Chapter 74: A Dilemma "If he comes to bother me again, I'm ready...

After the sudden sound of broken porcelain exploding, the tense atmosphere instantly dissipated. Lin Meiju sat up straight in silence, feeling embarrassed and ashamed. She didn't know how to face Chuqi with her head down, so she kept silent.

Chuqi had actually had a premonition, and the current situation was much better than he'd imagined. She'd called him brother for over a decade, so it was understandable that she wouldn't accept the sudden change in status. He'd previously feared that a rash declaration of his feelings would frighten her, and had planned to wait a year or two, until she was more acquainted with the world of love, before confessing his feelings. But he hadn't expected the Lin family to see through his thoughts and warn him against his wishful thinking. He'd assumed the Lin family would accept him after he passed the imperial examinations. By then, he'd already be a scholar, and all he had to do was wait another six months. Once he passed, he could propose marriage—but he hadn't expected the Lin family to use the most brutal methods to kidnap her. The day he learned the news, he fled the academy overnight, only to be scolded by Chen Huisheng, who pointed his finger at his nose and said, "What's the point of going now?!"

At the time, Chen Huisheng had urged him to stay and pursue his studies; perhaps it was still possible. But then… the past was too painful to recall. Every time I recalled it, the old scars deep in my heart were tugged at, a bitter pain mingled with a suppressed sense of melancholy. Chuqi looked at her, her brow lowered, as if she had done something wrong. All his disappointment melted into pity and compassion. Those who are loved never need to feel guilty.

He didn't want to force her, and he didn't want his love to become a burden to her.

The heat on Chuqi's face had not yet subsided. He calmed himself down and said gently, "What's wrong?"

Lin Meizhu bit her lip lightly, pointed at the sky, and said apologetically, "I'm afraid of being struck by lightning..."

Chuqi pretended not to notice the flicker in her eyes as she made her excuses, sighing softly inwardly: Status is probably secondary. Perhaps... she's not ready for a new relationship yet. For now, he could only patiently wait for time to heal her pain.

Chuqi blinked, "Then let's go back to the house next time?"

Lin Meizhu obviously didn't expect him to respond like this. She raised her head and asked, "What?"

His face still looked relaxed as he gently ruffled her hair. "When you have discussed this with the Thunder God and the Lightning Mother, remember to let me know."

Seeing him joking seriously, Lin Meiju couldn't help but burst out laughing and said "OK".

The awkward atmosphere just now disappeared in an instant, and the two returned to normal, talking and laughing, their figures falling to the ground, looking as if they were leaning on each other intimately.

Gazing at the small, intimate figures huddled in the courtyard overlooking the street, Shen Changfeng's throat burned. He reached for the wine jug, gulping down the cool wine, trying to suppress the surging anger and jealousy. He clearly saw Lin Meizhu push Chuqi away as the bottle shattered. He should have been thankful—Lin Meizhu had clearly been blinded by lust, and she had come to her senses in time. It was clear she only felt a brotherly affection for Chuqi. However, after a few sips of rice wine, the raging fever within him didn't subside; instead, the strong wind seemed to intensify it. Now it was just brotherly love, but what about the future? Family ties were far more enduring and solid than lust. Besides, who could guarantee that brotherly love wouldn't subtly change at some point? But he could do nothing but throw things around like a drunkard, raging impotently.

It was late at night, the summer heat had completely ended, and the fog was growing thicker. Lin Meizhu felt a little chilly, but she still had no intention of returning to her room. She hugged her knees and looked at the stars in the sky. She heard someone behind her say, "You can sleep in my room tonight."

Lin Meizhu tilted her head and asked, "What about you? Don't tell me you'd like a bed with mice running over it. Besides, Xianchan might still be playing with mice in there, and then give it to you again."

Lin Meizhu rested her head on her arm, half her face gleaming in a soft, white glow under the starlight. Her thick eyelashes brushed the twig-like pattern on her sleeve, seeming distressed. Her brows were lightly furrowed, but her sparkling eyes held a helpless partiality. The beauty seemed neither angry nor angry, adding a touch of naiveté to her demeanor. Chuqi suddenly understood why, even while studying so hard, she still loved the mist-shrouded, dark-black mountain outside the west window. It was just that mountain and that scene, which bore a certain resemblance to her own features.

Chu Qi curled her lips and said, "I'll go to the right ear room. Isn't there one that's still empty?"

"No, Xianchan also likes to go there to cause trouble. Besides, that place was originally intended for relatives and friends, and it hasn't been ventilated for a long time. I'm afraid it will be damp. You absolutely cannot go there!"

Chuqi felt warm in his heart: cats are bad, but people are good.

