◎But today, she had seen his twentieth year.◎

Lan Shanjun instantly connected this matter to her being sent to Huailing.

This was a habit she had developed in that endless dark silence.

During those long nights, she would recall over and over again, thousands upon thousands of times, the events that had occurred and the people she had met, then speculate about their connection to her imprisonment.

But she had never suspected the old monk.

The old monk had died before she came to Luoyang, fourteen years after she was imprisoned. So much had happened in those fourteen years that the old monk had instead been hidden away by the passage of time, seeming to have no connection to this matter at all.

So even thinking about it now, though there were some aspects of the old monk that might be suspicious—his attitude toward her reading and writing had been quite strange—upon careful consideration, it could also be counted as an elder’s wisdom.

She could understand: a lowly body cannot contain a soul that has seen the world within books.

Otherwise, the remaining days would only be spent in torment.

Lan Shanjun’s thoughts flew in all directions. For a moment, she felt that Yu Qingwu, in his desperation, had found the wrong person. But as soon as one thought arose, a hundred more followed askew, and she dared not dismiss it outright.

Moreover, there was still a human life involved in this.

A person who had shown her kindness whose life or death remained uncertain.

After a few moments, she spoke with difficulty: “Sir Yu, do you suspect that my master’s identity was unusual, that Young Master Su discovered it, and that this brought disaster?”

Yu Qingwu didn’t actually think this. He had simply been driven to desperation, so even if there was just the slightest trace of a clue, he was unwilling to let it go.

His voice was low, mournful as grief and cold as ice: “Everything I could investigate… I’ve investigated…”

He had first investigated the Marquis Boyuan’s estate, which had a grudge against him and his elder brother, then the Imperial Academy students who had always had conflicts with his elder brother… He had come to find her last.

He knew that Lan Shanjun had the least connection to his elder brother’s disappearance.

But now she had become his only hope.

He took a deep breath, his fists clenched tight: “Miss Lan, it’s been five days… If I don’t find him soon… I dare not delay any longer, nor dare I continue investigating slowly, so I can only come directly to ask you.”

Lan Shanjun understood his feelings. She too had once been like a headless fly, seizing upon the slightest clue to pursue it, hoping she might stumble upon great fortune.

This was the desperate yearning for survival born from despair.

Precisely because she had been this way before, she understood his heart at this moment.

She looked at him and first said: “Please, sit.”

Almost as soon as she spoke these words, Yu Qingwu collapsed into a sitting position.

He was naturally tall and imposing. Collapsing like this, hunched over, he looked utterly heartbreaking.

He smiled bitterly: “Thank you, Miss.”

Lan Shanjun looked down at him. “Ten years ago, I did indeed go down the mountain to beg for a Three Character Classic, but it’s been too long—I only remember it was a pair of siblings who gave it to me. I don’t remember anything else.”

After thinking for a moment, she added: “Four years ago, my master died in the snowy night. When I carried him down the mountain, someone did help me buy a coffin.”

But…

She said guiltily: “I was in a daze at the time. I had no idea who helped me, nor did I remember the kindness.”

She never imagined it had been the same pair of siblings who had helped.

She also didn’t conceal the old monk’s background: “My master spoke of his origins. He said he was from Wuzhou, his family engaged in commerce. When he was young, his family hired a private tutor, so he learned to read with him and wrote well, but he particularly enjoyed practicing martial arts with blades and swords…”

She recounted the old monk’s story once through. “All of this, before telling you, I also told to people from the Duke Zhenguo’s estate. I haven’t lied about a single word.”

Yu Qingwu was already deeply grateful.

He still had some ability to judge character and knew she hadn’t lied just now. But the more she hadn’t lied, the more his heart plunged into an icy abyss.

Her master didn’t sound suspicious at all.

Moreover, he was from Wuzhou, with no connection to Luoyang whatsoever. Even if he investigated, what could he possibly discover?

He asked: “Is there nothing else suspicious?”

He paused, then said quietly: “Miss has just arrived in Luoyang. If my elder brother disappeared because of this, I imagine Miss would also be in danger.”

Such words might frighten a young girl, but they were useless against her. Lan Shanjun knew he was desperate and didn’t take offense. She simply said: “There truly is nothing more. My master and I always lived in the temple halfway up the mountain. I’m not the only one who knew about him. If you don’t believe me, you can also go to Huailing to inquire.”

Only then did Yu Qingwu give up. He bowed to Lan Shanjun again and said: “Today I was truly rash. Once I find my elder brother, I will come to apologize to Miss properly.”

Lan Shanjun shook her head. “Young Master Su also showed me kindness. If there’s anything I can help with, I absolutely won’t stand by idly.”

Yu Qingwu, utterly exhausted, nodded and slowly struggled to stand up, saying: “I’ll have Nanny Qian escort Miss back.”

Lan Shanjun nodded but couldn’t help gazing at him intently.

His years from six to sixteen—she had read them countless times in his journals, every word and sentence committed to memory. His years from seventeen to nineteen she had never seen, only heard vaguely that they hadn’t gone well. But today, she had seen his twentieth year.

His elder brother had disappeared, and he had exhausted all his strength searching.

These years also hadn’t gone well.

She turned away, took a few steps forward, then paused. Stopping and turning sideways toward him, she also performed a bow.

She said: “Thank you for, at a time like this, still taking the trouble to ask Old Madam Shou to summon me to her residence.”

Rather than directly coming to her door and inviting gossip.

