After flirting with the aloof prince, the concubine ran away pregnant.

Afu returned from Changsong's place with a stack of silver notes tucked in her sleeve.

The silver notes were exchanged for fifty taels of gold, and were divided into five notes, each worth one hundred taels. They could be exchanged at major banks in the capital.

As for the indenture, Changsong said he would go to the government office tomorrow to cancel the record and would also complete her household registration and transfer procedures and bring them back.

She swiftly and deftly concealed the banknotes on her person.

The aches and pains in her body were still surging up in waves, but Afu was so happy that she didn't care.

Afu squatted by the bed, taking stock of her belongings one by one: several sets of clothes, a pair of half-new shoes, a few pieces of plain silver jewelry, and the old box containing loose silver.

There wasn't much stuff; all I'd accumulated over three years was this one bundle.

After leaving the manor tomorrow, she will go to her aunt's house to pick up her younger sister and leave the capital to find a place to stay.

Bai Zhi brought in a cup of tea and saw A Fu packing her things. She paused for a moment, then her eyes lit up.

"Sister Afu, where are you moving to?" Bai Zhi leaned closer, her voice full of anticipation. "Is the young master going to build you a separate courtyard to live in?"

Afu's hands didn't stop, and she was about to say "no" when a voice suddenly came from outside the door.

"Congratulations, little sister Afu." The voice was sweet, but the tone wasn't exactly congratulatory.

Afu raised her head.

Tao Yao stood at the door, wearing a pink jacket, smiling at her. Behind her followed her maid Xiao Mei and two old women.

Afu lowered her eyes, stood up and bowed: "Miss Taoyao."

Tao Yao sat down at the narrow table. "Sister Afu, which courtyard are you moving to? I'll have someone help you pack."

Afu replied humbly but firmly, "Thank you, Miss Taoyao, but there's no need. This time, it was the young master who specially allowed me to return home and reunite with my family."

Upon hearing this, Tao Yao's smile faltered for a moment.

"Let you out of the manor?" Her voice rose slightly, then fell back down. "Sister Afu, you jest. According to the rules of the manor, how can a maid who has served the master be released?"

Afu understood the meaning behind those words.

In this era, noble families would rather destroy anything they had used, whether it was a slightly flawed piece of porcelain or a woman they had rejected, than let commoners touch it.

"This is the Crown Prince's order," Afu replied, her tone neither humble nor arrogant.

Tao Yao's expression slowly changed, her eyes revealing undisguised contempt.

"That makes sense," Tao Yao said, withdrawing her gaze. "How could someone as aloof and noble as the Crown Prince tolerate a maidservant touching him?"

As she spoke, she relaxed completely, even leaning back slightly, casually surveying the side room.

The paint on the table legs was peeling, and the curtains had been used for many years; they were simple and shabby.

Afu didn't reply, but kept her head down and continued tidying up her bundle, her movements unhurried.

Tao Yao looked at her for a while, then suddenly laughed again, her tone affectionate.

"Sister Afu, you have served the young master for three years. What does he dislike the most and what does he like the most? What are his daily habits? Can you tell me?"

Afu understood immediately; they had come to probe for information.

The personal maid must keep her mouth shut; this is Xie Xun's bottom line, and one of the reasons why Xie Xun was willing to let her leave the manor this time.

If she were to reveal Xie Xun's private habits, she wouldn't even have to wait until tomorrow to leave the manor; Xie Xun would silence her forever tonight.

"Miss Taoyao," Afu said, bowing her head, "I cannot speak of my mistress's daily life; this is the rule of the manor."

Tao Yao's smile faded slightly.

"Rules?" She slammed her teacup down on the table with a crisp sound. "I asked you a few personal questions, and you're trying to intimidate me with rules?"

Afu did not speak.

Tao Yao stared at her for a moment, then suddenly smiled.

"Fine, if you don't want to tell me, I won't force you." She stood up, walked to Afu, and reached out to straighten her collar, her movements as gentle as a caring older sister.

"I'll just ask you a few small questions, like... Is the young master really as obsessive-compulsive as people say? What kind of incense does he use, and how does he take care of his clothes?"

Afu took a step back, avoiding her hand: "Miss Taoyao, this servant dares not speak of my mistress's private matters."

Tao Yao's eyes turned cold.

"I asked you a nice question, but you didn't answer properly." Her voice wasn't loud, but she spoke each word clearly. "Then don't blame me for being ruthless."

She took two steps back and gestured with her chin toward the two old women.

Two rough-looking old women came over; they were burly and strong, clearly used to manual labor.

Afu took a step back, bracing her back against the edge of the table, and whispered, "Miss Taoyao, is this an attempt to abuse vigilante justice?"

"Hold her down."

Afu struggled, but she had exhausted herself the night before, and her legs were still weak; she couldn't break free at all. The old woman pressed her down into the chair, one hand gripping her upper arm and the other her waist, the pain making her vision blur.

With the old wound on her waist from the previous night, Afu bit her lip and didn't cry out.

Tao Yao stood opposite, holding a teacup, and slowly blew on the tea foam, as if she hadn't seen it.

"Miss Afu, I don't have much patience." She raised her eyes, smiling brightly. "If you tell me, I'll let you go. If you don't, I have plenty of old women here, we can take our time."

Afu took a deep breath, enduring the pain in her body, and said in a relatively steady voice, "If Miss Taoyao doesn't trust me, she can go and ask the young master. The young master granted me permission to leave the manor, so he naturally knows whether my mouth is sealed or not."

Tao Yao paused for a moment.

Afu looked at her, her words uncompromising: "If you insist on asking me here, I dare not lie when the young master asks me after I leave this door tomorrow."

Tao Yao's eyelid twitched.

"What will the young master think then? Will he feel that Miss Taoyao cares about him, or will he feel that Miss Taoyao is overstepping her bounds?"

The room fell silent for a moment.

Tao Yao's hand holding the teacup tightened slightly, her knuckles turning white. She knew Afu was right.

Xie Xun's biggest pet peeve is when others overstep their bounds. Even if his own sister, Xie Yun, were to cross this line, Xie Xun might not give her a kind look.

Besides, she was her adopted sister.

The maid Xiaomei behind her gently tugged at her sleeve and called out in a low voice, "Miss..."

Tao Yao bit her lip, and slowly loosened her grip on the teacup.

Tao Yao put down her teacup, stood up, and walked to Afu.

"You have quite the mouth," she said, reaching out to pinch Afu's chin and turning it from side to side. "Fine, I won't ask anymore."

She released her hand and waved to the two old women.

The old woman stepped aside, and Afu stood up, supporting herself on the armrest of the chair. Although her body ached, she still straightened her back.

"Since Sister Afu is so obedient to the rules, I can't force her to do something she doesn't want to do."

Tao Yao clapped her hands, preparing to leave, but her gaze fell on Afu's collar.

The neckline had loosened slightly during the earlier tugging, revealing a small patch of collarbone. Scattered across that fair skin were tiny red marks.