Chapter 31: Upon learning the truth, he was filled with remorse; it turned out he had truly misunderstood...
Lou Yunbing lowered his head, his thin back trembling slightly. The two embraced and wept bitterly, their cries filled with sorrow.
There's an inexplicable, unspoken connection between twins. Lou Yanxu knew at a glance that this was her long-lost twin brother, separated from her for nearly twenty years. Why did he insist on taking her along as a burden when he was on the verge of death? It was simply because their blood ties were undeniable.
She took his hand and solemnly introduced him, much to everyone's surprise. Chi Sheng was the first to react and quickly offered them seats so they could reminisce about their longing for each other.
Lou Yanxu was furious, her chest heaving, and she pushed him, making him stumble.
"You're in Suzhou, why don't you go home? Do you know how long your whole family has been waiting for you to reunite? Your grandmother, father, and brother didn't even get to see you one last time before they died. How can you bear it!"
"You still dare to act like a river bandit, doing all sorts of dirty things and disgracing the Lou family!"
He cursed repeatedly, expressing his disappointment and frustration, and slammed his fist on the handrail.
Lou Yunbing hung his head, his fingers clenched into fists and resting on his thighs. He stammered in a muffled voice, "I'm useless. I have no face to see you."
"Sister, it's my fault, it's all my fault."
These two sentences alone brought tears to Lou Yanxu's eyes, and she clutched her aching chest, sobbing uncontrollably.
He was abducted at the age of five and endured many hardships before finally returning to her side. What does he know? She will teach him slowly what he doesn't understand, so that he can live an upright life and do good deeds from now on.
Thus, she could no longer utter a single word of reproach, clutching her skirt and sobbing, "It's my sister's fault, it's my sister's fault..." It was her fault; she should have found him sooner, but she regretted letting him make the wrong decision.
The two of them were heartbroken for a long time, and faint blue veins appeared on their foreheads.
After crying so much, my eyes and head ached, and my voice became increasingly hoarse, but my mood finally improved, and I sat up straight to continue the conversation.
"I was originally sold to slave traders, and I barely managed to escape. However, I fell down a mountain and forgot everything. A woman washing clothes took me in, but she died young, leaving me all alone. I had no choice but to become a river bandit to beg for food. But I never stole or killed anyone. Whenever I had the chance, I would secretly release any woman who was kidnapped. Later, I was seriously injured and remembered my loved ones, but I was too foolish to bother them. I could only look at them from afar to ease my longing." Lou Yunbing knelt down with a thud, looked up and begged, "Sister, please forgive me this time, don't send me away, okay?"
He had been isolated for over a decade, knowing that his role as a river bandit had brought shame to the Lou family, yet he still longed to reunite with his family from the bottom of his heart. He dared not return, partly because he feared that his loved ones would turn him away, leaving him with only death as his only hope.
Lou Yanxu saw through his thoughts, took his hand, and tears welled up in her eyes. "Silly Yunbing, you have suffered so much. Your older sister hopes that you will live a life of plenty, with fine clothes and elegant writing, and stay by my side in the future. How could I possibly send you away?"
“We’ve just met, and I’d like to stay by your side, but you’ll eventually have to go back to your husband’s family.” Lou Yunbing patted her thumb.
She paused, then gave a bitter smile. "Yunbing, I'm getting a divorce."
Upon hearing this, a surge of anger rose within him, his dark brows furrowing tightly. "But did he mistreat you?"
Treating them poorly? It's more than that.
She gripped the armrest of the rosewood chair, hesitant to speak, her dry lips parted slightly, "Let's not talk about it anymore." The Chenghua Marquis's mansion had been forgotten by her for a long time; those unbearable grievances and schemes had long since faded into the past. Yet, bringing up the old stories again brought forth a torrent of sorrow.
Sensing his sister's grief, Lou Yunbing changed his expression, patted his chest smugly, and said, "It's good that you left that heartless and unfaithful man. With your beauty and eloquence, sister, you'll never have trouble finding a suitable husband!"
In my youth, I longed to marry a young man, and after many twists and turns, I thought my wish had come true. However, I was heartbroken and in unbearable pain, which was truly a joke. Now, with my emotional wounds still unhealed, I have no desire to find another suitable partner.
Lou Yan smiled gently, "If I don't remarry, will you despise me?"
"What are you saying, sister? I've loved clinging to you since I was little, how could I possibly dislike you?" He took her hand and shook it, his eyes pleadingly trying to please her. "Wherever you are, sister, I'll be there."
"You're good at making me happy."
The two had calmed down and were enjoying each other's company. Upon seeing this, Wan Qing'an stepped forward and teased, "Your older sister and I are like sisters, so you should acknowledge me as well."
