147: Extra Chapter: Crazy Prince Su Yao Extra Chapter 1

Su Yao suddenly opened her eyes, cold sweat soaking her back. She breathed rapidly, her fingers clutching the brocade quilt tightly, the scorching heat of the ancestral hall fire still lingering in her vision.

"Miss? Did you have a nightmare?" A familiar voice rang in her ear.

Su Yao trembled all over, slowly turned her head, and saw Xiao Cui standing by the bed, holding a copper basin, her face full of worry.

The sunlight streamed through the window lattice onto her face, so vibrant, so real.

"Xiao Cui…" Su Yao's voice trembled as she reached out to touch Xiao Cui's cheek. The warm sensation instantly brought tears to her eyes.

Xiao Cui was startled by Miss's unusual behavior, but still stood obediently, allowing her to caress her. "Miss, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell? Should I call a doctor to take a look?"

Su Yao didn't answer. She looked around. This was her boudoir. On the dressing table was still her favorite box of rouge. This was her room's arrangement when she was sixteen.

She had been reborn, returning to before she met Lin Xiuyuan, before all the tragedies began.

"What day is it today?" Su Yao suppressed the tumultuous waves in her heart and asked softly.

"Replying to Miss, today is the sixteenth of March," Xiao Cui replied while wringing a cloth. "Have you forgotten? You're meeting Miss Li at noon today to admire the flowers."

The sixteenth of March.

Su Yao closed her eyes. In her previous life, on this day, she had "accidentally" met Lin Xiuyuan during a flower viewing trip, the scholar who had ruined her life.

"I'm not going," Su Yao suddenly said. "Send someone to tell Miss Li that I'm feeling unwell and will reschedule another day."

Xiao Cui blinked in surprise. "But Miss, yesterday you said you wanted to wear your newly made dress…"

Su Yao's voice softened. "Xiao Cui, I really don't want to go. I… I'm a bit uncomfortable."

Xiao Cui quickly put down the cloth and said worriedly, "This servant will go and call a doctor right away."

"No need." Su Yao held her hand. "I just… had a very scary dream. Just talk to me."

Although Xiao Cui was confused, she still obediently sat by the bed. "What did Miss dream about?"

Su Yao looked at Xiao Cui's bright eyes, remembering how she had died tragically to save her in her previous life, and her heart ached.

She whispered, "I dreamed… I did many wrong things, hurt many people, and in the end, even you left me."

Xiao Cui immediately shook her head. "What nonsense is Miss saying? This servant will never leave Miss in this life!"

These words made Su Yao unable to hold back any longer. She hugged Xiao Cui tightly, tears soaking Xiao Cui's shoulder. "I'm sorry… I'm sorry…"

Xiao Cui awkwardly patted Su Yao's back. "Don't cry, Miss. Dreams are the opposite of reality. How could such a good person like you do anything wrong?"

Su Yao shook her head in Xiao Cui's arms, her mind already made up. In this life, she would never repeat the same mistakes, never get involved in power struggles, and never… let down this loyal girl.

Three months later, on a simple road outside the capital, a plain carriage slowly moved forward.

"Miss, are we really going to Jiangnan?" Xiao Cui lifted the curtain, looking at the receding city walls of the capital, her eyes full of reluctance. "Master and Madam will be so worried."

Su Yao leaned against the carriage, her expression calm. "I left a letter. They will understand."

In fact, she had falsely claimed in the letter that she was going to Jiangnan to seek famous doctors to recuperate her body, and promised to return within a year.

But she knew in her heart that once she left, she would never return to the center of this vortex of power.

"But Miss, with just the two of us women on the road, what if we encounter bad people?" Xiao Cui worriedly wrung her fingers.

Su Yao smiled and pulled out an exquisite dagger from her satchel. "I've been prepared."

She had stolen it from her father's study. It was incredibly sharp. In her previous life, she had used a similar golden hairpin to kill Lin Xiuyuan. In this life, she would still protect herself and Xiao Cui.

The carriage jolted, and Xiao Cui exclaimed, holding onto Su Yao. "Be careful, Miss!"

Su Yao took her hand. "Don't be afraid, I'm here."

She said these words with utmost seriousness. In her previous life, Xiao Cui died for her. In this life, it was her turn to protect this foolish girl.

The journey was long, and the two chatted in the carriage to pass the time. Su Yao discovered that Xiao Cui was far more intelligent than she had imagined. Not only could she read, but she also had a good understanding of local customs and traditions.

"How do you know so much?" Su Yao asked in surprise.

Xiao Cui lowered her head, embarrassed. "When this servant was little, she followed her father traveling all over the country performing. Later, her father died of illness, and she was sold to the mansion as a maid. All of this was heard on the road."

Su Yao felt a pang in her heart. In her previous life, she had never truly understood Xiao Cui, only treating her as an dispensable maid. Now that she thought about it, she was truly foolish.

"Don't call yourself 'this servant' anymore," Su Yao suddenly said. "Just call me 'older sister'."

Xiao Cui's eyes widened. "How can that be! Miss is a noble lady, I…"

"I say it's fine, then it's fine," Su Yao insisted. "From now on, we are sisters."

Xiao Cui's eyes reddened. She bit her lip, and after a long while, she softly called out, "Sister Yao…"

Su Yao smiled in response, a warmth she had never felt before welling up in her heart.