Ye Chengye nodded with satisfaction.
"Go, bring that maid to me, I want to ask her why she didn't hand over Ye Qingli's belongings!"
"Yes, Master."
Soon, a guard brought the maid named Xiao Tao to the main hall.
"Throw her into the dungeon, interrogate her properly, and then sell her to a brothel!"
"Yes!"
The guard dragged Xiao Tao away.
"Daddy, this Xiao Tao seems a bit strange."
Xiao He frowned.
"What's strange about her?"
"There's a scar on her face, it looks like she's been abused."
"Is that so?"
Ye Chengye frowned.
"It seems this girl does have some background. Alright, we'll start with her. Go tie up that maid!"
"Yes!"
Xiao He leaped up and chased towards the backyard.
A moment later, Xiao He returned with Xiao Tao.
"Miss, it's her."
"Mm."
Ye Qingli nodded indifferently.
"Speak, who sent you?"
"I don't know you!"
Xiao Tao said stubbornly.
"Don't know me?"
Ye Qingli sneered.
"Don't lie to me, I know you recognize me. If you refuse to confess, I don't mind stripping you naked and hanging you in the street! Making you the focus of everyone's attention!"
She wore a cruel smile on her face.
"You!"
Xiao Tao trembled all over, scared stiff.
Her face turned pale.
"You... you don't mess around, or I'll kill you!"
"Oh?"
Ye Qingli raised an eyebrow coldly.
"Then try me!"
Xiao Tao gritted her teeth but dared not say anything more.
After all, Ye Chengye was standing right behind her, capable of crushing her at any moment!
"I know you were instructed by someone to frame me deliberately. Right?"
"Hmph!"
Xiao Tao glared at Ye Qingli coldly.
"You're talking nonsense! I don't know you at all!"
Ye Qingli shrugged.
"Alright then, you don't know me. Then tell me, where are my mother and my parents now?"
"Why should I tell you?"
Xiao Tao said through gritted teeth.
"Because you're not qualified to know where they are!"
"Then I'll see what right you have not to tell me!"
Ye Qingli flew in front of her and struck her chest with a punch!
"Pfft!"
She spat out a mouthful of blood!
"No... impossible..."
"How is it impossible?"
Ye Qingli said with a cold laugh, "Tell me, where are my mother and my father?"
"I'll die before I tell you!"
"Slap slap slap..."
Ye Qingli kicked her directly in the abdomen!
Then, she raised her hand.
She slapped her three times.
"Slap slap slap!"
"Slap slap slap!"
The crisp sounds echoed, each one like a muffled thunderclap exploding in Xiao Tao's mind!
She convulsed in pain.
"Speak quickly!"
Ye Qingli shouted coldly!
"No!"
She squeezed her eyes shut tightly, her lips pressed together.
"Slap slap! Slap slap!"
Ye Qingli slapped her four or five more times.
Then, blood trickled from the corners of her mouth.
"Xiao He, bring me my whip!"
"Yes, Miss!"
Xiao He quickly brought a soft whip.
"I'll whip this maid once to show her. If she can endure it, perhaps I'll let her go. If she can't bear it..."
She glanced indifferently at Xiao He.
"Then I'll make her wish she were dead!"
Xiao He trembled with fear.
She knew her young lady's personality very well.
If her young lady really tortured her to death, she wouldn't bat an eyelid!
"No... no, you can't do this to me, please, don't!"
Ye Qingli smiled slightly.
"Don't worry, I won't be so cruel. As long as you confess obediently, I can spare your life!"
"No!"
Xiao Tao cried out in terror!
"I'll say it, I'll say it..."
Her eyes darted around.
As if she had thought of something, she looked suddenly enlightened.
"I know, were you the one who saved me that day?"
"Yes, that's right. I saved you."
Ye Qingli said with a smile.
"Since you know, why didn't you save me sooner? You almost let me be tortured to death!"
Ye Qingli wore an expression of disappointment.
"Aren't you quite clever? Why are you only thinking of me now?"
"I... I was afraid you'd find it troublesome!"
"Pah!"
Ye Qingli spat without restraint.
"If you weren't so afraid of death, how could you have ended up in this state?"
"Yes... yes."
Xiao Tao was choked speechless.
She lowered her head and said softly.
"But you don't have to torture me like this. I know my family is already in ruins. But this really has nothing to do with me. If you don't believe me, I can swear that everything I did really has nothing to do with Ye Qingli!"
"Heh heh, swear?"
Ye Qingli sneered.
"Do you think I'll believe a useless person who can't even protect herself?"
"You... what do you want?"
"You're a smart person, I want to know, where did you learn these crooked ways?"
"I'm just obeying my master."
"Obeying whom?"
"This..."
Xiao Tao hesitated for a moment, then decided to tell the truth.
"It's Ye Chengye!"
"Ye Chengye?"
Ye Qingli narrowed her eyes.
"You dare betray him? Aren't you afraid of his revenge?" m..oΓg
"Of course I'm afraid!"
Xiao Tao gave a bitter smile.
"But I can't help it. Who asked Ye Chengye to sell me to those scoundrels?"
She gritted her teeth and said, "He sold me for a thousand taels of silver and wanted me to work for him. If I refused, I wouldn't be able to leave this godforsaken place."
"A thousand taels of silver?"
Ye Qingli raised an eyebrow.
"He has quite an appetite!"
She turned and looked at Ye Chengye.
"But do you think this thousand taels of silver is enough to buy your life?"
Ye Chengye's face immediately turned red!
A thousand taels of silver!
Enough to buy several mansions!
Too bad he didn't have that much money.
Otherwise, he would definitely buy the most luxurious and extravagant mansion.
To live in this city!
But now, he didn't even have enough money to buy a house!
"Not enough? If it's not enough, I'll sell you to a brothel for seven million taels, do you think that's enough?"
"You... you... you're not human!"
Xiao Tao's eyes were wide with rage.
"That's right, I'm not human. But I have plenty of money. And you? Do you?"
Xiao Tao gritted her teeth and remained silent.
She truly had none!
Because her family had collapsed completely ten years ago.
"If you honestly confess everything, I might consider not killing you. If I find out you're lying, then I'll stab you to death!"
Ye Qingli brandished the soft whip, its cold glint cutting through the air.
"You... I'll tell you..."
Xiao Tao glared at Ye Qingli through gritted teeth.
She hated it with all her being.
She was a talented woman renowned in the capital.
Yet, before Ye Qingli, she was bowing and scraping, acting like a sycophant.
It was so humiliating!
"Speak, where did you learn those crooked things from?"
Ye Qingli asked coldly.
"I..."
Xiao Tao hesitated.