Chapter 25: When You Were Dying, Where Was She?
Hua Mei was beaten to death, blood streaming down the steps. Lu Qingqing stared at the glaring red, her expression unchanged.
She had become even more ruthless than before.
Shen Jin stood frozen, turning to look at Lu Qingqing. He glanced at her, then hurried away, as if there were nothing left to say between them.
He returned to the carriage, where Jiang Jiuyue was coughing violently. The woman was sobbing uncontrollably, collapsed to one side.
Jiang Jiuyue’s voice was full of grievance: “She’s so cruel. No matter what, Hua Mei was an old servant of the household, yet she killed her without a second thought… Brother Jin, how could such a person be the gentle, kind girl you once spoke of?”
“Hush.” Shen Jin was clearly irritated, unwilling to hear Jiang Jiuyue recall the past. “Don’t say another word.”
“Are you afraid, Brother Jin?”
Jiang Jiuyue, too, was ruthless. She deliberately pressed on Shen Jin’s wounded heart, determined to expose that scar.
“Is it because she was once dear to you that she can do as she pleases, that she can kill Hua Mei without consequence?”
“Stop talking.” Shen Jin’s tone was calm. “From now on, don’t involve Lu Qingqing anymore. What’s past is past—I’ll pretend I don’t know.”
The threat in Shen Jin’s words made Jiang Jiuyue fall silent instantly. Did he know everything?
On the ride back, Jiang Jiuyue said nothing. The atmosphere in the carriage was so quiet, they could hear each other’s heartbeat.
Meanwhile…
In the palace, Shen Ahhuai smelled the stench of blood, covered her mouth repeatedly, unable to stop herself from retching. She walked over to Lu Qingqing’s side.
“Brother knows everything, yet he watched Hua Mei die without intervening. Qingqing, Jiang Jiuyue is a crafty woman.”
“Go back. The smell here is unbearable,” Lu Qingqing urged. “Don’t let the blood dirty your clothes.”
The sky gradually opened up with heavy rain. Lu Qingqing watched as they finished cleaning up Hua Mei’s corpse, wrapped it in a straw mat, and tossed it into the mass grave.
The palace was full of ruthless, heartless people.
Lu Qingqing hurried back to the marquis’s manor, changed into clean clothes, and went to offer incense before the Buddha. She bowed devoutly, murmuring prayers in her heart.
Xie Zhiyun saw her like this and was a little confused. “You never prayed before. What’s changed now?”
Lu Qingqing ignored the noisy man.
Xie Zhiyun tried to attract her attention. He spoke helplessly: “Manman has recovered well today. She even smiled at me and fed me fruit.”
He was boasting as he walked to Lu Qingqing’s side, knowing she had been exhausted in body and mind recently, and understanding how excessive his previous actions had been.
“I’m sorry, Lu Qingqing. I owe you an apology. I shouldn’t have sent you to Shen Jin.”
“Shut up. You’re more pleasing to the eye when you’re not acting human,” Lu Qingqing retorted coldly, then left the room to coax Manman to sleep.
She watched Manman’s sleeping face, now much rosier. The poison had nearly been cleared these past few days. Lu Qingqing wanted Xie Zhiyun to ask the doctors at the Hall of Healing what the name of the poison was.
To topple Jiang Jiuyue, it would take more than the incident with the dance costume. Such a ruthless woman, who would not even spare a child, must be uprooted before she could do worse.
…
The rain fell all night. Shen Jin stood at the window, watching the rain beat against the banana leaves. He hadn’t slept at all, perhaps thinking of Lu Qingqing’s merciless manner.
His heart ached.
Fang Zhixun was beside himself with fury, rubbing his aching head. “What are you trying to do? Your body has barely recovered, and now you’re going to wear yourself out again?”
“She… seems to no longer need my protection,” Shen Jin uttered inexplicably, instantly sparking Fang Zhixun’s anger.
Fang Zhixun was angry that Shen Jin would ignore his injuries and wallow in melancholy.
“That’s right. She’s married, has a husband—why would she need you?” Fang Zhixun laughed. “I dragged you back from death’s door, not so you could ruin yourself.”
“And another thing, don’t let Jiuyue down. You promised her something—you should know what it is. Don’t cling to a past love until it destroys you. When you were dying, where was Lu Qingqing? Without Jiuyue, you would have been finished.”
Fang Zhixun grumbled, but at that moment, Shen Jin’s mind was flooded with memories.