Yu Qingwu then said: “I know… Miss also has her difficulties.”

He laughed self-deprecatingly. “If even men like us live with such hardship, Miss coming alone from Shuzhou…”

And moving into the Duke Zhenguo’s estate, which had raised Third Young Master Lan, who constantly spoke of Shuzhou barbarians—it must be even more difficult.

He was anxious to find his elder brother, but he also didn’t want to bring trouble to others without reason.

He had perhaps suppressed himself for too long. Speaking of this, his eyes reddened, and he quickly lowered his head, murmuring: “If my elder brother and I had paid attention to such things back then, perhaps Yingying wouldn’t have died.”

Before Yingying died, she had so earnestly instructed him to ensure his elder brother lived to a hundred years old, yet he might not even be able to accomplish that.

He knew that after five days with no sign of him, his elder brother’s fate was surely grim.

But no matter what, even if it was just a corpse, he had to find him, didn’t he?

Lan Shanjun’s chest felt tight. She walked back and handed him a handkerchief. “I understand.”

Though she didn’t know how Yingying had died, she understood that prejudice could kill. She understood.

She said: “If I remember anything, I’ll write to Old Madam Shou.”

Yu Qingwu shouldn’t have accepted her handkerchief. But when she said she understood, his heart trembled, and he couldn’t help but take it.

He looked down. Embroidered on it was a small tiger.

The handkerchief was pure white. His face was too dirty, so he didn’t use it. Clutching the handkerchief, he said: “Thank you, Miss.”

Lan Shanjun nodded gently and slowly walked toward the courtyard gate. Her feet felt as if they weighed a thousand pounds as she continuously recalled the past, but she truly had never heard of the Su siblings’ affairs.

But Yu Qingwu had constantly called Su Xingzhou elder brother, which made her think again of his journals.

Yu Qingwu’s journals had written about Su Xingzhou.

He had never written Su Xingzhou’s name, only called him elder brother in them.

She had assumed that was his blood brother.

He had written: “Elder brother came to Duan Cang Mountain today. Teacher was very pleased and first gave him the courtesy name Changhe.”

Su Changhe.

He—longevity.

Lan Shanjun took a deep breath. Just as she was about to step out of the courtyard gate, she saw a young servant suddenly rush in, panting as he said to Yu Qingwu: “Master Wu says, says, says they’ve found him, they found him in the Luo River!”

Yu Qingwu’s face turned completely ashen. He understood what being found in the Luo River meant.

He staggered, lifted his legs to run, but fell straight down.

Lan Shanjun was closest to him and quickly turned back to help him up.

Nanny Qian’s expression also changed. She said to the young servant: “Quickly go prepare a carriage.”

She was Old Madam Shou’s trusted confidant and had watched these children grow up. Now that someone had died, how could she not go see?

Just as she was about to find someone to escort Lan Shanjun back, she heard Lan Shanjun say to her: “Young Master Su showed me kindness. I wonder if I might accompany you?”

Nanny Qian hesitated. “Are you certain, Miss?”

Lan Shanjun nodded.

All her countless thoughts before could only be wild speculation while staying in that small room. Now that she could walk outside, she naturally wanted to investigate personally—she feared that Su Xingzhou’s death truly was connected to her and the old monk.

If that were so, her sins would be too heavy to ever repay.

Nanny Qian didn’t refuse. She had no mind to refuse either—she just went to have someone quickly bring the carriage. Lan Shanjun had someone fetch several black umbrellas.

The carriage rushed along the way. Yu Qingwu sat there, suddenly saying as if his spirit had wandered: “That day, I shouldn’t have been in such a hurry to go to Teacher’s place. I should have listened to Elder Brother finish speaking.”

Lan Shanjun couldn’t bear it and comforted him: “You didn’t know it would be like this.”

But she knew that, just as Huailing was to her, this matter would ultimately become an incurable hidden affliction for Yu Qingwu.

She sighed. When they reached the Luo River, she put on the veiled hat that Nanny Qian gave her, descended from the carriage, and followed Yu Qingwu to the corpse.

After five days, the body was already beyond recognition, swollen from being submerged. Yu Qingwu fell to his knees with a thud and gently wiped the sand from the corpse’s face. Su Xingzhou’s features and brows gradually became more visible.

His vision went black, and he cried out in anguish: “Elder Brother!”

Lan Shanjun turned her head away, unable to bear watching any longer.

She took a deep breath and swept her gaze around at the surrounding people.

Having killed someone so triumphantly, might they send someone to specifically come watch?

If Su Xingzhou’s death was related to her and the old monk, perhaps she could recognize one or two acquaintances from the crowd.

But after looking all around, she saw nothing.

The soldiers began clearing people away. Fewer and fewer people remained in the vicinity. Lan Shanjun stopped looking and instead went to the carriage to fetch the two black umbrellas she had brought. She first opened one, bent down, and placed the umbrella handle in Yu Qingwu’s hand.

This was a Shuzhou custom.

When the deceased dies a violent death, they should be sheltered with a black umbrella to keep their soul from scattering, so they may be reborn in the future.

Seeing it was a black umbrella, Yu Qingwu immediately used it to shelter Su Xingzhou’s upper body.

Kneeling there, his voice hoarse, he said: “Thank you.”

Lan Shanjun shook her head, opened the umbrella in her hands, used it to shelter Su Xingzhou’s lower body, and stood beside Yu Qingwu, saying softly: “My condolences.”