Chapter 22: Keep your voice down, someone's coming!

Having said that, he turned and left, albeit reluctantly.

As the sound of Eunuch Hai’s footsteps faded into the distance, Lu Chuyao slipped into the room, his black cloak still clinging with the chill of the night. Between his fingertips, he held a verdant bamboo leaf; the voice that had mimicked the Empress Dowager’s summons had been produced by blowing through this very leaf.

"Sister Aya, wake up."

Lu Chuyao hurried to Su Aya’s side, crouched down, and gently shook her shoulders.

Dazed and confused, Su Aya opened her eyes, her consciousness still blurred. A splitting headache tore through her, and she instinctively reached up to rub her brow, asking in a bewildered voice, "Brother Chuyao? Where are we?"

As her vision cleared and she took in the gruesome furnishings of the room, she froze, letting out a sharp, terrified scream.

"This is Eunuch Hai’s room?"

She trembled uncontrollably, her eyes wide with boundless fear. "Brother Chuyao, take me away! Quickly, before he comes back—it will be too late!"

Watching her wretched state, Lu Chuyao felt as if his heart were being pierced by a thousand needles; the pain was so intense he could barely breathe. Gritting his teeth, he drew the sword at his waist and struck the iron chains with all his might.

*Clang! Clang! Clang!*

The sound of metal striking metal echoed through the room, sending sparks flying. After several hard blows, the chain finally snapped apart with a sharp *crack*.

"Sister Aya, can you walk?"

Ignoring the ache in his own arm, Lu Chuyao knelt down to untie the hemp rope binding her wrists. It was then that Su Aya noticed a fresh, jagged gash on the web of his right hand, beads of blood continuously welling from the wound—clearly the result of the force he had used to break the chains.

"You’re hurt?"

Her heart aching, she reached out to touch the wound, but fearing she might cause him pain, she let her hand hover in the air. Lu Chuyao shook his head dismissively. "It’s just a small wound. It’s nothing."

A muffled murmur drifted in from outside. Lu Chuyao’s expression sharpened instantly. Without hesitation, he draped his cloak over her head and pulled her to her feet. "Quiet now, someone is coming! Sister Aya, I’m getting you out of here!"

In the palace corridor, several young eunuchs were rushing to their posts. Their hurried footsteps clicked against the stone tiles, the sound unnervingly clear in the silent hall. Shielding Su Aya tightly, Lu Chuyao moved through the shadows, their figures flickering in and out of sight. Catching the moment the eunuchs were distracted by something ahead, they slipped away from the other side.

They hurried along until they reached an abandoned, dry well, where they stopped to catch their breath.

"Sister Aya, how on earth did you end up getting tangled up with that man?"

"It’s a long story."

Still reeling from the shock, Su Aya reached up to touch her ear at his question, only to find her earring missing. She gasped, "Where is my earring?" Her voice choked with emotion. "That was the only keepsake my mother left me..."

Seeing her panic, Lu Chuyao’s heart tightened with pity. He reached out and patted her shoulder gently, comforting her, "Don’t fret. It must have been lost in that room. Don’t look back—just follow this path and keep going. I’ll go back and retrieve it for you; I’ll find you again very soon."

"Brother Chuyao... perhaps we should just let it go. If you run into Eunuch Hai, it will be dangerous." Tears welled in her eyes as she gripped his sleeve, her knuckles turning white with tension.

"That is your mother’s legacy; it means everything. I must bring it back for you, no matter what. Don’t worry about me—I am the son of the Chief Councilor; surely that petty eunuch wouldn't dare do anything to me."

With that, he gently pried her fingers loose, turned, and sprinted back the way they had come.

Su Aya watched his retreating figure, her heart a complex swirl of emotions. She took a deep breath, suppressing her anxiety, and followed the path as he had instructed. But as the seconds ticked by, her heart grew heavier with every step.

After walking for a long time without hearing the sound of Lu Chuyao following her, her heart began to race uncontrollably, and a sense of foreboding spread through her.

"No, I can’t just leave. What if something has happened to Brother Chuyao?"

Gritting her teeth, she stopped and turned back, running toward the way they had come. Her hair flew in disarray, her steps were unsteady, and her entire being was consumed by concern for him.

A thick, metallic scent of blood washed over her, making her stomach churn. Through the fabric of the night, she heard the sound of a blade slicing through the air, followed by the dull thud of a heavy object hitting the ground.

When she finally reached the dry well where they had parted, the sight before her made her freeze. The old eunuch was slumped against the well rim, his neck twisted at a grotesque angle, his murky eyes bulging from their sockets.

Trembling, she approached, her fingers brushing against a sticky, viscous liquid—warm blood—that made her hands shake uncontrollably. Lu Chuyao stood just a short distance away.

"Brother Chuyao!"

She gasped and stumbled toward him, grabbing his sleeve. "He... is he dead?"

Lu Chuyao’s jaw was set, his features cold and hard. He stared straight at Su Aya, as if locking away every trace of emotion deep within his heart.

"I don’t know."

As he spoke, he slowly opened his palm. A red agate earring lay silently in his hand.

Su Aya’s eyes instinctively fell upon the earring. For only a split second, she pulled her arm back as if burned. She retreated half a step, her figure slipping into the shade of the trees, her face half-hidden in the mottled light and shadow, making her expression impossible to read.

All of this had started because of her. She was determined to protect Lu Chuyao.

"I must have been mistaken. Eunuch Hai never came here today."

...

Back in her room, Su Aya’s legs gave way, and she collapsed onto the edge of the bed. She stared blankly at the rippling water in the copper basin, her mind hollow, when she suddenly noticed a bamboo leaf clinging to the hem of her skirt.

"This..."

Her lips trembled. Her fingers reached out involuntarily toward the leaf, but she pulled back just before touching it. In a panic, she stood up and tore off her clothes, desperate to strip away all the secrets along with them.

After changing, she gathered her remaining strength and walked toward the Empress Dowager’s palace. This time, the strange, cloying incense was absent from the hall, and she quickly retrieved the tea and returned.

When the Empress Dowager saw Su Aya return, her smile froze for a fleeting second. Then, it quickly returned to its usual grace, though the depth of her eyes remained unreadable.

"You child, why were you gone for so long?"

"This servant is dim-witted; I searched for a long time and delayed your pleasure, Your Majesty." Su Aya bowed her head, fearing the Empress Dowager would see through her.

The Empress Dowager waved a hand, her gaze lingering on Su Aya for a moment longer than necessary before she looked away. "Enough, enough. You may begin. Everyone is waiting."

Su Aya took a deep breath, looked up, and caught sight of Lu Chuyao, who had already returned to his seat. Their eyes met, and she finally steadied herself, slowly reaching out to pick up the tea bowl.

Su Aya did not notice how dark the expression on Lu Huaijin’s face had become as he sat beside Lu Chuyao, a chilling storm brewing in his deep, unfathomable eyes.

Before the tea ceremony had even concluded, chaos erupted outside...