The night was silent, moonlight quietly spilling across the window lattice.
The candlelight inside the room gradually dimmed, and with the Blue Gauze Bed Curtain drawn, scarcely any light penetrated the bed.
There was no one else in the room, and certainly no one on the bed.
The voice was clear; he easily recognized it as Song Jin’s.
Yet something felt off.
Song Jin was shy and proper. During this time, she had never overstepped her bounds with him, so it was impossible for her to boldly utter the words “I like my husband” to him.
In the darkness, Xie Qiao slightly furrowed his brow.
Could it be that sharing the bed with her today had stirred her thoughts, leading her to speak these words so boldly?
As the eldest son of the Xie Family, even if he didn’t care, he knew that in his youth, he had been highly favored by noble ladies in the capital. A few bold ones even created opportunities at various banquets to try to get close to him.
However, the Xie Family had been viewed with suspicion by the late emperor. His father, with no other choice, handed the family responsibilities to him prematurely and went alone to the borderlands he had always longed for, vowing never to return to the capital without an imperial decree.
He was barely in his teens when he abruptly took over the Xie Family, leaving him no time to concern himself with other matters.
As he grew older, his temperament became widely known in the capital, and such incidents gradually subsided.
Song Jin was still young. Having faced difficulties today, with him being the only man by her side, it was only natural for her to develop some reliance on him.
But still…
Xie Qiao turned his head to look at Song Jin, who had her eyes closed.
The girl was sweet and lovely, with excellent looks that could rival even the noble ladies of the capital. There were plenty of outstanding young men in the capital who were a suitable match for her age.
The best thing for her would be for him to take charge and arrange a match with someone she liked and who was suitable for her.
Xie Qiao lowered his gaze.
Even if she was in low spirits today, he should still make his intentions clear to her.
“Ah Jin,” Xie Qiao called softly.
The person beside him did not respond.
Xie Qiao raised his voice and called again.
Still, there was no response.
Xie Qiao turned on his side, propping his head up with one hand, and looked at Song Jin lying beside him.
Her breathing was long and steady, clearly having been sound asleep for some time.
Seeing her peaceful expression, Xie Qiao suddenly felt a sense of confusion.
Had that voice not been Song Jin’s, but rather a hallucination?
At the first crow of the rooster at dawn, Song Jin opened her eyes on time.
Having cried the night before, her eyes felt sore and stinging. She raised her hand to rub them, only then noticing Xie Qiao sleeping properly beside her.
Her heart suddenly thumped twice.
Her thoughts returned to the previous night.
Last night!
Last night, her husband had shared the bed with her!
Opening her eyes, she could see Xie Qiao’s handsome face right away.
Song Jin widened her eyes and stared at him.
Mmm, she really wanted to give him a kiss.
Song Jin pressed her lips together, suppressing the urge to pucker them.
Since they had just shared a bed last night, what if she kissed him and scared him away?
He was such a proper man.
Song Jin gazed at Xie Qiao reluctantly.
Today’s troubles were likely to be many, so Song Jin decided to get up a little later.
Only when the first rays of morning light struck the window did Song Jin slowly begin to move, sliding out of bed.
Xie Qiao was a light sleeper. As soon as Song Jin pulled back the bed curtain, he awoke.
Outside, the morning sun was shining.
The girl leaned halfway out of the bed curtain, carefully searching for her shoes on the floor with her feet.
Xie Qiao raised his hand, resting the back of his right hand on his forehead.
His voice was hoarse, carrying a hint of morning weariness: “Song Jin.”
The girl, who had been quietly searching for her shoes, paused at the sound of his voice.
Her head, which had already peeked out, withdrew, and she blinked her eyes at him.
She felt a bit shy and somewhat flustered. "Husband, did I wake you?"
Xie Qiao stared at her intently.
Last night, the words "I like my husband" had echoed in his mind countless times. He truly couldn't be sure whether Song Jin had actually said them.
He thought he might as well ask Song Jin this morning.
But as soon as he woke up and saw the young girl who would lower her head in shyness at the sight of him, he simply couldn't bring himself to ask.
Such bold words of expression didn't seem at all like something she would say.
If he were to ask directly now, and it turned out to be just his hallucination or her sleep-talking, how would they interact afterward?
Song Jin kept her head slightly lowered but could sense Xie Qiao's unwavering gaze on her.
Her heart grew inexplicably nervous. Before she could even think, she quickly turned and slipped out from behind the bed curtain.
Separated by the curtain, Xie Qiao watched the faint, shadowy figure outside.
The young girl deftly put on her shoes and outer garment, leaving behind the words, "Husband, sleep a little longer," before opening the door and leaving.
A few steps later, the sound of Song Jin drawing water from the well to wash her face could be heard.
Splash, splash.
Xie Qiao snapped back to attention, his expression turning cold.
