The corpse had been lifted, and the floor was awash with blood yet to be cleaned, filling the air inside with a nauseating stench. Unperturbed, Lu Chang strolled across the bloodstains until he reached Ming Shu. Despite hurrying from the office, he still wore his pristine official attire, though his hair, once neatly tucked under his dark gauze hat, now sported a few stray strands. His youthful face bore no trace of adolescent softness; instead, his demeanor exuded a commanding presence.
Indeed, holding office made quite a difference.
Ming Shu had already risen to her feet, slightly turning to conceal her injured arm as Lu Chang approached. Without reproach, he immediately sought the doctor, asking, “Has the doctor examined this wound? Where is he?”
Ying Xun replied, “The doctor left ahead to tend to Lady Lu’s injury. It’s just a flesh wound, nothing serious. Please rest assured, Lord Lu.”
Lu Chang turned to him and asked calmly, “What qualifies as a serious injury then?”
Though his tone remained steady, his words carried a subtle challenge.
Ying Xun was left speechless by the question. Ming Shu came closer, holding her arm, and said, “Brother, I’m fine.”
“You seem to grow bolder under my influence, daring to involve yourself in everything,” Lu Chang remained composed.
His calm demeanor was like thin ice on a winter lake—seemingly serene on the surface but hiding turbulent currents underneath.
As was customary, Ming Shu wisely chose not to argue further. Ying Xun felt obligated to intervene on her behalf due to the incident and took the blame upon himself, “My negligence led to Lady Ming’s injury. If anyone is to blame, blame me, not Lady Ming.”
However, Ying Xun’s words did little to quell Lu Chang’s anger. Ming Shu noticed his gaze growing colder and quickly added, “Brother, this has nothing to do with Officer Ying. It was my impulsive actions that caused the injury.” She then turned to Ying Xun, “Please, say no more.”
“My family affairs are none of your concern, Officer Ying,” Lu Chang ignored him and focused solely on Ming Shu, asking, “Are you ready to come back with me now?”
“Yes!” Ming Shu nodded eagerly.
Lu Chang turned and walked outside. Ming Shu waved apologetically to Ying Xun before following Lu Chang. Outside, Lu Chang stopped at the curtain and lifted it so that Ming Shu could pass without stooping. Ying Xun remained behind, watching the two depart.
Rushing over hastily, Lu Chang arrived mounted on his horse, which was tethered to a hitching post by the street. Ming Shu, nursing an injured arm, struggled to climb up, furrowing her brow as she pondered how to mount the horse. Before she could devise a solution, a warm hand suddenly pressed against her waist.
Before she could react, her legs were already off the ground, and Lu Chang had lifted her sideways onto the horse. Without a word, he turned to untie the reins and swiftly mounted. With a firm tug on the reins, the horse whinnied and lifted its front hooves, causing Ming Shu to lean back into Lu Chang’s chest. This time, Lu Chang disregarded any distinction between genders, gripping her waist with his left hand to prevent her from falling and controlling the reins with his right, urging the horse forward with a stern command.
As the horse picked up speed along the road, the rushing wind whipped Ming Shu’s hair into disarray. She leaned against Lu Chang’s chest, drawing warmth from his embrace, her mind filled with a single thought—how to calm Lu Chang’s fierce anger this time, which seemed more daunting than before.
Upon arriving home, Lu Chang wordlessly lifted her down from the horse. As dusk fell, Madam Zeng had already prepared dinner and awaited their return. Seeing the siblings enter—one with a cold expression, the other clutching her injured arm—she couldn’t help but ask, “What happened to you two?”
“Mother…” Ming Shu slowly released her arm.
“Heavens, what happened to your arm?” Madam Zeng was startled by the injury.
“It’s nothing serious, just a minor mishap,” Ming Shu hurriedly reassured, stealing a glance at Lu Chang. Seeing he didn’t expose her lie, she breathed a slight sigh of relief.
She couldn’t let Madam Zeng know it was an arrow wound; that would only cause unnecessary worry.
“I’ll go set the table, Mother. Could you help her change her clothes?” Lu Chang’s tone was cold as he headed into the kitchen.
Madam Zeng accompanied Ming Shu upstairs, assisting her with changing clothes while asking, “What’s wrong with your brother?”
“He’s upset with me, Mother, quite seriously,” Ming Shu cautiously pulled her hand out of her sleeve, inquiring, “Do you know how to calm him down?”
