Chapter Two: The Release of the Contract

Every morning, Chaochao feels weary and sighs. She looks at the crowd before her, sobbing bitterly, and remembers her promise just moments ago. Helpless, she rolls her eyes, suddenly turns, and rushes toward the sleeping couch behind her.

To everyone’s confusion, she leaps onto the couch, doesn’t bother to take off her shoes, crawls to the inner side, and quickly opens the hidden compartment beneath the bed board. With her little backside raised, she pretends to rummage for something, but in truth, she’s swiftly operating her wristband, extracting the items stored in its backpack.

From behind, Qiu Xiang’s voice comes, close as can be: “Miss, what are you looking for? Let me help.”

Chaochao pretends she’s just found what she wanted, cradles a flat vermilion lacquer box in her arms, and hurriedly instructs Qiu Xiang, “Sister Qiu Xiang, quickly bring my money chest here.”

Though puzzled, Qiu Xiang always obeys her mistress’s orders. Worrying for Chaochao’s safety, she asks Shishu—who remains composed among the anxious crowd—to look after her lady. Without delay, Qiu Xiang hurries to the adjoining storage room and carries the chest back.

“Miss, the money chest is here. What would you like me to do?”

“Open it.”

Chaochao opens the box in her hands and gestures toward the money chest.

Qiu Xiang wastes no time, pulls out the keys hanging around her neck from her collar, picks one out, and quickly unlocks the chest, then looks to her mistress.

“Miss?”

Chaochao glances back, waves her tiny hand, and commands everyone inside and outside the room, “Hurry, line up quickly, everyone get ready.”

Though bewildered, everyone obeys. No matter how anxious, they queue up in an orderly fashion.

Chaochao says nothing more, looks at the first person in line, then buries her head in the little box, rummages for a moment, pulls out a yellowed paper, then with her backside raised, digs a silver ingot out of the chest and hands both to the person before her.

“Shihua, this is yours.”

Without looking at the recipient, she moves on: “Shiqi, yours. Luliu, yours...” And so it goes.

When Shihua and the others see what’s in their hands, their expressions change dramatically.

“Miss! This, this...?”

At last, having distributed the silver and indenture papers to Shishu and Qiu Xiang, Chaochao hastily says, “The situation is dire, there’s no time to lose. My abilities are limited—I can’t protect everyone. Sisters, run for your lives.”

The indenture papers and twenty taels of snowflake silver feel heavy in their hands. Faces twist in sorrow and fear, and the room falls into a deathly silence.

It is only broken when Huahua bursts in from the veranda outside, crying out, “It’s bad, it’s bad!” Urgency fills the air as she prods Chaochao again.

“Go! Quick, everyone save yourselves! If you’re late, you won’t escape at all!”

Only then do they look at each other, biting their lips, tears streaming down their faces. One by one, they kneel and bow deeply to Chaochao, then rise, hunched and curled, clutching their belongings, wiping their tears, and in the blink of an eye, disappear without a trace.

The vast room and courtyard fall silent in an instant, save for Huahua’s anxious cries and Qiu Xiang, who remains steadfast by Chaochao’s side.

Preparing to sneak off for her grand undertaking, Chaochao looks at Qiu Xiang and urges, “Sister Qiu Xiang, why aren’t you leaving?”

Qiu Xiang wipes her tears, stubbornly pushes the indenture and silver ingot back into Chaochao’s hands, closes the chest, and says with resolve, “I won’t leave. I was assigned to you by Second Madam. Wherever you are, I will be!”

Chaochao tilts her head and gazes at Qiu Xiang, blinking her large eyes, and sighs.

“Sister Qiu Xiang, when they confiscate the house, the outcome will be either execution or exile. No matter which, I can’t escape, but you can. I’m counting on you to come back and save me. Even if my head is taken, at least Papa and I won’t end up without anyone to collect our bodies...”

“Don’t say such things, Miss! Children shouldn’t speak nonsense!”

Chaochao grips Qiu Xiang’s arm tightly, staring into her eyes with unprecedented seriousness.

“It’s not nonsense! Right now, you’re the only one I can trust. If you don’t help me, Papa and I will be doomed. While those confiscating the house haven’t arrived yet, go quickly through the dog hole in the west garden—the one I always crawl through. It’s absolutely safe. Once out, annul your indenture immediately. Don’t delay, or trouble will come.”

“Miss!” Even now, she still worries for her!

Hearing the little one’s soft and earnest instructions, Qiu Xiang crouches down, hugs her tightly, and sobs uncontrollably.

But Chaochao feels time is running out. She struggles free, opens the chest, tosses the indenture inside, lifts it with effort, shoves it into Qiu Xiang’s arms, and forcefully pushes her, “Go, quickly, Sister Qiu Xiang. You’re my only hope. Go!”

Though torn apart by sorrow, Qiu Xiang, who has seen much of the cruelty of confiscations, knows Chaochao speaks the truth.

She doesn’t dare linger, tears streaming like rain as she sets down the chest, bows deeply to Chaochao three times, then picks up the chest and leaves without looking back.

She fears that if she turns around, her feet will never move again.

But for her lady’s sake, she must escape in the chaos—she must!

Watching Qiu Xiang’s figure vanish beyond the courtyard gate, Chaochao breathes a sigh of relief, yet hears the commotion in the front yard growing louder.

Chaochao thinks, this is bad, and quickly closes the door, turns back to her room, activates her invisible wristband, opens the scan and storage function, and begins to rescue her possessions.

Xiao Yi had said: during a confiscation, they’ll dig three feet deep, not leaving a single item behind—unacceptable!

Chaochao’s things are hers alone; they mustn’t be stolen by villains.

Fortunately, her valuables are all kept in the wristband’s storage backpack. Outside, only the registered jewelry, ornaments, clothes, and a few hundred taels for daily expenses remain.

She’d just distributed the cash, and even the chest was taken by Qiu Xiang. All that’s left is to collect the jewelry, ornaments, and clothes.

Chaochao works swiftly, the wristband’s white light flashes, and whatever it touches vanishes instantly.

When everything is safely stored, Chaochao pats her hands with satisfaction. She looks at her sleeping bed, unwilling to part with the familiar bedding, and decides to take the whole bed, too. If the bed’s gone, why not the furniture? Collect them all!

Squeeze, stack, compress—there’s always room if you squeeze.

Wherever the white light passes, not a blade of grass remains. Even locusts don’t leave things this clean! She cares not how the confiscators will react when they arrive at her empty Zhaohui Pavilion.

But now, the most important thing—she must find her father!

Speaking of her father: he’s got a fine face, and as her mother said, she chose him because he was exceptional in looks, elegant, talented, and suited her taste perfectly.

Mother also said, in life, happiness matters most. When you find something you want, seize it decisively—or the opportunity will slip away forever. Chaochao deeply agrees.

Although since the night of Mother’s return to the stars, her abandoned father has drowned himself in drink, never acting normal nor dashing again, fallen and dispirited—still, he’s a good father!

Now, with danger closing in, as a little padded jacket still keeping out the chill, Chaochao thinks: Yes, find Papa!