TPGA - 36

As they reached the doorway, Mei Xue leaned close to Chun Xiu’s ear and whispered softly, “I’ll remember what happened earlier. One day, I’ll repay you double for it.”

Chun Xiu froze, as if struck by lightning, and remained rigid until the door closed behind them. Ji Rong, noticing her state, asked what Mei Xue had said. Chun Xiu finally snapped out of it, opened her mouth to speak, but her tongue wouldn’t cooperate—she couldn’t utter a single word for a long while.

Seeing this, Ji Rong quickly consoled her, “Don’t rush. We’ll talk about it once we get back.”

Once they were back in their room, Ji Rong furrowed her brows and said uncertainly, “You said you accidentally killed Mei Xue, but just now, we saw her perfectly fine. Did you… perhaps make a mistake?”

Chun Xiu shook her head repeatedly, swallowed hard, and said, “How could I be mistaken about something like that? There was blood everywhere, and she had no breath—it was terrifying. And just now, Mei Xue whispered in my ear that she’d remember what happened earlier and repay me double. Clearly, she was referring to the incident where I caused her to hit her head on the cabinet.” At this point, she clutched Ji Rong’s hand tightly, her face full of panic. “Sister Ji Rong, do you think the Mei Xue we saw earlier might be a monster in disguise?”

“Don’t talk nonsense!” Ji Rong winced as Chun Xiu’s grip tightened, pulling her hand back. “There aren’t that many monsters in this world. Mei Xue…” She paused, thinking for a moment. “I’ve read in medical books that some people, after being suddenly attacked, may temporarily stop breathing and then recover shortly afterward. Mei Xue might be one of those cases.”

“So… does that mean Mei Xue wasn’t actually dead?” After Ji Rong nodded, Chun Xiu pressed further, “But what about the blood? Even if she didn’t die, how could she act like nothing happened?”

Ji Rong shook her head and said, “I haven’t figured that out either, but in any case, the fact that Mei Xue isn’t dead is a good thing for you. You don’t have to worry about it anymore.”

“That’s true,” Chun Xiu replied hesitantly, “but… judging by her expression earlier, I’m afraid she’s already holding a grudge and won’t let this go easily.”

Ji Rong covered her mouth and chuckled softly. “Are you saying you’re afraid of Mei Xue?”

Chun Xiu quickly denied it. “Of course not! It’s just… I’m a little worried, that’s all.” For some reason, whenever she thought about Mei Xue’s expression and tone earlier, her heart raced—something that had never happened before.

Ji Rong patted her hand reassuringly. “Don’t worry. You know what Mei Xue is like—soft as a persimmon. You can shape her however you want. Remember the ginseng incident? It ended without consequence. She won’t cause any trouble. The only person we need to be cautious about is Second Master... But fortunately, we’re under Second Lady’s jurisdiction. I’ve heard that Second Master has already clashed with Second Lady over Mei Xue’s matter. I believe he’ll likely stay out of the dance troupe’s affairs for now, especially since they’re busy hunting the assassin.”

Hearing this, Chun Xiu gradually calmed down and shifted the topic. “Speaking of the assassin, Mei Xue even offered to open the cabinet for us to see. Could it be that she really didn’t hide the assassin?”

“Whether she hid someone or not, we’ve already missed the best chance to find out.” Ji Rong paused, her delicate eyebrows furrowing slightly. “What puzzles me more is why Mei Xue chose to conceal the fact that you pushed her and injured her head—not even telling Jiang Caiping.”

On this point, Chun Xiu herself was also completely baffled and had no answer.

Meanwhile, back in Mei Xue’s room, Jiang Caiping pouted and said, “I still don’t understand why you were so polite to those two. As I said, no matter how sweet their words sound, they’re like foxes paying New Year’s visits to chickens—they mean no good.”

Mei Xue tidied up the fruit peels and scraps on the table while replying, “I’m well aware of that. But since they came in smiling, we couldn’t just kick them out without a word. If word got out, people would think we were in the wrong.”

Jiang Caiping rested her cheek on her hand and nodded. “That’s true. Thinking about having to face those two every day from now on is exhausting.” Then, recalling something, she added, “By the way, Sister, didn’t you find them acting strangely today? First, they claimed you were a ghost, then they said your furnishings were unique. And… Chun Xiu looked like she was terrified of you.”

Mei Xue casually responded, “They were a bit odd, but now that they’re gone, why bother thinking about it? Even if there were ghosts, as long as we haven’t done anything wrong, we have nothing to fear.”

Jiang Caiping nodded, then suddenly stared at Mei Xue with a mischievous grin. “Sister, after spending two days in jail, you seem… different somehow.”

Mei Xue’s expression changed slightly, and she awkwardly raised her hand to touch her cheek. “Do I? Maybe I lost some weight because I didn’t eat well.”

Jiang Caiping shook her head repeatedly. “That’s not what I mean. I’m talking about your tone of voice—it’s like…” She frowned, struggling to find the right word to describe Mei Xue’s transformation but couldn’t come up with one. Finally, she said, “I can’t quite put my finger on it, but you’re definitely different.”

A flicker of emotion passed through Mei Xue’s eyes, and she smiled faintly. “So, do you like it or dislike it?”

Jiang Caiping eagerly nodded. “Of course I like it!” Then, curiosity filled her face as she asked, “Oh, right, Sister, did you really dream that Chun Xiu hurt you?”

Mei Xue glanced at her and replied, “Why are you asking so many questions? Hurry up and throw away these fruit peels, then fetch water so we can wash up and sleep.”

“Okay.” Jiang Caiping took the peels and walked out. Watching her leave, Mei Xue quietly exhaled.

Later, Jiang Caiping brought in water, and they washed up and prepared to sleep. Just as they were about to settle down, Jiang Caiping remembered something and pulled out a small paper packet from her sleeve. “Oh, right, Sister mentioned earlier that your wound was hurting. I thought the previous medicine might not have worked well, so I went to the pharmacy steward to get this golden sore medicine. He said it’s very effective, and I begged him for a long time to give me even this little bit. Let me reapply it for you.”

Mei Xue’s face paled slightly. “I’m fine now. No need to bother.”

“But—” Before Jiang Caiping could continue, Mei Xue interrupted, “I’m really fine. Besides, it’s wasteful to reapply medicine after only half a day. Let’s wait until tomorrow and use it sparingly.”

Seeing her insist, Jiang Caiping nodded. “Alright, call me when you change the dressing tomorrow, and I’ll help you apply it.”

After handing the packet to Mei Xue, Jiang Caiping changed into her nightclothes and casually remarked, “By the way, Sister, did you notice something strange about the smell in the room tonight? It’s like… there’s a faint scent of blood.”

Mei Xue smiled faintly. “Is there? I didn’t notice. Maybe it’s because I’m injured, so you sense the smell of blood.”