Chapter 654: Chapter 352: Madame in Distress, Rare Shyness, The Further the Separation, the Deeper the Sinking

Suddenly, I see a narrow bed inside, covered with bedding. The bedding is raised slightly, as if someone is sleeping there. But the posture is peculiar, as if the person is very short. Due to the dim carriage, Xiaotuan did not notice.

Xiaotuan covers her mouth, feeling startled, moves cautiously, and thinks: "If it’s the lady, I must leave immediately. If I disturb her rest, my guilt would be immense. But this doesn’t look like her; the lady is quite tall. If it’s not her, then who dares to lie on her soft bed, sleep under her covers? Why are the lady’s clothes scattered in the carriage?"

Indecisive for a moment and after waiting for a while, she summoned the courage to get closer for a look. She saw the person lying inwardly, with a face turned away, making it impossible to see clearly, but with the cloud-like hair arranged, fixed by a gold hairpin, it was undoubtedly the lady. Xiaotuan was terrified, knowing she had mistakenly entered the carriage and must have been noticed. If she stealthily ran away, she feared her life might be in danger, so she knelt down immediately and said: "Lady, please don’t blame me, I, I, I never meant to disturb. This, this..." She admitted to disturbing Wen Caishang’s rest but didn’t know how to explain.

Wen Caishang slightly opened her eyes, aware of Xiaotuan’s approach to the carriage, she was quite annoyed and embarrassed, cursing inwardly: "Wretched fellow, indeed scheming so connivingly. Although Xiaotuan is my maid, if she were to witness me like this, it would ultimately... ultimately make it very embarrassing for me." Her expression was strange, her brows furrowed slightly, cheeks fiercely flushed, biting her red lips tightly.

Throughout her life, she had been dignified and composed, gentle and elegant. Never had she encountered such an awkward situation. She knew she was in distress, being seen would certainly lead to great embarrassment. In that moment of helplessness, she closed her eyes, facing such a predicament, not knowing what to do.

She could only blame that gentleman’s deceit. If he hadn’t placed her in such a position, it would not be so exasperating and irritable.

Xiaotuan said: "Lady, if, if I’ve disturbed you, I’ll leave now and wait for your message." Just as she was about to get up, she suddenly heard a voice in her mind: "No need, get up."

This was the Martial Arts technique "Qi Condensation and Sound Transmission," allowing communication through Qi without speaking. Wen Caishang knew speaking would be difficult, and if she made "mmm" sounds, it would further diminish her dignity. So she opted for sound transmission conversation.

She transmitted again: "This place is secluded, who sent you here?" Xiaotuan explained: "Huh? Wasn’t it the lady who... called me?"

Wen Caishang thought: "I’ve been captured by that scoundrel; how could I have called you? No need to think further, it must be that scoundrel’s trick. He knows I’m trapped, always tying me up like this. Even though my cultivation is not shallow, eventually I’ll starve or die bound. So he arranged for Xiaotuan to rescue me. Quite thorough in thinking. Hmph."

Sound transmission said: "Of course not."

Xiaotuan said: "Strange, odd, who could it be?" Wen Caishang had been trapped for days: "We’ll explore this later. Follow my orders, take out four candles from the cabinet. After lighting them, place them in the four corners."

The carriage became bright again, the candlelight flickering softly. Xiaotuan saw more clearly and noticed that Wen Caishang had ropes around her neck, her elegant neck slightly moist with sweat, but dared not look further, not daring to think too much. She asked: "Lady, and then?"

Wen Caishang transmitted: "Find four mirrors, and place them beside the table." Xiaotuan immediately searched, trembling, said: "Lady... only found three silver mirrors."

Wen Caishang was silent for a moment, transmitted: "It’ll do, three mirrors will suffice. Close the carriage door, latch it from inside."

Xiaotuan, nimble, closed the door, obediently returned to her side. Wen Caishang praised: "Not bad, you’re quite smart, now help lift the covers lightly!" She transmitted serenely, although her pretty face was still slightly flushed.

Xiaotuan grabbed the corner of the bedding, gently lifting it. As it reached halfway, Xiaotuan couldn’t help but gasp, immediately covering her mouth to silence the sound, her heart pounding fiercely. The lady’s legs were bent backward, her hands folded behind. Wrist and ankles together, lying sideways on the bed.

Hence viewed through the bedding, unexpectedly small, indeed unable to stretch. Wen Caishang’s eyes filled with resentment, thought: "That little scoundrel is terribly wicked, intentionally hoping for me to disgrace myself. I fell into his trap, this time it unfolded as he intended." Sighed helplessly, accepted it, and transmitted: "What is it? Any issues?"

Xiaotuan hurriedly said: "No... no." Proceeded to unveil the entire bedding. Illuminated by candlelight, Xiaotuan felt greatly shocked, never expecting the lady to be so distressed. As she surveyed, seeing not only were the lady’s limbs immobilized, but fingers and toes were all restrained.

Thick bedding covered, silkworm clothing, and tourniquet were stained with sweat, appearing slightly damp. Xiaotuan thought: "If I were a man, this trip would be fortuitous. Returning home with this beauty wouldn’t be great. The lady can’t move even her toes, could she stir up trouble? Ah! No... even the lady is captured. I must be in danger!"

Grabbing the jade stool with both hands, she guardedly looked around. Wen Caishang, turning from side to front prone, hands and feet stretched up, face toward the bed. Her beautiful eyes glimpsed over embarrassment, this fall was particularly memorable for loss. She transmitted: "Do not fear, there is no enemy here."

Xiaotuan asked: "Then who bound the lady..." Wen Caishang calmly transmitted: "I came here for isolation, no need to think much. Place the three silver mirrors around me."

Xiaotuan immediately obeyed. Through the mirrors, Wen Caishang could see her full reflection. Though her experience was rich and her dealings abundant, she felt increasingly flushed and angry, cursing Li Xian several times. Green silkworm ropes, flower ropes... many things upon her.

Wen Caishang glanced at Xiaotuan, thinking: "This girl, though she knows the ’Wearing Silkworm Clothes’ technique, is far inferior to that young scoundrel. She may help me escape, but it might take a long time. No matter... endured over seven or eight days, what’s another moment." Transmitted: "You come onto the bed." Most gentle and elegant.

Xiaotuan took off her boots, cautiously entered the bed. More warmth and fragrance felt, daringly sweeping her gaze, comparing the beauty to fine jade, rhythmic and fulfilling. Suddenly, she saw a line of ink on the sole of Wen Caishang’s foot, upon closer inspection, it was a simple sketch of a little turtle. Wen Caishang hadn’t noticed yet, and Xiaotuan dared not mention it.