Cha Shiyin remained silent for a long time, quietly watching them bow.
A knock suddenly sounded outside. A blindfolded blind girl came in carrying a custard-yellow dessert. Cha Shiyin was somewhat surprised. "Lai Ya, it's not noon yet, is it?"
"The dining hall is closed. After what happened last night, I wanted to make some desserts to comfort my friends."
Lai Ya set down the dessert and turned to leave, but as she passed Ming Shuiyun, she accidentally tripped over Ming Shuiyun's toes. Ming Shuiyun hurriedly helped her up. Lai Ya waved to show that she was fine, then slipped a note into Ming Shuiyun's hand and quickly left the curator's office.
Although Ming Shuiyun wanted to look at the note, the atmosphere in the curator's office was simply too tense. The slightest movement from her would draw everyone's attention, so she could only set it aside for the moment.
Cha Shiyin took a bite of the beautifully springy egg-yolk pudding and snorted. "Since your attitude toward admitting fault is fairly sincere, you don't need to bow anymore. You're all seventy or eighty years old. Your backs can't take it."
The Empress Dowager let out a sigh of relief. "Then..."
"But I still refuse."
Cha Shiyin said coldly, "Why should I save those strangers whose names I can't even say, just to rescue them? Why should I save the people from misery? Why should I... save you?"
"Why should shameless and incompetent people like you be allowed to cling to life while I have to die for you?"
"I've never done anything wrong in my life. Why should I suffer? I'm clearly a good person, so why should I give my life for a bunch of villains like you?"
"They want to live, and you want to live. Do you