The alley was narrow, barely wide enough for one person.
Lu Chang pulled Ming Shu behind him protectively. Her head throbbed, and her heart pounded wildly. In the blur of crossing shadows, her vision swam. Lu Chang moved swiftly and decisively, throwing punches and kicks to drive back their pursuers before turning to grab Ming Shu’s hand and fleeing in the opposite direction.
Footsteps still thundered behind them. Lu Chang turned back, half-embracing her at his side, knocking down the objects stacked against the walls one by one to block their pursuers’ path before grabbing Ming Shu’s hand again and rushing out of the narrow alley without looking back.
He pulled her along as they ran frantically. After what seemed like an eternity, they reached a deserted area with no sound of pursuit behind them. Ming Shu tugged at Lu Chang’s sleeve and bent over, gasping for breath. Her calves trembled, and she could barely speak, only managing to shake her head to indicate she couldn’t run another step.
Lu Chang patted her back to help her catch her breath while vigilantly scanning their surroundings, fearful their attackers might appear again.
After a long while, Ming Shu finally caught her breath and looked up, panting, “I didn’t know… you could fight…”
Though Lu Chang appeared tall, thin, and scholarly, she hadn’t expected him to possess such martial skills, fighting without hesitation. Lu Chang glanced at her pale face without a word—she had truly forgotten. Though he was a scholar, he was far from weak. Being raised by a widowed mother, both he and Madam Zeng had suffered much bullying in his youth. He had learned to fight on the streets and nearly became the leader of the young ruffians in Yongkang Alley until Madam Zeng, crying streams of tears and mucus, pulled him back to the right path.
Ming Shu had known all of this before, but along with other memories of the past, she had forgotten everything.
“Who were those people just now…” Ming Shu had many questions and desperately wanted answers.
“Now isn’t the time to talk. Can you walk? If you can, let’s hurry back to the medical shop.” He helped her up.
She nodded and followed closely behind.
The medical shop wasn’t far, and they quickly arrived taking the back streets. Madam Zeng had already awakened and was anxiously pacing, worried about Ming Shu’s disappearance. Seeing them enter, she finally relaxed, pulling Ming Shu close, “Where did you go? You’ve just gotten out of bed and you’re running around everywhere. The wind is strong outside, be careful not to catch cold.” Then she scolded her son, “Lu Chang, you too, gone for days without any word, don’t you know we were worried?”
Lu Chang didn’t reply. As Madam Zeng continued fussing and headed inside to prepare hot water for them, Ming Shu wanted to defend him but saw Lu Chang stop his mother, “Mother, don’t bother. Pack up immediately. Those people have found us,” he glanced at Ming Shu and added, “We must leave right away.”
Since those people had been waiting at the teahouse for Ming Shu, they intended to eliminate all traces. Now that their whereabouts were exposed, they would soon find this place—the medical shop was no longer safe.
Madam Zeng’s face immediately paled. She muttered, “How were we discovered?” She glanced at Ming Shu but asked nothing more, efficiently beginning to pack their belongings. Lu Chang joined in while Ming Shu stood woodenly in the room, unsure what to do, her confusion growing. Her eyes swept around until she suddenly noticed a streak of red on Lu Chang’s right hand, blood dripping from his fingertips. Alarmed, she grabbed his sleeve without thinking and said, “Your hand…”
Lu Chang quickly turned and covered her lips, frowning as he looked toward Madam Zeng, who was still folding blankets. Seeing his mother hadn’t noticed, he shook his head at Ming Shu, who nodded in understanding. Only then did he slowly release his hand.
He must be hiding it to prevent his mother from worrying, right?
Ming Shu found it strange—though neither had spoken, how did they understand each other so well? Such tacit understanding seemed impossible if they hadn’t known each other before.
Using the excuse of getting a final consultation from the doctor, Lu Chang took Ming Shu out of the room. As soon as they were outside, Ming Shu eagerly took his right hand, pushing up his sleeve to reveal a wound an inch long on the back of his hand. The wound was deep and still bleeding—likely from being grazed by a blade while saving her earlier.
She immediately became anxious, “Such a deep wound, what if it damages your tendons? How will you take the imperial examinations in the future?”
After spending several days with Madam Zeng, she learned they were heading to Bianjing for the examinations, and her brother was the top scholar in the Jiangning provincial examinations.
