Chapter 255

She returned to the carriage, still shaken, and leaned against the side, intending to sleep a little longer. However, the road was uneven and bumpy, making her extremely uncomfortable.

He simply took a sip of water from the water pouch, then started eating snacks while holding the fruit box.

He seemed completely unaware that the Prince's mansion was in an uproar, with everyone in the household frantically trying to catch Tao Tao because of her disappearance.

Murong Huai Shi stood in the courtyard, rubbing his hands together, unsure of where to put them. He looked anxiously at the man sitting on the stone bench, whose expression was unpredictable, and prayed that Tao Tao would appear soon.

He bowed and scraped, smiling obsequiously, "Lord Duan, don't worry. Xiao Tao is naturally playful. She must have gone there for a trip. I believe she'll be back soon."

When he said this, he had no confidence at all. Everyone in the courtyard seemed to have vanished into thin air. No one had seen them. If it wasn't premeditated, no one would believe it.

He originally thought that Duan Gan had already grown tired of Tao Tao's fickle nature, but he never expected that Duan Gan would be so devoted to her.

The man seemed not to have heard what he was saying. He lowered his head and stared at the green purse in his hand, his fingertips stroking the white peony on it, lost in thought.

No one saw his lowered eyelids redden, and a single, glistening tear fell onto his purse, gradually spreading across the dry fabric.

Now he is filled with exhaustion and powerlessness. Last night she was still whispering sweet nothings to him, and today she can completely abandon him without looking back or having any lingering feelings.

So what about everything that happened last night? Was it a final reward before death?

Just then, Chen Jinghe rushed over and, seeing the uneasy look on Murong Huaishi's face, realized that no clues had been found about Tao Tao in the mansion, not even one of her maids had disappeared along with her.

Even Leng Qiao was nowhere to be seen, which means that Tao Tao had completely taken control of the people that the Fourth Master had given her.

The worst thing is...

He could only bite the bullet and say, "Fourth Master, the Tao family... Madam Tao is missing. They must have... must have planned this all along."

The worst part is that Tao Tao's mother, Madam Tao, has also disappeared. If it wasn't planned in advance, then Tao Tao really acted quickly.

After he finished speaking, there was no further sound in the courtyard. Everyone was holding their breath, as if a sharp blade was hanging over their heads, awaiting the judgment of its master.

The surroundings were eerily quiet; you could hear even the birds fluttering their wings overhead and the rustling of leaves in the breeze.

After a long while, a man's low, hoarse voice came through. His tone was light, but it revealed an extreme obsession and hatred.

"Go find her! Post notices, issue arrest warrants, whatever you want, find her for me no matter what! I want to see her alive or dead!"

Chen Jinghe's eyes widened in shock, and he quickly clasped his hands in a fist and bow, saying, "Yes, Fourth Master."

Murong Huaishi desperately wanted to escape this oppressive place. Seeing that he was about to leave, he hurriedly said, "I will also go to help. Consul Chen, wait for me."

The sound, accompanied by hurried footsteps, quickly disappeared through the doorway.

"Tao Tao, you will never escape my grasp. No matter the cost, I will find you and repay you for all the humiliation you inflicted on me!"

Duan Gan gripped the purse so tightly his knuckles turned white, his eyes filled with gloom.

...

"Hahaha!"

The girl's fair face flushed with excitement. Standing on the roof of the car, she placed her hand on her eyebrows and gazed into the distance. Seeing a tea stall ahead, she excitedly shouted, "There's a place to rest up ahead. I wonder if there's anything good to eat there?"

She looked down at Leng Qiao, who was driving, and said, "Let's stop there for a while. I want to have some hot water. It's getting colder and colder."

Leng Qiao looked up and saw Tao Tao lying on top of her, her head drooping down, her eyes crinkling like crescent moons as she smiled, looking playful and cute.

Seeing this, she couldn't help but smile slightly, feeling a sense of relief.

"Yes, Miss."

Before long, the carriage stopped at a tea stall by the roadside. In this remote place, far from any village or shop, the tea stall was quite crowded.

However, they were mostly江湖人 (jianghu people, people from all walks of life) and a small number of passersby.

Seeing someone stop the carriage, he couldn't help but cast a scrutinizing glance. When he saw that it was two women, he looked them over even more brazenly.

Leng Qiao met his gaze without flinching, her sharp eyes causing many to avoid looking at her.

Tao Tao tilted her head and looked at her in confusion, saying, "What's wrong? Let's go." Then she took her hand and led her to an empty seat, casually glancing at the people present before subtly looking away.

She suddenly realized that every table was occupied, and there were empty seats, but those people looked fierce and were not good people.

Finally, her gaze fell on the monk who was drinking hot soup in large gulps, and the man wearing a straw hat who was leaning against him, motionless as if he were asleep.

Tao Tao pulled Leng Qiao over and said with a smile, "Master, could we set up a table together?"

Yuan Xiu, who was eating steamed buns and drinking hot soup, looked up at the girl in front of him with a puzzled expression. He pointed to himself in confusion and asked, "Me?"

Tao Tao nodded: "Yes, can we set up a table?"

"Of course, please go ahead, lady." He smiled; his baby face looked quite young, and his smile was endearing and somewhat cute.

"Thanks."

Just as the two sat down, the waiter finished his work and hurriedly came over to apologize: "I'm so sorry, I was too busy. What would you two ladies like to eat?"

He asked as he bent down to wipe the table.

"Bring a pot of tea, and some of our signature dim sum. If you have meat pies, bring those too."

"Okay, I'll be there in a bit."

When everyone saw the two women sitting opposite the monk, their expressions suddenly changed, and they stared intently at them.

To be precise, he was staring at the man next to the monk.

"Here it is, please enjoy your meal, sir."

After putting down the items, the waiter turned and left.

Leng Qiao took the teapot that was brought over and poured a cup of tea into the cup in front of Tao Tao. She then placed the snacks near Tao Tao's hand.

Tao Tao held the steaming tea in both hands and said with a smile, "Thank you." Feeling her icy palms begin to warm up, her heart also felt warm.

The monks ate very quickly; before half an incense stick had burned, they had finished all the steamed buns and bread in front of them.

He finished the last cup of tea in the teapot beside him, let out a deep breath, wiped his mouth, and began to pack his things to leave.

She noticed that the man leaning against her wasn't eating or drinking, and kept going without stopping, so she casually asked him about it.

"Master, won't your friend have something to eat?"

Upon hearing this, everyone tensed up, their eyes fierce as they watched their every move, their hands unconsciously resting on the knives on the table.