Chapter 4: 4 都废了

"Crack!"

The crisp sound of a bone breaking rang out. Qin Qin clutched her agonizing finger; the entire digit was swollen and crimson, and the mere touch sent tears streaming down her face.

The maids stood frozen like wooden chickens, unable to believe that the timid, useless Sixth Miss had actually broken one of the Third Miss's fingers. After a long moment, Qin Qin regained her senses and let out a distorted scream, "Qin Su! I won't let you off!" She turned back to the stunned maids and roared, "Break all ten of her fingers for me!"

"Is breaking one not enough? Then... let's break them all." Qin Su took a step forward. The maids' hearts jolted, and they scrambled backward in a rush. What a terrifying Sixth Miss.

Seeing this, Qin Qin threatened loudly, "If no one beats her for me today, I'll break one of your legs!" When she looked up and met Qin Su's gaze, her scalp went numb. Carefully shielding her injured finger, she turned and ran.

She had to find help; she had to find her mother...

Through her blurred, teary eyes, she saw someone blocking her path and instinctively cursed, "Get out of my way, all of you!"

"How should we get out of the way? Why don't you demonstrate?" As she spoke, Qin Su delivered a side kick to Qin Qin's cheek. Qin Qin, falling from the momentum, rolled clumsily on the ground. Her coiled hair came undone, and her magnificent clothes became a disheveled mess.

Before Qin Qin could even steady herself, a cold palm grabbed both of her hands. "Do you want to break my ten fingers that badly?" Qin Su murmured softly.

Feeling the pressure applied to her fingers, Qin Qin's eyes widened. She shook her head violently, but the next moment, a piercing, heart-wrenching pain surged through her hands, making it crystal clear exactly what was happening.

A shrill, miserable scream echoed through the air for a long time, refusing to dissipate.

...

Ming Yu paced back and forth in front of the study. She wiped away tears only for more to fall, but she stubbornly suppressed her grievances in her heart, waiting for any movement from the study. Seeing someone emerge, she immediately rushed forward, grabbed them, and asked in a low voice, "Manager Qin, where is the Lord? Why hasn't he come out yet?"

"Why hasn't this little girl left yet? The Lord is still in the study discussing matters with the other officials. Don't stay here causing trouble; go, quickly!" Manager Qin didn't bother with Ming Yu and hurried away after speaking.

Ming Yu watched as time ticked away. The sun set, and stars began to light up the darkening sky. The lights in the Qin family study were lit, casting a bright glow, but her heart sank deeper and deeper into the abyss. She left the vicinity of the study in a daze, walking aimlessly with red, swollen eyes, seemingly unaware of her surroundings.

Realizing she had unconsciously wandered back to the Sixth Miss's residence, Ming Yu suddenly burst into loud wails, hot tears rolling down her face. "Sixth Miss, Ming Yu is useless! I couldn't save you! Ming Yu is sorry!" Her cries drifted through the courtyard, lending an indescribable sense of loneliness to the remote, dim courtyard.

"So you know you're useless. I'm nearly starving to death because of you." A light, resentful voice drifted from within the courtyard. Ming Yu's wailing stopped abruptly, and she widened her eyes to look at the small, thin figure standing under the tree.

The moon was bright, its radiance falling upon the young girl's face. Her large, watery, bright eyes were even more luminous than the moon in the sky. Qin Su offered her a smile.

Unable to believe her eyes, Ming Yu pulled Qin Su close, looking and touching her to ensure she was still alive. Her face was a mixture of tears and smiles. She nodded incessantly before turning and running toward the courtyard kitchen, calling out to Qin Su, "Sixth Miss, wait a moment! Food is coming right away!"