Sun Mansion's Daily Life: Part N

Third Watch

Night deepened.

The central hall and the bedroom on the east side were brightly lit, but Jia Yingchun and her maid Xiuju waited in darkness in the study on the west side.

Their four eyes were all fixed on the bluestone slab by the wall.

After who knew how long of waiting, a series of faint clinks came from the treasure shelf on the left. Xiuju immediately darted forward, raised her delicate foot, and stomped on the bluestone slab several times.

Before the sounds faded, the slab silently slid aside, revealing a dark hole about a meter across.

"Ah!"

Overwhelmed with excitement, Xiuju failed to stop herself in time. Her foot stepped into empty air, and she pitched forward toward the western wall.

She desperately flailed her arms, trying to regain her balance, but how could there have been enough time?

Just as her nose was about to make intimate contact with the wall, Xiuju shut her eyes in terror. Then she suddenly felt herself grow light. Opening her eyes and looking down, she found that someone had caught her around the hips and lifted her straight into the air.

"Even if you were that impatient, you could at least wait until this Second Master came out of the Secret Passage before pouncing on me."

Sun Shaozong teased her casually as he set her steadily back on the floor. Then he cupped his hands toward Jia Yingchun and bowed. "This official, Sun Shaozong, greets Jia Shuren."

Jia Yingchun was both shy and delighted, yet had no idea how to respond.

Fortunately, Xiuju was proactive. She stepped forward on tiptoe, brushed the dust from Sun Shaozong's shoulders, and repeatedly urged, "This isn't a place to talk. Second Master and Madam should go to the East Room first."

As she