“Don’t make such a fuss, it’s not that serious,” Lu Chang tried to withdraw his hand, but she held it tightly. He had no choice but to let her, comforting her, “It seems you’ve truly forgotten everything. I can write with my left hand too, so even if my right hand was truly ruined, it wouldn’t stop me.”
“Whether I’ve forgotten or not, don’t you know? How can you joke about this?” She thought for a moment, then realized something was wrong and stamped her foot, “Bah, what nonsense about ruining your right hand, that’s too unlucky. Come on, let’s find the doctor.”
Half an incense stick’s time later, the doctor had finished treating and bandaging Lu Chang’s wound, and gave Ming Shu another examination, prescribing enough medicine for the coming days. Lu Chang settled their medical fees from the past days, bid farewell to the doctor, and carefully instructed him not to reveal their identities or whereabouts after they left, explaining that the villains who had harmed them had tracked them to town. The doctor readily agreed, and only then did Lu Chang take Ming Shu back to find Madam Zeng.
Ming Shu heard his conversation with the doctor, her confusion growing. She walked very slowly, and after a few steps bumped into someone’s back—looking up, she saw Lu Chang had stopped outside the room waiting for her.
“What’s wrong?” Lu Chang turned and saw her troubled expression.
She caught sight of his heavily bandaged right hand, swallowing her conflicted feelings—she still had many questions about her background and doubts about Lu Chang and his mother. But the dangerous scene from earlier was still fresh in her mind; those people who wanted to kill her couldn’t be good, and Lu Chang had risked his life to save her. Even if they had ulterior motives, why would they take such risks? Moreover, he was the top scholar of Jiangning Prefecture with a bright future ahead.
Thinking this way, she felt somewhat guilty. Before he left, he had instructed her not to leave the medical shop and told Madam Zeng to watch her carefully, but she hadn’t listened. As a result, she encountered trouble as soon as she went out, not only putting herself in danger but also causing Madam Zeng to worry and getting him injured.
“Nothing…” she shook her head, her gaze still fixed on his injured hand. “I’m sorry.”
Though she didn’t say much, Lu Chang seemed to understand, only replying, “No need to apologize. It’s good enough that you’re willing to come back with me.”
Ming Shu suddenly raised her head, widening her eyes in surprise—he knew about her doubts about them, knew why she had left the medical shop, and knew she didn’t trust them, but he had never shown any resentment.
For Lu Chang, it wasn’t hard to guess. Since she had awakened, she hadn’t called them “Mother” or “Brother” even once, nor did she call him by name as before. Her gaze was distant and unfamiliar, cautious and wary everywhere, like a small beast in distress. She was naturally intelligent, how could she not see the differences between herself and them—the gap that came from long immersion in different living environments, one born to wealth and comfort, the other weary from wandering and growing up in poor alleys, the differences were so obvious.
Their intersection should have ended in that autumn in Changkang Alley.
“Can you tell me, who were those people? Why do they want me dead?” Ming Shu felt all the key answers lay in her injury.
Lu Chang clenched his fist slightly, his hand throbbing with pain. During his three days away, he had returned to Jiangning, hoping to find a reliable relative who could take her in. However, after three days of inquiries, he became increasingly certain that Old Master Jian’s death was suspicious, yet the authorities had simply concluded it was a robbery, seizing all the Jian family’s property. Among the Jian family relatives, there was no one trustworthy—sending Ming Shu back to Jiangning would be like sending her into a tiger’s den, strengthening his resolve to take her to the capital.
But how could he answer her questions?
If he were to explain everything, it would be a tremendous blow to her. She was still recovering from her injuries and couldn’t handle such shock. Moreover, she had always been strong-willed—if she learned the truth, she would surely run back to Jiangning and fall into danger. How could she escape then? Yet he was truly unwilling to tell another lie to deceive her.
“Ming Shu.” He had never felt such difficulty, and couldn’t help but sigh, unconsciously raising his hand to gently pat her head, “As you suspect, this matter isn’t simple, but I can’t tell you the reasons yet. When the time is right, I will explain everything to you, alright?”
Ming Shu met his gaze, and after a moment nodded, “Alright.”
A quick and decisive answer—it was her personality, unchanged.
“What are you two standing here for?” Madam Zeng had finished packing inside and came out with their belongings, happening upon the two of them standing face to face.
“Let me take that.” Lu Chang breathed a sigh of relief, taking the bundle from his mother’s hands and going ahead to prepare the horse and cart.
