After nearly half a day at her grandmother’s house, and as the sun began to sink westward, Madam Chen urged the young couple to start their journey home.
After bidding her grandmother farewell, Su Yu climbed into the carriage. As it rolled away from the village, an unusual silence settled over the compartment.
With her eyes lowered, Su Yu unconsciously picked at the folds of her skirt resting on her knees. She had naturally sensed the strange atmosphere. After some thought, she spoke hesitantly. “Although Su Yansong and I grew up together, now I only think of him as a cousin.”
Having spoken, she glanced up at Ji Xuanyue. His gaze had remained fixed on her the entire time. She had no idea what he was thinking.
As it happened, Ji Xuanyue really was thinking about the relationship between Su Yu and Su Yansong. More precisely, he wondered why that relationship had stirred his displeasure. He had no reason to care about such things. He had married Su Yu for the spiritual fluid produced by a medicinal spirit. What did it matter to him how she had lived before, or what sort of affections she had shared with someone else? All he needed was for her to willingly accept him, so that the fluid she produced would remain sweet and effective. Yet when he saw Su Yansong look at her with that kind of gaze, heard him repeatedly call her “Sister Yu,” and noticed the unconcealed longing beneath his restrained demeanor, an inexplicable irritation rose in him. This feeling was both unfamiliar and unnecessary.
After a moment of silence, Ji Xuanyue finally spoke. “I know.”
His voice was calm and gentle as always. “You needn’t concern yourself overmuch.”
Su Yu felt slightly relieved by his response, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was different from before. She glanced at him again. His expression was unchanged, and the corner of his mouth even carried the faintest hint of a smile. Yet for some reason, she felt he wasn’t particularly pleased.
The carriage continued forward steadily. Neither of them spoke again.
Outside, the scenery retreated rapidly. Inside the carriage, however, an invisible tension lingered quietly in the air, refusing to dissipate.
When he saw Su Yansong’s gaze cling to his fragile mortal wife, Ji Xuanyue had no idea what came over him. He simply walked over and wrapped an arm around her waist. The gesture had been entirely instinctive. Now that he had calmed down, the only explanation he could come up with was that he was protecting what was his.
Su Yu was his wife, at least in name. To him, her spiritual fluids were currently the most important thing in the world. Since she was useful to him, he naturally couldn’t allow others to covet her, much less take her away.
The way Su Yansong looked at her made him uncomfortable. It was the same feeling he experienced when driving away intruding demons from his mountain territory. Nothing more than territorial instinct. With that conclusion, his mind finally settled.
The tension around him instantly eased, and the atmosphere inside the carriage relaxed considerably. Reaching out, he gently enclosed the hand that had been nervously twisting the folds of her skirt within his own.
“My wife need not worry. I am not a petty man.”
At those words, Su YU also sensed Ji Xuanyue’s mood soften. She gave a quiet hum of acknowledgment and gently squeezed his hand in return.
Ji Xuanyue’s business interests spanned nearly every trade and profession. He had asked where she wanted to go.
Su Yu still chose the medical clinic. For one thing, she at least recognized a fair number of medicinal herbs. For another, she genuinely wanted to do something meaningful. She didn’t want to spend every day shut up in the manor, idly passing the time like a useless ornament. She had not chosen Renxin Hall. Instead, she picked a smaller clinic that was more accessible to ordinary people, and she asked Ji Xuanyue not to reveal that she was his wife.
“Why?” Ji Xuanyue asked.
Su Yu hesitated before answering. “If people know I’m the owner’s wife, they won’t actually let me do any real work.”
Seeing the earnestness in her expression, Ji Xuanyue suppressed the inexplicable displeasure that had surfaced within him. “Very well. As my wife wishes.”
The new clinic was called Ji’an Hall. The one who took Su Yu there was the coachman, Xuanli. Only then did she learn he was no ordinary servant, but an attendant who had served Ji Xuanyue for many years.
In front of the manager, Xuanli merely explained that the young woman was a neighbor from his hometown who had come seeking work and asked him to find her a position.
The manager knew Xuanli and was straightforward. Seeing that she appeared gentle and well-mannered, he agreed immediately.
