C5 Retrieve! the past Memories!

Soong Xueling suddenly opened her eyes, the deep, dark pupils still shimmering with a lingering light. "Yes."

"Then I'll come up," responded the other person, swiftly climbing into the carriage while chattering away. "Miss, you really surprised me. Why did you suddenly get into the carriage? I just went to fetch the cloak you left in the garden, and when I returned, you were nowhere to be found. I thought something might have happened to you..."

Soong Xueling regarded the girl coldly. She seemed to be about fourteen or fifteen years old and, judging by her address, was likely a servant of the original owner. However, her attitude clearly showed she didn't hold her mistress in high regard.

Still, since she was a servant of the original owner, she might be of some use.

"Come here." Soong Xueling beckoned to the maid with a slight, almost imperceptible, enticing smile.

The maid hesitated for a moment, her eyes first filled with confusion, then turning blank. Slowly, she shuffled over to Soong Xueling, stopping just within arm's reach.

"What's your name?" Soong Xueling asked, looking directly at the maid.

"Furong. My name is Furong," she replied, her voice as slow and uncertain as her steps, tinged with a hint of bewilderment.

Xueling sat up straight and slowly reached out toward Furong, gently touching her forehead. "Furong, let me see your memories."

Furong's eyes showed a hint of struggle, but under Xueling's steady gaze, they gradually turned vacant and empty. Once Xueling was sure there would be no more surprises, she closed her eyes and began to sense the memories in Furong's mind.

Furong had been with the original owner since she was nine, making it a full five years now. During this time, the original owner had always treated her well, never lacking in anything. However, when the original owner's father remarried and a mysterious young lady joined the household, Furong switched her allegiance to the newcomer. She reported everything about the original owner to her and even poisoned the original owner's food on the newcomer's orders, showing a shocking level of betrayal.

As for today's events, it was clear that Furong was aware of them. That's why she deliberately abandoned the original owner. From Furong's memories, it was evident that this incident involved not only the eldest daughter of the Soong family but also another woman...

Just as Xueling was about to delve deeper, she felt a sudden metallic taste in her throat. Her psychic force was completely exhausted at that moment!

Although she had established a connection with Furong's mind, forcing a deeper probe would surely lead to a psychic backlash. Reluctantly, Soong Xueling had to pull back and slowly opened her eyes. Her eyes, already sparkling with brilliance, now seemed to have a hint of crimson, appearing both enchanting and mesmerizing.

With the mental control broken, Furong finally snapped back to reality, surprised to find herself standing right in front of Soong Xueling. "Miss, how did I..."

A sharp "smack" interrupted her, as Soong Xueling, with a cold expression, slapped Furong's face, cutting off her words. The slap was so unexpected that Furong was stunned for a couple of seconds before she realized what had happened. She clutched her face, wide-eyed, looking at Soong Xueling. "Miss, why did you hit me?"

"Where's my cloak?" Soong Xueling asked coldly, her words seemingly unrelated to the situation.

Furong was momentarily confused. "What cloak?"

"Weren't you just saying you were going to get my cloak?" Soong Xueling's chest ached, and her mind felt muddled, yet she maintained a composed exterior.

Only then did Furong understand that Soong Xueling had slapped her because she hadn't brought back the cloak. Even so, she felt deeply wronged and indignant. "Even if I didn't bring back the cloak for you, Miss, you shouldn't have just..."

"If you keep rambling, get out," Soong Xueling closed her eyes, her voice growing faint as her consciousness began to waver. "Fetch the cloak quickly, or leave!"

Her psychic force was nearly depleted. She shouldn't have risked delving into the memories of the woman named Furong, but having just arrived and been framed, she needed to understand the current situation. Otherwise, she feared she would repeat the mistakes of her predecessor. So, she pushed herself to the limit to uncover Furong's memories.

Furong wanted to argue but realized Soong Xueling wasn't joking. Remembering she still needed to stay by her side, she swallowed her anger. "Yes, I'll go get the cloak for you, Miss."

With that, Furong stepped off the carriage, puzzled about why the eldest Miss's plan had failed and wondering if the third Miss had discovered something. Otherwise, why would she treat her this way?

As soon as Furong left the carriage, Soong Xueling collapsed onto the seat, her consciousness slipping into darkness. In the next moment, a crimson figure appeared inside the carriage.

"You sure are stubborn," a man's playful voice drifted from the carriage, quickly fading away. "I sensed you were at your limit, yet you held on until now."