Chapter 17 She suspected that Xu Congjing might be her brother, Zizheng…

Three years ago, when Lou Yanxu accompanied her grandmother on a family visit, Pu Niang happened to fall seriously ill and therefore did not go with her. Lou Yanxu felt something was amiss, and after much thought, she realized that only Pu Niang might know something about it.

"I only know that it was the eldest young master who brought Miss Xu back, but she was already dead when he saw her." Pu Niang lowered her head and recalled the scene, a faint gloom settling on her face. "That young master Xu even fought with the eldest young master, and then I heard the news of the eldest young master's death."

Lou Yanxu knew all of this, and she leaned forward urgently, "Think carefully, was there anything wrong with it back then?"

“There’s nothing wrong with it…” Pu Niang clenched her hands on her knees, “It’s just that Miss Xu’s head is covered in blood, it’s quite frightening.”

Her head was covered in blood, her head was covered in blood. Lou Yanxu's mind was a mess. In the end, she blamed herself for going on a trip because she was too playful. If she had been with Sister Rou at that time, perhaps the outcome would have been different.

She clutched her head, then suddenly looked up with a start, "Didn't Sister Rou commit suicide by drowning?"

“How could he have drowned himself? I saw it clearly, his clothes were all dry.”

Something was definitely off.

Father said that Sister Rou committed suicide by drowning, and Brother's body was also pulled from the river. Lou Yanxu knew that Brother loved Sister Rou, so there was nothing wrong with him following her in death. But Sister Rou was such a cheerful and optimistic person, so her suicide must have been due to some great difficulty.

Why did Brother Ke Zizheng leave without saying goodbye?

After a long pause, Lou Yanxu's heart tightened. She took a deep breath and asked again, "Then what was the cause of Sister Rou's death?"

Pu Niang answered honestly, "This servant doesn't know, it looks like she killed herself by hitting her head on a wall."

Upon hearing this, she gasped, tears streaming down her face. Sister Rou, Sister Rou, who has driven you to this?! She thought to herself how useless she was, knowing nothing, unable to help in any way, and ultimately the only one kept in the dark.

After she sent Pu Niang away, she buried her face in her embroidered pillow and wept uncontrollably.

The next day, she got up listlessly, feeling lost, only to see Pu Niang rushing in through the curtain in a flustered manner. "Second Madam! That old lady just came to the door, and the old lady fainted after learning what happened!"

Lou Yanxu shuddered, her mind buzzing. She jumped out of bed to change, quickly rinsed her mouth, and rushed to the reception room. Her grandmother was already resting on the daybed in the side hall, her face frighteningly pale. She nearly suffocated and collapsed, only regaining her balance with Qingrui's help.

The maidservant hurriedly brought in a doctor. In the brief moment, she turned around and saw Weng Chuchu standing to the side with her hands at her sides. Her anger flared up even more, and she shouted sharply, "Grab her!"

"You dare!"

Weng Chuchu finally couldn't hold back anymore. She was never a proper young lady. She pretended to be a good person in front of others, but now that she was far away in Suzhou, she finally showed her delicate and charming side.

Lou Yanxu didn't care whether she was a human or a ghost, but she wouldn't allow her to cross the line. "Madam Weng, I've always turned a blind eye to your affair with the young master, but you shouldn't have provoked my grandmother."

The servant of the Lou family forced Weng Chuchu to kneel down. She struggled several times but could not break free. She shouted at Lou Yanxu, "Lou Yanxu, my father will not let you go!"

Lou Yanxu's gaze was icy as she gritted her teeth and said, "If anything happens to my grandmother today, I will not let you off the hook either."

The Minister of Personnel could easily destroy the Lou family, but if his grandmother were also gone, what would be the point of her guarding such a large family? She might as well die along with her.

After the doctor finished his examination, she clenched her fist tightly, asking, "How is it?"

"She's just angry and upset. She'll need to rest for half a month. Don't make her angry again."

She finally breathed a sigh of relief and told Qingrui to see the guests out. As she approached her grandmother, looking at her full head of white hair, she felt even more bitter and prayed silently.