And so Su Yu began her new daily life at the clinic under the alias A-Yu, helping with miscellaneous tasks. During this period, her days felt remarkably full and meaningful. Every morning, she left at dawn and returned home only when dusk settled over the city. After washing up each night came that lingering, intimate time together, as usual.
The candlelight was extinguished, and the room sank into a soft, shadowy warmth.
When Ji Xuanyue’s lips covered hers, she tilted her face up slightly and parted her lips obediently. By now, he had thoroughly learned her rhythm. He knew when to deepen the kiss and when to let her pause and catch her breath.
“Tomorrow,” he murmured, “I’ll speak to the manager at Ji’an Hall.” He spoke between kisses, his warm breath brushing against her lips. “I’ll arrange something easier for you. You shouldn’t be on your feet all day.”
With her eyes closed, Su Yu shook her head vaguely. “Don’t… don’t go… It’s fine the way it is now.”
She heard him say something else, perhaps, “Then we’ll do as you wish,” but her awareness was already growing hazy. As usual, she drifted off into sleep.
Ji’an Hall served ordinary people. Without expensive consultation fees to keep patients away, it naturally saw a steady stream of visitors every day.
For the first few days, Su Yu worked in the back courtyard, drying medicinal herbs. After getting familiar with the clinic’s routines, she began taking on tasks like brewing medicine, delivering prescriptions, and running errands that kept her coming and going all day.
One day, carrying a bowl of medicine as usual, she entered a small curtained room. Inside, a woman in her early twenties reclined on a narrow daybed. She was strikingly beautiful and voluptuous, but her complexion was pale and her expression listless.
Su Yu recognized her. Her name was Liu Niang. Because her pregnancy was unstable and there were signs of a possible miscarriage, she had been coming to the clinic every day. “Miss, it’s time for your medicine.”
Liu Niang had been staring absentmindedly at the curtain. Hearing Su Yu’s voice, she turned around. When she saw who it was, a faint smile appeared on her face. “Thank you, Sister A-Yu.”
On the very first day Liu Niang came for treatment, Su Yu prepared and brought her medicine. The moment Liu Niang saw her, she remarked that Su Yu looked remarkably like her younger sister. Since then, she had always treated her with particular warmth and kindness.
Su Yu was never good at rejecting others’ goodwill, and after several such encounters, the two had grown comfortable enough to chat from time to time.
Taking the bowl, Liu Niang drank the medicine in a few quick swallows. The brew was bitter. Afterward, she pressed a hand to her chest and sat quietly for a long while before the discomfort passed.
“The doctor says my body is too weak. I don’t know whether this child can be saved or not…”
Seeing the sorrowful look on Liu Niang’s face, Su Yu felt a pang in her heart as well. The best she could do was offer some comfort. “Don’t think about it too much. Take your medicine properly, and the baby will be fine.”
Liu Niang nodded and tried to stand, but as soon as she got to her feet, her body swayed.
Fortunately, Su Yu reacted quickly and caught her by the arm.
At five months pregnant, Liu Niang’s belly was only slightly rounded. Under normal circumstances, she wouldn’t have needed help. But because there were signs of a possible miscarriage, everyone at the clinic had to be especially careful.
“Where’s your husband?” Su Yu asked, supporting her. “How come you come here alone every time?”
“Him…” Liu Niang lowered her eyes. “I don’t know where he’s wandered off to. I felt all right today, so I came by myself…” As she spoke, she raised a hand to her forehead, her face betraying a helpless, bewildered weariness.
“Then you should rest a little longer,” Su Yu said. “It won’t do for you to go home alone without anyone accompanying you.”
Liu Niang shook her head and gave her a faint, bitter smile. “Good sister, why don’t you take me home? My house is just down the street, right behind the alley, very close by. If I wait for my husband, who knows when he’ll finally show up…”
Su Yu looked at Liu Niang’s pale face and hesitated for a moment. “Wait here. I’ll go ask the manager.”
The clinic was not particularly busy at the moment. Seeing that Liu Niang truly did not look well, the manager agreed to let Su Yu escort her home, though he reminded her to return as quickly as possible.
Having received permission, Su Yu helped Liu Niang out of the clinic.
