Pampered Poisonous Royal Wife Chapter 107

~ NOTHING LEFT ~

In the dead of night, Jingling City lay silent—until a sudden burst of firelight flared into the sky, painting the darkness red.

The night patrol clanged their brass gongs, jolting several streets awake. People threw on their clothes and rushed outside, staring toward the blaze. One look and their faces went white.

“Isn’t that… the direction of Ni Yun Fang?”

In moments, half the city was awake. Cao Yunian didn’t even have time to dress properly before he sprinted to Ni Yun Fang.

Some townsfolk had already begun trying to fight the fire on their own, but the flames were fierce—far too fierce. Putting it out was easier said than done.

Sweat poured down Cao Yunian’s face. “Where is Miss Mu? Is anyone still inside?”

“The front door looks locked… maybe there’s no one?” The speaker didn’t sound certain. After all, so many things had been happening lately, and Miss Mu and her people had been living inside Ni Yun Fang.

“No one is good. No one is good…” Cao Yunian wiped his sweat, barely finishing the motion—

Suddenly, a desperate scream cut through the smoke from above.

“Help! Help!”

Cao Yunian snapped his head up.

Shadows moved on the third floor. A window flew open. One quilt after another was hurled down. Then a rope of cloth dropped from the window and swayed in the heat.

Cao Yunian’s face drained of color.

Just today, she’d received an imperial reward. If Mu Yunyao died now, his own official career would go straight to the grave with her.

“Save them!” he roared at the guards. “Don’t let the flames reach the rope—move!”

Upstairs, Mu Yunyao steadied Su Qing, voice firm.

“Mother, don’t be afraid. Just climb down the cloth rope. There are quilts laid below—you won’t be hurt.”

“Yao’er, you go first!”

“Mother, hurry. Don’t waste time.” Mu Yunyao shoved the rope into Su Qing’s hands and pushed her toward the window. “Si Qin, you’re second. Protect my mother.”

“Yes, Miss!” Si Qin nodded hard, then followed Su Qing out, climbing down after her.

Only when Mu Yunyao saw Su Qing land safely did she finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Then she turned and urged Jin Lan and the others.

“Go, all of you!”

“Miss, you first!”

“I’m fine. Go!”

By the time Su Qingwu rode in at full speed, the fire had already become uncontrollable.

Cao Yunian was as pale as a corpse, his clothes soaked through with cold sweat. He kept shouting upward, voice cracking.

“Miss Mu! Hurry and come down!”

Mu Yunyao was the last one left.

The flames were so close that she had to splash water over herself before sliding down the cloth rope. Sparks fell around her like rain. The rope burned her palms raw, and her old wound split open again—pain stabbing straight through her bones.

Halfway down—

The rope below suddenly caught.

Fire swallowed upward, racing toward her.

Su Qing’s scream was nearly enough to shatter glass.

“Yao’er!”

“Miss Mu!”

“Miss—watch out!”

Mu Yunyao glanced down at the ground. She bit her lip hard.

Then she let go.

Eyes squeezed shut, she curled her body instinctively, bracing for the impact—

But instead of pain, she slammed into a cold, clean-scented embrace.

Su Qingwu had jumped off his horse and seen her hanging in midair. He hadn’t had time to think. He sprinted straight under her—

And when she fell, he caught her.

If he’d been even a heartbeat slower, that drop would’ve taken half her life.

“Miss Mu—are you alright?”

Mu Yunyao opened her eyes, coughed twice, and forced herself to look around. After confirming Su Qing and the others were safe—

Her body went slack.

She fainted.

Su Qingwu’s arms tightened. The girl in his arms was a mess—soaked, smeared with soot, hair in disarray—yet he barely noticed any of it. All he could feel was the warmth and softness pressed against him.

She was small, slender, almost boneless.

And with her consciousness gone, all her weight rested fully in his hold, making that strange feeling in his chest deepen without warning.

Jin Lan and Jin Qiao rushed over, taking Mu Yunyao from him, calling softly.

