Aria’s Tales - Chapter 48 3.7 Miss Troublemaker

Qin Huang’s prediction was right on the mark and for the whole week, she was monitored closely in their home. The things that could potentially harm her were meticulously hidden and even the books didn’t get away as they were covered in soft book jackets – it was to make sure that she wouldn’t use the books to hit herself.

Lily made an exaggerated deadpan expression as she examined the men’s protective measures to keep Qin Huang from harming herself. Then, she reported in great detail to her bored master who was doing her best to stay in bed despite the burning urge to start her plans for the third wish.

At the first few days of the week, Qin Huang did not eat, sleep, or drink, worrying the men until a few strands of white hair actually formed. They had tried to bribe her with all kinds of things – even promising to let her have her own bar – but all they got was a blank expression. Forcing Qin Huang did not even come to their minds, so they, too, ended up having sleepless nights.

By the third day, her brothers and Teng Zexi decided to put her in intravenous therapy. It did nothing to lessen their fear but it helped in keeping Qin Huang from getting dehydrated so they placed a room for a sigh of relief.

On the fifth day, Qin Huang “noticed” Teng Zexi’s ragged look as he delivered her food. She had been lying in bed for the past days and dully watched the sky turning to day and night. When she asked him with a hoarse voice why he looked so worn, he smiled and patted her head all the while telling her that he was fine and that she should eat.

It was the first time she had ever seen him smile – a genuine bright smile. Her stoned heart seemed to have moved and by the time she noticed, she had finished eating all her food down to the last speck of rice.

Life had come back at the expense of a man’s smile.

When her brothers found out, they cried in tears of happiness – literally. It looked so comical that Qin Huang laughed. She realized that not everything was lost, and her world was not as empty as she thought.

Lily: … I honestly feel bad for your brothers and boss.

Qin Huang: Shhh~ this is nothing. This had to happen so that my future actions won’t be considered OOC. Think of it as the prologue of the real fun~ *giggles*

Lily: *sweats* I should light a candle for the men…

Qin Huang acted “normally” for a week and successfully lowered the men’s guard. Not long after, she vanished.

Teng Zexi banged his head on a nearby wall after seeing an empty bed. The strength of his forehead was so strong that it created a loud impact and crack on the walls. Qin Jingyi, the man with the curly brown hair, was passing by when he was startled by this.

“You are literally thick-headed.” He said as he glanced at Teng Zexi who had his forehead glued to the wall.

Teng Zexi murmured silent curses before gravely looking at Qin Jingyi. “She escaped… again.”

Three words was all it took to bring their loose guards back to heavenly level. They were once again entangled in a hide and chase with their little troublemaker, Qin Huang, but this time, their worries had heightened as their princess became a bit suicidal.

In a rundown bar located near the slums, Qin Huang was swirling her drink while waiting for someone. She flashed smiles to handsome men from time to time and gave winks to those she graded higher than 80. When she heard a sigh and cough from behind her, she turned around.

She saw Hasa massaging the bridge of his nose. “Are you trying to get me killed?”

Qin Huang grinned. “I am your walking book of encyclopedia for women. If you want Yan jiejie then come drink with me~” She then had a bartender pour a drink and handed it to him.

Hasa’s mouth twitched in annoyance but couldn’t help the temptation in his heart. With a sigh, he took the glass and sat next to Qin Huang.

“I don’t have the full details, but it is true that someone has been chipping away your brother’s business. I have to say that they sure have the guts. They may be successful now, but I can say that they’ll be crushed as soon as someone stopped running around.” He took a glance at Qin Huang before downing his drink.

Qin Huang rolled her eyes. “If someone had the proper balls, he’d have already gotten hold of Yan jiejie’s heart.”

Hasa choked on his drink and coughed continuously. He took a towel nearby to wipe his mouth before regaining his calm. “So… What are you planning to do?” He made a note to himself to not tease the little devil.

“Hehe~ What else? Since I’m the reason they haven’t been able to focus on their business, isn’t it only right for me to take responsibility~?” Qin Huang held her face with her palms and leaned on the marble counter.

“Ugh, don’t use that excuse to make trouble.” Hasa wondered if his decision might get him rained down with bullets, but Qin Huang didn’t let him continue his thoughts.

“Just tell me the information and I’ll make sure my brothers won’t kill you – aaand you get Yan jiejie as well~” Qin Huang smiled cheekily.

Hasa held his forehead. ‘Was it too late to escape?’

“You’ll also have my brother’s backing from now on.”

Hasa straightened his back. ‘Yup, it was too late to escape.’

“The base is disguised as a five-star hotel near the center of the city called, Lotux Hotel. Overground, it acts as a hotel, but underground, it is an arms dealing company. The reason they have kept away from your brothers’ radar is because they have the backing of the social elites in the city. Tsk, they tried to poach us too, but after what they have done to my sister, I’d be glad to see them burn into ashes.” It was one of the reasons that Qin Huang had easily tempted him into giving this information.

