The three characters “Chen Hede” struck Xinghua’s heart like a block of ice.
The hairs on her body stood on end, and her face turned deathly pale.
Cheng Muyun's tone was clearly not angry at all, but the aura he exuded was like an ice cellar in the dead of winter, making her bones ache.
It was a chilling aura, forged in the crucible of swords and spears, that made her too afraid to even look up. Her fingers trembled violently, causing the celadon bowls on the tray to clink together, making a series of delicate "tinkling" sounds that were particularly jarring on the silent deck.
Cheng Muyun reached out and gently pressed his well-defined fingers on the edge of the tray, stabilizing the swaying.
His movements were gentle, yet the warmth of his fingertips sent a chill down Xinghua's spine. "You don't need to be afraid," he lowered his voice, his tone surprisingly softening, "I'm not going to eat you."
But these words had no effect on comforting Xinghua.
She had witnessed his tenderness towards Xu Zhuohua; at those times, all the fierceness in his eyes would vanish, and even his words would be filled with warmth.
But as long as Xu Zhuohua is not around, the occasional murderous aura in his eyes can instantly silence those around him, making them afraid to even breathe.
Xinghua bit her lower lip hard, forcing herself to look up and meet Cheng Muyun's unfathomable eyes. The emotions surging in those eyes were too complex, with exploration, scrutiny, and a hint of dangerous silence that she couldn't understand.
Cheng Muyun continued, "Have you been spending the past six months with Zhuohua?"
Xinghua nodded.
"Does Chen Hede come here very frequently?"
Xinghua then realized that Cheng Muyun had stopped her because he was worried about Chen Hede's feelings for Xu Zhuohua.
"They came frequently at first, but after two months, the master came once, and then Deputy Director Chen never came again."
Cheng Muyun nodded. "How are you all doing in Nanhu?"
Xinghua knew what Cheng Muyun wanted to ask: not whether he was doing well, but whether Xu Zhuohua was doing well.
“Miss was sick for a long time and only got a little better in winter. But Nanhu was damp and cold, and Miss stayed in her room for almost half a year. The room was full of your newspapers from Xinhai City.”
Cheng Muyun felt a pang of sadness.
While her own life was difficult, Xu Zhuohua's life wasn't going smoothly either.
What's wrong with her throat?
Although Xu Zhuohua's voice was much better than before, Cheng Muyun still recognized it immediately.
"It was from that big fire. Doctor Liu took a long time to recover. He couldn't speak at first, so it's already very good that he has recovered to this extent."
A bitter feeling welled up in Cheng Muyun's heart.
If Xu Shinong hadn't delivered a continuous stream of tonics to Nanhu, Xu Jixin probably wouldn't have discovered Xu Zhuohua's whereabouts.
That means that Dr. Liu and Xu Shinong have exhausted all methods to restore Xu Zhuohua's voice to this extent.
Although he was only slightly hoarse, and it was not noticeable unless he spoke loudly, Cheng Muyun still felt that the returned Xu Zhuohua was not perfect.
She is now partially disabled and is no longer the original Xu Zhuohua.
Although Cheng Muyun loved every aspect of Xu Zhuohua, every time he heard Xu Zhuohua's hoarse voice, he couldn't help but blame himself for not discovering it sooner.
Xu Zhuohua's voice was like a fishbone stuck in Cheng Muyun's throat.
As the ship was about to reach Xinhai City, they encountered the Xu family's merchant ship. This was quite common, as there are many ships on the Yangtze River, and the main waterway for the eastward and southward routes is the Yangtze River and its tributaries.
However, the people on this ship, carrying kapok flower waist tokens, were to inspect every Xu family merchant ship heading to Xinhai City.
Cheng Muyun and his group's ship was intercepted.
Xu Jixin stood beside the mast, facing Xu Zhuohua and Cheng Muyun, all three with serious expressions.
Xu Jixin said, "My father is on the ship opposite. He should be looking for Zhuohua."
Xu Zhuohua already knew that Cheng Muyun had lied about being arrested and published the news to bring up his own affairs, but Xu Shinong and Chen Hede were unaware of this.
Cheng Muyun said, "It's not just my father-in-law, but also those who are kept in the dark."
The three looked at the ship opposite them. A group of people were standing next to the mast, including Xu Shi Nong and the tall Chen He De.
The two boats approached each other, the decks were set up, and Xu Shinong and Chen Hede boarded their boat together.
The group had barely settled on the deck, and before the air around them could even move, Cheng Muyun's figure had already darted off like an arrow.
He grabbed Chen Hede's collar with such force that he almost tore a hole in the fine silk. The distance between the two instantly closed, their noses almost touching. The anger surging in Cheng Muyun's eyes was like a red-hot iron, so hot that one dared not look directly at him.
"What are you doing here?" His voice was like ice, each word filled with a fierce, clenched edge, and the anger in his chest was almost bursting out.
Chen Hede was pulled so hard that he stumbled and his back hit the railing with a dull thud.
He had been prepared for this all along—ever since he couldn't get in touch with Cheng Muyun no matter what, he should have known that this was a trap set by Cheng Muyun.
The only person Cheng Muyun would go to such lengths to lure was Xu Zhuohua.
As he followed Xu Shinong toward Nanhu, his hands and feet were getting cold.
On one hand, she was afraid that Cheng Muyun had really found Zhuohua, and on the other hand, she was afraid that Zhuohua would get so anxious and hurt herself if she learned about the mixed truth and falsehood of the news.
But in the end, it was still a step too late. The crimson in Cheng Muyun's eyes at this moment had already said everything.
His collar was gripped even tighter, making it almost impossible for Chen Hede to breathe, but he did not struggle.
Meeting Cheng Muyun's eyes burning with anger, she was filled with indescribable guilt, and the words of explanation stuck in her throat, unable to be uttered.
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