Chapter 213

Chapter 213

This was the second time this had happened.

Su Yi lounged lazily on the noble consort's chair, cradling the cat, as if it were just another lazy afternoon nap.

The palace servant, who had been using a small hammer to crack walnuts, stopped when she saw Su Yi closing her eyes to rest, and instead picked up a small fan to gently fan beside her.

Meanwhile, the Junior Concubine was in deep distress.

She vaguely realized that waiting until after sunset to approach Rong Noble Consort while the Emperor was away, she could avoid the sunlight's burn when she ventured out.

But would Rong Noble Consort really allow her to approach then?

Or would she help her?

She wasn't sure. Rong Noble Consort had a nasty temperament, unpredictable and whimsical, someone who could smile as she watched others suffer.

When Rong Noble Consort instructed her to seek revenge on Xiao Hesheli, it was just to stir up trouble for Xiao Hesheli.

But now, it seemed her only option was to seek Rong Noble Consort's help. Time was running out for her.

As time dragged on, it did nothing to ease the Junior Concubine's growing anxiety.

She shakily extended her hand slightly, hesitating, wanting to pull it back, but still managed to shakily reach out.

The once warm sunlight, touching her skin, felt as gentle as a kiss.

But now, as soon as her fingertips emerged, the sunlight burned like a red-hot iron, instantly searing her fingertips, even causing black smoke to rise.

"Ah!" The Junior Concubine cried out, wincing in pain, quickly pulling her hand back and hiding under the eaves. The searing pain in her fingertips made her tremble uncontrollably. Just the pain in her fingertips was already unbearable.

How could she imagine the agony of being exposed to the sunlight without any protection?

The once harmless sunlight in life had now become a branding torture, trapping her in eternal night.

The Junior Concubine's scream went unnoticed by everyone around her. They stood there as usual, hearing nothing.

Life and death had severed everything, and she was trapped in another space.

The only one who could hear her reacted like everyone else, not even glancing in her direction, as if truly hearing nothing.

Guo Gai Tou twitched his ears and looked towards the Junior Concubine, tilting his head slightly, his cat eyes narrowing, as if wanting to get up.

Clearly recognizing this as the thing he had almost caught earlier, he was eager to try again~

The restless Guo Gai Tou, just as he was about to move, was pressed down by a slender, fair hand, "Be good."

The gentle female voice seemed to be telling the cat not to move around.

"Meow~" The white cat with black bangs meowed in a coquettish manner, looking like an innocent and adorable cat, pretending it hadn't intended to do anything.

It even rubbed its furry head against the jade-like hand before lying back down, tucking its paws like a person, and closing its eyes as if starting to nap again.

But the occasional twitch of its ears showed that it wasn't really asleep.

The Junior Concubine, seeing the cat being soothed and no longer attempting to come over, didn't feel relieved. Instead, her mood grew heavier.

Although Rong Noble Consort hadn't glanced in her direction at all, as if unaware of the anomaly, the Junior Concubine knew that the other woman was aware of her presence.

She knows everything.

Compared to that peculiar Xiao Hesheli, Junior Concubine found Rong Noble Consort even more dangerous.

People in the harem believe that Rong Noble Consort maintains her favor solely on her unparalleled beauty. Apart from her naturally blessed face, she has no other redeeming qualities, and her temperament is unpredictable, arrogant, and... a mere ornament.

Yet, no one knows that Rong Noble Consort has a hidden side to her.

With her cunning methods, she makes it impossible for others in the harem to know her true nature. She has hidden this side of herself very well.

If it weren't for her current predicament, Junior Concubine probably wouldn't have discovered Rong Noble Consort's true nature.

That peculiar Xiao Hesheli, who wants to enter the palace and challenge Rong Noble Consort, is likely to stumble, even if she seems to have some kind of backing.

Otherwise, Junior Concubine wouldn't have sought out Xiao Hesheli. Without Rong Noble Consort's guidance, she wouldn't have realized that Xiao Hesheli, still outside the palace, was the one who had harmed her so badly.

Even before entering the palace, Xiao Hesheli had already begun scheming, dragging Junior Concubine into the plot to harm Rong Noble Consort. But in the end, what happened?

The more Junior Concubine thought about it, the more terrified she became. Even in death, fear still gripped her.

Finally, Junior Concubine looked at the sun outside, her hands clenching and unclenching repeatedly, as if she had made a decision, and stepped out of her hiding place.

She rushed into the sunlight as if seeking its embrace.

But this embrace of sunlight, warm to humans, felt like molten lava to Junior Concubine, scorching her spirit.

Where the sunlight touched her, it burned instantly, like a red-hot iron searing her flesh, sizzling and smoking.

Now, Junior Concubine was in agony. She let out a scream, her face contorted in pain, collapsing to the ground and curling up, but the pain didn't subside.

Her already fragile spirit suffered further, but this time, Junior Concubine didn't retreat to the corridor as she had when her fingertip burned.

Instead, she endured the pain, struggling to her feet and walking step by step toward Rong Noble Consort, her form flickering as if she might dissolve into black smoke.

At the same time, the bowl-cut cat grew restless, its eyes narrowing into vertical slits as it stared intently at Junior Concubine, its front legs lowering and claws extending.

"Take the bowl-cut cat back. It must be bored and restless," Su Yi said, scooping it up and tapping its head. "Little rascal," she chided, urging it to behave.

