Chapter 59

Hearing these words, Shen Wei paused in her motion of wiping her hands.

She hadn’t expected Lu Qi Huai to return so late at night, but she didn’t say anything and merely nodded. After a short while, the curtain was lifted, and Lu Qi Huai walked in.

The candlelight by the curtain was dim, and it wasn’t until he drew closer that Shen Wei was able to clearly see his appearance.

Lu Qi Huai was dressed in casual clothes. He must have been exhausted from the long journey. He looked darker and thinner than before, but his spirit was still good.

As he strode towards her…

Shen Wei found that she could no longer see the youthful vigor on his face.

While Shen Wei was watching Lu Qi Huai, he, in turn, was observing her without showing it. Under the candlelight, the woman before him was just as she had been before—standing gracefully in simple clothes, her expression calm, and her beauty timeless.

It was summer, and the clothing was light. Lu Qi Huai noticed the red cord tied around Shen Wei’s neck, and the smile in his eyes deepened. He didn’t say anything, only lowered his gaze to conceal his thoughts. After walking a few more steps, he cupped his hands in greeting and asked, “Mother, has everything been well in my absence?”

Shen Wei snapped back to her senses when she heard his voice. She handed the handkerchief in her hand to Shui Bi. As she sat back on the soft couch, she gestured for him to sit down and for tea to be served. She then responded, “I am fine. But what about you? Was there any difficulty on your first trip?”

Lu Qi Huai sat down as instructed. When he received the tea from the maid, he didn’t drink it, only holding it in his hand and smiling. “Although I am young, the Crown Prince trusts me very much, so there haven’t been any difficulties.”

If there had been any real difficulties, he naturally wouldn’t have mentioned them to Shen Wei.

Shen Wei didn’t press further. After all, she had never truly been a mother. She could manage a conversation when it came to Lu Mi Zhi, but with Lu Qi Huai, their ages were quite close, and she didn’t know how to speak from the perspective of a mother. She simply took another sip of the tea on the table, and as the cool tea passed her throat, she seemed to remember something and said, “I really like the jade pendant you sent. Thank you.”

If it hadn’t been for that jade pendant, she probably wouldn’t have been able to sleep as peacefully as she had these past few days.

She really should thank him.

Upon hearing this, the smile in Lu Qi Huai’s eyes deepened. Still holding the tea in his hand, he looked at Shen Wei’s face and said, “I’m glad you like it, Mother.”

Shen Wei noticed that his tone seemed a bit different from usual, but when she looked up at him, she still saw his usual expression. Just then, Qiuhuan came to inform her that dinner was ready, so Shen Wei didn’t say anything more. She set down her teacup and stood up with Shui Bi’s help. She glanced at Lu Qi Huai and said, “You will dine here tonight.”

Lu Qi Huai naturally agreed.

—-

After finishing dinner, Shen Wei didn’t ask him to stay longer.

Lu Qi Huai didn’t say much either, only wishing her a good rest. As Shui Bi escorted him out, he asked, “Has anything happened in my absence?” During the meal, Shen Wei had eaten less than usual, and there was a subtle thoughtfulness in her expression. Though it was faint, he had noticed it.

Shui Bi was startled when she heard this. She thought for a moment before answering truthfully, “The Madam has rarely gone out these past few days. Today, she only spoke a few words to the second wife of the West Courtyard when she went out… And also, Madam went to the third house today and spoke a few words to the mistress there.”

Upon hearing this, Lu Qi Huai glanced toward the courtyard behind him. The area was brightly lit with candles, and through the sheer white curtains of the window, he could faintly see a figure leaning by the window, but he did not say anything further.

He simply turned and walked out, while instructing, “Take good care of her.”

Shui Bi immediately responded, “Understood.”

As the footsteps faded, she let out a sigh of relief and looked up.

—-

Wenyuan Hall.

The room was dimly lit with a few candles. Lu Qi Huai stood by the window, holding a jade pendant in his hand.

This jade pendant was identical in material and design to the one he had given Shen Wei, except that the totem carved on it was different. The room was dim, but the moonlight was bright. Under its cold glow, one could vaguely see a dragon carved on the pendant, with a character on the back, but the dim light made it hard to make out the details.

His finger traced the character on the back of the ancient jade, and he asked, “Have you found any trace of Doctor Du?”

The hidden guard, who had been listening in the shadows, was taken aback. Although the master had never stopped searching for Doctor Du, he had never asked about him before. Why had he brought it up today? The guard didn’t dare overthink it and answered truthfully, “He hasn’t been found yet, but I heard he appeared in Quzhou a while ago.”

Lu Qi Huai didn’t stop his actions when he heard this. He continued to gaze at the night outside and said, “Have the men keep an eye out. If they find him, bring him here.”

The hidden guard responded respectfully, but then, looking at the figure in front of him, he couldn’t help but speak up, “That Third Master Lu’s illness should still last for a few more years. Master, you…”

Before he could finish, he noticed that the man in front of him had stopped moving, his fingers pausing on the jade pendant.