"How about I go to Doctor Chen's room?"

Lin Meizhu couldn't help laughing. "If you disturb him, he will definitely not be happy with you. We will all be scolded tomorrow."

The two of them thought of a solution at the same time, but at the same time they hurriedly dismissed the idea.

Lin Meizhu stood up and stretched: "I'll go and squeeze in with Xiaoman for one night, so we don't have to go through all this trouble."

Chuqi nodded and said, "I have new bedding in my room. I'll get it for you."

"I'll go with you, so you don't have to make another trip."

As they walked, one in front and one behind, Lin Meizhu asked casually, "Where did I count to?"

Chuqi said without hesitation: "One hundred and thirty-two."

Lin Meizhu stepped over the threshold and muttered somewhat unconvincedly, "Well, your memory is still as good as ever."

"If I had a memory as good as yours, I wouldn't have to work so hard to keep accounts."

Chu Qi walked behind her and smiled when she heard this: "When I come back, I will help you with the accounts."

Was this a double entendre? Lin Meizhu's heart rippled, and just as she was about to reply, she heard a cry of surprise from outside.

"The fire is coming! The fire is coming!"

Suddenly, the streets erupted in the banging of gongs and panicked cries. Lin Meizhu and Chuqi ran out of their room and saw a faint flame somewhere in the back street. Soon, Chen Huisheng returned from the side door, cursing. A few years ago, the old man had accidentally fallen while chasing the kidnapped Lin Meizhu. He had fallen again while chasing the truant Chuqi, also on the same leg. He stumbled a little when he walked fast, but that didn't stop him from limping along at a brisk pace. He was certainly still strong in his old age.

"There's no peace! First there were rats, then there were drunks from nowhere smashing bottles, and now there's a fire in the abandoned stables!"

The stable hadn't caught fire earlier or later, but it happened just when Lin Meizhu entered the room. It was such a good choice of timing. Neither Lin Meizhu nor Chuqi could convince themselves that the wine bottle was just a coincidence.

Seeing the two of them standing in front of the door with worried looks on their faces, Chen Huisheng stared at Chuqi with a gradually meaningful look, "If you don't want to go to bed, what are you going to do?"

Lin Meizhu immediately responded, "Just getting new bedding..." Then she said to Aunt Zhang, who had also been woken up, "There's a mouse in my room. Xiaoman and I will sleep in tonight."

Chen Huisheng finally hummed a sigh of relief. Halfway through his walk, he turned back, feeling uneasy, to peek. Only when he saw Chuqi coming out with the mattress in his arms did he feel relieved. Chen Huisheng sighed softly. "Well, children and grandchildren will have their own blessings." Besides, he really didn't dare to interfere anymore.

At first, he painstakingly selected a suitable husband for his daughter, Chen Leyao. However, his daughter despised him for his plain appearance, saying he was just a poor scholar and didn't come from a wealthy family. She wanted to marry someone higher up, and she insisted on breaking off the engagement. Furious at his short-sightedness, Chen Huisheng, despite his wife's pleas, locked Chen Leyao up at home, believing that after they got married, she would understand his father's care. Unexpectedly, Chen Leyao and Lin Qianzu, a passerby begging for water, fell in love, and one night they eloped!

Chen Huisheng spent all his family wealth in order to find his daughter, but he not only failed to find her, but also had to pay for her to raise her.

He had noticed Chu Qi's feelings for Lin Meizhu years before, and with that painful experience behind him, Chen Huisheng didn't dare act rashly. He neither opposed nor supported it, thinking he'd just let things take their own course. But before he knew it, his granddaughter was abducted! He watched helplessly as the two children he'd raised suffered so much, and after all the setbacks, he was filled with regret.

Now what? Lin Meizhu was young, beautiful, and capable. Many matchmakers tried to introduce her to a man, but she politely declined. Chen Huisheng could see that she had no intention of remarrying.

Chuqi, after returning to his ancestral home, is no longer as free as before. He carries the expectations of two families and his own unshirkable responsibilities. He can't just abandon his past, including his imperial appointment, and walk away. Lin Meizhu, having just escaped from prison, is completely absorbed in running her pharmacy and likely won't abandon her hard work to return to her husband and children. If these two are to be together, one of them will have to make concessions and sacrifices...

The more he thought about it, the more confused he became. Chen Huisheng shook his head and sighed: I'm afraid I'm not the only one who can't sleep tonight.

Chuqi looked out at the dim night sky, also lost in thought, and said, "A few days ago, a colleague mentioned that he had an unused house in Chengpingfang and asked if anyone around him was interested. Things have been a bit turbulent lately, and it's close to the Inspection Office, so the location is quite good..."

