Chapter 95 He Chases After 3 and Sends People to Keep an Eye on Her

Once the decision was made, the first priority was survival and hiding.

She hardened her heart and carefully mixed charcoal ash from the bottom of the stove with certain plant juices that were not easy to fade, applying it to her face to cleverly create large patches of dark birthmarks. She also deliberately made her black hair dry, yellow, and frizzy, wrapped her head with coarse cloth, and completely covered her forehead and part of her face. Finally, she changed into a loose and rough Western Rong costume that she had bought from the local market, and with her chest slightly hunched and back slightly bent, she completely concealed her originally slender figure and outstanding temperament.

Looking at herself in the mirror, the person in the mirror was drab and plain-looking, completely different from the radiant Shen Fangru of the past at the Xuanji Banquet.

Although this city called "Tara" was located in the territory of the Western Rong, it was a vital transportation hub connecting the Western Regions and the Central Plains, with a constant stream of caravans coming and going.

The city government office, which frequently deals with Xia Kingdom merchant caravans and handles documents, urgently needs personnel who can read Chinese characters and are knowledgeable about Central Plains affairs.

With her solid academic background, Fangru successfully passed the examination and secured a job at the government office handling documents and translating correspondence.

Her colleague, Quinn, was a quiet young man from the Western Regions who was mainly responsible for organizing local household registrations and archives.

As Fangru worked, she gradually realized that although this place was named after the Western Rong, the management model of the government office, the process of document circulation, and even the implementation details of the laws and regulations all subtly revealed the advanced and efficient system of the Xia Kingdom.

This set off a slight alarm bell in her mind. It turned out that this place was not entirely out of Zhou Ling's sphere of influence, but was simply being controlled in a more covert way.

But she had no way out.

To stay away from Zhou Ling, she had to carefully hide here, searching for a glimmer of hope in this seemingly safe but actually turbulent place.

The days passed by in a state of anxious seclusion, and more than three months had gone by in the blink of an eye.

Fangru's belly was already showing, and the wide coarse cloth robe could no longer completely conceal her curves.

That afternoon, the wooden door of the government office was suddenly pushed open, bringing in a rush of dust.

Several men dressed in tight-fitting clothes and with curved swords at their waists strode in. The leader was tall and upright. Although he was dressed as a Western Rong warrior, there was an inescapable anxiety and coldness between his brows.

Even with disguised features and deliberately darkened skin tone and facial contours, Fangru still recognized Zhou Ling's unfathomable eyes at a glance.

He actually came to Tara City in person! And he looked... as if he was urgently looking for something.

"Investigate!" Zhou Ling's voice was low and hoarse, carrying an unquestionable command tone. He directly told Quinn, who had stepped forward to greet him, "Retrieve the registration records of all people who have entered Tara City within the last five months!"

His gaze was sharp as an eagle's, quickly sweeping over the few people in the government office. He didn't even linger on Fangru's "ugly" face for a moment before looking away, as if she were just an insignificant decoration in the corner.

Quinn, intimidated by this imposing manner, stammered, "Yes, yes, sir, please wait a moment, I'll go get it right away..."

Fangru inwardly cried out in alarm.

Although the register used an alias, the information such as "woman from the Central Plains, single, entered the city about five months ago" was enough to arouse his suspicion.

We must stop it!

She stood up abruptly, swaying slightly from the sudden movement. She quickly grabbed the table for support, bracing herself against her lower back with one hand, and deliberately raised her voice in heavily accented Xirong dialect, calling out, "Brother Quinn! Wait!"

She shuffled between Quinn and Zhou Ling, tilting her head back to fully expose her left cheek, covered in "birthmarks," to Zhou Ling's view, her eyes filled with wariness and a hint of the arrogance of a common woman:

"Rules! Do you even care about the rules here? You need an official document from your superior to access the files! Who are you? Show me the document!" She deliberately ignored Zhou Ling and yelled at Quinn, "Who knows if they're spies from the south trying to steal our Western Rong's secrets!"

Quinn was startled by Fangru's sudden assertiveness and stood frozen in place.

Zhou Ling's brows furrowed, clearly his patience was running out.

He finally looked directly at the "ugly woman" who dared to stop him. His gaze swept over the birthmark on her face and her protruding belly, his eyes showing only impatience at being disturbed and a cold scrutiny, without the slightest hint of familiarity.

"Insolence!" a follower behind Zhou Ling shouted sternly.

Zhou Ling raised his hand to stop his attendant. At this moment, he was focused on finding clues about Fangru as soon as possible and did not want to get entangled with an unimportant ugly woman, lest he cause any further trouble.

