Yun Xiao slanted a glance at her, finding that although this thief was covered in dust, it couldn't conceal her delicate and pretty features, especially her pair of large eyes, which were filled with a bright intelligence.
Sunlight slanted down, casting upon her face. Her eyelashes were long, fluttering up and down, lending her a unique charm.
This thief was indeed sharp, much more intelligent than ordinary women. Wondering what she wanted to talk about, Yun Xiao felt a spark of interest. She raised her head, found a piece of bluestone by the roadside, and lazily spoke.
"Alright, let's chat over there."
The two adversaries, who moments before had been locked in a bitter struggle, now wore broad smiles and walked together towards a secluded spot. A smooth, unadorned bluestone was neatly placed by the roadside. The two sat on it, one on each side, and began to chat.
"What's your name?"
Yun Xiao sized up the thief from head to toe.
This fellow, if she didn't speak, one would hardly realize she was female. Her entire demeanor was that of a roguish street urchin, her movements uninhibited, and even her posture was no different from a man's.
"Su Qier."
As Su Qier spoke, Yun Xiao almost choked on her own saliva, coughing and asking again, "What's your name?"
"Su Qier, everyone calls me Su Qier." Su Qier seemed afraid Yun Xiao wouldn't believe her, and patted her chest with a *pa pa* sound. Yun Xiao glanced at her chest; it was so flat. No wonder it sounded so loud when she patted it, without seeing her flinch at all.
Yun Xiao quickly nodded. She herself didn't mind, but it made her feel stifled. It was already flat enough, so stop patting.
"Alright, Su Qier, who else do you have at home? How can a young girl, instead of doing proper things, end up stealing?"
Upon hearing Yun Xiao's words, Su Qier's face immediately fell into a bitter expression.
"Big Sister, you have no idea about my family's situation. We, the Su family, are a family of master thieves. Our ancestors have lived by stealing for generations. By my generation, there are very few of us left. The Su family has an unwritten rule: anyone over the age of six must go out and make their own living. Even if they starve to death, no one in the family will pity them; they'll only blame them for being incompetent."
Yun Xiao heard this and thought it was truly a bizarre tale. What kind of ridiculous rule was this? Wasn't it harming young children? Su Qier's parents couldn't possibly be so heartless. She narrowed her eyes, staring at her suspiciously, "You're not lying to me?"
"No, Big Sister, you're too suspicious. Actually, it's the same whether our family has this rule or not. Because there are only three of us in my family: me, my grandmother, and a younger brother. The two of us take turns stealing to take care of her." Su Qier paused here, her sharp eyes scanning Yun Xiao from top to bottom. She then smiled slyly and asked, "Big Sister, what is your surname?"
"Yun."
Yun Xiao replied concisely. She didn't know why Su Qier was so keen on chatting with her; she must have some ulterior motive.
"Su Qier, what do you want to chat with me about?"
"Big Sister, why don't we team up and form the most peerless master thief duo in the world? We'll definitely get rich quickly." Su Qier's face was filled with radiant excitement, her dark eyes flashing with a brilliant light, as if she could see silver coins flying everywhere.
Yun Xiao suspected she had misheard. She stared at her with wide eyes, her sharp gaze like a knife, making Su Qier realize belatedly that she was a little scared. She shrugged her shoulders and mumbled softly.
"Big Sister, don't you think my idea is good? It's better than going solo. Or how about I let you be the boss?"
She looked very wronged. It turned out she had mistaken Yun Xiao for a thief from beginning to end and hadn't taken anything she said to heart. Yun Xiao's expression changed. She suddenly stood up and said fiercely, "Say that again, and I'll knock your teeth out."
Even though she was considered a simpleton, as the daughter of a royal prince and currently the Empress, she had stooped to forming a gang with a thief. Only this hateful Su Qier would dare to think of such a thing, not only stealing money but also looking for accomplices everywhere.
Su Qier smiled, stood up, and carefully pulled Yun Xiao back down to sit.
"Since Big Sister Yun has no intention, then forget it. There's no need to get angry. Don't be angry; anger harms the body, anger harms the body." She put on a smiling face and then cautiously asked.
"We can consider it that we met without fighting. I haven't eaten a bite since yesterday. Can Big Sister Yun spare me some food?"
Yun Xiao's expression changed. This Su Qier was truly something. She hadn't eaten a bite since yesterday, yet she could still run around so much. If she had a full stomach, she might indeed be a remarkable person. Yun Xiao's eyes flickered, and she began to form an idea, but looking at Su Qier's street-urchin demeanor, she dismissed the thought.
She could afford to treat her to a meal. Just as she was about to speak, a "hiss" of horse hooves suddenly sounded, creating a gust of wind that whipped fallen leaves and dust into the air.
The two squinted their eyes and saw a luxurious carriage rushing past. However, the driver suddenly pulled the reins, and the majestic horse reared up, its front hooves kicking high into the air with a sharp neigh. Finally, it stopped.
Yun Xiao and Su Qier were choked with dust, and their hair, which had been scattered from running earlier, was now dishevelled. They looked like two genuine beggars, two deeply distressed beggars. Now, they blinked their bright, lively eyes, looking left and right, not understanding why the luxurious carriage had suddenly stopped.
From the luxurious carriage, the ornate pearl-colored brocade curtains were lifted, and a pair of hands as delicate as jade, slender, round, and lustrous, reached out. Just by looking at these hands, one could tell that the person inside the carriage must be someone of extraordinary beauty, whether a man or a woman, they must possess a beauty that defied the heavens.
Yun Xiao was still pondering this when the sunlight scattered in countless rays, and a tall, slender shadow emerged from the carriage. The soft sunlight enveloped his head, and he walked towards them as if he were a celestial being, standing before them. His features were as picturesque as a dream, almost ethereal. His exquisite face had skin as smooth and lustrous as ancient jade, fine and smooth. His dark eyebrows were long and slender, and his eyes were like the brightest star in the night sky, twinkling with dazzling brilliance. His crimson lips were sexy and alluring, tightly closed, saying nothing. Yun Xiao and Su Qier looked at the peerlessly handsome man before them, forgetting to react.
This man, who was clearly beautiful to the point of being translucent, somehow exuded a subtle sense of distance, and a hint of melancholy in his eyes, drawing people in yet making them unable to approach. Throughout the entire encounter, this man did not utter a single word. His ink-black hair flowed down like flowing water, covering half of his face, which was as luminous as the moon on a clear night. Then, he stood up and turned towards the front of the carriage.
Yun Xiao reacted and quickly lowered her head, only to see a silver ingot placed calmly before them. What did this man mean? Yun Xiao blinked her eyes and looked up, only to see the carriage slowly starting to move, gradually disappearing from their sight.
Yun Xiao turned to look at Su Qier beside her. The girl seemed to be in a daze, with a foolish smile on her face, her mouth dribbling with saliva, her eyes gazing infatuatedly at the disappearing carriage. Yun Xiao felt disgusted for a moment. That man was indeed beautiful, but did she have to be so outwardly smitten? She forcefully pushed Su Qier and pointed at the silver ingot on the ground, asking, "What does this mean?"
She only realized belatedly, that man couldn't possibly be... couldn't he? It turned out he had mistaken them both for beggars. Ah, ah! Yun Xiao stood up and let out a long cry to the heavens. What was this? She, Yun Xiao, the dignified daughter of the Yun royal family, the Empress of the Eastern Qin Kingdom, was actually mistaken for a beggar.