Chapter 11 Hidden Turmoil

Chapter 11: Hidden Undercurrents

Misty mountains, swirling wind and snow.

A young girl stumbled and scrambled to her feet. She couldn't remember how many times she had fallen, but she knew this was her ninth escape. Fleeing from that lavish mansion, she dodged the vicious thugs and finally plunged into this deep mountain.

Staggering along, the girl spotted a tray of hawthorns lying in the snow ahead. The bright red fruits stood out vividly against a patch of white.

Starving after three days on the run, she lunged forward to grab them—when a ferocious dog materialized out of thin air!

"Agh!!" Caught off guard, the tiny girl was knocked to the ground, her frail shoulder savagely bitten and bleeding.

"Woof woof woof!" The dog barked loudly, puffed up by its masters' backing. Behind it were two men in their forties or fifties, their faces full of menace. They kicked the girl without hesitation.

"You little bitch! Hadn't had enough beatings, huh? Still trying to run? In this damn cold, I've fallen several times chasing you!" Another slap landed.

"Just like that bitch mother of yours—cheap and shameless! Go on, eat, you bastard! Still dare to eat?!"

Another man kicked her hand, scattering the hawthorns she had been clutching across the ground.

Tears welled up in her eyes, but she forced them back. Her small body trembled as she quickly chewed and swallowed the hawthorn she had grabbed. After all, she was running to survive, not to get killed.

The north wind howled, the dog wouldn't stop snarling. When the two men had beaten her enough, they remembered Madam Liu's order: "All these girls must be kept alive." Cursing all the while, they dragged her forward by the hair.

A trail of drag marks wound through the snow, soon covered by fresh flakes, as if the suffering and beating had never occurred.

The men hauled the girl to a wooden cabin in the woods. The path was slippery, and dragging her was arduous, so they decided to rest. They tossed her behind the hut like garbage. One man tied up the dog, the other went to gather firewood.

Soon, a fire crackled to life, and the wind outside began to die down. The girl huddled against a stack of timber, trembling, until two dark figures blocked the dim glow of the fire.

She squeezed her eyes shut, not daring to move, her long lashes trembling with fear.

She knew another beating was coming.

But the expected blows never fell. After a moment, she opened her eyes, shaking. The two men were still there—but they had dropped their pants...

"Little slut, you're probably dead anyway when you go back. Why not warm us up first, eh?" His rough hand grabbed her skinny calf.

"Brother, aren't you usually into little boys? You like this little sprout as well?" the other man jeered.

"I'll take anything—men, women. Never tried a little sprout before. Today's a good day to try something new!"

"Haha, fun, fun..."

Hearing their talk, the girl's heart turned to ice. "Please let me go! Help—help!"

Her shrill cries pierced the snow-muffled silence.

A gust of wind swept down from the heavens, carrying away those fleeting memories of the past. A flash of blinding red, like blood, appeared before the woman's eyes...

— — — —

"Help—"

"Ah!" The young woman gasped awake. More than a decade had passed, but the terror of that dream still gripped her as if it were yesterday.

"Daughter, you're awake. It's all these wretched people's fault—they spilled the dye and woke you."

A middle-aged beauty in a floral silk skirt and embroidered lotus-patterned dress swayed gracefully to the young woman's side, waving an agate-handled fan.

The young woman steadied herself and looked in the direction the middle-aged woman indicated.

Not far away, the Manager was scolding two young maids. They must have stumbled while carrying a vat of dye, splashing a pool of crimson across the blue-bricked ground—spreading like blood.

"Can't even handle such a simple task, and you dare scream for help? If you disturb the Madam's rest, watch your hides!" The Manager shouted, then cast a nervous glance toward the young woman. Seeing no displeasure on her face, he dismissed the maids with a wave.

The middle-aged woman handed the young woman a cup of tea and, noticing her pallor, said worriedly, "Daughter, are you tired lately? Why don't you go to your room and rest?"

"It's fine." The young woman took the tea, her face no longer showing signs of her earlier daze. After a pause, she asked, "Mother, has everything been arranged regarding Master Wu?"

At this question, the middle-aged woman fell silent for a moment, then whispered, "Daughter, perhaps we should hold off. The boss in the capital sent word that the Prince of Lingnan has gotten involved in this case. He wants us to lay low."

The young woman gave a light laugh. "Mother, I asked about 'Master Wu's arrangements.' Why are you beating around the bush?"

"I..."

"At the end of the day, the boss appointed me as the host of this establishment, not you. In this house, can you not tell who gives orders and who follows them?"

She set the teacup down with a sharp clink. "Or do you really think you're my real mother, entitled to control me?"

"I didn't... I just..." The middle-aged woman's throat tightened, but she dared not provoke the young woman's temper.

After all, as the young woman said, she had toiled for years only to be a lowly subordinate, while her 'daughter' was the one the boss truly relied on.

"I'll ask again. Have you arranged everything for Master Wu?"

Seeing the young woman's patience running out, the middle-aged woman quickly replied, "Yes, it's arranged. I'll capture that mute girl in a few days and wait for Master Wu to arrive."

"Good." The young woman nodded in satisfaction, then softened her tone. "Mother, don't be angry. I may have spoken harshly, but you said it yourself—the boss wants us to be cautious, not to stop moving forward. I have my own reasons for everything. Rest assured."

"I know, I know."

Nearby, maids carried a fresh batch of dye into the courtyard. They moved among bolts of colorful silk, their youthful faces outshone the beautiful fabrics.

In a corner of the yard, several black-clad guards crossed their arms, glaring at everything happening.

The young woman paid them no mind. On the surface, she was calm as still water; inside, a storm raged: "Yes, you'll learn soon enough."

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