As the bowl-cut cat was picked up, its feet flailed a few times, and it let out a pitiful meow, like a mischievous kitten caught red-handed, guilty and aggrieved, hiding its claws.

Su Yi handed the cat to a nearby palace maid who had been fanning herself. The maid stood and carefully took the bowl-cut cat. "Your Highness, shall I...?" she offered.

"Hmm..." Su Yi paused. "I've had enough sun. Let's return," she said with meaning.

Her gaze briefly lingered on a disheveled figure before moving on, her smile as gentle as ever.

Just like that night, Junior Concubine stood before Rong Noble Consort once more.

But this time, she was far more battered and in pain.

Junior Concubine's body was nearly covered in sunburns, her spirit flickering like a candle in the wind, on the verge of extinguishing.

She had paid dearly to stand before Rong Noble Consort again.

"Didn't you say you didn't want to return?" Su Yi asked casually, her hands resting under her chin as her gaze swept over Junior Concubine. "You look truly pitiful."

"Your Highness... already knows the answer," Junior Concubine said weakly. She should have been sarcastic and bitter, but what good would that do in front of Rong Noble Consort?

Su Yi chuckled softly. "How can you say I'm asking a question I already know the answer to? You were the one who wanted to come, and you were the one who wanted to leave." Her delicate features, softened by her gentle smile, exuded no warmth.

"This is all your own choice, isn't it?" Whatever the consequences of your choices, you must bear them, right?

The words carried a profound meaning, and to Xiao Ying'er, they held multiple layers of significance. Her current predicament was the result of her own decisions.

Whether it was choosing Wulang or returning to seek out Consort Rong, these were all her own choices.

"Are they... all my choices?" Xiao Ying'er's lips twitched into a stiff smile, recalling the events of her past, her laughter sounding like the creaking of a broken windbox.

Her current appearance, so pitiful and wretched, easily evoked sympathy from anyone who saw her.

Especially from another woman, it was easy to feel empathy and compassion for her.

After all, she had suffered so much because of a scoundrel, and now she was in this state. It was truly heartbreaking, and one couldn't help but feel some pity.

But not Su Yi.

"Don't act too long in front of me, little darling. You looked more appealing the first night you came to me."

Su Yi's gaze seemed gentle but was actually cold. Compared to when the other party was still alive, her attitude was even more casual and icy, devoid of any warmth.

In her eyes, the other was merely a plaything.

How could a foolish person deserve any pity?

If you harbor resentment and dissatisfaction, then use your means to crush the other's bones until they can never be hard again.

Of course, the same applies to ghosts.

Hearing Consort Rong's words, Xiao Ying'er paused, stopping her laughter and composing her expression into a blank mask. Coupled with her pale complexion, she looked even more sinister.

She had been lying on the ground but now slowly rose and sat up straight, her eyes lifeless, all emotions subdued into silence.

She was used to the palace life of wearing masks and putting on acts. Even in death, she couldn't avoid seizing opportunities to perform, hoping to improve her situation.

Human hearts are hard to read, and ghosts, once human, naturally harbor some cunning and schemes.

Just like now, she paid a heavy price to appear before Rong Noble Consort.

"After all, you're the Noble Consort," Junior Concubine spoke calmly, appearing more genuine than her previous pitiful act. "The fact that you're still willing to see me now suggests I still hold some value for you, right?"

"Not really," Su Yi said lightly, as if rejecting the idea of being cast as a villain. "Actually, even if you hadn't returned, it wouldn't have made a difference. After all, I only needed you to deliver a message. Once that was done, you were of no further use to me."

It was merely an apology for the rudeness of that night, nothing more.

Su Yi's demeanor left Junior Concubine unsure. What exactly did she mean? "But didn't you say you wanted to use me, to drain me of my value and then..."

Su Yi looked at Junior Concubine with a smile, speaking as if she were someone with an extremely good temper, patiently explaining, "I didn't expect you to return either. I overestimated them and underestimated you."

The implication was that she never expected Junior Concubine to return after 'delivering the message' to Xiao Hesheli.

It aligned perfectly with what she had said—once the value was drained, there was no need to care anymore.

So, if Junior Concubine hadn't returned, Su Yi would have suffered no loss.

After all, debts have their owners.

She had simply returned the 'gift' Xiao Hesheli had sent her, letting her deal with it.

Whether you can handle it, whether the other party can retaliate, and what the final outcome will be—it all depends on your own abilities.

"Speaking of which, shouldn't you thank me? I made you an enlightened ghost," Su Yi slightly lifted her chin, speaking in a way that could drive anyone crazy, as if she truly believed so.

The Junior Concubine was at a loss for words to describe the other's malice. "You've been toying with me all along?!" she said somewhat agitatedly.

Is there even a single honest word coming out of her mouth?

"Not really," Su Yi found it somewhat amusing and smiled, showing an expression that said, "How could you think of me like that?" She wasn't that bad.

"Just," Su Yi's tone turned somewhat serious this time, "when I asked you what kind of paper pattern you liked, you didn't answer me either."

She looked at the other, reminding, "What were my exact words that night?"

If you're not willing to be my little paper doll, then why should I protect you?

I did say I would treat you well, but you didn't respond.

And I'm not the kind of person who forces others.