The next day, Yao Ling felt like dying from the heat. When she woke up, Yao Ying was long gone for his morning practice. On her left arm, Yao Ying wrote some words on her bandage, 'Serve you right! Who told you to choose this stupid punishment and refuse to enjoy our night.' At the end of those sentences, he drew a silly laughing man. Yao Ling could only grit her teeth in annoyance. Hmpf! He still had the heart to tease her!

"Xiao Yu…" She called Xiao Yu over with slightly hoarse voice due to her dry throat.

Xiao Yu went in and gave a cup of water for her young mistress to drink. She watched her disheveled young mistress and laughed inwardly. Her laugh turned into a burst of full-blown laughter after she saw what the young master had written on the bandage. She didn't dare to say out loud, but she indeed had the same thought. 'Serve you right, Young Mistress!'

Yao Ling felt disgruntled with the way Xiao Yu behaved, but she knew this time… it was because of her own stupid idea. She let Xiao Yu serve her because she was actually too tired because of the lack of sleep. She didn't have it easy last night. She could only toss and turn around uncomfortably for the whole night.

She got this stupid idea because she remembered how she had helped her deceased mother taking care of some of her patients. She bandaged their wounds and she just changed the concept for a little bit. Okay... not a little bit. She went for the extreme way and she regretted it. Damn! She would never do that again.

"Xiao Yu, later… I will pretend that I am sick, that's why I need you to be my distraction here. Don't let anyone come inside my room, including all of the maids in the household. Can you do that?" She asked for Xiao Yu's help.

Yao Ling cleverly leaked only a bit of her plan yesterday and she didn't tell Xiao Yu what she would do later. It was better that way, besides she needed Xiao Yu's help to handle this side and also deflect others' attention from her. No one would pay attention if she were sick. She would be able to do everything more carefree this way.

Xiao Yu furrowed her eyebrows. "Where are you going, Young Mistress?"

"Just going to meet Xiao Xia. Yesterday, I already made a promise, right?"

"Are you going out alone, Young Mistress?" Xiao Yu asked in distress.

"Yes. I'm going out alone."

"No! Young Mistress, it's very dangerous! This servant can't let you go. If Master knows and something bad happens to you, this servant doesn't dare to think of the consequences. Please don't make it hard for this servant!" Xiao Yu begged Yao Ling to think twice before making such a crazy decision. Xiao Yu wasn't thinking about herself only, but also considering about her young mistress' safety. For a girl... going out alone... it wasn't only dangerous, but it could also ruin her reputation.

Yao Ling could see that Xiao Yu was really worried about her safety. She tried to calm Xiao Yu, because it was really important for her to meet Xiao Xia's Ning jie. "Nothing will happen to me. Don't worry! I'll disguise myself in man's clothing. You just need to help me out by preventing someone from finding out the missing me."

"But..."

Before Xiao Yu could say anything else, Yao Ling cut her off, "There's no but! Listen to me, okay? I believe that you can do it."

Xiao Yu could only bite her lower lips in distress. She knew that her young mistress wouldn't change her mind. She could only go along with her plan, although she wasn't willing to. The fate of a servant ah~

Yao Ling asked Xiao Yu to do her make up. She wanted to look paler than usual, so she would look like a sick person. Xiao Yu was quite good at doing it and it made Yao Ling satisfied with her make-up skill. She needed to make an appearance at breakfast, so she could ask permission for resting, dismiss her lesson with Zhang mo mo, and ask for a leave sick to Wang Luo Hai. She told the matriarch that she needed rest and the matriarch gave her permission easily. The matriarch also asked everyone to not bothering her and it worked for her convenience too.

Xiao Yu felt better after hearing the matriarch's order. It would be easier for her if no one dared to come.

When they went back to Yao Ling's courtyard, they tried to avoid the concubines. Whenever they saw one, they just went the other way. As to not arouse anyone's suspicion, Yao Ling pretended to be sick and weak along the way.

After they arrived at her courtyard, Yao Ling weakly gave an order to the other maids, "No one is allowed to bother my rest. Let Xiao Yu clean my room. I only need her assistance." The other maids murmured their agreement. They saw Yao Ling's weak appearance and they were convinced that she was really sick.

After relaying her orders, Yao Ling and Xiao Yu went inside her room. Yao Ling quickly changed her clothes into Yao Ying's old clothes. It was a little too big for her and she had to tie it with a belt. Well... she had to make do with it, although she noted that she needed to make a few man clothing for herself - just in case next time she went out for an important mission like this.

She chose the plainest clothing back when Yao Ying lived in her house. The grey color was already dull. Yao Ling didn't want to stand out while going out alone. Attracting attention to herself was the last thing she had in mind.

"Young Mistress, how long will you go?" Xiao Yu wanted to make sure how long she should hold on.

"A few shichen only. Probably around four shichen [1]?" Yao Ling asked Xiao Yu because she didn't want Xiao Yu to be punished if others found out. She needed to know whether Xiao Yu could manage this side at those time frame.

"Okay. Maximum eight shichen, right? Don't be late, please... Young Mistress! This servant will try to hold out as long as possible. However, if Master, Madam Wang, or the matriarch can't be stopped, I have no other way but to let them in," Xiao Yu tried to explain through her point of view. As a servant, she couldn't resist her masters' orders.

Yao Ling understood perfectly about it. "Okay. I will not make it difficult for you. Don't worry. Act just like how you used to act as to not rousing any suspicion!"

"This servant will behave like usual. Just go, Young Mistress. The quicker you go, the faster you will come home." Xiao Yu hurriedly told her. She just wanted it to be done quickly, so her heart would stop palpitating.

Yao Ling laughed and did as she was told. She went out by pretending to be a servant. Yao Ling walked while looking down. Her eyes kept darting around, trying to avoid other servants or maids. Fortunately, there weren't many people walking around, so it was quite easy for her to sneak out.

It didn't take long for Yao Ling to arrive at the designated place. She saw Xiao Xia waiting for her excitedly. The little girl kept looking left and right, trying to find the pretty lady from the previous day. Xiao Li accompanied her this time. However, he just coolly stood up there with bored expression written all over his face.

***

[1]. Four shichen: approximately eight hours in modern time.