Under Lu Hexu's gaze, Su Zhenzhen, extremely reluctant, slowly reached out and opened the box.
Densely packed silver needles piled up inside the box, gleaming with a cold, lustrous shine under the illumination of the room's glass lamp.
Just looking at them made Su Zhenzhen's tongue ache, and soon, her throat and all her internal organs began to ache as well.
So what if she ran away without saying a word?
Didn't you also become the emperor without saying a word?
Thinking this in her heart, Su Zhenzhen didn't dare to say it out loud.
She was afraid she would die even faster.
However, she couldn't die right now; Liaochen was still waiting for her to save him.
"How have you been these past five years?" The woman's voice fell softly and gently into the quiet room.
Lu Hexu raised his eyes to look at her. Su Zhenzhen's face, bathed in the light of the glass lamp, revealed a beautiful jade-like complexion, like the finest warm jade. When she looked at you intently with those eyes and spoke to you with that voice, you would feel as if you had received the greatest favoritism in the world.
Liar.
"Is your illness... any better?" Su Zhenzhen nervously pinched her fingertips. "Five years ago, I mentioned a prescription to you that could cure your illness..."
Su Zhenzhen wanted to use this prescription in exchange for her life.
After she finished speaking, the room instantly fell into a dead silence.
Su Zhenzhen kept her head down, her eyelashes fluttering uneasily, until a hand closed the sandalwood box in front of her.
"If it doesn't cure me, I'll kill you."
Su Zhenzhen let out a heavy sigh of relief.
She thought she had finally passed this hurdle.
"Then I'll... be going back?" Su Zhenzhen stood up tentatively.
The man sat there without speaking, just staring at her intensely.
Su Zhenzhen touched her face, which felt as if it were being pierced by his gaze.
She tentatively took two steps, then looked back, took another two steps, and looked back again.
Looking back three times for every step she took, Su Zhenzhen finally exited the main house.
This mansion was huge. Su Zhenzhen had followed Lu Hexu in just now, but now that she had to leave on her own, she surprisingly couldn't find the way.
A woman in black suddenly appeared before her. Su Zhenzhen recognized her as the hidden guard from earlier.
With silk threads wrapped around her hands, she walked in front of Su Zhenzhen, glanced at her, and motioned for her to follow.
Su Zhenzhen followed.
The two walked in silence until she led Su Zhenzhen to the mansion's side gate, at which point Shadow Two disappeared.
Su Zhenzhen pushed open the side gate and walked out.
Only after stepping out of the mansion did she completely relax.
After tossing and turning all night, it was almost dawn.
When Su Zhenzhen passed by a wonton stall, she ate a bowl of wontons and then returned to the pharmacy.
Little Persimmon had already opened the doors early for business. Seeing Su Zhenzhen return, he hurriedly held up the piece of paper in his hand.
"Are you alright?"
Su Zhenzhen shook her head with an exhausted face. "I'm going to sleep for a while first."
Su Zhenzhen returned to her room and fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.
She slept all the way until the afternoon before she propped up her groggy body and sat up.
Su Zhenzhen sat there for a moment to recover, then stood up, washed up, changed her clothes, and poured herself a cup of cold tea.
Pushing aside the clutter on the desk, Su Zhenzhen sat behind it, found a completely dry writing brush, casually rinsed it with tea, used the remaining tea to grind ink, and sat there to start writing.
She wrote from the afternoon into the evening, and from the evening until the early hours of the morning.
Su Zhenzhen stayed up until she was dizzy and disoriented, ultimately falling asleep right on the desk.
By the time she woke up, it was already noon.
The sun was blazing. Having slept slumped over, Su Zhenzhen felt as if her entire body was falling apart; she was stiff all over.
She slowly pushed herself up from the table, organized what she had written yesterday, and carried it out with her.
Little Persimmon was sitting behind the counter reading a book and saw Su Zhenzhen drift past him like a wandering ghost.
Su Zhenzhen took her things to the largest bookstore in Yangzhou City.
The bookstore faced the bluestone road, with a black wood plaque engraved with the pale gold characters Wenjin Hall.
Su Zhenzhen pushed the door open and caught the faint scent of ink.
