Chapter 43 043 ...Could it be that the female eyebrow medicine ended up with him...?
When the Prince of Xiangyang was choosing a wife, she naturally knew that the one selected would be a noble lady of high standing in the capital.
However, she couldn't help but think of the day she first met Xie Huaiyuan by the Quchi River. That fleeting glimpse of him had stirred her heart, and she still hoped, to some extent, that her wish would come true.
Lin Wan looked up at Su Furong, who was smiling beside her, and immediately said, "Your Highness is so busy, how could you possibly have time to see someone as insignificant as me?"
Suddenly, she remembered something and hurriedly lowered her head, reaching into her bosom to search for something. After a moment, she gave up in despair. "Oh no, my brocade box is gone!"
"A brocade box? What's inside? You just got back, could it be that you left it with the young master's carriage?"
Upon hearing this, Lin Wan pursed her lips, then prayed that it wouldn't end up with Xie Huaiyuan.
It would be best if they just disappeared.
Lin Wan became increasingly annoyed, wondering how she could have been so blinded by greed to buy such a thing.
The item disappeared before I even got to use it. If he finds it and finds out it was something I brought, I'll be too ashamed to face him.
As autumn draws to a close, the sycamore trees planted in the yard have shed many leaves after the autumn winds of the past few days, showing signs of decay.
Even at noon today, there is no sun.
She came home too late last night, and with the missing brocade box on her mind, she barely slept a wink. Plus, her foot injury hadn't fully healed, so she didn't plan to go out.
I sat idly by the carved windowsill, watching the servants in the courtyard sweeping the fallen leaves with a swish.
In her hand was a calligraphy brush dipped in ink, and on the desk by the window were several sketches of rouge box patterns already drawn.
I had previously agreed to help my uncle look after the shop, and now it has been open for more than half a month. The rouge and face powder in the shop are quite good, and many people come into the shop every day to look around. If they see something they like, they are happy to pay for it.
She doesn't need to go to the shop every day, but she still takes a look at the cosmetics and face powders sold there.
As the seasons changed, she thought about changing the decorations in the shop to suit the season. At this moment, she was trying to draw a new box design. She had drawn several designs, but none of them caught her eye or made her particularly like them, so she stopped here.
Just then, a knocking sound came from outside the courtyard, disturbing the quiet courtyard.
Distracted from her train of thought, Lin Wan snapped back to reality and put the pen back down. "What is it?"
Shi Liu stopped her light steps beside her, her voice filled with undisguised joy as she said, "Miss, Young Master Gu is outside the courtyard now, and Young Master Su is also there."
She paused for a moment, then said, "This young master Gu seems to care about you quite a bit, as he comes to check on you every few days."
As Lin Wan's personal maid, Shi Liu had witnessed her thoughts all the way from Jiangnan to the capital. However, there is sometimes more than one path in this world, so she naturally hoped that Lin Wan would find a good family in the future. As for Gu Qinghe, he seemed to be very attentive to her these past few times, which made him seem quite good.
Lin Wan certainly didn't miss the joy on Shi Liu's face, but her smile faltered for a moment. She couldn't quite understand why Gu Qinghe would come over at this time, and it seemed like she had run into him more often than before. But thinking back to the time in the palace and last night on Lantern Street, she had already been indebted to him twice, and it was only through his help that she was able to escape her embarrassing situation.
She thought for a moment, then said to Shiliu, "Let them in."
Outside the courtyard gate.
Su Xuanhuai: "You came to find her for something, why did you have to drag me into it?"
"In broad daylight, and being an outsider, it would be inappropriate for me to appear so abruptly in Miss Lin's courtyard, as it might damage her reputation."
As the two were talking, Shiliu came over, opened the courtyard gate, and welcomed them in.
Lin Wan tidied her clothes a little and came out of the dormitory, just in time to see Gu Qinghe and Su Xuanhuai coming together.
"Cousin, Young Master Gu."
Lin Wan was filled with doubt as she looked at the two people in front of her.
Gu Qinghe was very tall, so he was in no way inferior to the slender Su Xuanhuai when standing together. However, he did not have the air of a noble young master in the capital, but rather had the air of an older brother taking care of his younger sister.
"Miss Lin."
"May I ask what brings you here today, Young Master Gu?"
Gu Qinghe hesitated for a moment, then said, "I am sorry to bother you so suddenly. There are some things I must tell Miss Lin. Regarding the matter of Licheng that Miss Lin mentioned last time, His Majesty ordered us to depart for Licheng in two days today in court. Miss Lin mentioned this matter before, and I thought that perhaps Miss Lin needs my help."
Licheng.
The moment the words fell, Lin Wan swayed slightly, and suddenly those words from many years ago echoed in her ears.
"...Wanwan, hurry up and run, keep running forward and don't look back, I'll catch up soon..."
However, the person did not follow.
On the pitch-black downhill path, she gritted her teeth and endured the grief in her heart as she ran, with the forest burning red behind her and the sounds of a frenzied and terrifying fight.
...
Perhaps it was because Lin Wan's face suddenly turned frighteningly pale that Su Xuanhuai and Gu Qinghe, who were standing in front of her, were taken aback.
Su Xuanhuai: "Are you feeling unwell? Should I go find a doctor for you?"
Not to mention Gu Qinghe, who hadn't expected Lin Wan to react so strongly to the matter in Licheng. "Miss Lin, you..."