He suppressed his anxiety and said in a cold tone, "The official documents were not with me. This matter is of great importance. If it is delayed, you cannot afford the consequences."

"No official document, no way!" Fangru said stubbornly, making full use of her status as a pregnant woman and "upholding the rules."

Zhou Ling gave her a deep look, his gaze sharp as a knife, as if trying to cut through her coarse appearance, but in the end, his eagerness to find Fangru overwhelmed everything.

He snorted coldly, ignoring the "unreasonable" woman, and turned to Quinn and the others in the office, saying in a deep voice, "Prepare the official documents immediately! I will come again tomorrow! If there is any further delay..." His unfinished words were full of threat, and then he and his men turned and left, their backs revealing deep frustration and disappointment.

Quinn turned pale with fright, and only after Zhou Ling had walked away did he pat his chest and say to Fangru, "Awu, you really... have too much courage! But you're right, the rules can't be broken! It's just that these people look like they're not to be trifled with..."

Fangru sat back down as if she had collapsed, a cold sweat breaking out on her back.

He really didn't recognize her... Was it because her appearance was so unsightly, so different from the glamorous Shen Fangru he remembered? Or was it because he was so anxious that he had no time to carefully examine an "unfamiliar" ugly woman?

However, her luck didn't last long.

The next day, Zhou Ling returned as expected. This time, he slammed a document bearing the official seal of the Western Rong onto the table, his tone even colder than the day before: "Here's the official document, the file!"

Fangru examined the almost indistinguishable document and knew she could no longer use it as an excuse to stop them.

She insisted, "Even if there are official documents, the archives are a restricted area, and outsiders are not allowed to look through them at will. Tell me what you need to find, and I will come and find it."

Zhou Ling's patience had clearly run out. He stared at Fangru with a dangerous look in his eyes: "I'm looking for a woman from the Central Plains named Shen Fangru. Here's a portrait. She'll be entering the city around May." He unfurled a scroll, which showed Fangru's former face.

Fangru stared at the portrait, her heart nearly stopping, but she tried to remain calm and replied gruffly, "No recollection! So many people come and go every day, who can remember them all!"

"You!" Zhou Ling's attendant glared angrily.

Zhou Ling raised his hand to stop her. He stared at Fangru with eyes as sharp as ice blades. Suddenly, he took a step forward, and a powerful sense of oppression instantly enveloped her: "What is your intention in obstructing me in every way? Could it be... that you have some connection with Shen Fangru?" His suspicions finally fell on this "ugly woman" who had repeatedly challenged his authority.

Fangru was shocked, knowing that continuing the stalemate would only make things more suspicious.

She took a deep breath, seemingly intimidated by his imposing manner, and reluctantly stood up: "...Fine, you can look it up yourselves! The archives are this way, all the files are in there, find them yourselves!" She led them to the archives, pointing to the mountain of files, "Hurry up if you're looking!"

While Zhou Ling and the others buried themselves in the pile of old papers, Fang Ru quietly withdrew.

We can't let him investigate any further!

She made a snap decision, went around to the back window of the archives room, and quickly set fire to the clutter piled up there.

The fire spread rapidly with the help of the wind, and thick smoke billowed out.

"Fire! The archives are on fire!" Chaos erupted inside the government office.

Zhou Ling and his men were forced out by the thick smoke, looking quite disheveled.

He stood in the courtyard, looking at the burning flames, his face so gloomy it could drip water.

His gaze fell once more on Fangru, who stood meekly on the periphery of the crowd. This time, his eyes were filled with undisguised scrutiny and cold suspicion.

He strode through the chaotic crowd, walked straight up to Fangru, ignored her deliberate attempts to avoid him, and said in a low, dangerous voice, with an unmistakable killing intent: "This fire has come at just the right time."

Fangru's heart tightened; she almost thought he had recognized her.

However, his next words stunned her: "You have repeatedly obstructed the investigation, and now there's been a sudden fire... I don't care who instructed you or what your intentions are." His gaze locked onto her like an iron clamp. "Now, come with me. I have ways to make you tell the truth."

He suspected her because she obstructed official business, and he even suspected that she was a pawn sent by hostile forces to interfere with his search for Fangru. However, he failed to connect this ugly and uncouth pregnant woman in front of him with the stunningly beautiful Shen Fangru that he had been searching for.

Fangru was locked in by his cold gaze, and knew that if she could not give a reasonable explanation today, she would probably not be able to get away.

She slowly squatted down, supporting her belly, her forehead beaded with cold sweat; this time it wasn't an act.

