The Actor (Part Two)

Qu Linghan rolled up Ya'er's sleeve.

In just a second, what came into Qu Linghan's eyes were one bruise after another.

Qu Linghan was speechless.

"girl?!"

Ya'er, who was breathing in the fresh air and thinking about something, was pulled back to reality by Qu Linghan's shock.

Immediately, he was facing her.

I carefully pulled down my sleeve, trying not to touch the wound.

"Did I scare you? I'm sorry."

Qu Linghan quickly waved his hand.

"No, no, you didn't scare me. Don't feel bad about it."

......

After saying that, Qu Linghan regretted it a little.

Won't this hurt her?

But then Ya'er chuckled softly.

"I don't feel any guilt anymore..."

As soon as Ya'er finished speaking, Qu Linghan sighed.

The smoke from the incense burner curled gracefully, forming a circle around Ya'er.

Her skin was very fair, and her waist was very slender.

She was sitting at an angle, waiting for Qu Linghan to take her measurements.

Quiet and still, like a porcelain doll.

Time seemed to stand still, and Qu Linghan was always lost in thought.

They are always happy to help others.

The incense in the burner had mostly burned out; the smoke gradually dissipated, the rich aroma became clearer, and the atmosphere gradually became hazy.

The two seemed to be in a fairyland.

It seems real yet unreal...

Qu Linghan was already somewhat confused.

In my dazed state, I heard Ya'er shout.

"Oh no!!!"

"Help! Help! Help!"

————

When she woke up again, she was lying on the soft bed in Bai Hui's room.

Yes, in the days when Bai Hui was not around.

Qu Linghan has already taken over this room for himself.

Everything was made to suit Qu Linghan's tastes and preferences, including this bed...

"Ling Han, wake up!"

"Miss, wake up!"

Qu Linghan's consciousness was in a state of chaos, as if shrouded in mist.

In a state of semi-consciousness and semi-consciousness,

Qu Linghan slowly opened his eyes.

"She's awake! She's awake!"

Jing'er shouted excitedly.

"Huh? Bai Zhaoming, you're back?"

Qu Linghan's voice was soft and sweet, with a hint of morning grumpiness.

Jing'er and Lu Shuyu didn't know what to say for a moment, so they just stared at each other and smiled blankly.

"Watch, Jing'er, see how I wake up your young lady."

Lu Shuyu reached out her hand,

"Crack, crack."

It was her knuckles.

When the sound reached Jing'er's ears, she was so frightened that she quickly grabbed Lu Shuyu's hand.

"Miss Shuyu, what are you doing? Are you confused?!"

"Ouch, I won't hurt her."

Lu Shuyu was very strong and easily pushed Jing'er aside.

"Watch this."

After saying that, Lu Shuyu helped Qu Linghan up, supporting her body with one hand and placing the other hand on her cheek.

Make Qu Linghan's lips look like they're pouting.

"What are you doing, Bai Zhaoming? What are you doing?"

Lu Shuyu really felt that she should change her name to Lu Wuyu (meaning "Silent Lu").

"Ling Han, open your eyes."

"Look who I am."

Alas, at this moment, Qu Linghan felt that Hou Yi had secretly shot down the last sun.

Otherwise, why would it be so cold in the middle of summer?

"...Bookish language?"

"Why is it you?"

Jing'er was stunned by what she saw next to Lu Shuyu; she had no idea that this was how her young mistress could be awakened.

Qu Linghan had just woken up; her head was still a little dizzy and her throat was very dry.

She clenched her left fist and tapped her head repeatedly.

"Jing'er, please pour me some water."

Jing'er responded quickly and then hurriedly left the room.

Only she and Lu Shuyu remained in the room.

It was so quiet that you could hear even their breathing.

Qu Linghan was the first to break the deathly silence.

"Shuyu, what's wrong with me?"

Qu Linghan continued tapping his head, his memory stuck on Ya'er's cry of "Oh no!"

As for the rest, Qu Linghan had no idea how she left the palace or how she got home.

Lu Shuyu seemed to be angry and turned her back to her.

"I also wanted to ask you, how did you end up at the Prince's residence?"

Qu Linghan turned Lu Shuyu's body towards her.

"Shuyu, I only went to the customer's house to order clothes at their request. Is there anything else? I know nothing about it."

"You really know nothing?"

After speaking, Lu Shuyu saw Qu Linghan raise three fingers.

"Sister Shuyu, I swear, I don't know anything!"

Lu Shuyu burst out laughing and then pulled Qu Linghan's arm down.

"Okay, I don't blame you."

"After all, these are all old stories."

Qu Linghan scratched his face, looking bewildered, though he didn't quite understand.

But my gossipy heart was already burning brightly inside.

Qu Linghan moved closer to Lu Shuyu.

He shook her body.

"Sister Shuyu, please tell me."

"Okay, okay, stop shaking."

Lu Shuyu sat up straight, and Qu Linghan was ready to listen.

"Wang Zhengchu is from Xuzhou. His parents met in Guishu City twenty-three years ago. It is said that his mother was a very open-minded person, as if she did not belong to our era at all."

