Chapter 181
Chu Lishu and Lin Qingyang returned, and Wu Chang was about to leave. Two hours had passed, he was certain that Chu Lishu had indeed deceived him. He glared at the returning duo in frustration.
“It’s really unlucky; I have to wander again.”
Chu Lishu handed over a large-denomination silver note.
“What for?” Wu Chang looked at Chu Lishu suspiciously.
Lin Qingyang explained, “For today’s matter, don’t hold it against my uncle. Consider this as a consultation fee for answering my questions, just treat it as a transaction.”
Wu Chang raised an eyebrow, took the silver note, and chuckled, “I’m not short of money, but you two are quite savvy. Not bad, it’s a deal.” It’s not like he was coerced by these two brats!
After saying that, Wu Chang lifted his wine jug, waved his hand, and left.
On the carriage ride home, Liu Xiaowei finally woke up, holding his head and looking around in confusion. “What happened?”
Lin Qingyang sighed, “Uncle, you don’t handle alcohol well. It’s better not to drink casually. In the situation just now, if we encountered bad people, you would have been in danger.”
Liu Xiaowei dismissed it, “Wu Chang is my friend. It’s fine to get drunk, and my alcohol tolerance is not bad. It’s just that after drinking, I tend to forget the time I spent drinking. I must have been provoked by Wu Chang just now; otherwise, I wouldn’t have collapsed.”
Lin Qingyang couldn’t help but twitch at the corner of his mouth, wondering how the person who drank with him earlier managed to deceive him.
Chu Lishu chuckled, “Uncle really has an incorrect self-perception.”
Liu Xiaowei looked displeased as he stared at Chu Lishu until Lin Qingyang bluntly pointed out the fact that he had one too many drinks. Even then, Liu Xiaowei seemed reluctant to believe it.
When the three returned home, the fire had already been extinguished. Liu Jingchen was managing the overall situation, and he arranged for County Princess Yawen to temporarily move to the Liu residence to stay with his mother.
Lin Qingyang and Chu Lishu naturally came to the Liu residence to see the County Princess. When they saw County Princess Yawen, her expression was not good, as if she had been crying.
Approaching with concern, Lin Qingyang asked, and County Princess Yawen couldn’t help but speak, “Why are you so careless? The house burning is not a big deal, but the painting my little sister gave me… sigh! The prince’s residence was raided, and the Emperor confiscated all of my little sister’s things. I only had this painting left, I didn’t even manage to keep it properly. My little sister would blame me.”
Lin Qingyang sneered inwardly, “I’m sorry, mother, but if aunt is watching from above, she surely won’t blame you.”
Others also comforted County Princess Yawen. Stifling his anger, Liu Xiaowei still didn’t step forward and remained quietly on the side.
Perhaps reminiscing about the departed, County Princess Yawen murmured a lot, “Before your father came, he said my health has held up until now thanks to the blessings of Guanyin and my little sister. He even reminded me to worship more. But now, with the portrait gone, it’s really…”
Hearing this, those who already knew about the poisonous portrait had unpleasant expressions. Worship more? Wasn’t that even worse? It’s truly laughable. Lin Qingyang’s inner feelings were indescribably awkward, as if something flashed through his mind.
Aunt Liu persuaded, “Oh my, it must be because the family thought that a divine physician had come, so the portrait voluntarily withdrew.”
County Princess Yawen nodded helplessly, “Perhaps that’s really what it meant.”
“Well, don’t think too much about it. Let’s start the banquet. Huh? Where are the people? Why aren’t they all here yet?” Aunt Liu wondered.
Lin Qingyang had already noticed that Cousin Liu and Lin Qinglan were not present. Usually, the eldest sister would be with their mother.
Just at that moment, cries were heard at the door. While everyone was surprised, they saw Nanny Ding leading a teary-eyed Lin Qinglan inside. Strolling behind them, Liu Jingchen had a deeply moved expression on his face.
There was a commotion among the crowd, asking what happened, but Nanny Ding and Lin Qinglan were too excited to articulate.
Liu Jingchen spoke up, “Just now, while we were dealing with the burned belongings in the other courtyard, Physician Mu happened to be available. He examined cousin’s pulse and said that she could recover with proper care, and in the future…”
Lin Qingyang was suddenly startled. He had indeed considered this idea before, but at that time, Mu Huichun was focused on treating his mother’s condition. Lin Qingyang felt it would be inappropriate to trouble him with another matter simultaneously. He planned to wait until Mu Huichun had a bit of free time to bring up Lin Qinglan’s situation and see if her health could still be restored.
He hadn’t brought it up yet, so why did Mu Huichun take the initiative to find Lin Qinglan now? Could it be… Lin Qingyang’s first thought was to check on Chu Lishu.