"My lord..." her voice was weak, with the panting characteristic of a pregnant woman, "I was indeed fetching water in the backyard when I saw several suspicious-looking people climb out of the back window of the archives... I was frightened and tried to call for help, and then I saw sparks coming out from inside..."

She raised her tearful eyes, deliberately making the birthmark on her face appear even more grotesque in the sunlight: "Looking like this, even the neighbors avoid me like the plague. Who could have ordered me to do this? It was just a coincidence that I stumbled upon it..." As she spoke, she cried out in pain and clutched her stomach tightly.

Zhou Ling's gaze was sharp as a knife, scanning her face back and forth.

A servant whispered, "Master, this woman doesn't seem to be faking it. Besides, she's pregnant; if we use torture..."

"You certainly know how to pick your moments," Zhou Ling said coldly, though his tone softened slightly. He gave his attendant a wink, "Go and investigate the suspicious person she mentioned."

The attendant accepted the order and left.

Zhou Ling then said to Fangru, "Since you are not feeling well, please wait here for a while. If what you say is true, I will take action."

Fangru breathed a sigh of relief, but still dared not be careless.

She leaned against the wall, truly feeling the restlessness of the fetus in her womb; at this moment, her fear was seven-tenths genuine.

About an incense stick later, the attendant quickly returned, knelt on one knee, and reported: "Master, we did find unfamiliar footprints at the back window. Judging from the stride and the way they were used, they should belong to two martial artists who went in different directions."

Zhou Ling's gaze sharpened slightly: "Can you discern any distinguishing features?"

“The footprints are of varying depths and the gait is steady, indicating they are not ordinary bandits.” The follower hesitated for a moment, “However… the right footprint of one of them is slightly lighter, as if he has an old injury.”

Fangru lowered her eyes to hide the glint in them. Just now, she had deliberately worn specially made wooden clogs, with her left foot heavy and her right foot light, walking back and forth on the muddy ground several times, just to create the illusion of two distinct "martial arts practitioners".

Zhou Ling pondered for a moment, then his gaze returned to Fang Ru: "It seems someone is indeed plotting something. You've been frightened, young lady."

Fangru leaned weakly against the wall, her breath faint: "This humble woman...this humble woman is only doing her duty..."

“Since you’ve frightened the young lady, let me, Zhou, treat you to an apology.” Zhou Ling’s tone was gentle, yet carried an undeniable air of authority. “I also have some questions I’d like to ask you.”

Fangru sneered inwardly; he certainly wouldn't let any clue slip by easily. However, she had already laid a trap, and those carefully forged footprints would keep him investigating for a while.

In the small restaurant, Zhou Ling chose a private room by the window.

"How long have you been working at the government office, young lady?" Zhou Ling asked casually.

Fangru answered cautiously, "It's almost five months."

“Five months…” Zhou Ling pondered. “Have you seen the woman in the painting?” He unfolded the portrait again, his gaze fixed on Fangru’s eyes.

Fangru shook her head, forcing herself to remain calm: "I've never seen it before."

"Young lady, while you work at the government office, have you seen any suspicious people?" Zhou Ling asked again.

Fangru clumsily tore at the mutton, her hands covered in grease, and then "accidentally" choked on a fish bone, coughing repeatedly.

Her disheveled appearance made it impossible for anyone to see any flaws in her demeanor.

“I spend my days organizing documents,” she replied in a rough voice, “I don’t pay attention to these things.”

Zhou Ling remained silent, simply observing her. After a long while, he suddenly asked, "Where does the child's father work?"

Fangru's chopsticks trembled slightly: "At...at the mine outside the city..."

"Which mine?" Zhou Ling pressed. "I happen to be going to inspect it; perhaps I can pass on a message for you."

Fangru broke out in a cold sweat, unsure how to answer, when suddenly a sharp pain shot through her abdomen, and she couldn't help but cry out in agony.

This time, however, it wasn't a pretense; it was genuine fetal movement.

Seeing this, Zhou Ling finally stopped asking questions and simply said, "Since you're not feeling well, go back and rest after you finish eating."

Fang Ru felt as if she had been granted a pardon. She hurriedly ate a few mouthfuls of rice and then prepared to leave.

As she was leaving, she overheard Zhou Ling's attendant complaining softly outside the window: "This remote and impoverished place doesn't even have a decent inn. The master has been searching for someone for the past five months, traversing all thirty-six cities of the northern border..."

She didn't dare look back and quickened her pace to leave.

Watching her hastily departing figure, Zhou Ling whispered to his attendant, "Send someone to keep an eye on her. This woman... is not simple."