Chapter 425: We’re Not Familiar
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
It was bad enough that she wasn’t particularly good-looking. On top of that, she wasn’t too bright.
When Xiang Hualan met Su Ying’s almond-shaped eyes, which contained a hint of despise and a particular sense of calmness, she felt like a clown for a moment. For some reason, she opened her mouth and said, “I… I’m already so sad. Why aren’t you comforting me?”
“We’re not familiar with each other,” Su Ying replied.
Xiang Hualan choked. Suddenly, she did not feel like crying anymore.
Su Ying was able to understand the entire story from the bits and pieces of her words. It seemed to be comparable to “herself” in the past, but “she” was not so lucky.
“What’s your name? Your accent doesn’t sound like you’re from Duo City. Where are you from?”
“You can call me Su Ying.” Su Ying chose to ignore all the other questions.
Xiang Hualan wasn’t really stupid, so she didn’t ask further. “When we return to the General’s Residence, 1’11 get someone to give you the silver notes. Thank you for saving me today. I didn’t expect the other party to be so vicious. If it wasn’t for you, I would have really fallen into their trap.”
It did not occur to Xiang Hualan that her men would not arrive in time. If Su Ying hadn’t been present, she would literally have jumped into the ambush set up by other people all on her own. Thus, she was truly grateful to Su Ying.
“I help you, and you give me money. We don’t owe each other anything.”
Xiang Hualan seemed to have the desire to confide in Su Ying. She lowered her eyes and said, “It’s also because I’m stupid. Otherwise, 1 would not have fallen into their trap.”
Su Ying looked at the calluses on her palm and asked, “Are you a soldier?”
Xiang Hualan froze and raised her head in astonishment. “How can you tell?” After Xiang Hualan’s father died, her mother found her a martial arts master. After the Emperor found out about it, he even praised her for being a distinguished offspring, following in the footsteps of her heroic father. After she reached marriageable age, the Emperor even gave her an army of 5,000 troops for her to train.
Initially, the Emperor only wanted to do this to show his concern for the orphans of his loyal officials. To his surprise, these 5,000 troops played a vital role in the previous rebellion. That time, Xiang Hualan saved the Emperor’s life with her own hands. Thus, the Emperor regarded her even more highly. After that, he gave her another 20,000 soldiers and let her guard the moat of Duo City. This was the first time in the history of the Jin State that a woman held military power.
“Your back is straight and upright, and your lower body is extremely stable. The calluses on your palm are obviously caused by holding metal weapons all year round. Although you try your best to hide the war-like aura on your body and make yourself look like a lady from a wealthy family, your long-term habits can’t fool people.”
Xiang Hualan had appeared to lose control of herself and cried just now. She must have said those words that could not have been known to others to test Su Ying in order to find out her background.
Xiang Hualan’s curled-up body slowly relaxed upon hearing this, and her back slowly straightened. Her eyes, which had been filled with grievance a moment ago, now became clear, and she looked at Su Ying with wariness and admiration.
“Now I’m really curious to know who you are, Miss.”
“I have no interest in the scheming plots of you guys, but if you don’t give me the five thousand taels of gold we agreed on, I will get angry.”
Xiang Hualan smiled and said, “You did save me, and I did fall into their trap. I won’t pay you a single coin less of what 1 promised you.”
“Alright.”
Xiang Hualan brought Su Ying back to the Great General Changsheng’s Residence.
Su Ying followed closely behind Xiang Hualan and discovered that the servants of the General’s Residence didn’t truly respect Xiang Hualan. Even their greetings were very perfunctory. Xiang Hualan, on the other hand, acted as if she didn’t see it and didn’t bother to kick up a fuss with them.
Su Ying surveyed the surroundings and followed her into a courtyard.
“Eldest Young Miss, you are back.” A maidservant in the courtyard stepped forward to greet her. When she straightened up, she saw a strange expression on Su Ying’s face.
