I Crossed Over with My Enemy, Only to Find Him Running the Empire - Chapter 23

Chapter 23: Wu Cuiyun

However, when the Wu family arrived at the gates of the Zhang estate, they were stunned by the scene before them.

A long queue snaked outside the mansion, consisting entirely of families bringing their daughters. Some girls were as old as fourteen or fifteen, while others were as young as seven or eight. All of them were dressed immaculately with neatly braided hair, clearly having been dolled up for the occasion.

The line stretched from the main gate all the way to the street corner, numbering at least fifty or sixty people. Parents huddled together, their faces a mix of anticipation and anxiety. Most of the girls kept their heads bowed, looking like lambs led to the slaughter.

Zhang Jinhua’s heart sank at the sight. “Are all these people here to apply for maid positions?”

Wu Tiegen scratched his head. “Is the Zhang family holding a royal concubine selection? Why does a mere Squire need this many maids?”

Just then, the hushed gossip of nearby onlookers drifted over:

“Tsk tsk, here they go again. How many times has it been for the Zhangs?”

“Who knows? They only pick the pretty young ones. They say they’re ‘maids,’ but who knows where they actually end up?”

“I heard a rumor that these girls are eventually resold. Some are even sent to those… unspeakable places…”

Zhang Jinhua’s face turned white, her body trembling with retrospective terror. If Cuiyun truly entered such a place, her life would be ruined!

“Quick! Look through the line and see if Cuiyun is there!” she urgently commanded her sons.

The Wu men split up to search the queue while Li Qiaoqiao pulled Wu Ya along to scan the faces. However, from the front of the line to the very back, there was no sign of Wu Cuiyun.

“Mother, she’s not here!” Wu Tiezhu reported, panting.

Zhang Jinhua panicked. “Where could that girl have gone? Has she already gone inside?”

Li Qiaoqiao and Wu Ya exchanged a look; they both had the same hunch.

“Mother, Cuiyun left before dawn,” Li Qiaoqiao said in a low voice. “If she really came to the Zhang estate, she’s likely been inside for a long time already.”

This made Zhang Jinhua even more frantic. “Then what do we do? Do we have to storm the place to find her?”

At that moment, the grand gates opened. A man who looked like a head steward stepped out and shouted to the crowd, “Line up! One by one! The pretty ones stay; the ugly ones go home!”

The crowd surged forward. Parents frantically straightened their children’s collars and hair, terrified of being rejected. The Wu family was pushed to the edges of the throng, helpless and anxious.

…

The Infiltration

Li Qiaoqiao pulled Wu Ya aside. “Cuiyun is definitely already in there. We won’t find her out here.”

Wu Ya frowned. “Then what’s the plan?”

Li Qiaoqiao’s eyes darted around. “How about we sneak in?”

Wu Ya raised an eyebrow. “Trespassing? If we’re caught, they’ll send us to the magistrate.”

“You got a better idea?” she snapped. “Are we just going to watch Cuiyun get sold?”

Wu Ya pondered for a moment before finally nodding. “Fine. How do we get in?”

Li Qiaoqiao pointed to a section of the western wall. “That wall is lower. We should be able to clear it.”

Taking advantage of the family’s distraction, they crept to the base of the west wall. It was lower than the rest, but still about seven or eight feet high.

“I’ll boost you up first.” Wu Ya crouched down, lacing his fingers to create a step.

Li Qiaoqiao didn’t hesitate; she stepped into his hands. With a surge of strength, Wu Ya hoisted her up steadily. She grabbed the top of the wall and scrambled over clumsily.

Sitting atop the wall, she reached down. “Come on, I’ll pull you!”

Wu Ya shook his head. He took a few steps back, broke into a run, kicked off the wall, and vaulted over the top with a fluid grace.

Li Qiaoqiao stared in disbelief. “You… you can do that?”

Wu Ya shot her a look. “Don’t forget whose son I am. If I didn’t have at least this much skill, I would have been kidnapped eight hundred times over.”

Li Qiaoqiao suddenly remembered—this guy was the heir to a billionaire tycoon. He had surely undergone all sorts of training since childhood. She just hadn’t expected him to be so agile while pretending to be an idiot.

They dropped silently into a secluded corner of the estate. The interior was even grander than the outside—pavilions, terraces, and artificial ponds, clearly built with a massive fortune.

“Split up?” Li Qiaoqiao whispered.

Wu Ya shook his head. “Stay together. You recognize Cuiyun; I don’t.”

They moved stealthily along the walls, avoiding the servants. After navigating the front courtyard, they reached the middle courtyard, which was much quieter.

Wu Ya pointed to a two-story building in the distance. “Check there. Places like that are usually where they train new maids.”

As they neared the back of the building, they overheard two older servant women talking.

“Are the new ones settled?” one asked.

“All in the West Wing,” the other replied. “Does the Mistress want to see them?”

“Yes. Especially the one claiming to be a ‘Miss’ of the Wu family. She has a decent look, but her temper is too big. She needs proper ‘disciplining’.”

Li Qiaoqiao and Wu Ya locked eyes. A Miss of the Wu family! That’s Cuiyun!

…

The Rescue

They followed the women to a room in the West Wing and hid behind a rockery. After the women left, the two sneaked up to the window. Li Qiaoqiao poked a small hole in the paper pane and peered inside.

Inside, the rosewood furniture was polished to a shine, but it couldn’t hide a sense of decay. Wu Cuiyun stood in the center of the room, her trembling finger hovering in the air, just about to press down on a deed of sale on the table.

Squire Zhang squinted his clouded eyes, saliva nearly dripping onto his white beard. “Press your thumbprint, and from now on, you shall have endless riches…” his voice rasped like a broken bellows.

In that instant, a gust of wind seemed to sweep into the room. Li Qiaoqiao burst in. Before anyone could react, she snatched the contract off the desk and tore it into shreds. Rip! Rip! The paper fluttered to the floor like snowflakes.

“You’re courting death!” Wu Cuiyun froze for a second before her eyes turned bloodshot. She screamed and lunged at Li Qiaoqiao. “You bitch! You’re ruining my path to wealth! I’ll kill you!”

Li Qiaoqiao dodged, and Cuiyun stumbled, nearly falling.

At this point, the estate guards finally snapped out of their shock. Five or six burly men swarmed forward to seize the intruders.

But Wu Ya moved like a flash, shielding Li Qiaoqiao. Tall and well-built, he moved with the precision of someone trained in martial arts. His punches whistled through the air, and in two or three moves, the first two guards were sprawled on the floor.

The others hesitated, forming a cautious circle around them, not daring to make the next move.