No one noticed that nearby, on the rooftop, there was a faint noise, like the passing of a breath of wind.
It was the sound produced by Huo Wujiu, who was keeping Lou Wanjun under control.

One hand held Lou Wanjun's arms behind her back, while the other firmly covered her mouth. It was only when Huo Wujiu saw the thugs disappear from view that he released her.

"Why are you stopping me?" Lou Wanjun demanded, attempting to hit Huo Wujiu in retaliation. Huo Wujiu lazily raised his hands to block her movements.

"Why do you like stirring up trouble so much, like shaking the grass to startle the snakes?" Huo Wujiu asked.

"What snakes?" Lou Wanjun retorted, both annoyed and furious.

"Did you think about why there were no guards around and why the people downstairs were all street thugs?" Huo Wujiu asked coldly.

Lou Wanjun shot back immediately: "What else could it be? That so-called Du didn’t learn his lesson last time, so he needs more setbacks to get the message!"

Huo Wujiu looked indifferent. His expression, which had been ruined by an earlier interruption half an hour ago, still hadn't returned to normal.

He was already short-tempered, and now, he was even less patient.

"Then why did they say he was seducing young women?" Huo Wujiu asked icily.

Lou Wanjun didn’t catch on at first. "What else could it be? It’s just that..."

But she suddenly realized her mistake after speaking.

She looked at Huo Wujiu with a mix of surprise and confusion.

"His Royal Highness?" she asked, incredulous. "Other than that little Du, only His Highness was there... His Highness would never do such a thing, right?"

"He dared to send those thugs to deal with that kid because he thinks he can do anything he wants," Huo Wujiu remarked coldly. "If it weren’t for that thug’s loose tongue, who would have believed it was His Highness who sent them?"

Lou Wanjun looked bewildered and scratched her head.

"Impossible..." she said. "His Royal Highness would never think of me in that way."
She looked embarrassed, a bit incredulous.

Huo Wujiu frowned.

He had been dragged out of Jiang Suizhou's bed by Wei Kai to deal with this trivial matter, and now he had to explain to Lou Wanjun that Huo Yuyan harbored inappropriate intentions toward her.
All the annoyances seemed to pile up in a single day.

Huo Wujiu broke off his train of thought and explained in an icy tone, "I’ve heard that Huo Yuyan has already stroked your hair."

"Yes," Lou Wanjun replied simply.

"And what if I stroked your hair?" Huo Wujiu asked without batting an eye.

Lou Wanjun looked disgusted and nearly jumped back. "You’re disgusting!"

Huo Wujiu merely looked at her.

After a moment, Lou Wanjun came to a realization. "That’s true..."

"So, just because you’ve been a bit too close to that kid, Huo Yuyan already wants to get rid of him," Huo Wujiu said coldly. "If my informants hadn’t noticed something unusual, and if Wei Kai hadn’t come to tell me, that man would’ve disappeared without a trace by now."

Hearing the words "that kid," Lou Wanjun snapped back to her senses.

"Let me handle this for now. You stay here," she said.

"Why?" Huo Wujiu asked, puzzled.

Lou Wanjun took a few quick steps and leapt from the three-story tower into the alley.

*

When Nie Cong heard a noise, he looked up and saw such a sight.

The young woman seemed to have been standing there for some time. Her face was slightly irritated from standing in the sun too long, and even the strands of hair at her temples were damp with sweat, clinging to her cheeks.

At that moment, Nie Cong was bending down to pick up the few scattered belongings on the ground, while his blind grandmother sat beside him, leaning on one arm for support. As he looked up, he saw Lou Wanjun quickly step forward to pick up the fallen items.

Nie Cong immediately reached out a hand to stop her. "You don’t need to do that," he said in a calm, clear, and melodious voice.

Lou Wanjun looked up, her expression apologetic. "I’m sorry... I didn’t think this would cause you so much trouble," she said hurriedly, not giving Nie Cong a chance to respond. "But don’t worry! I won’t let this happen, and I won’t let you end up homeless."

This straightforward and bold girl couldn’t hide her emotions—they were written all over her face. Nie Cong noticed the way her eyebrows furrowed, her face full of regret, unsure of where to direct it, and how her hands were tightly clasped together.

As he looked at her sincere expression, Nie Cong felt a little overwhelmed. He wanted to tell her it wasn’t a big deal. Having grown up in a declining family, with elders who sacrificed themselves to support his education, he had become accustomed to the disdain and bullying of others. He knew there were many arrogant people in the world, eager to crush those weaker than themselves. That was just how the world worked. He focused on his own path and bore no grudges.

But he certainly wouldn’t blame a young girl who wanted to stand up for justice.

Hearing her words, Nie Cong smiled faintly and said, "You don’t have to worry."

At that moment, the voice of the elderly woman beside them was heard. "Cong’er, who is this young girl?" The old woman, who was seated on a wooden bench, seemed a little tense, her voice trembling slightly.

