Chapter 5: Great, Another Enemy Made

Though thoroughly confused, Lizi's conviction that "whatever Miss says is right" won out. She gave a reluctant "oh," turned, and ducked into the room.

Minutes later, she emerged cradling the pastries and fruit, a small gilded incense burner dangling from her fingers.

Seeing the "criminal evidence" in Lizi's arms, the boulder in Su Ruan's chest finally crashed to the ground for good.

She gave a satisfied nod and thrust her chin at Yu Qinghe with practiced malice. "I'll take these for today! Next time you cross me, I'll burn this whole house down!"

She tugged Lizi's arm. "Lizi, we're leaving!"

Mistress and maid—one burdened with loot, the other limping on mangled feet—sprinted away faster than rabbits.

Watching the pair vanish past the moon gate, Yingdeng's tears pattered down, fury in every drop.

"Miss! The Second Miss is unbearable! Stealing your things and acting like she's doing you a favor!"

Yu Qinghe's faint smile dimmed. Her gaze lingered on the courtyard gate, and she shook her head gently.

"It seems my cousin... isn't quite beyond saving after all."

Yingdeng's teary eyes went wide.

"Not bad?! She's insufferable! It's only because you're too kind that she walks all over you!"

Yu Qinghe didn't explain. She simply said, "Find that bottle of premium wound ointment from my vanity box and send it to her. I noticed her feet were badly injured."

Yingdeng balked. "After what she did to you, you're sending her medicine..."

"Go."

Yu Qinghe waved her off, unwilling to say more.

Yingdeng pursed her lips and yielded. "Yes, Miss."

Night wind swept through the courtyard, setting the lantern shadows swaying.

Yu Qinghe stood alone under the eaves, her fingertips absently tracing the delicate lotus branch embroidery on her cuff.

She'd noticed something was off with the pastries the moment they arrived.

She'd planned to let the scheme play out—to let her troublemaking cousin reap what she'd sown and learn a harsh lesson.

But instead, Su Ruan had come back to take everything. Had pulled her foot back from the edge of the abyss at the very last second.

Perhaps there's still hope for her.

Huazhao Pavilion. The candle flame guttered.

Su Ruan slumped on an embroidered stool, wincing. The soles of her feet burned like she was standing on red-hot coals.

"Hss—Lizi, go easy!"

Lizi knelt at her feet, a soft cloth dampened with water in hand, carefully cleaning the wounds.

"Bear with it, Miss. The grit's embedded in the flesh. If we don't clean it out, it'll fester."

Lizi said it matter-of-factly, though she did lighten her touch. But her brow stayed furrowed tight.

"Miss, where did you go tonight? How did you end up like this? And those pastries..." She looked up, eyes full of confusion. "We worked so hard to drug them. Why did you ask for them back? Wasn't it all for nothing?"

Su Ruan stared at Lizi's face—the very picture of "I don't understand but I'm loyal"—and felt her soul draining away.

Explain? How?

Say your mistress has had a core swap and now just wants to lay low until the finale instead of courting death?

Say we nearly won the deluxe beggar-pit death package?

Say your mistress just shattered a vase over the biggest villain in the entire book and is now wanted citywide?

Forget it. Not worth the breath.

Su Ruan closed her eyes and inhaled deeply.

"Bottom line—just listen to me from now on. No more taking initiative. Especially no more going after Yu Qinghe. Got it? We need to..."

"Knock knock knock."

Before she could finish, a knock at the door.

Lizi's head snapped up, alert. "Who is it?"

A thin voice from outside. "It's me. Yingdeng."

Lizi's expression darkened. She shot to her feet, strode to the door, and yanked it open.

"What do you want?"

Yingdeng stood outside holding a small porcelain vial. Lizi's ferocity made her shrink back a step.

"My Miss sent me. She saw the Second Miss's feet were badly hurt and asked me to bring some premium wound ointment..."

"We don't need your charity!"

Lizi snatched the vial from her hands and, without a glance, hurled it at the ground outside.

Crash!

The porcelain shattered. Brown medicinal powder scattered across the flagstones.

"Who needs your Miss's cheap medicine!" Lizi's chin was so high her nostrils pointed at the sky. "Our Miss has every kind of medicine there is! She doesn't need your fake kindness! Get out! Scram! Show your face here again and I'll give you another slap!"

"You..."

Yingdeng stared at the broken vial, tears welling up instantly. She spun around and ran.

"Wait—!"

Su Ruan pushed herself up from the stool, but the word had barely left her mouth before Yingdeng had already vanished, sobbing into the dark.

Lizi slammed the door shut and turned back, chin raised at Su Ruan as if expecting a medal.

"See, Miss? I handled it. Think she'll ever dare show her face here again?"

Su Ruan looked at the medicine powder on the ground. Then at Lizi's "aren't I amazing" expression. Her temples throbbed.

She raised a hand and smacked her own mouth.

Stupid mouth! Why couldn't you talk faster?!

If she'd said "be nice to Yu Qinghe from now on" even half a sentence earlier, that medicine would've been accepted gracefully.

But no. Another grudge formed. Just like that.

Su Ruan closed her eyes. That fragile little flame of hope—"survive, stay alive"—had been doused by Lizi's handiwork until nothing remained but a wisp of smoke.

This has to stop. She had to straighten out this catastrophically crooked sapling before it was too late.

Otherwise, with two idiots joined at the hip, even if they dodged the beggar-pit tonight—

Tomorrow. The day after. The day after that—

They were doomed. Sooner or later, absolutely doomed.

Su Ruan sucked in a breath, let it out slowly, and fought down the urge to throw her head back and howl at the ceiling.

The road ahead is long and fraught with peril.

This transmigration gig is hard.