Chu Lishu was casually sipping tea. When he noticed Lin Qingyang’s gaze, he gave a faint smile. “He won’t be tired with just two patients.”
County Princess Yawen held Lin Qinglan in her arms, shedding tears for a while. Then, she took Lin Qingyang’s hand, expressing her gratitude. If it weren’t for Lin Qingyang finding such a miraculous physician, they might not have any hope in their entire lives.
Lin Qingyang, too, was moved and his eyes turned red. He looked at Chu Lishu with a gaze full of gratitude. After all, Mu Huichun came over because of Chu Lishu. Without him, even if Lin Qingyang had the system Exchange Shop, he wouldn’t have been able to help these two women.
That night, everyone was in high spirits. Even Lin Qinglan couldn’t help but have a few sips of wine to express her emotions. However, Liu Xiaowei couldn’t resist checking if he could hold his liquor after all. The result was that after just one cup, he was sent back to his courtyard to rest. Later on, Yawen couldn’t bear it either and went to rest. Aunt Liu, however, stayed back, seemingly having something to discuss with Lin Qingyang.
“Do you think we should inform Marquis An Nan about this joyous occasion?” Aunt Liu asked. After all, they were still a couple. Despite their strained relationship, when something significant happened to the mother and daughter, it seemed appropriate to inform him.
Lin Qingyang replied directly, “Let’s wait until there’s a definite result before deciding. Anyway, our current situation is no different from living separately.”
Aunt Liu sighed, “In fact, when your parents were young, their relationship was quite good. Your father put in a lot of effort to marry your mother. She only agreed to marry him after falling in love, especially considering your mother’s influence back then was comparable to that of a princess. Unfortunately, people’s hearts change over time.”
“Perhaps he married my mother back then just for the sake of those influences. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have rushed to bring Ru Shi into the family so quickly,” Lin Qingyang sarcastically remarked.
Aunt Liu shook her head and said, “In the beginning, Ru Shi was respectful and well-behaved towards your mother. Your mother didn’t dislike her either. It wasn’t until the incident at the prince’s residence when your father refused to lend a helping hand, leaving your mother disheartened. That’s when their relationship turned sour.”
Lin Qingyang could guess a bit. Marquis An Nanwas a selfish person, only caring about his own reputation. Moreover, at that time, he was one of the first to support the new emperor, essentially aligning himself with the new regime. Naturally, he wouldn’t go against the emperor on such matters. For him, not actively harming people already showed some conscience. To rescue the Liu family, it would be like dragging himself into trouble, and Marquis An Nan wouldn’t bother with such thankless tasks.
After Aunt Lin sighed about the past events and went to rest, Lin Qinglan, despite not drinking much, quickly left since she was the only female relative present.
It wasn’t until this moment that Lin Qingyang noticed that from the cheerful drinking at the beginning, Liu Jingchen had turned to drinking silently. His gaze, following Lin Qinglan’s departure, seemed lost, as if he had something on his mind.
Meanwhile, Chu Lishu calmly ate his food, having informed Liu Jingchen about the outcome of their visit to find Wu Chang. As for the secrets of the Blood Abyss Pavilion, he naturally wouldn’t casually reveal them. Lin Qingyang initially thought Liu Jingchen was concerned about that matter, but judging by his gaze, it seemed otherwise.
Lin Qingyang smiled and teased, “Eldest cousin, are you so concerned about my eldest sister? She hasn’t drunk much.”
Liu Jingchen slowly withdrew his gaze, looking at Lin Qingyang, and finally spoke, “Qingyang, there’s something I must tell you.”
Lin Qingyang immediately sat up straight, “Is it about my eldest sister?”
Liu Jingchen’s gaze flickered, “No, it’s about your father.”
Lin Qingyang’s confusion deepened as he looked at Liu Jingchen.
Liu Jingchen continued, “If one day I take action against Marquis An Nan, I hope that even if you find out, even if you become my enemy, please… don’t let Aunt and your sister know.”
“What?” Lin Qingyang was stunned for a moment, looking at Liu Jingchen’s serious and troubled expression. His brain quickly processed the information and soon came to a conclusion. The only person that Liu Jingchen would target must be someone related to the incident when the prince’s residence was raided years ago. Could it be…
Liu Jingchen nodded solemnly, “He was involved in framing your maternal family.”
Lin Qingyang couldn’t believe it. Just a moment ago, he was thinking that even if Marquis An Nan was heartless, he would only stand by and watch, indifferent to the family ties. If he actively participated in framing his maternal family, it was something he couldn’t fathom.
“You… had no idea at all?”
“How could I have known?!” Lin Qingyang exclaimed in astonishment.
