Chapter 11: You're Really Not Our Mole?

Once he had his orders from Su Han, Su Xiao'Er diligently carried out his task, even though he inwardly felt that his Crown Prince was being a tad too shameless.

He bypassed Gao Hongcai—who stood there with a grim face, simmering with unspoken anger—and took the lead, heading straight for the courtyard closest to the Gao Residence's main gate.

CRASH!

He kicked the courtyard gate open, his arrogant voice echoing throughout the small courtyard. "Where are they? Where are the culprits? Are they hiding in here?"

After a quick search turned up nothing suspicious, Su Xiao'Er left the courtyard and kicked open the door to the next.

"Not in that one... Could they be in here?"

"Not here either. So it must be the next one?"

Courtyard after courtyard, search after search.

Su Xiao'Er played the part of a brutish, arrogant, and tyrannical servant, empowered by his master's favor, to absolute perfection.

Su Xiao'Er had always been perfectly clear about his role.

He had always known that he was nothing more than a dog at his Crown Prince's command—a loyal dog.

He was there to do the things the Crown Prince couldn't, and to wholeheartedly assist with the things he could.

When the Crown Prince needed him, he had to throw himself into the task without hesitation.

Kicking open the Gao Residence's main gate was the absolute limit of Su Han's own domineering display. He couldn't be the one to continue on, forcefully searching one room after another and shouting belligerently like Su Xiao'Er.

He was Crown Prince Jing. He represented Prince Jing's Residence and the dignity of Prince Jing himself, not some common street thug.

Having nearly been injured in a fire, he had every right to show up demanding an explanation. He could kick down their door and act with arrogance.

But after that initial act, once his point was made, he needed to restrain himself and maintain his decorum.

Yet, his stance had to be made clear.

And that was where Su Xiao'Er came in.

A servant was needed—someone who could represent the Crown Prince of Prince Jing's Residence without being the Crown Prince himself. A subordinate, a "dog," was needed to act in his master's stead, to display the arrogance, dominance, and unyielding resolve to see this through to the end.

With Su Xiao'Er's unrestrained performance, the numerous courtyards of the Gao Residence were violently breached, and one room after another was subjected to his search.

Su Xiao'Er's aggressive, tyrannical voice echoed ceaselessly over the Gao Residence, throwing everyone into a state of panic. Although none of them had actually set a fire to harm Crown Prince Jing, many inexplicably started to feel guilty.

And their guilty consciences only fueled Su Xiao'Er, giving him license to become even more arrogant and insufferable.

'If you didn't do it, what's there to feel guilty about?'

"Nothing. They're pretty good at hiding."

After searching yet another courtyard, Su Xiao'Er stormed out, heading furiously toward the next.

"This one. There has to be something here, right?"

He lifted his foot and kicked without the slightest hesitation.

CRASH.

The wooden door crashed open, revealing a scene of utter chaos inside.

"Quick, quick, hide them!"

As the door was kicked open, the voice of the Gao Family's Third Young Master, Gao Qiuqiu, carried clearly to everyone's ears.

Upon hearing what Gao Qiuqiu said, the very air in front of the courtyard seemed to freeze. Subconsciously, everyone from the Gao Residence drew a connection.

'Hide them?'

'Hide who?'

At this very moment, the Crown Prince from Prince Jing's Residence was leading a brazen search through the Gao Residence, seemingly convinced that its members had committed arson in an attempt to murder him.

Given the circumstances—especially since the tree planted by their own ancestor had been burned—it was already a difficult situation to defend against.

And now, just as the search party reached Gao Qiuqiu's courtyard, they all heard him shouting for someone to be hidden.

'Hide who?'

'Why hide them?'

Subconsciously, everyone drew the same conclusion.

Considering that Gao Qiuqiu was the only one in the entire Gao Residence who had a previous conflict with Crown Prince Jing, the looks everyone gave him grew even more peculiar.

Even Gao Qiuqiu's own father, Gao Hongcai, felt his face darken until it was practically dripping gloom.

"You wretched son, what are you doing?"

