Bai Zhiyi stood on a mountain overlooking Suiyang County.
Behind her was a newly built grave. The night wind swirled the paper money in front of the grave, circling around her fluttering clothes, seemingly reluctant to leave, before finally scattering into the night.
The middle-aged scholar standing behind her, seeing that she had been standing there since noon, felt sorry for her and said, "Young lady, I know you are very sad because you have lost your family, but the doctor has done his best to treat you. Please accept my condolences."
Bai Zhiyi turned around and looked at him.
She wore a clown mask. The clown's wide-open grin seemed to make him appear happy, but it looked particularly eerie in the cemetery, making the middle-aged scholar feel somewhat uneasy.
Bai Zhiyi looked at him for a while and said calmly, "I am very grateful for your help these past few days."
The middle-aged scholar said, "I just happened to be staying at that inn."
Bai Zhiyi slowly walked down the mountain and said, "I have been in a daze these past few days and have not asked my brother for his name."
The middle-aged scholar followed behind her and said, "My surname is Jiang, Jiang Wenpei."
“Then I’ll call you Brother Jiang.” Bai Zhiyi stopped and said, “Brother Jiang, you’ve been helping me these past few days, and I don’t really have anything to thank you for.”
She took out a silver note from her bosom: "This is my reward for my elder brother."
Jiang Wenpei waved his hands repeatedly: "Young lady, you have suffered such misfortune. I helped you out of kindness, not for reward. Please put it back."
He was a well-educated and courteous person, and he wouldn't ask Bai Zhiyi's name unless she mentioned it.
Seeing that he didn't want it, Bai Zhiyi didn't insist, took back the silver note, and continued walking down the mountain.
"Brother Jiang, you are so kind. I thank you very much. Let's part ways when we return to Suiyang City."
Jiang Wenpei followed behind her and asked, "Miss, do you have any relatives to stay with?"
He meant well, but Bai Zhiyi didn't answer. Jiang Wenpei assumed she was still heartbroken, and since it was someone else's private matter, he didn't press the issue. The two silently made their way to the gates of Suiyang City.
It was dinnertime, and many people were entering and leaving the city gate. Looking through the gate, the shops on both sides of the street were brightly lit, and pedestrians were walking in twos and threes.
A large crowd had gathered at the city gate, seemingly looking at a notice.
Bai Zhiyi walked through the crowd and heard someone in the crowd say:
"...Anyone who discovers my daughter's whereabouts will be rewarded with a thousand taels of silver by the Duke's mansion. If..."
She shuddered and stopped in her tracks.
Unexpectedly, her parents even posted notices all over Suiyang in their search for her.
The onlookers were buzzing with discussion, one of them saying, "How could the daughter of the Duke's mansion possibly come to Suiyang? If we're going to look for her, we should look around the capital."
Another said, "You're making a fuss over nothing. The Duke's daughter is the niece of the matriarch of the Lin family."
The one who spoke earlier said, "Could it be that she was with the matriarch of the Lin family and was mistakenly killed by the Northwest Army?"
The one who answered said, "Probably. I heard that over a thousand people died in Ganxi Valley. Perhaps that young lady also perished in the chaos of battle. What a pity."
Jiang Wenpei walked up to her and, seeing her standing still, asked, "Miss, what's wrong?"
Bai Zhiyi said, "It's nothing. I just saw them crowding together there and wanted to see what was going on."
After she finished speaking, she continued walking into the city.
She had no intention of returning to the Duke's mansion; she had already set her sights on something new. As for the original Bai Zhiyi, she could simply consider her truly dead.
Jiang Wenpei also squeezed into the crowd and glanced inside. He saw a notice posted on the city wall with a portrait of a young woman. The girl was extremely beautiful, stunningly so.
The doctor had previously told him that Bai Zhiyi's parents had both died in the fire, leaving only her and her younger brother. He didn't connect Bai Zhiyi with the person on the notice, glanced at it twice, and then caught up with Bai Zhiyi again.
Bai Zhiyi turned around and saw him following her again, and said, "Brother Jiang, I originally planned to break up with you here. Since you've come again, let me treat you to a meal as a thank you."
Jiang Wenpei stood with Bai Zhiyi for the entire afternoon, feeling cold and hungry from the mountain wind, and said, "Alright."
The two entered the restaurant and, after passing through the lobby, overheard a group of customers discussing something.
"I heard that Su Heng and his wife were driven away by their niece, Su Wan."
"That's right, not only did they take back the pharmacy, they're taking back the house too."
Bai Zhiyi suppressed her displeasure and went upstairs with Jiang Wenpei into a private room.
She ordered several dishes, a pot of wine, and two wine cups. When the food and wine arrived, she picked up the wine pot, poured a cup for Jiang Wenpei, and then poured one for herself. She put down the wine pot, picked up her wine cup, and said, "Brother Jiang, please."
Seeing that she had ordered strong liquor, Jiang Wenpei advised, "Miss, you have injuries on your face, so you shouldn't drink."
Bai Zhiyi smiled, lifted her mask, brought the wine to her lips and drank it all in one gulp, saying, "Drinking wine on a cold day is just right to ward off the cold."
The strong liquor burned her throat. She coughed involuntarily, which aggravated the wound on her face, making her feel as if her whole face was on fire again.
Seeing that she wouldn't listen to his advice, Jiang Wenpei had no choice but to stop talking and drink the wine in his cup.
After a few drinks, Bai Zhiyi became more talkative. She took off her mask and placed it on the table, saying to Jiang Wenpei, "Brother Jiang, we've met by chance. May I ask what brings you to Suiyang? Could you tell me?"
Jiang Wenpei said, "I won't hide it from you, young lady. I was sent by the head of the family to find someone, and I just arrived here."
Looking for someone?
"Do you know a woman named Su Wan?"
Bai Zhiyi put down her wine glass, covered her face with her hands, and let out a painful groan.
I overheard them talking about Su Wan as soon as I entered the restaurant. Now, when I asked Jiang Wenpei, it was also related to Su Wan. Why is it that every random stranger I bump into seems to be looking for Su Wan?
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