"Lady, who are you looking for?"
A shop assistant came over to greet her.
Su Zhenzhen said, "I'm looking for your proprietress."
The assistant led Su Zhenzhen to see Jiang Yunshu, the proprietress of Wenjin Hall.
Wenjin Hall had three floors in total, all filled with books for business. There was also a courtyard at the back where Jiang Yunshu lived. It was not open to customers, and only close friends would be invited in.
The assistant knocked on the courtyard door. After waiting for a moment, a maid came to open it.
"I'm from the Su family pharmacy. I've come to see your proprietress."
The maid looked Su Zhenzhen up and down, nodded, and led her inside.
The courtyard was small and planted with many wintersweet trees. Because it wasn't the blooming season, the entire yard looked rather bare. The only exception was a cluster of banana trees by the wall, which was growing exceptionally well, already rising above the two-meter-high wall and extending outside.
Upon entering the room, one could see walls completely covered in books, stacked layer upon layer on the shelves, spilling from the bookcases onto the floor, and from the floor onto the chairs and benches. Finally, Su Zhenzhen's gaze extended to the pear-wood desk by the window.
A woman was lounging there.
"Proprietress, someone from the Su family pharmacy is here."
Jiang Yunshu was reading in the room.
The weather was hot, and she was leaning on a long couch. Hearing the commotion, she raised her eyes and glanced in Su Zhenzhen's direction.
Seeing Su Zhenzhen's face, Jiang Yunshu was stunned for a moment. "Su Zhenzhen?"
The two could be considered old acquaintances. When Su Zhenzhen first decided to come to Yangzhou to develop her career, Liaochen had helped her contact Jiang Yunshu, who was also in Yangzhou.
However, this was the first time she had seen her with her true face.
"Yes, I have something to discuss with you."
Su Zhenzhen glanced at the maid standing beside her.
Jiang Yunshu told the maid to step down.
Only the two of them were left in the room.
Su Zhenzhen handed over the work she had stayed up all night to write to Jiang Yunshu. "Take a look."
Jiang Yunshu took it. Seeing the messy handwriting, she first took a deep breath before slowly beginning to read.
The more she read, the tighter her brows furrowed. "What is this..."
"Previously, I tried to use a faked death to swap Master Liaochen out of prison, but I was discovered. This is a storybook I wrote based on Master Liaochen. I want you to distribute it for me."
Su Zhenzhen used the pseudonym Weiliao as the female protagonist's name and used the format of a storybook to recount Liaochen's life.
She wanted to use public opinion to exonerate Liaochen, overturn the case, and perhaps even... change this backward legal code.
"Alright." Jiang Yunshu agreed without hesitation, then quickly got up and put on her shoes. "I'll arrange it right away."
After leaving Wenjin Hall, Su Zhenzhen went to nearby entertainment houses and teahouses, finding women who had some connection with Liaochen. She asked them to adapt her storybook into little tunes to sing and spread throughout the teahouses.
Only after everything was prepared did Su Zhenzhen return to the pharmacy, physically and mentally exhausted.
The sky was already growing dark, and two wind lanterns had been hung at the entrance of the pharmacy.
Little Persimmon sat inside the pharmacy, his expression looking somewhat off.
Su Zhenzhen tilted her head and glanced at him.
Little Persimmon gestured wildly.
Su Zhenzhen understood.
Someone had come to the courtyard.
She stepped back and saw a carriage parked in front of the pharmacy.
When the familiar carriage caught her eye, Su Zhenzhen's breath hitched slightly, and her gaze shifted toward the courtyard entrance.
The courtyard door was open. Wei Heng stood there, and upon seeing Su Zhenzhen return, he bowed to her from a distance.
Su Zhenzhen returned the bow, but her steps hesitated.
She walked around the counter. Behind it was the medicine cabinet, densely covering an entire wall.
Su Zhenzhen took a piece of oiled paper and began to gather herbs.
The prescription for treating wandering soul syndrome had always been in her mind. Although she had never used it once, she hadn't forgotten it in five years.
Following her memory, Su Zhenzhen took out the herbs and placed them one by one on the oiled paper on the counter.
