Lu Chang naturally came to apologize and appease her. From last night until now, rounding up the time, she had been angry for a day and night—something that had never happened before.
Ming Shu had already poured tea and handed it to Ying Xun: “Master, sit here and drink tea. I’m in charge here, don’t be afraid of him.”
Though it was just warm tea, Ying Xun felt it particularly scalding in his hands.
“Ming Shu, I have something to tell you,” Lu Chang stood up from his chair seriously.
“Then say it,” Ming Shu didn’t look at him, only glancing at the snacks arranged on her table.
A five-petaled plum blossom lacquer box contained her favorite Fu Ji pastries, which always required queuing to buy. Lu Chang must have brought it specially for her.
Without opening it, she pushed the entire lacquer box into Ying Xun’s hands, saying: “This is to show respect to you.”
“…” Ying Xun held the cup in one hand and the box in the other, his face full of helplessness.
“I want to speak with you alone,” Lu Chang said again.
“There’s nothing between us that can’t be said in front of others,” Ming Shu grabbed Ying Xun who wanted to leave.
“Are you sure you want others to hear?” Lu Chang confirmed with her.
Ming Shu maintained her cold expression: “I’m sure.”
Lu Chang nodded and said: “Very well.”
Meanwhile, Ying Xun had quietly placed the teacup and lacquer box on the table and was trying to withdraw his sleeve from Ming Shu’s grasp, planning to leave, but was stopped by Lu Chang: “Constable Ying, please stay as a witness.”
A witness?!
What kind of witness?
Ming Shu was just upset and wanted to make things difficult for Lu Chang, hoping he would learn to take better care of himself, but she didn’t want to hear anything unusual from him. Hearing his solemn tone, she became nervous first, her eyes darting around, somewhat regretting asking Ying Xun to stay.
However, Lu Chang had already rolled up his sleeves, revealing his empty elbows, clasped his hands together, and bowed deeply to her, saying: “Lu Chang sincerely acknowledges his mistake. Yesterday, I shouldn’t have acted recklessly without taking care of my body, causing additional injuries and making you worry and upset. It was my fault. Lu Chang understands now and asks Young Lady Ming Shu for forgiveness. Lu Chang promises it won’t happen again.”
Such a formal apology stunned both Ying Xun and Ming Shu.
Ming Shu was momentarily dazed before quickly coming to her senses, silently cursing in her heart: this fool, actually doing this in front of others… while reaching out to help him up.
“Quick, get up!” she said.
Lu Chang straightened up and somehow produced a bouquet, presenting it to Ming Shu: “Young Lady, will you forgive Lu Chang?”
Ming Shu was dumbfounded.
“Ahem!” Ying Xun was thankful he hadn’t drunk the tea earlier, or he would have choked to death.
Was this the cold-faced top scholar from the Kaifeng Prefecture office? He must be possessed by some spirit.
“Still angry?” Lu Chang placed the flowers in Ming Shu’s hands, then waved his hand in front of her, suddenly producing a pair of clay figurines in his palm, “Young Lady, will you please forgive Lu Chang?”
He pinched his voice to sound childish, his tone remained steady, but his ears had turned completely red.
Ming Shu couldn’t help but burst out laughing with a “puchi” sound, and before she could answer, Lu Chang had already placed the clay figurines on the table and somehow produced a peach, a handful of candy, a pack of preserved fruits…
Each item was something Ming Shu loved, whether small trinkets or snacks.
Ming Shu laughed so hard she shook like scattered flowers, pulling at Lu Chang’s sleeves, wanting to see where he had hidden all these things.
Lu Chang said: “That’s all, really all.”
“Deputy Magistrate, Young Lady Lu, if there’s nothing else, I shall take my leave,” Ying Xun really couldn’t watch anymore. These amateur street magic tricks could only fool young girls like Ming Shu. However, while he had heard of wearing colorful clothes to please parents, he had never seen anyone wearing colorful clothes to please a sister. This Deputy Magistrate was truly… eye-opening.
This time, Ming Shu didn’t stop him: “Master, walk carefully.”
“…” Ying Xun shook his head as he walked out of Man Tang Hui.
“Still angry?” With only Lu Chang and Ming Shu left in the back hall, he asked her.
“Nothing else?” Ming Shu was still curiously staring at Lu Chang’s body.
Lu Chang’s gaze was profound as his hand brushed past Ming Shu’s temples as if plucking something from her hair and opened his palm before her eyes, where a smooth jade hairpin lay quietly.
“The last item,” he said.
Ming Shu picked up the jade hairpin to look at it, then looked at Lu Chang, whose redness had spread from his ears to his cheeks, making him appear somewhat boyish, shy, and bashful, unlike his usual serious demeanor.
The jade hairpin was simple in style but of excellent quality, and being the first hair ornament Lu Chang had given her, she couldn’t bear to put it down. While playing with it, she reproached him: “How could you do such things in front of others? People will laugh at you.”
“Weren’t you the one who insisted on having someone stay?” Lu Chang took the hairpin from her hand, compared it to her hair bun, found the right spot, and gently inserted it.
“How was I to know what you were planning to do? You’re an honored top scholar and the Deputy Magistrate of Kaifeng Prefecture. Doing such things in front of others—if word gets out, won’t you lose face?” Ming Shu adjusted her hair bun, scolding him.
“My face isn’t important, and besides, in front of others, comforting my…” he wanted to say something but changed his words under Ming Shu’s gaze, “comforting my sister, what’s there to fear about being laughed at? A true man should know when to be firm and when to yield. Be firm against enemies, be soft with family—there’s nothing wrong with that.”