Hasa placed his refilled glass down strongly as he remembered the horror that his own sister had experienced. Hasa is the heir to the Lai family, one of the upper-class families in the city that could rival the Xinyi Family. It was inevitable that his sister would be the target of kidnapping as she was the only daughter of the family.

Qin Huang raised her eyebrows in interest. “Your sister?”

“Don’t even think about it.” Lai Hasa abruptly turned to glare at Qin Huang. “My dear Lai Wei is off limits.”

Qin Huang: *blinks* … oops.

Lily: *facepalms*

Qin Huang smiled although a cold sweat had run down her spine. “Oh~ got it!”

Lai Hasa continued to glare while Qin Huang smile brightened. He had an ominous feeling but couldn’t tell why.

“That is all I have. What are you going to do?” Lai Hasa took a swig and asked the bartender for a refill.

Qin Huang’s smile curved even more and her eyes flashed mischievously. “Destroy it.”

Lai Hasa choked on his drink once again and coughed roughly. “E- Excuse me??”

His words didn’t seem to have registered in Qin Huang’s mind as she drank her own drink and started to do her part completely distracting Lai Hasa about how to win Yan’s heart.

Right as Qin Huang wrapped up her How-To-Win-Yan’s-Heart class, a handsome man tapped on her shoulder and whispered in her ear.

She immediately downed her drink and got down from her seat.

“Hey, what happened?” Lai Hasa mirrored her actions.

Qin Huang handed the man with a ticket that said “Exclusive Night Club” before turning to Lai Hasa. “My brothers are coming~ You should leave too~” Then she hopped over the counter and went inside behind the kitchen.

Lai Hasa stared agape at the closed door leading to the kitchen and look around to see that no one was surprised by Qin Huang’s actions. His mouth twitched. ‘Of course, this place is her turf!’ He quickly left through the back door while murmuring curses – although his mind was filled with Qin Huang’s “teachings”.

A few minutes after, the bar was filled with black-suited men. Qin Shui was the one who was familiar in this area so he led his men to search here. Teng Zexi tagged along, but their efforts were useless as the person in target had already left, and no information was leaked out from any customers and staffs there.

Unbeknownst to them, Qin Huang was peaking from a hidden door with a relieved smile on her face. Old habits do die hard as Qin Huang could not take three days of not seeing Teng Zexi, so she had to sneakily take a peak every now and then to calm her restlessness.

She took one last look before stealthily leaving.

Teng Zexi looked haggard. He, too, felt an uncontrollable restlessness in his heart, and it was growing day by day. He was still calm two days later after Qin Huang’s disappearance but on the third day, he snapped. Insomnia had become his best friend over these past days. And at least one porcelain vase a day had to die by his hands lest he breaks anyone’s neck. He wished he could tie Qin Huang down with chains, but he immediately banged his head on the wall when he thought of it.

It was impossible for him to do so. He swore he’d die first before letting his obsession control him.

And controlling his dark thoughts made him suffer even more, but he hated the idea of losing control.

The men turned the place upside down but couldn’t find any trace of Qin Huang. They had no idea that this rundown bar was one of Qin Huang’s secret hiding place. After all, she had thoroughly won over the staffs and regular customers there, and the new ones were told beforehand the “sacred rules” of the bar.

Qin Huang successfully escaped to a new hotel and started to prepare. She had Lily locate Lotux Hotel while she called out her trusted contacts and bought her usual custom-made handguns, daggers, and “costumes”… the most crucial part of her preparation.

Lily’s face turned blank at her master’s meagre preparation. “Will that be enough?” She wondered why she still couldn’t understand her master even after thousands of years.

Qin Huang scratched Lily’s chin and smiled. “With you with me, I fear nothing~”

Her words made the giggling rabbit teary-eyed, but then Lily shook it away and looked at Qin Huang in exasperation. “Master, please don’t flirt with me.”

Qin Huang found it silly and laughed while pulling the confused rabbit into a hug.

“Don’t worry about your master. You hate being spoiled don’t you?”

Lily thought about it for a moment and her eyes brightened. She nodded vigorously and hopped off of Qin Huang’s hold. She went to play with the laptop she used to hack which she literally had to use her paws and feet to type, and she looked like she was dancing while playing pinball jumping between the spacebar and arrow keys.

The next day, Qin Huang went to a salon and died her black hair to blonde. She bought blue contacts for her eyes and used her own makeup skills to turn herself into a mixed-blood foreigner. Any sign of her looking as Qin Huang was completely wiped off after she changed her black and bold clothes into a light and mature outfit.

When she came out of the clothing store, she now looked like a mixed-blooded heiress who looked out of place in the sea of fishes. It was only fitting since she literally stood out.