Yongcheng, Minor New Year, late at night, cold wind.
Qi Shuishui tightened the bundle on her body and hurried through Fenghe Street alone, glancing warily behind her into the empty street.
Most of the shops on Fenghe Street had already closed. She was hungry and tired, and after walking only a few dozen steps, she slumped onto a clean stone platform to rest.
"That's enough from this A Cui, running off and leaving me alone!" She pulled her cold-weather cloak tighter, took out the meager rations from her bundle, and muttered as she ate.
Suddenly, her eyes widened in alarm, and she gasped, clutching her neck. Only after her beautiful face contorted into an unbecoming expression did she twist her neck slowly back to normal. "I'm choking, and there's no water!"
She sneered, slung her bundle over her shoulder, and continued walking.
Just a few steps later, she stopped and quickly looked behind her.
Although there was still nothing behind her, she knew this person had been following her all along, from Jinzhou to Yongcheng.
"Bastard!" she cursed, her eyes darting around. An idea began to form in her mind.
She smiled, glanced behind her, and then darted towards Wuxiang Alley, which was next to Fenghe Street.
Wuxiang Alley was well-known in Yongcheng. It was winding and narrow, with multiple interconnected paths. If someone wanted to track a person here, without intimate knowledge of the place, even the most skilled in lightness skill, Lu Wuxie, would likely get lost.
As expected, Qi Shuishui weaved through the alley in a seemingly random pattern. Within half an hour, the person following her had long since disappeared.
Hands on her hips, the triumphant gleam in her eyes was obvious. She made a face at the empty space behind her, spat coldly, and, swinging her bundle, emerged from the alley.
The end of Fenghe Street was the wealthy district. She remembered a certain foolish rich man in Yongcheng who had offered to take her as a concubine, and she was supposed to be heading to him today.
Relying on her memories of singing here before, Qi Shuishui’s gaze searched among the closed mansions.
It was too dark, and it looked like it would snow tomorrow. Even the moon was obscured, only its halo visible.
Her feet began to ache again, but she still hadn’t found the foolish rich man’s mansion. Just as she was considering finding a nearby inn to stay for the night, a carriage slowly appeared behind her.
"Young lady, are you looking for someone?" a pleasant male voice inquired from inside the carriage.
Qi Shuishui turned her head towards the sound. As the carriage curtain was pulled aside, a man’s refined and handsome face appeared in her sight.
She lowered her gaze to think for a moment, then looked up again, her face etched with a touch of pathos, and said to the man, "Sir, this humble maiden is from Jinzhou, seeking to join relatives. Alas, under this dark and windy night, the cold wind has blinded my eyes, and I cannot find my relative's residence for the moment, hence my lingering here."
"Oh?" The man curved his lips, looking at Qi Shuishui’s unparalleled beauty. "May I ask whose residence you speak of, young lady?"
"It's..." Qi Shuishui was momentarily speechless. After thinking for a good while, she finally recalled the foolish rich man's surname and said, "Shang."
"Shang?" The man raised an eyebrow slightly.
Qi Shuishui dared not look at his face, fearing her memory had faltered.
"Ah, you mean the Shang mansion to the south." The man spoke with sudden realization.
Upon hearing this, Qi Shuishui’s face lit up with excitement, and she nodded profusely at the man.
The man smiled, his already gentle face becoming even more amiable. "I am on my way to visit a friend in the south. If you don't mind, young lady, you can come up, and I shall take you to the Shang mansion."
"Really?" Qi Shuishui exclaimed in surprise.
The man nodded, and as if on cue, he pulled open the carriage curtain. "Indeed. Would a gentleman lie to a young lady? Moreover, it looks like it will snow in Yongcheng tomorrow, and it is the coldest time right now. Someone as delicate as you, to be chilled, would be heartbreaking."
Hearing this, Qi Shuishui’s cheeks flushed. She tightened her bundle and, with the man's assistance, got into the carriage.
She surveyed the interior of the carriage. She had seen many wealthy merchants in Jinzhou and had ridden in all sorts of luxurious carriages. While this man's carriage was not as grand as the Yue family's, it was certainly among the finest she had seen. She then looked at the man's appearance and suddenly had a scheme. "Thank you for your help today, sir. Otherwise, Shuishui would not know how she would find her family's residence!"
The man waved his hand, poured a cup of hot red tea, and placed it before her. "Ladies are most afraid of the cold. This tea is specially brewed for Miss Shuishui."
Hearing this, Qi Shuishui’s heart fluttered even more. She bit her lip and asked coyly, "May I ask, sir, is your family married?"
The man paused, seemingly taken aback by Qi Shuishui’s question. He glanced at her jade feet, hidden beneath her skirt, wearing embroidered shoes, and after a moment's thought, replied, "No."
Excitedly, Qi Shuishui drained the red tea in her hand. Just as she was about to ask further, a wave of dizziness surged into her head. Before she could react, she fell heavily inside the carriage.
The man watched her reaction, the smile on his face slowly tightening. He lifted the curtain, casually tossed a string of copper coins to the driver, and after the driver had departed, he took the driver's seat, cracked the whip, and sped away.
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Two days after Zhong Li concluded her case, a merchant ship happened to pass by the small fishing village and arrive in Yongcheng. After bidding farewell to the village chief, she and Lu Wuxie paid their dues and set off on their journey back to Yongcheng.
Although the merchant ship was not as grand as those of the Beichuan Gang, it was well-equipped, and the two of them were quite accustomed to the accommodations.
Zhong Li had never taken care of a child before, and a newborn in its confinement month was enough to keep her busy. Fortunately, there was Lu Wuxie. Whenever she found herself at a loss, he was always able to soothe the child’s emotions in time.
"He seems to like you very much," Zhong Li said, placing the warmed goat milk on the table.
Lu Wuxie lowered his gaze, looking at the little darling in his arms. "I always thought there was nothing Li'er couldn't do. Now it seems I overestimated."
Hearing this, Zhong Li knew he was teasing her. She rolled her eyes and picked up a small spoon, preparing to feed the child.
"Actually, it's not that I'm good at comforting children," Lu Wuxie said as he wiped the child's mouth. "I see you getting up at night to take care of him, and I didn't want you to be too tired."
Zhong Li’s hand, holding the spoon, paused. She looked up at Lu Wuxie, who was still diligently feeding the child.
She remembered that before boarding the ship, she was always woken by the child’s cries. She calculated that she had to get up at least three times a night, and if the child also wet or soiled himself, it could be as many as ten times. But since boarding the ship, she had slept through most nights. She had initially thought the child had become more well-behaved, not realizing it was Lu Wuxie taking care of him.
"I'm sorry," Zhong Li lowered her gaze, her eyes filled with apology. "If I hadn't agreed to Niu Ling, this journey might not have been so troublesome. Otherwise, we could have reached Yongcheng by the eve of the Minor New Year."
Lu Wuxie looked up at the woman opposite him and said, "It's alright. I understand your concerns. This child might not have fared well if left in the small fishing village. Since it's what you want, I support you unconditionally."
Zhong Li hadn't expected the man, who was usually impatient and somewhat unruly, to say something like this.
She gazed at him as he busily worked with earnestness, suddenly remembering what he had said in the cave on the small fishing island. Was this the true Lu Wuxie?