October was already halfway over, and Lin Zhi finally found out some information.
That day, he arranged to meet Zhu Jiayu at Songchao Tower as usual, and told her what he had found out: "So far, we have found very little useful information from the flower sellers, but I have summarized it and found that most of those who have gone missing from last year to this year are children and young girls in their prime. Leaving aside the children, those girls, regardless of their background, all have one thing in common."
"What do they have in common?" Zhu Jiayu asked.
Lin Zhi looked at her and said slowly, "She is beautiful and kind-hearted."
He took out a booklet he had prepared beforehand, which recorded the names and identities of some young girls, as well as their portraits. These were girls who had gone missing in the capital in the past year. He casually flipped to a page and introduced it to Zhu Jiayu:
"This person comes from a family that runs a medicinal herb business. She learned some medical skills from her grandfather when she was young. She is kind-hearted and often helps people treat illnesses and injuries without asking for anything in return."
He turned a few more pages: "This one is the daughter of a wealthy family in the south of the city. She has a very compassionate heart and never hesitates to give money to beggars and vagrants when she is out and about."
He flipped to the next page: "This one is the young lady from the Jiangzhou Prefect's mansion. She came to the capital with her parents before the New Year. She showed compassion to the weak and poor and became famous for her kindness in Jiangzhou."
This is what he has found out over the past half month of visiting various places. Zhu Jiayu wanted to investigate those who were involved in the gambling, but they were cautious and often moved from place to place after making a move. After thinking it over, he felt that if he wanted to explore the matter more deeply, he could only start from such a subtle and inconspicuous place.
Zhu Jiayu raised her eyes: "You mean, you want them to come to me on their own?"
Lin Zhihe looked at the booklet and exclaimed, "Oh dear, I didn't mean that. It's just that I've found out exactly what Miss Zhu asked me to look up."
“No, I think you’re right. Since they’ve hidden themselves so well, we’ll just have to let them come to me.” She put the booklet away, said a few more polite words, and then walked out.
Lin Zhi's eyes widened as he chased after her, shouting, "Miss Zhu, what are you doing? You're not going to do anything reckless, are you?"
Zhu Jiayu's life is extremely precious now, after all, Lin Zhi has placed almost all his hopes on her. If we're talking about who would least want to see Zhu Jiayu get into trouble, Lin Zhi should definitely be on the list.
Zhu Jiayu waved his hand: "As long as you can guarantee that you will be at my beck and call at any time, I will be fine. Young Master Lin, please rest assured. I will keep our agreement in mind."
Soon, news spread throughout the capital that Lady Ning's niece had persuaded her father to open the granaries and distribute grain to relieve the disaster victims while she was in Suiping. She had also heard that the disaster in Songjiang was severe while she was in Heling, so she took her maid and rushed to Songjiang to help with the disaster relief.
She truly has the heart of a Bodhisattva.
After three to five days of fermentation, the news spread throughout the streets and alleys of Yujing City.
Even after arriving in Yujing, Zhu Jiayu did not improve his heart. On this day, he set up a shed to distribute porridge and help the beggars and poor families in the city.
Wei Qinglou had been searching for the whereabouts of the young master of the Sheng'an Marquis's mansion for the past few days. When he finally had some free time, he went to the Zhu residence to look for Zhu Jiayu, but found no one there. He then heard from the servants that Zhu Jiayu was distributing porridge on the street, so he went to Zhonghe Street as instructed.
When he arrived, the porridge in the pot had already been distributed, and the servants were finishing up. He walked up to them, and Zhu Jiayu looked up at him and asked, "Why are you here?"
They rarely see each other these days, but Wei Qinglou often sends Shujian to deliver things to her. Sometimes it's priceless calligraphy and paintings, sometimes it's exquisite hairpins and ornaments, accompanied by a plain piece of paper with floral patterns, on which Wei Qinglou will write a few words.
For example: "I heard my colleagues talking about how their wives love gold, silver and jade ornaments and how much they suffer. I don't understand their suffering, so I'm attaching a pair of red gold phoenix hairpins inlaid with gemstones. I only hope that Ayu will be happy."
For example: "When I was walking in the mountains, I saw the green clouds emerging from the peaks and the pine breeze blowing gently. I remembered that I had privately collected Yu Guanzhong's 'Mountain Pine Painting' many years ago, so I specially gave it to Ayu. I hope that when Ayu sees this painting, it will be as if she sees me walking in the mountains."
Wei Qinglou said gently, "I came to see you."
Zhu Jiayu walked to the side and asked him, "Aren't you going to ask what we're supposed to do?"
He followed her and shook his head: "If you wanted to tell me, you would have said so already."
He had written her so many letters these past few days, but she only replied to a few of the important ones, and she was extremely stingy with her words, refusing to write an extra single one.
He only found out about all the commotion she'd caused lately because Shujian told him. She always has her own ideas and doesn't want to tell him; asking would be pointless and might even make her angry.
Zhu Jiayu looked at him with bright eyes: "I just wanted to tell you in person. What, you don't want to hear it?"
She was about to turn around when Wei Qinglou grabbed her arm in a moment of panic.
Remembering what Zhu Jiayu had said, he hurriedly let go, afraid that others would discover something between them, and lowered his head, saying, "No."
Zhu Jiayu smiled and took his hand. When she met Wei Qinglou's surprised eyes, she smiled and whispered, "No one will see us here."
Is it okay to hold hands if no one can see us?
Wei Qinglou took the initiative, enveloping her in his large hand and gently stroking the back of her hand.
Zhu Jiayu ignored the slight itch on the back of her hand and told him about her plans, thoughts, and the Lin family's affairs, picking out the important points and omitting the details.
Wei Qinglou held her hand, tightening his grip little by little. After she finished speaking, he finally pursed his lips and said, "This matter is too dangerous."
Zhu Jiayu reassured him, "No, I'm sure. You can trust me, okay?"
She pulled her hand out of his, raised it to his face, and gently smoothed the wrinkles between his brows: "I'm not the kind of person who would put myself in danger. We've known each other for so long, you should understand that."
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