Chapter 10: Outdated and Unwelcoming

   

Chapter 10: Outdated and Unwelcoming

Changji felt wronged upon hearing this: "Isn't it the case that the lord often finds being pursued by women quite troublesome?"

 

Wei Shuyi retorted, "Do you know that the lady from the Chang family is the most beautiful woman in the capital?"

Changji turned the question around: "Isn't the most beautiful woman in the capital the madam?"

Wei Shuyi smiled: "You believe that too?"

Changji: "..."

It was clear that whenever the duke spoke of it, his expression was as steadfast as a rock, leaving no room for doubt.

So—

Was the lord also someone who cared about looks?

If a common girl was unbearable to deal with, would the situation be different if it were the most beautiful woman in the capital?

"Looking at your lord, I’m already getting older, no longer youthful. The beauty of youth has faded; how could I catch the eye of a young lady?" Wei Shuyi said as he stood up from his desk, his tone earnest. "So, it's best not to put too much gold on your lord's face; it would just lead to ridicule and unreciprocated feelings. From now on, your words and actions should be more normal, so as to leave me some face."

Seeing his lord’s flawless face, Changji briefly questioned his life choices.

Wei Shuyi as someone whose beauty had faded? 

Then wouldn’t he be... bloodied and mangled Wei Changji?

"Since Lady Chang isn’t coming to see me, it’s only fair that I go to visit her."

Changji couldn’t help but ask, "Is the lord going to see her at this time?"

Wei Shuyi glanced outside at the already dark sky: "Then it shall be tomorrow morning."

The next morning, Wei Shuyi went to the small courtyard where Chang Suining was staying.

"Out again?" Changji’s eyes widened.

"Yes, Lady Chang went to bed early last night and got up before dawn today. She had breakfast early as well," a maid answered. "So she left the house early."

Wei Shuyi found it amusing, nodding: "Eating, sleeping, and strolling around, very good."

As he spoke, he turned to leave: "Let’s go to the yamen."

Changji responded, "Yes," and followed her lord, unable to help but murmur, "If a common girl encountered such a misfortune, she would surely be crying and scared to death; she probably wouldn’t even dare to leave her room... But Lady Chang is quite the opposite, besides eating and sleeping, she doesn’t seem to care about anything at home."

"She is indeed too carefree," Wei Shuyi sighed. "Though I know the kindness of Minister Yu is a free gift, I never expected it would come to this point without even having to bend down, which really caught me off guard."

As they walked and spoke, he narrowed his bright, glossy eyes, looking toward where the sun was rising.

The early chill was dispelled, and the plants were sprouting anew.

In a tea house near the Hezhou yamen, the morning was already quite lively.

Tea customers were gathered in groups, and their discussions mostly revolved around the matters concerning the Prefect Magistrate’s mansion and Zhou Family Village.

Chang Suining sat by a window on the second floor, seemingly oblivious to the voices around her, resting her chin on one hand while fiddling with her teacup, gazing listlessly at the long street below.

Not far across the street stood the Hezhou yamen, and she had seen many people come out of it early that morning, most of whom were women or disabled individuals—

The special envoy Wei Shuyi's people had temporarily taken over the Hezhou yamen and were working with the local officials to handle this case. Last night, all the people from Zhou Family Village were brought here, and after a day and night of interrogation, they confirmed who the victims were. They would either be sent back to their hometowns or relocated to Hezhou.

"Look, my lord, that’s the village chief’s family..." Ah Che whispered.

The limping woman who had just come out of the yamen was holding a small girl’s hand.

A thirteen- or fourteen-year-old boy ran up, immediately trying to snatch the woman’s bundle: "Give it to me!"

"What do you want?" The woman dodged the boy's hand and stepped back with her daughter.

"Since the money for the settlement was distributed by the yamen, it should belong to me!" the boy shouted angrily. "You’re the one who got my father killed, and you have the nerve to live on!"

His biological mother had actually identified his biological father at the yamen! When the officials asked, she answered, and even when they didn’t ask, she still spoke up!

As the boy tried to snatch the bundle again, something small suddenly hit the back of his head.

