Nineteenth Chapter

He stood before her in a sharp black uniform, cutting quite an imposing figure. He was a full two heads taller than her—this fellow was probably even a little taller than Young Master Li, wasn't he? She swallowed hard. If he brought that palm down, wouldn't it split her in two and tear her apart?

She squeezed her eyes shut, resigned herself to fate, and was about to crouch down with her head in her hands when she suddenly noticed the figure before her grow shorter. He had bent one knee and was kneeling before her, head bowed and eyes lowered as he said in a deep voice, "Your subordinate Wei Chenmu is a servant of the Prime Minister's Residence. I did not know you were the Young Master's beloved and mistook you for a lecher who had offended the Young Master. I also failed to come to your aid in time. This subordinate has been derelict in his duty. Please forgive me!"

"...Uh, wait!? You—you're not going to beat me?"

"This subordinate wouldn't dare! Since you are the person the Young Master favors, you are also someone this subordinate ought to protect. Should you ever encounter trouble in the future, this subordinate will go through fire and water for you."

He wasn't going to chop her down or beat her—instead, he even said he would protect her? This Wei Chenmu seemed a little different...

"The Young Master fell into the water today, and this subordinate fears he may catch a chill. I shall take my leave first. Another day, I will certainly have those fellows who spoke offensively to you apologize. Please!"

"...Please." Not beating her to a pulp was already more than enough. He even wanted them to apologize to her? The difference was too great. But, "Um... the Young Master will be all right, won't he?"

"Rest assured. This subordinate will not let the Young Master suffer the slightest mishap."

He rose, took out a whistle, and gave a light blow toward the city tower. A guard poked his head out from atop the tower. The moment he saw Wei Chenmu, he immediately lowered the drawbridge and shouted, "The Minister of Punishments of Dongxu Mansion has returned to the Capital! Lower the bridge!"

What?! Wei Chenmu was the Minister of Punishments of Dongxu Mansion? A servant of the Prime Minister's Residence was the Minister of Punishments of Dongxu Mansion?

Once the drawbridge had been lowered, a luxurious carriage hung with jade pendants and tassels rolled over. Wei Chenmu bent down and, refusing to entrust the task to anyone else, helped the unconscious Young Master into the carriage, settling him in with a Soft Quilt and a brazier.

When he turned back, he caught sight of Zhu Bafu still standing to one side, her hair in disarray and her Clothing thoroughly soaked. He picked up the Black Fur Cloak he had removed from the Young Master and held it out to her.

"For me?"

He nodded.

"Th-thank you." She took the Fur Robe and draped it over herself. The night air was cold as water, and she was genuinely feeling a little chilly.

"No need. I only hope you will devote yourself to the Young Master from now on. Do not make him sad as Miss Liu did."

"..."

He didn't mind that she was a woman Dressed as a Man. He had simply entrusted his own Young Master to her. He only feared that his Young Master might not be as he imagined. Miss Liu held such weight in his heart; if he hadn't gone to save her, today's farce would never have happened.

A nobleman's son and the Courtesan of a famous establishment had no future together. Why couldn't they be a little more realistic? Just like her—she had recognized her own status the moment her family was confiscated. If someone wanted to break off the engagement, then let them; if someone wanted to marry, then applaud and offer your congratulations; if someone didn't want to bear the reputation of being snobbish and fond of wealth, then give them a chance to remain friends.

The Carriage slowly disappeared within the city gate, and Zhu Bafu clutched her Fur Robe tightly as she returned home.

The moment her foot crossed the threshold, she heard Xiaojiu speaking with someone inside.

She was about to push open the door when the other person's voice made her lose heart and retreat.

"Xiaojiu, does Fuer always return this late?" It was Li Luyang? What had he come to her house for? Hadn't they already made everything clear last time, tearing apart the relationship between their two families as well?

Author's Note:

Nineteenth Chapter

"Never. Perhaps she knew you were waiting here, so she didn't dare come back."

Zhu Xiaojiu had never been one to spare anyone's feelings. After seeing the half-red mark on her face last time, he was even less inclined to show Li Luyang a pleasant expression.

"You have been sitting here ever since the Prime Minister's birthday banquet ended, waiting all night. Please go home. If you don't return soon, your wife and family will worry."

"...In that case, I shall return today. Give my regards to your elder sister." The sound of Li Luyang rising startled her where she hid outside the door. She slipped farther into the shadows. He took two steps toward the exit, then suddenly changed his mind and turned back. Drawing a bag of silver from his sleeve, he set it on the wooden table and said softly to Zhu Xiaojiu, "Take this silver and use it for now."

"No need. My sister said she won't need Young Master Li's help anymore. She can support the family herself."

"...Keep some of it, at least. There are still many places where your father will need silver to smooth things over. She won't be able to shoulder it alone."

"If she can't shoulder it, that's her own affair. Who told her to put on airs, act coy, and refuse to lower herself to become someone's concubine? This is the result of her own actions. Young Master Li doesn't need to bear the burden for her."

On the surface, he was cursing her, but in truth, he was stabbing at Li Luyang. He wasn't a fool and naturally understood, yet he still refused to take back the silver and turned to leave through the main gate.

She had no time to get away and could only shrink fully into the dark corner, watching him emerge from the brightly lit room.

"Fuer?" The moment he turned his head, he caught sight of the familiar figure. But her entire body was shrouded in darkness, and he couldn't see her clearly, so he called out to confirm it was her.

"Please stay right there and don't come any closer."

Her appearance in men's Clothing was truly unsuitable for him to see. Yet her cold, distant refusal left him stiff. The foot he had been about to move froze in place, and he could no longer take another awkward step. Thus, the two of them stood facing each other at neither a near nor distant interval.

"Fuer, I'm very sorry about that matter. I failed to discipline her properly, and so..."

"Sister-in-law wasn't wrong either. If I were her, I probably would have hit someone too."

"..."

"So you should be glad you didn't marry a wife like me. If you told me you wanted to take a concubine or something, I might forget that a husband is Heaven itself and hit you along with her."

"...Fuer, stop mocking me and joking around with me." The oil lamp inside cast tangled shadows across his brow. "If it weren't for you, do you think I would take a concubine so casually? If this weren't the only way to bring you into the Li Household, why would I have agonized over it for so long before resorting to this? If your father hadn't offended the Prime Minister by speaking for the Emperor back then, and if my family and the Prime Minister's Residence weren't of the same clan, we would already be married!"