Before long, Chong Jiu swam back up, his black robes clinging tightly to his body. Su Qingwan averted her gaze, and it was Qinxin who stepped forward to ask, “Chong Jiu, what are you doing?”
Chong Jiu clutched the mud-stained embroidered pouch, pursed his lips and said, “This pouch was given to me by my mother. I don’t know how the Second Young Master came to pick it up.”
Qinxin was left speechless.
This pouch was clearly embroidered by their young lady.
But now, soaked in muddy water, its original appearance was no longer recognizable. Though surprised, Qinxin maintained her composure without showing any reaction.
Meanwhile, Su Qingwan had already realized that Chong Jiu’s action was meant to help her. She had repeatedly declared her unwillingness to let the Second Young Master inherit two family lines. If it were discovered that she had personally sewn a sachet that ended up hanging on the Second Young Master, outsiders would only think her fickle and promiscuous.
She gave Chong Jiu a grateful glance before turning to walk toward Linglong Yuan, though her eyes had turned cold.
Upon returning to Linglong Yuan, Su Qingwan said coldly, “Bring out all the things I previously gave to the Shizi for inventory!”
After Gu Yunrui impersonated Gu Yunci, he had naturally moved all the important items from his study, but some belongings like clothing were left behind to avoid raising suspicion.
Who would have thought he would take the embroidered pouch Su Qingwan had previously made for him?
That earlier scene was undoubtedly orchestrated by Gu Yunrui intentionally—his goal was to prove to her that he was indeed Gu Yunrui?
Soon, Qinxin returned and reported, “Young lady, you gave the Shizi twelve items in total. Now there are only nine left inside. Besides that pouch, a pair of knee pads you personally sewed and a belt are missing.”
These were all intimate items that could easily lead to misunderstandings.
At this moment, Chong Jiu also returned. He had changed out of his soaked outer robe, but his hair was still wet and hadn’t been dried yet.
He said solemnly, “Madam, please describe what those two items look like. I will help you retrieve them.”
Those two items were certainly with Gu Yunrui, but obtaining them wouldn’t be easy.
Su Qingwan said cautiously, “I can draw sketches of them for you, but you must not alert him. Can you manage that?”
Chong Jiu replied, “Yes.”
Considering his exceptional martial arts skills and reliability, Su Qingwan nodded in agreement. She promptly drew the appearances of the two items and instructed Chong Jiu to act only at night to avoid gossip, additionally giving him replacement items.
Chong Jiu acknowledged each instruction.
As for the remaining items, Su Qingwan coldly ordered Qinxin, “Burn all those things—along with whatever he previously gave me. Burn whatever can be burned. For anything valuable that can’t be burned, pawn them and use the silver to help beggars who can’t afford food.”
Gu Yunrui didn’t deserve to keep anything she had made with her own hands, and the gifts he had given her disgusted her—she never wanted to lay eyes on them again.
Qinxin and Qiyi immediately went to handle these two matters separately.
Meanwhile, Chong Jiu watched as the carefully sewn items and hand-painted paper fans were thrown into the brazier. He hesitated for a moment before finally tossing a mud-stained embroidered pouch into the flames as well.
Seeing this, Su Qingwan breathed a sigh of relief. After all, the intimate items she had sewn weren’t suitable for Chong Jiu to keep.
In the evening, Chong Jiu’s figure melted into the night. Su Qingwan knew he was heading to Haitang Courtyard. Qinxin asked curiously, “Oh, I forgot to tell Chong Jiu about the layout of Haitang Courtyard. Though it’s smaller than here, what if he goes to the wrong place?”
Su Qingwan shared the same concern, but she thought of Chong Jiu’s usual steadiness. “He probably has it all planned out.”
In reality, clad in night attire, Chong Jiu arrived at Haitang Courtyard with familiar ease. He knew which rooms housed the women and deliberately avoided them, heading straight for the small study within the courtyard.
The front courtyard also had a study where Gu Yunrui had previously resided, but since Zhongyong Hou (Loyal and Brave Marquis) often visited there, if Gu Yunrui were to hide anything, it would only be in the small study of Haitang Courtyard.
Though Gu Yunrui had reconciled with Su Xiyue, he dared not share a room with her again—the memory of the blood from last time still unnerved him. It was different from witnessing bloodshed on the battlefield, where the intent was to slay enemies; between the sheets, he had expected passion and intimacy… So these days, Gu Yunrui rested in the side chamber adjacent to the small study in Haitang Courtyard.
The original Gu Yunci had disliked reading, and his study contained mostly military texts, but now the bookshelves were filled with classics, histories, and philosophical works. Under the lamplight, Gu Yunrui was diligently studying.
Chong Jiu stood in the shadows by the window, observing the completely transformed study and the man toiling inside, a trace of mockery flashing in his eyes.
With such vast knowledge, why pretend to be ignorant and feign the struggle of studying? Wasn’t it exhausting?
Before long, Gu Yunrui grew tired—after all, he was only putting on a show. He tossed the book aside and rose to go to the neighboring side chamber, where a bed awaited him.
Then, Chong Jiu slipped in quietly.
The study was small, and he knew exactly where things could be hidden.
He walked to the curio shelf directly behind the desk, pressed a spot beside it, and a hidden compartment sprang open. The weapons once stored inside had vanished, replaced by a belt and a pair of knee pads, embroidered with vividly lifelike flowers, birds, fish, and beasts.
After securing the items, he placed another belt and pair of knee pads inside—ones Su Qingwan had specifically instructed him to swap. These resembled her set in color but were not her handiwork; they had been made by someone else.
