She stepped out of Duke Locke’s room, and Xiuyi followed knowingly.
They continued into her study, where Qian Xueying finally stopped.
Xiuyi closed the door and approached her.
"What do you need me to do, Miss?"
With her secretive manner, Xiuyi needed no explanation to know she had a task for him.
"Prepare some medication immediately. Tonight is a rare opportunity, and I must deal with Huangfu Jue," she said, her lips slightly curving upwards. "Also, arrange for someone to hide in secret and take some intimate photos of the two of us. Release them first thing tomorrow morning."
"Remember to contact several F Country newspapers," Qian Xueying said, her lips parting in a smile of smug satisfaction. "I want Gan Yuan to know her man has betrayed her. Just imagine her expression when she sees the news... I truly wish to see it with my own eyes."
"Rest assured, I will make the arrangements right now. I promise the whole world will know about this."
Xiuyi left the study, and Qian Xueying turned to sit down behind her desk.
She reviewed the documents on the desk, signing her name at the end. After closing the file, seeing no other work that needed her attention, she set aside her pen.
Her gaze fell on a cabinet at the desk; she stretched out her hand to open it and then unlocked the safe inside, retrieving a framed photo.
In the frame was a group picture.
A young man and woman; the girl, barely in her twenties, dressed in a splendid gown, happily embraced a middle-aged man around the neck.
The features of the middle-aged man bore some resemblance to hers. His face held a smile too, as he looked fondly at her side profile.
"Daddy!" Her fingers gently touched the man’s face in the photo, and a sorrowful expression immediately filled Qian Xueying’s face, "If you were still alive, you would certainly be proud of your daughter... Don’t worry. I will not disappoint you. I will surely revive the Tsuruta clan to comfort your spirit in the afterlife. That woman, I will strip away everything she has, bit by bit, and then kill her with my own hands to avenge you!"
"Miss!" The maid hurriedly pushed the door open and ran into the study, "Miss..."
Qian Xueying lowered her hand holding the frame and glared unhappily, "What happened that you’re in such a panic?"
Realizing her intrusion, the maid slowed down, "The... Duke is here, the butler has gone out and has not returned, so I... I came to inform you."
Guessing Xiuyi had not yet returned from arranging her requested tasks, Qian Xueying stood up immediately.
"Please invite them to the living room. I will come down right away. And..." She called after the maid, "find two people to help me change and do my makeup, quickly!"
The maid rushed out, and she bent down to open the safe, taking the photo from the desk. Smiling, she spoke,
"Daddy, if you have a spirit in heaven, please bless your daughter for everything to go smoothly tonight."
Her eyes swept over to the decorative mirror on one side, reflecting her disheveled appearance. Qian Xueying frowned; with her injuries not yet healed, she was only wearing a loose home outfit. How could she meet Huangfu Jue looking ?
Really, how could he have arrived so quickly when she wasn’t prepared yet?
In haste, she stuffed the frame back into the safe, closed the door of the safe, and rushed out of the study.
The safe door slowly closed but failed to latch completely, coming to a stop. Qian Xueying, however, left in such a hurry that she didn’t notice this detail.