Qiubai was more cautious this time, perhaps due to the previous setbacks at the hands of the Fifth Prince. The Fifth Prince waited for him for several nights but never appeared.
In half a month, it would be the Emperor's fortieth birthday. The Empress, knowing the Emperor had limited time left, wished to host a grand celebration for him. Consequently, antique shops in the capital bustled with activity as people scoured for exotic and unusual items to present as birthday gifts.
The external excitement was of no concern to Mu Fei. She often stood in the courtyard, gazing in the direction of the Fifth Prince's manor, lost in thought.
The maids had long grown accustomed to her demeanor. However, their mistress, who hadn't used her whistle in quite some time, started again today.
Qiubai arrived earlier this time. As soon as the lamp in Mu Fei's room was extinguished, the maids left. The moment they were gone, Qiubai skillfully scaled the window and entered.
The unpleasant parting the last time had undoubtedly strained their relationship. In the ensuing silence, Mu Fei sighed and voiced her request. "I know it's asking too much for you to avenge me. I've come to terms with it. Since it's impossible, I'll do as you said and stay far away from her. But I've been confined to this courtyard for half a year and have forgotten what it's like to experience the outside world. I wish to feel free. Can you take me out?"
Observing her hesitant expression, Qiubai felt a pang of sympathy. He had spoken too harshly last time. It was understandable for her to harbor resentment after being harmed by the Fifth Prince's consort. If he could, he truly wished to avenge her. However, his men had infiltrated the Fifth Prince's manor twice and both times were captured by her. He was also currently recovering from injuries and had no time to rescue them, unaware of their fate. Moreover, he couldn't be certain that the Fifth Prince hadn't already investigated and uncovered his identity.
"This is simple. Do you wish to leave the capital, or continue staying here?"
"I've grown accustomed to living here and don't wish to leave. I'm just afraid the Xu family might send people to look for me. Do you have a way to help me evade their search?" Mu Fei looked at him with hopeful eyes.
"Yes, I do. When will it be convenient? I can take you away anytime."
"Now, please. I don't want to spend another moment here." To leave this place, she had buried all her resentment deep within her heart. Yet, at the thought of leaving the courtyard, an excited expression couldn't help but surface on her face.
As soon as the words left her lips, she seemed to remember something. She quickly retrieved the bundle hidden beneath the bed and stood before him, beaming.
The next morning, when the maid came to attend to her, she found no movement in the room. Tentatively, she knocked on the door twice. Not hearing her mistress's usual scolding, she felt something was amiss and quickly opened the door. The room was empty.
She reached into the bedcovers; they were cool, indicating no one had slept there. Her heart leaped. She opened the wardrobe and discovered two fewer garments. Her gold and silver jewelry and the silver notes hidden in the chest were also gone. In a panic, she rushed to the front courtyard to report to Xu Minghui.
Xu Minghui was having breakfast when he saw the hurried figure. He knew something had happened in Mu Fei's courtyard, but he never dreamed she would go missing.
"Has there been anything unusual recently?" After his initial shock, Xu Minghui quickly inquired. The steward had spoken to him that morning, and everything should have been normal last night, otherwise, he would have been informed.
It was then that the maid recalled her mistress occasionally using her whistle recently, which was highly unusual. She quickly explained this to Xu Minghui, who fell into contemplation. If he wasn't mistaken, that whistle must have been a signal to communicate with someone.
"Have you heard any unusual noises recently?" He reasoned that even if Mu Fei had been taken away, there must have been some precursor that they overlooked.
"This..." The maid's face immediately showed fear. She cautiously glanced at Xu Minghui. Seeing his expression darken, she quickly recounted what she knew.
"Please forgive me, young master. As you know, my mistress almost killed me last time. I can't help but feel scared around her. I'd rather stay far away from her and not approach her. Recently, my mistress instructed us not to serve her closely at night and to ignore any sounds we might hear.
This means no one was on guard. Sometimes, when I was drowsily half-asleep, I heard people talking in my mistress's room. I assumed she was calling for another maid, so I didn't pay much attention..." Her voice grew softer and softer, almost to the point of tears.
Xu Minghui looked at her, sniffling and tearful, and felt somewhat exasperated. It was as if he had wronged her. He had entrusted her with this important task, and not only had she failed, but she was also crying in front of him. Now that the person was missing, how was he going to explain this to the Mu family?
He waved his hand, signaling for her to be taken away. He then ordered people to quickly search the capital for Mu Fei. She was the Fifth Prince's consort's sister, and even though their relationship wasn't good, the Mu family's status was destined to rise. He didn't want any estrangement.
Elder Mu looked at his steady second son-in-law standing before him with a hint of regret. If his own daughter had been engaged to him directly, how wonderful it would be for them to live a stable life together now.
"I've been informed. I'll send people to help you search." If it were anyone else, Elder Mu would have certainly reprimanded them. His own daughter, happily married into the Xu family, had suddenly gone missing.
However, considering the future Empress Dowager, he couldn't speak harshly to this young man who was clearly feeling guilty. He could only express his cooperation in the search.
Xu Minghui, seeing that Elder Mu wasn't angry, breathed a sigh of relief. He had heard how cherished Mu Fei was within the Mu family. Although she was now disfigured and her temperament had become somewhat eccentric, he had feared that Elder Mu would unconditionally protect his daughter and blame him for everything. It seemed his worries were unfounded.
The two families cooperated, turning the capital upside down, but found no trace of her. Meanwhile, Mu Fei was leisurely basking in the sun in her courtyard. She touched her face, thinking of the identity document lying in the chest, and couldn't help but smile. She hadn't expected Qiubai to be so reliable, having thought of everything.
In the past few days, three groups of people had entered her courtyard under various pretenses. Some were even quite familiar to Mu Fei. Initially, upon seeing them, she feared being recognized and quickly lowered her head. The visitors would unconsciously glance at her a few more times before leaving without finding anything.
From then on, Mu Fei gained confidence. When such situations arose, she could calmly act like a normal person. She estimated that even if she stood before Wu Caiwei now, she wouldn't be recognized. She marveled at the existence of disguise techniques and looked at the maids nearby with even greater affection.