Chapter 89 Softy Gets Beaten (Part Two)

Elder Sister hurried to Su Nanxing’s side, clutching his sleeve and pleading, “Young Master, I acted rashly out of worry, afraid to disturb your peace—that’s why I did it.”

Seeing this, Tao Ming scooped up the two little ones and made to leave, but Su Nanxing shook off Elder Sister and blocked Tao Ming’s path. “Wife, it’s more important to reduce Ruanruan’s swelling first.”

He reached out, intending to take the two little ones from Tao Ming’s arms.

Tao Ming glanced at the swelling on Ruanruan’s face and turned toward the main room.

Hearing Su Nanxing call Tao Ming “wife,” Elder Sister instantly realized who she was. She thought to herself that this young madam was nothing to be afraid of after all.

Su Nanxing’s hand froze in midair. He quickly followed Tao Ming into the main room.

Su Nanxing took out an ointment, and Tao Ming carefully dried the tears from Ruanruan’s cheeks, then lightly applied the balm. The redness and swelling faded visibly, and soon Ruanruan’s little face was soft and fair once more.

Tao Ming reached out to gently touch her and asked, “Does it still hurt?”

Ruanruan replied in a tiny, delicate voice, “It doesn’t hurt anymore. It feels cool and comfortable.”

Seeing Ruanruan was well again, Tao Ming picked up both children to leave, but Su Nanxing pulled all three of them into his arms, anxiously saying, “Wife, it was my oversight. I forgot to tell the maids. Give me another chance, please?”

Now calm, Tao Ming asked, “Your courtyard maids are quite bold, aren’t they? Hitting people so casually? If these had been guests’ children, wouldn’t the Su family be in trouble?”

Su Nanxing replied, “You comfort them. I’ll go find out what happened.”

Tao Ming refused. “I’ll return to the Qin residence first. You handle this.”

Su Nanxing knew that if Tao Ming left now, it would be hard to bring her back. He held on tightly, turning to Ruanruan and saying, “Ruanruan, Daddy will build a playground for you in the back garden. How about living here?”

Ruanruan’s eyes sparkled with excitement. “Yes, yes! Can we go to the playground today?”

Tao Ming was inwardly exasperated—Ruanruan truly forgot pain as soon as the wound healed.

Su Nanxing added, “If you help me persuade your mother, you’ll be able to play very soon.”

Ruanruan wrapped her arms around Tao Ming’s neck and whined, “Mama, I haven’t been to a playground in so long. Let’s stay here, please?”

Tao Ming ground her teeth in secret, but forced a smile. “If Ruanruan likes it, then Mama likes it too. I’ll certainly stay with you.”

Su Nanxing breathed a sigh of relief. “Wife, you play with them for a while. I’ll go ask some questions.”

Tao Ming closed her eyes to compose herself, then nodded.

After leaving the main room, Su Nanxing found Elder Sister and Younger Sister both kneeling at the door.

He said, “Come with me,” and walked toward the rear wing, not wanting Tao Ming to overhear anything inappropriate.

Inside the wing, Su Nanxing’s face was frosted over with coldness. “Tell me, whose idea was this?”

Had Tao Ming seen Su Nanxing now, she would have exclaimed she didn’t recognize him. Gone was the tenderness he showed before her; his expression was nothing but merciless and cold.

It was the first time Elder Sister and Younger Sister had ever seen him like this. He rarely smiled, but he always spoke kindly—never had they seen him enraged.

Elder Sister replied, trembling, “Everything I said before was true.”

Younger Sister added, “I was in the laundry room delivering bedding and didn’t know what happened.”

Su Nanxing turned to Elder Sister. “Do you know whom you hit?”

She answered, terrified, “I saw the little girl’s clothes were shabby and thought she was one of the servants’ daughters who’d wandered in.”

At this, Su Nanxing recalled that Tao Ming, thinking the two children would sweat from running about, had changed them that morning into simple cotton dresses for comfort.

Whether she had mistaken them on purpose or not, it was unforgivable.

He continued, “Is this how you act in the Picking Stars Courtyard when I’m not around?”

Elder Sister kowtowed repeatedly. “I wouldn’t dare!”

Su Nanxing sneered, “You wouldn’t dare? I know full well what my mother intended by sending you two here. But you overestimate yourselves—without the authority of the master, you put on the airs of one.”

Now Younger Sister began kowtowing as well. “I truly wouldn’t dare!”

“I kept you here these years because you behaved, to serve the young madam and the two young misses. Who’d have thought that the moment they returned, they’d be struck? Do you expect me to believe this happened without someone’s instigation?”

Elder Sister’s heart tightened and she cried, “I truly didn’t know she was the young miss!”

“If you tell me who ordered you, I’ll see to it you have a whole corpse.”

Elder Sister kowtowed until she bled. “Young Master, I truly didn’t know the little girl was the young miss!”

Su Nanxing was about to mete out punishment himself, but then recalled Tao Ming’s attitude toward human life. If she found out, she might never allow him near her again.

He sent a signal from the rear window, and soon a figure appeared, cloaked entirely in black save for a pair of eyes, silent in the corner.

“Take them away. Find out who’s behind this. And send two guards to protect the young madam.”

The black-clad figure knocked both maids unconscious and carried them off, one in each hand.

Su Nanxing rubbed his face, returning to his usual shameless demeanor, and went back to the main room. To his alarm, it was empty. Had Tao Ming left after all?

But that couldn’t be—she was always true to her word. She’d promised Ruanruan she would stay.

Focusing his hearing, he caught the faint sound of breathing from the bedroom. Entering quietly, he saw the two children asleep, Tao Ming lying on her side with her back to him.

Su Nanxing took off his shoes, lay down behind her, and held her close. “Wife, I’m sorry.”

Tao Ming’s body tensed, then gradually relaxed. She asked softly, “What about that woman?”

“She’s been sent to my mother for punishment.”

By now, Tao Ming’s anger had faded. “A few smacks will do—don’t let it cost a life.”

Su Nanxing replied in a low voice, “She’ll likely be expelled from the household.”

But once outside, he’d never let them live.

Tao Ming turned to face him. “I’m not angry anymore, and Ruanruan isn’t hurt. Is it really necessary to expel them?”

Su Nanxing held her tight and kissed her cheek. “Leave it to me.”

Tao Ming nodded helplessly. “I’m a bit tired. Let’s sleep for a while.”

Su Nanxing captured her lips in a lingering kiss before letting go, reluctant. “I’ll help you sleep.”

Tao Ming rolled her eyes. “Just don’t disturb me.”

Su Nanxing drew the cool quilt over them and closed his eyes. “Sleep.”

After about an hour, Tao Ming woke up. The two children were still asleep, and Su Nanxing was gone.

Now it was just the three of them in bed.

Tao Ming wanted to freshen up but was uneasy about leaving the children alone. She popped a piece of gum into her mouth and lay back, thinking.

The image of Ruanruan’s swollen face came back to her. In her anger earlier, all her attention had been on Ruanruan, and she hadn’t analyzed the situation. Now, the more she thought about it, the more something seemed amiss.

From the name Su Nanxing had called, the woman should have been Elder Sister, one of the maids in the Picking Stars Courtyard. According to what she’d learned before, no ordinary maid would strike out so casually.

Moreover, Elder Sister was not present in the courtyard earlier and shouldn’t have known Su Nanxing had returned, yet she claimed she acted to avoid disturbing him.

Logically, shouldn’t she have simply chased the children out before Su Nanxing returned?

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