The Rabbit Game - Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Little White Rabbit took the bait as naturally as could be.

I supported Ling Ruoshui as we walked toward an empty side room in the rear courtyard. On the way, she couldn’t help trying to sound me out.

“Commandery Princess Rongshu…”

I cut her off with a reproachful pout. “Auntie, just call me Shu’er.”

Ling Ruoshui wore a gentle, serene smile, but her acting was clearly nowhere near as good as my mother’s.

“Shu’er, thank you.”

“Auntie, you promised to help me leave the Princess’s Mansion. I should be the one thanking you.”

Ling Ruoshui hesitated. “Your mother may be frightening, but His Highness still has feelings for her, doesn’t he?”

She lowered her head, her voice desolate. “Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been so angry just now when he learned your mother was keeping male favorites.”

“That’s not what Father was angry about.”

I tilted my head and said innocently, “Auntie, didn’t you know? My father is sick.”

When my father was young, he had been the dream man in the hearts of every noble lady in the capital.

He was handsome and elegant, refined and scholarly. At a young age, he had already risen to the position of prime minister, and after the late emperor passed away, he was granted the title of Prince Regent.

But he had one extremely serious flaw: his possessiveness was terrifying.

Anything he had laid a finger on, no one else could even think of touching. If someone accidentally so much as brushed against it, losing their life would be considered getting off lightly.

Back then, my mother had targeted precisely this weakness of his. She took him by force, climbed into his bed, and became his exclusive possession.

“I heard from my nursemaid that when I was just born, my father tried to strangle me several times.

“All because I was flesh that fell from Mother’s body, and he felt I was beyond his control.”

Ling Ruoshui stumbled hard.

“Auntie, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing. My legs went numb from kneeling earlier.”

She hurriedly argued, “The Prince Regent I know is gentle and refined, courteous and proper. He… he isn’t like that.”

I thought for a moment, then said with certainty, “Then it must be because Father loves Auntie terribly much.”

Ling Ruoshui froze where she stood, so shocked she looked as though she’d been struck by lightning. “He… he loves me?”

I nodded vigorously. “Otherwise, with my father’s sickness, why would he bring Auntie into the mansion?

“After all, Auntie was the top courtesan anyone could have at Red Carved Pavilion~”

Chapter 5

I had underestimated Ling Ruoshui.

Faced with such an innocent and guileless insult from me, after her expression changed at first, she actually steadied herself very quickly and forced out a dry laugh.

“Is… is that so…”

I still wanted to see what a rabbit looked like when it got desperate, so I blinked at her innocently.

“Yes. Auntie, aren’t you from Red Carved Pavilion? Haven’t you seen all sorts of men?”

Ling Ruoshui squeezed out a single word through her teeth. “Yes.”

She did not lose her temper, but she quietly moved the arm I was supporting away from me. For the rest of the way, she no longer tried to pry any information out of me.

What a pity. It was rare for someone to chat with me, and I hadn’t had nearly enough fun yet.

When we reached a side room in a rear courtyard, I stopped.

“Auntie, you can stay here. This place is a little farther from my mother, so it’s safer.”

This small courtyard was tucked into the southwest corner of the Princess’s Mansion, surrounded on all sides by bamboo. In daylight, the lush greenery was soothing and pleasant.

Though remote, it was a rare quiet spot.

Once Ling Ruoshui arrived here, she relaxed slightly as well. “Thank you.”

“Auntie, rest well for now. I’ll come find you again at night.”

Ling Ruoshui clearly had not expected me to come for her at night. Her face filled with confusion.

I tugged at her sleeve, signaling for her to bend down and bring her ear closer.

I lowered my voice. “At night, I’ll take Auntie to see my father and mother’s secret.”

Ling Ruoshui’s eyes lit up, and she nodded. “All right.”

As if remembering something, Ling Ruoshui also lowered her voice and asked me, “Those male favorites your mother mentioned…”

“Don’t worry, Auntie. My father would never let other men into the mansion, and my mother wouldn’t keep them here either. That group of male favorites is at a villa on the outskirts of the capital right now.”

She let out a relieved breath and stood. I added, “My mother will only send you there.”

Ling Ruoshui froze, but I had already turned around and skipped back the way I came.

After two steps, I looked back at her again, smiling sweetly as my eyes curved into crescents.

“Auntie, aside from me, don’t trust anyone in this mansion, okay?”