Previously in the imperial palace, due to the constraints of her status, Su Zhenzhen could not gather all the herbs. Now that she had opened her own pharmacy, she had managed to find those two extremely rare ingredients that almost no one ever bought. She carefully kept them pressed at the very bottom of the medicine cabinet.
Pharmacies often had mice that would frequently steal and eat the herbs. Fortunately, Sushan was a very dutiful little cat and an excellent mouser.
There was no problem with the herbs, so Su Zhenzhen continued to gather them.
Having gathered herbs so many times, Su Zhenzhen rarely needed to use a scale. But this time, she carefully placed the herbs on the scale.
Exactly right.
Exactly right.
Exactly right.
...
Su Zhenzhen finished gathering all the necessary medicinal ingredients, wrapped them up, and tied them with a straw rope.
It was almost time for the pharmacy to close.
Su Zhenzhen let Little Persimmon go inside first while she closed up the shop.
The doors of pharmacies in Yangzhou City were pieced together with long, rectangular wooden boards. Su Zhenzhen had once seen this method at the storefronts of an ancient town in the modern era; it looked extremely rustic and full of charm.
She picked up a painted, long wooden board and wedged it into the wooden threshold of the pharmacy's entrance. Just as she laid down the first layer, a voice came from behind her, Lady Su.
Su Zhenzhen turned around and saw Zhao Ahai standing behind her.
He had probably just finished his shift, as Zhao Ahai was still wearing his unswapped constable uniform.
He stood behind Su Zhenzhen, holding a food box in his hand.
The weather is hot, so I bought you some Sushan.
Sushan, huh.
Su Zhenzhen subconsciously thought of a certain someone.
There's no need. I'm going out to eat with my husband later. If I eat Sushan, I won't have an appetite for dinner, Su Zhenzhen refused tactfully yet directly.
Zhao Ahai gripped the food box tightly, staring at Su Zhenzhen. Lady Su, it's been several days. Why haven't I seen your husband?
Su Zhenzhen's movements paused. She then wedged the last wooden board into place and said with her back to Zhao Ahai, He just came back and has a lot of things to do.
Zhao Ahai took a step forward. Let me meet him.
This was getting somewhat impolite.
Su Zhenzhen turned around and looked up, meeting Zhao Ahai's gaze directly.
Meeting Su Zhenzhen's eyes, Zhao Ahai's previous urgency and forcefulness instantly diminished by half. I was just... too anxious. I truly, truly like you, Lady Su. I don't mind that you've been married before... Please don't always use the excuse of having a husband to brush me off. I hope you can give me a chance...
Su Zhenzhen's expression remained perfectly calm. I really do have a husband, and he really has come back.
Then let me meet him. Clearly, Zhao Ahai didn't believe her at all. Once I see him, I'll give up.
Su Zhenzhen subconsciously looked toward the courtyard gate.
Wei Heng was still standing there.
Is that him? Zhao Ahai followed Su Zhenzhen's line of sight.
Wei Heng frowned slightly, turned around, and disappeared at the courtyard gate.
Lady Su, a man who looks like a scholar like that, you're telling me he's your military general husband?
Constable Zhao, even if I didn't have a husband, I still wouldn't want to be with you. Su Zhenzhen laid it out plainly.
I knew it, you don't have a husband.
A look of joy appeared on Zhao Ahai's face.
Su Zhenzhen: ...
Su Zhenzhen took a deep breath. I still have things to do... Before she could finish her sentence, she saw the courtyard door being pushed open by a hand.
It was hard to tell whether the courtyard door was too narrow or the man was too tall.
He had to stoop slightly as he walked out.
A dark robe was worn sharply on his body, lacking any particularly prominent patterns, save for some faint, barely noticeable dark motifs pressed into the fabric. A vermilion sash was tied around his waist, tightly wrapping and highlighting his narrow waist. His shoulders and back were straight, and his every movement carried a rare, noble air.
The man stood there, his gaze falling squarely on Zhao Ahai.
Zhao Ahai was already considered tall, but Lu Hexu was even taller.
Lu Hexu stepped over the threshold and stood in front of Zhao Ahai.
His eyes fixed on Zhao Ahai.
As the two stood together, it was an incomparable contrast from a single strand of hair down to a loose thread.
