It was almost noon.

When Shang Changge arrived at the Ghost Market, he was wearing a blue-faced, fanged mask and a brightly colored robe.

In short, it should resemble Granny Hua's attire in the Ghost Market.

Outside, the sun was shining brightly, but the ghost market was rather dim.

This wasn't their first time there, and Shang Changge led Qingyao to Granny Hua's stall as if they knew the way well.

When Shang Changge arrived, the first thing she saw was Jing Xiuming, who was dressed in all black.

Jing Xiuming held a bowl in one hand and a wooden spoon in the other, ladling pork tripe soup. Without even looking up, he asked, "What do you want to buy?"

Shang Changge had seen Jing Xiuming in his white robes many times, and was used to his innocent and pitiful act like a little white rabbit.

This was the first time I'd ever seen Jing Xiuming dressed in all black and speaking so coldly, and I couldn't help but find it strange.

certainly,

It was novel, but I didn't have any other unnecessary thoughts.

Putting the momentary novelty behind him, Shang Changge got straight to the point:

"I'm not here to buy anything, I'm here to find someone."

Shang Changge didn't try to hide her voice, so Jing Xiuming recognized it immediately.

The long, slender fingers holding the pot lid stiffened, and she turned her head to stare blankly at Shang Changge.

"Brother Jing, is the fragrant pork tripe soup ready yet?"

"Oh, we have a guest!"

"Two demon sisters, what do you want to buy? Grandma has everything here!"

The price is fair and it's a great deal! I guarantee the two monster sisters won't regret it!

The tender, childlike voice belonged to Nannan.

Today, little Nannan still had her soft, chubby face painted black with medicine, and she still wore her hair in two buns.

Shang Changge had already seen through Nannan's greedy nature, so he had Qingyao hand over the prepared money bag to Nannan and smiled:

"I'm looking for your mother-in-law."

The little girl, her chubby little hands cradling the bulging money bag, beamed with joy, nodding her head repeatedly.

With her attention completely focused on the money bag, she didn't listen carefully to Shang Changge's voice or recognize him. Clutching the money bag, she ran, shouting as she went:

"Grandma, Grandma, someone's looking for you!"

In a short while,

Shang Changge, Qingyao, Granny Hua, Jing Xiuming, and Nannan—five people in total—sat behind the stall, close together.

The scene is both eerie and harmonious, and the harmony is tinged with the eeriness.

"Child, have you tried it yet? If you don't mind, would you like to have a bowl to try?"

Granny Hua extended a warm invitation, but Shang Changge politely declined.

"Thank you, I don't mind."

"However, it's inconvenient for me to eat and drink while wearing a mask, and I'm not wearing makeup under the mask either, so I won't be able to enjoy it today. Maybe next time."

Grandma Hua didn't press the issue. Knowing that Shang Changge had something to ask, she didn't rush to eat lunch but instead watched Shang Changge and waited for him to ask.

Shang Changge didn't beat around the bush and spoke frankly: "I want to know what my mother-in-law asked my husband for when he came to ask her to treat my mother."

The ghost market was crowded and noisy, so Shang Changge didn't mention Xiao Ji's name or her mother's name, and her voice also changed.

Apart from the first few sentences he said to make sure the three of them recognized him, he spoke the rest in a disguised voice.

The word "husband" caused Jing Xiuming's eyelids, hidden beneath his bamboo hat, to droop silently, his expression dim and forlorn.

The little girl sat on a small bamboo stool, carefree, swinging her short legs as she happily ate the fragrant pork tripe soup.

Granny Hua withdrew her gaze from her eldest apprentice, smiled slightly, and replied:

"I can't tell the children about this old woman, but don't worry, children."

It's nothing serious, it won't hurt your husband.

Granny Hua refused to answer, a result that Shang Changge had anticipated and was not unexpected. He repeated Granny Hua's last rhetorical question to confirm:

"really?"

Grandma Hua nodded, her expression so confident it didn't seem like she was lying: "It's true."

Granny Hua was unwilling to talk about it, so Shang Changge didn't press her further and shifted her gaze to Jing Xiuming.

