Chapter 717: Don't let them see you, okay

Lu Qi worried that Snowball's cry would attract the Imperial Guard outside, so he grabbed it and shoved it into Xiao Er's embrace.

Xiao Er hadn't steadied his hold when Snowball already dug its hind legs into his big hand, front claws scraping his shoulder, stretched its body, and shoved its head against Tuan Tuan's face, rubbing incessantly.

Tuan Tuan was overjoyed: "Let me down! Second Uncle Xiao Er, I want to hug Snowball!"

Xiao Er crouched, put Snowball on the ground, Tuan Tuan slipped down and grabbed Snowball: "Snowball! How did you get here?"

Lu Qi hissed at the two of them.

Tuan Tuan hastily covered Snowball's mouth: "Be good, Snowball, don't cry, outside are all bad people!"

Snowball blinked, stuck out its little tongue, and licked Tuan Tuan's palm.

Tuan Tuan's palm grew itchy from the licking, covering his mouth he laughed: "So itchy! Snowball!"

The outside sounds gradually quieted.

A shout of rebuke rang out.

Which palace's eunuch are you?

The thin, shaky voice stammered: "The... Phoenix Etiquette Palace's!"

"Phoenix Etiquette Palace?" the Imperial Guard's voice held some suspicion: "In the middle of the night, what are you doing running to the Imperial Garden?"

"I... I am the one who looks after the cat kept by the Empress!"

"That white lion cat?"

"Yes! That's the lion cat called Snowball!" the young eunuch's voice urgent and panicked, on the verge of tears: "Just now I wasn't careful, dozed off, and when I woke up it was gone!"

"Snowball is the Empress's beloved pet; if tomorrow we discover it's missing, I'll surely get a beating!"

"So I rushed out in the middle of the night, searched all the way here, never expecting that just as I arrived, something hit me on the head..."

"Hit? What hit you?"

The young eunuch covered his head: "I, I don't know either! That thing hit me and I saw stars! After that, after that I heard you chasing someone."

"I thought it was an assassin come to the palace, afraid I'd disturb the officials' work, afraid I'd be mistaken for an accomplice, panicked I just ran."

"Your story is quite the tale!"

One Imperial Guard snorted: "A eunuch from Phoenix Etiquette Palace running to the Imperial Garden at midnight to chase a cat, just happening to get hit, and then we mistake him for an assassin—do you even believe that yourself?"

"Absolutely true, sir!" the young eunuch fell to his knees with a thud: "I truly am from Phoenix Etiquette Palace!"

"If you don't believe me, sir, take me back to Phoenix Etiquette Palace and ask—everyone there knows me!"

After a brief silence, that Imperial Guard said: "Come, take us to see what exactly hit you."

"Yes! Yes! Thank you, sir, for your discernment!" the young eunuch scrambled up and led the Imperial Guards to the spot where the stones had fallen.

Xiao Er and Lu Qi's hearts rose.

Lu Qi pointed to the depths of Tiger Cave, meaning clear: if not possible, we go back.

Xiao Er nodded slightly and gently lifted Tuan Tuan, who was holding Snowball.

Tuan Tuan's face was buried in Snowball's fur, inhaling happily; Snowball lay comfortably in her arms, however she snuggled, it made no sound.

The Imperial Guard lowered his gaze to the stones on the ground: "The Imperial Garden's paths are swept clean by eunuchs every day—how could there be stones?"

The young eunuch replied glumly: "How would I know? If I did, I'd have avoided it long ago."

One Imperial Guard looked up: "Could that cat have pushed off from the artificial hill's stones? Let's go check!"

"Yes!" one Imperial Guard climbed the nearby artificial hill, inspected it, and held up a stone: "Here we have the same kind of stone!"

After speaking, he climbed down, compared the stone in his hand with the ground stones: "Indeed it's from here. There are plenty more on that artificial hill!"

"Forget it, hurry back! Don't run around in the middle of the night! It's only because we ran into you; if it were someone else, they might not even ask questions and just cut you down as an assassin."

