Wei Xun ultimately did not call for a physician.
The fire in the charcoal brazier warmed the room to a cozy temperature. The man’s large palm gently massaged her, and A’Yuan felt so comfortable she grew drowsy. The menstrual pain that had troubled her for years no longer seemed so unbearable.
The little concubine nestled against his chest like a docile kitten. Whenever he lowered his head, he could see her delicate, charming face.
Wei Xun’s heart softened into a puddle, and he tightened his arms around her.
“Mm… it’s so hard.”
A’Yuan’s lower back was suddenly pressed against something hard. She opened her drowsy eyes and reached behind her.
Wei Xun lifted her, only then remembering what he had bought.
With one arm still holding A’Yuan, he used his other hand to retrieve an exquisitely carved wooden box from his robe. “Try it.”
“What… is this?”
A’Yuan took it in confusion, looking up at Wei Xun.
The man clenched his fist and brought it to his lips, clearing his throat lightly. His expression carried an awkward, almost proud reserve.
“I passed by a jewelry shop and casually bought a hairpin. If you don’t like it, you can give it to a maid.”
How could the esteemed Wei heir ever casually enter a jewelry shop? After a moment’s thought, A’Yuan understood this was a gift Wei Xun had specifically bought for her.
She sat up, kneeling in the man’s lap, and opened the box with a mix of surprise and gratitude.
An iris came into view. A’Yuan’s heart felt as if brushed by a feather—tingling and numb. Her hand instinctively tightened around the golden hairpin.
This hairpin, symbolizing her name, could not possibly have been bought casually by Wei Xun.
Her chest swelled with a bittersweet ache. Leaning on the man’s thigh, she leaned forward and placed a kiss on his cheek. “Thank you, Master. A’Yuan likes it very much.”
The little concubine was soft and delicate, her tone still carrying a hint of flattery. Wei Xun’s lips, which he had been forcing into a straight line, involuntarily curved upward.
“Let me put it on for you.”
Naturally, Wei Xun did not know how to style hair. But his learning ability was strong, and his memory was excellent. After just one explanation from A’Yuan, he managed to fashion a chuihuan fenxiao hairstyle.
The iris hairpin nestled among her dark hair, seeming to come alive with her movements.
Wei Xun nodded in satisfaction. So, styling hair wasn’t so difficult after all.
If he could do this for the little concubine every day, he would be willing.
“Master, does it look good?”
Kneeling before the man, A’Yuan couldn’t see the finished style. She twisted her head, wanting to look in the mirror.
Wei Xun wouldn’t let her get off the bed. Instead, he fetched a bronze mirror and handed it to her.
In the mirror, A’Yuan’s eyes sparkled. Though her face was bare, the golden hairpin lent her an air of elegance.
“It looks good.”
She murmured to herself, but her expression showed genuine delight.
Wei Xun’s mood grew even more cheerful. Looking down at her, he pinched the soft flesh at the nape of her neck, as if teasing a kitten he kept.
“If you like it, wear it. If you want more jewelry, I’ll buy it for you in the future.”
“This hairpin is more than enough. Master needn’t spend more.”
A’Yuan was truly anxious. Wei Xun was treating her better and better, but she almost wished he would maintain his previous aloofness.
Seeing his concubine’s obedient and cautious demeanor, Wei Xun chuckled lightly. “What? Afraid I can’t afford to keep you?”
A’Yuan dared not respond to such words. She tugged at Wei Xun’s sleeve, shaking her head repeatedly. “That’s not what A’Yuan meant.”
“Alright, I was just teasing you.”
Wei Xun knew when to stop, fearing he might make the little concubine cry.
After all, if she really cried, he would be the one to comfort her.
He stood up, but unexpectedly, his sleeve was still in A’Yuan’s hand. As he rose, the pouch tucked in his sleeve tumbled out.
A’Yuan had still been feeling a mix of embarrassment and annoyance over Wei Xun’s teasing. But when the pouch fell before her eyes, her face instantly paled.
