Chapter 3

The crown prince’s procession was still close. However bold Madam Du might be, she would not dare make a scene now.

I made my decision and bolted into Jixiang Alley.

I didn’t know whether anyone was pursuing me.

All I could hear was my heartbeat, my breathing, and the rush of wind past my ears.

The alley twisted and turned. Every few steps brought another corner.

I couldn’t run fast, and gradually scattered footsteps began to sound behind me.

By now the crown prince’s procession must have gone far enough for residents to start returning home.

Which meant the men from Ruyi House were surely coming after me too.

That bastard King of Hell! He made a mess and never cleaned it up, never thought anything through. He couldn’t even pick a better day to send me back. The moment I opened my eyes I had to run for my life, with no time to plan.

“There she is!”

“After her!”

“Get ahead and cut her off!”

…

I had no choice but to run toward the quieter lanes.

I never expected to reach a dead end.

A high wall blocked my way. The guards’ voices were getting closer.

“Wushuang, come out. It’s a dead end. You’re not getting away!”

What could I do?

I tried to steady my breathing, telling myself not to panic.

A bamboo basket as tall as a person stood in the corner. I would have to gamble.

Better to be beaten to death by Madam Du than fall into Yan Zixiu’s hands.

But the moment I lifted the basket’s lid, someone caught me around the waist, covered my mouth, and dragged me into the dark.

“Shh!”

My rigid body relaxed. It was Hongmian.

She brought me into a room and bolted the door.

She had barely finished when the guards arrived.

Through the crack in the door, I saw that the first thing they did was kick the bamboo basket.

I pressed a hand to my chest, shaken by how close it had been.

I was about to speak to Hongmian when her door began shuddering under their kicks.

My heart leaped into my throat again. Hongmian covered her mouth and shook her head urgently.

I hardly dared breathe.

Just as the door seemed about to give, a basin of water came down from upstairs.

“What filthy scum is kicking my house?”

The speaker was Hongmian’s aunt, Yulan, a notorious shrew in Jixiang Alley. She had connections at the magistrate’s office. Even Madam Du was wary of crossing her.

The guards offered sheepish smiles and apologies.

She threw down another basin of water and uttered one word. “Out!”

Short and to the point.

Once they were far away, Hongmian and I had just breathed a sigh of relief when the back door was kicked open.

“Aunt…” Hongmian said fearfully.

Yulan glared. “Well, haven’t you grown bold? Hiding a girl from Ruyi House!”

I hurried forward to apologize. Her eyes cut into me like knives.

“Ruyi House still holds your sale contract. Where do you think you can run?

“All that old viper Du Qiuxin has to do is report you to the authorities, and you won’t get out of Baiyujing.

“Wait. You’d flee even if it meant she beat you to death… Miss Wushuang, have you offended someone worse than Du Qiuxin?”

I had no intention of hiding it. I nodded.

Hongmian often brought embroidery to Ruyi House. Once, I had helped her out of a difficult situation. I hadn’t expected her to remember.

That she had rescued me at all was more than I could have hoped.

I should not have burdened them further. But in my predicament, all I could do was beg them to shelter me a few more days, until the danger passed and I could leave the city.

Yulan was silent a moment. Her hawk-sharp eyes narrowed.

“You won’t get away.”