“How did you all come to be here?” She only wanted to chat briefly and escape, having no intention of fulfilling her host duties.
“It’s like this,” A Qi excitedly slapped her shoulder forcefully, not treating her as a lady at all, laughing: “We’ve come to find someone.”
Suzhen wept silently in her heart—the women treated her as a man, and the men also treated her as a man.
“Looking for whom?” But this piqued her curiosity.
A Nu was quick-tongued and immediately said: “Ying Yan escaped, and we couldn’t find any trace of him. Young Master Murong said if we ever need his help in the future, we should come to the capital to find Seventh Prince’s… residence steward, saying he has some connection with him and might be able to ask him to have Seventh Prince lend a hand.”
“Yes, yes, Seventh Prince can command government officials. If he’s willing to help, we’d definitely catch that traitor.” A Bu beside her also said happily.
Seventh Prince’s steward… This Lian Yu really could lie with a straight face. Suzhen felt her stomach clench—when she first entered the capital, she’d been deceived this way too.
However, it seemed he truly intended to help Sang Zhan.
Right—that guy Lian Jie’s residence was right near the magistrate’s office, no wonder they appeared here!
“Miss Suzhen, what’s wrong?”
Everyone found it strange.
Suzhen came to her senses and quickly smiled: “Success is at hand, success is at hand. Didn’t Young Master Sang come with you?”
Hearing her mention Sang Zhan, everyone smiled knowingly. Suzhen got a headache—what were they so knowing about? She and Sang Zhan had no other relationship whatsoever.
A Qi said quietly: “A Zhan was originally going to come, but there was some matter in Chu Kingdom requiring his attention, so he had to go there first and would catch up with us later. Counting the days, he should arrive soon.”
Speaking of Chu Kingdom matters, A Qi seemed somewhat hesitant. Suzhen vaguely knew it concerned Sang Zhan’s birth mother’s side. Asking too much about ancestral matters would be impolite, so naturally she didn’t inquire. Hearing that Sang Zhan was also coming, she immediately said: “Success is at hand, success is at hand. I just remembered I have some matters at home, so I’ll take my leave first. The green mountains remain unchanged, the clear waters flow forever—until we meet again.”
“Miss, please stay.” Hearing she wanted to leave, the group became anxious. A Nu blocked Suzhen’s path and pulled out a letter from her bosom: “This is from Young Master to Miss.”
Suzhen was somewhat puzzled: “This is…”
A Qi smiled in explanation: “When A Zhan went to Chu, he expected to stay for some time, so he entrusted this letter to us. After we finished our business here, we were to go to Huai County to find Miss and deliver this letter to you. But recently we received his letter saying his affairs there went well and he was rushing to the capital to personally seek audience with the Prince.”
“We never expected to encounter Miss returning to the capital from her hometown—truly heaven-sent fate.”
Amid their beaming smiles, Suzhen reluctantly accepted the letter with a bitter expression.
“Everything Master wants to say to Miss is in there.” A Nu giggled mischievously.
Suzhen nearly choked herself: “What about Lanna?”
“A Zhan doesn’t like her.” A Qi sighed, seeming to find it quite regrettable.
A Nu and A Bu urged from the side: “Miss, please read the letter quickly and see if there’s any message for us to take back to Master. Also tell us your lodgings in the capital so Master can visit when he arrives.”
Suzhen broke out in a cold sweat. If only she hadn’t so decisively said she and Lian Yu had broken up happily back then. She was about to righteously clarify her relationship with Sang Zhan when the letter in her hand was suddenly snatched away by a powerful force. Startled, she looked to see Lian Yu standing to her side and rear with an iron-dark expression, holding Sang Zhan’s letter.
Fine beads of sweat showed on his forehead—clearly he’d come in great haste.
Xuanwu and the others followed behind with “you’re on your own” expressions.
Suzhen was covered in waterfall sweat. Over there, A Bu cried out: “Young Master Murong, you cannot! That’s my master’s letter to Miss Suzhen! Don’t you already have multiple wives and concubines at home? This Miss Zhen only resembles your childhood sweetheart by one or two parts, and she doesn’t like you either. Didn’t you later reunite with that childhood sweetheart and not want Miss Su anymore? Not wanting her yourself but not allowing others to either—you have shown kindness to our clan, but this is somewhat… please let her go.”
Suzhen felt dark clouds pressing overhead. Sure enough, Lian Yu stepped forward, looking at her with a laugh.
“Is this what you told Sang Zhan?” The words came out word by word through gritted teeth.
Suzhen laughed dryly: “That was the situation before—I was just telling the truth—”
Before she could finish, Lian Yu’s gaze swept over the group, and finally he sneered coldly: “Tell Sang Zhan that if that boy dares appear before us two, never mind that acre of broken mine—I’ll level your entire small clan too.”
Knowing him as a idle merchant in the capital, this seemed merely bluffing and posturing, but the group still shivered, watching helplessly as he grabbed Suzhen’s wrist and strode away.
A Nu was anxious: “Shouldn’t we follow? Miss Suzhen’s lodgings… how do we report to Master?”