The guard immediately lowered his head and quickly apologized, “I spoke too much.”

Lu Qi Huai didn’t respond to the apology. He only said calmly, “Leave.”

After the guard left, Lu Qi Huai tightened his grip on the jade pendant and once again looked up at the crescent moon in the sky, remaining silent.

…

As July arrived, Taoran Studio had two happy events.

At the beginning of July, Yiqin married first. Although Shen Wei treated Yiqin not as generously as she did Mo Qi, she still secretly gave her a lot of silver. Because Yiqin was marrying far away, not only was a group of guards arranged to escort her, but a little maid and an elderly woman were also assigned to serve her along the way.

Now, on the fifteenth of July, it was Mo Qi’s turn to get married.

Today was a clear day, with the sky bright and the weather not too hot due to the rain a few days ago. Although it wasn’t customary to make a big fuss over a maid’s marriage, Shen Wei still arranged a grand ceremony within the proper guidelines.

At this moment, Mo Qi was still waiting in her room, though the time for her marriage hadn’t arrived yet.

As the head maid, she had her own separate room, but at this moment, her room was filled with people. In addition to the maids and old women from Taoran Studio, there were also others from different courtyards who had a good relationship with her. Everyone was surrounding Mo Qi, congratulating her.

When Shen Wei entered, several of the maids were saying, “Sister Mo Qi is really lucky. The Madam is kind to you, not to mention that the Ming Guard is quite impressive. Now that he’s following the Young Master, his future is bright. In a few years, we might see Sister Mo Qi being called ‘Madam’ when we meet her.”

“Indeed, you’re a good person. If it weren’t for you serving the Madam so diligently, how would she care for you this much? Look, no one in the whole household is as fortunate as you. I heard that the second wife’s attendant, An Xiang, is about to be assigned to someone too. She’s been following the second wife for so many years and is used to being bossy. I wonder who she’ll be assigned to now?”

Someone else chimed in, “Even if An Xiang is good, can she compare to Mo Qi? If it were the old days, An Xiang would have come by now, but she hasn’t shown up today… Clearly, she’s avoiding it, afraid of losing face.”

The maids were joking around, but it was Qiuhuan who noticed Shen Wei first.

She quickly suppressed her expression and stepped forward to greet her, and the other maids followed suit, giving their respects. The once lively room became quiet when they saw Shen Wei. Though Shen Wei usually had a good temper and rarely reprimanded anyone, the maids still felt some fear towards her.

They worried that Shen Wei had overheard their conversation and were anxious, fearing she would reprimand them.

Mo Qi also stepped forward to greet her, but since she was in her wedding dress, she couldn’t move easily. Shen Wei, noticing this, reached out to help her, saying, “Alright, don’t kneel too much on such a great day.”

Once that was said, she turned to the others still kneeling and said, “There’s a banquet outside. Since there’s nothing to do right now, go and eat something.”

Upon hearing this, everyone smiled happily, and after bowing to Shen Wei, they left the room.

Once everyone had left, Shen Wei helped Mo Qi to the mirror. After Mo Qi sat down again, Shen Wei carefully examined her. Mo Qi was naturally beautiful, but she rarely dressed up, and her usual attire was rather plain, which somewhat hid her beauty.

Today, for her wedding, she had dressed up beautifully, revealing the charm she usually concealed.

Shen Wei gazed at her, watching Mo Qi’s face turn red from the attention. She took Mo Qi’s hand and smiled, “Why are you blushing? You should dress like this more often, it looks beautiful.”

After speaking, Shen Wei took a red envelope from her sleeve and handed it to Mo Qi, saying, “There will be too many people later, so it’s inconvenient. Take this for now.”

Mo Qi looked at the sealed red envelope and waved her hand, saying, “Madam, what are you doing? You’ve already given me enough makeup, and I receive quite a bit of monthly allowance. There’s no need for you to give me more money.”

“Silly girl, this is a good omen. Besides, there will be many places where you will need money in the future for socializing…” Shen Wei said while taking Mo Qi’s hand, and after handing her the envelope with the bonus, she continued, “I’ve also given something to Qi Qin, as both of you have served me since childhood, and it’s only fair.”

Mo Qi opened her mouth to speak but then noticed that Shen Wei was pretending to be angry and stopped herself. She held the red envelope in her hand, looking at Shen Wei and saying, “Madam, your kindness towards me, I will never forget in this lifetime…” She couldn’t help but redden her eyes at the thought that from this day on, she wouldn’t be able to serve her by her side anymore.

“Why are you crying on such a joyous day? If the guards see this, they’ll think I’ve bullied you,” Shen Wei teased, and Mo Qi smiled again.

Once the makeup was touched up, Shen Wei held her hand and continued, “Although you won’t be by my side anymore, if anyone dares to cause trouble for you, just come to me. I will always stand up for you.”

