Chapter 55 The Little Liar Who Takes and Eats

Jin Suiqing breathed a sigh of relief; the person had finally arrived.

Jin Shiyu slowly opened the door a crack and saw Huihong. His pupils flickered slightly, and he asked steadily, "What are you doing here?"

Huihong was anxious, pushing the door repeatedly, trying to squeeze in, but Jin Shiyu was firmly blocking the doorway, and she couldn't push it open. She could only glance inside and say, "Where's... Suiqing? Let Suiqing out quickly!"

Jin Shiyu's expression hardened, turning icy, and he said coldly, "She's not here."

Inside the room, Jin Suiqing pouted. She had led a good child astray; Jin Shiyu was now eagerly spouting nonsense too. Thinking of this, Jin Suiqing quickly removed her hair ornaments and made a simple braid.

Jin Shiyu caught a glimpse of her actions out of the corner of his eye and gave her a few anxious glances, gesturing for her to sit back down. Jin Suiqing pretended to be clueless, acting as if she didn't understand, and hurried to the door, grinning foolishly, "Don't let him hear my nonsense, I'm here."

Jin Shiyu pulled her behind him, and Jin Suiqing tiptoed and leaned on his shoulder, revealing her eyes. "Huihong, wait for me a while. Once I'm all packed, I'll go with you."

She turned and picked up her bag. Jin Shiyu gripped the door, and a faint cracking sound of wood breaking rang out. He glared at Huihong and said, "You can't take her away."

Why not?

Huangfu Feng stepped out of the door and said calmly, "I'm taking Jin Suiqing away, and you can't stop me."

This time, Jin Shiyu, standing in front of the door, was taken aback, as was Jin Suiqing, standing behind the door.

Why is it Huangfu Feng again?

Last night before going to bed, she released a large cockroach to inform Huihong, and went to tidy up the side courtyard first, so that when Jin Guizhong returned from Ziwei City the next day, he could lead people to rescue her.

Jin Suiqing never worried about not being able to get out. Even if Jin Guizhong didn't come, she could still find a chance to break through the window and go out. Jin Shiyu couldn't keep her out at all.

However, the person who came was Huangfu Feng, which surprised Jin Suiqing.

Huangfu Feng raised his hand to push the door open, but Jin Shiyu resisted fiercely. Jin Suiqing realized that Huangfu Feng's strength was comparable to Jin Shiyu's, and the two were locked in a stalemate at the door. Huangfu Feng tilted his head and said casually, "If you're not convinced, why don't you ask Jin Suiqing if she wants to stay here?"

The question was posed to Jin Suiqing. Jin Shiyu paused, let go of her hand, and looked back at Jin Suiqing with a hope in his eyes that he had never shown before.

Jin Sui avoided looking into his eyes, chuckled, slung his small cloth bag over his shoulder, slipped under Jin Shiyu's arm, and sandwiched between the two of them, waving to him, "Goodbye, Brother Shiyu, let's have breakfast together again next time!"

After saying that, she turned to leave, but Jin Shiyu felt a desolation in his heart and grabbed her wrist first.

Jin Shiyu remembered that she said it hurt, and her movements were very gentle, so gentle that Jin Suiqing could easily shake off his hand with a struggle.

Even if he wanted to, he was too weak to do so. Jin Shiyu lowered his eyes, his tone laced with a barely audible plea, "Do you really have to leave? The side courtyard is cold and damp; it's not a good place to stay."

He lived there; he knew.

"Yes, I know," Jin Suiqing nodded, gently withdrawing his hand, inwardly wondering what kind of angst this was. She said she was coming to his place for a visit and a meal, and she really meant it.

Although Jin Guizhong continued to care for her as before, the Jin household was in complete chaos, and who knew what unexpected events might occur that would lead to a reduction in her treatment? Jin Suiqing had suffered hunger in the orphanage as a child, and she couldn't bear to let her stomach suffer.

Realizing he was right, the side courtyard was indeed cold, Jin Suiqing looked up and feigned pitifulness, saying, "Could you give me another blanket?"

Jin Shiyu momentarily forgot her heartache, her expression crumbling. Jin Suiqing seized the opportunity, becoming arrogant: "I'm not picky, the one on your bed is fine."

