Orphaned Mother and Son

What's wrong?

Lin Shu furrowed his brow slightly.

Though he was in poor spirits, he still caught the worry Chang Yi was trying hard to hide.

Something wasn't right.

Composing himself, Lin Shu stepped out of the Broken Firewood Courtyard under Little Widow's curious gaze.

Chang Yi forced a somewhat stiff smile at Yun Niang, then closed the courtyard gate.

"What's going on?"

Black Charcoal's unusual behavior had at least roused Lin Shu for the moment.

"Come with me."

Closing the gate wasn't enough. The constable led Lin Shu through several twists and turns before stopping beneath an old tree on the street corner.

Chang Yi looked around, then finally turned to the young man before him.

His lips moved as though he were trying to find the right words. "The other day, you asked me to keep an eye on your family..."

"The courtyard," Lin Shu corrected him.

"Whatever." Chang Yi sighed.

He obviously had no interest in arguing over that. "I was worried that, when I wasn't around, Cunning Fox Hall might take advantage of the opportunity, so I mentioned it to a colleague who patrols the streets with me. Guess what he said?"

"Could you just get to the point?" Lin Shu glanced at Black Charcoal, exasperated.

"The owner of the Firewood Courtyard is called Old Woman Chen. She was originally from the South Suburb. Her husband died young, and she struggled to make a living with her only son."

As Chang Yi spoke, his pace quickened. "Later, her son happened to find a broken bowl. Thanks to the Immortal Aura lingering on it, he successfully entered the Qi Refining Realm. He even became a Purple Flood Dragon Constable and settled down in West City with his mother."

"..."

A glint flashed in Lin Shu's eyes. He couldn't help connecting Black Charcoal's words with the Immortal Aura in the Broken Firewood Courtyard.

He thought he'd heard this story before.

Just as he expected Chang Yi to continue talking about the broken bowl,

Chang Yi changed the subject.

"That constable was new to West City and got on the wrong side of the Blackwater Gang. He was inexperienced, too, and was ambushed after they set him up. The Yamen investigated for a long time, but couldn't find any evidence. In the end, they had to let the matter drop."

"After that, Old Woman Chen went mad."

Chang Yi's expression darkened as he spoke.

People soon forgot the dead—especially someone who had died.

And the senior had come from the South Suburb. In West City, he had barely any relatives, and fewer than two acquaintances.

At first, the Yamen had even paid to care for the crazy old woman.

But after some time, as the old woman moved elsewhere, people gradually stopped paying attention to her.

"But none of that has anything to do with you."

Chang Yi gathered himself, and his gaze turned strange again. "The key point is, that senior had only been in West City for six months and was busy with his duties the whole time. So..."

"He never had time to marry."

If he had never married, where had the widow come from?

And where had her children come from?

Chang Yi had already gotten to the bottom of the matter, but even after repeating it, he still felt a chill creep over him.

A mad old woman had been pushed out of her own nest.

The money her son had traded his life to secure for her old age—and her very life—were now in the hands of two strangers.

It was like bandits had broken into her home, but she couldn't cry for help, while the neighbors all thought they were her family!

"Hey, aren't you surprised?"

Chang Yi suddenly noticed the young man beside him remained utterly unfazed.

"I am." Lin Shu gave a slight nod.

"You haven't told a single truth!" Chang Yi clearly didn't believe him. Who could be surprised and stay that calm? He'd gone straight over to report the news as soon as he'd learned the truth, and this was all the reaction he got.

"Hah."

Lin Shu fell silent for a moment, then let out a deep breath.

He was telling the truth.

They were just surprised by different things.

When someone had died in the courtyard, Little Widow's first reaction had been to collect the body, not take care of the children.

Then there was the elegant handwriting on that note, and the way she handled things with such order and tact, making her a pleasant person to be around.

All of it had made Lin Shu suspect there was something strange about her identity.

But he had never bothered to investigate because he couldn't be bothered with other people's affairs.