“Is that how you use the phrase ‘know when to be firm and when to yield’?” Ming Shu was amused, her anger long dissipated. She pulled him to sit in the chair, carefully examining the wounds on his face, and asked, “When did you learn these magic tricks?”
“This trick is called ‘concealment.’ I learned it from an old street performer to made a living in the past. I only know these few moves, which I’ve shown today,” Lu Chang answered while closing his eyes to let her examine him.
“You must have had a very difficult life before,” Ming Shu suddenly sighed.
Lu Chang opened his eyes, seeing the concern in Ming Shu’s eyes, and felt warmth in his chest: “That’s all in the past. Ming Shu, any hardship or pain will pass.”
Ming Shu made a sound of agreement and straightened up, pulling him: “Let’s go, time to head home.”
The sunset was gradually falling, with rosy clouds spreading across the horizon.
The “siblings'” cold war had ended, and they walked slowly side by side through the street alleys. Ming Shu brought up the Lu family matter, showing some worry in her brow.
“Brother, if this case is finally solved, and the current Lu Ruishan isn’t the Lu family’s daughter, while Liu Wan’er is the real Third Young Lady Lu, what… can I do?” Ming Shu asked, “Should I reveal the truth to the Lu family and help Liu Wan’er return to the Lu family as the real Third Young Lady Lu?”
With her former straightforward personality, she would certainly have wanted to reveal the truth and expose Lu Ruishan’s background to the Lu family, but lately, she felt that the truth was full of contradictions and that revealing everything didn’t necessarily represent the victory of justice—sometimes it only showed the helplessness of life and the treachery of human nature.
She was somewhat confused, not knowing what she could do.
“Ming Shu, human emotions are the most complex and contradictory things in this world. Even a wise judge finds it difficult to settle family matters, and we are just ordinary people—we cannot judge for them, much less get ourselves involved in others’ emotional entanglements. Just think about your initial intention when you took this case, then consider what you should do,” Lu Chang understood her inner conflict and spoke gently.
From the Yin family to Zhang Song, then to Du Wenhui and Madam Lü, and now to Liu Wan’er and Lu Ruishan… The more she experienced, the more inevitably her understanding of good and evil, black and white, was challenged. The scales in her heart gradually tilted, and she was no longer as confident as she had been initially, fixated on the truth.
“Initial intention…” Ming Shu lowered her head and bit her lip, thinking about why she had agreed to take this case for Liu Wan’er in the first place, “I didn’t think too much about it then, I just felt she was a pitiful orphan girl, and wanted to do my best to fulfill her wish of finding her parents.”
That was all, nothing more.
“Then you’ve already accomplished that,” Lu Chang said.
Ming Shu paused—yes, she had accomplished it. As long as she finally investigated the whereabouts of the real Third Young Lady Lu, she would have fulfilled her initial promise to Liu Wan’er.
So why was she worried?
“Brother! Thank you!” Ming Shu suddenly understood, her face immediately brightening with a smile.
However, Lu Chang frowned again: “Ming Shu, there’s no one around, can we change how you address me?”
“I won’t,” Ming Shu hopped a few steps forward, turned around to walk backward, “I like calling you Brother.”
“…” Lu Chang pinched his brow, suddenly saying, “Walk properly, be careful!”
Ming Shu’s back foot caught on something, and she stumbled half a step backward, her arm rising, but her hand was caught by Lu Chang.
He gently pulled, bringing Ming Shu to his side.
Someday, he would have to fill in this pit he had dug for himself.
The next day, Ying Xun sent word to Ming Shu that Madam Peng had agreed to help them extract information from Madam Cai about the real Third Young Lady Lu’s whereabouts, telling her to wait patiently for good news.
Because of Lu Chang’s words, Ming Shu’s gloom had completely cleared, and she was in high spirits. She temporarily set aside the Lu family matter and focused on the shop’s business.
Three more days passed quickly. Early this day, Ming Shu brought newly made gold jewelry samples to the Zhen mansion for Madam Zhen’s inspection. The Zhen family were clients introduced by the Duke’s Heir’s wife, Madam Xu, and were among the most powerful families in the capital.
Unfortunately, today the Zhen family had invited several madams and young ladies to gather at their mansion, including Third Young Lady Lu and her mother, Madam Feng.
“Who am I looking at? Oh, it’s Young Lady Lu. How is it that the top scholar’s young lady has to show her face in public, doing work that only lowly people do?”
Ming Shu was holding a tray covered with red velvet when Third Young Lady Lu and several other young ladies blocked her path.
Because of the previous unpleasant incident at the Duke’s mansion, Third Young Lady Lu had given up any thoughts about Lu Chang but secretly harbored resentment toward Ming Shu. Now encountering her appearing at the Zhen mansion in a merchant’s capacity, she felt the urge for revenge and led others to mock her.
Late last night, a fire broke out on the north side of Ma Hang Street. Although the fire brigade arrived promptly and nearby residents rushed to help extinguish the fire, which was quickly put out, three houses were still burned down.
When Ying Xun received the news and arrived, the fire brigade had already tallied the casualties from this fire.
One dead, one injured.
“The injured person is called Liu Wan’er, the fire started from her house. The deceased’s identity is temporarily unknown due to severe burns,” the fire brigade reported the situation to Ying Xun.
Liu Wan’er?!
Ying Xun’s brow immediately furrowed.
Soon, there was news about the deceased’s identity.
It was Madam Cai, the birth mother of the Lu family’s Third Young Lady.