The North City Military Commission’s men held an umbrella for Wang Daxia. His wet clothes clung to his body, but young men sleeping on cold beds rely entirely on their vigorous constitution—he didn’t feel cold at all. He continued banging the gong like this, pulling the string of pale white bodies behind him until he reached the end of West Gulou Diagonal Street at the Drum Tower.

Beyond the Drum Tower was Daxing. Wang Daxia felt unsatisfied and wanted to continue walking toward East Drum Tower Street. Mu Baihu came over with an umbrella and said: “That’s about enough. The Shuntian Prefecture yamen is in Daxing, and we have good relations with the North City Military Commission. If you parade through the streets so ostentatiously, Prefect Wang Niqiu won’t look good.”

Though he hadn’t paraded through the entire city, just the thousands of mouths on West Gulou Diagonal Street would ensure that by tomorrow Wu Lianchi, Bu Yaolian, and Lu Renjia would be notorious. With everyone adding embellishments to the story, all manner of unspeakable rumors would emerge.

Wang Daxia was still thinking about Wei Caiwei in the restaurant, so he threw down the bronze gong and walked back. Mu Baihu stopped him: “There’s a clothing store over there. Go change into dry clothes—wearing wet clothes will make you catch cold.”

Wang Daxia changed into new clothes and put wooden clogs with wooden teeth over his cloth shoes to prevent them from getting soaked. The clogs made loud sounds, creating a clicking noise as he walked that could overpower the sound of rushing rainwater.

Wherever the sound of wooden clogs reached, the onlooking common people along the street hurried back into their houses with their rice bowls, closing doors and windows as if avoiding a plague god.

The Four Scourges of North City—their reputation was indeed well-deserved, such formidable methods!

After Wang Daxia’s commotion, the rumors about his romantic relationship with Wei Caiwei were confirmed, but at least no one dared discuss it in Wei Caiwei’s presence or brazenly humiliate her anymore.

Meanwhile, in the restaurant, Wei Caiwei had calmed down from her anger. Having experienced such a tragic childhood, how much worse could the current situation be? It would all pass.

At this time, the waiter came over with a food box and asked: “Should the dishes still be delivered to your home?”

“No need.” Wei Caiwei placed the awl on the table. “I’m hungry, I’ll eat here.”

Now she was the only customer in the restaurant—finally some peace.

Wei Caiwei said: “Bring me a pot of Huadiao wine.”

Wei Caiwei drank a cup of Huadiao, and warmth spread from her stomach. When she was halfway through eating, footsteps came from the doorway. Wei Caiwei immediately put down her cup and gripped the awl handle, but seeing who the visitor was, she immediately released the handle.

The waiter hurried to greet them: “Sorry, esteemed guest, we’re closing early.”

“I’m here to find her.” The visitor was Lu Ying. For the convenience of closing the net, she had taken a room at the Santong Inn on West Gulou Diagonal Street and wouldn’t be going home for the next few days.

In the evening, she had held a meeting at the covert outpost to understand her subordinates’ progress. Lu Ying, who hadn’t slept for two days and nights, was extremely tired. She hadn’t even eaten dinner before collapsing on the bed to rest.

But before she could fall asleep, she heard commotion outside—gong sounds and the sounds of doors opening and windows opening or closing from other rooms.

She immediately drew the short blade from under her pillow and sat up.

A man’s shouting came from the neighboring room: “Quickly close the windows, don’t let the women see!”

Lu Ying got up and pushed open the window, witnessing an unforgettable scene: Wang Daxia braving heavy rain while banging a gong, with a rope tied around his waist pulling three naked men behind him, parading through the streets on foot.

After all, he was her subordinate. Lu Ying quickly went downstairs and saw the inn lobby was empty—guests and even the innkeeper were all crowded under the eaves, everyone craning their necks to watch this rare spectacle, looking like rows of roasted ducks hanging in an oven.

“What a hero rescuing a beauty.”

“More like Young Master rescuing a widow.”