He wondered how Fu Cang had handled matters last night?
Song Jin fetched a full basin of cold water and splashed it on her face.
After a few splashes, she examined her reflection in the water under the morning light.
Finally, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
She had been worried earlier.
Her husband had been staring at her, and she wondered if her face had swollen from crying last night, turning into a big, puffy mess?
Thinking it was a disaster, she had hurriedly run out.
She even deliberately fetched a basin of ice-cold water to reduce the swelling.
With that basin of cold water, not only did the swelling on her face go down, but her mind also cleared.
After tidying herself up, she returned to the room to change into a slightly worn padded jacket. Before leaving, she glanced seriously at Xie Qiao's room.
She had made up her mind: she would go to report the matter to the authorities.
Chunliu Lane was at its busiest in the morning.
As she walked out of Chunliu Lane, Song Jin didn't head toward her small stall. Instead, she turned and walked in the direction of the government office.
Deep down, Song Jin felt somewhat nervous.
Clenching her fists, she walked step by step toward the government office.
She had thought it through.
Even if the authorities sided with Master Fan, by reporting the incident today, she would at least have some evidence.
Yesterday, Master Fan had only smashed her stall, but if in the future he went too far or involved her husband, she would take the case to Jingdu.
Her husband was from Jingdu, where all the high-ranking officials were. Surely, someone there would take action!
Just past one more bustling street corner was the County Office.
Song Jin had never been here before, only hearing that people seeking justice would shout outside the government gate.
Now that it was her turn, she felt genuinely apprehensive.
It was the busiest time of the morning at the street corner, filled with people having breakfast and buying groceries.
News spread quickly through chatter.
As soon as Song Jin entered the street corner, she overheard two women with vegetable baskets standing at the corner, eating peanuts and talking.
"Have you heard? Last night, the lights in the Fan family's house stayed on all night, shining as bright as a fire."
"Was it because Master Fan returned and they were welcoming him?"
"Not at all. My husband said that last night, while he was on night watch, he saw with his own eyes government officials arresting the Fan Family's Eldest Son. They said the case of him beating someone to death on the street had been brought to the attention of officials in Jingdu, and it was being reopened. That's why he was arrested again."
"Oh my! That incident caused such an uproar, and in the end, they only paid a bit of money. This time, justice is finally being served! Truly, evil deeds meet with evil retribution!"
"Exactly, who knows which big shot the Fan family has offended. Common folks like us could never bring them down in our lifetime. We'd better just live our lives honestly. Oh, look, the green onion seller is up ahead—hurry, hurry!"
"Hey, hey, you're quick on your feet—go grab some for me first…"
The two women hurried off, leaving Song Jin, who had been eavesdropping nearby.
She blinked.
The Fan family?
The only ones who could be so reckless and lawless were the Fans.
So, the Fan family must be in a real fix now, maybe even heading for a major downfall?
Song Jin glanced at the Government Office ahead, then turned and decided to check out the Fan Residence first before making any decisions.
The Fan Residence wasn't far from the Government Office, located in Chongzhou's most expensive district. In the past, its gates were always wide open, but today they were tightly shut.
Clearly, something big had happened.
Song Jin breathed a sigh of relief.
She figured the Fan family probably didn't have the time to bully her anymore, though she'd likely have to swallow the loss from her stall being smashed yesterday.
It wasn't that she was timid—she just felt that at this critical moment, provoking the Fan family over this matter might push them to desperate measures against her, which wouldn't be worth it.
Song Jin made a quick decision: she wouldn't trouble the authorities today. If they needed witnesses later, she could step forward then.
Song Jin wasn't usually one to gloat over others' misfortunes, but the Fan family was different. They had done so much evil and bullied honest people for so long. Seeing them in trouble now was nothing short of satisfying.
Song Jin didn't know who the Fan family had offended, but from the bottom of her heart, she thanked that unknown savior.
She even felt like going to a temple to light a lamp and offer prayers for them.
With the weight off her shoulders, Song Jin's steps felt much lighter.
She still had to hurry back and tidy up her little stall.
Her stall hadn't been too badly damaged yesterday—probably just a tael or so to fix.
Song Jin planned to try repairing it herself first. If she couldn't manage, she'd ask for help.
As she calculated and walked toward her stall, she stopped about a dozen steps away.
Huh?
Why were people bustling around her stall?
Had Master Fan been scared out of his wits last night, fearing she'd report him, and sent someone to fix it?
Song Jin blinked, then walked forward and stood in front of her stall.
She politely asked, "Who are you, and what are you doing here?"
"Ah, Miss Song is back!" A worker repairing the stove looked up and, seeing it was Song Jin, explained, "Shopkeeper Lu sent us! Just wait a moment, miss—the stove will take a while to fix, but we'll definitely finish today."