Grandmother, may you live to be a hundred years old.

The sky in Suzhou was unusually bright, and the sunlight was blindingly white. Sheng Yan rushed in, drenched in sweat, but Wan Qing'an, who had also rushed over, stopped him. His eyes fell on Weng Chuchu kneeling on the ground, and he flew into a rage, "Lou Yanxu, let her go!"

Lou Yanxu ignored her, stroking her grandmother's face and staring blankly. Fortunately, her grandmother slowly woke up after a while, squeezing her hand to comfort her, "Wanwan..."

"Grandmother, you're awake."

"I'm fine..." The old lady's voice was hoarse and weak. A gust of wind entered her and she coughed so hard that her lungs felt like they were going to come out. Her body, which had clearly recovered a few days ago, would have to endure a lot of hard medicine again after this ordeal.

Enraged, tears welled up in Lou Yanxu's eyes. She quickly wiped them away, stood up, and strode to Weng Chuchu. With a gust of wind, she slapped Weng Chuchu, causing her mouth to bleed.

Everyone present was shocked. How dare a mere merchant's daughter, even if she married into a marquis's household, be an unfavored one?

Weng Chuchu looked up in astonishment, momentarily stunned. Lou Yanxu was so angry she was about to explode. She grabbed Weng Chuchu and pushed her away, saying, "If you have any problems, come at me. If you dare to bother my grandmother again, I'm barefoot and I'm not afraid of anyone wearing shoes."

She had yielded step by step, always yielding to others when they wronged her, but in the end, all she got in return was more emboldened. The more she yielded, the more presumptuous they became, thinking she was weak and easy to bully.

Sheng Yan stepped forward to catch Weng Chuchu, and Lou Yanxu grabbed a flowerpot and threw it at her.

Broken pieces of the vase scattered everywhere. Weng Chuchu jumped and dodged, looking as disheveled as a stray dog. Sheng Yan pulled her behind him and said, "Lou Yanxu, do you believe I'll divorce you?!"

Divorce? That's all Sheng Yan will use to threaten her. Lou Yanxu's mind flashed back to her grandmother's pale face, and the fire in her chest almost burned her to ashes. She screamed, "Divorce me? Divorce me isn't enough! You'd better kill me! Kill me!"

"Wanwan!" Her grandmother's steady voice came, and Lou Yanxu calmed herself down and fell silent.

Sheng Yan angrily cursed her as a madwoman, and left the Lou residence with Weng Chuchu. On their way out, they were slipped on by some water that Wan Qing'an had poured in front of the door, and they fell flat on their faces.

The reception room was in a mess. Pu Niang called a servant to clean up. Lou Yanxu stood there in a daze, when she heard her grandmother's trembling voice calling her, "Wanwan, come here."

Her grandmother didn't scold her; instead, she felt even more sorry for her. "You always report good news and never bad news... You're always like this!"

"Grandmother, were you wrong? Wanwan, Grandmother shouldn't have sent you to Chang'an..." The old lady's eyes were filled with tears. She was so heartbroken when she learned that her granddaughter had been flogged ten times.

Lou Yanxu was very clear-headed and brave. "Grandmother, I am a member of the Lou family. I should always take responsibility for my future. This is not your fault."

"Yun Bing is gone, Yun Li is gone too, and Grandmother only has you left. You must take good care of yourself, you absolutely must take good care of yourself!"

Lou Yanxu's face was pale as she suddenly realized that the Lou family was falling apart one by one. Yun Bing, her twin brother, had been missing ever since, and she didn't know if she would ever be lucky enough to find him in this lifetime.

The grandfather and grandson embraced for a long time, both cherishing this rare moment of tenderness.

The next day was also a beautiful sunny day. They heard that Xu Congjing was implementing a work-for-relief program in the west of the city, where those who volunteered to build dikes and fill in low-lying areas would receive more stored grain, and that soup kitchens and medical aid stations had been set up. Lou Yanxu and Wan Qing'an exchanged glances and agreed to go and lend a hand.

The two men arrived at the west side of the city by car and then walked towards the medical aid station. They overheard three young men filling in a ditch and discussing something.

