In Chapter 64, Lou Yanxu, with a smile, retrieved the Pisces pendant that had sunk to the bottom of the pond...
Lou Yan could feel that the thorn planted in her heart was being pulled out little by little, and her longing for trust was being filled. Her eyes reddened and her lips trembled, but her smile was gentle and soft, like a pear blossom in full bloom, silently budding.
At this moment, she was truly willing to open her heart to him again.
"Zizheng." Her eyes welled up with tears as she softly called his name from behind.
Xu Congjing straightened up. Although his eyes were dimmed by the uncertainty of his mother's life or death, he still managed to put on a faint smile when he turned around and saw her.
"Why are you here?" He winked at the guards to leave, then jogged over and took off his cloak to put it on her. "It's cold outside, let's go inside and talk."
The wind stopped outside, and the warmth inside melted the thin layer of frost covering the downy fur. Seeing him dismiss the servants, Lou Yanxu didn't waste any words and went straight to the point, "About Auntie..."
Xu Congjing assumed she had overheard the guard's words and, fearing she might misunderstand, interrupted, "Don't listen to others' nonsense. I know you wouldn't hurt my mother." Having already learned his lesson once before, how could he doubt her character? He had been blinded by greed before, leading to their mutual torment and wasted time, but now he was determined not to hurt her a second time.
Unexpectedly, she reached out and took his hand, a warm current flowing through him, his palm damp with moisture. He stared blankly at their clasped hands, and heard her say, "I was afraid you would worry, so I came to let you know that your mother is safe and sound. I have settled her in the Lou residence."
"You saved her!" So, the reason she appeared at the cliff edge was to save his mother. Sure enough, that was the case. Fortunately, he hadn't made any unfounded assumptions.
He secretly breathed a sigh of relief, then grasped her hand in return, repeatedly examining her arms, shoulders, and neck, anxiously asking, "Are you injured?"
"I'm fine, but Yun Bing is injured." Although Yun Bing didn't speak, catching such a big person with his bare hands must have seriously injured his arm. Fortunately, he had already instructed the doctor to treat his injury, and with timely treatment, the problem should not be serious.
Coming to her senses, Lou Yanxu realized that the two of them had their hands clasped together. Without making a sound, she pulled her hands away, and Xu Congjing felt a sense of emptiness in his heart. He said bitterly, "I will definitely thank him in person."
"Let's put these aside for now." A frown appeared between her brows as she made up her mind. "I wanted to discuss this with you. Since the murderer is still in the shadows, why not keep this matter a secret for now? You can continue to send people to search the area at the foot of the cliff as usual. It might be safer for your aunt."
The safest thing in the world is a dead person. Firstly, it would be more conducive to the mother's healing. Secondly, it would allow her to focus her attention and lure out the real culprit. Furthermore, she could borrow money from Lou Yan to meet him. Xu Congjing naturally agreed with both hands.
"Okay, I'll do as you say."
Seeing that he had no objections, she smoothed her delicate eyebrows. "I'll have eight maids take turns guarding her, and Yunbing will also keep an eye on her. You can rest assured about your aunt. Just do whatever you need to do." The officialdom is full of open and hidden attacks, and his father's killer is lurking in the shadows. He probably wishes he had three heads and six arms to look after everything, but his energy is limited and he's bound to be taken advantage of. By taking your aunt there, she can at least help her as much as she can.
“Of course I’m at ease.” He raised his dark, deep eyes, which held a dreamy glint. “I’m very grateful that you’ve taken such good care of my mother.”
Given all the terrible things he had done in the past, he had no right to blame her even if she had stood by and watched him die. But she was so kind that she would never let the grudges between them affect her family. He gazed at her, his eyes filled with regret, which gradually turned into an indescribable tenderness.
His gaze was so intense that it felt like Lou Yanxu was burning up. She looked away uncomfortably and stubbornly said, "She is your mother, and also Rou's mother. I am just fulfilling my filial duty on behalf of Rou."
"Yes, I understand." Xu Congjing smiled. He dared not ask for anything more now; things were already good enough as they were.
After their discussion, he insisted on escorting her back to her residence. Unable to resist his insistence, she didn't refuse again and boarded the carriage, sitting in the side seat. But he followed her inside, silently carrying her to the main seat, sitting upright with a blank expression. He always wanted to give her the best of everything.
Lou Yanxu didn't appreciate his kindness, but she couldn't break free from his grasp. In the end, she glared at him, too lazy to argue, and closed her eyes in anger, pretending to sleep.
But as that gaze grew increasingly intense, her eyes flickered slightly, and she couldn't help but part them slightly to let in those affectionate, peach-blossom eyes. She awkwardly asked, "Why are you staring at me?"
"I always feel that you are different." Although she still didn't have a good look on her face, there was a touch of gentleness between her brows. She would think of him in every way and worry about him at all times. He could almost see Lou Yanxu, who had been full of love for him half a year ago.
"What's the difference?" she asked, frowning and awkwardly brushing a strand of hair from her temple. She saw him lean back, his eyes narrowed, but he smiled without saying a word.
The carriage smoothly rounded the corner, then suddenly lurched, causing her to lean forward. He caught her steadily, and they exchanged a glance, their thoughts swirling as they both lowered their heads in silence. After a moment, feeling the carriage stop, she lifted the curtain and glanced up at the two characters "Lou Mansion" on the plaque, then turned and said, "I've arrived. You can go back now."
