Chapter 73 Black Silk

Qiu Heng wiped the water off her face and glared angrily at the boy by the lake: He must have come here specifically to bring her bad luck!

Xue Han also saw the "water ghost" the young man had mentioned earlier, and couldn't help but raise the corners of his lips.

It is the realization of a secret expectation in one's heart that brings forth an indescribable joy.

Then came the deep doubt: Qiu Liu said she had a strange illness that required her to soak in the lake when it flared up, and each flare-up happened on a full moon day.

This is very similar to the transformation of spirits and monsters in supernatural tales—

The boy gazed at the girl in the lake, uncontrollably speculating about her true identity, until Qiu Heng swam towards the small boat, and his reason returned.

Of course, there are no ghosts or monsters in this world.

While waiting for Qiu Heng to come ashore, Xue Han thought more: If the strange illness only flares up on the full moon, then why didn't he meet her here on the fifteenth of last month?

Did they miss it, or is there another reason?

What's the difference between May 15th, June 15th, and July 15th? Or rather, what do May and July have in common?

Xue Han knew that his guesses were too far-fetched and would be laughed at, but this was a habit he had developed since childhood.

When he was a beggar, he would sit by the wall and watch people come and go. He would guess a person's identity and temperament based on their clothes and eyes, and judge how likely he was to get food without being kicked.

When bored, he would speculate about the stories that happened to this person. He dared to imagine all sorts of stories, which made the days less unbearable.

The footsteps stopped beside him, and Xue Han pulled his wandering thoughts back to look at the girl who had changed her clothes.

"Sixth Miss Qiu—"

Just as Xue Han was about to say a few polite words, Qiu Heng sat down next to him.

She was very close; he could smell the damp scent of the lake emanating from her. It wasn't as pleasant as any other fragrance, but it was fresh and natural, as if she had been born in the lake itself.

Xue Han thought that she must have a big secret.

"Why is Lord Xue here?" Qiu Heng asked directly.

As Xue Han pondered various questions, Qiu Heng also wondered: Did Xue Han come to Qinglian Lake just for a casual stroll, or was it for her? If it was for her, how could he be so sure that she would come today?

“I—” Xue Han paused, “I’ve been busy investigating cases these past two days, so I came out to get some fresh air.”

He couldn't possibly say that he came here because he had a premonition of running into her, or she would think he was a lecher.

"Are you busy with Yuan Chenghai's case?"

Xue Han gave Qiu Heng a deep look.

Her tone was so natural that it made his previous wild guesses seem even more baseless.

"It's Yuan Chenghai's case." Xue Han met the girl's bright eyes. "Speaking of which, Miss Qiu, you visited the Yuan residence. Did you notice anything unusual?"

Qiu Heng smiled and said, "No. When I went to the Yuan residence, I was led by a maid from the Yuan residence as soon as I got off the carriage. I only came into contact with the three female relatives of Lord Yuan, and I didn't find anything unusual about them."

Xue Han's gaze lingered on the girl's lips.

Perhaps because she had been soaking in water, her lips were pale and her smile was faint, yet one could sense her genuine joy.

"Sixth Miss Qiu... is she very happy about Yuan Chenghai's death?"

“Of course.” Qiu Heng’s smile deepened, and she asked matter-of-factly, “Isn’t Lord Xue happy?”

What kind of person is Xue Han? Does he share the same stance as his adoptive father, Xue Quan? What is the relationship between these two adoptive fathers and sons?

Han Wu and Yuan Chenghai are dead. Regardless of what happens next, she will not miss any opportunity to learn about Xue Quan.

To understand Xue Quan, one must naturally look beyond Xue Han.

This time, Xue Han answered sincerely, "I'm very happy too."

The two looked at each other, sharing the same joy at the moment caused by Yuan Chenghai's death.

The sky was darker than before, the sunset had faded, and the night was hazy.

Looking at the boy with distinct features, Qiu Heng suddenly felt a sense of relief.

Fortunately, Xue Han is a person who can distinguish right from wrong.

"Lord Xue appeared in the bamboo forest that day and helped a lot. I haven't had a chance to thank him yet."

Xue Han coughed lightly: "With Hu Si here, it's the same. I was going to Ganquan Temple anyway, so I'll just go along with it."

"Does Lord Xue know what kind of snacks Commander Hu likes to eat?"

Xue Han was stunned for a moment.

Qiu Heng smiled and explained, "Fangzhou said he wanted to make some snacks to express his gratitude to Lord Xue and Commander Hu. I know Lord Xue likes red bean cakes, but what about Commander Hu?"

Xue Han paused for a moment.

Besides red bean cake, he could actually eat something else.

What does Hu Si like to eat?

Meeting the girl's expectant gaze, Xue Han thought for a moment and said, "Hu Si likes meat pies, not the crispy kind like flatbread, but the kind with a soft crust and thick filling, where every bite is filled with the aroma of meat mixed with the soft bread flavor, preferably pork filling..."

Qiu Heng: "..."

Such a vivid description—is it really Commander Hu who loves to eat it, or is it Xue Han who loves to eat it himself?

"Pork pie, I've noted it down. Besides red bean cake, what else does Lord Xue like to eat?"

You get tired of eating red bean cake all the time, don't you?

Xue Han said casually, "No need to prepare too much, I think pork pies are pretty good too."

"I'll have Granny Yu deliver it to Commander Hu tomorrow."

"No need for that trouble. I'll have someone wait for you under the banyan tree not far from your residence around noon."

"good."

Just as Qiu Heng was about to say goodbye, suddenly many footsteps came from this direction, along with torches being held.

"There are water ghosts in this lake!"

"Where is it? Where is it?" With their numbers emboldened, the people shouted excitedly as the torches swayed.

Xue Han scooped up Qiu Heng with one hand, grabbed the bundle Qiu Heng had put down earlier with the other, and dashed away like a shooting star.

The cool autumn wind whistled past her ears, and the handkerchief wrapped around the girl's hair, which Xue Han had been holding under her arm, came loose, leaving her long hair scattered all over her face.

Xue Han didn't stop until they reached a safe place, and he put Qiu Heng down: "Sixth Miss Qiu, are you alright—"

Upon seeing Qiu Heng's disheveled hair and confused expression, Xue Han abruptly stopped speaking, a sense of guilt silently welling up inside him.

It seems that Miss Qiu Liu is not doing well...

Qiu Heng raised her hand to brush aside the black hair that was covering her face, and looked at Xue Han without saying a word.

She thought he had finally made progress by not pulling her out of the lake this time, but she never expected him to have a new trick up his sleeve!

He tucked her under his arm, tucked her under his arm—Qiu Heng took a deep breath, wanting to ask: Even if you thought she was too weak to run, would it kill you to carry her?

Or perhaps he suspected she knew martial arts, forcing her to take action when she could no longer bear it?

Qiu Heng felt that if things continued like this, he would succeed, and then she would draw her soft sword and kill him!

Xue Han touched his nose, feeling the girl's overwhelming anger.

"Sixth Miss Qiu, please don't be angry."

"I'm not angry."

"I'm afraid of being seen."

"I know, goodbye." Qiu Heng broke off a branch, casually tied her hair up, and turned to leave.

Xue Han followed closely behind: "Sixth Miss Qiu, you forgot your baggage—"

Qiu Heng turned around abruptly, but the person behind her didn't have time to stop.

She bumped into the boy's arms. Her hair, which was tied up with a tree branch, was not secure to begin with, and in an instant, her long black hair cascaded down like a waterfall, filling the boy's arms.

(End of this chapter)