The alley Liu Niang mentioned really was nearby. After leaving the clinic, they turned right, walked a short distance along a flagstone road, and then entered a narrow lane.
When they reached the gate of a small courtyard, Liu Niang pulled out a key from her sleeve. Her fingers trembled slightly, and it took her quite some time to open the lock.
Pushing the door inward, she leaned against the doorframe and took a breath. Then she turned back to Su Yu, her face apologetic and weak.
“There’s no one at home. Sorry to trouble you, sister, but could you help me inside?”
Su Yu saw how pale Liu Niang looked and could not bring herself to refuse. Nodding, she helped support her as they stepped over the threshold.
The room inside was dimly lit, and the furnishings were extremely sparse. Su Yu’s gaze swept across the table, where she noticed a thin layer of dust. It looked like no one had wiped it clean in days.
Following her line of sight, Liu Niang hurriedly explained, “I haven’t been moving around much lately, and my husband hasn’t been home. I haven’t even had the energy to wipe down the table. Please don’t laugh at me, little sister.”
Suppressing the doubts rising in her heart, Su Yu did not press the matter. She merely smiled and helped Liu Niang toward the bed.
After settling her beside the couch, Su Yu straightened up, intending to take her leave. Before she could speak, however, fabric rustled behind her. At the same instant, someone clamped a handkerchief tightly over her nose and mouth. A cloyingly sweet scent rushed into her head.
Su Yu struggled twice, but her body had already gone limp, drained of all strength. Her consciousness rapidly faded. Just before blacking out, the last thing she saw was Liu Niang’s tearful eyes, filled with guilt and remorse.
“Young Master, she’s been drugged unconscious.” In the dim room, a guard held the unconscious Su Yu upright and reported to the man who had just stepped through the doorway.
“Mm.” The newcomer let his gaze travel over Su Yu’s face once before nodding in satisfaction. “Take her to the carriage. Keep it discreet. Leave the city by the back roads. Don’t let anyone from the Ji family see you.”
“Yes, sir.” The guard lifted her into his arms and hurried out.
The room suddenly fell silent.
Curled up on the bed, Liu Niang wrapped her arms around her stomach protectively. Her entire body was trembling. “Young Master Zhao… I’ve done everything you asked. When can my husband come home?”
“Your husband?” Zhao Li brushed the dust from his sleeve and cast her a casual glance. “Do you want to see him?”
“Yes… I want to see him…” Liu Niang rose from the couch and dropped to her knees, sobbing. “Please, Young Master, let him come home…”
Half a month ago, Zhao Li’s men had taken her husband. They used his life as leverage, forcing her to lure Miss A-Yu from Ji’an Hall into their trap.
Liu Niang had had no other choice. For the sake of the child in her womb and her husband, whose fate she did not know, she could only obey.
Now, Zhao Li’s men had taken that young woman away. There was no need to imagine what would happen to her next.
Reduced to tears, Liu Niang kept kowtowing to Zhao Li. “Please let him come home. Please, I beg you. I did everything you told me to do. Please send him back to me…”
Standing by the doorway, Zhao Li looked down at her prostrate figure. “Your husband isn’t coming back.”
Liu Niang froze mid-kowtow and looked up. “What do you mean?”
“Your husband,” Zhao Li said, lowering his gaze to her, the corner of his lips curving slightly, “couldn’t hold on any longer. He died half a month ago. His remains are buried in the mass grave outside the city. But there’s no need to be too upset.”
Zhao Li beckoned toward the door.
A guard pushed the door open and entered, a length of hemp rope hanging from his hand.
His voice drifted down from above Liu Niang’s head. “I always keep my word. I said I’d send him back to you, and I will. It’s just that he can’t walk anymore, so I’ll have to trouble you to go down and meet him yourself.”
Liu Niang’s pupils contracted violently. The guard had already moved behind her. Ignoring her struggles, he looped the rope around her neck.
Crossed it. Pulled it tight.
Liu Niang fought desperately, a line of tears spilling from her eyes. Moments later, the room fell silent.
Shaking his head, Zhao Li addressed the guard. “Clean this up thoroughly. If the Ji family finds even the slightest trace leading back here, you can go down and keep her company.”