“How serious is it?”
“Just… even more serious. He might even want to sever our sibling relationship,” Ming Shu exaggerated.
“Is it that serious?” Madam Zeng raised an eyebrow, helping her into clean clothes and patting her shoulder.
Lu Chang never got angry without reason; if he exploded now, then…
“Take care of yourself,” Madam Zeng concluded.
After Ming Shu changed clothes with Madam Zeng’s help, they descended to find dinner laid out on the table. With the family’s income gradually increasing lately, life was becoming less financially tight. Madam Zeng’s hands were now more comfortable, and the household meals were improving, almost reaching opulence.
Tonight was no exception. There were five dishes for the three of them—slightly sweet stir-fried eels, braised pork elbows that could be pulled into threads, marinated goose feet, wine-pickled river prawns, and a simple and light emerald tofu soup. Ming Shu’s eyes lit up at the sight, saliva practically flowing out as she couldn’t wait to sit down at the table.
Except for the soup, every dish on the table was something she loved. She was fortunate that her injury was on her left hand, which wouldn’t affect her eating speed.
“Mrs. Wang from next door sent over the goose feet and drunken prawns. Since we’re moving soon, she sent these two signature dishes. Have a taste, both of you,” Madam Zeng said as she invited the siblings to eat.
Ming Shu waited until Madam Zeng finished speaking before picking up her chopsticks and reaching for the pork elbows. Snap—her chopsticks were knocked away by Lu Chang.
Ming Shu glanced at Lu Chang, who did not explain. She dared not confront him at the moment, so she switched to trying to pick up some eels.
Snap—her chopsticks were knocked away again.
Ming Shu looked towards Madam Zeng, who shook her head. For the first time, she didn’t offer any help. Ming Shu tried picking up the goose feet, only to be rebuffed again, and then attempted the river prawns, with the same result.
She couldn’t eat like this.
“You’re injured, and these greasy and spicy dishes aren’t good for wound healing. Alcohol is even worse,” Lu Chang finally spoke calmly.
“Brother…” Ming Shu watched helplessly as Lu Chang put a piece of pork elbow into his mouth, the honey-like sauce staining his lips with a glossy sheen. She found herself unconsciously licking her lips, tantalized beyond measure.
But Lu Chang wouldn’t let her off easily. He never exhibited such elaborate eating habits before, seemingly performing just for Ming Shu’s benefit. Each bite was taken meticulously, occasionally accompanied by a sigh of satisfaction, as if he was reveling in the deliciousness of the food, enticing anyone watching to crave it.
Ming Shu stared at Lu Chang with her chopsticks poised—this was him venting, getting back at her!
“Have some soup, it’s light and won’t hurt,” Madam Zeng intervened, holding back to serve Ming Shu a bowl of soup.
Ming Shu took a few sips—making matters worse, the soup was too bland, making Lu Chang’s food even more delectable.
She could only watch as Lu Chang finished off almost all the dishes. Ming Shu could only push a few grains of rice into her mouth with her chopsticks. After a while, she hadn’t even made a dent in her bowl of rice.
“What are you doing? Injured people should watch their diet,” Lu Chang showed no signs of relenting. Seeing Madam Zeng had also stopped eating and started clearing the plates, he got up to clean up, not even letting Ming Shu near the remaining scraps.
Once Lu Chang entered the kitchen, Ming Shu lamented to Madam Zeng, “Mother, look at my brother! I… I’m still hungry.”
“I see. Your brother has a point; you should watch your diet with that injury. Later, I’ll make you a bowl of noodles…”
Before Madam Zeng could finish consoling Ming Shu, Lu Chang lifted the kitchen curtain and returned with a bowl in hand, placing it heavily in front of Ming Shu.
“Want to eat?”
The fragrance wafted into Ming Shu’s nose. She looked down and saw a bowl of warm wontons on the table, with seaweed and shrimp flakes floating on top. Although not as rich as the dishes earlier, it was still enticing, likely something Lu Chang had prepared while she was changing upstairs.
“Eat!” Ming Shu nodded emphatically. “Thank you, brother. You’re the best.”
Lu Chang stood by and watched as she devoured the wontons one after another. When she had eaten enough, he finally said, “Starting tomorrow, you’re not allowed to go out anymore. Stay obediently by Mother’s side. Mother, keep an eye on her.”
