Her face was pale, her hair disheveled, with bruises at the corner of her mouth. Though hardship and suffering had eroded her beauty, one could still see that she was a remarkable woman. Trembling, she clutched Fan Zhongliang’s hand, tears streaming down her face, and pointed at Niu Daguai. When she opened her mouth, everyone realized—her tongue was gone.
Later, from the villagers’ accounts, they learned that when Niu Daguai arrived in Pozi Village, Chen Suqing was already mute. Niu Daguai told them she had gone mad, cut off her own leg and tongue, often tried to kill herself, and harmed herself constantly. That was why he always locked the door and tied her up—to prevent her from hurting herself.
In truth, it was only an excuse to keep her from escaping. The villagers saw Chen Suqing’s daily madness, but since Niu Daguai stayed by her side and never abandoned her, they believed his story and ignored the desperate plea in her eyes.
If not for Yao Shu and her companions’ arrival, Chen Suqing might have withered away in that small village.
With the old case finally solved and Chen Suqing rescued, Yao Shu’s spirits were high. That night, she busied herself in the small kitchen of the Prince’s residence. When Nanny Ou asked what she was doing, she kept it secret, carrying out two bowls of sweet soup.
“May I come in?” Yao Shu’s voice sounded outside the study of Prince Su’s residence.
“Mm.”
“How is Chen Suqing after being sent home?”
Yao Shu asked as she handed over a bowl, then pulled up a chair and began eating herself. Fu Xiujin glanced down at the bowl of tangerine-peel mung bean paste in his hand and froze for a moment.
“The family reunion was full of tears. Chen Suqing felt her purity was gone and wanted to die. Wang Baichuan knelt outside the Chen residence for two hours, begging to marry her. Master Chen agreed. By now, they should be lovers, finally united.”
“Wang Baichuan is truly devoted. Though not perfect, at least they’ve become husband and wife.”
Yao Shu licked her lips, then looked up with a smile at Fu Xiujin. “I brought you sweet soup to thank you for saving me today. You like sweets, don’t you?”
Fu Xiujin looked at the smiling woman before him, his ears turning faintly red. Almost against his will, he nodded.
The two shared a rare moment of harmony, enjoying a midnight snack together. When Yao Shu left carrying the empty bowls, she ran into Nanny Ou waiting outside. Seeing her, Nanny Ou beamed.
“Miss Yao, give me the bowls. You should go rest—you’ve been busy all day.”
Yao Shu knew Nanny Ou still hadn’t given up on matchmaking between her and Fu Xiujin. Not wanting to ask too directly, she didn’t hand over the bowls; instead, she walked back toward the kitchen with her, chatting.
“Nanny Ou, just call me Ah Shu or Xiao Shu. Today at the yamen, I met Pei Yingxia. Zhao Shaobai said she rather likes Fu Xiujin.”
At the mention of Pei Yingxia, Nanny Ou’s face darkened, her earlier warmth fading.
“Miss Pei’s family background is fine, but her temperament is poor. She’s not worthy of the Prince.”
“Why is your attitude the same as Zhao Shaobai’s? He didn’t speak well of her either.”
Yao Shu feigned innocence, though in truth she also disliked Pei Yingxia’s pretentious airs. She was curious about exactly what Pei Yingxia had done to earn the disapproval of everyone around Fu Xiujin.
“She can’t stand others doing well—that’s one thing. But she likes our Prince and goes around telling people that the Emperor will eventually grant her marriage to him. Our Prince is reserved and doesn’t care what others say. But good families’ daughters, hearing such talk, even if they had feelings for him, wouldn’t dare compete. So all these years, not a single romance has blossomed for him.”
Nanny Ou spoke bitterly of his lack of romance. At that very moment, in the study, Fu Xiujin suddenly sneezed.
“Normally, she’s jealous. With other noble ladies, she might just make snide remarks. But last year, at a teahouse, she encountered a singing girl—beautiful and charming. That poor girl suffered greatly afterward.”