I Need To Find A Way To Make Her Love Me Again - Chapter 32

“No!”

An uncontrollable shout rang out from the room. Jiao Yu, looking puzzled, walked over and knocked on the door. “Yan Xingyu, what are you doing?”

Realizing she had accidentally lost control and drawn attention, Yan Xingyu let out a forced, awkward laugh. She explained through the door, “Ah, haha… Little one, I’m fine! It’s just that the soak was so comfortable I fell asleep in the hot spring and had a nightmare.”

Hearing the response from inside, Jiao Yu thought to herself: It hasn’t even been half a quarter-hour and she already managed to fall asleep and have a dream? Is she really that exhausted?

Seeing that Jiao Yu didn’t pry further, Yan Xingyu let out a small sigh of relief. She had almost made the current mess even more chaotic. She couldn’t go on like this. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she spoke to the person behind her: “Yi Rong, I don’t want to soak in the spring anymore for now.”

“I accept your apology. Please leave first. When there’s time, we can talk properly, okay?”

A flash of confusion crossed Yi Rong’s eyes upon hearing this, but she still obeyed. “Alright.”

The water rippled around them. Yan Xingyu turned her head slightly to see that the person behind her had vanished without a trace. Only then did her stiff body finally relax.

Staring at the fist sized pearl in her hand, she was speechless. What on earth is all this…

On the other side, within a hall of carved beams and jade rafters, a massive painting of “A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains” floated in mid-air, nearly filling the entire hall. A woman in green stood beside the scroll, marking something upon it.

Hearing the maid announce, “The Little Palace Master has arrived,” Guan Suxue finally raised her head to look at the daughter she hadn’t seen in a long time.

Suddenly, she retracted the scroll and said, “You’ve returned.”

“Mhm.”

Guan Fei stood below the dais, making no move to step forward. Keeping her distance, she asked, “Mother, why did you call me back in such a hurry? Is something the matter?”

Guan Suxue narrowed her eyes slightly as she saw her daughter maintaining such distance. She began walking toward her and got straight to the point: “Why did you kill the Huos Beast of Green Tripod Mountain?”

Guan Fei replied, “It tried to harm me. Should I not have killed it?”

Guan Suxue paused. “Is that truly the case?”

Guan Fei countered, “What else did Mother think it was?”

“You may do as you please, but your way of handling things is the same as always, not clean at all. You leave behind evidence for others to use against you. You haven’t improved a bit over the years.”

“What evidence did I leave? Please, Mother, tell me.”

Guan Suxue did not answer directly. She simply said, “I have already handled it for you. However, as a lesson, you are not to leave the palace for the next few days.”

“Mother’s punishment is unreasonable. I’m afraid I cannot comply.”

Guan Fei’s voice rose. Seeing that her mother was acting as she always did, arrogantly arranging her life exactly how she wanted it. Guan Fei had no desire to speak further and turned to leave.

“That is not for you to decide.”

Hearing the uncompromising words behind her, Guan Fei felt the air surge and close in on her. Her brow furrowed with a flick of her fingers, she transformed flower petals into blades and swung her hand back to strike.

Guan Suxue brushed the attack aside with a gentle wave. Sensing that her daughter’s attack was different than usual, she added more force to the airflow and lashed out with a “whip” of energy. Seeing that her daughter didn’t counter-attack but took the hit directly, Guan Suxue’s eyes flickered with surprise.

“What is wrong with you?” she asked.

Guan Fei was forced to her knees by the blow. Hearing the question, she used her pre-prepared excuse: “Injuries from the fight with the Huos Beast. They haven’t healed yet.”

The moment she spoke, Guan Suxue knew her daughter was lying. A beast’s injury wouldn’t cause such a depletion of spiritual energy. She sighed helplessly. “Fei’er, why lie?”

“You haven’t come home for years. No matter what you did outside, I’ve been cleaning up your messes without holding you accountable.”

“But killing the Huos Beast this time involves many complications. As your mother, I simply don’t want you going out and getting tangled in more trouble.”

“Why do you not understand my heart at all?”

Seeing the lie exposed, Guan Fei’s expression remained unchanged. Hearing her mother’s words, she shot back: “I never asked you to clean up my messes. Furthermore, if you hadn’t threatened me in your letter, I wouldn’t have come back at all.”

Guan Suxue heard the accusation in her daughter’s voice, but she felt she had done nothing wrong. She knew her daughter too well, without such measures, Guan Fei truly wouldn’t have returned.

With a wave of her hand, she gathered the airflow into an invisible giant hand, hoisting her kneeling daughter into the air. She carried her out of the hall, ignoring her struggles, and entered a secret passage. Opening a barrier, she shut her daughter inside a secret room.

“Stay here for a while and reflect on what you have done wrong,” Guan Suxue commanded.

Guan Fei knew her body was currently too weak to resist. Filled with resentment, she shouted, “Mother, must you be like this?”

“Doing this to me while my friends are still here…”

“Not leaving me a shred of dignity!”

“I will explain things to your friends and host them well,” Guan Suxue said before turning to leave, leaving her daughter alone in the secret room to reflect.

After instructing a maid to deliver the news to the two guests resting in the side hall, she returned to her own chambers to continue her unfinished work, unaware of a small figure that had popped out and then vanished behind her.