In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the cart was ready. Madam Zeng and Ming Shu entered the carriage. Lu Chang added a wide-brimmed hat over his hood, pulling it low to cover half his face, before whipping the horses to drive the cart, taking his mother and Ming Shu away from Xunyang.
Fearing pursuit, Lu Chang dared not stop until they had left Jiangnan Road and entered Yu Prefecture territory, only then slowing their pace.
“Take a rest.” Ming Shu lifted the curtain and came out, holding the cart’s wall as she sat beside Lu Chang.
Lu Chang’s eyes were bloodshot, and he frowned when he saw her, “The wind is strong, go back inside. We’ll reach the post station in about an hour, we can rest and resupply then.”
“You haven’t rested for two nights.” Ming Shu pushed the hand warmer she had been holding into his arms.
She had been jostled in the cart for several days, her head dizzy from the bumping, but she had gritted her teeth and endured. At least she could hide in the cart, but Lu Chang had been driving for three days straight, barely resting at night, his face pale and eyes bleary from exhaustion.
“I can still manage.” He didn’t refuse her kindness, as it was indeed cold outside.
“You don’t seem like a scholar.” Ming Shu didn’t obey his instruction to go back inside, instead studying him up and down.
“If not a scholar, then what? A farmer?” His energy was failing, but having someone to talk to helped him stay alert.
“Aren’t scholars usually physically weak and ignorant of practical matters? I see you’re different—not only can you study, but you can fight, drive a cart, and know the roads…” Ming Shu counted on her fingers the skills she had discovered in him over these days.
He was indeed very different from ordinary scholars.
“That’s because you’re inexperienced. When we reach Bianjing, you’ll see how many capable and ambitious people there are in this world.” Lu Chang spoke plainly, showing no pride in being praised. It wasn’t modesty—these abilities were merely born of life’s necessities, nothing he felt worth being proud of.
Ming Shu let out a light snort, saying, “I don’t care about that. If you’re my brother, then you must be the finest man under heaven, no one can compare.”
After several days, she had become more familiar with him, speaking less distantly.
He turned his head at her words, seeing her eyes bright and full of admiration, just as before. The only difference was that previously, she couldn’t say such things, but with this changed identity, all that admiration and reverence could be freely expressed.
Lu Chang’s heart stirred slightly, and in that moment of distraction, the cartwheel hit a large stone in the road, jolting violently. Ming Shu couldn’t keep her balance and cried out as she tilted toward him. He quickly gathered his wits, using one hand to control the reins and stop the horses, while his other hand swiftly caught her.
“Sit properly! Don’t sway about.” His voice suddenly deepened.
Ming Shu quickly straightened herself, and he immediately withdrew his hand. She humphed and muttered quietly, “You didn’t drive properly, yet you blame me?!”
“If nothing’s wrong, go back inside. Don’t disturb me here.” Lu Chang heard her muttering and simply pulled his hat lower, covering half his face again.
Ming Shu didn’t move, only breathing on her hands to warm them. Lu Chang caught this in his peripheral vision and urged her again, “The wind is strong, hurry inside.”
“I won’t go in. It’s stuffy inside, making my whole body uncomfortable. Coming out for some wind feels better.” As she spoke, she twisted her body, her back feeling as if being pricked by needles, both itchy and painful, yet unreachable.
“Don’t move.” Lu Chang suddenly raised his hat, his eyes fixed intently on her neck.
Startled by his command, Ming Shu realized she had unconsciously been scratching her neck. She quickly lowered her hand, about to speak when Lu Chang’s injured right hand reached out, gently gripping her chin to turn her head, exposing a large area of her neck.
On her snow-white skin were patches of red rashes, covered in scratch marks that extended down into her collar.
Further down, Lu Chang couldn’t properly examine, but he could imagine how far the rashes spread.
“What’s wrong with your neck?” His voice was slightly harsh, his gaze intense.
“I don’t know, maybe it’s from being cooped up inside.” Ming Shu felt her neck and back becoming itchier under his gaze, wanting to scratch again.
“Stop scratching!” Lu Chang firmly held both her hands and added, “Bear with it.”
Ming Shu only heard a sharp command as he held her wrists with one hand while using the other to control the reins, urging the cart to speed toward the post station.
In their ears, only the sound of wind and hoofbeats remained.
[Author’s Note: Ming Shu is so conflicted, so troubled, so worried…]