Liu Jingchen paused for a moment, looking at the indifferent Chu Lishu. Hadn’t Chu Lishu informed Lin Qingyang about his investigation? It seemed that this guy was quite cautious when it came to delivering potentially distressing news to Lin Qingyang. Now, it was up to Liu Jingchen to play the role of the bearer of bad news.
Liu Jingchen had to accept the situation, so he went on to recount the suspicions and the list of possible suspects. “Upon my return to the capital, I conducted a thorough investigation. Even though I couldn’t find concrete evidence, Marquis An Nan remains the most suspicious.”
Lin Qingyang felt as if he were in a daze. It wasn’t that he harbored any profound father-son sentiments toward Marquis An Nan. It was just… unsettling.
Liu Jingchen hesitated to face Lin Qingyang. After all, he was the biological father of Lin Qingyang and Lin Qinglan. Even though there was no evidence, he wouldn’t easily give up. It was highly likely that he would eventually resort to some means to extract the truth before taking action.
Liu Jingchen was aware that once he took action, Lin Qingyang would definitely sense something. Therefore, he chose to openly reveal the information, hoping that it wouldn’t harm other family members.
Liu Jingchen naturally didn’t want to be at odds with Lin Qingyang, but the debt for causing harm to so many members of the Liu family had to be repaid. Both the emperor and the conspirator couldn’t escape justice.
Liu Jingchen initially thought that Lin Qingyang would show signs of struggle, opposition, or caution, but the expression Lin Qingyang directed at him shifted from shock to sympathy.
“Qingyang…” Liu Jingchen opened his mouth, but he didn’t know what to say.
“I brought my mother out, which means I won’t interfere in the affairs of Marquis An Nan’s residence anymore. If it turns out that the matter with the Liu family is truly his doing, then it’s just karma, and there’s nothing more to say.” Lin Qingyang finished speaking, and Liu Jingchen was momentarily stunned. He then raised his head and drank the last sip of wine, his eyes turning red. “Thank you, cousin. Rest assured, I won’t wrong him. In fact, I hope this matter has nothing to do with him.”
Lin Qingyang began to understand why, after Liu Jingchen returned, he maintained only the most basic familial etiquette with Lin Qinglan. There was this layer of constraint, and if he truly sought revenge, even if he concealed it from Lin Qinglan, there would still be inner torment. It was truly a pair of ill-fated mandarin ducks.
When Lin Qingyang and Chu Lishu returned to the courtyard, Chu Lishu remained silent until they were about to part ways. It was then that Chu Lishu stopped Lin Qingyang and expressed his concern, “Are you really okay?”
Lin Qingyang replied nonchalantly, “I’m fine.”
Leaving aside the fact that he had transmigrated and accepted the chaotic memories of the original owner, even in the original memories, there wasn’t much affection for this father. In all likelihood, only Lin Qinglan, with her deep-rooted traditional views, might still feel reluctant to part with the Marquis An Nan, especially in the other courtyard.
However, it was evident that onlookers didn’t quite believe it. They thought Lin Qingyang was forcibly maintaining composure while internally struggling with pain. After a moment of hesitation, Chu Lishu spoke up, “Actually, it was me who investigated and found some suspicious points, which I then informed Cousin Liu about, so…”
Lin Qingyang looked at Chu Lishu with surprise. So, that was the case. However, seeing Chu Lishu’s current uneasy expression, Lin Qingyang suddenly found it quite amusing.
Playfully teasing, Lin Qingyang pretended to be upset, “I see, but… it’s an unavoidable situation. Sigh! I just didn’t expect that father would be like this.”
Chu Lishu couldn’t bear to see Lin Qingyang in distress. His heart clenched, and he pulled Lin Qingyang into a hug, offering gentle comfort, “If you don’t want this, I can try to stop Cousin Lin. At least, I can spare Marquis An Nan’s life.”
However, Lin Qingyang was taken aback. How did it escalate to a hug? Was Chu Lishu trying to console him? It was just a joke.
Lin Qingyang felt awkward and wanted to push Chu Lishu away, but doing so would only make things more awkward. He had no choice but to let Chu Lishu hug him and quickly added, “I’m fine. I’m just upset for my mother and eldest sister. The bond of family isn’t solely defined by blood. In truth, I stopped considering him as my father a long time ago.”
“Alright, don’t be sad. I’m here,” Chu Lishu continued to comfort, assuming that Lin Qingyang was trying to be strong.
Chu Lishu’s mindset was straightforward. If Lin Qingyang liked him, being held in his arms would surely help alleviate the distress. If Lin Qingyang resisted, he would hold tighter to offer more comfort.
Meanwhile, Lin Qingyang felt increasingly awkward. Wearing light summer clothes, their bodies were pressed tightly together. Both emitted the lingering scent of alcohol, although not intoxicated, the alcohol was still affecting them.