"I don't acknowledge it." Lou Yunbing immediately refused, wishing he could jump three miles away. He had never forgotten that when he risked his life to take his sister to safety, this woman came at him with a fierce knife, wishing she could tear him to pieces and feed him to the river fish. The scene from that time still haunted his nightmares.
Treated as a demon to be avoided at all costs, Wan Qing'an's smile vanished, and she raised her hand in a gesture of threat, "Are you asking for a beating?"
She wasn't joking; she picked up her sword and gave chase, and the two of them played a game of cat and mouse, having a great time!
Lou Yanxu couldn't help but chuckle, but then she suddenly remembered something and stopped her, asking, "That day at my brother's grave, someone hurriedly ran away behind me. Was it you?" Seeing Yun Bing scratch the back of his neck and nod, she thought to herself that it was indeed him, as she had felt a sense of familiarity and closeness back then; yet she also felt a pang of regret, thinking that if she had caught up with him, she might have been able to persuade him to go home sooner.
She was lost in thought when she heard him say, "I also went to my grandmother's funeral."
Mentioning my grandmother brings tears to my eyes. "It's a pity that the murderer who killed my grandmother is still at large."
Lou Yunbing blurted out, "Sister, you know?"
Lou Yanxu was taken aback, pondering the meaning behind his words, when he spoke again, "That day, I saw the coroner Feng from afar in front of my brother's grave. I heard him muttering something like he had no choice but to beg for mercy. I wanted to ask him privately, but then I saw my grandmother come alone. The two of them talked for a while and then parted ways. Seeing that nothing happened, I didn't do anything. Little did I know that my grandmother would pass away soon after."
As expected, Grandmother must have discovered something that troubled her and caused her to leave in a huff. Therefore, as long as we can apprehend the coroner and question him, even if we cannot learn the whole story of what happened back then, we can at least get some clues to continue our investigation.
Lou Yanxu realized that she had no choice but to go to Jiaozhou.
Yun Bingdao said, "I have already asked someone to look for him in Jiaozhou."
"Let's go together."
Time waits for no one; having made up their minds, they should set off as soon as possible. After bidding farewell to Chi Sheng, the four of them headed southwest towards Jiaozhou.
This time, Lou Yanxu was wrapped up tightly and hid in the cabin, afraid to show her face, lest she run into Xu Congjing again.
He must have thought she was dead.
That would be best; we'll be strangers now, and never meet again.
...
Chang'an City, the residence of Marquis Chenghua.
Lixia Qiqi smiles as she watches the gentle breeze. Red ribbons hang from the branches, and flower petals pave the path.
The clamor of suonas and drums filled the air as Madam Zeng paced anxiously around the mansion. "The wedding procession has already reached the alley entrance, but we still haven't found Second Sister?"
Xu Situ's wedding was celebrated by millions, but on the eve of the wedding, the bride disappeared without a trace. How could this be explained?
Sheng Yan entered the room leaning on his cane, stood there stunned for a long while, and said calmly, "Why not take this opportunity to call off the engagement..."
"What nonsense are you spouting! So many people are envious of this marriage! If you break off the engagement now, not only will you become a laughingstock, but if you anger Xu Congjing, it's hard to guarantee your future career will be smooth sailing." Madam Zeng was dissatisfied, thinking to herself that her son's brain had been damaged after his fall. Instead of currying favor with Xu Jun, he was spouting nonsense.
"Do you really think I injured my leg from a fall?" His eyes were icy as he gritted his teeth and slammed his crutch heavily on the ground, startling Zeng Shi into taking two steps back, nearly knocking over the flower stand.
“He had been having an affair with Lou Nv for a long time, and even sent people to hunt me down. If I hadn’t escaped quickly, this leg would have been broken.” If Xu Congjing hadn’t been in a high position and hadn’t been powerful, he would have reported it to the emperor long ago, instead of suffering in silence in his residence.
Upon hearing this, Madam Zeng lost her balance, and the plum vase on the flower stand wobbled precariously, inevitably shattering into pieces on the floor. She belatedly realized, "He's targeting our Marquis's mansion..."
Xu Congjing was incredibly cunning. Zeng suddenly realized that she had schemed to make Rong San Niang elope with her lover, and that he was probably still in her grasp. Now, filled with remorse, she cried out in tears, "Second Sister! My Second Sister! It's all my fault!"
It was too late to say anything more. Given Xu Congjing's status and cunning, crushing the Marquis's mansion would be a fraction of the difficulty for him. Sheng Yan remained silent, picked up his cane, and left.
The wedding procession had arrived at the gate of the Marquis's mansion. Xu Congjing, with his hair tied up in a turban and wearing a brocade wedding dress, rode a white horse proudly into the world.
