The Rabbit Game - Chapter 2

Chapter 2

“Lin Wan, you’d better give me an explanation.”

My father strode across the courtyard, grabbed my mother’s hand, and dragged her away from the banquet.

Before she left, my mother glanced back and made a subtle gesture at me. Understanding, I curled my lips into a smile.

The Son of Heaven and the assembled officials were long used to this. The only pitiful one was Ling Ruoshui, still kneeling on the ground, utterly bewildered.

From the look of it, she still didn’t know my father had issues.

Oh. In fact, my whole family had issues.

I rose and tugged at the Son of Heaven’s sleeve, wheedling, “Uncle, you should return to the palace first. In a couple of days, I’ll bring Father and Mother to the palace to apologize.”

The Son of Heaven waved his hands again and again, then hastily ordered the imperial procession back to the palace.

Most of my parents’ apologies involved blood. He couldn’t bear that kind of courtesy.

Once the courtyard had emptied, I ran over as if I had only just remembered there was still someone kneeling on the ground.

Ling Ruoshui had her head lowered, so I couldn’t make out her expression, but her tightly clenched fists gave away her resentment.

I crouched down and called out sweetly, “Auntie, why haven’t you gotten up yet?”

My mother once praised this face of mine as the perfect embodiment of harmless innocence. If I curved my eyes into a smile on top of that, even the hardest heart wouldn’t be able to withstand it.

Sure enough, when Ling Ruoshui looked up, the gloom on her face wavered for an instant.

“Xu… Commandery Princess Rongshu?”

I nodded, puzzled. “You know me?”

Light flickered in Ling Ruoshui’s eyes, and she smiled.

“His Highness often mentions you. He says you’re clever as ice and snow, obedient and quick-witted…”

I pouted. “Don’t try to coax me. My father doesn’t like me at all.”

Then I added weakly, “My mother doesn’t like me either.”

Ling Ruoshui’s eyes brightened, though she quickly concealed it.

“How could that be? You’re His Highness’s only daughter, and the most noble Commandery Princess in the entire Great Ye Dynasty. Who wouldn’t like you?”

“Don’t be fooled by how gentle my mother looks. In truth, she’s the scariest one.”

I grabbed Ling Ruoshui’s hand and put on a terrified expression.

“When I was little, the cat I raised disappeared. Mother lied to me and said it had run away, but I saw her chopping up cat meat in the kitchen.”

Noticing Ling Ruoshui’s arm tremble faintly, I made my voice quiver too.

“I often wake up and find that I’m not in bed, but on the artificial hill, on the roof… even in the water.

“Everyone in the manor lies to me and says I sleepwalk. But I know the truth. Mother is the one who throws me out.”

Ling Ruoshui’s expression shifted several times. I changed to a mournful, heartbroken sob.

“Auntie, can you help me?”