Chapter 113: Fortune amidst misfortune (1/2)

Chapter 113: Fortune amidst misfortune Original and most updated translations are from volare. If read elsewhere, this chapter has been stolen. Please stop supporting theft.

Will or won’t she confess?

Hearing thing, Bilü’s heart gave a violent thump! She assumed that Guard Shangguan would say something or ask her questions so she’d know what was going on. But his first words were for her to confess!

What was she supposed to confess to?

What did they know?

Besides stealing the canister of tea, what else did she had to admit to? Bilü hung her head, heart thumping in her chest. She was very, very nervous.

Should she admit it?

She couldn’t resist stealing a peek at the godlike man sitting up high. A single glance was enough to make her retract her gaze in terror. Her heart narrowly avoided leaping out of her chest. She didn’t know who this man was, but she was certain that he had a very honored position. That’s why even the young general treated him with utmost respect. Something major must have happened at the teashop, so it shouldn’t have anything to do with her stealing the tea leaves, right?

“Are you going to confess or not?!” Guard Shangguan asked again.

“I don’t know…I don’t know anything!” Bilü burst out, her mouth moving quicker than her head.

“Don’t know? I think you’re just refusing to cry until you see the coffin[1]!” Guard Shangguan raged, before taking out a whip to hit the air. Shua! The crack of the whip was swift and fierce. Terrified, Bilü instinctively covered her ears and shrank to one side, trembling. Her mind had turned completely blank as she forgot about everything! No matter how intelligent she was, she was still an ordinary tea servant. This fright was enough to bring her to tears.

“Guard Shangguan, spare me! Spare me!”

“Bilü, you’re a smart girl. Confess and we’ll go easy on you, resist and we’ll be serious. You should understand this logic!” Guard Shangguan reminded her coldly.

Unexpectedly, Bilü capitulated as soon as he said those words. Shaking until her teeth started to chatter, she spoke, “I confess…I…I con, confess. I confess everything!”

At this, Long Feiye’s eyes turned cold as he finally looked at the tea servant head-on.

“Speak!” Even Guard Shangguan had turned nervous. He never thought that they’d get results from pressuring her.

“I just…I…I…” Bilü’s lips shook, making it hard for her to speak. Mu Qingwu was burning with impatience. He took large strides over and grabbed Bilü by the collar, disregarding the fact that she was a female.

“Speak!” he cried out angrily.

“I…I stole…stole a guest’s tea leaves, I…” Bilü stammered, but Mu Qingwu and Guard Shangguan were already astonished before she could finish.

Stole tea leaves?

An amazed Mu Qingwu released Bilü, allowing her to breathe normally. She crawled to Guard Shangguan’s feet and hugged him tightly, pleading pathetically. “Guard Shangguan, please spare me! I’m begging you! I still have that tin of tea leaves hidden in my rooms, I haven’t even opened it yet. I’ll give it back to Second Young Miss Han, I’ll apologize to her, just spare me!”

Perhaps if Bilü had been calmer, she wouldn’t have confessed. But her guilty conscience couldn’t withstand the threat of Guard Shangguan’s whip, so how could she keep her cool? She had never experienced something so frightening before. It’d left all her thoughts in disorder and turned her mind completely blank. Her only recourse was to confess.

Guard Shangguan only felt that he had lost a lot of face. Instead of finding out details about the southern mountain ambush, the interrogation had revealed this disgraceful scandal instead! He shook his head, eyebrows tightly knitted as he started at Bilü, unsure of what to say. Had he been too busy this year and neglected disciplining these servants?

Shameful!

“Guard Shangguan, please spare me…spare me, I won’t dare do it again, I really won’t!”

“Guard Shangguan…you…”

“Shut your mouth!” Guard Shangguan roared. A terrified Bilü immediately fell silent. Guard Shangguan braced himself and nervously looked towards Long Feiye.

Unexpectedly, Long Feiye seemed interested as he asked, “You hid Second Young Miss Han’s tea leaves?”

Bilü only thought that this cold voice, despite being low and deep, was pleasant to the ears. It was just like the low notes of a qin[2] playing against her heartstrings, whose sound mesmerized her until she forgot she was being questioned.

“What are you dawdling for, His Highness Duke of Qin is asking you a question!” Guard Shangguan rebuked. Abruptly, Bilü recovered her wits and gave Long Feiye a look of disbelief. His Highness Duke of Qin?

Heavens, he was the Duke of Qin!

No wonder, no wonder this man was as venerable as some Immortal of the night. His Highness Duke of Qin was already a godly man! Bilü felt herself seized with panic as she gaped at Long Feiye, too stunned to talk. Her expression reminded Long Feiye of Han Yunxi, except Han Yunxi’s eyes were much prettier!

He felt extremely fed up as he expression turned colder and colder. Mu Qingqwu knew his temper and hurried to speak up. “Were Second Young Miss Han’s tea leaves meant as a gift for Liuyue?”

“Yes…no…” Bilü said incoherently.