Jin Shiyu nodded blankly, while Jin Suiqing was overjoyed. She crawled back into the room from under his arm, curled up the quilt on the bed and hugged it to her chest. She then grabbed the food box from the table and ate and took food at the same time.

Upon reaching his side, Jin Suiqing said shamelessly, "Brother Shiyu, please move aside. You're blocking the doorway, and I can't get out."

Huihong and Huangfufeng almost couldn't help but laugh, turning their heads away to avoid looking at the two people inside the door. Jin Shiyu closed his eyes, stepped aside to make way, and Jin Suiqing stuffed the food box into Huihong's hands, then pulled her away and ran off without looking back.

Huangfu Feng and Jin Shiyu remained silent for a moment. Just as Jin Shiyu was about to close the door and send them away, Huangfu Feng smiled and said casually, "Jin Suiqing is very close to you. She must like you quite a bit."

Jin Shiyu understood her implication: this liking was not romantic love, but Jin Suiqing had not yet completely detached herself from the intimacy of blood ties.

However, these words sounded extremely harsh coming from Huangfu Feng's mouth.

Jin Shiyu hated the person in front of him who had come back to take away Jin Suiqing's identity. He said coldly, "You say that as if you are close to her and know her well."

He really is a hypocrite, one way in front of Suiqing, and another way with everyone else. Huangfu Feng didn't care about his sarcasm, looked him up and down, sneered, and turned to leave the courtyard.

Jin Shiyu closed the door.

Looking around, the once warm and bustling room became quiet and desolate. After a moment of thought, he didn't know where his heart was. Driven by overwhelming exhaustion, he slowly moved to the bedside and lay down on his back with a thud.

After she left, feeling empty inside, Jin Shiyu finally realized that Jin Suiqing was no longer his sister.

Jin Shiyu suddenly felt cold. She reached out to touch the blanket but couldn't find it. Then she remembered that Jin Suiqing had taken the blanket away.

For some reason, the absence of the blanket brought him a sense of comfort, and his body began to warm up.

Jin Shiyu stood up and noticed that the food box on the table was gone, and his tightly furrowed brows relaxed.

He unconsciously curled the corners of his lips, but his gaze shifted to the bronze mirror, and his warmed heart instantly cooled down.

Jin Suiqing's jewelry box was wide open. The ornaments he had made himself, which were pinned to Jin Suiqing's head, lay crookedly inside. She had been tidying up in a hurry, and the gold threads of her hair ornaments were messy and hung outside the box, tangled with other gold and silver threads, making her look quite disheveled.

She didn't want it, and she left it all to him.

In an instant, the few remaining feelings of warmth in his heart, along with the crack that Jin Suiqing had carved in his chest, slipped away, drifting upwards and dissipating into the cold, gloomy room.

It warmed up a bit earlier, but now it's twice as cold.

Jin Shiyu's eyelashes trembled incessantly as she reached out and stroked the empty bed.

Right now, she's taken the blanket away.

*

Last night, Huihong received the American cockroach. Shocked, she went to the side courtyard as Jin Suiqing had instructed and tidied it up.

She was dizzy and had run all the way. When Jin Suiqing pulled her into the room in the side courtyard, Huihong suddenly realized when she saw her spreading the stolen quilt on the wooden bed, "The little princess asked me to bring people again this morning so that I would have time to tidy up the room?!"

"What else?" Jin Suiqing patted the quilt, the scent of milk seeping out, chasing away the dampness in the room. She said, "No one can stay here last night, so let's find a comfortable place to stay first, and move over after we've tidied up. Besides, Huihong needs to rest too. Staying at Brother... no, Jin Shiyu's place for one night won't hurt her."

Jin Suiqing even joked that Huihong should change her address and could no longer call her Little Princess.

Huihong was stunned. She looked Jin Suiqing up and down around the bed and suddenly felt that all her hard work that night had been in vain.

Jin Suiqing is a master of deception and trickery; she won't suffer anywhere. Watching her retreating figure, Huihong suddenly felt wronged, "Jin Suiqing, did you already know that you weren't the real princess?"

Freed from the constraints of the system, Jin Suiqing said without any burden, "Yes, I already knew that."

Jin Suiqing had everyone completely fooled, seemingly the only one who was truly clear-headed. Huihong felt a mix of emotions—anger, frustration, and resentment—but no complaints. She pushed Jin Suiqing aside and snapped, "Get out of the way! You're so clumsy at making a bed, I'll do it!"

