Big Boss – Chapter 10

Don’t cry

She used somewhat too much strength, leaving light white fingerprints on the woman’s skin, only slowly loosening her grip when Ci Ke winced from the pain, small tears welling up.

“That kind of woman isn’t worth it,” the woman spoke softly, her hand adorned with a cat eye gem resting atop Ci Ke’s head, caressingly.

“People like us can’t afford to have feelings. Otherwise, it only brings more trouble.”

Ci Ke lowered her gaze, lips curving in an ironic smile. “I know, Aunt.”

Ye Youqing. Idiot. She closed her eyes, thinking.

Meanwhile, someone sneezed thunderously over a table strewn with papers.

“Eldest Miss, it’s chilly at night, drink some water to warm up your body.” The drowsy Qin Xin was startled awake by the sneeze and hurriedly placed the steaming cup of tea in front of Ye Youqing.

Ye Youqing touched her nose and took the tea cup.

The Qi dynasty had historians in the court, so major events from years ago were recorded. In order to understand Ci Ke’s origins, she stole a total of ten volumes of historical records from the Qi State’s public library.

The records mentioned that during the Dinghai year of the Qi dynasty, a case of rebellion had erupted. The Emperor, in his rage, ordered the waist-cutting execution of several high-ranking officials. Besides Zhao Qingrou’s maternal grandfather, King Si Rong, another name on the list also caught Ye Youqing’s attention.

General of the Valiant Cavalry, Zhou Zhong.

Zhou Zhong, Zhou Ci Ke.

Ye Youqing was startled to the core upon this discovery. She gripped the teacup in her hand, ignoring the seal marked with “Secret” and flipped open a thin booklet beside her. To her astonishment, it contained a list of names from a past suppression campaign.

Her gaze slid down to the section listing the families of the slaves, where she clearly saw Zhou Ci Ke’s name. Above her, there were three characters heavily circled: Zhou Ziqiu.

As the candlelight dwindled and the hall’s brightness gradually faded, an older woman with tears streaming down her face washed away the makeup to reveal her smooth skin. Her lips quivered, and she tightly grasped the shoulders of a younger woman in front of her.

Ci Ke left without hesitation, accompanying Zhou Ziqiu as she shed tears.

“Once we uncover Ye Youqing’s true identity, if she still wants to help Qin Wang, we’ll eliminate her along with him.”

“Ci Ke, we must personally take each one of them down—Qin Family, the royal family. Even if we die, promise me…” Zhou Ziqiu bit her red lips until they bled, resembling a broken red leaf in a desolate snowscape, a poignant and shattered beauty.

Ci Ke nodded gently, enduring the pain, slowly removing the woman’s hand and allowing it to rest on her shoulder as she fell into a deep sleep.

Her brown eyes gazed into the distance at the lights, a hint of confusion fleeting across Ci Ke’s eyes. She lightly patted the back of the older woman, feeling the pinnacle of helplessness in this moment.

“Xiao Shi…” Zhou Ziqiu murmured in her dream.

……

“You’re saying that Zhou Ziqiu is now in the palace? And she’s a noble concubine?” Ye Youqing exclaimed in shock.

Qin Xin hurriedly covered Ye Youqing’s mouth: “Oh Eldest Miss, such words cannot be overheard by others. This is a royal secret. Although everyone has a rough idea, the Emperor has forbidden speaking of it, and no one dares to discuss it openly.”

Ye Youqing was startled by this revelation, her fingers tapping continuously on the table.

“Everyone in Bianjing knows about this. The sister of the Grand General was known as the most beautiful woman in the capital. The Emperor fell in love with her at first sight and went to great lengths to bring her into the palace as his concubine,” Qin Xin looked outside the window and then suddenly squatted down, whispering into Ye Youqing’s ear, “Moreover, it’s said that this beauty already had someone she loved, a martial artist from the Jianghu, whose family owns an escort agency and is highly skilled in martial arts.”

Having a noble concubine as an old flame isn’t so strange, Ye Youqing thought.

“The most astonishing thing is that the lover was a woman,” Qin Xin whispered mysteriously.

“On the day His Majesty summoned the noble concubine into the palace, that lover tried to elope with her, fleeing the capital. His Majesty was furious, dispatching thousands of imperial guards from the Palace Front Division to encircle and chase them down. Eventually, they were caught in a rural village, and the noble concubine was brought back. As for that lover, her whereabouts became unknown. It’s presumed she died.” Qin Xin smacked her lips with a look of regret.

It seems the original text mentioned this, but since it mostly depicted how the female lead suffered for love, this part was merely glanced over.

Ye Youqing rubbed her forehead, thinking how reality seemed more melodramatic than any soap opera.

“Almost all the prominent figures in the capital know about this. However, you were too young at the time, so you don’t remember,” Qin Xin said with an air of knowing.

“You are not much younger,” Ye Youqing raised an eyebrow.

“The older maids in the house always gather to chat idly, and I’ve overheard a few things,” Qin Xin chuckled.

So, Ci Ke developed such a persona, constantly putting on an act in front of others. Ye Youqing, with a solemn face, sighed and continued to flip through the history book in her hands, but she couldn’t find anything more of interest.

As the night deepened, Ye Youqing organized the books well and suddenly thought of something. She lifted her eyes to look at Qin Xin, who had started to doze off again, and asked, “Did I know Ci Ke before?”

Qin Xin looked up, pondered for a while, and then shook her head: “Ci Ke has always been a servant, how could she have known the young miss? I don’t remember.”

“So it is…” Ye Youqing stared at the teacup in her hand, her thoughts growing denser.

Yet, she could always discern the complex hatred in Ci Ke’s eyes.

