Long-Held Wish (6) - Stratagem

The night passed quickly, Yu Xing fell asleep. In her hazy state, she seemed to hear the system's voice in her ear, indicating that the second team had entered, and the current number of members was 5/8.

The timing was good; at least he could adapt to the role quietly. If he had entered the deduction while the original character was interacting with others, like he did, he might have been discovered by the evil spirits lurking in the shadows if he had reacted too slowly.

Yu Xing turned over in her sleep, briefly regaining consciousness before sinking back into the thin, cold blankets.

People say, why sleep so much before death, when you'll sleep forever after?

But he can't die, so why can't he enjoy sleeping!

The next morning, he was woken up by A Gui.

However, after A Gui habitually woke him up, he seemed somewhat bewildered, because they were all Doctor Cui's assistants, and now that Doctor Cui was dead, what work were they doing today?

"Since I'm alright, I'll sleep a little longer..." Yu Xing, relying on her status as an "injured person," wanted to lie down again.

However, the lady did not grant his wish. A short while later, the arrogant butler knocked on their door and announced that the lady had instructed them to help in the kitchen and accounting department starting today. She specifically mentioned Yu Xing's name. "Xiao Jin, Mama Liang said you are quick-witted and experienced, so you can go to her place to help with the purchasing."

"Understood, thank you, Mr. Butler, and Mama Liang." Yu Xing showed a hint of happiness, but suppressed it very faintly. The butler scoffed, "Look at you, what were you like before, and what are you like now? You're really going downhill."

Before the former steward was kicked out by the master, this steward and Xiao Jin were of similar status. Now, one has become a person of real power, while the other has been reduced to being an assistant to the wet nurse.

Yu Xing ignored his sarcasm, tidied herself up, and went to report to Mama Liang.

He now knew that Young Master Fang harbored murderous intent towards him. Although he didn't know where this hostility came from—it was probably just someone creating a misunderstanding and stirring up trouble behind the scenes—he didn't need to care now. Anyway... the young master was going to die.

Following directions, he met Mama Liang in the garden. The sun had just risen, and Mama Liang was standing in the garden picking osmanthus flowers.

It was the season for osmanthus blossoms, Mama Liang picked about ten flowers and put them in a basket, muttering that she would take them to Madam's room later. When she saw him coming, she waved him over. "What are you doing, so slow? Come here."

Yu Xing obediently walked over and said, "Good morning, Mama Liang."

"What peace? I can't be at peace at all! You're all driving me crazy!" Mama Liang was still fierce in front of him, but this time it wasn't directed at him, but at A Hu. "That careless A Hu, even with a shopping list, he still makes mistakes. He's really not suited for shopping. You're getting a good deal, kid."

Yu Xing smiled gratefully.

Whether A Hu was simply careless or there was another reason, he clearly leaned towards the latter.

Otherwise, how could it be such a coincidence that the Master wanted him to replace A Hu made a mistake, giving Yu Xing an opportunity?

"We need to buy the things we didn't finish yesterday." Mama Liang, carrying a small basket, thought for a moment, then shoved the basket into Yu Xing's hands. "Take this to Madam's place. I'll go back and prepare some things, then leave in a bit and try to be back for lunch."

"Okay." Yu Xing took the basket, his nose filled with the rich fragrance of osmanthus. He turned around briskly, making it clear that his injury was no longer a big problem, and he walked with only a slight sway.

The master and mistress's rooms were connected, and opposite them were the young master's bedroom and study. When he walked over, the young master was reading in the study, the door was not closed, but only slightly ajar.

Yu Xing glanced over and saw that Young Master Fang was not studying diligently as he appeared. Instead, he had his head down, and his dark eyes were staring intently at him through the crack in the door.

"..." He pretended not to see it, knocked on the lady's door, and after her personal maid opened the door, the lady slowly walked to the doorway.

"Why are you here?" The beautiful woman had a stunning face and a slender figure. Although she was over thirty, her charm was greater than that of a young woman in her late teens.

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Yu Xing carefully considered her words and then neatly handed over the basket. "These were just picked by Mama Liang; she asked me to bring them to you."

The lady took it with one hand; her meticulously manicured nails gleamed. She chuckled softly, "Not bad, smells wonderful. Shall we go shopping with Mama Liang today?"

Yu Xing answered each question with a simple, "Yes."

"I remember, you're quite handsome. Do what the Master instructed as soon as possible." After saying this, the lady turned around, and the maid beside her, without looking to the side, gently closed the door.

