Misfortune strikes again
It's true that timing is everything.
The sweet aroma permeated the box. Qi Guanlan took a deep breath, and his mouth instantly watered. He had been drunk and slept on the pleasure boat all night yesterday. That stingy Zhao Heng hadn't even had anyone move him to bed. When he woke up this morning, he almost kicked a table leg while stretching. He was furious.
There was no sound from the shop. Were they all still asleep?
Qi Guanlan chuckled sheepishly; luckily, he had the key.
"Sweet tofu pudding is here!"
"What are you doing here?" Mr. Yi poked half his head out of the window, looking disgusted, but his eyes lit up when he saw Yi's hands. "Bring it in quickly."
"Just like Wen Ruo," Qi Guanlan muttered, pushing the door open as he entered. The room was a mess, with unidentified fruit pits scattered on a plate and a white towel casually draped over a pen holder. He couldn't help but widen his eyes in disbelief. Had it not been cleaned for days?
He tiptoed to the table, kicked aside the tattered cloth, placed the tofu pudding on it, glanced at it, then turned back, speaking somewhat impatiently: "What is this?"
"A corpse, you know perfectly well why."
"It's good that it wasn't Wen Ruo," Qi Guanlan patted his chest, then frowned again as if to say, "Why didn't you report it to the police?"
There was a dead body lying on the desk that was originally used for writing and painting. The scholar and poet had been replaced by a strange man. Qi Guanlan felt uneasy, so he went to open the door and his eyes immediately brightened.
He laid out the side dishes from the food box. As soon as the tofu was taken out, a fishy smell wafted out. The closer Mr. Yi got, the stronger the smell became. Qi Guanlan covered his nose and asked, "What's that smell on you?"
"You smell like a dead person, what are you doing here?"
"Just came to take a look." The last time he came to see her, she could only be awake for a short while and had difficulty speaking. He hadn't even asked about Xi You's matter before his cousin pulled him away. Qi Guanlan put the tofu pudding and side dishes away again. If he looked up, he could see the corpse. Who could eat this?
"Let's eat at the shop." Qi Guanlan picked up the food box and ran off, laughter coming from behind him. Mr. Yi took off the cotton covers from his fingertips, washed his hands, and locked the door.
"You brat, you're not afraid of a dead man just because you've done something to suppress bandits." He snatched the tofu pudding and casually found a spot to eat it quickly, spoonful by spoonful. Qi Guanlan felt a bit nauseous, even though the stench on him hadn't dissipated and the sweet and delicious tofu pudding was still in front of him. "Forget it, I'll go find Wen Ruo."
He turned his head, and Wen Ruo was right in front of him.
The gray-green pleated skirt was tied at the waist with two white ribbons, and above it was a smoky purple vest with half a crabapple embroidered on the edge. The wrists were decorated with a few pomegranate flowers. It was obviously made by the person next to her, but her complexion was not good, and you could tell that she had applied rouge.
The two sat down, and the octagonal table was full for the first time. Wen Ruo handed Shi Liu Niang some soup and divided the buns among herself before asking curiously, "Young Master, what are you doing here?"
His robes were wrinkled and faintly smelled of alcohol. His hair ornament was askew, clearly his own. Perhaps he had been drinking all night and hadn't gone home. But that wasn't surprising; he had just been granted the title of Prince, a time when he was in high spirits and calling out to his friends.
Qi Guanlan took a bite of the minced meat, then a sip of tofu pudding, and comfortably squinted his eyes. "Zhao Heng and I were drinking and passed by here when the errand boy came by, so I brought it in."
He had barely finished speaking when the old man suddenly burst into laughter for some reason. Wen Ruo looked at him, and he was still grinning, blinking his left eye, his mouth seemingly saying the word "by the way." He was truly disrespectful to his elders. She looked away and then asked, "Have you and Young Master Zhao become friends?"
Qi Guanlan finished his drink in one gulp, rinsed his mouth with the medicinal tea, and said, "What a load of rubbish! He actually teamed up with Xi You to get me drunk. If it weren't for my good alcohol tolerance, I would have been tricked. How could a man be so despicable and shameless, and so petty?"
