Chapter 44

The man in black, listening to this, paused as he held the jade pendant.

His slender fingers traced the patterns on the jade pendant. After mentally re-sketching the design, he closed his fingers around the pendant again. The man in green behind him remained silent, unsure of his intentions. Meanwhile, the shadow guard, seeing the man’s figure, added, “The brother who came to deliver the message reports that the person from Qiyun Mountain Manor doesn’t seem to have any ill intentions. They’ve just been following from a distance, and we don’t know what they plan to do.”

He seemed to recall something and added, “Could it be because of what happened at the temple last time?”

What exactly happened at the Xishan Temple, they had no way of knowing. They also didn’t understand what the wife of the Duke of Rong had done in this matter.

Upon hearing this, the man in black turned around. The wind outside the window seemed to have picked up, causing his robe to flutter. The half of the golden mask engraved with auspicious clouds glinted in the candlelight, casting a dazzling reflection that obscured even his eyes.

He said nothing and simply stepped out.

The shadow guard immediately followed him.

The middle-aged man in blue waited until the man had left, straightened up, and watched as the man’s figure disappeared into the distance. In the brief moment, the man had already gone far. For some reason, the middle-aged man felt something was off as he watched him. If it were any other time, his master would never have bothered with such small matters.

But now…

Not only did his master send someone to follow the wife of the Duke of Rong, but now he was even going to personally check on her. Did his master really find her unusual, or was there something more to it? Why did he feel like there was something deeper going on?

—-

On the official road.

By this time, it was deep into the night. Although there was no curfew in Bianliang, there were very few people on the streets at this hour, and the small vendors had long packed up and gone home. Now, on this wide official road, the shops on both sides were tightly shut, and only the large red lanterns hanging outside remained lit. Together with the crescent moon in the sky, the road was clearly illuminated.

Inside the carriage, two large glass lanterns hung from the sides of the carriage walls, swaying not at all despite the bumps of the road.

Shen Wei sat on the soft couch, holding a book in her hands, but her mind was completely elsewhere. Mo Qi, who was kneeling to one side, noticed Shen Wei’s unusual behavior. She felt something was off, as if every time the mistress returned from the Shen family, she was a little different than usual.

Thinking of this, Mo Qi gently handed a cup of freshly brewed calming tea to Shen Wei, and softly said, “Reading at night is bad for your eyes. Would you like me to read to you instead?”

Shen Wei heard this and was brought back to her senses. She glanced at Mo Qi, then at the book in her hand. After a moment, she calmly said, “No need, it’s just a trivial book. I can read it tomorrow.” She had originally just wanted to calm her thoughts, worried that Mo Qi might find it inappropriate, so she randomly picked a book to flip through.

Now, hearing this, she placed the book back on the nearby shelf and then took the tea cup from Mo Qi’s hands, holding it gently.

The tea lid was half open, and the steam immediately wafted up, so Shen Wei lightly ran her fingers over the lid, stirring the tea water.

Mo Qi, seeing her behavior, hesitated for a moment before speaking, “Madam, do you have something on your mind?”

Hearing this, Shen Wei paused her hand, but in that brief moment, she quickly regained her composure and said, “I was just thinking how happy I am that my brother and sister-in-law are doing well.” Just as she finished speaking, the carriage jolted, causing half of the tea in her cup to spill.

Luckily, she reacted quickly. As the carriage jolted, she immediately set the tea cup back on the tea tray, and only the edge of her skirt got a little wet with tea; the rest flowed off the tray.

Mo Qi was startled and gasped, carefully inspecting her. She saw that aside from the tea on Shen Wei’s skirt, there was no other spill, and she sighed in relief. Then, she took out a handkerchief and gently wiped the corner of Shen Wei’s skirt, scolding the driver, “What’s going on?”

The coachman, hearing this, immediately apologized, “I… I saw a shadow and feared it would collide with us, so I…” he stopped and then quickly added, “Madam, are you alright?”

Mo Qi, hearing this, lifted the curtain and looked outside. She saw that the wide road was completely empty, not a soul in sight, let alone any shadow. Her face darkened, and her tone became sharper: “You’ve been in the household for so many years, how come you’re getting more careless? Did you drink too much wine earlier and now can’t even see clearly?”

The coachman’s face turned red in embarrassment.

It was true that he had drunk a little more at Shen’s residence, but he had been driving for more than twenty years, and even if he were drunk, he could still drive steadily. What bothered him was that he really had seen something—it was just for a split second, and the shadow vanished instantly. Could it be that he had mistaken it? Or had he imagined it?

He sighed inwardly, unsure of how to explain, and lowered his voice, “I really did see something earlier.”