As long as they didn't affect him, that was fine.

To put it bluntly, Lin Shu hadn't even asked the widow's name until now.

Perhaps it was the influence of his predecessor's memories.

He had seen with his own eyes the worry on the old woman's face when she looked at her grandson.

So he had guessed this family might once have been more than they seemed.

What he hadn't imagined was that even the fact they were "family" was a lie.

"I'm telling you this so you'll be careful. That woman isn't simple. Don't get caught in her web of tenderness."

Chang Yi shook his head with a show of world-weary wisdom, then took the chance to pat Lin Shu's shoulder, hoping to save some face.

But when the young man showed no reaction, he suddenly grew flustered. "Wait, you're not thinking of killing them, are you?!"

Since he'd looked into Old Woman Chen, Chang Yi had naturally also learned about the Opera Troupe.

That was why his opinion of Lin Shu had changed again today.

He'd stood up for a crazy old woman and cold-bloodedly killed four bastards. Even if he was a Fox, he was a Fox with a touch of chivalry!

But the problem was...

"Old Woman Chen was beaten to death by Liu San from the South Suburb."

Remembering how brutally the man before him had struck, Chang Yi hurriedly added, "Even if this orphaned mother and her child aren't good people, they haven't gone that far. Don't—"

"I'm telling you, if something happens to them, I'll hold you responsible!"

He'd come to warn Lin Shu out of concern, not to get anyone killed.

If those two died, Chang Yi would regret it so much he wouldn't sleep for half a month.

"Do I look like I've lost my mind?"

Lin Shu rolled his eyes, then turned and headed for the street. "Let's go back."

He was like someone who'd just heard another person's story. He hadn't passed judgment once, and his emotions had barely shifted.

He returned to the courtyard in silence.

Inside the courtyard,

Yun Niang's sweet face broke into a smile. "Lord Lin, what would you like for breakfast tomorrow?"

It was far better for her benefactor to associate with a constable than to deal with that bunch of Foxes.

"Anything. You decide."

Lin Shu answered as usual, his expression and gaze showing no sign of anything amiss.

He walked into the Side Room and closed the door behind him.

The same thing had happened countless times lately.

The two of them had settled into a kind of understanding, and the exchange always ended with Yun Niang saying, "Please get some rest."

But this time, Little Widow stood in place, a hint of hesitation gradually rising on her face.

Inside the Side Room,

Lin Shu lowered his eyes and tried to force the corners of his mouth upward.

Just as he had when he'd been beaten half to death and leaned against the woodshed in the South Suburb.

It was a habit of his.

When he was deeply unhappy, he put on a relaxed air to calm himself for a while.

But this time, it didn't seem to work.

He might have more experience than his predecessor, but in the end, he was only human.

And people got tired.

Deep weariness welled up in Lin Shu's eyes. Expressionless, he sat down on the bed.

If he remembered correctly,

nearly half a month had passed since he opened his eyes in the South Suburb, and he still hadn't had a single proper night's sleep.

Most of the time, he had only managed a brief nap with his eyes closed in the armchair at Magpie Nest.

First, he had to do the job properly after taking the money.

Whether brothel girl or madam, they were all far too fragile before a martial artist. If he let his guard down for even a moment, they could already be dead.

Second, Lin Shu couldn't stand the smell in Green Willow Alley.

That vile stench of Cunning Fox Hall's scams and lies, threats and temptations, all merging into an alley of flesh.

He was used to keeping work and life separate.

By comparison, this Broken Firewood Courtyard was much cleaner, and made him feel a little more at ease.

He and that orphaned mother and child had kept out of each other's way. Living together like this had been fine.

But now...

That sliver of peace had been torn away.

The Broken Firewood Courtyard wasn't any cleaner than Green Willow Alley.

If anything, compared to those brothel girls, whether their faces showed greed or fear, surprise or relief,

at least the expressions on their faces were real.