As he spoke, he suddenly stared straight at Wen Ruo, chuckled wickedly, and pulled a clay figurine from his sleeve, placing it on the table. "I'll leave it here for a while; he definitely won't find it. I think this guy is still not giving up."
When Wen Ruo looked up, she was met with the face of the clay doll. It had an oval face, expressionless, with a lotus pattern on its forehead, two rosy cheeks, cherry lips, a peach-blossom face, a willow-like waist, and a golden crown and gorgeous clothes.
I don't know which noble lady this piece was made of, but there's dust hidden in the small gaps in the skirt folds, so it's obviously been stored for a long time.
"The clay figurines are so exquisite, even the aloof expressions are drawn so lifelike. Could they be the work of a master artist? That's why Young Master Zhao is so persistent in pursuing them."
Qi Guanlan agreed wholeheartedly, "If Zhao Heng likes it so much, it must be something special. It's a pity that he's ruthless in business and has become cunning, so it's not easy to get information out of him."
"Since you trust me, young master, I will keep it safe for you. I haven't yet congratulated you on becoming a prince."
Wen Ruo stretched out her arm, held the clay figurine in front of her eyes, and smiled sincerely. In contrast, Qi Guanlan's eyes suddenly became flustered. "Stretch out your hand."
Wen Ruo did as he was told, looking puzzled. He saw his fingers busily searching inside his sleeve. The next moment, his palm suddenly felt cool. Looking down, he saw the key lying in his hand. He had found it again.
"Your identity shouldn't be exposed. This shop is yours now. The land deed is in the bottom cabinet. Consider it a reward. This is the last key, so keep it safe."
Shiliu Niang had a mouthful of soup in her mouth, looked up, and was so surprised that she didn't know what to say. Wen Ruo stared blankly at the key, feeling a mix of emotions. She had just lost one and was worried about it when Qi Guanlan brought it over.
After handing over the keys, Qi Guanlan stared at her intently, hoping she would be happier. After all, she had worked herself to the bone for this shop, but now she showed no joy whatsoever. "Do you think it's too little?"
Wen Ruo gripped the key tightly, the jagged edges digging into her palm. She shook her head with a smile, "No, I was just momentarily stunned. I never expected to receive a reward. All I did was try to survive."
He touched the tip of his nose, coughed lightly, and unusually praised, "Judging by actions, not intentions, you saved Zhuxi Village, it's only right." Exchanging five hundred taels for ten thousand taels was a bit unfair, but he had no money right now.
Wen Ruo lowered her head and absentmindedly drank her soup, unaware of the fleeting guilt in Qi Guanlan's eyes.
"What about me?" Mr. Yi had already put down his spoon, and pursed his lips. These two were talking like young masters and noblemen, which was quite boring.
Qi Guanlan looked over, raised an eyebrow, and said, "How about I give you an official position?"
The old man immediately puffed out his beard and said, "I won't go. After I've cured her mother, I'm going to travel all over the world."
Qi Guanlan instantly raised the corners of his mouth in a smug smile, "That's what I said too, so why don't you thank me?"
After breakfast, Shiliu's mother went to clear the dishes. Wen Ruo came to the shelf. This shop didn't have much else, but it had a lot of boxes.
She found one of similar size and wrapped it around the clay figurine. When the sunlight shone on the bottom of the figurine, it wasn't the patterns but the characters. Even the angles were similar. She saw this every day.
How interesting! A glint appeared in Wen Ruo's eyes as she subtly turned around. "Young Master, could you please help me file a police report? I'm feeling a bit unwell."
"Okay, so you saw the murderer?"
"No."
"Young Master doesn't suspect that I killed him?"
When Wen Ruo met his gaze, the man's lips twitched, clearly trying to suppress a laugh. The next moment, he burst into uncontrollable laughter, laughing for a long time until tears streamed down his face. He put one hand on his hip and breathed heavily, saying, "You?"
"Go, kill one and show me." Qi Guanlan suddenly pointed to the cage in the corner. He had finally caught her acting stupidly, so he couldn't let her go easily. "Kill it, and even if you are the murderer, I will protect you from death."
Wen Ruo's face turned cold. "This is a carrier pigeon. You're willing to waste it?"