Lin Meiju glanced at Chuqi beside her. The lights were dim and she could not see clearly the expression on his face when he said this, but from his tone, it seemed that he just mentioned it unintentionally.

Chuqi's concerns were not without reason. After the floods in Henan, many refugees migrated south, contributing to the rise in banditry in Hubei. Many were forced into banditry, and with bandits mingling with civilians, even honest and simple-minded farmers could become murderous robbers at night. Even merchants in Jiangling County, where Lin Meizhu lived, were robbed.

Lin Meizhu replied, "We're in a densely populated area, and neighbors look out for each other. With Da Huang and Xiao Hei at home, I don't think those thieves would be so bold. Besides, if you have spare money, that's not how you spend it. You'll need it later."

The two of them stopped at the end of the corridor, the candlelight flickering, the fragmented light falling on Chu Qi's face, clearly illuminating his brows that had not yet relaxed. Chu Qi heard this and said, "Then I will leave my servant behind."

Only then did Lin Meiju understand who the thief Chuqi was worried about.

As the saying goes, a tall tree attracts the wind, and Chu Qi is still investigating the truth behind the Li family's frame-up. Who knows if someone might be watching from the dark, waiting for an opportunity to suppress or retaliate? It's especially important to be cautious at times like this. Lin Meizhu naturally worried about Chu Qi leaving someone behind for her at this time, saying, "If you leave someone here, I'll be worried."

Chuqi still seemed to have concerns, and in order to convince him, Lin Meizhu blurted out, "He won't do anything to me."

When these words were spoken, both of them were stunned.

Chuqi pursed his lips, and felt a bitter taste on the tip of his teeth and tongue.

Lin Meizhu was familiar with Shen Changfeng's temperament, just as Shen Changfeng knew Lin Meizhu's temperament well.

Previously, Chu Qi thought that Shen Changfeng took action in the Lantern Market out of jealousy. However, after seeing Lin Meiju appear, Chu Qi immediately realized that he was wrong.

Shen Changfeng knew that if he went directly to Lin Meizhu, he would be turned away. He was deliberately bluffing because he knew that Lin Meizhu would show up after hearing the news, and he would have the opportunity to express his feelings.

Lin Meizhu knew Chen Changfeng was determined and wouldn't give up easily, so she chose the most piercing words, making herself appear unkind, mean, and vain, to embarrass him, frustrate him, and make him give up. How true must one's love be to be able to understand the love, hate, anger, and obsession in such a short time? If one hadn't loved deeply, how could one know each other's weaknesses and bottom lines?

Chu Qi's uneasiness became more and more obvious. As early as when Qin Yan "died in the line of duty", he keenly felt that Shen Changfeng was by no means as ridiculous as the rumors said.

At that time, news of Qin Yan's assassination spread everywhere, and all factions in the court wanted to throw dirty water on each other. If the Qin family was accused of factional strife, not only would Qin Yan's reputation be ruined, but the Qin family would also likely be taken advantage of to liquidate.

However, after Shen Changfeng took over the case, public opinion began to change quietly at some point.

First, many local gentry and distant mountain chiefs in Henan Province wrote poems and essays in mourning. Then, stories of Qin Yan's painstaking efforts to inspect the river despite his illness spread among the people. By the time the imperial court arrived in Henan, the local people had already begun to spontaneously build thatched shrines to commemorate Qin Yan. No longer discussing the cause of Qin Yan's death, everyone was mourning the loss of a good official and shedding tears for Qin Yan's mother, who had lost a good son.

Shen Changfeng is not a brainless playboy. He is very good at calculating people's hearts and using situations to rise to the top. Every step he takes has a deep meaning.

The worse his reputation, the harder it is to discern his true intentions. When it comes to disguise, no one can match him. Chu Qi has a feeling this opponent will be even tougher than he imagined.

Chuqi even felt that the fight was not just to lure out Lin Meizhu... When Shen Changfeng was mistaken for an assassin that night, he did not escape immediately, but went to a higher place. What was he confirming?

It was the King of Chu who ordered the arrows to be shot that night. Did the two men have a feud? Was the King of Chu planning to kill to vent his anger? Or was there some other motive?

But no matter what the truth is, Chuqi doesn't want Lin Meiju to be involved.

Lin Meizhu was silent for a moment, then took the blanket from Chuqi's hand and said in a low voice, "If he comes to bother me again, I have a backup plan ready."

Chuqi looked at him inquiringly, and Lin Meiju stood on tiptoe and whispered a few words in his ear.

Chuqi's eyes gradually brightened up. These words gave him a reassurance.