"I also want to know, how did Young Master Jing know about my family's little-known rat...?"

She was referring to the secret passage in the palace.

The description was very subtle and vague, but she believed Jing Xiuming would understand.

Jing Xiuming did understand, but his answer was the same as Granny Hua's:

"It's not convenient to say, please don't be angry, sister."

Despite repeated attempts to correct Jing Xiuming's use of the term "sister," Shang Changge had become numb and too lazy to bother with further pointless corrections. She stood up.

"Alright, sorry to bother you, goodbye."

Unable to get answers to either question, Shang Changge didn't linger and left decisively with Qingyao without any hesitation.

In the dim light of the ghost market, Jing Xiuming stood motionless in front of Granny Hua's stall, watching Shang Changge walk away.

Granny Hua: "Child, do you have feelings for her?"

Jing Xiuming did not evade the question and answered, "Yes."

Granny Hua sighed and continued to ask, "What kind of affection? Is it the kindness she showed you back then, or romantic love?"

"Or is it just an obsession?"

A look of confusion flashed across Jing Xiuming's eyes. After thinking for a long time, he slowly shook his head.

His already pale lips were even paler, and his figure beneath the black robe remained as thin as ever, exuding an aura of death.

"Even I can't tell the difference."

"All I know is that she saved me back then, but many years later I almost killed her because I mistook her for someone else."

I owe her so much, and the only thing I can do is to make up for it to the best of my ability. I dare not hope for anything more.

Granny Hua couldn't stand seeing her eldest apprentice looking so lifeless. Knowing that it was useless to persuade him otherwise, she simply brought up the person her eldest apprentice cared about.

"Since you want to make it up to her, then you should listen to your old woman and take your medicine and soak in the medicinal bath properly."

If my health improves, my life will be longer, and with a longer life, I can make amends and repay her for what I did to her.

The deathly aura surrounding Jing Xiuming faded somewhat, as if he had been moved by Granny Hua's words and regained his thirst for life.

But the eyes beneath the bamboo hat were even more bewildered as he looked at Granny Hua and expressed his confusion:

"But her brother has already taken that position, hasn't he? Will she ever need my help again?"

Grandma Hua chuckled and patted Jing Xiuming on the shoulder:

"You, you're so naive, you won't admit it. You think that seat is so easy to sit in, that your butt'll stick to it the moment you sit down?"

Granny Hua pulled Jing Xiuming back behind the stall and sat him down, then lowered her voice and told him a long story about the current hidden dangers in the court.

For example, there's Shang Rui who fled, Shang Ye who's eyeing the throne, other princes, and foreign enemies...

Jing Xiuming's brows furrowed deeper as he listened, clearly taking Granny Hua's words to heart.

Grandma Hua was very satisfied, and this time she casually patted her eldest apprentice's back:

"She's in a lot of danger, so you'd better live well and make up for it every day you can."

After saying that, she got up to serve the pig's stomach soup. Her apprentice was such a worry, he had made this old woman very hungry!

Jing Xiuming listened to her advice, and without Granny Hua's prompting, he conscientiously prepared and drank the medicine and then went upstairs to soak in the medicinal bath.

The little girl touched her round, bulging belly, her little brows furrowed the entire time.

After watching Jing Xiuming finish the bitter-tasting and bitter-smelling medicine, and after Jing Xiuming left...

Carrying a small bamboo stool, she happily sat down next to Grandma Hua and asked the question she had asked countless times.

"Grandma, grandma, which wicked person turned Brother Jing into a poisonous person? Poor Brother Jing."

Grandma Hua chewed on the stewed lotus seeds until they were soft and tender, but the taste that should have been sweet now tasted bitter:

"It's me, your old woman."

Suddenly, the sounds of haggling and arguing arose not far away, so loud that they drowned out Granny Hua's voice.

The little girl's attention was subconsciously drawn to that, and she didn't hear clearly, assuming that her mother-in-law hadn't answered her as usual.

She told Granny Hua she was going to take a look, and then ran excitedly toward the stall where people were bargaining.