Four Months Ago (Part 11)

Prince Ping's fierce glare was like a poisonous arrow shot straight into Xiao Yiu's heart. This wasn't the first time he had given her such a look, yet the pain never lessened the more she received it. Like now, that same feeling of agony and powerlessness spread throughout Xiao Yiu's already confused soul, causing her to become shaken and lost.

["What have you done"] his words kept replaying through her mind. These words seemed to signal the fast approaching peril upon her, and Xiao Yiu panicked again. [What have I done? What did I do this time] she wanted to know as well. "Y...your highness," Xiao Yiu managed to utter, her mouth going dry.

Prince Ping angrily threw the cursed doll at Xiao Yiu. "Why do you have this?" he raged.

Xiao Yiu's unsteady gaze moved onto the foreign object lying right beside her. She slowly reached out for it. [What is this?] She stared hard at the sinister looking straw doll. [I don't recognize this doll] she thought carefully. "I... This isn't mine-"

"Stop pretending," Liluo stepped forward and squawked.

"I'm not. I never-" Xiao Yiu attempted to speak up to no avail.

"That malicious thing was found in this room with you. Don't make up lies and pretend it's not yours," Liluo continued to squawk loudly, gesturing at the doll and to the spot where she had first spotted it. "You used this Cursed Doll to harm Sister Zhou. That's why she suddenly fell ill."

"Consort Zhou is ill?" Xiao Yiu looked straight over at Zhou Yourong, who indeed had a pale complexion and uneasy expression. Looking at the troubled Yourong, the soft hearted Xiao Yiu became genuinely concerned for her. "Consort Zhou, are you ok?"

Liluo immediately blocked Xiao Yiu's view of Yourong. "Aren't you ashamed for asking? No. Aren't you ashamed for pretending to care? It's because of you that Sister Zhou has been feeling those strange pains for the past hours." Liluo took another step forward and pointed her index finger at Xiao Yiu, "don't deny it Consort Liu. You've always been envious of Sister Zhou."

"No, I-" Xiao Yiu tried to speak.

"Consort Liu, how could you be so evil? How could you curse Sister Zhou?" Liluo continued to shout in a righteous manner. She didn't let Xiao Yiu speak at all.

"Sister Tong, please no more," Yourong went to gently pull Liluo back. Her body trembled from the secret delight she felt in seeing Xiao Yiu being blamed and questioned. [Prince Ping's remaining favour for Liu Ding Yiu must have completely vanished by now] she thought. Masking her joy to be sadness, Yourong deliberately glanced away from Xiao Yiu with watery eyes. She did a small sniffle before saying in a weak voice, "Consort Liu, I never thought you hated me so much. What have I ever done to you? I don't deserve this. I don't deserve to be treated by you this way."

Having seen and heard enough, Prince Ping finally spoke. "Yourong," he said loudly. "Go back to LiHua Palace with Consort Tong. There's no need for you to be here if it upsets you." His words came out as an irrefutable order.

Yourong wasn't an idiot. She sensed the prince's underlying anger so nodded and left the annex building as told. Liluo could only obediently follow after her.

"Sixi, Jing Ke, both of you wait outside," Prince Ping ordered, his eyes never once leaving Xiao Yiu who was deep in thought.

Like the two consorts, Sixi and Jing Ke quickly stepped outside the annex building, leaving only Prince Ping and Xiao Yiu inside.

[Me... I cursed Consort Zhou?] Xiao Yiu tried to make sense of what Liluo and Yourong had said. She stared at the straw doll in her hands, not noticing everyone had left. [I... I was using this to hurt Consort Zhou? How?] Her hands shook, dropping the doll to the floor. She closed her eyes trying to remember. [No. I've never seen this doll before. It's not mine. I'm certain this doll isn't mine]. Xiao Yiu's shaking momentarily stopped as she became convinced by her thoughts. [I would never hurt Zhou Yourong]. She opened her eyes, a much calmer expression upon her face. "Y…your highness," she plucked up the courage to say. "I don't know anything."

"Don't know," Prince Ping repeated fiercely. His thunderous tone causing poor Xiao Yiu to jump. He began to take big steps towards the intimidated girl. [There's no one else here but you and me, yet you still won't tell the truth] he unconsciously clenched his fists. However, seeing Xiao Yui hopelessly and instinctively shuffle backwards away from him, he stopped moving. "Then tell me what you do know," he demanded. "Don't pretend to be clueless. I hate liars the most."