“Taotie Restaurant is going to take the blame this time. A whole restaurant full of customers bullied the little widow, and the manager didn’t even come out to intervene. If you take someone’s silver, they’re your customer. If you think their money is dirty, then don’t take it.”

Upon hearing this was about Wei Caiwei, Lu Ying quickly grabbed an umbrella and rushed to Taotie Restaurant.

People at the inn discussed among themselves: “That young man who just passed by was very strange. Everyone watching the excitement was following Wang Yanei with umbrellas, but why did he go in the opposite direction?”

“That young fellow looks familiar, like I’ve seen him somewhere before.”

“Ah! I remember! On Dragon Boat Festival, outside Zhengyang Gate at the moat dragon boat races—he was the one who picked up that widow physician. He’s Commander Lu!”

The area under the inn’s eaves immediately became like a boiling oil pot.

“So both new love and old flame came to support the widow?”

“This widow is too formidable! New love Wang Yanei aside, even old flame Commander Lu came to help—he must still have lingering feelings for the widow!”

The rumors grew more intense.

Lu Ying arrived at Taotie Restaurant and, seeing that Wei Caiwei could sit steadily and eat, knew she was unharmed.

“Waiter, bring a cup, add a set of bowl and chopsticks, and another dish.” Wei Caiwei beckoned Lu Ying to sit down and asked her: “What would you like to eat?”

Lu Ying had been staying up all night and only wanted something easy to digest: “A bowl of scallion oil noodles.”

Wei Caiwei poured wine for her and recounted what had happened: “…That’s how it was. I originally thought disguising as a widow would make it easier to go out and conduct business. On Dragon Boat Festival, I acted with you to save Ding Wu—I don’t regret it and considered the consequences. I can accept them. As a woman showing my face in public to conduct business, I was already not tolerated by society and expected to be gossiped about. I didn’t care what others said. But—”

Wei Caiwei drained the Huadiao in one gulp: “I still thought too simply. I’m not an emotionless iron person. Before, no one dared gossip about me so brazenly to my face. I was busy practicing medicine with no time to worry about rumors, thinking it didn’t matter. But today I really felt hurt.”

Wei Caiwei poured more wine: “It’s truly difficult for women to come out and do things.”

Wei Caiwei spoke frankly with Lu Ying because they were the same type of people—both wanting to make choices contrary to convention in this world where men manage external affairs and women manage internal ones. The only difference was that Lu Ying had her father’s protection.

“Alright, don’t drink anymore after this cup.” Lu Ying said: “After we finish eating, I’ll escort you home. Let the rumors spread more fiercely—when my father stamps his foot, all of Capital City shakes. This kind of thing won’t happen again.”

Wei Caiwei nodded and began eating the sea cucumber mixed with rice.

After Lu Ying finished her scallion oil noodles, she gave the manager a silver ingot. By now, the manager had learned who Lu Ying was through gossip and dared not accept the money, saying: “These noodles are complimentary.”

“This isn’t payment for noodles.” Lu Ying placed the silver on the counter. “This is compensation for your loss from closing early. My friend paid to eat here. You took her money but let her suffer grievances. The whole restaurant bullied her—customers aside, your restaurant didn’t intervene at all, allowing those three beasts to humiliate my friend. That’s too disloyal.”

“From now on, this shop closes permanently. There’s no place in Capital City for you. If you secretly reopen somewhere else, I’ll bring the Embroidered Uniform Guard to smash your shop—what charge should we use? What do you think of ‘collaborating with Japanese pirates’?”

Hearing “collaborating with Japanese pirates,” the manager immediately fell to his knees—this was a capital offense.

Lu Ying said: “Choose—the shop or your life.”

While Lu Ying was lecturing the manager, Wei Caiwei found her umbrella. Originally, she could restore it by inserting the awl back into the purple bamboo handle, but her umbrella had been trampled by onlooking diners, breaking the ribs—it was ruined.

So Wei Caiwei took the awl and walked under Lu Ying’s umbrella, the two walking side by side.