"Yes yes yes! I know!" the young eunuch hastily kowtowed in thanks, reluctantly glancing at the Imperial Garden—the cat still wasn't found!

But he dared not delay, turned and fled in a puff of smoke.

Soon, the Imperial Guards who had been tossed about half the day also left the Imperial Garden.

Only then did Xiao Er and Lu Qi's hearts settle; they exchanged a smile—what a commotion!

Xiao Er crouched: "Miss, we need to go to Splendid Appearance Hall."

Tuan Tuan clung to Snowball, unwilling to let go: "Second Uncle Xiao Er, Snowball is still the one I met when I lived in the Empress's Palace! It really likes me!"

Lu Qi chuckled: "If you can't bear to part with it, Miss, take it back—it'll make a fine companion for Xiao Feifei."

Tuan Tuan pondered: "But didn't that young eunuch say that if Snowball isn't found tomorrow, he'll get a beating?"

"The Empress treats Snowball very well; if it got lost, she'd surely be heartbroken." She shook her head: "Snowball has an owner—I can't take it away."

Xiao Er and Lu Qi's hearts softened—Miss is always so sensible and kind-hearted!

Tuan Tuan thought, then whispered near Snowball's ear: "Be good, little Snowball, next time I come to play, hurry home."

Snowball lifted its head, looked at her and let out a "meow," as if understanding, leapt from her arms to the ground, and flicked its tail.

But after taking a few steps outward, it turned back and kept rubbing against Tuan Tuan's legs.

Tuan Tuan also crouched, stroking its back—person and cat, a pair unwilling to part.

Lu Qi sighed: "Miss, let it play with you a while longer; meanwhile I'll go scout ahead to see if we can get in."

"All right!" Tuan Tuan without another word hugged Snowball back into her arms.

Lu Qi slipped out the iron gate and vanished into the night.

After a while, he returned, shook his head at Xiao Er: "No."

It's close, but Splendid Appearance Hall is completely surrounded by Imperial Guards; without someone to lure them away, we can't get in at all.

Xiao Er frowned: "If it were elsewhere, that'd be fine, but this is the imperial palace—no matter how skilled you are, one person trying to draw off so many Imperial Guards would likely not escape."

Tuan Tuan looked at Snowball in her arms: "Second Uncle Xiao Er, could I have Snowball lure them away?"

Everyone here knows it, knows it's the Empress's cat, and won't harm it.

That way, that young eunuch won't get a beating tomorrow either!

"Good idea!" Lu Qi gave Tuan Tuan a thumbs‑up, "Miss, you're really clever!"

Xiao Er smiled and squatted, "Alright, then today we'll watch the Snowball."

Tuan Tuan hugged the Snowball, climbed onto his back, the three of them and a cat slipped out of Tiger Cave, passed through the Imperial Garden, and arrived near Huarong Hall on the west side.

Lu Qi pointed at a palace not far away, "That's the place."

Xiao Er nodded.

Tuan Tuan patted the Snowball's little head and lowly instructed it, "Be good, little Snowball, go and draw away the bad guys over there, okay?"

"Don't meow! You're so cute, once you meow they won't be scared!"

Snowball proudly lifted its chin, as if saying, "I'm cute!"

Tuan Tuan raised a little hand and gestured, "You, go here and cause a bit of trouble, then go there and cause a bit of trouble, make them run back and forth, they won't have time to guard!"

Snowball tilted its head, its big eyes blinked, seeming to try to figure out what this 'cause a bit of trouble here and there' means.

Tuan Tuan thought for a moment, continued gesturing, "Just like in the Empress's palace, you know—kick over a teacup here, knock over a teapot there, got it?"

"Remember, run fast, don't let them see you!"

Snowball's head turned left and right with her hand, let out a soft "Meow", and brushed against her little hand.

Tuan Tuan hurriedly added, "Wait for me to come out! Snowball, when you see me out, go home! The Empress will be sad if she can't find you."

Snowball gently licked her little hand, hopped lightly out of her arms, landed on the ground, its four tiny paws patting small steps, and without looking back ran toward Huarong Hall.