Tang Xiaobai's eyes flickered, and she said with a face full of innocence, "Yes! He was so busy talking to me that Ding Shiqi managed to launch a sneak attack on him!"
Yao He smiled playfully and said, "That assassin sure talks a lot. His spirits must have been quite high, right?"
Tang Xiaobai's heart skipped a beat, and she shook her head, "He didn't talk much, just tried to scare me a bit. Actually, his spirits were very low; he was bleeding constantly, and his speech was quite incoherent. Even before Ding Shiqi acted, he was already unsteady on his feet."
Yao He laughed again, "Wounded so heavily, he didn't find a place to lean against?"
If he leaned, how could he expose his back to others?
Tang Xiaobai was silent for a moment and said, "He was leaning against the side, but because I was trying to escape, he came over to grab me."
As she spoke, Yao He had already walked up to her, bent down, looked into her eyes, and smiled like a fox, "Second Miss is so capable... Escaping right in front of an assassin?"
Tang Xiaobai closed her mouth.
This round, I've lost!
It's all because she and Little Qin were too outstanding, making the whole affair filled with suspicion, as if both of them were colluding with the assassin.
Let's not talk about her, if Little Qin had that kind of connection, how could he become the princess's male companion?
"Second Miss?" Yao He raised an eyebrow, wondering why the little girl suddenly stopped talking.
"I'm not saying anything more!" The little girl put on a stern face, her white, soft cheeks slightly puffed, reminding people of a little frog in a spring pond.
Yao He blinked, his hands itching to pinch the little girl's face.
The little girl glared at him and said, "I've already told everything I know to Ah Jie. Now that no adults from my family are here, don't think you can deceive me into saying anything just because I'm young!"
Yao He was taken aback, suddenly finding the little girl not so cute anymore.
During this pause, the little girl dropped another bombshell: "Go get the eldest Miss! Commander Yao wants to question me!"
"Hey! No! Don't—" Yao He's expression changed instantly.
How dare he question the Second Miss of the Duke Yan Mansion? Even County Captain Xue wouldn't dare!
This little girl is quite good at accusing people!
The servants of the Duke Yan Mansion wouldn't be stopped by outsiders. Prompted by Tang Xiaobai, they hurried off.
Yao He, annoyed, slapped his forehead, bent down, and explained in a good-natured manner to Tang Xiaobai, "Second Miss, I wasn't trying to question you, I was just—"
"Just what!" Tao Zi, the maid assigned to serve County Captain Xue, heard the commotion and rushed out, standing protectively in front of Tang Xiaobai with an aggressive demeanor, "How dare a mere Chief of Evil be rude to our Second Miss! Whose permission did you get?"
"Ah He?" County Captain Xue also rushed out, looking confused, "What's going on?" He turned to Tang Xiaobai and gave an apologetic bow, "Did my subordinate offend the Second Miss? I will certainly reprimand him heavily when I get back!"
Tao Zi sneered coldly, "Who knows if it's the subordinate or the superior who lacks understanding?"
These words were spot on!
Tang Xiaobai saw the maid's combat effectiveness was high, so she quietly stepped back half a step, settling into the role of a wronged child.
County Captain Xue's expression also changed due to Tao Zi's scolding. He uncertainly turned to Yao He with a questioning glance.
Yao He awkwardly said, "I was merely chatting casually with the Second Miss—"
"Chatting casually about what?" A cold voice sounded from behind.
Tang Xiaobai's eyes lit up, and she turned joyfully, "Ah Jie!"
At the end of the corridor, a multitude of splendid skirts approached gracefully.
Leading them was a girl in red, her waist supple and the color striking. It was Tang Jiaojiao, the legitimate eldest daughter of the Duke Yan Mansion.
Such a little beauty, yet she didn't walk with delicate steps like a lotus but with the wind at her feet, exuding an air of menace.
Tang Xiaobai immediately felt emboldened, and she scampered over to her.
Tang Jiaojiao pulled her shoulder closer to her side, her gaze coldly sweeping toward Yao He: "What did Commander Yao casually say to my Duke Yan Mansion's Second Miss? Say it again, so I can hear it too?"
Given Tang Xiaobai's age and status, even if people from the County Government were permitted to question her, it would certainly be in the presence of a guardian.
This Yao fellow took advantage of her being alone to ask questions privately.
Such a matter is absolutely taboo for a family like the Duke Yan Mansion!
"El-, Eldest Miss..." County Captain Xue, a grown man, was actually so scared his face turned pale, "It's all a misunderstanding—"
"Whether it's a misunderstanding or not, I'll judge for myself!" Tang Jiaojiao coldly smiled, "What? Don't dare to speak?"
Compared to County Captain Xue's fear, Yao He seemed much calmer. Facing Tang Jiaojiao's aggressiveness, he even smiled and said, "I heard from your servant Ding Shiqi that he saw the Second Miss being kidnapped near the side gate, so I wanted to ask the Second Miss if she saw Ding Shiqi at the time."
Tang Xiaobai's heart jumped, and she blurted out, "Yes!"
"Could it be the Second Miss dropped a pearl from her sleeve, which Ding Shiqi picked up?" Yao He immediately followed up, glancing sarcastically at Tang Xiaobai's sleeve.
Tang Xiaobai froze, instinctively clutching her sleeve.
For a moment, everyone followed Yao He's words and looked at her sleeve.
Tang Xiaobai released the edge of her sleeve slowly, looked down, and exclaimed, "Oh? Dropped again? These pearls really fall off easily... What sharp eyes this Yao fellow has!"
Tang Jiaojiao also noticed her sister's sleeve, though suspicious at heart, even if Tang Xiaobai's pearls all fell to the ground, it wasn't for a Chief of Evil to inquire about!
Her expression darkened, just about to speak—
"The pearl from Second Miss's sleeve did indeed fall here—" A gentle voice sounded from the side.
Tang Xiaobai quickly turned her head. The pale, frail young boy stood quietly among the crowd of servants who had gathered upon hearing the commotion, silently and who knows for how long.
He glanced lightly at her, then immediately lifted his left hand.
He opened his palm, and two pearl-sized pearls lay quietly in his palm.
They were identical in size, with a faint pink luster, clearly of great value at a glance.
Yao He chuckled lightly and asked, "Were they dropped today or yesterday?"
Tang Xiaobai sneered inwardly.
The clothes she wore yesterday and today both had such pearls. She indeed had torn off some pearls from her clothes yesterday and thrown them on the ground, but she didn't know if Qin Xiao had picked them up, yet he handed her two pearls again.
"These were dropped today," the young boy answered.
Tang Xiaobai's heart sank.
This child! Why tell the truth!
After speaking, the young boy stepped out of the crowd unhurriedly and walked up to Tang Xiaobai, holding the hand with the pearls in front of her.
Tang Xiaobai sighed inwardly and took back her pearls.
Just earlier, she thought he was pretty good at accusing Yao He; turns out she overestimated him.
With such an honest child, she definitely needs to keep a close eye on him; otherwise, he'd be devoured without any bones left.
Just as she thought this, she saw Qin Xiao let his left hand, which had held the pearls, fall, while he raised the other hand.
He raised it the same way to her, palm slowly opening—
"These two were picked up yesterday," even at this moment, the young boy's expression remained calm and his voice steady.
"If Commander Yao doesn't believe it, you can go and search the back garden; you should find pearls matching the ones the Second Miss lost from her sleeve. However," his voice paused slightly, he turned and glanced at the stunned Yao He, "Let's hope the next person sent doesn't have the guts to privately interrogate our Second Miss—"