Ye Jingyu steadied his gaze and said, "This was bound to happen sooner or later."
That girl was not one to suffer in silence. He had used the Thousand Love Gu on her, and though she didn't voice it, she had been harboring resentment.
If she couldn't vent this anger, she would never be at peace. There was no way he would give her the antidote for the Thousand Love Gu, so she would just have to endure this.
Qian Xue sighed softly. His Lord was truly having a difficult time.
Ye Jingyu took a few deep breaths to calm himself and walked into the room.
There was no longer any sound from the study.
Su Yunmo seemed to have tired herself out and had fallen asleep on the desk.
A book about rare treasures and curiosities was pressed beneath her face.
Ye Jingyu saw that she was clutching the glazed lock in her small hand.
The young man sighed, stepped forward, and gently lifted the little one from the desk, taking the glazed lock from her hand.
This object seemed to be more than just a memento to her. Where did it come from?
"Mmm~" Su Yunmo stirred in his arms, burying her face in his chest.
A flicker of surprise crossed Ye Jingyu's eyes.
Little one, are you truly Su Yunmo?
"Qian Xue, investigate this item. I want all the information, the more detailed the better."
A person's experiences could be fabricated, but an object always had an origin.
Qian Xue stared at the glazed lock for a moment, then cast a hesitant glance at Su Yunmo. "Yes."
He felt that this item was somehow familiar, as if he had seen it somewhere before. But where?
Ye Jingyu carried the person in his arms out of the study and into the sleeping quarters.
Su Yunmo had been exhausted lately. Ever since arriving in the capital, she hadn't had a single peaceful night's sleep, constantly running errands. It was rare for her to have a day off.
Ye Jingyu had people light a calming incense in the room, and she slept until the next morning.
Fortunately, Zhou Wanyou had given Su Yunmo extra tutoring in advance, otherwise, she would surely have been dragged out and spanked.
Even so, Su Yunmo dared not overstep. Early in the morning, she heard from Qian Xue that Ye Jingyu had gone to the academy. Without a chance to bid farewell, she rushed to the General's mansion.
Fortunately, the General's mansion was calm and peaceful, as if no one had noticed her absence all night.
Ziyuan was waiting at the gate to receive her. Seeing her return, she quickly stepped forward. "Your Highness need not worry. Madam and the General did not return to the mansion last night."
No wonder.
Su Yunmo raised her eyebrows and got out of the carriage, intending to enter the mansion. Before she could step onto the threshold, she heard someone crying.
Behind the stone lions, a small figure was hiding. It was Su Xiayue, hugging her knees, curled up in a corner.
Su Yunmo found it strange.
Ziyuan said, "She waited here all night. She wouldn't speak to anyone who asked, only cried."
Su Yunmo walked around and poked her head. "What are you doing here?"
Su Xiayue looked up, her eyes swollen into slits, her nose red, and her face dirty. "Momo, woo woo woo..."
Su Yunmo froze, her brow furrowing instinctively. "Did someone bully you?"
She shook her head vigorously, managing to say only half a sentence clearly. "Daddy came back... wants to sell me, woo woo... Uncle, woo woo, I'm scared..."
"Daddy? Your daddy?" Su Yunmo tried to process this.
She remembered that her father, her third uncle, had gone out on business years ago and hadn't returned. Hadn't her family even speculated that he had died somewhere?
"Isn't it good that your daddy is back? Did Uncle come to collect debts from your daddy?"
Zhou Zeli had previously said that the money his father made in business was borrowed from his uncle, which was why she had worked at the restaurant to repay her father's debt.
Now that her father was back, it was natural for her uncle to pursue the debt, but he shouldn't involve a child like her.
"Woo woo... No, the restaurant, at the restaurant, woo woo... it needs a lot of money..." Su Xiayue's voice was already hoarse from crying.
She was truly terrified and didn't know who she could turn to at this moment.
Su Yunmo tutted impatiently and directly pulled her into the carriage. "Let's go to 'Xiangge Restaurant'."
She would find out what was going on once they arrived.
As the carriage headed towards the restaurant, even before they got out, they could hear shouting. It was the voice of a rough man, making a scene.
"She's my daughter! What business is it of yours if I take her? You must hand her over to me today!"
Hearing this voice, Su Xiayue froze instinctively, so scared she forgot to cry. Then, she bit her lower lip tightly, covered her mouth with both hands, and trembled in the corner.
Su Yunmo frowned, got out of the carriage, and asked Ziyuan to pull Su Xiayue down as well.
A crowd had gathered on the street outside Xiangge Restaurant. A middle-aged man was sitting on the ground, shouting loudly.
His clothes were tattered and his face was dusty. His hair was as messy as a bird's nest. He held a stick, and anyone who approached was met with a swing of the stick. He looked worse than a common thug.
Uncle Su Chengan stood at the entrance, trying his best to placate him. "Third brother, adult matters have nothing to do with children. I said I didn't want that money, so I wouldn't cheat you."
"Nonsense! Stop pretending to be a good person. Don't think I don't know how much work that little brat did for you over two years as a waiter. You should be giving me money!" Su Chengbai cursed.
Su Yunmo frowned. Who exactly was the creditor between these two?
Su Youqing, sword in hand, couldn't help but want to strike him. "Daddy, don't stop me!"
"Qing'er, no disrespect," Su Chengan instructed his servants to hold her back, preventing her from acting.
Su Chengbai, however, exploded. "Good, good! This is the good daughter you've raised! She dares to attack her third uncle! If that little brat were in my hands, I'd beat her until her skin was torn!"
Su Youqing gritted her teeth, then suddenly spotted Su Xiayue in the crowd and said urgently, "Didn't I tell you to leave? Why did you come back!"
Su Xiayue shook her head, crying so hard she could barely catch her breath. "Sister Qing, woo woo... Daddy..."
"No wonder I couldn't find you! So you little slut were hiding." Su Chengbai got up from the ground, swinging his stick towards Su Xiayue.
Su Xiayue trembled with fear.
The stick was caught, and Ziyuan kicked him away.
The force wasn't great and didn't injure him, but it still sent him rolling on the ground.
"Ouch, ouch! How dare you attack your father! You've gone too far!" Su Chengbai clutched his stomach, cried out on the ground for a while, then pointed at Su Xiayue and berated her sternly.
"Get over here! I didn't give birth to you for nothing!"
Su Xiayue cried out "Daddy," but no matter what, she didn't dare take the first step.
Su Yunmo frowned, still unclear about the whole affair.
Su Youqing came over, grabbed Su Xiayue, and scolded her, "Little good-for-nothing, crying and crying, all you know is to cry. Why don't you cry yourself to death."
Despite her words, she subtly pulled Su Xiayue behind her, shielding her.
At the same time, she said to Su Yunmo, "Third Uncle gambled and owes a lot of money outside. His creditors have come looking for him. He's returned to the capital to sell the little good-for-nothing to a brothel to pay off his debts."
Su Xiayue's cries grew louder.
Su Yunmo knitted her brows fiercely. This was truly the epitome of a scumbag father.
"Third brother, what are you doing? Yue'er is still young; she'll be frightened." Su Chengan rushed over to stand between the two children.
Su Chengbai pointed at him and cursed, "If you truly care about her, then buy her. Otherwise, give me a million taels, or give me the restaurant. I'll sell anyone anyway."