He Cen simply watched He Shu, who was locked inside the cage.
She remained silent. No expression appeared on her face.
“Although she has not died, it is obvious that her body is in very poor condition.”
Her tone held no fluctuation. It was as if she were completely indifferent to He Shu’s plight.
He Shu looked up at He Cen, who stood not far away.
Her expression was blank. Her slightly pale complexion looked as though it had been caused by excessive blood loss.
Her arms were suspended high above her head.
She wore only a thin, blood-stained white dress.
She was kneeling on the cushion in a duck-sitting posture.
Upon closer inspection, He Shu was even wearing a pair of high-heeled sandals on her small feet.
The straps were wrapped around her calves, digging slightly into her skin.
This was clearly Hua Yanyun’s malicious sense of humor.
She wanted to ensure that even if He Shu woke up early, she would still be unable to stand.
“He Cen, little friend, do you not have anything you wish to say to your younger sister? Or is it that Our presence here makes you feel embarrassed?”
“Mm-hmm. Then We shall give the two of you sisters some private time. We hope you enjoy each other’s company.”
Chuckling, Hua Yanyun’s figure suddenly vanished. Only He Cen and He Shu remained in the room.
The cage door was locked.
It was not open like before, allowing free entry and exit.
Therefore, the two sisters could only stare at each other through the bars.
“He Cen… I…”
He Shu’s voice was very soft. She lowered her head and did not dare to meet He Cen’s eyes.
She also did not know how to begin.
She had imagined countless scenes of reuniting with her family.
She never expected reality to be like this.
Just like in the past in Southwind Immortal Kingdom, the difference in their statuses was still as vast as heaven and earth.
The only difference was that the one with the noble status had become even nobler, while the one with the lowly status had become even lowlier—reduced to someone else’s captive.
“Little sister…”
For the first time, He Cen addressed He Shu as “little sister” instead of calling her by name as she had in the past.
Hearing her elder sister call her “little sister,” He Shu abruptly raised her head to look at He Cen. This was the first time in her several decades of life that she had been addressed so intimately.
“Sister…?”
She murmured uncertainly, her tone filled with doubt.
“Mm. It is me. Have you been well?”
A complicated expression surfaced on He Cen’s usually unchanging face. Her tone also softened slightly.
Toward this biological younger sister whom she had met fewer than ten times, she could not say she liked her.
However, she did not hate her the way He Ying did.
He Shu was caught off guard by the sudden concern.
Her body instinctively shrank back, causing the chains above her head to collide and produce a series of clattering sounds.
A wave of sourness rose in her heart.
Tears uncontrollably fell from the corners of He Shu’s eyes.
The high-pressure experiences she had endured recently had left her both physically and mentally exhausted.
She desperately needed an outlet for her emotions.
She wanted so badly to tell her sister about all the abuse and grievances she had suffered during this period.
However, the words reached her lips and still became stuck in her throat.
“I… am fine…”
Although that was what she said, the obvious injuries on He Shu’s body would not lie.
He Cen only needed to glance at her to find the sight shocking.
Setting aside the large patches of blood on the white dress, there were no fewer than ten bruises on He Shu’s exposed skin alone.
“Hua Yanyun has agreed to release you. However, her asking price is too high. We still need to continue negotiating. You will have to endure a few more days for now.”
“She… really agreed to let me go?!”
He Shu found it somewhat unbelievable.
She felt that things could not be so simple.
Perhaps Hua Yanyun was simply in a playful mood and wanted to find new entertainment.
The chains hanging from the top of the cage immediately rang out with a series of clatters.
She raised her head and looked up at He Cen.
“Sister… please… do not give up on me. I beg you to tell Mother… I do not want to die.”
Tears fell onto the nightdress she was wearing. He Shu pleaded pitifully to He Cen.
She understood very clearly in her heart that Hua Yanyun’s interest in her was only temporary.
Once Hua Yanyun grew tired of her one day, her ending would definitely be miserable.
She was afraid that by then, even dying would be difficult.
He Cen crouched down.
Her line of sight became level with He Shu, who was locked inside the cage.
She extended one hand and reached through the gap in the cage bars to gently touch her younger sister’s cheek.
She pinched He Shu’s cheek with her fingers. The sensation was not good. There was not much soft flesh.
“Sister…”
He Shu’s pupils widened.
She reflexively wanted to dodge, but she did not pull away.
An inexplicable trace of heartache surfaced in He Cen.
In her memory, even when He Shu was still in Southwind Immortal Kingdom, she had never been this thin.
Thinking carefully, she realized that this cheap younger sister of hers had truly lived a miserable life.
She had been a marginal figure since childhood. Now she had even been reduced to the role of a plaything.
“Are you usually locked inside the cage as well?”
Although these words were somewhat insulting, He Cen still asked.
She wanted to confirm the authenticity of the description of He Shu’s situation that Shen Qingci had transmitted.
Being asked this by He Cen, He Shu’s body involuntarily trembled slightly, as if she were afraid of something.
However, she still honestly recounted her experiences.
“I suppose so… At the beginning, I was always kept here without seeing the light of day. Only recently have I been allowed to move around inside the room. As for today’s situation, I do not know what is going on either.”
“Mm. Understood.”
He Cen’s voice revealed no fluctuation. She nodded.
“I will report your condition to Mother. Over the next few days, we will continue negotiating with Hua Yanyun regarding your matter.”
“Good…”
After saying the word “good,” He Cen left the room under He Shu’s reluctant gaze.
After leaving Wanyi Tower, He Cen saw Hua Yanyun leaning against a pillar with her eyes closed, pretending to nap.
“How does it feel to meet your younger sister? Did the two of you have a pleasant chat?”
“Not particularly.”
Still maintaining her cold, distant demeanor that kept others at arm’s length, He Cen stared at Hua Yanyun’s pair of teasing, beautiful eyes.
She withdrew her gaze, walked around Hua Yanyun, and headed toward He Bai Su, who was standing by the artificial lake enjoying the view.
“Elder Bai Su, I have returned.”
“Mm. What are your thoughts after meeting He Shu, Princess?”
He Bai Su had not known He Shu’s true identity before. She had only learned of it during the private negotiation with Hua Yanyun tonight.
She had many questions in her heart.
She decided to ask He Xiu after returning to Southwind Immortal Kingdom in the future.
“Her physical condition is very poor. If she is not properly nursed back to health, I am afraid she will not last more than three years.”
Transmitting her voice, He Cen furrowed her brows.
It was already very late. The matter of negotiations could only continue tomorrow.
Together with He Bai Su, she left Wanyi Tower and returned to the guest inn that Hua Yanyun had prepared for the Southwind delegation.
Lying on the soft large bed, He Cen tossed and turned, unable to sleep. She threw off the blanket and sat up.
“He Shu…”
She murmured He Shu’s name. She gently shook her head.
She cast all the chaotic thoughts in her mind aside. She pulled the blanket over herself again and closed her eyes.
Countless questions lingered in her heart. She decided to personally question Hua Yanyun clearly during tomorrow’s negotiations.
At the same time that He Cen finally fell asleep, He Shu also succumbed to mental exhaustion and closed her eyes.
After He Cen left, Hua Yanyun did not come to He Shu’s room.
Naturally, He Shu was not let down either. She remained in her half-suspended state, tilted her head, and fell asleep.
Moonlight shone into the room through the window. He Shu’s small face appeared even paler under the light.
“Your Majesty… please do not… kill me…”
With her eyes tightly closed, He Shu murmured in her sleep.
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