Jiang Ancheng, as the head of the household, did not need to report to Old Madam Feng when taking his daughter out. The newly appointed gatekeeper watched the father and daughter leave, then resumed his vigilant guard at the gate.
“Where would Sier like to go?” Jiang Ancheng asked.
“Daughter would like to visit some cosmetics shops. I’ve heard there’s a newly opened one that’s quite popular, with their fragrances being especially well-received,” Jiang Si replied.
“A cosmetics shop…” Jiang Ancheng said with a hint of regret. It wouldn’t be appropriate for a man of his stature to browse such establishments.
Upon arriving at the shop with the sign “Lushengxiang”, Jiang Ancheng stopped. “Sier, you go ahead and look around. I’ll wait for you at the teahouse next door.”
Jiang Si immediately flashed a sweet smile. “Thank you for waiting, Father.”
With the launch of two new fragrances, the small cosmetics shop had become increasingly busy. By now, quite a few customers had arrived to purchase rouge and perfumes.
Jiang Si entered the shop with A’Qiao. Madam Xiu immediately approached upon seeing A’Qiao.
A’Qiao shook her head slightly.
Over the past few months of busy work, Madam Xiu had gradually emerged from the pain of losing her daughter. Or rather, that pain would forever remain buried in her heart, but this small cosmetics shop had become the focus of all Madam Xiu’s hopes for the future, allowing her to grit her teeth and carry on.
Madam Xiu, who had been widowed at a young age and raised her daughter by selling tofu, was a capable and spirited woman. Now that she had regained her natural demeanor, she quickly understood A’Qiao’s gesture and waited for an opportunity to approach after A’Qiao had accompanied Jiang Si inside for a while.
“Greetings to the young miss,” Madam Xiu said.
Although Madam Xiu didn’t know Jiang Si’s true identity, she had learned from A’Qiao that this was the real owner of Lushengxiang.
She felt genuinely grateful to Jiang Si from the bottom of her heart.
Looking back now, Madam Xiu didn’t know how she had endured that difficult period. If it weren’t for this small shop providing her with a place to belong, she might have long since joined her daughter in death.
Jiang Si could hear the sincerity in Madam Xiu’s gratitude. She removed her veil, placed it on the table, and smiled gently at her. “There’s no need for such formalities, Madam Xiu.”
The moment Madam Xiu saw Jiang Si’s features, she was stunned. Tears almost uncontrollably rolled down from the corners of her eyes.
For some inexplicable reason, she saw a shadow of her daughter in the young lady before her.
Madam Xiu quickly recovered and apologized to Jiang Si, “This humble woman has lost her composure. Please forgive me, young miss.”
She must have been missing her daughter too much. This young lady’s bearing and appearance far surpassed her daughter’s; how could she have thought they looked alike?
After the initial shock, Madam Xiu calmed down and upon closer inspection, felt they didn’t resemble each other at all.
Jiang Si had planned to reveal herself to Madam Xiu for some time.
With Miss Chuchu now residing in Songzi Lane, it was no longer suitable to arrange certain matters there. The cosmetics shop suited her identity quite well for appearances.
A young lady visiting with her maid to buy cosmetics was a common occurrence that wouldn’t arouse suspicion.
This way, she needed Madam Xiu to recognize the true owner, to provide cover and convenience.
“Has A’Fei arrived?” Jiang Si asked.
“Yes, he has. Please follow me, young miss,” Madam Xiu replied.
Madam Xiu led Jiang Si to the back courtyard.
Although this street-facing cosmetics shop wasn’t large, it had the common layout of a shop in front and living quarters in the back. The front was for business, while the back was suitable for living.
Of course, customers weren’t allowed to enter the back courtyard at will.
There was a back door in the courtyard, which A’Fei had used to enter. He was waiting in the room drinking tea. As soon as he saw Jiang Si enter, he stood up eagerly and said, “Young miss, you’ve finally arrived!”
A’Qiao smiled and pulled Madam Xiu aside. “Madam Xiu, you should go attend to the front. They can’t do without you there.”
After A’Qiao and Madam Xiu left, Jiang Si immediately asked, “Is he still there now?”
“My two brothers are watching outside Tianxiang Teahouse. So far, we haven’t seen Young Master Zhu come down,” A’Fei replied.
“How did you discover he was meeting with a woman?” Jiang Si pressed.
She didn’t believe that someone as cautious as Zhu Ziyu would openly bring a woman to Tianxiang Teahouse.
A’Fei quickly explained, “Earlier, I followed Young Master Zhu into Tianxiang Teahouse and kept watch from the private room opposite his. Not long after, a young lady came up and entered the private room next to Young Master Zhu’s. After a while, Young Master Zhu sneaked out of his room and into the young lady’s room…”
“Did you see clearly?” Jiang Si asked, pursing her lips.
A’Fei patted his chest. “I saw it with my own eyes, clear as day.”
“What I mean is, judging by her age and attire, are you certain it was a young lady?” Jiang Si clarified.
“About your age, with a girl’s hairstyle, and her dress seemed quite expensive…” A’Fei described.
Jiang Si clenched her hands tightly, unable to conceal her excitement.
There had been no movement from Qing’er at the Zhu residence or Yu’er at the civilian house, but unexpectedly, Zhu Ziyu had shown his hand.
If Zhu Ziyu truly had a lover, considering the timing carefully, they must not have seen each other for over a month. This was because she had ordered A’Fei to keep a constant watch on Zhu Ziyu since August.
In that case, it wasn’t that Zhu Ziyu couldn’t remain patient.
For a pair of lovers, such a long time apart would indeed be difficult to endure.
“Take me there,” Jiang Si ordered.
A’Fei led Jiang Si out through the back door, taking a shortcut to quickly arrive at Tianxiang Teahouse.
“Young miss, do you want to go up and take a look?” A’Fei asked in a low voice, hidden behind a tree opposite the teahouse.
Jiang Si shook her head. “No need. When Zhu Ziyu comes out, don’t mind him. Follow the woman and see which household she belongs to.”
A considerable amount of time had passed from when A’Fei first reported to when she managed to leave home. Even if she rushed up to Tianxiang Teahouse now, it would be too late to make any preparations.
In such situations, it was crucial not to act rashly. Alerting the enemy would only put her at a disadvantage.
In Jiang Si’s view, when dealing with someone like Zhu Ziyu, it was better not to act at all than to act without certainty. Once she made her move, she had to ensure he wouldn’t be able to recover. At present, she didn’t even know the woman’s identity, so it was unwise to act hastily.
She had come here to personally see what the woman looked like and observe Zhu Ziyu’s reaction.
She believed that no matter how well a man could conceal his emotions, there would always be some tell after meeting a lover—perhaps a gleam in his eyes or a faint smile at the corner of his mouth…
And these could only be detected by seeing with one’s own eyes.
“Young miss, he’s coming out,” A’Fei alerted her.
Zhu Ziyu was the first to walk out of the teahouse.
Jiang Si watched coldly as the man walked away with a smile on his lips, her expression impassive as she fingered the poison needle hidden in her purse.
Stay calm, she told herself. Murder and arson are wrong.
A’Fei inexplicably shuddered.
After waiting for about a quarter of an hour, a young lady emerged from Tianxiang Teahouse with her maid.
“Young miss, that’s the woman!” A’Fei reminded her.
Jiang Si had already turned to look.
Compared to Zhu Ziyu’s springtime delight, the young lady who paused briefly at the teahouse entrance appeared much more composed. There was no indication that she had just met with a lover.
The moment Jiang Si saw the young lady’s face, her pupils suddenly contracted, revealing an expression of extreme astonishment.
How could it possibly be her?