Even more exquisite than the lotus blossoms in the pond…
Lu Huai’s gaze fell upon the young man and woman whispering to each other, his expression darkening slightly.
Suddenly remembering something, Lu Qingtang looked up with a smile and asked, “By the way, Father, have there been any strange occurrences in Gusu City today?”
As soon as she finished speaking, the three of them subtly perked up their ears, eager to listen carefully.
After a moment of thought, Lu Huai replied gently, “If we’re talking about strange events, there have indeed been a few in recent days.”
“Lately, many people in the city have reported seeing relatives who have been missing or deceased for a long time. It’s not just one person witnessing this—often, several people see the same thing at once. The magistrate has been running around busily because of this matter.”
The beds in Lu Manor were exceptionally comfortable. The next morning, when Lu Qingtang woke up, the sky was already bright, but the Jiao Silk curtains draped around the room blocked out the outside light. Staring into the dimly lit room, she drifted back to sleep.
Only when she had slept enough and was fully awake did she rise. As soon as she got up, Jingchun, who was outside the door, heard her movements and led a group of maidservants into the room in an orderly procession. They helped Lu Qingtang style her hair and change her clothes.
Now, Lu Qingtang finally had time to take a good look at this body’s appearance.
Strangely enough, she looked almost identical to the Lu Qingtang from the book: downturned eyes that gave her a pitiful, puppy-like expression, a pair of shallow dimples, and even the small mole two centimeters below her temples was exactly the same.
Lu Qingtang glanced out the window and saw that it had started to rain. Outside her window was a lotus pond, where the flowers were in full bloom. The raindrops pattered against the lotus leaves, creating a soothing rustling sound.
Lu Qingtang stepped outside and leaned against the railing of the long corridor overlooking the lotus pond. Jingchun brought her some fish food, and as she watched the koi fish leaping and creating ripples on the water’s surface, she tossed the food in. Instantly, countless fish swarmed to snatch it.
Just as Lu Qingtang was enjoying herself, she heard Jingchun call out, “Second Young Master Jiang.” At the same time, a voice tinged with laughter reached her ears: “You seem to be in high spirits, Miss.”
The next moment, Jiang Xunbai sat down beside her. Lu Qingtang raised an eyebrow and asked, “Would you like to try?”
Jiang Xunbai was about to refuse, but when he met the young woman’s smiling eyes, he suddenly changed his mind. “Sure.”
Jingchun moved the fish food between them. Jiang Xunbai glanced sideways at Lu Qingtang. Today, she wore a lotus-root-pink dress with a matching ribbon tied in her hair, looking even more exquisite than the lotus blossoms in the pond.
Lost in his thoughts, he was abruptly brought back to reality when Lu Qingtang turned her head and urged, “What are you doing?”
Jiang Xunbai snapped out of his daze, grabbed a handful of fish food, and scattered it into the pond. As soon as the food hit the water, the koi that had been clustered around Lu Qingtang were instantly distracted and rushed toward him.
Not to be outdone, Lu Qingtang tossed another handful before setting the fish food aside. She gazed at the delicate, vibrant lotus blossoms, listening to the sound of the rain and wind, and drifted into a daze.
When she snapped back to reality, she noticed Jiang Xunbai still feeding the fish, a faint smile playing on his lips. Lu Qingtang asked, “Where are Big Brother Jiang and Sister Su?”
At her question, the smile on Jiang Xunbai’s lips faded. He glanced at her and replied, “They went into the city to investigate the traces of the great demon.”
Lu Qingtang was somewhat surprised—the male and female leads truly had impressive initiative.
“Then why didn’t you go with them?”
Jiang Xunbai raised a delicate eyebrow. “What, does the young lady wish for me to accompany you?”
He paused, then explained, “I’ve come to seek your assistance.”
Lu Qingtang became intrigued. “What could a mere mortal like me possibly help you with?”
Jiang Xunbai replied, “Who could be more familiar with the layout of Gusu City than you, young lady?”
Lu Qingtang fell silent for a moment, recalling the stagnant progress of her first mission, then nodded.
By the time Lu Qingtang and Jiang Xunbai stepped out, the rain had ceased. The sky had just cleared after the heavy downpour, and the post-rain sunlight cast dazzling reflections in the puddles on the ground.
Today, Lu Qingtang had allowed her maids to adorn her waist with several jade pendants. The jade rings chimed crisply with her every step. Jiang Xunbai’s gaze lingered on her waist for a brief moment, and when he didn’t see the jade pendant carved with the character “Bai,” he inexplicably felt a wave of relief.
Just like when they had arrived, as they passed through the street in front of Lu Manor, a series of greetings—”Good day, young mistress!”—echoed one after another. Lu Qingtang was already accustomed to this. She smiled and nodded in acknowledgment, leading Jiang Xunbai out of the street.
The streets were bustling and crowded, lined with all kinds of stalls. Lu Qingtang walked while looking around, and Jiang Xunbai didn’t specify a destination, allowing her to lead the way as they strolled.
After wandering for a while, Lu Qingtang remembered they were there to investigate a case. How could they be aimlessly meandering like this?
“Where does Second Young Master Jiang wish me to take you?”
Jiang Xunbai shrugged. “No rush. Gusu City is truly breathtaking and incredibly lively. Why not show me around first, Miss Lu?”
Though Lu Qingtang didn’t understand his intentions, she nodded in agreement.
“Our Gusu desserts are also quite delicious. Second Young Master Jiang, please—”
Lu Qingtang made a gesture of invitation and led Jiang Xunbai toward a shop across the street.
The shop was two stories high, with a constant flow of people coming and going outside. A long queue had formed at one of the windows—those waiting to take their orders to go.
Lu Qingtang smiled and said, “This is the renowned ‘Sweet Lake House’ in the city. Second Young Master Jiang, see if you like it.”
Author’s Note:
Jiang TangTang: Investigating a case (crossed out) / Shopping (√)
TangTang: Shopping (crossed out) / I’m here to investigate a case!!!
A little anecdote about them:
Jiang TangTang has a big sweet tooth. His tolerance for desserts is like this: he drinks bubble tea with full sugar.
TangTang doesn’t particularly like or dislike sweets, but she’s very sensitive to sweetness levels—she can only handle bubble tea with 30% sugar or light sugar.
Due to a ranking list on the 24th, I need to keep the word count low, so this chapter and the one on the 23rd are a bit shorter. Sorry, dear readers! [kiss] [hahaha] [please forgive me]