Hearing the maid’s words, Yan Xingyu and Jiao Yu were completely bewildered. What did they mean the Little Palace Master had to undergo “family discipline,” couldn’t see anyone for a few days, and they should “arrange their own time”?

Yan Xingyu clicked her tongue. “How did Guan Fei go and just not come back?”

Jiao Yu’s expression soured after the maid left. Hearing Yan Xingyu, she snapped back, “You’re asking me? Who am I supposed to ask?”

A lightbulb went off in Yan Xingyu’s head. “Hey… Guan Fei hasn’t been locked up, has she?”

Jiao Yu bit her lip, growing anxious. “I’m going to find her.”

Just as she was about to push the door open, a small figure rushed in, startling them both. A girl with a small face, round eyes, and a tiny mouth appeared in the room.

Seeing her dressed in a maid’s uniform, Yan Xingyu asked, “Who are you? Why did you barge in so suddenly?”

Xuan Ya quickly closed the door behind her and said urgently, “You can’t go looking for the Little Palace Master right now!”

After delivering the warning, she hurriedly introduced herself: “Hello, ladies. I am the Little Palace Master’s personal maid. My name is Xuan Ya.”

“The Little Palace Master has been placed in solitary confinement by the Palace Master. She certainly wouldn’t want you two to go to her right now.”

Yan Xingyu asked, “Why?”

Xuan Ya explained, “The Little Palace Master is definitely unhappy about being confined. When things don’t go her way, she sulks and stays angry for quite a while. If anyone approaches her now, they’ll definitely be asking for trouble.”

Jiao Yu let out a short laugh. “Now I’m actually curious to see what she looks like when she’s angry.”

Yan Xingyu saw how well the girl knew Guan Fei and was convinced she was indeed the personal maid. She said to Jiao Yu, “Little one, don’t be impulsive. We’re in someone else’s home, don’t go running around. Besides, we don’t even know the way. We’d probably get kicked out before we even found her.”

Jiao Yu fell silent, though she looked sullen.

After calming Jiao Yu down, Yan Xingyu turned back to the little maid. “Thank you for coming to tell us. So, what should we do now?”

Xuan Ya said, “Even though the Little Palace Master is confined, I know her. She will definitely try to find a way to escape soon.”

“But this time, the Palace Master intends to keep her trapped for a while, so she set a barrier in front of the secret room. She won’t let her out easily.”

“If the Little Palace Master tries to force her way through, she’ll definitely get hurt.”

“I came here because I want to take you two to rescue her.”

Yan Xingyu pointed out, “Didn’t you just say we shouldn’t go to her right now?”

Xuan Ya replied, “Yes, not right now. The Palace Master is still here. If you go now and she catches you, it would be disastrous.”

Yan Xingyu found this logical and asked, “Then what’s the plan?”

“Every day at the Hour of the Dragon (7-9 AM), the Palace Master goes out for a while and doesn’t return until the Hour of the Horse (11 AM-1 PM). We just need to rescue the Little Palace Master during that window while she’s away.”

“Alright.”

Yan Xingyu felt that since the girl was Guan Fei’s personal maid and familiar with Lingluan Palace, following her lead was better than wandering around blindly in the dark.

Noticing the maid’s eyes frequently drifting toward Jiao Yu, Yan Xingyu asked, “Is there something else you wanted to say?”

Xuan Ya, caught in her observation, said, “Oh, nothing… just that this lady is very beautiful.”

Yan Xingyu laughed. “As expected of Guan Fei’s maid, the master and servant have the same taste. You took a liking to the little one the moment you saw her.”

Jiao Yu glared at her. “What are you talking about?” But the gloom on her face dissipated slightly at the teasing.

Xuan Ya smiled with crinkled eyes. “The Little Palace Master and I do often like the same things.”

Seeing that this maid seemed more “alive” than the others in this place, Yan Xingyu opened up more. “It seems you and Guan Fei are very close.”

“Yes, we grew up together. She treats me very well.”

“It’s just that a few years ago, she left home and never came back.”

Xuan Ya’s face showed a trace of loneliness, but it turned back into a smile instantly. “I didn’t expect that after one trip out, she would actually make friends. It’s wonderful.”

Yan Xingyu asked with a smile, “Why? Did Guan Fei not have any friends before?”

Xuan Ya answered honestly, “No. She was very withdrawn as a child. Even when the Little Palace Master of Yulan Palace came here and specifically invited her to play, she refused to see anyone.”

“Until a few years ago, she was always alone and unwilling to interact with people. So, seeing you today made me very surprised and happy. I’m glad to know she isn’t lonely out there.”

Upon hearing the name “Yulan Palace,” a flicker of surprise crossed Yan Xingyu’s eyes. “Are Yulan Palace and Lingluan Palace on good terms?”

“Of course. The two palaces are like one family. We are both ancient families who guard the seas, so our relationship is naturally profound.”

For some reason, Yan Xingyu’s mind suddenly flashed back to the moment she had confessed her identity to Guan Fei and remembered how calm Guan Fei had looked.

Noticing her dazed state, Jiao Yu asked, “What’s wrong with you?”