"What kind of official has come from Chang'an this time? He is quite different from those who have come before."

"I heard he's a high-ranking official, a Minister of Works!"

"He is a rare and good official who is willing to work and eat with us."

Lou Yanxu never expected to see Xu Congjing here, and nodded silently to herself. There is no shortage of diligent and accomplished officials in the current court, but very few who can share the hardships and joys of the people. Regardless of his political skills, at least to the people, he is indeed a good official.

The young master was carried past the two men. The water had not yet receded, and there were still many hidden pits. One could easily get injured if one was not careful, which was why a medical aid station had been set up. The two men greeted Wen Jie and rushed over to help bandage him, only to find that the Third Madam of the Marquis's Mansion, Sheng Ling, was also there.

Just as I finished with this one, I suddenly heard someone shout from the other end, "Someone's injured! Come quick and help!"

Lou Yanxu had nothing to do, so she took the initiative to go over, but suddenly stopped.

If she had known beforehand that Xu Congjing was injured, she would have preferred to feign death. But someone was urging her on the other side, and now she couldn't turn back, so she had no choice but to bite the bullet and go forward.

His arm was scratched by a hard object, leaving a long gash. The flesh, which had been soaked in water, turned somewhat white. She felt intense pain just looking at it, but she didn't hear him utter a single cry of pain.

"Madam Lou, I'm in trouble."

Lou Yanxu didn't respond, lowering her head to carefully clean out the debris. Xu Congjing lowered his eyes, staring at the thin scar on her tiger's mouth. He remembered that time when she was playing and climbing a tree, and he was below to catch her but didn't dare to jump down, so he had to follow. Unexpectedly, the branch couldn't support their weight and broke. So two scars were left, one on her tiger's mouth and one on his calf.

Perhaps the gaze was too intense, and she became so flustered that she couldn't pick out the small stone hidden deep in her flesh that she became increasingly anxious and embarrassed, and a blush rose on her fair neck.

Xu Congjing chuckled, "Madam Lou's hands are shaking so much, are you drunk?"

Lou Yanxu raised her gaze, concealing her inner turmoil, "I won't get drunk."

Yes, she never gets drunk when she drinks, and she used to laugh at him when they drank together.

"Really?" He didn't realize he often reminisced about the past. He leaned back slightly, his dimples suddenly appearing. "Then I was drunk."

She looked up and met those amorous peach blossom eyes, which bewitched her and drew her in, like sinking into a swamp, the more she struggled, the deeper she sank.

When did the subtle changes begin between them?

She dared not think about it, her heart pounded, and she turned and ran away.

At noon, Wen Jie walked up to her and said, "It's time for lunch. Sister-in-law, why don't you go back to your residence first?"

Lou Yanxu glanced at the warm white porridge and steamed buns, "I am also a Suzhou resident. If you can eat this and they can eat this, then naturally I can eat it too."

Wen Jie glanced at Xu Congjing behind her, but ultimately couldn't persuade her otherwise, so she said nothing more.

Wen Jie distributed the food, and a long line of people formed in front of him, each receiving a bowl of porridge and a steamed bun.

When he reached Lou Yanxu, he specially added a steamed bun. She looked around somewhat embarrassedly and said, "No need for that, it's too much."

"This steamed bun originally came from Jing, but he doesn't like to eat it. Let's make room for it so it doesn't go to waste."

She glanced at him, and when he looked back at her, she was startled and hurried away, saying, "Give it to the people."

As the famine drew to a close, the people gathered together and chatted, finally feeling that life had come full circle and returned to its original state.

Sheng Ling sat down next to Xu Congjing, finished her porridge, and sighed, "Porridge made with refined rice is so much tastier. I've been staying here for over a month and haven't had refined rice in a long time."

Xu Congjing remained silent, exchanging a glance with Wen Jie. A month ago, the imperial court had allocated grain, but the people knew nothing of it; either someone had embezzled it or someone had stolen it. The two looked at Governor Zhang, who chuckled sheepishly, wiping the sweat from his brow with a handkerchief.