As soon as the worker finished speaking, a clear voice came from behind the stall: "Ah Jin, you're here?"
Lu Chen had just been taking stock of the damaged tables and chairs when he heard Song Jin's voice. He hurried over and saw Song Jin standing in front of the stove, holding a half-eaten bun.
The young girl looked adorable and earnest, with no sign of grievance or injury on her face.
He nodded in relief.
Song Jin hadn't expected Lu Chen to come and help clean up her stall.
She set the bun on the table, walked over to Lu Chen, and greeted him politely: "Shopkeeper Lu."
Lu Chen wasn't exactly a wealthy merchant, but he owned two restaurants in Chongzhou. Song Jin supplied pastries to him, so he was essentially her employer.
She thought about it—Lu Chen hadn't been in Chongzhou for the past half-month, and she hadn't received any orders from the Lu Family Restaurant.
She probably hadn't caused any trouble.
Song Jin said, "Is Shopkeeper Lu here to order pastries? There's been a bit of trouble these past two days, so I probably won't be able to make pastries. But if Shopkeeper Lu is in a hurry, I can make them at home and deliver them to you."
Song Jin's address of "Shopkeeper Lu" was polite yet somewhat distant.
Lu Chen sighed inwardly. "I heard as soon as I returned today that the Fan Family had come to cause trouble for you. I was worried, so I came to check on you. Seeing that you're fine now puts my mind at ease."
As he spoke, Lu Chen approached Song Jin and lowered his voice. "You don’t need to worry about the Fan Family anymore. This time, they’ve offended someone important. Not only are they involved in a murder case, but their business is also in trouble. From now on, the Fan Family should be finished."
"Finished?" Song Jin had only thought the Fan Family would face serious misfortune, but she hadn’t expected them to be completely wiped out.
"Such a large family?" Song Jin pursed her lips.
Lu Chen was dismissive. "To that family, the Fan Family is nothing more than an ant. Regardless, Ah Jin, you won’t have to worry anymore in the future."
Nothing more than an ant?
Only then did Song Jin truly grasp how significant a figure the Fan Family had provoked. She instinctively asked, "Which family is it?"
Could it be the imperial family?
Lu Chen knew Song Jin wasn’t a nosy girl, and this matter wasn’t a secret within the merchant guild. He replied, "The Xie Family, the Capital Xie Family."
"The capital?" Song Jin was astonished. "Such a distant place—how could they have influence here?"
"That, we don’t know. But the Xie Family has many branches, and no one is clear about what might have happened in between." Lu Chen couldn’t say much more and changed the subject. "Your stall can be repaired today, and you can reopen as usual tomorrow."
Song Jin opened her mouth, initially wanting to refuse.
But seeing the stall already half-repaired, it seemed too late to stop it.
She didn’t want to take advantage of Lu Chen’s kindness for nothing. "Thank you for your help, Shopkeeper Lu. If you’re not busy later, please wait a moment. I need to go home to fetch something."
She hadn’t brought enough silver with her and needed to go back for it.
"What do you need to fetch? I’ll go with you. Perhaps I can help in some way," Lu Chen said gently.
Song Jin thought for a moment. "Alright."
After the tables and chairs were mostly repaired, the two walked one after the other toward Chunliu Lane.
Since Song Jin had gotten up and left in the morning, Xie Qiao had only waited a short while before rising himself. After washing up, he sat at the table copying books until Fu Cang appeared in the afternoon.
Fu Cang bowed his head and said, "Young Master, the matter with the Fan Family has been fully resolved. Not only are they involved in murder, but their accounts are also problematic. Within ten days, the main branch of the Fan Family will be imprisoned."
"Hmm." Xie Qiao merely nodded faintly, as if the Fan Family wasn’t enough to trouble him. "Any news from Jingdu?"
"Reporting to the Young Master, not yet."
"Continue to keep an eye on Jingdu. Inform me immediately if anything happens."
"Yes."
Fu Cang disappeared from the courtyard in an instant. Xie Qiao stood in the yard, not returning indoors.
He looked up at the orange-red sunset.
Song Jin should be returning around this time…
The pitiful image of the young girl from last night surfaced in his mind.
He wondered how she was feeling today.
If she knew the Fan Family had been dealt with, would she be happy?
Lost in thought, Xie Qiao unconsciously walked to the gate and pulled it open.
This was the first time in a long while that he had opened this gate.
He leaned out slightly, looking in the direction from which Song Jin would return home.
The setting sun cast its light on the young girl’s shoulders and spilled into the dimples of her smile.
At this moment, the young girl briskly walked toward home.
Her steps were light and cheerful, clearly indicating she was in a good mood.
Simply watching her brought a sense of ease and comfort.
However…
Xie Qiao's gaze darkened.
Why was there a man following behind her?