The streets outside the Fang Mansion were bustling with activity. It was the first time Yu Xing had ever seen the world in normal condition. Pedestrians hurried by, as if she had truly returned to that turbulent era.

The next few days we need to buy a batch of silk. My wife is very particular about the quality of the clothes; the patterns and colors she requests must be exactly as described.

The designated shop was some distance from the Fang Mansion. Mama Liang bought a few meat buns on the street, rented a car, and went with Yu Xing to the nearby famous funeral street.

Yu Xing was all too familiar with the layout of this street; he had appeared alone at the entrance of the alley when the Death Parallel Line first began.

However, this street is now full of life. Even though white coins still float in the air and incense sticks still stand in rows, there is no sense of eeriness or silence. Moreover, the scene here is more rustic than in the first phase.

It seems that it was because Young Master Fang's ghost had wandered for so long that his memories were mixed with some modern elements, which is why the small world he created had a different feel to it.

Mama Liang's husband also runs a shop on the funeral street, and he gambles away all the money he earns. Even her daughter has been exposed to this funeral culture at a young age.

In the car, Mama Liang said nostalgically, "Xue'er was very well-behaved. Her paper dolls were even better than her father's, and she helped earn a lot of money. It's just a pity... her father didn't give her a good life, and neither did I."

Yu Xing comforted him, "Your husband will understand you sooner or later."

After getting off the carriage, the driver ran off in a flash. Mama Liang went into a paper doll shop and told Yu Xing to follow.

Before Yu Xing even went inside, he saw several paper figures of various sizes staring at him with empty eyes.

Among them were the ugly paper figures dressed in bright colors, just like those in the first phase.

There were few customers in the shop in the morning, and the man inside was busy organizing the account books. Yu Xing glanced at him and recognized him as Liu Bingxian.

Mama Liang gave Liu Bingxian a lukewarm greeting and asked, "Where's Xue'er?"

"She's in the inner room." Upon seeing Mama Liang, Liu Bingxian's face immediately lit up with an eager smile. "Didn't you just arrive yesterday? How come you're here today...? Did you forget to give her the money from yesterday?"

Mama Liang laughed in exasperation, "To you, I'm just a money bag! I have no money today; I gave all of my monthly allowance to Xue'er yesterday, so don't even think about anything else."

Liu Bingxian's smile turned slightly colder, and he belatedly glanced at Yu Xing: "Who is this?"

"I'm Mama Liang's new helper, you can just call me Xiao Jin," Yu Xing introduced herself. Then Mama Liang called from the inner room, "Don't just stand there, come in!"

These words were obviously not meant for Liu Bingxian. Yu Xing walked through the small door at the back of the shop and pushed it open.

Inside the door was a cramped little space containing only a wooden table and a wooden chair. A dozen or so unfinished paper figures lay on the floor, and a long-haired girl sat on the chair, using tools to make an arm for one of the paper figures.

Yu Xing's arrival caught the girl's attention. She looked up and was a little surprised to see that it wasn't the older brother her mother usually brought along.

"This is?"

Standing to the side, Mama Liang didn't answer, but handed her the meat buns she had bought. "Didn't have breakfast again? Eat them while they're hot, Mom just bought them."

She turned to Yu Xing and said, "This is my daughter, Liu Xue."

Then, turning to Liu Xue, who was wiping her hands clean and enjoying a meat bun, she said, "This is my new helper. You can call him Xiao Jin. This boy is quick and efficient, and very smart."

"Xiao Jin... Hello, brother." Liu Xue looked at Yu Xing, and for some reason, she subconsciously didn't want to eat the bun so rudely anymore. Her face turned a little red, and then she lowered her head.

"Hello." Yu Xing, playing to Xiao Jin's excellent ability to disguise himself, gave a smile.

"Xue'er, Mom just stopped by to see you. Don't make yourself suffer. The money I gave you is so you can have a better life. Don't give it to that old gambler Liu Bingxian!" Mama Liang's usual domineering attitude turned into a rare display of concern when she saw Liu Xue. She gave her a few more instructions and then left with Yu Xing.

He keenly noticed that as he stepped out of the shop, Liu Xue seemed to peek out and glance at him.

"..."

As an old monster with an extremely strong ability to control people's hearts, Yu Xing instantly understood what the lady wanted him to do.

It's likely that assigning the shopping task to Mama Liang wasn't as blatant as it sounds, claiming she was a wet nurse and thus receiving extra care. Rather, it was because they had their eye on Liu Xue for a while and wanted Mama Liang to do the shopping so they could conveniently visit Liu Xue along the way.