After a busy day that ended at dusk, Lou Yanxu returned home exhausted and finally got a good night's sleep.

The next day, she was filled with worry. Her grandmother's condition was not good; her legs felt like cotton, and she was constantly tired during the day. At her age, illness was not something that developed overnight. The doctor had prescribed a miraculous remedy, but it was still missing one ingredient. After discussing it, she decided to go up the mountain to collect it herself.

She had been to this mountain several times and was quite familiar with it, but the situation in the mountains was ever-changing. Just in case, she left Qingrui to wait at the foot of the mountain, saying that if she did not see her by sunset, she would go to find Wan Qing'an.

She then made her way up the mountain, spending considerable effort to finally find the herb on the edge of the cliff. Unfortunately, as she was descending the mountain, a light drizzle began to fall, so she quickened her pace, using the trees as support to find her way.

The wind and rain rushed past her ears, and footsteps sounded behind her. Before she could even look, she was tackled to the ground by a huge figure!

Lou Yanxu was terrified when a large hand pressed down on a snake that was flicking its tongue right in front of her. She broke out in a cold sweat.

She rolled over and stood up, looking up in a daze. She saw a figure in a crimson robe, Xu Congjing, who had tossed the snake into the distance and was looking at her indifferently.

Suddenly, a torrential downpour began, accompanied by thunder that shook the heavens. He pulled her to a nearby cave to take shelter from the rain. "What are you doing up in the mountains?"

Lou Yanxu stared blankly at the rain curtain, "I...I came to gather herbs."

The cave was small, and the two stood side by side at the entrance. In the pouring rain, it seemed as if the world was vast, and they were the only two people there.

"Are you cold?" Xu Congjing asked abruptly, then pulled her inside to set up a fire. The warmth instantly spread between them. She stole a glance at him, then quickly looked away before he could turn his gaze away.

"I was wrong that day, please don't be angry." Suddenly, his voice softened as he coaxed her.

A strange feeling welled up in Lou Yanxu's heart. Had they already reached the point of having to coax each other? For no reason, a breath caught in her throat. "I'm not angry."

But he felt wronged, like a wronged wife, "Then why do you ignore me?"

She sat further away, speaking in a distant tone, "Xu Situ, we shouldn't be that close."

I thought I was different in your heart.

"You and Jinniang are engaged, and we will be family from now on, so it's different." She was subtly reminding him that he was engaged and that he would have to call her sister-in-law from now on.

“A family…” Xu Congjing shook his head and smiled bitterly, collapsing against the wall. Lou Yanxu finally noticed his calves, which were soaked in blood.

You're injured!

The wound was so deep it exposed bone, much deeper than the cut on his arm. She was horrified and tore off a piece of her skirt to bandage it.

He closed his eyes, furrowed his brows, his face was handsome, and he remained silent and well-behaved.

Lou Yanxu withdrew her gaze, suddenly bowed her head, her eyes fixed, yet timid.

The thin scar on his calf was remarkably similar to the one on Zizheng's body. They were left when the two of them fell from the tree; her scar was on the web of her thumb, while Zizheng's brother's scar was on his calf.

The same peach blossom eyes, sugar cake, and bitter tea.

She stood there lost in thought for a long time, Xu Congjing's words from that day echoing in her ears:

Wanwan, I'm worried about you.

Long-standing mysteries are being gradually unraveled at this moment.

Is Xu Congjing her brother Zizheng?

She touched it, "Is this injury caused by a tree branch?"

His hand, hanging by his side, tightened slightly. He opened his eyes and looked at her. "What kind of injury is it? Is it serious?"

Lou Yanxu looked at him, her eyes tracing his features, until her expression gradually cleared, "It's nothing serious."

In the darkness, the firelight made Xu Congjing's face flush red. He looked up and called to her in a hoarse voice, "Wanwan, come here."

As if guided by some strange force, she obediently moved closer.

His large hand pressed against the back of her neck, burning with heat, and with a forceful pull, he drew her closer. The two were so close that his masculine scent filled her senses.

Danger, temptation.

Taste.