Startled by his father's roar, Gao Qiuqiu instinctively shivered. His legs went weak, and he nearly collapsed.

"Father... Father, what are you doing here?"

Su Xiao'Er's arrogant voice had been echoing throughout the Gao Residence, so it was impossible for Gao Qiuqiu not to have heard it.

But despite hearing Su Xiao'Er, Gao Qiuqiu had no idea what the search was about. He never imagined anyone would have the audacity to search the entire Gao Residence.

So, at first, he hadn't paid it much mind. While Su Xiao'Er was on his rampage, Gao Qiuqiu had even been ordering his men to give a good thrashing to Wu Da, who had come demanding the return of his wife.

It wasn't until Su Xiao'Er's shouts came from the adjacent courtyard that Gao Qiuqiu finally started to panic, his thoughts flying to what he'd done that day.

'Who are these people? How could they be so powerful? Can they really search the entire Gao Residence without any consequences?'

As for who they were looking for, Gao Qiuqiu didn't even need to think. It was obvious. Other than the two people he'd abducted today, who else could it be?

"Hmph. You wretched son, what in the world are you doing?"

Furious at his son's incompetence, Gao Hongcai frantically shot him a look, trying to signal him to be smart and not reveal anything.

Seeing his father's expression, Gao Qiuqiu understood.

'Father is reminding me,' he thought. 'I absolutely cannot admit to abducting that woman and beating her husband.'

With a quick turn of his mind, Gao Qiuqiu thought he had it all figured out.

He shot Gao Hongcai a knowing look, then pointed angrily at Wu Da and his wife.

"Father, you're just in time! Your son has already captured the villains who set fire to the ancestor's tree! It's these two right here.

Before you arrived, I was interrogating them to force a confession."

Gao Hongcai: "..."

Hearing his idiotic son's answer, Gao Hongcai nearly choked to death on his own rage.

'This is your goddamn idea of "understanding"?'

'Why don't you fucking tell me what that "knowing" look of yours was supposed to mean? How in the hell did you interpret my signal?'

'I was frantically signaling you not to let anything slip, and you—they haven't even started interrogating you, and you've already confessed everything!'

'Are you trying to get yourself killed, or are you trying to drag the entire Gao Family down with you?'

"You... you wretched son!"

Gao Hongcai strode over to his son and viciously slapped him across the face. The blow sent Gao Qiuqiu spinning in a circle, and he stood there dazed, clutching his already swelling cheek.

"Father, I caught the arsonists! Why aren't you rewarding me? Why are you..."

SLAP!

Before he could finish, another slap landed on his other cheek, making both sides perfectly symmetrical.

'You're still talking, you moron? How did I ever father such an imbecile.'

'This situation was already a complete mess, and you just had to jump in and make it worse. What a useless teammate.'

"Crown Prince..."

Having slapped Gao Qiuqiu into a stupor, Gao Hongcai turned to Su Han.

"Heh. 'Interrogating them to force a confession,' you say? A fine 'interrogation' indeed. It looks more like you were beating scapegoats into a false confession to me."

"Your plot to murder me with fire was exposed, so now you're looking for a scapegoat?"

Su Han's voice was ice-cold and his expression grim as he stared at Gao Qiuqiu, but inwardly, he was ecstatic.

'This moron... are we sure he isn't a spy I planted in the Gao Family?'

'You're so cooperative, it almost makes me feel bad for setting you up.'

Shooting Gao Qiuqiu a contemptuous look, Su Han's gaze swept over Wu Da and his wife before he glanced at Su Xiao'Er.

"Take them away. Investigate thoroughly."

Su Xiao'Er took custody of Wu Da and his wife, bringing them over to Su Han's side.

Wu Da was about to bow in gratitude but was stopped by a look from Su Han.

With an almost imperceptible shake of his head, he signaled for the man to act as if they were strangers. Su Han then let his icy gaze sweep over Gao Qiuqiu and Gao Hongcai.

"Prince Jing's Residence requires an explanation."

With that, Su Han turned and left, giving the Gao Family no chance to explain.