Qin Buwen thought she’d misheard.
“Huh? My relative?”
She rose from the small stool, confusion written all over her face.
Changqing nodded.
“Yes. They’re already waiting in the main hall. You should go have a look.”
Suppressing the thoughts racing through her mind, Qin Buwen headed toward the main hall.
If it really is this body’s family… that could be troublesome.
…
Inside the main hall, Ji Junjiao sat in the seat of honor, dressed in spotless white. He remained silent, merely taking a sip of tea.
A man occupied the guest seat.
He was enormously fat, so broad that even the grand armchair seemed unable to contain him. He looked to be in his thirties, with layers of flesh hanging from his frame. When he smiled, his eyes disappeared into narrow slits.
The moment he saw Qin Buwen, he rushed toward her.
“Wife! Wife! I’ve finally found you! I’ve searched everywhere for you!”
Instinctively, Qin Buwen took several steps back, her eyes wide with bewilderment.
“Y-You… who are you?”
The fat man burst into tears, snot and all.
“Wife! You’re my fiancée! I know you’ve lost your memory. Don’t be afraid—your husband is here to take you home…”
As he spoke, his pudgy hand reached toward her.
Qin Buwen quietly sidestepped it while lowering her head to hide the look in her eyes.
His fiancée?
Really?
She looked up—and met the man’s threatening glare.
Understanding dawned immediately.
There was an eighty or ninety percent chance he was lying.
Feigning fright, she shrank back.
From the seat of honor, Ji Junjiao finally spoke.
“Young Master Zhang, you’re frightening her.”
Zhang Fu immediately turned toward Ji Junjiao, bowing and scraping with an obsequious grin that nearly reached his ears.
“Hehe, it’s just been so long since I’ve seen my wife. I got a little too excited. Please forgive me, my lord.”
Ji Junjiao pressed his lips together slightly before glancing at Qin Buwen.
At that very moment, she happened to look back at him.
Their eyes met for only an instant.
The next second, Ji Junjiao calmly looked away.
“My apologies, Young Master Zhang. A few days ago, we inadvertently caused harm to your fiancée.”
He signaled to Changqing with a look.
Understanding at once, Changqing stepped forward and handed Zhang Fu a heavy money pouch.
“Please accept this as compensation. It’s only a small token of apology.”
The moment Zhang Fu loosened the pouch and peeked inside, his eyes nearly popped out of his head.
Qin Buwen only needed a brief glance to catch the greed flashing through them.
“No problem! No problem at all!”
He hurriedly stuffed the pouch into his clothes and bowed repeatedly toward Ji Junjiao.
“Thank you, my lord! Thank you so much!”
“In that case…” Zhang Fu grinned broadly. “I’ll take my wife home now.”
As he spoke, he grabbed Qin Buwen’s slender wrist and tried to drag her toward the door.
She didn’t move.
“Wait.”
Ji Junjiao’s voice sounded from behind them.
Zhang Fu froze, then turned around with another ingratiating smile.
“Yes, my lord? Is there something else?”
This time, Ji Junjiao didn’t look at Zhang Fu.
His gaze rested instead on Qin Buwen.
“A’Jin.”
His expression remained cool and detached.
“Is there anything else you want?”
Qin Buwen kept her head lowered.
Only after hearing him did she slowly lift her face.
Her eyes were filled with panic and fear as they met his.
For some reason, under that gaze, Ji Junjiao felt as though a needle had pricked the tip of his finger.
It wasn’t especially painful.
Yet it was impossible to ignore.
She had lived at Wenyuan Pavilion for quite some time now.
It was only natural that some attachment had formed.
At least…
That was how Ji Junjiao reasoned it to himself.
He quietly waited for her answer.
Standing in the middle of the hall, Qin Buwen bit her lip gently, the corners of her eyes faintly red.
“My lord… may I speak with him alone for a moment?”
Ji Junjiao nodded without objection.
Qin Buwen led Zhang Fu toward a secluded corner.
Inside the hall, Changqing frowned.
“My lord, do you think the two of them are plotting to squeeze more compensation out of us?”
Ji Junjiao cast him a cool glance.
“Do not speculate about others without cause.”
Changqing sheepishly fell silent.
…
Side Courtyard
Following behind Qin Buwen, Zhang Fu’s impatience quickly surfaced.
“Where the hell are you taking me, woman?!”
Qin Buwen glanced around. Once she confirmed no one else was nearby, she finally stopped and turned around.
Crossing her arms, she leaned casually against the courtyard wall.
“Talk.”
“Talk about what? Damn you! I’m your husband!”
With no one else around, Zhang Fu dropped the act completely.
His lecherous gaze swept over her from head to toe before he stroked his chin.
“Heh… you’re even prettier up close. Once we get home, your husband here is going to treat you real nice~”
Qin Buwen arched an eyebrow.
“So… you don’t actually know me?”
“Hmph! What’s it to you? You’ll be mine soon enough!”
As he spoke, Zhang Fu reached out to caress her face.
“That guy really wasn’t lying. I get a beautiful wife for free, and all that silver…”
His hand never reached her.
Qin Buwen caught his wrist with one hand.
At first, Zhang Fu paid it no mind. Still grinning obscenely, he tried to continue reaching for her.
Then he realized…
His arm wouldn’t budge.
Not even an inch.
His eyes flew open.
“You filthy bitch! Let me go right now, or you’ll regret it!”
Qin Buwen let out a mocking laugh.
She applied just a little more pressure.
Zhang Fu’s scream instantly rose an octave.
Her expression remained perfectly calm.
“Let me give you one piece of advice.”
“Tell me everything you know.”
“Otherwise…”
“You can forget about ever using this arm again.”
“Hah! You think you can scare me? I was—AAAH!”
The rest of his words died in his throat.
With a precise twist, Qin Buwen dislocated his elbow.
Zhang Fu collapsed onto the ground with a thud, staring at her as though he’d just seen a ghost.
Qin Buwen slowly crouched before him.
Her smile was sweet.
Innocent.
Completely harmless.
“Now.”
“I ask.”
“You answer.”
“Understand?”
Zhang Fu didn’t dare utter a single word of refusal. He nodded frantically.
“Do you know me?”
Sweat poured from his forehead as he shook his head desperately.
“N-No! I don’t!”
“Who sent you?”
“I-I overheard someone talking at a teahouse. They said Wenyuan Pavilion had taken in a refugee girl who came to the capital looking for family. They said she was beautiful, had lost her memory, and didn’t recognize anyone anymore…”
“They also said the Grand Secretary would give me lots and lots of silver if I claimed her, so I…”
Qin Buwen smiled.
“So you came here to try your luck?”
Zhang Fu nodded miserably.
“Y-Yes… I didn’t think it’d actually work. I was just blinded by greed!”
Resting her chin on one hand, Qin Buwen looked him up and down.
“Who was the person you met at the teahouse?”
Grimacing in pain, Zhang Fu replied,
“I don’t know! He was wearing a veiled hat. I never even saw what he looked like!”
Qin Buwen fell into thought.
So… someone has their eyes on me.
But she was supposed to be nothing more than a nameless refugee.
Why would anyone be watching her?
Looking at Zhang Fu, who was still wailing in pain, Qin Buwen suddenly flashed him a sweet, utterly innocent smile.
“Young Master Zhang…”
“Would you be willing to do me a little favor?”