A Qi lowered his voice: “We can inquire with Seventh Prince’s steward. With those few guards of his, we’re no match at all.”
A Nu nodded, but A Bu said resentfully: “Talking about leveling our clan—does he think he’s Seventh Prince with such great capability!”
But A Qi scolded: “Stop it. He showed us kindness before, and we’re asking for help now. This person’s background is definitely significant too—did you forget the people he brought last time? That bearing—as A Zhan said, they weren’t there to mine for a living but clearly to rest and sightsee.”
The carriage was parked not far around the corner. Suzhen was dragged by Lian Yu to the carriage. She wanted to climb up, but Lian Yu grabbed her collar from behind.
“This is Sang Zhan’s problem, not mine—” Before she could finish, Lian Yu drew the folding fan from his waist and struck her head several times. Still not satisfied, he said in a heavy voice: “Shut your mouth!”
Suzhen dodged with her head covered. At first she felt a bit pleased that he was jealous, but now, hurt and annoyed—she hadn’t even settled accounts with him for his “intimacy” with A Luo! Yet here he was, striking first without asking questions—
But his eyes held fire. Fine, she’d yield first and let him calm down so he could reflect too. She kept quiet, but saw him signal to Qinglong, who understood and immediately summoned the inner guards secretly following for protection to track those people.
And he glared at her fiercely, casually tearing open the letter. After scanning its contents, his lips curved coldly as he read aloud:
“Seeing this letter is like meeting in person. That night by the fireside, our conversation showed compatible minds and interests. Parting hastily from Miss, my heart has been filled with concern. Only because I must go to Chu on urgent business, temporarily parting for some time, I hope Miss will also use this time to consider carefully, granting me an opportunity. I will prove I am one who can accompany Miss through life. Sang Zhan.”
“Li Huaisu, when did you have fireside conversations with him? How did you become compatible in minds and interests? You actually went to find him!” After reading, he tore the letter to pieces, scattering them on the ground, his eyes dark as approaching storm clouds: “If you don’t give me a satisfactory explanation, I’ll have that boy sold to a pleasure house.”
Suzhen was stunned. For the sake of Sang Zhan’s virtue, she could only smile apologetically: “When I returned home, I thought of their clan’s matter—whether we still needed to find evidence on A Chuan’s body to identify the murderer. I described the local situation to people in the capital, roughly knew the location, and sought them out. As for Sang Zhan, considering your sake, he naturally treated me well… but I truly have no interest in him whatsoever. In terms of physique, you’re better than him; in looks, you’re more handsome; in wealth, you’re richer; in power and influence, I won’t even mention it. Anyway, there’s nothing he can compare with you on. I’d have to be crazy to be attracted to him. It’s just that he was probably hurt by Lanna and casually found someone to heal his wounds.”
Speaking to this point, she secretly observed and saw his expression soften somewhat, breathing a sigh of relief while cursing Sang Zhan a hundred times in her heart.
She fawningly went to link his arm. Lian Yu paid no attention, calling over Zhuque: “Notify Seventh Brother—when those people come over, give them a good hard time first.”
Having said this, he shook off her hand and got in the carriage. Zhuque and the others signaled to Suzhen, who became furious—why should she have to coax him? Speaking of settling accounts, he and A Luo just now… She climbed into the carriage and glanced at him. He said nothing, casually picking up an ancient book in the carriage to read. Suzhen provocatively kicked his knee. Lian Yu looked at his dirtied robe, slammed the book down with a “snap,” grabbed her ankle and pulled her down onto the thick carpet in the carriage, then pressed down on her.
Suzhen fought desperately, but he opened her collar… He kissed her lips, his hand exploring inside her clothes. He hadn’t touched her much for several days, and today’s incident truly angered him—his movements were rather fierce. Xuanwu and the others were crowded outside driving the carriage together. Suzhen didn’t dare cry out, trembling all over, gripping the white blanket beneath her tightly, overwhelmed until moisture appeared at the corners of her eyes. Lian Yu also knew where they were. When his hand touched her sash, he buried his head in her neck and finally bit her earlobe, his tone not consultative: “Wedding date moved to three days hence. Oh, perhaps we can invite Quan Feitong, Li Zhaoting, and your fireside companion Master Sang to all come drink wedding wine.”
Suzhen was nearly choked speechless by him.
A Luo sat on the edge of the bed, also unable to say a word, her ears filled with his parting words.
“A Luo, I’m sorry. I cannot take you back. Not to mention my heart has no room for others—even if I forced myself to do this, you wouldn’t be happy in the palace. Could you watch me deeply love another? You would use all manner of palace intrigue against her, which is something I absolutely cannot tolerate. Remember when you asked what I would do if something happened to you and her? I told you I would save you, because you reborn after disaster are my responsibility. But I’m willing to die with her, and from now on, besides these vast rivers and mountains, I must also live for her. Whatever you want, as long as it’s within my power, I’ll definitely arrange it for you. But this is the last time I’ll come see you like this. If you seek death again, I won’t come anymore.”