Chapter 44 Search
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“Fine.”
Su Yunqing immediately stepped aside without the slightest hesitation. After all, how could she possibly pass up an opportunity to make a tidy profit?
Her decisiveness left quite a few people wondering whether the person they were looking for was not actually in her room, or whether that person had secretly slipped inside without her knowledge.
Su Yunqi was also stunned. She had been certain that the person was inside because Su Yunqing had obstructed them at every turn, but seeing how readily she now moved aside, doubt inevitably arose in her heart.
However, with so many people watching, there was no way for her to back down without losing face. She stepped into the room at once and began searching.
Su Yunqing was not worried in the slightest. Since she had already disposed of the evidence, she had no fear that they would secretly put the body back in her room and make an issue of it. Thus, she remained perfectly calm throughout.
After searching the room from one end to the other, Xiao Jinghuai’s face turned black as an iron pot. At that moment, Su Yunqing spoke up.
“Well? Did you find the person you were looking for?”
“Perhaps you hid her somewhere else. In any case, Yunqi already said that little sister Yunyue disappeared yesterday while on her way to find you. You cannot escape responsibility for this matter!”
Xiao Jinghuai naturally had no intention of letting her off easily, especially with so many people present.
If he backed down now, would that not prove that he had misunderstood her earlier? And if so, would he not once again become the laughingstock of everyone? He absolutely did not want that.
“Then by your logic, everyone in the academy is a suspect, is that it? She came to Phoenix Perch Academy as well, and she could have encountered anyone along the way. Perhaps she disappeared before she even reached me.”
“Besides, according to your reasoning, both you and Su Yunqi are suspects too. Su Yunyue is very fond of you, so perhaps she went to look for you. As for Su Yunqi, perhaps you were the last person she saw. Maybe she disappeared right after bidding you farewell. That makes you a suspect as well.”
She was determined to strike indiscriminately, sparing no one.
The moment they heard her words, everyone’s expression changed. They had originally come to watch the spectacle, never expecting to become the ones being made a laughingstock. Naturally, they were not pleased.
Su Yunqing noticed this as well. She could sense that quite a few people were becoming displeased with her, so she swept her gaze over them before curling her lips into a smile.
“Of course, I’m merely following his logic and taking it to its conclusion. As for whether he truly feels that way, you should ask him yourself.”
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In an instant, all the blame was directed at Xiao Jinghuai. This was something he had never expected. With only a few words, she had completely turned the situation around, and many people were now harboring resentment toward him.
His brows drew tightly together. Inside, he cursed Su Yunqing thoroughly, but on the surface he hurriedly explained, “Everyone has misunderstood. His Highness absolutely did not mean that. She was simply talking nonsense.”
“Whether I was talking nonsense or not, everyone can ask for themselves. None of you are deaf, and you can all judge the matter on your own. Third Prince, stop trying to deceive everyone.”
Her words infuriated Xiao Jinghuai, but with so many people watching, he had no choice but to restrain himself.
After a moment, he looked at Su Yunqing with undisguised reluctance and said coldly, “I was merely making a guess. After all, this disappearance must be investigated properly. She is, at the very least, a fellow student.”
“If you want to investigate, go ahead. I have no objection. But that does not give you the right to wrong me.”
She stood at the doorway without blocking the way. After all, he had already promised to compensate her.
“Since you’re going to compensate me anyway, it wasn’t for nothing that I let you search. You can pay me now.”
She glanced at him and even urged him impatiently.
Xiao Jinghuai could do nothing but pull out a pouch of gold coins with a dark expression. The matter had already reached this point, and he was trapped with no way out. Thus, he took out the money with extreme reluctance.
“That’s all? Are you trying to fob off a beggar?”
Her brows knit together, and she began to grow impatient.
Xiao Jinghuai felt his blood pressure rise. It was the first time anyone had spoken to him in such an offensive manner, and she did not even bother to conceal the disdain on her face.
“Su Yunqing, what did you say? Say that again.”
He spoke through clenched teeth, a deep, icy glint flashing in his eyes.
“What? Are you threatening me now?”
Su Yunqing had no intention of indulging him. This was Phoenix Perch Academy, not his imperial palace. She had no reason to tolerate his arrogance here.
“Your Highness, forget it.”
Seeing the matter grow increasingly heated, Su Yunqi finally spoke up.
Su Yunqing looked over at her and then said coldly, “And you. The moment you arrived, you accused me of hiding someone. You searched today and found no one. So how do you intend to settle this? Shouldn’t you give me an explanation?”
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“This was all a misunderstanding. You know that. I was simply blinded by concern! Still, today’s incident was indeed my fault, so I apologize to you here, little sister Yunqing.”
Su Yunqi was startled at first, then immediately offered an explanation.
“I don’t accept verbal apologies. Show me something concrete!”
What she wanted was material compensation. She had no interest in a mere verbal apology.
“You!”
Su Yunqi’s eyes widened in anger and astonishment. She could be certain that the woman before her was truly no longer the same as before. In the past, Su Yunqing’s heart and eyes had been filled entirely with Xiao Jinghuai. Now, however, every other word she spoke seemed to concern money.
“Elder Hong is here!”
At that moment, someone in the crowd shouted loudly, instantly drawing everyone’s attention.
The expressions of Xiao Jinghuai and Su Yunqi both turned extremely ugly, but Su Yunqing paid them no heed. Instead, she smiled and said, “That’s even better. I can explain everything properly to Elder Hong.”
“That’s enough. This matter was indeed our fault to begin with. I’ll make up the rest of the gold coins to you later. Of course, I’ll cover Yunqi’s share as well, so stop making things difficult for her.”
Seeing Su Yunqi’s delicate, vulnerable appearance beside him, Xiao Jinghuai felt a pang of tenderness and hurriedly spoke up.
Su Yunqing naturally had no objection. As long as he was willing to pay, that was all that mattered.
“Very well.”
“Since that is settled, I assume there is no need for me to say anything further to the elders, correct?”
He did not forget to issue a warning, clearly worried that she might make reckless accusations before the elders.
“Don’t worry. I absolutely will not exaggerate matters or add fuel to the fire in front of the elders!”
She made the promise with a solemn, earnest expression, but Xiao Jinghuai’s mouth twitched slightly.
What kind of promise was that supposed to be? Why did it still sound completely unreliable?
His expression immediately darkened.
At that moment, however, he had no chance to continue speaking, because Elder Hong had already arrived in front of them. She gave them a cold look before asking, “What exactly happened here?”
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