Mo Qi was already furious upon hearing his explanation. If it had been just the two of them, it wouldn’t have been such a big deal, but Madam was inside the carriage. If the tea had spilled on Shen Wei’s lap… how would they have explained it? She wanted to speak again but was cut off by Shen Wei’s voice, “Alright, continue driving.”

The coachman, hearing this, breathed a sigh of relief and quickly nodded, then resumed driving the carriage.

Seeing that Shen Wei had spoken, Mo Qi decided not to argue further. She shot the coachman one last glare before sitting back down. She looked at Shen Wei and her voice had lost its edge: “Madam…”

“Alright…”

Shen Wei smiled gently and said, “He’s an old servant, perhaps he really saw something earlier. It’s not impossible…” She then saw Mo Qi opening her mouth to speak and quickly added, “Pour me another cup of tea. I’m a little thirsty.”

Upon hearing this, Mo Qi didn’t say anything further.

She wiped down the tea table first, then found another cup and began to refill it.

Shen Wei, meanwhile, leaned back against the side of the carriage. She didn’t know if it was the wind, but the side curtain was slightly lifted by the breeze. As she looked out through the lattice window, she noticed a man in dark clothes standing on the side of the road.

From a distance, she couldn’t clearly see his face.

She could only make out his silhouette and a golden half-mask on his face. It seemed that he noticed her gaze and looked up towards her. In the howling wind, Shen Wei and the man locked eyes from a distance.

It might have been just her imagination, but Shen Wei felt that the man’s figure looked familiar, especially his eyes. Under the light of the moon, his eyes seemed as deep as an ancient well, almost as though the longer she looked, the more she would be drawn into them.

Mo Qi, noticing that Shen Wei was staring outside, asked with a hint of concern, “Madam, is something wrong?”

Shen Wei snapped out of her trance and turned back, replying with a faint smile, “It’s nothing.” After taking the tea cup, she looked outside again, but the figure was gone. She couldn’t help but furrow her brow. Who was that man?

Why did she feel like she had met him before?

The man in dark clothes watched as the carriage gradually disappeared into the distance. Once it was completely out of sight, he stepped out of the shadows. Hearing noises from behind him, he looked up at the eaves of a building and said, “Come out.”

His voice was indifferent, carried by the evening wind, sounding a bit ethereal.

As soon as he spoke, a white figure appeared on the eaves.

The man was dressed in moon-white robes, with a jade flute in hand. He looked carefree and aloof as he sat casually on the eaves. Upon hearing the words, he lowered his eyes, then looked at the black figure standing below. He smiled softly and said, “I’ve heard that the real master of Jinjiang Lou is a young man. I didn’t believe it before, but now I do.”

His voice was warm, and a gentle smile spread across his face as he continued, “But—”

The man in white spoke as he half-leaned forward, looking at the person with an indescribable interest in his tone: “On such a beautiful night, why are you blocking my path here instead of staying at your Jinjiang Building? Could it be…”

He lifted his eyes to look at the official road, probably because of his high vantage point, he could still catch a glimpse of the carriage.

Once the carriage was no longer visible, he withdrew his gaze and looked at the man in black, asking, “Do you know the wife of the Duke of Rong, the building’s owner?”

The man in black, hearing this, didn’t immediately respond. He just raised his eyes slightly and glanced at the people under the eaves. His eyes, hidden behind the golden mask, were as deep as an ancient well. He stood there, half-tilted, hands behind his back, and finally spoke in a calm tone: “It is said that Qiyun Mountain Villa is a renowned, upright sect in the martial world. I didn’t expect the young master of Liang Villa to act in such a way. What is going on?”

After a pause, the man in black continued: “This is neither the martial world nor your Qiyun Mountain Villa. Young master Liang should be more cautious in his actions.” Then, without waiting for a response, he turned and started walking away.

The moonlight shone on him, adding a few more coldness to his figure.

The man in white, called “Young Master Liang,” looked at the departing figure without speaking or moving. He remained seated, leisurely holding a jade flute, his interest undiminished.

When Shen Wei returned to the Duke of Rong’s residence, it was almost time for the midnight hour

She was helped by Mo Qi to cross the small path. Just as they were heading toward the East Courtyard, she saw Lu Qi Huai standing on the path. Shen Wei paused at the sight of him, and Mo Qi, noticing this, also looked in his direction, then respectfully called, “Young Master?”

Hearing the voice behind him, Lu Qi Huai turned around and froze upon seeing Shen Wei.

However, it was only a moment before he walked toward her. Once he reached her, he bowed his hands in greeting and said politely, “Mother has returned.”