And he was... someone who wanted to lure Liu Xue into the Fang Mansion.

The Master must have realized that Liu Xue was different from others, which is why he staged a long, roundabout play that wouldn't be exposed, hoping to use him to lure Liu Xue into the mansion without her noticing. Because if he had said it directly, Mama Liang, who loved her daughter so much, would never have agreed.

The Master's plan spanned several years... which is quite a long time.

Yu Xing frowned slightly. Although she had guessed the Master and his wife's intentions, she knew that something was bound to happen. Otherwise, why was there no trace of Mama Liang in the first and second stages?

Even in Liu Xue's revenge, there was no portrait of "Xiao Jin" displayed in the funeral hall.

If Xiao Jin really did deceive Liu Xue by exploiting her feelings, and arranged for Liu Xue to marry the ghost of Young Master Fang after her death, the person Liu Xue would hate the most would definitely be this scumbag.

After buying the silk with Mama Liang, they returned to the Fang Mansion before lunch.

Yu Xing was eating at the long table when he noticed that A Hu's expression towards him was somewhat inappropriate.

His simple and honest appearance concealed a fierce glint in his eyes, as if he resented Yu Xing for taking such a good job from him, leaving him only able to do odd jobs.

He met A Hu's gaze and gave him a disdainful look, which almost made A Hu stand up and start a fight. Fortunately, A Gui had good eyesight and shouted to stop A Hu. Many people looked at him, A Hu continued eating angrily.

Yu Xing has now found a leisurely job. After lunch, there is no work for the time being. In the afternoon, she will help Mama Liang count the goods and hand them over to the various departments in the mansion.

A Gui was assigned to do odd jobs in the kitchen, while the other two young men went to the accounting office, leaving him alone in the room.

No one suggested changing rooms, presumably the owners didn't have time to concern themselves with such trivial matters, and the housekeeper preferred to avoid trouble, finding even a glance at them annoying. As a result, Yu Xing was given a long period of time alone.

He found an opportunity when no one was paying attention and slipped away to the fifth courtyard. After obtaining the Master's permission, he entered the Master's room.

The Master was writing and drawing on a fine sheet of white paper, as if making calculations. The half-mask never left his face, and a pleasant voice slowly flowed from his throat. "How is it?"

Yu Xing gave a generic, all-purpose reply, "Everything went smoothly."

The Master glanced at him.

"What exactly happened last night?"

Yu Xing guessed that Xiao Jin's attitude towards the Master was one of restraint mixed with fear, rather than genuine respect. He adjusted the subtle expressions on his face and told the Master everything that had happened the night before.

After hearing the story, the Master's lips curled into a chilling smile, as if he had everything under control. "Oh, it's the disobedient young master Fang protesting."

"Is it Young Master Fang?" Yu Xing looked very surprised.

"Do you know... what Young Master Fang thinks of Doctor Cui?" The Master asked calmly, temporarily putting down his pen.

"Have no idea."

The Master chuckled softly, "You're not that foolish. Speak, tell me your opinion."

Since the Master had already taken the initiative to fill in the gaps in his character, Yu Xing still hesitated for a moment before whispering, "I think it was the Master, during his interactions with Young Master Fang, revealed that Doctor Cui's medicine was harmful to him. Young Master Fang believed it and developed murderous intent towards Doctor Cui."

"You got half right, and you're afraid I'll think you're too smart and kill you to silence you, so you deliberately gave me half wrong?" The Master beckoned Yu Xing over, Yu Xing moved over, only to have his chin grabbed. "Don't worry, I kept you alive precisely because I value your intelligence. If I wanted to kill you, I would have done it long ago. Why would I let you live until now?"

The Master's grip was very strong, as if punishing his overestimation of his abilities and arrogance.

"Young Master Fang is just as smart as you. He knew all along that I wanted him dead, but he thought Doctor Cui was one of my men too." He fixed his gaze on Yu Xing's face. "Unable to touch me, he could only retaliate in this way: kill Doctor Cui and then frame you, killing two birds with one stone."

Yu Xing responded in a submissive manner, "That young master Fang is truly clever."

"But he was destined not to escape." The Master released his grip casually. "His wife kept a close watch on him, not even letting him close the study door. Last night, we were negligent."

Madam... as expected, Madam is in the know.

Yu Xing stood there for a while longer, but the Master lost interest in continuing the conversation and waved him out.

The moment he stepped out the door, the Master's voice drifted back. "Beware of your shadow."