Su Ying could see clearly that those maidservant’s eyes were filled with disgust and disdain.
“Go. Tell Grandmother that I need to use some things in the storage room. Ask her to give me the key to the storage room.”
The maidservant asked after hearing that, “Why is Eldest Young Miss thinking of using the things in the storage room? Are you lacking something?”
Xiang Hualan answered, “Mm-hmm. Just go and ask for it.”
When the maidservant saw that Xiang Hualan did not answer her question, she could only acknowledge the order and excused herself.
After the maidservant left, Xiang Hualan looked at Su Ying. “Miss Su, are you hungry? I’ll get the maidservant to send some food over.”
“No need. I’ve already eaten earlier.”
Xiang Hualan didn’t insist and only asked the maidservant to bring some snacks and fruits.
Before long, the maidservant who had gone to ask for the key to the storage room returned.
“Eldest Young Miss, Old Mistress said that if you lack anything, you can tell her. The items in the storage room are all dowry items that you will get when you get married in the future. So they can’t be touched recklessly.”
Xiang Hualan’s expression clouded over when she heard that. Indeed, the storage room contained the dowry items left behind by her father and mother for her. However, she had also received a lot of rewards over the years. She had also earned a lot of money outside. All these things were placed in the storage room by her grandmother. Now that she wanted to take something from there, why couldn’t she take it?
“I’ll talk to Grandmother myself.”
Xiang Hualan stood up and looked at Su Ying apologetically. “Miss Su, please wait a moment. I’ll be right back.”
Xiang Hualan stood up and walked out. The maidservant glanced at Su Ying but did not follow. Instead, she sized Su Ying up impudently. “May I know which residence you came from, Miss? It’s already dark and you have not gone back yet. I’m sure your family will be worried, won’t they?”
Su Ying sat down on the chair uninvited and glanced at the maidservant indifferently. “What has that got to do with you?”
The maidservant choked at once. She felt that Su Ying was as vulgar and rude as Xiang Hualan!
Which young lady from an aristocratic family would come to someone else’s residence at night? It might very well be a swindler who came to extort the Eldest Young Miss.
As the maidservant mulled over this, she saw Su Ying leaning against the soft cushion with her eyes closed. Her posture appeared as if she was treating this place as her own home. She was deliberately playing dumb.
The maidservant felt that the reason Xiang Hualan suddenly asked the Old Mistress for the key to the storage room must have something to do with Su Ying. She had to immediately explain this matter to the Old Mistress, and the Old Mistress would definitely remember her contribution!
As she thought of this, the maidservant excitedly turned around and left the room.
Su Ying waited in the house until she almost fell asleep before Xiang Hualan finally came back. Just by looking at her dejected expression which carried a hint of anger, Su Ying knew that she wasn’t too successful in getting the key.
Xiang Hualan walked into the house and looked apologetically at Su Ying. “Miss Su, do you have a place to stay tonight? If you don’t have a place to stay tonight, then stay here with me for the night. Grandmother isn’t feeling too well just now, so 1 can’t forcefully ask her for the key to the storage room…” Xiang Hualan looked at Su Ying’s penetrating gaze and couldn’t finish her sentence.
“Is the door to the storage room made of iron?”
Xiang Hualan shook her head blankly. “That’s not it.”
“Since it’s not metal, can’t you pry it open?”
“It should be possible…”
Su Ying asked again, “Is that your own personal storage room?”
Xiang Hualan nodded. “Mm-hmm. The contents were all earned by my parents and myself.”
Su Ying nodded and stood up. “That’s easy. Where is it? Take me there.” In order to avoid any unforeseen events, it was better to get the money sooner so that she could feel at ease earlier.
Xiang Hualan was somewhat puzzled, but she still brought Su Ying to the outside of the storage room.
“This is the place.”
Su Ying looked at the lock on the storage room that was as big as two fists and furrowed her brows. She then took two steps back to brace herself.. Then she gave a big kick on the storage room’s door!
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