"I will take good care of Aunt." Now that Madam Zhang is out of danger, she should recuperate at the Xu residence. After all, there are many people and eyes in the residence, so it is best not to see her for the time being. Xu Congjing obviously had the same concern, so he just nodded, which was taken as tacit agreement.
Leaving behind those words, Lou Yanxu hurriedly flicked her sleeves, stumbled over the threshold, turned her back, covered her forehead, closed her eyes in regret, and cursed herself for acting like an inexperienced young woman.
Lou Yanxu heard the sound of footsteps behind her. She looked up and saw Xu Congjing's handsome face looming in front of her. He caught up with her, bringing with him a cool, refreshing scent of cypress.
She asked, bewildered, "Is there anything else?"
"I..." In reality, he had nothing serious to do; he had just come along because he wanted to. So he was speechless when asked the question. His mind raced, and finally, he had a sudden inspiration and scratched his head, saying, "I came to get the umbrella you took last time."
Oh, it's the umbrella she brought back from the Xu residence that day. Lou Yanxu glanced at the oil-paper umbrella hidden behind the door, her eyes darting around, and replied without changing her expression, "Come and get it tomorrow, Qing'an took the umbrella with her."
Come again tomorrow, which means we can meet again tomorrow. A sweet feeling welled up in Xu Congjing's heart. He turned to leave reluctantly, but after taking only a few small steps, he turned back and took a big step, smiling gently at her, "Wanwan, sleep well."
Upon hearing this, she rarely showed a helpless, unsharp smile, and reached out to push him away, saying, "If you don't leave, there will be a curfew. Do you want the Imperial Guards to whip you twenty times?"
This intimate and affectionate interaction was like that of a couple who had just begun to understand each other. He cherished this moment and smiled with exceptional gentleness, like a piece of warm and smooth mutton fat jade.
Her upright figure walked away, the evening breeze lifting the long ribbons of her hair, carrying a faint, fresh scent of cypress. Lou Yanxu didn't linger; turning around, she saw two people acting suspiciously behind her and was startled.
Qingrui leaned against the tree, tilting her head, and looked at Wan Qing'an with a worried and suspicious expression. "Madam Wan, you clearly never took an umbrella, nor did you leave the manor. Why would my mistress lie?"
Wan Qing'an's eyes flashed, and she bent down with a smirk, tapping her brow with her index finger. A cryptic smile curved her lips. "What do you know? This way, the two of you will have another excuse to meet tomorrow."
Whether her thoughts had been exposed or her meaning had been misunderstood, Lou Yanxu's face flushed red. She fidgeted with her hands hidden under her sleeves, giving a defensive glare. "Don't you have anything better to do?"
The two people under the tree couldn't help but smile, making exaggerated, muffled "hissing" sounds in their throats. At the same time, their shoulders twitched slightly. They suddenly realized that Lou Yanxu was about to attack, exchanged a glance, and then ran away in a flash.
"You're just making fun of her!" Lou Yanxu stomped her feet in anger, then laughed helplessly. If life could continue like this, it wouldn't be so bad.
As dusk settled over the sky, the night wind rustled through the pear blossoms. She stood by the pond for a long time, suddenly remembering the day he had happily given her the new double fish pendant, thinking that they could reconcile. But at that time, her heart was filled with hatred, and she coldly threw him into the pond.
Their hearts were filled with countless emotions, but love and hate waxed and waned, making it impossible for them to commit to each other. Now, after all the trials and tribulations, they could only wait for the day when the flowers were in full bloom and the moon was full again.
On a whim, she ordered people to dredge the pond, and to her surprise, they actually found the double fish pendant that she had discarded. The pendant was filled with mud, but fortunately, the jade was of excellent quality, and after being washed and cleaned, it could still emit a soft glow under the cold light.
She stared intently at it, clutching it tightly in her hand for a long time.
The next day, the court received a return gift from Pyu Kingdom. After Lou Yanxu finished counting and recording it, she left for the evening office. She stopped at a clothing shop, and before she could ask anything, the female manager of the shop came out to greet her and let her in.
The steward, with his hair styled in a slicked-back bun, greeted the servants with exceptional efficiency, "Whatever you need, madam, just give the order."
Lou Yanxu looked around and chose two bolts of cloth with a slightly darker color. She said to the steward, "Make two sets of clothes from these two bolts of cloth according to my measurements and send them to my residence as usual." These clothes were intended for Madam Zhang. Madam Zhang took medicine regularly, so she was thinner than the other women. Her figure was similar to Lou Yanxu's, so she wouldn't attract too much attention.
She was a regular customer at the shop, and the manager didn't notice anything amiss, so he smiled and agreed as usual.
Madam Zhang usually dressed in darker colors, but to avoid arousing suspicion, she chose according to her own habits. In these turbulent times, it was better to make do.
Just as she was about to hand the two bolts of cloth to the steward, a maid suddenly appeared out of nowhere and bumped into her shoulder. While she was picking them up, she clearly felt something being stuffed into her hand. She dared not make a sound and watched the person leave from afar.
She left without changing her expression, only feeling completely relieved once she returned to her residence. She unfolded the slightly crumpled and damp slip of paper in her palm, and read the following:
Someone wants to kill you.
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