The Crazy Fox Demon Devours My Heart - Chapter 11

Mo Mo could not stay here any longer—she had to send it out!

Back when the late Empress was still alive, she had never mistreated the servants. She often bestowed rewards, so even after her passing, there were still a few loyal ones who remembered her kindness.

Even for those of them left in the Cold Palace, they did their best to care for Qingyu, ensuring she would not starve or freeze to death.

After much pleading, Qingyu finally persuaded the wet nurse to let her take Mo Mo and try to find someone who could help hide the little dog and sneak it out of the palace.

It was impossible to hide a person, but Mo Mo was small, clever, and not noisy—it might just be possible to get it out.

Before dawn the next day, Qingyu poked her head out, carefully looking around. Confirming there was no one in sight, she held Mo Mo close as she climbed out, then gently placed it inside a basket.

She crept along, dodging left and right, following the direction the wet nurse had instructed.

But while passing a rock garden, she ran into the last people she wanted to see—Xi Lan and her older brother.

Ever since they had learned of her existence, those two often came to the Cold Palace to cause trouble.

What a nuisance. But this was the only way to that person’s residence.

Qingyu pressed herself against the rockery, crouching low and tiptoeing forward, praying they wouldn’t notice her.

“Stop!” Xi Lan’s sharp eyes caught her.

Seeing that she had been discovered, Qingyu clutched Mo Mo and bolted.

Xi Lan signaled the guards with her eyes, and they instantly understood. In no time, they seized Qingyu.

Qingyu struggled desperately, but her strength was too little. She couldn’t break free. Mo Mo’s fur bristled, and it bared its teeth, growling at the guards.

Xi Lan was delighted.

Today was her mother’s birthday. She had dragged her royal brother out with her to pick the most beautiful morning flowers as a gift, but unexpectedly ran into someone who shouldn’t have been there.

When she saw the dog in Qingyu’s arms, she recognized it instantly—this was the very same one she had lost two months ago.

She had been drawn to its beautiful fur then and wanted to catch it to make a fur collar. But her servants had proved useless, unable to capture even a dog.

Later, she begged her mother to help search for it. The entire vast palace was turned upside down, yet the dog was never found.

It was as if it had appeared from thin air—no one knew where it had come from.

And now it appeared again, in the hands of the Cold Palace’s little lunatic.

What a gift delivered to her door! She might as well skin it and present the fur as a gift to her mother.

Xi Lan pointed at Qingyu. “That’s my dog. Give it back to me!”

Qingyu hugged Mo Mo tighter. “Nonsense, it’s not yours at all.”

Xi Lan turned to her brother and whined, “Brother, that’s my dog! She stole it from me!”

The Second Prince adored his little sister and could never bear to see her wronged.

He strode up to Qingyu. “You? Compete with my sister over something?”

“I didn’t steal anything. And besides, this dog isn’t hers.”

The prince reached out, grabbing for the dog’s fur and tugging hard.

Qingyu held on with all her might, but pinned down by the guards, she could only watch as Mo Mo was being pried away little by little.

Just as Mo Mo was about to be pulled free, the prince suddenly let out a scream.

“Ah!”

He jumped back, clutching his hand—two bloody puncture wounds stared back at him, bl00d trickling down.

Xi Lan panicked at the sight. “Brother, you’re hurt!”

She turned her fury back on the little dog. “Beat that beast to death!”

The guards obeyed at once. They released Qingyu to strike, but she immediately curled herself around Mo Mo, shielding it with her body, refusing to let them near.

The guards hesitated.

The prince, trembling with rage, sneered coldly when he saw Qingyu still protecting the animal. He waved his hand, and his men stepped forward again.

“Beat her! Ten taels of silver each when you’re done!”

Fists rained down like a storm upon her frail body, but not a sound escaped her lips. She only clung stubbornly to Mo Mo, never letting go.

Mo Mo, frantic in her arms, growled lowly. Something warm dripped down from above, soaking its fur.

How could such a small, weak body bear such a savage beating?

Bl00d gushed from Qingyu’s mouth. She didn’t cry out in pain—she only looked at Mo Mo with a faint, bitter smile, lips moving soundlessly: “Don’t be afraid.”

“Mo Mo.”

Before, when they tormented her, she could endure. But today… she knew she wouldn’t survive.

When the guards noticed she had gone still, a flicker of fear stirred—what if they had really gone too far…

“Second Prince…” one ventured nervously.

But the prince, still fuming, barked, “What are you afraid of? Don’t stop unless I say so! Keep beating!”

Xi Lan was watching gleefully, chiming in, “Father never cared for that bastard anyway. The whole harem is under Mother’s control. If something happens, we’ll bear it. It’s only teaching her a lesson—what could come of it?”

Reassured by her words, the guards pushed aside their doubts. To win favor, they struck even harder.

After vomiting one last mouthful of bl00d, Qingyu collapsed, still holding Mo Mo tightly in her arms, no longer breathing—her hands never loosening their grip.

Mo Mo wriggled free, licking her pale, bloodless face.

Seeing no reaction from her, the guards finally stopped, exchanging uneasy looks.

“Could she be dead?”

“I don’t think so—maybe just fainted.”

“I bet she’s pretending!”

Xi Lan sneered. The little lunatic was always up to tricks—she’d suffered enough losses at her hands. No way she believed this fainting act.

She strode over and stomped on Qingyu’s hand, putting her full weight onto it.

Mo Mo scratched at her foot, making her yelp and recoil. Luckily her shoe had protected her from injury, but she didn’t dare step forward again. She stayed back, staring to see if Qingyu would react.

But even with that full-force stomp, Qingyu lay motionless.

Panic began to set in among the group.

“Could she really be dead?”

“She’s still the Princess—won’t we be punished?”

Greed for silver had clouded their judgment, emboldened by the prince’s assurance. But now, faced with the possibility that they had killed the Emperor’s bl00d, clarity hit. Someone would have to take the blame. And surely, it would not be the noble prince and princess.

Fear drenched them in cold sweat.

“Princess, what do we do?”

“Don’t panic!”

Though her heart fluttered with unease, Xi Lan still refused to believe Qingyu was truly dead.

She examined her closely. Bl00d soaked her clothes, smeared her mouth and chin. Her face was deathly pale—altogether ghastly to look at.

Hesitantly, Xi Lan crouched down, stretching a finger under Qingyu’s nose.

She suddenly jerked back in horror, staggering to her brother’s side. “Brother, I think she’s really dead!”

Faces drained of color all around—finished! Their heads might roll for this.

The Second Prince frowned deeply, staring at the motionless body.

“Throw her in the water. When she’s found, say she fell in and drowned. No one will bother to check the corpse of a useless girl like her.”

Xi Lan shrank behind him, unwilling to glance again at the body. “Brother… will that work?”

The others thought it over. It could work. If they got rid of the body quickly, with dawn only just breaking, no one would see them.

They lifted Qingyu’s body to the water’s edge, ignoring the little dog clinging to her clothes, and tossed her straight in.

Splash! A huge wave broke the stillness of dawn, loud as thunder.

Fearful of attracting notice, they quickly scattered.

The ripples faded. The water’s surface smoothed.

And the world fell quiet again—as if nothing had happened.