When Zhong Li emerged from the Dali Temple, a brand new carriage stood waiting outside. Its frame was entirely black, and a small cluster of red corals adorned the upturned eaves.
A smile played on her lips as she instructed the old groom waiting at the entrance. After the old man drove the carriage away, she walked up to it and said, "The shafts of this new carriage are a bit high; I can't get in."
As the words left her mouth, a clean, white hand reached out from within.
Before Zhong Li could even extend her hand to grasp it, she felt herself lift, and that hand had already moved faster, encircling her waist and pulling her into the carriage.
"How did you know it was me?" Lu Wuxie asked, his arms reluctant to release the sight of the face he yearned for. He kept her seated on his lap like this.
Zhong Li replied, "The case of the red coral hairpin was my first case after arriving in Jincheng with you, and very few people use red coral as decoration nowadays, so it had to be you."
"Indeed, nothing can escape Li'er's notice," Lu Wuxie said, lightly teasing her pointed nose.
Zhong Li offered a slight smile, gazing at the man before her. Though he appeared as handsome as ever after only a few days, the subtle depth etched into his eye sockets told her he hadn't fared well recently.
"Mo Cang," she murmured, cupping his face in her hands and examining it closely.
"Hmm?" Lu Wuxie closed his eyes gently, allowing her to look at him. The faint worry he'd carried on his way had vanished the moment he saw her.
"You've suffered," Zhong Li said with concern.
Lu Wuxie opened his eyes, his black pupils reflecting the woman's palm-sized face. Although she wore an official cap, his sharp eyes noticed a patch of white hidden beneath it.
Without answering her, he reached out and pulled off her cap.
When the sight of her forehead, wrapped in gauze, appeared before him, his breath hitched. "Lan Heng told me about your situation. Did this injury come from the carriage?"
Zhong Li nodded, then clasped Lu Wuxie's hand as he reached for her forehead.
"Mo Cang, I'm not in pain," she said, a tear welling up as she recalled the brutal events of that day. "Mo Cang, I'm sorry."
Seeing her distress, Lu Wuxie's heart ached. "Sorry for what? You and I..."
"No!" Zhong Li covered his mouth with her hand. "According to protocol, after investigating this case, I should have gone to the Ministry of Justice to pick you up. Lin Jin and I had arranged it, but..."
She spoke through clenched teeth, biting her lip to suppress her tears. "I didn't expect an ambush outside Baolin Temple. Lin Jin he..."
Zhong Li's voice choked. She knew Lin Jin appeared to be Lu Wuxie's most loyal subordinate, but Lu Wuxie had long since treated him as a brother. Now that Lin Jin had sacrificed himself to protect her, she didn't know how to tell Lu Wuxie.
"It's all my fault. I was too tired then, asleep in the carriage. If... if I had been awake, I would never have left Lin Jin alone, and perhaps Lin Jin wouldn't have ended up like this..."
"Li'er!" Lu Wuxie looked at the sobbing woman, gently moved her hand away, and pulled her into his embrace with concern.
Lin Jin's fate had been told to him by Lan Heng when he was brought out of the Ministry of Justice. The case of the Chaqiete grass was considered closed with the deaths of Miaoyun and Miaohui. The entire Baolin Temple was surrounded by the Dali Temple, and even the Hua family was providing assistance.
No one would have expected someone to lie in ambush around Baolin Temple waiting to kill Zhong Li. After all, if the assassination failed and someone was captured alive, it would be equivalent to handing leverage to the Dali Temple.
He could understand this, and his opponent could too. Zhong Li herself was even clearer on this matter.
Such a sudden event, if it were him, he would also find it hard to believe.
As for Lin Jin...
Lu Wuxie's arms around Zhong Li tightened slightly. "It's not your fault, really not your fault!"
Zhong Li could hold back no longer. She had suppressed everything since waking up, and she felt an unprecedented guilt towards Lin Jin. However, she couldn't tell Hua Yao, nor could she confide in Lan Heng.
Lu Wuxie's words finally broke her composure.
She buried her face in his chest and sobbed, tears pouring uncontrollably, wetting Lu Wuxie's clothes and moistening his long neck.
Lu Wuxie said no more, simply patting her back to comfort her.
The carriage sped along Wenchang Street. The small vendors along the way shouted their wares with all their might, masking the suppressed, sorrowful sounds from within the carriage.
After an unknown amount of time, Zhong Li fell asleep on Lu Wuxie's chest.
Lu Wuxie lifted the curtain and saw the small courtyard before them. He gave instructions to the coachman and alighted from the carriage, holding the sleeping woman in his arms.
The courtyard was empty. There were no sounds of crying children or soothing lullabies from wet nurses.
Lu Wuxie carried Zhong Li to the master bedroom and skillfully placed her on the bed. Wanting her to have a peaceful sleep, he removed her embroidered shoes and gently unfastened her robes.
He believed he was acting with utmost gentleness, but when his fingertips inadvertently brushed against her arm,
Zhong Li let out a pained murmur, "Mm... it hurts!"
Lu Wuxie's movements stopped. His gaze fixed on the frowning woman on the bed. After hesitating, he pulled open a small gap in her inner garment to inspect.
Zhong Li's shoulders were entirely bruised, a dark blue-black. The contusions were severe, giving the impression that a small knife could make the blood spurt out at any moment.
"How could this be?" Lu Wuxie murmured, recalling Lan Heng's words.
'When we arrived at the woods near Baolin Temple, Lin Jin was barely breathing. As for Zhong Li... she was locked in the carriage. When we opened it, we found her unconscious, her hand covering her shoulder.'
"Could it be..." Lu Wuxie processed Lan Heng's words and had deduced how Zhong Li sustained this injury.
He gritted his teeth in anger, clenching his fists tightly. He could no longer be bothered by the propriety of their unmarried status. He roughly pulled off her sleeve. The shocking sight before him made his breathing falter.
"Li'er!" Lu Wuxie whispered, looking at the sleeping Zhong Li and her injuries. His heart felt as if it were being gouged.
He stood up and walked to Zhong Li's small medicine box, took out the wound healing ointment, moved a small stool over, and began to apply it to her with care.
Lu Wuxie didn't know how long he had been busy; his legs were numb when he finally stood up.
He brought in a basin of hot water, washed Zhong Li's hands and feet, and then washed his own hands. Turning, he walked out of the courtyard.
As late autumn arrived, Jincheng, especially nearing the start of winter, was a bit chilly.
Zhong Li opened her eyes when she felt a chill.
Instinctively, she pulled the quilt tighter around herself. It was then that she realized her outer clothes, as well as her shoes and socks, had been removed and neatly placed aside.
"This..." She was somewhat at a loss, her mind momentarily unable to comprehend.
As Zhong Li tried to recall how she had fallen asleep and how her clothes had "disappeared,"
The bedroom door was pushed open, and Lu Wuxie stood before her, holding a food basket.