After spending so much time together, Shen Wei had already regarded Mo Qi as her own, and naturally, she didn’t want her to suffer any grievances. Since the time for the wedding was approaching, Shen Wei didn’t say anything more and received Mo Qi’s respectful gesture before heading back.

Upon returning, Shui Bi had already come back.

She was holding a brocade box, and as soon as she saw Shen Wei, she approached her. “Madam, the bonus from last month has been brought.”

Shen Wei nodded upon hearing this. She took the brocade box from Shui Bi and entered, retrieving a silver note from inside and placing it into a box at the bottom of her makeup box.

In just a few months, her assets had increased to more than the original owner’s. No wonder they said the Jinjiang Tower was a money pit. She only took 30% of it, yet there was so much. The real boss of the Jinjiang Tower must already be incredibly wealthy, possibly rich enough to rival a nation.

Shui Bi stood beside Shen Wei, noticing her gaze fixed on the silver note in the box, and gently asked, “Madam, you already have so many shops and dowries in the household. Why are you still working so hard at these matters?” Over time, Shui Bi had become increasingly respectful towards Shen Wei, partly due to what Shen Wei had said on that day, and also because of the influence of Lu Qi Huai.

Moreover, as they spent more time together, Shui Bi began to realize that this Madam, the wife of the Duke of Rong, had qualities that others didn’t possess. However, there was one thing she didn’t understand—why did Madam seem to like money so much?

After all, Madam lived in the inner courtyard and didn’t seem to need much. What would she do with so much money?

Shen Wei smiled upon hearing this, closing the box and saying, “Who doesn’t like having more money? It’s uncomfortable to use someone else’s money. Besides, I always think that one day, I might need to leave the Duke’s household.”

At that time, it would be better to have money than none at all.

“Shui Bi…” Shen Wei suddenly called her name. When Shui Bi looked at her, Shen Wei hesitated, unsure whether to ask if Shui Bi would follow her if the time ever came. Recently, Shui Bi had become more comfortable with her, and if Shui Bi were with her in the future, things would surely be much easier.

However, considering Shui Bi’s status, Shen Wei decided to swallow her question. Even if such a day came, whether Shui Bi would choose to leave with her was uncertain.

Shen Wei suppressed her thoughts and handed the brocade box back to Shui Bi. “Go outside and find a bank to deposit the money in your name.”

Shui Bi naturally didn’t say anything more. She nodded lightly and headed out. However, just before leaving, she paused and looked back… Shen Wei had already returned to her soft couch, reading a book. Her expression remained unchanged, just like usual.

Yet Shui Bi had the feeling that Shen Wei had something to say to her earlier. What could it have been? Shui Bi furrowed her brows, watching Shen Wei raise her head, and then quickly turned and left.

—-

Once Shui Bi had left, Shen Wei closed the book in her hands.

The sound of music and fireworks from the ceremony outside reached her ears, signaling that it was time for Mo Qi’s wedding. Due to propriety, she couldn’t attend, so she simply closed her eyes and listened to the lively sounds outside.

The music and fireworks echoed through the air, and Shen Wei lightly swayed her fan in her hand, sitting on the soft couch. She didn’t know how to feel, but as she listened to the sounds fading in the distance, she couldn’t help but think that it had been over half a year since she arrived in this foreign world.

“Half a year, huh…” Shen Wei murmured softly, then opened her eyes. She leaned back slightly on the pillow and looked outside through the window. The sky was clear and bright, a perfect day.

As she gazed at the sky, there was a rare ripple in her expression.

She had been in this world for over half a year now, but what about her parents? How were they now? Had they moved past the pain of losing her, or were they still thinking of her?

Thinking of this, Shen Wei couldn’t stop her eyes from turning red.

At that moment, Qiuhuan entered, and upon seeing Shen Wei’s red eyes, she was momentarily stunned. But when she looked again, Shen Wei had already raised her fan to cover her face, hiding her emotions, her voice as usual. “Why didn’t you go to the wedding?”

Qiu Huan snapped out of her daze upon hearing this.

She assumed that Madam was thinking of the Duke, so she softened her tone and said, “I was worried that you’d have no one to serve you, so I came to check on you…”

Once the words were spoken, she refilled the tea and then added, “There’s one more thing. Earlier, someone from the gatehouse delivered an invitation saying that Princess Changping wishes to meet with you tomorrow. Would you like to accept the invitation?”

Upon hearing the words “Princess Changping,” Shen Wei immediately put down the fan that had been resting on her face.

Her expression had already returned to its usual calm, and when she took the invitation from Qiuhuan and read it, she saw that it was indeed written by Hu Feiguany. It had been a few months since their last meeting, which was after the farewell at Jinjiang Tower. On that day, Hu Feiguany had sent a letter saying she was going to the frontier, so it seemed she had returned now.

Shen Wei thought of the bright and beautiful young woman, and a smile returned to her face.

She closed the letter and placed it on the table, then said to someone, ” Let Shadow wall go, and prepare the carriage. I’ll be going out tomorrow.”