Chapter 98 Caicai

Chapter 98: Caicai

“Uh... well, I think so.” Cheng Ge held his teacup, taking a sip as if to mask his unease.

“Actually, I’m not entirely sure. I only heard my mother mention it when I was young.

That little sister of mine... she is my twin, and I’ve heard she looks a lot like me. She loved eating greens as a child, so she has the nickname ‘Caicai’.”

Zhou Yinyun’s eyes widened abruptly, his hands trembling uncontrollably. No wonder she was called Urara • Shancai!

“Brother Cheng, take me to see her immediately!” Zhou Yinyun was so excited he could hardly contain himself, wishing he could see Caicai instantly.

Hearing this, a melancholy look suddenly clouded Cheng Ge's face, and he remained silent with pursed lips.

Seeing this, Zhou Yinyun’s heart sank, and he asked urgently, “Brother Cheng, Caicai, she…”

Cheng Ge spoke slowly, his voice mournful: “Caicai... she went missing at the age of three. We searched far and wide, but never found her whereabouts.”

Zhou Yinyun felt as if the world were spinning, and the teacup in his hand nearly slipped.

“How could this be... how could this be...” he muttered to himself, his hopes instantly dashed.

Cheng Ge looked at Zhou Yinyun and tightened his grip on Zhou Yinyun's hand.

His eyes were full of hope as he asked, “Brother Zhou, the way you're asking... did you see my little sister?”

Zhou Yinyun took a deep breath, looked at Cheng Ge, and nodded solemnly. He said, “Yesterday, I went to Cuilou Tower...”

“Cuilou Tower!!!” Cheng Ge’s voice suddenly shot up.

“Brother Cheng, I just went to take a look, I didn’t do anything else!” Zhou Yinyun panicked and quickly explained.

Cheng Ge took a deep breath and cast a sidelong glance at the other: “Brother Zhou, Cuilou Tower is a house of ill repute. Did you see my little sister there?”

Zhou Yinyun hesitated but still nodded: “I did encounter a woman yesterday who looked very much like you, Brother Cheng.”

“Then she must be my little sister! I never imagined she'd been taken to a place like this!” Cheng Ge said, slamming the table in anguish a few times.

“Is she still at Cuilou Tower now? I’ll go buy her freedom.” Cheng Ge made a move to get up but was grabbed by Zhou Yinyun.

Zhou Yinyun's face also fell. “Just... yesterday, Caicai suddenly rushed toward me and claimed she knew me, asking me to take her away...”

Cheng Ge slapped his thigh, his face twitching from the sting. “That’s it! My little sister must have been forced by villains, which is why she sought your help, Brother Zhou!”

At this point, he grabbed Zhou Yinyun's hand firmly and asked excitedly, “Did you bring her back, Brother Zhou? Can you take me to see her?”

When Zhou Yinyun heard Cheng Ge’s words, he felt a deep regret. No wonder Caicai had suddenly appeared—she must have been coerced by criminals.

He blamed himself for being too dense, unable to discern any clues.

Zhou Yinyun was so angry he slapped himself twice, making Cheng Ge wince.

“Brother Cheng, it’s all my fault for being foolish. She said she needed to go to the bathroom, and then... then she never came back!”

Cheng Ge’s eyes widened, he swayed on his feet, and he murmured, “The villains must have been watching and threatening her in secret. She must have been taken back.”

Zhou Yinyun was guilt-ridden: “Brother Cheng, don’t worry. I’ll go ask the Imperial Uncle for help finding her!”

“No!” Cheng Ge quickly stopped him. “I’ve heard that such people are extremely vicious.

Human trafficking is a capital offense in Great Zhou. If they find out the emperor is intervening, they might very well kill her to keep her quiet!”

Zhou Yinyun paced in agitation, “Then what can we do? We can't just let Caicai remain in danger.”

Cheng Ge furrowed his brow, thought for a moment, and said, “As I see it, we can only investigate secretly and search in secret. We must not alert the enemy.”

