Qi clapped enthusiastically at Huo Jingsha with malice, but Huo Jingsha was already numb to his sarcasm. A true man can bend and stretch, so she could only accept the sarcasm indifferently and ask, "And then?"
"What else do you want?" Qi crossed his arms and continued, "You already know what happened next, so what else do you want to hear? Shu Yao's whereabouts? Sorry, I can't tell you until I get the divorce papers."
Huo Jingsha was speechless for a long time. His face was expressionless as he stared blankly out the window, his eyes filled with confusion and disappointment. He had figured it out; he wouldn't write a letter of divorce anyway. So he pointed at Dongxue and asked, "Did you drug me and help the young mistress leave the manor?"
Chunlu, standing nearby, stiffened, realizing that if the master were to torture Dongxue into confessing, she would be guilty of a capital offense. No! A hero should take responsibility for his actions; she couldn't implicate the innocent Dongxue. But before she could even open her mouth to confess, Dongxue, without even blinking, raised her head and puffed out her chest, replying, "It was me, sir!"
"Good! What a loyal lackey." Huo Jingsha's face was sinister, and he wanted to strangle the man.
Seeing this, Xu Chang moved over and stood between Dongxue and the master, but she didn't appreciate his kindness. She pushed Xu Chang aside and raised her voice to Huo Jingsha, saying, "This servant is indeed loyal. The nannies in the manor, including the young master's wet nurse, are all forcing the young mistress to compromise, but they can't see the young mistress silently shedding tears every day, can't see her heartbreak, can't see that the smile on her face is all an act. The master can turn a blind eye, but I'm sorry, this servant cannot!"
"You..." Huo Jingsha roared, but unexpectedly Chunlu pushed Dongxue away and said righteously, "My lord, don't blame the wrong person. It wasn't Dongxue. I was the one who drugged you. The drug was put in the hangover tea you drank that night. I also secretly packed the young mistress's baggage after she left."
"And me, I was worried that the young mistress's tranquilizer wouldn't be enough, so I concocted an even stronger one. I guarantee you'll collapse after drinking it and sleep soundly all night," Qiuyue added.
“The guards on duty in the manor that night were transferred by me. I falsely conveyed the lord’s order, saying that they only needed to patrol every two hours that night, which gave the young mistress plenty of time to escape,” Xia Hong followed up.
"Cough cough cough cough... cough cough cough..." Huo Jingsha burst into a series of heart-wrenching coughs, almost fainting from the words of the four maids. Good! Good! The people he sent to protect his wife have all betrayed him, actually teaming up to help her escape!
The maids took turns revealing their "crimes," then looked at each other in bewilderment, realizing that each of them had contributed to the young mistress's escape...
"Good!" This time, Qi praised from the bottom of his heart. "Huo Jingsha, do you see? You are fickle and do not like the old. You are destined to be abandoned by everyone. The four maids are good. This is true loyalty and dedication to their master."
"Considering the loyalty of the four of you to the Madam, I can let bygones be bygones for what happened before, but now, tell me Yao'er's whereabouts immediately." He turned to Qi with a fierce look.
The four maids lowered their heads and remained silent.
"Wait a minute, Lord Huo, don't worry, Shu Yao is safe now. She really did want to fake her death to make you give up, and I can tell that she has no intention of coming back no matter what. So... you should set her free. There are too many temptations around you, and who knows, another woman might pop up one day."
Huo Jingsha stood up abruptly, his attitude more sincere than ever before, and said, "Don't worry, Luo Wenpei... I will not let her get away with this, and I will definitely make her pay back a thousandfold for the crimes she committed against Shu Yao. I promise that there will never be another woman in the future, and I am willing to explain everything to Shu Yao and ask for her forgiveness."
Qi smirked, his expression unmistakably wicked, all because of Huo Jingsha's groveling manner. "Oh dear, words are no proof. I'm sure Lord Huo has made plenty of these kinds of vows. I'm thinking... if things can't be resolved satisfactorily, there's no point in you bringing her back."
"I already said I would handle it!" Huo Jingsha cracked his knuckles. He had already tried to be as humble as possible, but this kid was still pushing his luck.
“How about this?” Qi scratched his chin. “Why don’t you deal with Luo Wenpei first, and I can back down and take you to see Shu Yao? Otherwise, if she gets a poison that Dongxue can’t recognize next time, wouldn’t Shu Yao be even more vulnerable?” His words were full of sarcasm and ridicule.
"Guards!" Huo Jingsha shouted.
Yue Ping entered from outside. "What are your orders, sir?"
"Send someone to place Luo Wenpei under house arrest. I will deal with him personally when I return in five days."
"Why five days later?" Qi didn't understand, thinking he was deliberately stalling for time.
Xu Chang stepped forward to answer on his behalf, “Four days later is the anniversary of the death of Lord Huo’s younger brother, Huo Jingzhe. Luo Wenpei was once Jingzhe’s fiancée. He died in battle while fighting the enemy. In order to punish you, the enemy cut off the head of the young marshal Jingzhe and hung it on the flagpole for public display. Therefore, you have always felt guilty towards this younger brother, and you also feel guilty towards Luo Wenpei. That’s why you brought her to your residence after this incident and insisted on giving her a proper status. As for the matter to be dealt with five days later, it is because you do not want to execute your brother’s fiancée on the anniversary of his death. Please grant me a few days’ grace.”
If that's the real reason, it's quite reasonable. Qi didn't insist on it this time, which can be considered tacit approval.
Disturbed and confused, Huo Jingsha felt even more exhausted than after interrogating prisoners for three days straight. He needed someone to soothe his heart. Where was his Yao'er? Recalling her soft voice, her beautiful face, and her intoxicated appearance when she was beneath him, all of this made him feel confused and infatuated.
But... he wondered if she would ever return to his embrace! Huo Jingsha looked around, but couldn't find that face that he longed for so intensely.
Will Yao'er really not want him anymore?
No! He was startled and jumped up, grabbing Qi's shoulders. "Please, take me to see Yao'er. I'm willing to kneel down and beg for forgiveness!"
Qi looked back at Huo Jingsha, seeing his regret, helplessness, anxiety, and insecurity. He... perhaps truly loved Shu Yao. After a moment of contemplation, he finally clenched his teeth and said, "Promise me one thing, and I'll take you to see Yao'er right away."
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