"Who!" 

Fuming, he turned around and got hit again on the eye.

Letting out a cry, the boy covered his eyes and looked with the other eye, seeing a peanut lying on the ground: "Which coward threw that at me?"

On the second floor, Chang Suining casually leaned against the windowsill, popping a dried jujube pit into her mouth.

"Ouch!"

The pit was sharp, hitting the boy’s forehead and causing it to bleed.

Fortunately, the person who threw it had good aim but not enough strength; otherwise, it wouldn’t have been just a scratch.

"...How could the village chief’s son also be released? He was involved; I’ve seen him catch and hit people!" Ah Che said.

Chang Suining lightly clapped her hands to get rid of the crumbs, looking at the limping woman.

What else could it be but a mother’s weakness, covering for her son, helping him muddle through—

But having grown up in such a hellhole, learning from what she saw and heard, how could he turn out to be anything good?

But the path was still chosen by oneself.

The boy, having endured several hits and not knowing who had hit him, hesitated to shout into the air again. He instead grabbed the woman: "Let’s go!"

"Let go of my mother!"

The little girl cried, rushing up, only to be violently kicked to the ground by the boy.

The woman’s expression completely changed, her eyes reddening as she forcefully pushed the boy away: "Have you lost your mind? Niu Niu is your own sister!"

Around them, people began to murmur and point, and the boy, who had suddenly faced such a drastic change in life, gritted his teeth and seemed ready to raise his fist at the woman.

"Stop!"

A group of armed guards quickly approached, and the boy’s expression changed, retracting his fist in fear.

Changji stepped forward, frowning as he asked, "What’s going on here?"

His lord had instructed him that while handling official business, maintaining the stability and order of the townsfolk was equally important.

"Sir, sir...!" The limping woman recognized him as the one who had brought people to surround Zhou Family Village the previous night. She pointed tearfully at the boy: "This boy is also an accomplice in the case of abducting and harming good people from Zhou Family Village!"

After all, he was her own flesh and blood. She had thought that leaving Zhou Family Village and extricating herself from that hellhole would make everything better—yet now it seemed he was just like his devilish father!

Even for Niu Niu’s sake, she couldn’t afford to be soft-hearted anymore!

Hearing this, Changji ordered the guards to detain the boy.

"You... How could you be so cruel and heartless!" The boy looked at the woman in disbelief, struggling: "Let me go!"

Changji: "Take him away."

"No, I didn’t! She’s framing me..." The boy's voice grew increasingly panicked, finally turning into "a plea for mercy": "Mother, I was wrong! I know I was wrong! You have to explain it to them!"

The woman closed her tear-filled eyes, no longer looking at him.

Watching the boy being dragged away, Chang Suining let out a sigh of relief—after all, she wasn’t completely muddled.

At this moment, not far behind Changji’s horse carriage, a fair and slender hand lifted the curtain.

Behind the curtain, a young lord appeared, his face like a spring dawn, his brows and eyes exceptionally handsome.

The young man raised his gaze and met hers.

Chang Suining, resting her chin on the windowsill, raised an eyebrow slightly, her expression calm.

Wei Shuyi’s brow moved slightly, and he smiled gently, nodding at her.

Chang Suining nodded in return, acknowledging him.

In her attire resembling a young man, her demeanor was so calm, as if nothing could disturb her, making Wei Shuyi silently chuckle as he lowered the curtain.

The carriage soon departed, heading toward the yamen.

Before long, Changji quickly made his way to the second floor and brought a message: "My lord wishes to invite Lady Chang to sit here for a while. After he finishes his official duties, he will come to find her."

Chang Suining didn’t respond: "I will stay until noon."

 

After all, once noon arrived, she would have to return to the other courtyard for a meal.

"..." Changji inexplicably grasped the underlying meaning of her "outdated and unwelcoming," leaving silently with cupped hands.

Just a minute before noon, Wei Shuyi arrived.

He accidentally ran two minutes late, haha _(:з」∠)_

And it was once again a difficult choice: What to eat for lunch? 

(End of Chapter)

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