They looked down to see what he meant but what their eyes saw is red spots on the floor, resembling blood.

"I think they are really here," Ruo Rufei remarked.

​​

"I will ask you for the last time, where are they?"

"I don't know what you are talking about," she firmly maintained.

"I will know after checking it for myself," he moved away from her and slowly bent his neck to look under the bed but everything seemed to be going in slow motion with loud and thrilling music in the room, they all followed his movement carefully, some prayed he finds them there while others prayed he doesn't.

"The blood is mine," a voice loudly confesses as she walked into the area behind the curtain with all eyes on her, she rolled up her sleeve and unwrapped the wound on her arm, throwing the piece of cloth on the ground.

The room was filled with gasps.

It was quite an unsightly scene to see an entertainer with such a large cut on her arm, not to talk of a the premium entertainer of a famous pavilion, Madam Ju widened her eyes at the sight of the wound but she quickly adjusted her expression to go along with her act.

"I cut my arm right here some minutes before you came into the pavilion but I couldn't take care of my wound because of your disruption so this blood is mine," she continued, with her arm stretched forward with a bold look on her face, the cut is something she is supposed to hide but she is actually showing it to everyone.....for her sake.

Madam Ju was quite moved by her actions, she had previously alienated her from the secret affairs of the pavilion because she couldn't trust her just yet, as the premium entertainer of the pavilion, she is supposed to be deeply involved in the secrets but they kept her in the same category as the new entertainers.

"Since you have gotten your answer, what else do you have to say?" Madam Ju confidently queried looking straight into his eyes, Ruo Rufei didn't believe her claim but she didn't have any evidence to dispute it, she moved closer to them to look at the wound clearly but Meixiang quickly covered up her wound.

"I don't think my wound is something a noble young lady of high status like the governor's daughter should look at,". Ruo Rufei looked away from her and moved her gaze to Wei Xianlu who didn't know what to do next.

"We still can't be sure that they are not harbouring them, we have to search this place properly," she maintained, with that, he remembered that he was about to look under the bed when she interrupted him, he bent his head to look at it again but there was nothing there.

Meixiang and Madam Ju held their breath seeing him look under the bed and they only let out their breath after he raised his head.

"There is indeed no one there,"

"But we..."

"It seems like we have really wronged you, we will take our leave with the soldiers now," he was already getting tired of her persistence when it was clear that they needed to escape the situation, he turned around to leave but stopped when Meixiang stopped him.

"Do you think you can just cause a ruckus here and leave?" she moved closer to Ruo Rufei and looked deep into her eyes, then she suddenly raised her hand and sent it across the young lady's face.

Thwack!

She held her face with her eyes widened, cold air escaped their mouths after the slap, they couldn't believe that she had just slapped the governor's daughter.

"You..."

Thwack!

Thwack!

She sent another two across her face simultaneously, her cheeks were now reddened but she felt stiff as a surge of anger flowed through her, Wei Xianlu was in awe of the girl's boldness but he was already tired, he didn't want to get involved in this too.

"How dare you slap my young mistress," Xixi raised her hand to slap Meixiang but she held her hand and sent a slap across her face too, she gasped, with her hands on her cheeks and Ruo Rufei standing still in speechlessness, her brain was still finding it hard to process what had just happened.

"The first slap is for the slap you gave me downstairs, the second slap is for causing a ruckus here and the third slap is for disrespecting my madam," she stopped and raised her gaze to look at Wei Xianlu.

"I couldn't be bothered to give you your own share of the punishment since you will be getting yours soon,". He scoffed at her statement but he understood the meaning behind what she said, he flicked his sleeve and exited the room angrily.

Ruo Rufei still stood at a spot glaring at Meixiang, she had the urge to slap her back but it didn't seem like she will have the upper hand and she didn't want to ridicule herself, Xixi pulled her by her wrist and pulled her out of the room.

They exited the pavilion in shame while everyone in the pavilion started cheering and dissing them as they left the pavilion.

For sure, the incidence today will surely travel into everyone's ears until it reaches the capital.

"Madam..."

"Everyone leave," Madam Ju ordered

"Yes, madam," they all answered and turned to take their leave.

"Meixiang, you stay,". Meixiang stopped and returned to the room while the other entertainers understood why she had called her back except for some of them who are still not good enough to be involved in the secret affairs of the pavilion.

After they left, she removed her veil and turned to face her.

"You can come out now,"

the two of them came out from behind the painting they were hiding, earlier when Hua Meixiang stopped Wei Xianlu from looking under the bed, they had taken the chance to move from under the bed.

"Is it alright to allow her see us?" Xi Feng asked as he came out from their hiding space, Meixiang was quite surprised seeing that they were the same people who came into the madam's room the last time but the fourth prince was now wearing a cloak so she couldn't see his face but she could already guess he is the one wearing the cloak.

But why are they holding him up?

"You don't have to worry about that, I trust her," Madam Ju responded

"You can leave through the passageway since they will still be keeping watch over us,". Xiaodi and Xi Feng nodded then they exited through the passageway under the bed, Meixiang was stunned watching them leave, she couldn't believe that something like that exists in this room and she could tell that is the least of the surprise she will be getting in this pavilion.

After they were gone, Madam Ju turned to Meixiang with a pleased smile on her lips, Meixiang looked downward in fear that she might have seen something she is not supposed to, perhaps her mistress plans to kill her after this to silence her.

"Raise your head...you don't have to be afraid," Madam Ju proffered with her hands on her shoulder, Meixiang raised her head with her lashed fluttering in uneasiness, she had originally thought of investigating it herself but now that she was willingly showing this to her, she didn't know what to think or do.

"Why did you make the excuse for me at the cost of losing your reputation as the premium entertainer?" Madam Ju asked

"I...I just felt that it is something I should do, I wasn't sure if the people they are looking for are here but I couldn't take the chance, I was sold to the pavilion by my step-mother but you didn't treat me as an ordinary entertainer, I owe this to you and I will never be able to repay you," Meixiang answered, meaning every word from the bottom of her heart, most of the girls that were sold to the pavilion at the same time as her are still working as cleaners and lower class entertainers but she was choosing to serve the madam as soon as she arrived at the pavilion.

Madam Ju smiled satisfactorily at her answer then she sighed and led her to the table in the middle of the room, as soon as they took their seat, she looked deep into the girl's eyes.

"Remove your veil,". she removed her veil and placed it on the table, showing her exquisite facial features, she had short but thick lashes making her eyes seem very sharp but delicate, her lips, unlike most ladies, are wide and luscious, her pink lipstick made them seem even more attractive.

Madam Ju stood up from her seat and walked to one of her drawers then she returned with a small box.

"Put your arm on the table," she instructed, Meixiang wasn't sure of what she wanted to do but she still obeyed, madam Ju opened the box, containing little creatures that seemed like ants, Meixiang squinted her eyes in confusion.

Madam Ju rolled her sleeve up, she examined the cut on her hand then she dipped her hand into the box of ants and raised them above her wound, she was expecting to see Mieixiang pull her hand back but she didn't which surprised her.

"Why aren't you pulling your hand back even though I am about to place these creatures on your cut?"

"I trust you madam, you won't do anything you harm me,"