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Edited on January 28, 2022.

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Early in the morning, at the break of dawn, a suspicious girl clothed as a maid held a tall vase that covered almost all her face.

When she passed by the guards at the gate, one of the guards curiously asked,

"Xiao Mei, does Lady Chu dislike this vase?"

"Yes, yes. Lady Chu asked me to replace it." The maid murmured, she picked up her pace, and exited the residence.

Once she was far from the residence, the maid boarded a horse carriage and sighed. She placed the big vase aside, and tidied up her hair.

The maid was Chu Zhu Yu.

"Little maid, where are you going?" the horse chauffeur asked.

Even though Chu Zhu Yu already stayed quite a while in the general's residence, she's only been inside the mansion and the courtyard, not many people know her face.

"I heard that there is a tea master who came to this city and settled here. They say he has good tea brewing techniques, do you know where his tea house is located?"

"Oh, you mean the Xing Yuan Tea House."

"Yes! Please go there."

"Hiya!"

The carriage started moving.

"Little maid, why do you want go to that Tea House?" the horse chauffeur asked.

"Oh... Lady Chu asked me to go to that tea house to observe the different tea leaves that was used by the master." Chu Zhu Yu quickly thought up a reason.

The carriage drove all the way and soon arrived at the Tea House. Chu Zhu Yu exited the carriage and walked inside.

"Aiya, is this your first time coming here, esteemed guest?" The Xiao Er asked.

(E/R: Xiao Er = servant/helper of a tea house)

"Yes. I heard that you have a new tea master, I want to order your best-selling tea and find out why they say it's so unique from all the other Tea Houses."

Her curious eyes scanned the four corners of the room expectantly. Xiao Zhi Zhi going out of the residence for several days was a rare event, so of course she needed to take a good look at the Tea House.

"Alright, please choose your preferred tea leaves, my lady. We'll brew it shortly after you pick!" The Xiao Er gave Chu Zhu Yu the menu list.

As Chu Zhu Yu was busy choosing the tea that she wants to drink, she wasn't aware of the big storm brewing inside of the general's residence.

---

The person who was kneeling on the floor and crying bitterly was Xiao Mei.

"Chu... Lady Chu wanted to exchange our clothes, and... and she also wanted to bring the vase that she bought a while ago. While the general was not inside the residence, she asked me to bring the vase back. Lady Chu also said..."

"What did she say??" Officer Zhi panicked.

There should only be peace here inside the residence, how can something like this still happen?!

"The lady said... that since the general won't return until a few days have passed, there won't be any problem..."

Xiao Mei is terrified of the person sitting on the seat in front of her, she doesn't even dare to lift her head.

The general's glare is terrifying!

It's the kind of expression that can kill a person. She doubts if she can even live to see tomorrow.

*Crunch*

The papers that Xiao Zhi Zhi held with his left hand was crushed to two pieces. His body was seething with anger.

When he returned to the residence and visited her room, he saw a different person.

It was not her.

The unbearable sense of loss, the agonizing sense of panic, he didn't even know how to describe it.

She secretly went out.

Even though her promise was still fresh in his mind, why did she leave him?

Was all of her words and promises a lie?

Xiao Zhi Zhi destroyed everything within reach until his hands started bleeding. The blood dripped slowly from his palm to his fingers, until it hit the ground.

Xiao Mei was so scared, her knees buckled. The other people who was inside the room panicked.

"General, your hand!" Liu Shan shouted.

In the many years that he followed Xiao Zhi Zhi, the only time Liu Shan saw him get injured was inside an intense battlefield.

However, now... even the great general couldn't escape the pain that comes with love.

Xiao Zhi Zhi didn't care about the blood dripping from his hand, he continuously asked,

"Where is the horse carriage?"

"Still not yet found." Liu Shan replied.

"Do you know where she went?"

"We interrogated all of the people inside the residence, however, no one knew where Lady Chu was going."

Xiao Zhi Zhi grimaced, stroking his temples. It looked as if he was contemplating something. All of the people inside waited for his order, not even daring to breathe too loud for fear of inciting his wrath.

Finally, he opened his mouth. He said four words that caused all of the people inside to be dumbfounded. "Shut the city gates."

"...What?"

"The general wants to shut the city gates?!"

"Shutting the city gates isn't a small matter, it will cause the citizens to panic!"

Everyone was shaken after hearing those four words.

Xiao Zhi Zhi did not listen to anyone, "Shut the city's main gates, inspect every corner of the streets until you pinpoint her location!"

He wanted to capture her, and if he finds her this time, no matter what happens, he won't let her go even if she demands to leave him.

(E/R: Yandere sighted!)

"General Xiao, what you're doing is illogical! Why would you give an order to shut the city and inspect every street, just to find a wo..." Officer Zhi explained, but he could not finish his sentence.

A pair of dark eyes glared at him, forcing him to tremble and keep quiet. Xiao Zhi Zhi raised the corners of his lips, and smiled.

"As long as you find her, even killing is allowed."

The temperature felt like it dropped a few degrees. His low voice terrified everyone who heard it.

Though his lips were smiling, his eyes were not.

(E/R: *sigh* Zhu Yu, you little troublemaker)