"After they met, Wang Zhengchu's father, Wang Ziping, was quickly attracted by her mother, Hu Qing'er's, courage and beauty. The two fell in love and started talking about marriage."

"A year later, Wang Zhengchu was born. Thanks to Hu Qing'er's intelligence and insight, the two of them quickly opened their small tea shops all over the country. The three of them also moved their whole family to Guishu City."

Qu Linghan listened intently, but Lu Shuyu stopped and sighed heavily.

"Sister Shuyu, what's wrong with you?"

Lu Shuyu took Qu Linghan's hand that was resting on her leg.

"It's alright, I'll continue."

Qu Linghan nodded in agreement.

"The person remains the same, but the feelings have changed."

"Just a few years ago, Wang Ziping brought a young and beautiful girl to Hu Qing'er. Hu Qing'er couldn't accept it and drove the girl to her death. After that, Wang Ziping lost his appetite and even joined the army. He never came back."

"Wang Zhengchu always believed that Hu Qing'er had killed his father, so he tried every means to provoke her."

"That year, my father was angered by the Emperor because of a problem in the court. He had to be demoted to Qingzhou. On the way to Qingzhou, the carriage broke down one day. My parents went around looking for things to fix it. I stayed in the carriage and unexpectedly met Wang Zhengchu. He was an ignorant and incompetent man who spent his days in a drunken stupor."

"They took advantage of me taking a nap alone in the car..."

Qu Linghan's heart trembled at Lu Shuyu's words.

"Fortunately, I met Pei Wuyang."

As she spoke, a blush crept onto Lu Shuyu's face.

"So, the person you spoke of on the day we first met was Pei Wuyang?"

Lu Shuyu nodded in Qu Linghan's direction.

"Exactly."

"He always told me that he had another girl in his heart, but I knew that was just an excuse for him to reject me."

Just as Qu Linghan was about to say something, he heard Lu Shuyu let out a long sigh.

"But it's okay, I don't have much hope for him anymore."

Qu Linghan wisely kept quiet.

The two sentences Lu Shuyu had just said kept echoing in his mind.

"It's as if they don't belong to this era."

"Has a long-term perspective."

In short, she is very suspicious.

If Qu Linghan wasn't mistaken, she should be from the same era as Qu Linghan.

They look so alike...

It seems I still need to find an opportunity to return to the Prince's Mansion and meet with that Lady Wang.

Oh, right!

Qu Linghan gently patted his forehead twice.

Lu Shuyu saw this and quickly stopped her.

What are you doing?

"I was just wondering, how did I suddenly get home?"

"Oh, my dear, couldn't you just ask me directly? Did you have to go through all that trouble?"

As she spoke, she helped Qu Linghan to the head of the bed and made her lie down.

Does it hurt?

Lu Shuyu gave a reproachful look.

"It doesn't hurt."

Accompanied by a string of laughter…

"Still laughing? Do you know you've been drugged with a bewitching incense?"

"Bewitching incense?!"

"Um…"

What is the bewitching incense used for?

What are the main aspects that I'm fascinated by...?

"Oh, don't you know shame!"

"Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, I understand."

Qu Linghan gave an OK sign.

"By the way, Sister Shuyu, do you know Ya'er?"

Lu Shuyu remained silent for a while, as if she was thinking.

"Does he/she have long, narrow eyes, fair skin, jet-black hair, and a... somewhat witty way of speaking?"

"Exactly!"

"That's the right one."

"Does Sister Ya'er know her?"

"I wouldn't say we know each other, we just met once."

"You know her?"

Lu Shuyu asked in return.

"Actually, I wouldn't say I know her. I just saw her at the Wang family's house."

"At the Wang family's house? I've seen her there?"

Qu Linghan didn't know what he had said wrong, and stared blankly at Lu Shuyu.

Oh dear, she's been in Liuchao for almost half a year, and she still doesn't know anything.

…

Perhaps fearing that someone might overhear, Lu Shuyu moved closer to Qu Linghan again.

He even had to whisper in her ear.

"Xu Ya'er's father, Xu Wenqing, once served as the Imperial Censor of the Liu Dynasty, but... because of bribery, the whole family was exiled. Xu Ya'er, because of her outstanding dancing skills, was demoted to a government slave and placed in the Jiaofangsi (a government-run entertainment institution)."

"So? Sister Shuyu means that Wang Zhengchu is hiding government slaves. That's a capital offense!"

"Hmm, I think the bewitching incense is what Xu Ya'er is going to use on Wang Zhengchu."

Qu Linghan seemed to have been acupunctured.

So! She wanted to escape…

I think so too.

"Then I should go help her!"

Qu Linghan was filled with righteous indignation, her mind filled with accusations against Wang Zhengchu, that bastard.

However, there is more condemnation of the plight of women in ancient times.

Qu Linghan thought that if Lanxu Pavilion had the opportunity to flourish in the future, she would definitely save many girls who were in dire straits.

She pursed her lips and looked at Lu Shuyu very seriously.

"Sister Shuyu, I want to..."

"I should go and save her."

A knock came at the door…