The bride was nowhere to be seen, and rumors swirled. Someone shouted, "The groom has arrived! Bride, do not be shy, get into the bridal sedan chair and pay your respects to your parents!"
Everyone cheered, but Madam Zeng, hiding in her mansion, was annoyed and didn't know what to do.
Suddenly, all was quiet. Yun Lu appeared, carrying a man and a woman in his hands. The woman was disheveled, her clothes were rumpled, and she looked quite disheveled. A sharp-eyed observer would immediately recognize her as none other than Second Madam Sheng.
"My lord, these two are secretly meeting. What do you think we should do?"
"I don't know who he is!" Sheng Jin broke free from her restraints and rushed to Xu Congjing's feet, her eyes reddening as she looked up. "Jinglang, please let me explain. I slept peacefully in the manor last night, but I've been unconscious ever since. When I woke up, I was already..."
But he swept his gaze over and interrupted coldly, "I made all the preparations to marry you, and you actually had a secret rendezvous with another man. Do you even know the meaning of propriety, righteousness, integrity, and shame?"
Humiliated in front of everyone, she burst into tears, crying, "Jinglang, my heart is clear, I have never betrayed you..."
"Let's call off the marriage."
The five words, "light and airy," struck Sheng Jin like a blow to the head, leaving her kneeling and unable to rise. She could only watch helplessly as the bright red figure disappeared around the corner of the alley.
Zeng hid behind the door, pinching her flesh until it bled. However, since there was no evidence, she couldn't do anything to Xu Congjing and only made a fool of herself in front of outsiders. She couldn't bear it, so she had to wait for everyone to leave before bringing Sheng Jin back.
But just as she reached the door, Sheng Jin came to her senses and started crying and shouting that she wanted to go find Xu Congjing. Zeng Shi, whose wrist was bitten and bleeding, could not stop her and could only watch helplessly as she ran off.
Upon arriving at the Xu residence, the eaves were adorned with crimson satin, and the windows were decorated with wedding paper, still exuding a festive atmosphere. Sheng Jin felt there was still room for negotiation, and a look of delight arose within her. However, the gatekeeper announced that Xu Congjing did not wish to see her.
Her promising marriage was ruined overnight. How could she accept it? She steeled herself and immediately knelt down, unafraid of being watched by thousands. But the Marquis's mansion couldn't bear to lose face like that, so they ordered people to drag her away and carry her back.
However, an unexpected incident occurred halfway through the journey. When the moon was obscured by clouds, five or six men in black suddenly appeared, knocked the young woman unconscious in a few moves, and took her away.
When Sheng Jin woke up, a lamp was lit in the room, and Xu Congjing was sitting at the table with his back to her. In her anxiety, she had already forgotten about being kidnapped and only focused on explaining, "Jinglang, I was framed! Someone must be trying to ruin this marriage!"
"I know."
"I did it."
He spoke casually, his gaze falling on her with a hint of mockery. She was instantly stunned, all the words stuck in her throat, and a chill ran through her.
"Why?" She trembled with anger and rushed towards him. "How could you do this to me!"
Xu Congjing easily subdued her with one hand and threw her to the ground, his face as cold as ice. "How many women have you abused over the years? It's time you tasted the bitterness and pain long ago." Besides, he had never treated Wanwan well.
She stared at him intently, a self-deprecating smile on her face. Over the years, the Marquis's mansion had been struggling to make ends meet, and she had made a living by tricking naive young women into marrying off to sons of officials. She had heard countless screams and cries for help, and now the wronged souls were gathered, howling and roaring in her ears.
She propped herself up with one hand on the ground, laughing louder and louder, frantically counting the women she had harmed and the money she had made over the years, her dirty hand covering her forehead, becoming increasingly manic.
"Back in Suzhou, that young lady was truly as beautiful as a fairy. A single mole at the corner of her eye was enough to make any man swoon. But who would have thought she was so fierce? She refused to submit, even at the cost of her life. He didn't make any money and ended up with a terrible mess, suffering a great misfortune..."
“If it weren’t for that, my brother wouldn’t have been forced to marry that merchant’s daughter.”
Xu Congjing's eyes widened in shock, his teeth chattering.
Rou'er has a bright red mole at the corner of her eye, a symbol of longing!
In a flash, he strode forward, grabbed Sheng Jin by the back of her neck, lifted her up, and carried her to the desk. He pulled out a wooden box and took out a portrait from inside. "Is the person you're talking about her?"
"It's her." She chuckled sarcastically. "Looks like your sweetheart won't escape this fate either."
Xu Congjing's left ear has not healed yet, and his head is buzzing again. He can't hear anything and is almost going crazy while covering his head!
It turned out that he had indeed wronged Yunli.
He really misunderstood Wanwan!
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