It sounds like she's angry, but she's actually tough on the outside but soft on the inside. The last few words are so sweet they're practically overflowing with tenderness; it's clearly a coquettish complaint.

Jin Suiqing quickly seized the opportunity, pitifully grabbing Huihong's clothes and saying, "Don't be angry, Sister Huihong."

“I’m not just angry,” Huihong said, her movements swift and efficient as she tidied the bedding. “I’m also upset. Such a big thing, and you… Jin Suiqing, you actually kept it from us. Do you know how scared Saiyu, Xiaoyang, and I were last night?”

Being kept in the dark was a terrible feeling. Jin Suiqing realized her mistake and quickly apologized, saying, "It was my fault. I'm sorry everyone."

She turned her head to carefully observe Huihong's expression, seeing that her worry outweighed her anger, and that she should be able to listen to her explanation. Putting aside the system's interference, Jin Suiqing said, "Although I know I was wrong, please allow me to explain. A change in identity has far-reaching consequences; if I had told you beforehand, how would you have viewed me?"

Huihong glared at her anxiously, "Of course I'll still help you!"

Jin Suiqing shook her head. "No, I probably won't even have the chance to get to know Little Sheep, Big Dog, or Boss Ji. Perhaps even Huihong would hesitate to confide in me. If one day my identity is accidentally leaked, even if we have a good relationship, I will still have doubts. If I can't land safely and save my life, the position of those of you who know the truth will be in danger. Knowing that the princess is fake, you still work for her. When I can't even protect myself, how can I take care of your lives?"

Huihong was dumbfounded. Jin Suiqing continued, "I'm not saying these things to refute you, but to prove that I know your concerns and I apologize for causing you worry. However, it's most appropriate for me to personally handle the matter of revealing my identity."

Huihong hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

Jin Suiqing thought it was over, but when she turned around, Huihong hugged her tightly and said seriously, "The root of what you said to me today is that you can't fully trust me. It was also to protect me. I'm not angry because of that. After all, it's an undeniable fact that I'm not capable enough to help you. But next time, if you need anything, you must tell me!"

Jin Suiqing was deeply moved and didn't know what to say for a moment. Huihong thought she was unwilling to agree, so she patted Jin Suiqing's back twice with a little force and said in feigned anger, "Did you hear me?"

"Listen...cough cough cough...I heard it, I heard it," Huihong was quite strong and quickly slapped Jin Suiqing away. She quickly shook Huihong off and changed the subject, "Last night I sent you a message to call for help, why didn't you call for Jin Guizhong, but you called for Huangfu Feng instead?"

Huihong mumbled, "There was a huge commotion at the manor last night. Many people said that the princess in the manor was a fake and that the real princess was coming back. I was tidying up the side courtyard at the time and didn't hear the whole thing. I was so confused. After I finished tidying up, I waited at the manor gate for someone. Although I finally saw Master Jin, he seemed terrified. His legs were weak and he was covered in cold sweat. He was carried back to his room by the servants. I didn't have a chance to say anything."

Huihong said, "That person just now was tall. He walked over by himself and seemed to recognize me as someone who had been by your side since childhood. When he saw that I was flustered, he asked me a couple of questions and said that he could bring you out, so I led him here."

Was it Huangfu Feng who offered to help again? Jin Suiqing blinked: "Do you know who that is?"

Huihong shook her head blankly.

Jin Suiqing, deliberately teasing and mysterious, remained silent for a long time before striding to the broken wooden table, sitting down, opening the food box, and slyly saying, "That's the real Princess herself."

"What!" Like a bolt from the blue, Huihong's eyes widened in astonishment. "She...she...she's the real princess?! I...I even brought people to rescue...rescue the fake...Suiqing..."

“It’s alright, you can just call me the fake princess, I don’t mind,” Jin Suiqing chuckled. “Let’s not worry about that for now, let’s have breakfast, and then get a good night’s sleep.”

She then looked down at the food box, and when she saw the food inside, she was stunned.

Inside the food box lay a plate of jujube blossom pastries.

Author's Note: Mini-Theater:

Brother: It's cold in the middle of the night, so I pulled at the blanket but couldn't find it. Then I remembered that my sister had taken the blanket during the day.

Q: Why not get a new quilt?

elder brother:……

I was so angry that I forgot.