Volume One, Chapter Seventeen: Will You Stand By and Let Me Die?

Old Xiao Hu also spotted the tall figure waiting for him under the lantern from afar. He quickened his pace, running over with a choked voice.

Then, like a koala, he leapt into her arms, sobbing uncontrollably.

“Pretty sister, I missed you so much. I thought I’d never see you again. Boohoo…”

Su Yi’an’s eyes instantly filled with tears. She patted his back, holding back her emotions, and scolded gently,

“I’m not dead, how could you not see me?”

“Second uncle hired a tutor for me. He teaches me to read and write every day and doesn’t let me go outside.”

“How did you manage to sneak out then?”

“I waited until they fell asleep, then crawled out through the dog hole.”

“Well, you’re quite clever. Sister has made chicken soup. Come on, let’s eat.”

Xiao Hu cried, “I don’t want chicken soup. Sister, take me away. I don’t want to stay in that house anymore. The tutor is so fierce. He hit me—he almost beat me to death… sob sob…”

Under the flickering candlelight, Xiao Hu showed her his small hands.

Su Yi’an looked closely. Both palms were red and swollen, proof he had almost been beaten to death!

“Why did the tutor hit you?”

Xiao Hu sobbed pitifully, “He said my handwriting looked like ants crawling, so hitting me would teach me a lesson. He hits me with a ruler every day. It hurts so much, boohoo…”

“That’s outrageous! Such a little child—what’s so great about perfect handwriting?”

Though furious, Su Yi’an kept her composure. She couldn’t just wrest custody from a stranger over this.

She looked at his red, swollen hands, heart aching, and asked,

“The medicine I gave you has an ointment to reduce swelling and relieve pain. Why didn’t you use it? If you apply it a bit, the swelling goes down quickly.”

“I can’t read. I don’t know which one it is. And I don’t want second uncle to find out I have medicine. I’m afraid he’ll ask too many questions.”

“You’re quite the little clever one. The red jar is the one. Next time the tutor hits you, remember to put on the ointment yourself.”

“Won’t you take me away? Are you just going to let me die here?” The little boy’s eyes brimmed with tears, looking so helpless and pitiful.

Su Yi’an said nothing, only rubbing some of her facial ointment onto his small hands.

Xiao Hu choked up, “It’s cool and soothing. The pain’s gone right away. Sister’s medicine is amazing~”

“There’s something even better!”

Su Yi’an took out a bottle of muscle-relaxing powder.

“Just sprinkle a little of this into your tutor’s food, and he won’t be able to hit you anymore.”

Xiao Hu’s face turned horrified, his big eyes fixed on her, but he didn’t reach out to take it.

“Why, scared?”

He nodded timidly.

Su Yi’an smiled, “It’s not poison. It just makes people weak and unable to speak. And it’s specially made by me—you can’t buy it anywhere. If you use it on the tutor, people will only think he suddenly had a stroke or paralysis. No one will suspect you. Then, the house will have to replace him with a new tutor. Besides, in ten or fifteen days, he’ll regain his strength and speech. It won’t cause any trouble.”

At that moment, the fear in Xiao Hu’s eyes vanished, replaced by a resolute determination. He picked up the bottle and tucked it into his bosom.

Su Yi’an smiled softly to herself: “As the saying goes, a tiger’s nature shows by three. This little tiger will surely achieve great things someday.”

Xiao Hu then pulled out a bag of candy balls from his pocket.

“I was so happy to see pretty sister that I almost forgot the important stuff. Second uncle bought these candies for me. I saved half just for you.”

“Thanks! How did you know I love sweets?”

Su Yi’an took the candy without hesitation, stroking his little head.

“Eat your chicken soup here. Sister’s going out on an errand. I’ll be back soon to take you home.”

“Okay! Hurry back, okay?”

Su Yi’an nodded and quickly left, riding swiftly toward the Northern Prince’s mansion.

Yesterday, after receiving his jade pendant, she had promised to diagnose him carefully. But now it was already past midnight, and the irritable client was sure to lose his temper at her delay.

Wu Er paced anxiously outside the prince’s chamber door. When Doctor Ling finally arrived, he breathed a sigh of relief.

Before Wu Er could ask why she was late, Su Yi’an explained,

“Sorry, General Wu, my son was fussing and wouldn’t sleep. I just managed to soothe him to rest.”

“No matter. It’s good you’re here. Please come in.”

Prince Xiao Beiming disliked heat. Even in the dead of winter, he wore only a thin shirt and reclined half-sitting at the head of the bed without a blanket. The windows were wide open, letting in the cold north wind that rustled through the room.

Su Yi’an immediately closed the windows upon entering. She had to stay here for half an hour. Without a charcoal brazier, and with the northwest wind blowing, it was pure torment.

Xiao Beiming glared at her. She lowered her eyes and spoke softly,

“Your Highness, acupuncture should not be done in a draft. It’s bad for your health.”

After the needles were applied, Su Yi’an sat at the table, waiting to remove them. Bored out of her mind, she took out the candy and began eating them one by one.

Crunch, crunch, crunch.

In the quiet night, the sound annoyed Xiao Beiming.

“Can you shut up? You’ll be starving if you don’t eat soon!”

Su Yi’an lied smoothly, her tone full of deference.

“Sorry, Your Highness. I’m frail and have been busy since morning without a chance to eat. If I don’t eat some candy now, I might faint and be unable to remove your needles.”

Xiao Beiming had no comeback.

Dealing with a temperamental client required reasoning from their perspective to silence them. Su Yi’an knew this well.

She suddenly felt the urge to boast, her tone proud and playful.

“These candies are from my son. They’re very sweet. Would Your Highness like one? Eating sweets can improve your mood.”

At the mention of “my son,” Xiao Beiming’s mind flashed to the nightmare of being forced four years ago and becoming an unexpected father three years ago. Irritated, he snapped,

“Shut up! I hate children the most! Don’t ever mention children in front of me again! Or else, you’ll face the consequences!”

Su Yi’an wisely fell silent, regretting having said so much to this overbearing client and resolving never to utter another word to him.

Her thoughts were with the little tiger, each second feeling like a year.

Finally finished removing the needles, she was stopped by Wu Er again on her way out.

Wu Er bluntly said he had heard she hadn’t eaten yet and had prepared some food and wine for her.

Su Yi’an naturally declined. Wu Er insisted on her staying, but she knew his intentions were not about the wine; this was a trap to fish for information.

Su Yi’an, bearing a facial injury, ate only the food, no wine, and stayed alert. She carefully navigated Wu Er’s seemingly casual questions, which were actually loaded traps.

By the time the meal ended, dawn was breaking.

Wu Er escorted her out of the mansion, confirming once more that Doctor Ling’s behavior was open and confident, answered questions smoothly, though a bit eccentric, and that her identity was genuine.

Su Yi’an hurried to the fabric shop, but the little tiger was already gone.

She was ruined. She hadn’t kept her promise to take him home. He would surely call her a liar…

Though she was accustomed to lying, she didn’t want to be a liar in the little tiger’s eyes.

Exhausted, Su Yi’an returned to the Chu Prince’s mansion and collapsed onto the bed, falling into a deep sleep.

Soon, she was awakened by the noise outside.

From the voices, someone was trying to enter, but Ding Xiang stopped them, saying,

“The princess hasn’t gotten up yet. How can you disturb her?”

Then, with a sharp slap, Ding Xiang was struck and pushed to the ground, breaking into tears.

“I’m the princess’s maid. How can you hit me…”

Though recently purchased from the Su family, Ding Xiang was honest and faithful, always obedient to her mistress.

Su Yi’an was certain she would have to avenge this slap for her.