Just as they stepped outside, they encountered Wang Daxia returning in his wooden clogs.

Three people, six eyes—you look at me, I look at you, then at her.

Various scenarios of new love and old flame meeting on a narrow path—the onlookers under the eaves were so excited they almost cried out!

“You… Commander Lu came.” Wang Daxia had never expected Lu Ying to arrive so quickly.

The onlooking crowd under the eaves was very close to them, and everyone perked up their ears to listen to the three of them.

Lu Ying gave a meaningful look and said loudly: “I never should have entrusted her to you in the first place. This is how you protect her?”

What? Wang Daxia was stunned, then understood Lu Ying’s meaning—this was to use the Embroidered Uniform Guard, even Lu Bing’s greater umbrella of protection to shield Wei Caiwei.

Though he knew it was an act, Wang Daxia still felt jealous—he didn’t know Lu Ying was a woman. He felt that the sound around him wasn’t rain falling, but vinegar.

Wang Daxia blocked the path, refusing to yield, saying loudly: “I swear there won’t be a next time!”

Onlookers: Wow!

Lu Ying said: “I won’t trust you again. Caiwei, let’s go.”

Wei Caiwei followed Lu Ying but looked back at Wang Daxia with a hesitant expression.

“Wait!” Wang Daxia chased after them, extending his right arm to block both of them.

Lu Ying glanced contemptuously: “When she was with me, nothing happened. She’s only been with you a few days and already had problems. You still have the nerve to compete with me?”

Two high officials’ sons fighting over a pretty widow in the street? The onlookers wished they could etch this moment in their minds—this scene would be worth bragging about for a lifetime!

“I—” Wang Daxia took off his wooden clogs and placed them in front of Wei Caiwei. “Put them on, be careful not to wet your shoes and socks.”

Wei Caiwei immediately entered the act. She first looked at Lu Ying, who nodded, and only then did she put on the clogs.

Lu Ying held the umbrella and headed toward Sweet Water Alley with Wei Caiwei. Wang Daxia also held his umbrella, walking beside Wei Caiwei. Being tall, his umbrella was high and covered Lu Ying’s umbrella, tilting toward Wei Caiwei so her dress wouldn’t be splashed by rainwater.

However, Wang Daxia tilted his umbrella over, and being too close to Wei Caiwei, rainwater from Lu Ying’s umbrella surface flowed down, instantly soaking Wang Daxia’s right shoulder.

But Wang Daxia remained motionless, letting the rainwater soak through half his clothes.

Onlookers discussed: “Oh my, who would have thought Wang Yanei could be so deeply affectionate.”

“I think old flame Commander Lu is more devoted.”

“Who will the little widow choose?”

Bold onlookers held umbrellas, pretending to stroll, following at a distance. Then they saw the three people with two umbrellas arrive at Wei Residence in Sweet Water Alley. Wei Caiwei took out her key to open the door, and then… Lu Ying and Wang Daxia folded their respective umbrellas and stepped through the door almost simultaneously!

The door closed, leading to endless imagination. The pretty widow made no choice—she wanted both!

Wei Caiwei took out Ding Wu’s clothes and gave them to Wang Daxia: “Your clothes are more than half wet—quickly change.”

Wang Daxia went to Ding Wu’s room to change clothes. Both had been awake for two days and nights and were extremely tired. They almost asked simultaneously: “Can I sleep here for a while?”

To protect Wei Caiwei, they definitely had to stay and remain until very late before leaving, showing they cared deeply about her safety.

Wei Caiwei had Wang Daxia sleep on Ding Wu’s bed, then took Lu Ying to rest in the study on the second floor—she couldn’t have Lu Ying sleep on Brother Ding’s bed since she was a girl.

Wang Daxia was dissatisfied: “Why can Commander Lu go sleep on the second floor? I’ve barely ever been up there.” The second floor had two rooms—the study was next to Wei Caiwei’s bedroom.

Author’s Note: Daxia can never stay handsome for more than three seconds. The scandal continues to ferment~