The spoon in Ming Shu’s hand clattered back into the bowl at these words. Now even the dragon meat laid out before her seemed tasteless.
She was grounded by Lu Chang.
Late into the night, Ming Shu, having finished washing up, lay down on the bed feeling dejected. Her mood was not only due to her confinement but also the events of the day, leaving her with inexplicable emotions trapped inside. Eventually, she drifted into a fitful sleep, the darkness swirling around her in chaotic uncertainty.
Her sleep was restless, filled with murky and formless nightmares. She found herself running endlessly, gripped by immense fear as the darkness threatened to engulf her at any moment. The howling wind and the menacing sound of blades mixed, echoing in her ears as she fled desperately.
There was no one coming to save her. Exhausted, she stumbled in the darkness, only to rise with a dagger in her hand, its blade stained with blood. Without hesitation, she raised the dagger and struck the figure lying on the ground, once, twice, thrice… Blood splattered her face, yet she remained oblivious, her pent-up emotions seemingly released with each stab.
But in the next moment, overwhelming fear descended upon her, enveloping her completely. Trembling, she stood up, staring at her hands—hands that did not belong to her, now aged and unfamiliar.
The dark ground turned into a mirror, reflecting her with a raised knife. She had become Lv Chunlian.
A beam of light fell from across the room, Tang Li sat within it, staring at her with eyes that seemed to say, “See, you have finally become one of us.”
And then, the dream ended abruptly.
She woke abruptly from the nightmare, drenched in sweat, her mind filled with confusion.
Why had she become them?
—
As dawn broke, Ming Shu finally got up and descended the stairs. Inside the house, everything was already packed and arranged neatly downstairs. All the chests and boxes had been moved by Lu Chang, and today was their moving day, chosen for its auspiciousness.
“Ming Shu, come with me to visit Old Lady Li,” Madam Zeng said busily, emerging from the kitchen with a food box. Inside were soft pastries steamed early in the morning, suitable for the elderly. Since they were moving and opportunities to return would be limited, Madam Zeng, who had taken care of Old Lady Li for a long time, wanted to send her some of her favorite foods one last time.
Due to her injured hand, neither Madam Zeng nor Lu Chang allowed Ming Shu to help with the chores. Finding herself idle, Ming Shu immediately agreed and ran to her mother’s side, following Madam Zeng out the door.
Arriving at Old Lady Li’s house, the mother and daughter realized that Wei Zhuo had also come to visit the old lady today.
“Early this morning, Old Lady told me that she was tired and had just gone to sleep. I’m afraid…” Wei Zhuo emerged from Old Lady Li’s room and was pleasantly surprised to see Madam Zeng and Ming Shu. He gently closed the door.
Madam Zeng bowed respectfully to Wei Zhuo, but he stopped her from doing so.
“No need for so many formalities. Here, I am still just Wei Zhuo.” Wei Zhuo was dressed casually as always when visiting Old Lady Li, showing no signs of formality.
“Don’t be so humble, after all, you are still a high-ranking official,” Madam Zeng said, shaking her head, handing over the food box, and explaining their purpose.
“Thank you for your kindness. During this time, thanks to your frequent visits to keep Old Lady company, I am deeply grateful,” Wei Zhuo said as he handed the food box to a maid and walked out with Madam Zeng.
“Are you moving today?” Hearing that they were moving today, Wei Zhuo showed a rare hint of regret but stopped himself from saying more.
Ming Shu understood the hidden meaning and said to him, “Uncle Wei, will you miss me? If you do, come to my new home sometime. I’ll have my brother accompany you for a chat.”
“Ming Shu!” Madam Zeng whispered, pulling her sleeve.
Wei Zhuo, however, was amused and said generously, “No need for formalities. If you call me ‘uncle,’ can’t I call you ‘niece’ a few times?”
“All right, all right, Uncle Wei, I’ll accept it,” Ming Shu sighed, pretending to be helpless. “Who made me the most spoiled one!”
“This child,” Madam Zeng sighed helplessly.
Wei Zhuo burst into laughter, but after a while, just as he was about to ask if they needed help with the move, his expression suddenly changed as he looked past Madam Zeng and Ming Shu.
“It’s unusual for the General to grace us with his presence here,” came a voice from behind them.
Ming Shu turned abruptly and then covered her mouth, looking at Madam Zeng.
Five steps behind them stood Lu Wenhao.