"Forget it, I'll just report it to the police." Seeing that the man was getting annoyed, Qi Guanlan immediately stopped smiling and strode away.
Wen Ruo's lips curved slightly as she called out from behind, "Why don't you just take him away?"
"Just say you want to stink me to death."
Only when Qi Guanlan's shadow gradually disappeared did she turn around and go back into the house. The sunlight, like a mischievous child, then lingered around her. Wen Ruo stepped on the shadow and slowly pushed open the door step by step.
I've given you a chance, and I can trust you, but I can't gamble on a mother who has suffered heartbreak and loves her son dearly, or on a royal family that is biased and protective of its own.
She knew better than anyone that the lives of those of noble birth were more precious than those of ordinary people. Once she was suppressed, she wouldn't even have any chips left to gamble with.
Whether or not she was Tao Yan, she needed the truth.
Tao Yan is really annoying. What kind of master and disciple don't show their true faces? Even if you peel off that fake skin, she still can't be sure if it's him.
Tao Yan was probably ugly and had low self-esteem.
"Sir, there has been a murder in Chunshui Lane!" a constable shouted hurriedly, his hand on the hilt of his sword. At that moment, Zhu Fei, dressed in a scarlet robe and carrying a gauze hat, was walking out with his head down.
"My lord, it's been a long time."
Upon hearing the voice, Zhu Fei immediately put on his gauze hat, adjusted his belt, and said solemnly, "Young Master Qi, please forgive me, I have important matters to attend to and cannot keep you company."
Qi Guanlan stepped in front of him, "Coincidentally, I also need to report a case."
"My friend found a woman's body."
Here we go again, what bad luck, my friend? A glint of light flashed in Zhu Fei's eyes. He had just frowned when he said, "The body was found by the river in Chunshui Lane. There was a doctor in her family who thought she could be saved, so they moved her to their home."
Zhu Fei was at his wit's end. "I'll take some people there right away."
"Alright, I hope you can solve the case soon, sir. I won't keep you company any longer."
Qi Guanlan went to report the case, and the officers and soldiers should be quick. Wen Ruo asked for the key to the main gate, unaware that as soon as the gate was opened, a large crowd gathered outside.
Everyone knows this is still Prince Anping's shop, and everyone knows there's a woman living here, but no one has ever seen her face. However, she must be an absolute beauty, otherwise why would Young Master Qi keep her hidden away?
What kind of stunning beauty was she? The gate slowly opened, and the person inside was able to see the light of day.
As soon as the door opened, a gasp rippled through the room as people whispered amongst themselves in surprise. Wasn't it supposed to be a mistress? How could it be her? And her frail appearance didn't seem like that of a vixen.
Wen Ruo heard vaguely, but judging from their eyes, she knew the newcomers were up to no good. She glanced around and saw that they weren't the same group of people who had been at her door before. A sour feeling welled up in her eyes, and she was so jealous that she almost turned red.
That's pretty much it. If those people knew, they'd be furious. It's just that she won't have the chance to see it.
So what if she climbed the social ladder? Wen Ruo sneered inwardly, cupped her fists and said, "I was lucky to survive. I am honored by your kindness. I still need to recuperate, so I will not invite you all into my residence for tea."
When the government officials arrived, as soon as they were ushered in, a barrage of sarcastic remarks began to emerge, growing louder and louder. They spoke of how their former employer was kind and gentle, never making enemies, and even wanted to invite a master to exorcise evil spirits.
As a thoughtful new neighbor, Wen Ruo had no choice but to comply. She pretended to be worried and said, "To be honest, this morning someone suddenly fell into the shop and was half dead. It was the first time I had ever encountered such a thing, and it scared me half to death."
"Everyone, be careful lately. This man is a petty thief. Before he died, he kept muttering something about a big brother, which means he has other accomplices. I heard that the Flying Thieves specifically target wealthy people. He just happened to land in the courtyard. I also heard that they have a habit of scouting locations. Everyone, please keep a close eye on the shops and don't let them be robbed."
Everyone's expression changed, and they stopped watching the spectacle altogether. Wen Ruo snorted coldly, finally feeling relieved.
The people on the street were no different from the previous neighbors; they all had the same boring faces.
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