“Miss… Miss, wake up!”

Seeing she was not in immediate danger, Cao Yunian finally exhaled—but the fury burning inside him was hotter than the fire itself.

“How does a place catch fire out of nowhere? And if everyone was inside, why was the front door locked shut?”

The moment the weight left his arms, Su Qingwu lowered his hands, fingers curling into a fist.

His gaze was fixed on the still-standing front entrance of Ni Yun Fang. Through the flames, the heavy lock was faintly visible on the door.

His expression darkened.

He had been ordered to escort the Emperor’s rewards. He’d delivered them to Ni Yun Fang this morning.

And tonight—

A single fire had reduced everything to ash.

How was he supposed to return to the capital and report?

Governor Zhang arrived in a panic as well. When he saw Ni Yun Fang being swallowed whole by the blaze, his vision went black, and he nearly collapsed on the spot.

Su Qingwu turned, his voice carrying a quiet pressure.

“Lord Zhang. This must be investigated thoroughly. Otherwise, I truly cannot answer to His Majesty.”

“Lord Su, rest assured.” Governor Zhang ground his teeth. “This official will uncover the truth, no matter what.”

He immediately sent men to search the surrounding area for any clues.

When Mu Yunyao woke again, she was already home.

Su Qing sat at her bedside, silently crying.

“Mother…”

Su Qing trembled, quickly wiping her tears. Her face lit up with relief. “Yao’er, you’re awake! Thank heavens. I was terrified to death.”

Mu Yunyao pushed herself upright—then sucked in a sharp breath. Pain shot through her palm the moment it pressed into the bedding.

“Don’t move,” Su Qing hurriedly said. “Your hand and your body are both injured. If you need anything, Mother will do it.”

But Mu Yunyao insisted on sitting up. She leaned straight into Su Qing’s arms, ignoring her own bleeding hand, gripping Su Qing’s clothes tightly.

“Mother… I’m sorry.”

Su Qing froze, then cried even harder. “Silly child. As long as you’re safe, that’s all that matters. Don’t be afraid. Don’t be afraid anymore.”

Mu Yunyao only cried and apologized again and again.

She couldn’t tell her mother the truth.

That the fire…

Had been set by her own hand.

She couldn’t stop Su Qing from worrying, so this was all she had—apologies, as if they could scrape the guilt out of her chest.

Su Qing held her as she used to when Mu Yunyao was small, patting her back over and over.

“It’s alright… it’s alright…”

After a long while, Mu Yunyao finally regained enough control to speak.

“Mother… what happened to Ni Yun Fang?”

“The fire was too fierce,” Su Qing said softly. “It burned everything. There’s nothing left.”

She’d felt heartbroken at first. But looking at Mu Yunyao alive and safe, those outside possessions suddenly didn’t matter anymore. Instead, she tried to comfort her daughter.

“Yao’er, Ni Yun Fang is gone. We’ll build it again. Don’t be too sad.”

Mu Yunyao nodded. “I understand. Mother, don’t be sad either. In the future, I’ll open an even better embroidery workshop for you.”

“Good.” Su Qing smiled through tears. “Whatever Yao’er says is good.”

Mu Yunyao rubbed her cheek against Su Qing’s shoulder. “Tonight… I want to sleep with Mother.”

Su Qing stroked her hair, her expression tender. “Alright. Then we’ll sleep together.”

She was frightened, too. Only holding Mu Yunyao close made her feel even a little calmer.

Mu Yunyao lay curled beside Su Qing. The watery sheen in her eyes faded, replaced by endless cold.

Mother, don’t worry. We’ll rebuild Ni Yun Fang soon.

After about half an hour, Mu Yunyao’s breathing finally steadied.

Only then did Su Qing slowly open her eyes, turning her head slightly to watch her daughter’s peaceful sleeping face. Deep ache filled her gaze.

After a long time, she adjusted the quilt over Mu Yunyao’s body and finally lay down, closing her eyes as well.

Edited by Little Kitty on 09/06/20

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