Moreover, Lin Qingyang’s current tendency to occasionally have wandering thoughts and make mistakes, especially in the quiet darkness of the narrow alley, could easily lead to unexpected developments.
Between Lin Qingyang’s breaths were the crisp scent from Chu Lishu’s body mixed with the fragrance of alcohol. It gradually made his head dizzy, his mouth dry, and suddenly Lin Qingyang’s throat involuntarily rolled. Before he could react, Lin Qingyang uncontrollably embraced Chu Lishu, gently sniffing the fragrance from his hair. A wave of excitement surged through his body.
Chu Lishu sensed it too, so he gently loosened his hold on Lin Qingyang. The two of them faced each other in the quiet atmosphere, in close proximity.
It seemed like an impulse was taking control of both individuals.
Lin Qingyang was completely stunned, and there was a part of his mind that seemed to be gradually compromising, letting go…
Suddenly, a voice exclaimed in shock.
“You two!”
Startled, Lin Qingyang quickly released Chu Lishu, taking a step back and looked anxiously to the side. There, Mu Huichun was staring at them with a surprised expression.
“I’m tired. I’ll go back and rest first,” Lin Qingyang said and hurriedly left.
Once he returned to his courtyard, Lin Qingyang realized that he had acted impulsively. What was he running from? It was just his cousin comforting him. Running away made it seem like there was something to hide. He should have stayed to explain to Mu Huichun to avoid any misunderstandings. However, it wasn’t a big deal. It was Chu Lishu’s junior brother, and Chu Lishu would surely clarify everything. Hugging between two grown men wasn’t that strange…
Recalling the warmth he felt on his chest, Lin Qingyang suddenly felt uneasy. He became fond of that hug, and it seemed like he needed to be more careful about teasing the male lead in the future. Otherwise, things might become abnormal.
On the other side, Mu Huichun found himself dumbfounded by his own wild imagination. Initially, he thought it was strange that Lin Qingyang’s scent was tainted with Tianxuan Pill. In the past, that kind of scent was only present between spouses. But now… did his senior brother consider Lin Qingyang an important person?
Instinctively, he used his eyes to question his senior brother. However, he saw his senior brother looking at him with a dark expression. “Why are you not sleeping in the middle of the night? What are you suddenly popping up for?”
“I… I just came to find you. I wanted to ask about the Guanyin painting. What are your plans… uh, senior brother, what were you two doing just now? You… ” Mu Huichun asked with his heart pounding. Maybe he was overthinking things. After all, his senior brother was such a noble person, he remembered he had a fiancée in the past…
“Children, don’t meddle in grown-up affairs. In the future, when you see the two of us alone together, be sure to give us some space,” Chu Lishu said directly.
Mu Huichun felt completely wooden. Seeing Chu Lishu heading towards the medicine hall, he mechanically followed. He had heard those words before. Once, when he accidentally saw a man and a woman being intimate behind a tree, his master told the young him: “When you see a couple together, acting affectionate, make sure to give them space.”
He asked why?
His master replied: “Children, don’t meddle in grown-up affairs.”
Alright, he wouldn’t meddle, and it seemed like he couldn’t control it anyway. He’d better obediently focus on his own matters.
On the other side, Lin Qingyang went to bed early, avoiding thinking about Chu Lishu’s matters, fearing that he would dream of something overwhelming again. Instead, he quickly shifted his thoughts to more serious topics: the Emperor, Concubine Liu, his mother, father, and the Guanyin painting, summarizing the events of the day.
Upon waking up, Lin Qingyang suddenly sat up, drenched in sweat, having experienced a frightful dream.
There was a line in the original plot that Lin Qingyang was not supposed to remember, but he dreamt about it.
After the original owner was disabled due to the scheming of the male lead, the County Princess passed away. Marquis An Nan brought the County Princess’s relic, the Guanyin painting, to his son’s room, telling him, “Your mother will bless you for a speedy recovery.” However, the original owner’s condition deteriorated over time.
One day, the male lead came to deliver medicine to prolong the original owner’s life. Naturally, it wasn’t an act of saving someone; it was just that the male lead hadn’t completed his grand plan at that time. Therefore, he didn’t have the time to retaliate against the person who had thoroughly ruined him. He could only keep the original owner alive for the time being, and he forbade the original owner from easily succumbing to death.
It wasn’t mentioned whether the Guanyin painting was taken away, but the original owner did survive until after the male lead ascended to the throne. If the Guanyin painting had been kept, considering the original owner’s health condition at that time, it would undoubtedly have led to a rapid demise, similar to what happened to Concubine Liu.
Sitting on the bed, Lin Qingyang pondered everything in astonishment, suddenly having a revelation.
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