Is there a problem? the man spoke. His voice was low and hoarse, and his dark eyes swept over Zhao Ahai with an air of disdainful superiority.
Zhao Ahai subconsciously took a step back. Having seen many heinous criminals, he was nevertheless intimidated by the man before him.
Zhao Ahai acutely sensed a deep-seated ruthlessness seeping from this man's very bones.
That unbridled, outward murderous aura perfectly matched the temperament of a military general fighting on the battlefield, just as Su Zhenzhen had described.
Yet, paradoxically, the man possessed an extremely handsome face.
Looking solely at his face, he appeared as though he had been raised in the lap of luxury from a young age within Jinling City, right at the foot of the imperial capital.
I, I came to see, Doctor Su...
Zhao Ahai didn't even know where to look. That primal dominance he usually exhibited when seeing a weak woman instantly plummeted to rock bottom.
I, I'll be leaving now.
Zhao Ahai lowered his head and left.
Lu Hexu stared at Zhao Ahai's retreating figure, then tilted his head to look at Su Zhenzhen. Who is he?
A constable.
What did he come looking for you for?
Just passing by.
Since Lu Hexu had handled a problem for her, Su Zhenzhen was in a good mood. She handed him the wrapped herbs in her hand. For you.
What is this?
Herbs for treating wandering soul syndrome. One dose a day. Take them back and boil them—simmer three bowls of water down to one bowl. You need to take it for a month first.
After Su Zhenzhen finished speaking, she saw the man's face darken for a moment before he turned and walked right back into her courtyard.
Eh?
Su Zhenzhen followed him.
The bamboo frame lamp in her room had already been lit, and all her discarded drafts from the day were spread out on the desk.
Su Zhenzhen hadn't expected Lu Hexu to come, so she hadn't tidied up.
She hurriedly stuffed all the discarded drafts into a drawer.
The man glanced at her without saying a word, walked straight over to sit on a round stool in the room, and rested his chin on one hand, waiting.
Waiting for what?
Su Zhenzhen stared with innocent eyes, completely baffled.
Wei Heng stepped forward and said softly, Miss Su, please go brew the medicine.
Ah?
They didn't provide medicine-brewing services here.
Su Zhenzhen went to brew the medicine.
Since it was a pharmacy, there were plenty of medicine pots in the kitchen.
Su Zhenzhen lit a small stove, placed the herbs into a pot, added three bowls of water, and began to simmer the medicine.
She brought over a small stool and sat next to the medicine stove.
Because the weather was muggy, sitting next to the medicine stove caused her to break out in a sweat before long.
Su Zhenzhen sat there with her chin resting on one hand, fanning herself while her eyelids began to droop.
It was too easy to feel sleepy in the summer.
The excessive heat made it difficult to sleep well at night, which led Su Zhenzhen to accidentally fall asleep while brewing the medicine.
Fortunately, she didn't sleep for long and woke up shortly after.
Then turning around, she saw someone leaning against the door of the small kitchen.
When did he come over?
Su Zhenzhen lowered her head and covered the lid with a handkerchief, lifting it to take a look; it hadn't boiled dry.
She poured the medicinal juice out and served it in a porcelain bowl.
A rich, bitter smell of medicine permeated the air. Su Zhenzhen fanned it with a fan to let it cool for a while.
"It will be ready to drink soon."
Su Zhenzhen reached out and wiped the sweat from her forehead.
It was too hot and stuffy in the small kitchen, and she was sweating all over.
Su Zhenzhen poured herself a cup of barley tea and drank it in a few mouthfuls.
The man was still leaning against the door and hadn't left.
The kitchen was narrow, and Lu Hexu's eyes fell on Su Zhenzhen.
The woman was sweating lightly, and the black hair at her temples was half-wet, with a few strands sticking to her reddish apricot cheeks. Beads of sweat slid down her delicate neck. The light summer clothes she wore were soaked with sweat, clinging tightly to her shoulders and waist, showing faint wet marks and a somewhat disheveled, faint heat.
Five years, and she hadn't changed at all.
Su Zhenzhen took the honey jar down from the cabinet. Only after adding it to the medicinal juice did she realize that she had done something unnecessary.