Zhou Yinyun felt his heart sink, his face went pale. He carefully pulled the veil from his sleeve.

Lowering his head, he carefully stroked the fabric with his fingertips and whispered, “I let her down.”

Cheng Ge: “...” Oh no, looks like I overdid it.

He coughed lightly and patted Zhou Yinyun on the shoulder. “Brother Zhou, don't be too hard on yourself.

Since my little sister is still safe, she must be smart. As long as fate hasn’t run its course, we’ll meet again eventually.”

Cheng Ge (to himself): Sorry, your fate has run its course.

Zhou Yinyun slowly raised his head, his eyes full of resolve. “You’re right, Brother Cheng. I won’t give up.”

Cheng Ge gave a dry laugh, scooted over, and sat next to Zhou Yinyun. “Brother Zhou, can you do me a favor?”

By now, Zhou Yinyun already regarded Cheng Ge as family, so he agreed without hesitation. “Just say it, Brother Cheng. No need to stand on ceremony.”

Cheng Ge hesitated for a moment, then said, “I heard that in two days, it will be Lord Zhang, the Minister of Personnel’s birthday. Could you get me an invite?”

“Why would you want to go to such a boring banquet?”

Cheng Ge leaned closer to him. “Minister Zhang holds a high position. His birthday banquet is sure to be attended by many dignitaries.

Meeting more influential people can’t hurt, and I might even land a good job.”

Zhou Yinyun didn’t suspect anything and nodded in agreement. “Sure. I’ll have someone deliver it to you tomorrow.”

With that, he rose to leave. Cheng Ge politely tried to detain him. “Won’t you stay for a meal?”

Zhou Yinyun looked dejected and declined. “No, I need to go back and see my father. I’ll ask him to help find Caicai.”

Cheng Ge (aka Caicai): “...” You’re quite persistent.

Cheng Ge had originally planned to ask Cui Ji or Lin Nanshu for an invitation, but it so happened that Zhou Yinyun had come to visit.

Prince Jing was the only surviving prince besides Zhou Mingqi from the late emperor. It was said that he never involved himself in court affairs and kept a very low profile.

Using the invitation from Zhou Yinyun would be more discreet than going through Lin Nanshu or Cui Ji.

As Zhou Yinyun stepped out of the mansion, he ran into Cui Ji, who was returning from work.

“Greetings, Prince Zhenbei.”

“Mm.” Cui Ji responded and, seeing his gloomy expression, asked, “Your Highness, won’t you stay for a meal?”

Zhou Yinyun weakly replied, “No, I have matters to attend to at home.”

Cui Ji had only asked out of politeness, so he didn’t insist. He simply walked into the mansion.

Upon entering, he saw Cheng Ge staring blankly into space, lost in thought.

“Did you play chess with Zhou Yinyun?” Cui Ji handed his horsewhip to a servant and asked.

Cheng Ge looked up, a confused look in his eyes. "No? Why do you ask?"

But before Cui Ji could answer, Cheng Ge's expression lit up with excitement.

"Do you want to play chess? I'll go get it right now!!!" With that, he turned and took off running to find the board.

Quick as a flash, Cui Ji grabbed Cheng Ge by the waist and yanked him back.

"I'm feeling a bit weary. Let's play another time."

"Oh..." Cheng Ge's brows drooped, a touch of disappointment in his voice. "Yeah, you should get some rest."

Just then, a guard stepped forward. "Your Highness, intelligence from the north has arrived."

Cui Ji took the dispatch and was about to dismiss him with a wave when his gaze swept across the guard's face.

He paused, staring at the guard's swollen features, and couldn't resist asking, "Are there wasps in the mansion?"

The guard, his face swollen like a pig's head, shot a look toward Cheng Ge and mumbled, "It was... Master Cheng... who hit me."

Cui Ji: "..."

Cheng Ge glanced at the wall and said excitedly, "Are Ling Feng and the others back? I want to spar with them!"

The hidden guards on the wall: "!!!"