No wonder, this pouch was exactly the one A’Yuan had entrusted to Chun Tao Niang to sell.
Yet she had no idea how it had ended up in Wei Xun’s hands.
A’Yuan’s heart suddenly tightened. She had kept her embroidery sales a secret from Wei Xun—it was her own secret, the money she had been saving to search for her family. If Wei Xun were to ask, what should she say?
A’Yuan’s nervousness did not escape Wei Xun’s notice. He glanced at the pouch on the bed, his eyes narrowing slightly.
Naturally, he knew nothing about embroidery, but A’Yuan’s embroidered works shared a common characteristic—she loved to embroider auspicious patterns.
He hadn’t paid attention before, but seeing A’Yuan’s expression now, Wei Xun remembered.
This pouch must have been embroidered by A’Yuan.
Thinking of the missing Liu Niangzi, Wei Xun’s expression turned serious.
Could A’Yuan be connected to her?
A’Yuan’s heart was in knots. She wanted to ask but didn’t dare, and could only watch helplessly as Wei Xun pocketed the pouch.
“Master…”
She stammered, and Wei Xun lowered his gaze, waiting for her to continue, but no further words came.
Knowing she was deliberately hiding something from him, Wei Xun’s face turned cold.
“Rest now.”
“Young Master…”
Even as Wei Xun reached the doorway, A’Yuan still couldn’t bring herself to ask.
Outside the room, the man paused briefly, his grip on the pouch leaving several creases.
No matter how this pouch had ended up with Liu Niangzi, A’Yuan was definitely keeping secrets from him.
Wei Xun returned to his outer study with a cold expression. Seeing his face, Chang Yuan’s heart skipped a beat—could it be that the gold hairpin the master had gifted was not to Lady Xie’s liking?
But Wei Xun ignored his unspoken question and tossed the pouch to him.
“Find out where Liu Niangzi got this pouch, and also check if A’Yuan has had any contact with outsiders recently.”
“Master suspects Lady Xie…”
Chang Yuan was stunned, the pouch in his hand suddenly feeling scalding hot.
How could the case of the missing young women in the capital be connected to Lady Xie?
“Quickly!”
Wei Xun shot him a sharp glance, and Chang Yuan dared not delay any longer.
Though he might seem a bit slow-witted, his abilities were exceptional. In less than half a day, he had uncovered the pouch’s origins.
“This pouch was bought by Liu Niangzi from Jinxiu Pavilion three months ago. Usually, the money she earned from selling tofu was taken by the Wang mother and son. Afraid that Wang Cheng would accuse her of wasting money, she claimed it was a gift from a customer. But Wang Cheng didn’t believe her and even suspected her of having an affair.”
That was why Wang Cheng had taken the pouch to report to the authorities.
“Jinxiu Pavilion?”
Wei Xun looked up. “How did A’Yuan’s embroidery end up at Jinxiu Pavilion?”
He already had a suspicion, but he couldn’t bring himself to believe it.
Chang Yuan swallowed nervously, cautiously glancing at his master. “Lady Xie had Zhu Pozi secretly sell it for her…”
“When did this start?”
Wei Xun’s expression was unusually calm, but having served him for so long, Chang Yuan could see the turmoil beneath that calm.
“Two years ago…”
So early.
Crack!
The teacup in Wei Xun’s hand shattered, bright red blood trickling from between his fingers. A self-mocking smile curled at the corner of his lips. “I see. You may go.”
“Master, perhaps Lady Xie has her own difficulties. Please don’t be angry…”
Chang Yuan’s heart was pounding. He never imagined A’Yuan would be so bold as to secretly sell her embroidery.
After all, she was the master’s woman—could the master possibly lack money for her?
“Difficulties, ha!”
Wei Xun sneered, his chest feeling as if blocked by a heavy stone, suffocating and painful.
Thinking back to A’Yuan’s usual obedient demeanor, the self-mockery on Wei Xun’s lips deepened.
Perhaps it was all an act. Who knew how much more she was hiding from him.
“Go out.”