She paused her movements, pretending that what had just happened hadn't occurred.
"Alright, you can drink it now."
Lu Hexu walked in. Su Zhenzhen wanted to go out but was trapped by the man from behind at the table.
The weather was hot, and the man was even hotter.
Even through multiple layers of clothing, Su Zhenzhen could feel the scorching temperature behind him, like boiling water. As soon as it fell on her skin, it was a blazing heat.
[So hot.]
Lu Hexu's gaze swept over the top of Su Zhenzhen's head. He picked up the medicinal juice on the table and drank it in one gulp.
After drinking the medicine, the man did not release Su Zhenzhen, whom he held loosely in his arms.
He looked at the woman's thin shoulders and leaned over. His jaw pressed lightly against her shoulder without touching it, but when he spoke, the breath he exhaled still touched Su Zhenzhen's cheek.
"I'm hungry."
Su Zhenzhen: ...
"Then go to the yard and pick a few cucumbers? I'll make you a smashed cucumber salad?"
The hand the man had rested on the edge of the table slowly retracted.
His wide, black sleeve brushed past Su Zhenzhen's soft silk sleeve and swept past her waist.
The heat source behind her left.
Su Zhenzhen stared at the empty table in front of her for a while, feeling inexplicably that her heart seemed to empty out for a moment as well.
She calmed herself down and went to find a few cloves of garlic and seasonings.
There was also some glutinous rice flour, black sesame seeds, and fresh cow's milk delivered today.
This cow's milk was for Little Persimmon to nourish his body. She would also drink it for calcium, beauty, and sometimes for medicinal purposes.
Su Zhenzhen mixed the flour with spring water to make a glutinous rice ball and put it in the pot to steam.
While waiting, she pounded the sesame seeds into a powder and poured them into a white porcelain stew pot. The stew pot was first rinsed with warm water to preheat, then half a cup of warm water was added, mixed with the black sesame paste, and stirred clockwise with a spoon until thick and smooth.
The fire on the small stove from boiling the medicine had not yet gone out. Su Zhenzhen heated the cow's milk a little, took it off when it was slightly warm, skimmed off the foam on the surface, poured it into the sesame paste, added honey and stirred. Finally, she covered the stew pot with a fine silk handkerchief and steamed it in the pot.
Just then, the dough over there was steamed. Su Zhenzhen took it out, placed it in a ceramic basin, and repeatedly pounded it with a wooden stick while it was hot.
Lu Hexu finished picking the cucumbers in the yard.
He stared at the cucumbers in his hand with a strange expression.
Wei Heng stood at the courtyard gate, cast a glance, and then turned his head back.
Lu Hexu's expression darkened as he pinched the cucumbers, and he turned to go back to the small kitchen.
"Didn't you wash them?" Su Zhenzhen turned her head and took a look. After speaking quickly, she realized what she had said. Just as she was about to make up for it, she saw the man had already turned and gone out.
Su Zhenzhen immediately shut her mouth and continued to pound the glutinous rice cake.
Lu Hexu walked to the spring water with a dark face.
There was a spring in the yard, drawn from the mountain.
The spring water was clear and cold, and it was running water, looking crystal clear.
Sushan squatted on the edge of the spring pool, lowering its head to lick.
When it finished drinking, Lu Hexu scraped the water with his hand and began to wash the cucumbers.
After washing the cucumbers, the man stood there motionless again.
"Meow..." Sushan stretched out its paw to poke the cucumbers in the man's hand.
Lu Hexu raised his hand to dodge it and pressed its head down.
Sushan quieted down, squatting there obediently, tilting its head to stare at him.
The beautiful cat's eyes reflected Lu Hexu's handsome face.
-
When Lu Hexu came back after washing the cucumbers, Su Zhenzhen's glutinous rice cake was also ready.
Although it wasn't perfect due to the tight time, she really had no strength left.
[My hands are sore.]
The kitchen was narrow. When the man walked over and put the cucumbers on the table, his fingers brushed past the back of the woman's hand.
He stood behind Su Zhenzhen, his eyes falling on the ceramic jar.
Lu Hexu reached out expressionlessly, took the wooden stick, and pounded it down.
