"Click."
The lock in her hand opened with a sound.
Taking slow steps, Su Mingyu came to Su Zhengyi's desk and began to rummage around.
Just as she was about to turn around to check the bookshelf, a glint of silver suddenly flashed as the sunlight refracted.
There, about half an inch off the ground between the bookshelf and the desk, was a transparent silk thread tied.
Looking up along the silk thread, she saw a powerful crossbow.
Su Mingyu couldn't help but sigh silently in her heart. If she had been just a bit more reckless just now, she might have been pierced by a shower of arrows at this moment.
Su Mingyu let out a breath, calmed her nerves, and sized up this seemingly ordinary study once again.
Such a large number of anti - thief systems were just like the old saying "The man who hides silver here says there's none."
She looked in the direction that all the mechanisms were protecting.
A scroll?
She carefully avoided the numerous mechanisms. Looking from bottom to top, she found that the scroll was hollow inside!
There was a small box in the scroll, and inside the box was a key.
Su Mingyu took out the printing ink she had prepared in advance and imprinted the outline of the key. Just as she finished tidying up and was about to leave, there was a noise from the study.
With a quick leap, Su Mingyu flipped out of the window on one side and hid below.
"That General Xia! He has to oppose me in everything!"
The butler quickly stepped forward to pour him a cup of tea. "Sir, calm your anger. General Xia is just a martial man. Naturally, he doesn't understand your patriotism and good - will for the people."
Su Zhengyi sighed. Just as he was about to say something, suddenly, the harsh voice of Wang Manwen rang out from outside the door.
"Su Mingyu! What are you doing here!"
Su Zhengyi's face darkened. He gave the butler a look.
Su Mingyu was quickly pushed in, tied up tightly by Wang Manwen and the butler.
Su Zhengyi's face was black with anger. Just as he was about to question her, when he saw Su Mingyu's appearance, he almost slapped the desk over.
Su Mingyu was covered in grass. Her fair and delicate face was smeared with mud everywhere, and one could even faintly see the scratches on her face.
Su Zhengyi was so angry that his face turned red. He opened his mouth and scolded, "You unfilial wretch! What are you doing! What kind of appearance is this!"
Su Mingyu was so frightened that her whole body trembled uncontrollably. She knelt down in front of Su Zhengyi with a thud, her eyes red with grievance.
"Dad... I... I was catching a mouse..."
Again with the mouse!
Veins popped on Su Zhengyi's forehead. He wished he could slap her to death.
"I've already said that you don't need to worry about the mice! Can't you understand?"
"But... but..." Tears welled up in Su Mingyu's eyes and fell. "The only table in my room was bitten by this mouse..."
"I just wanted to kill it..."
Seeing that Su Zhengyi was being led astray by Su Mingyu, Wang Manwen quickly turned the topic back. "What were you doing outside the master's study when you were catching the mouse?"
Su Mingyu was so frightened by the interrogation that her tears stopped. She lowered her head even more.
"I... I... chased a mouse here."
"How could this mouse be so blind as to run into the master's room! You're still lying!"
"Enough! All this bickering all day long. What kind of behavior is this!"
Wang Manwen never thought before she spoke. If they kept asking, she might blurt out something she shouldn't.
Su Zhengyi stared at her coldly. "Is catching mice something a proper young lady should do! You're simply crazy and shameless!"
Su Mingyu kept wiping the tears on her face aggrievedly, but the tears just wouldn't stop.
"But... Zhizhu told me that this mouse has been around for several days."
Wang Manwen caught her breath. "You don't need to interfere in the affairs of the mansion! I've already had someone put out poison for the mice. They should be gone in a few days."
Su Mingyu pouted and let out an "oh", then wiped her face again.
Her hands were dirty, and the more she wiped, the messier her face became. Finally, Su Zhengyi couldn't stand it anymore.
"Get out! Good - for - nothing!"
Seeing that Su Zhengyi was going to let it go like this, Wang Manwen quickly said, "Sir... We don't know how long she's been outside your study..."
The implication was that if she had heard something she shouldn't have and was just let go like this, it wouldn't be good.
Su Zhengyi waved his hand. "I just got back. It's okay. Let her go."
Su Mingyu sniffled aggrievedly. When she was about to leave the room, she still looked at Su Zhengyi reluctantly.
"Dad... I really didn't mean to..."
Su Zhengyi was in a bad mood and didn't even bother to answer her. "Go back! Don't leave your courtyard without my order!"
Back in her own room, Su Mingyu happily took a hot bath.
Just thinking about the frustrated and disgusted expressions on Su Zhengyi's and Wang Manwen's faces, like they had eaten a fly, made Su Mingyu feel amused.
However, she had only found the key and didn't seem to see the lock. This made Su Mingyu a bit depressed.
Did she have to go to Su Zhengyi's study again?
Thinking that after this commotion, Su Zhengyi would surely be more on guard, it wouldn't be so easy for her to go again.
"Miss... Miss..."
Zhizhu ran in in a flurry.
Su Mingyu was stirring the hot water, looking nonchalant. "What's up?"
"That... " Zhizhu said with a bitter face. "The mistress is here. She also brought some people carrying a table."
Su Mingyu just let out a soft "oh". "Tell Second Aunt that I'll come right over."
When she slowly finished her bath and walked unhurriedly into the courtyard, she saw at a glance Wang Manwen's face as black as if it could drip water.
"Your 'right over' sure took a long time!"
Su Mingyu pretended to be nervous, as if she hadn't recovered from the previous fear. "I'm sorry, Second Aunt."
"I got so dirty from catching the mouse... so I took a bit longer to wash."
Wang Manwen's face was cold. She pointed at Zhizhu beside her. "Then what's the deal with your maid not letting us into the room?"