Perhaps because she pondered too much into the late night, Ye Youqing didn’t sleep well. Her dreams were chaotic, filled mostly with images of a young girl covered in injuries, crying in her arms.

A young Ye Youqing, holding a piece of exquisite pastry, softly coaxed the girl not to cry.

The last scene was her, along with the other beauties, ruthlessly pushing the girl down and pouring scalding dishes on her face.

With a dirty little face, her brown eyes filled with terror, and tears.

Ye Youqing woke up to the early spring sunlight, the window revealing a bright and clear sky, the sounds of birds from somewhere melding into a song.

She stared at the canopy above her for a while, slowly got up, and sighed deeply, momentarily thinking all of this was a dream upon waking.

But now wasn’t the time to miss the modern era; she still had many things to do.

Changing into a slightly old-fashioned and simple dress, she stealthily slipped out of the Duke’s residence with Qin Xin, fortunately, since Ye Chengzhu was still bedridden, and Ye Chengfu was busy climbing the ranks and making a fortune, hence nobody was there to trouble her.

Taking advantage of this rare free time, Ye Youqing plans to make arrangements for the future.

Bianjing, just like its historical counterpart, had already abolished the division between the marketplaces, the bustling areas, and the residential spaces, blending them together into a scene of unparalleled prosperity. It even surpassed modern cities in some aspects, perhaps because street performances weren’t prohibited, attracting crowds everywhere, lively and noisy.

Qin Xin led her down a long street, the road was wide and paved with glossy bluestone slabs, lined with shops on both sides, making this area much quieter. Those who came and went were all wealthy individuals; many girls in silk dresses and fine clothes smiled as they entered and exited the shops.

Ye Youqing looked up at the row of neat and clean storefronts, finally feeling somewhat relieved. Just as she was about to step forward, Qin Xin pulled her back.

“Eldest Miss, where are you going? Ours is further back.”

Ye Youqing was spun around on the spot by her, and when she looked up again, she faced a tightly closed large door, which was almost filthy and had turned black. The plaque above, weather-beaten by countless years of wind and rain, bore letters that were all a blur.

Ye Youqing fell into silence.

“Cuihong Zhuang,” she murmured lowly.

What an unpleasant name, sounding like someplace for romantic rendezvous.¹

“Actually, many of the shops nearby were part of the dowry of the Eldest Miss, but after some were sold and pawned, only this place was left, as no one wanted it. It just had to be kept,” Qin Xin said with a regretful look at the surrounding magnificent shops, sighing as she pushed the door open.

Inside, it was surprisingly dark yet unexpectedly spacious and clean. Tables and chairs were neatly arranged in rows, and on the right-hand side stood a huge mahogany cabinet, atop which lay a black mass.

Seemingly alerted by the noise, the mass suddenly moved, and with a clang, it rolled off onto the floor, eliciting a sharp scream from Qin Xin.

“What do the honored guests require?” The shadow scrambled up from the floor in a fluster and said with an awkward smile. Only with the light from the door could Ye Youqing finally see him clearly.

His face was pale, but his lips were red and teeth white, yet his hair was a mess, resembling a bird’s nest, indeed a teenager.

“There are actually people in the shop?” Ye Youqing whispered to Qin Xin.

“I have never been here either,” Qin Xin replied softly.

“What is it?” Ye Youqing coughed lightly and said warmly to the young boy.

“Please, take a seat!” The boy, seemingly not having seen customers for a long time, almost appeared overly eager to please. He quickly wiped down a table and chairs with his sleeve, then disappeared like the wind, only to return moments later, stumbling as he ran, holding two pieces of paper full of menu items, which he handed to Ye Youqing with both hands.

Ye Youqing glanced at Qin Xin and then slowly took a seat.

The handwriting on the paper was vigorous, forceful, yet clear and easy to make out. Ye Youqing inwardly praised it, then looked up, about to inquire about the boy’s background, when suddenly, a harsh noise of commotion came from outside the door.

Faintly, sounds of angry cursing and scolding could be heard.

“What’s going on?” Ye Youqing couldn’t help but frown, turning her head to look towards the street outside the door.

“The guest shouldn’t mind, it must be that crazy woman causing trouble again after getting drunk. She really has thick skin; she’s been beaten up so many times and still can’t stay out of trouble,” the young man said, scratching his head in annoyance.

Crazy woman? Ye Youqing was puzzled, but suddenly, the door was pushed wide open, and a strong smell of alcohol immediately filled the room, making people dizzy. A filthy figure flew in from outside, crashing into a pile of tables and chairs. Following her was a flustered figure in a light purple dress.

Fortunately, Ye Youqing was quick to react. With her left hand holding Qin Xin and her right hand grabbing the young man’s messy hair, she dragged them both to a corner of the wall, narrowly avoiding the chaos.

Meanwhile, several men in black entered one after another, cursing and making their way toward the person who had collapsed on the ground.

Ye Youqing caught a glimpse of that familiar lotus color and suddenly, her eyes widened in anger. She thought to herself, isn’t it said that enemies often cross paths? How come it’s Zhou Ci Ke again?

In the blink of an eye, the filthy person had coughed up a few strands of blood, and yet, Zhou Ci Ke suddenly pounced on the woman, just as a massive stick was about to hit her on the head.

“Ye Youqing…” Zhou Ci Ke suddenly looked up, and through the chaos of sticks, her gaze met Ye Youqing’s from afar. Trembling, she whispered her name.

1. Cuihong Zhuang or 翠紅莊 – The combination of “翠” (green or jade), “紅” (red), and “莊” (manor or villa) could evoke imagery of a lush, possibly romantic setting.