The ceramic jar that had followed Su Zhenzhen for five years broke.
Su Zhenzhen: ...
Lu Hexu: ...
"If you want to play, change to an iron basin."
Su Zhenzhen took the lump of glutinous rice cake out and put it in the iron basin.
Did he come over just to pound the glutinous rice cake for you?
Lu Hexu stared expressionlessly at the lump of glutinous rice cake and began to pound.
"Alright, that's about it."
Su Zhenzhen took out the pounded glutinous rice cake, steaming half and roasting the other half.
The black sesame paste stewed milk on the small stove was ready.
Lifting the silk handkerchief, a faint layer of water vapor condensed on the porcelain pot.
The weather was hot, so Su Zhenzhen put the porcelain pot in the spring water to chill for a while. Then she took out a handful of bamboo skewers, cleaned and wiped them dry, and skewered the glutinous rice cake.
Turning down the fire on the small stove, Su Zhenzhen suspended the skewered glutinous rice cake over the fire and slowly turned it around.
Fine charred bubbles gradually appeared on the surface of the glutinous rice cake, and the color turned from white to light yellow. The edges slightly swelled, looking a little crispy.
It was about done.
"What do you want to dip it in?"
Su Zhenzhen put the roasted glutinous rice cakes on a plate, a total of five plump roasted glutinous rice cakes.
Lu Hexu's gaze swept around the kitchen and finally landed on Su Zhenzhen's face.
"Salt."
Ah?
Roasted glutinous rice cakes are usually dipped in honey or brown sugar.
In five years, had his taste changed too?
Su Zhenzhen took out the salt jar, poured out a little, and handed it to Lu Hexu.
The man stared at the salt for a while, then looked at Su Zhenzhen, pursed his lips, and reached out to take it.
Su Zhenzhen turned to get the brown sugar block.
She crushed the brown sugar, added half a spoonful of warm water, and boiled it to a thick consistency using the residual heat of the charcoal fire. Then she took out some honey, added a little water, and added a saucer of soybean flour.
Three saucers of dipping sauce were prepared like this.
There was only one small stool in the kitchen, and Su Zhenzhen gave it to Lu Hexu.
"I won't sit."
Indeed, this small stool didn't match his imperial temperament now.
Su Zhenzhen sat down herself, then picked up a roasted glutinous rice cake, dipped it in brown sugar and honey, rolled it in soybean flour, and took a bite.
The roasted glutinous rice cake was roasted just right, crispy on the outside, soft and stringy on the inside, glutinous but not sticking to the teeth.
Eating two roasted glutinous rice cakes in one breath, Su Zhenzhen finally felt that there was something in her stomach.
Glutinous rice is not easy to digest and shouldn't be eaten too much, especially at night.
Lu Hexu watched Su Zhenzhen eat the brown sugar and honey by herself.
He held the roasted glutinous rice cake dipped in salt and ate it expressionlessly.
Su Zhenzhen made a smashed cucumber salad, placed it on the table, and brought over two pairs of chopsticks.
"Want some?"
Lu Hexu walked over, picked up a pair of chopsticks, and took a bite of the smashed cucumber.
The cucumber was crisp and slightly salty, but it still wasn't to his taste.
Su Zhenzhen, however, really loved this kind of refreshing food.
She ate half the plate by herself before remembering the black sesame pudding with double-boiled milk chilling in the spring water, so she went to bring it out.
Su Zhenzhen figured that since Lu Hexu's tastes had changed, he probably wouldn't like this black sesame dessert anymore.
With that in mind, she only brought out one spoon.
The dark, sticky sesame paste beautifully contrasted with the glistening white milk pudding, their thick and smooth textures blending perfectly. She scooped up a spoonful and put it into her mouth.
The rich aroma of sesame wrapped in a milky fragrance spread across her tongue with just a gentle taste. It was soft, smooth, and sweet without being cloying.
If only there were some ice cubes, she thought. It would definitely taste even better icy cold.
Su Zhenzhen took a bite of the black sesame pudding, looked up, and met the man's gaze.
"I thought you wouldn't want any," she mumbled, licking her lips.
"I don't like eating this kind of stuff."
"Oh."
The daily life of a young couple.