Shen Wei responded with a soft “Mm,” then asked, “Why are you here so late?”

“I had a few things to attend to earlier and came out for a walk…” Lu Qi Huai’s tone was gentle, and his face bore the familiar smile. However, when he noticed the corner of Shen Wei’s skirt, which had been stained with tea, he froze for a moment. “What happened to your skirt?”

Shen Wei followed his gaze and saw the stain on the white corner of her skirt from the tea spill. She wasn’t bothered by it and replied, “It was an accident earlier. It’s nothing serious.”

After a pause, she added, “It’s getting late, and you still have to attend court tomorrow. You should head back and rest.”

Lu Qi Huai immediately responded and watched as Shen Wei, supported by Mo Qi, walked further away. Only then did he straighten up. Without anyone else around, his expression became less restrained.

The moonlight was mostly covered by clouds, and the red lanterns on the trees swayed in the wind. The lighting was dim, casting shadows on his face, but his eyes still shone brightly in the darkness.

He stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at Shen Wei’s receding figure. His expression seemed deep and unclear. What had happened at the Xishan Temple that day? Why had Liang Lingyue sought her out?

And what about the calculations in that ledger?

That kind of calculation was so unusual that even the most experienced accountant in the building had found it strange. Just how many things was she hiding that he didn’t know about?

Lu Qi Huai’s gaze deepened with these thoughts.

Shen Wei felt as though someone was watching her from behind. The gaze reminded her of the one from the man in black she had encountered earlier on the official road. Frowning, she stopped and looked back. However, the red lanterns were swaying violently in the wind, and the path, already dim, became even darker. The figure of Lu Qi Huai had long disappeared from the spot where he had been standing

Mo Qi noticed her stopping and also looked in the direction Shen Wei was staring at. After a long moment, she didn’t see anything.

“Madam, what’s wrong?” Mo Qi asked quietly.

Shen Wei didn’t immediately respond. She glanced around once more, then withdrew her gaze and calmly said, “It’s nothing.”

Perhaps it was just her imagination.

Mo Qi saw that Shen Wei was moving on and didn’t speak again, helping her walk forward.

—-

A few days later, Shen Wei had just left the shop when Mo Qi helped her into the carriage.

Because it had rained earlier that day, the street was relatively empty, with only a few vendors starting to pack up as they noticed there were no customers. Shen Wei sat on the soft cushion of the carriage. As if thinking of something, she turned to Mo Qi and asked, “Did you bring the candy for Mi Zhi?”

Mo Qi smiled and replied, “It’s all prepared. Don’t worry.”

Shen Wei nodded, then returned to reading a book in her hands. Since switching to a new calculation method, it had become much easier for her. She glanced through it for a while before closing the ledger. But before she could put it down, the carriage suddenly jolted again.

This time, it was even worse than the last.

Had Mo Qi not caught her in time, she might have fallen forward.

The coachman noticed this and tightly gripped the reins, looking back and nervously asking, “Madam, are you alright?”

At this moment, Shen Wei had settled herself properly and, upon hearing the question, asked, “What happened?”

Before the coachman could respond—

The carriage curtain was suddenly lifted, and standing outside was none other than Hu Feiguany, dressed in a crimson robe. Her delicate features still held that usual calm expression, and upon seeing that Shen Wei was sitting safely in the carriage, she finally relaxed, though she still asked, “Are you all right?”

Shen Wei stared at Hu Feiguany in surprise, and hearing the question only made her more confused. It took a moment before she finally spoke, “Princess Changping, why are you here?”

“I saw someone sneaking around, following you…”

As soon as Hu Feiguany finished speaking, she seemed to notice something and frowned. She turned to someone else and said, “Sit still…” After this, she lowered the carriage curtain and threw the nine-section whip she was holding in one direction. She then coldly shouted, “Let me see which thief has the guts to act so boldly under the Emperor’s nose!”

Soon after, the sound of weapons clashing echoed outside.

Shen Wei, noticing the noise, furrowed her brow and was about to lift the carriage curtain. But Mo Qi quickly grabbed her hand. Shen Wei turned her head and saw the pale expression on Mo Qi’s face. She gently patted the back of her hand and softly said, “It’s fine.”

Then, she pulled the curtain up again and looked outside, spotting two figures.

The red figure was naturally Hu Feiguany, but the other figure, dressed in white… Shen Wei stared for a long time. When she finally recognized the person’s face, her grip on the curtain tightened, and her body leaned forward slightly. She watched in shock as Hu Feiguany’s nine-section whip was about to strike the man, and quickly called out, “Princess, stop!”