into each other, and with Xia Ning present, how could it be considered a secret meeting!

“I just happened to bump into the young heir. It wasn’t a secret meeting. I’m not an idiot. Even if it were, I wouldn’t choose that place. Isn’t that just asking to be caught?” She pouted, looking indignant.

Gu Qin only gazed at her with a cryptic expression, his voice slightly cold. “It seems you’re quite experienced with secret meetings with those wild men.”

Xia Tong felt like crying. It seemed she couldn’t even defend herself properly. She hurriedly moved behind him, offering to massage his shoulders, her small face filled with innocent pleading.

“This is absolutely untrue, and it’s not important. I just wanted to tell you something very important.” To change the subject, Xia Tong decided to go all out. “I saved Shen Xin before, and she asked me to take a piece of evidence against you that could harm the court. But how could I do something that would betray you? So after I took the evidence, I didn’t return it to her. I don’t know who stole it, but it was taken! I’ve been restless day and night and ultimately decided to come clean. I was planning to hand it to you, but who would have thought a thief would steal it?”

After saying this, Xia Tong felt a huge weight lift off her chest, though she intentionally blurred the timeline, hoping he wouldn’t notice the loopholes.

In an instant, the study fell silent. The man remained wordless, his cold expression showing no emotion as he continued to review documents, seemingly hearing nothing.

With her hands lightly resting on his shoulders, Xia Tong felt anxious and restless. She preferred if he were angry rather than this oppressive silence that made her heart race.

“Why aren’t you angry?” Unable to hold back, she leaned over to sneak a glance at his expression.

He continued to write, his demeanor indifferent, not even sparing her a glance.

Seeing him silent was like the calm before a storm. Xia Tong bit her lip, feeling uneasy. Surely he had caught the loopholes in her story.

“Where did your courage to drug me go?”

Suddenly, the man’s gaze flicked to her, his tone deep.

Xia Tong’s face changed instantly, and she took a step back, her hands behind her, her entire being radiating an air of guilt.

In truth… if she thought about it carefully, this matter wasn’t as severe as drugging him.

Looking at the woman before him, who seemed to want to bury herself in the ground, Gu Qin gazed at her with complex emotions and said softly, “Do you know you were wrong?”

Feeling a stir in her heart, Xia Tong couldn’t help but glance at the cold-faced man. She suddenly felt conflicted; why wasn’t he angry about her wrongdoing?

“I’ve known for a while that there was a spy by my side who was eating from both sides. It’s not surprising.” As he spoke, Gu Qin lightly tapped the table twice, his voice low. “As long as you don’t associate with those wild men, letting her run around for a few more days isn’t a problem.”

Xia Tong’s face flushed, and she couldn’t help but retort, “I don’t have any wild men, and I’m not a spy! This time… it was just an accident…”

“Master, Lord Zhang seeks an audience.”

Suddenly, Xifeng’s voice came from outside, and Gu Qin said seriously, “Remember this matter. We’ll settle it next time.”

That said, Xia Tong took one last glance at him and quickly hurried out, as if a flood were rushing behind her.

Watching her hurried figure, Gu Qin shook his head slightly. This little spy was indeed quite bothersome. He couldn’t hit or scold her. What sort of engagement was his father trying to arrange?

Once outside the study, Xia Tong saw Lord Zhang waiting. They exchanged glances, but she hurried away.

Lord Zhang couldn’t help but show surprise, seemingly not expecting the princess to come out of the prince’s study. Had the prince really trusted her to such an extent?