Just as Chong Jiu finished and prepared to leave, he heard Gu Yunrui’s low growl from next door, “Who’s there?”
Chong Jiu froze, blending into the shadows as if one with the darkness. Then, Xu Tanxin’s timid voice came through.
“Second Young Master, Cousin knew you’ve been studying late and had some soup prepared. I’ve brought it for you.”
The night was still chilly, but Xu Tanxin wore only a thin silk dress. Her fair skin glowed under the lantern light, strikingly noticeable. Holding the soup, she appeared delicate and submissive, her intentions unmistakably clear.
Inside, Gu Yunrui had already changed and was ready to rest. Hearing Xu Tanxin’s voice, he frowned at first, but upon learning that Su Xiyue had sent her, he did not send her away.
“Bring the soup in,” he said.
Chong Jiu stood in the shadows, recalling what Gu Yunrui had done to Su Qingwan during the day. After a moment’s thought, he retrieved a bamboo tube containing intoxicating incense from his robe, pierced the window paper, and blew the incense inside.
Having completed this task, he turned and left, his figure quickly vanishing into the night.
And Xu Tanxin never emerged for the entire evening…
Under the cover of darkness, Chong Jiu returned to Linglong Yuan and approached Su Qingwan’s window. He tapped lightly twice, and the window opened. Qinxin was overjoyed to see him.
“Did it work?”
Chong Jiu respectfully avoided looking inside the window, assuming Su Qingwan had already bathed, changed, and was preparing to rest.
He handed over the belt and kneepads, then turned and left without another word.
Qinxin closed the window and turned around cheerfully to Su Qingwan, who was already reclining on the bed. “Miss, Chong Jiu is truly remarkable—he actually managed to retrieve these items!”
A faint smile touched Su Qingwan’s eyes. “He is very reliable in his work.”
Qinxin asked, “Miss, shall we burn these two items as well?”
Su Qingwan nodded calmly. “Burn them all. Now that the Shizi is dead, there’s no need for these things to remain.”
After disposing of the items, drowsiness soon overcame her. However, as she turned in her sleep during the night, she woke up feeling uncomfortable—her belly was growing larger by the day.
When Su Qingwan awoke the next morning, traces of fatigue lingered in her eyes, and she soon heard that something had happened at Haitang Courtyard.
Qiyi, while helping her style her hair, reported, “It’s said that Xu Consort impersonated the Second Young Madam’s name to deliver soup to the Second Young Master at night. She drugged the soup, and they ended up together. When the Second Young Madam found out, she was so agitated that her pregnancy was affected again. They say she might lose the child this time.”
Su Qingwan remarked, “A child conceived through unconventional means was already fragile. With all this turmoil, it’s no surprise if she miscarries. Still, I didn’t expect Xu Tanxin to succeed.”
She had thought Gu Yunrui’s feelings for Su Xiyue were so deep that no other woman would come between them anytime soon. She hadn’t anticipated Xu Tanxin’s “determination.”
Su Qingwan then asked, “What about that maid we’ve been keeping an eye on?”
Qinxin replied, “She’s quite ambitious. Ever since she found out she resembles the Second Young Madam, she’s been trying to find a way to serve at Haitang Courtyard.”
Su Qingwan smiled. “Then find an opportunity to help her.”
With three women in the mix, it would be quite a drama. She wondered how Gu Yunrui would handle it.
As for Xu Tanxin’s successful scheme, Feng Shi took it rather well—she even rewarded Xu Tanxin proactively.
Gu Yunrui, his handsome face dark with anger, protested, “Mother, how could you reward her? Don’t you realize she drugged your own son!”
Feng Shi reasoned, “She drugged you because she wanted to serve you, not harm you. And wanting to bear you a child isn’t a crime.”
Seeing that he couldn’t get through to her, Gu Yunrui said coldly, “Send her to the rural estate. I don’t want to see her again.”
Feng Shi instinctively wanted to refuse, but noticing her son’s genuine anger, she quickly soothed him, “She’s just a consort. If you don’t like her, we’ll send her away. By the way, is Xi Yue all right?”
At the mention of Su Xiyue, Gu Yunrui’s expression turned pained. “The physician said she’s not well. She might lose the child.”
Feng Shi couldn’t help but complain, “She’s really something. Back when she agreed to take her cousin as a concubine, she seemed fine with it. How could she turn around and cause such trouble now? All she knows is how to be jealous, and her health is poor too—she can’t even keep a child. A Rui, when you inherit the peerage later, you must think carefully: is she really suitable to be the Heir’s Wife?”
Already irritated by the day’s events, Gu Yunrui grew even more sullen at his mother’s reminder that the matter of inheriting the peerage remained unresolved.
His tone was sharp as he replied, “Mother, I have my own plans for these matters. There’s no need for you to worry.”
After speaking, Gu Yunrui returned to Haitang Courtyard to accompany Su Xiyue, leaving Feng Shi stamping her foot in frustration.
Soon enough, Su Qingwan learned that Xu Tanxin was to be sent to a rural estate—a plea Xu Tanxin herself had brought directly to her.
“Heir’s Wife—oh, I mean Cousin Su—I know you’re the kindest person and can definitely help me, right? I truly don’t want to go to the rural estate,” Xu Tanxin wept earnestly. She had been overjoyed upon waking to find she had truly consummated her relationship with Gu Yunrui.
Later, Feng Shi had even rewarded her with a set of jewelry.
But who could have guessed that the next moment she would learn they intended to send her off to a rural estate!
Su Qingwan looked down at her, reached out, and lifted her chin. “You really don’t want to go to the rural estate?”