Seeing that something was wrong, Shiliu hurriedly stepped forward to support Lin Wan. She had only been with Lin Wan for two years, but she did not know about what happened back then. She only vaguely learned from the people who had served in the mansion for many years that many years ago, Lin Wan was suddenly framed by her rivals and almost lost her life. Could this be the story?
Gu Qinghe hesitated for a moment, seemingly feeling a little guilty for startling Lin Wan by bringing up the matter.
Lin Wan calmed herself down a bit, noticed the difficulty on his face, and said softly, "I don't have anything else to say, I just didn't sleep well last night. Thank you for telling me, Mr. Gu. I have a favor to ask of you, I wonder if you would be able to help me?"
She paused, glanced at Su Xuanhuai, and seemed hesitant to speak.
Su Xuanhuai looked her over and, seeing that she didn't seem to have any other physical discomfort, gave a helpless "oh" and quickly walked to another part of the courtyard.
Lin Wan thought that everything in this world eventually comes to an end, and that person was no exception. Although so many years had passed, she still hadn't found any information related to that person. Perhaps...
"Young Master Gu, could you please help me find someone when you arrive in Licheng to investigate the bandit suppression case?"
"Whom are you looking for?"
"Li Yunzhou, the eldest son of Magistrate Li."
Gu Qinghe hesitated for a moment, then nodded in agreement, "Alright, I understand. May I ask who this person is to you, Miss Lin?"
Gu Qinghe heard the name and it seemed familiar, but he couldn't immediately recall where he had seen it before.
As autumn deepened, a gentle breeze swept by, stirring up fallen leaves along the hem of Lin Wan's skirt and cooling the beads of sweat that had appeared on her back.
Amidst the autumn wind, Lin Wan whispered, "A benefactor who risked his life to save someone."
These words were said only briefly, but Gu Qinghe understood them perfectly.
"I will let you know if I have any news."
Thank you.
Even after watching Gu Qinghe and Su Xuanhuai leave, Lin Wan remained standing at a distance, motionless, staring blankly at the gray sky.
"Girl, it's windy here, why don't you go back inside?"
It was as if she had finally woken up from a midnight dream. Things that had been weighing on her heart for many years could finally be moved forward. Lin Wan was filled with mixed feelings of joy and sorrow. After a long while, her eyelashes fluttered slightly, and she slowly walked back into the house, step by step, following Shi Liu's footsteps.
That night, Lin Wan had a series of nightmares.
She awoke with a start, surrounded by complete darkness, just like the mountain path that night. The dim candlelight flickered in the wind, casting the reflections of the objects beside the candlestick onto the curtains, making the shadowy figures look like a group of ruthless bandits.
Lin Wan's eyes were still filled with lingering fear. Looking around, she realized that she was not in a dream, nor was she in the den of those vicious thieves. After a long while, she finally let out a long sigh of relief, and the tension and fear on her face gradually dissipated.
As dawn broke, Lin Wan did not get up for a long time. When Shi Liu came over, she found that Lin Wan was sick. Her eyes were slightly closed, her face was pale and bloodless, and she kept muttering in her sleep. Her face was contorted with pain, and fine beads of sweat seeped from her forehead.
Startled, Shiliu hurriedly went to fetch a doctor.
Before long, the doctor was found. Shiliu looked in astonishment at Hua Yisheng, who was standing by the bed taking Lin Wan's pulse, and Xie Huaiyuan, who was standing in the bedroom. Shiliu was a little incredulous and wanted to pinch the back of her hand.
It hurts. So it's real.
When Lin Wan finally opened her eyes slightly, it took her a long time to realize that the person supporting her as she leaned against the edge of the bed was actually Xie Huaiyuan.
Lin Wan spoke with great difficulty, her voice hoarse, "Why are you here? Weren't you supposed to leave Beijing to handle a case?"
Xie Huaiyuan carefully covered her with the blanket to prevent her from catching a cold again, followed by a low and gentle sigh.
"We're not leaving until tomorrow, but I heard you were sick, so I came to check on you."
Lin Wan felt dizzy and lightheaded, as if many large stones had been stuffed into her head, and her head throbbed with pain.
Where are you going?
"Jiangnan".
Lin Wan paused for a moment: "If I ask you to take me with you, is that alright?"
Licheng is located in Jiangnan.
She thought that if she could go back to Jiangnan with Xie Huaiyuan, she might be able to get news about Gu Qing and Cha sooner.
Xie Huaiyuan didn't reply, his brows furrowing slightly. "No, this matter is dangerous, and you are currently ill. It's best to stay in the capital. Don't worry, I won't be gone for long; I'll be back soon."
Lin Wan listened, staring blankly into the distance, and finally nodded.
Xie Huaiyuan left Beijing as scheduled.
Two days later, Gu Qinghe also left Beijing.
The capital city fell silent. Lin Wan, who had been seriously ill from the nightmare, stayed indoors and didn't go out at all.
A month later, as the first chill of winter began to blow, Xie Huaiyuan did not return; instead, a letter from him was received.
"Don't worry, the case has changed, and the return date is uncertain."
Two months later, in the depths of winter, heavy snow fell in the capital. Xie Huaiyuan still hadn't returned to the capital, but she received Gu Qinghe's only letter, which contained only three words.
"Found it."
On the day when the snow finally stopped, a carriage hurriedly left the capital and headed towards Jiangnan.
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