Nie Cong looked up and saw Lou Wanjun quickly stepping forward.

— Truly a straightforward and determined young woman, each of her movements brimming with energy.

Nie Cong stole a quick glance at her.

He heard Lou Wanjun speaking to the old woman. "Don’t worry, I’ll make it up to you right away. I’ll find a place for both of you to stay in the city—they won’t be able to find you!"

Nie Cong was taken aback by her words and instinctively said, "That’s not necessary, Miss." He had never thought of being mistreated as something shameful, but hearing her offer help left him feeling uncomfortable.

He had never wanted to find himself in a position where he had to rely on others. Now, standing before this young girl, his reluctance to accept assistance felt even stronger.

Lou Wanjun seemed to think he was refusing her offer out of pride. She turned to face him, ready to speak, when she suddenly heard Huo Wujiu’s voice nearby.

"Don’t insist," he said. "Send someone to escort them safely out of the city—that’s better than anything else."

Lou Wanjun looked over and saw Huo Wujiu leaning against the wall of the alley, arms crossed.

He glanced at Nie Cong, then shifted his gaze back and forth between the two of them, before giving Lou Wanjun a mysterious smile. "They’ve got arms and legs—why would they need your money?"

Lou Wanjun gritted her teeth. "You have no idea what you’re talking about!" She was already glaring at him. Before she could curse at him again, she felt a hand, dry like an old tree, gently rest on the back of her own.

She looked up to see the elderly woman, her eyes clouded and vacant but seemingly focused on something in front of her, lowering her head slightly to face her.

"Thank you, my dear," the old woman said with a smile. "But Cong’er is stubborn and will never accept free money. No one can persuade him. We have a house on the outskirts of the city, so don’t worry about us."

Lou Wanjun opened her mouth to say something but looked again at Nie Cong.

She saw Nie Cong give her a faint smile and nod slightly, as if to reassure her.

"Well... alright," Lou Wanjun finally said. She couldn’t argue any further and had to let it go.

*

When Huo Wujiu left, it greatly eased Jiang Suizhou’s mind. He fell back asleep without much difficulty, shedding some of the fatigue he’d been carrying. By dusk, he was finally able to get out of bed.

It was around that time that Huo Wujiu returned. The change in his demeanor was rather striking. When he’d left, his expression had been dark, and he’d looked at Wei Kai as if he were about to kill him at any moment. But when he came back, his expression was almost cheerful.

Jiang Suizhou couldn’t help but ask, "What happened back there?"

Huo Wujiu sat down beside him and recounted everything in detail, including the events of that morning. After hearing the whole story, Jiang Suizhou was a little stunned.

"Huo Yuyan has reached this level?" he asked in astonishment.

Huo Wujiu sneered coldly, a trace of mockery in his voice. "Isn’t that exactly it? He wanted to use Lou Wanjun, but despite all his scheming, she didn’t notice a thing. Do you think he’s not panicking?"

Jiang Suizhou frowned. "But that doesn’t justify mistreating people like that."

"He doesn’t care about people," Huo Wujiu sneered. "All he’s worried about is someone else taking Lou Yue’s thirty thousand soldiers and horses out of his control."

… That truly was the height of treachery and cunning.

Jiang Suizhou found it both outrageous and amusing.

"And then?" he asked.

Huo Wujiu leaned back a little. "Then Lou Wanjun wanted to personally accompany them out of the city. But that was out of the question. She’s far too conspicuous. If she were seen leaving the city and Huo Yuyan found out, those two people’s lives would be in danger, wouldn’t they?"

Jiang Suizhou nodded. "That makes sense."

"I stopped her and sent a few of my spies to ensure they left safely," Huo Wujiu explained.

Jiang Suizhou sighed in relief. "That was the right thing to do."

"But it was rather amusing," Huo Wujiu continued, suddenly shifting the subject as he leaned closer to Jiang Suizhou. "Lou Wanjun is so stubborn. My words never have any effect on her, but that young man—just a few words from him, and she changed her mind. That young man, though... I feel like his eyes aren’t entirely honest. He looks mild-mannered, but he kept sneaking glances at Lou Wanjun."

It was an interesting situation, but what was even more entertaining was Huo Wujiu’s cheerful attitude at that moment.

Jiang Suizhou couldn’t help but laugh.

"Today, we truly got to see quite the spectacle with Lou Wanjun, and she also got to see Huo Yuyan’s true nature," Huo Wujiu continued, seemingly unaware that Jiang Suizhou was laughing at him. After laughing for a moment alongside him, he carried on.

"I thought it might be good to get Lou Wanjun to lend us a hand—and to play a little trick on her while we’re at it."

Jiang Suizhou asked, "What are you planning to do?"

Huo Wujiu responded with a mysterious smile.

"You’ll just have to sit back and enjoy the show," he said.

 

--

The author has something to say:
Married men become chatty (about this and that).

 

Translator : DarNan