Zhou Liu-lang stared at the lady before him—no, this wasn’t a lady, this was a demon.
The moment he heard she had come looking for him, he rushed over in haste.
For three days, he had been keeping watch here from dawn till dusk.
For three days, he had gone to great lengths to deceive his mother just so he could be here.
Even before she came to find him, he had already been watching out in case she needed something. He knew his mother disliked her and might block her from seeing him, so he had specially instructed his servant to stay alert at all times.
He thought he was protecting a blood relative who had suddenly fallen into misfortune, struck by calamity, helpless and alone.
He never expected that what he was trying to warm against his chest was a venomous viper—a cold, heartless, cold-blooded snake!
He never imagined that his excitement and joy over the past few days would turn out to be nothing more than a cruel joke—a laughable, pitiful, and tragic joke!
This was beyond outrageous! Utterly outrageous!
How could such a vicious woman exist in this world!
Zhou Liu-lang clenched his fists, his face flushed with rage, and he wished he could devour the girl whole.
Xu Maoxiu immediately jumped down from the carriage and stepped in front of Cheng Jiao-niang.
He didn’t say a word, offered no comfort—only stared at the other man with guarded eyes.
The maid, Li Dashao and the others were all stunned by the sudden outburst.
But it wasn’t over yet.
“Don’t forget to share this good news with your dear friend,” Cheng Jiao-niang added from behind Xu Maoxiu.
Zhou Liu-lang spun around and punched the crabapple tree beside him.
With a loud crack, the tree—thick as an arm—snapped clean in two.
The maid and Ban Qin both let out a sharp scream.
Just as Xu Maoxiu was wondering whether he should restrain the now half-crazed young man, Zhou Liu-lang suddenly turned and ran off in large strides.
He left so hastily, he even forgot he had come on horseback—he simply bolted.
Someone happened to be walking toward them and was nearly knocked over by Zhou Liu-lang. Thankfully, one of the people beside them reacted quickly and pulled them to safety.
“Scoundrel—!” the guards had just begun to shout curses when Zhou Liu-lang had already dashed several steps away, vanishing into the crowd on the street in the blink of an eye.
Wherever he passed, there was chaos—people and horses stumbling, angry voices shouting, complaints ringing out.
The commotion quickly faded into the distance.
Zhou Liu-lang had no idea who he had knocked over—he couldn’t even hear the curses and complaints. He just kept running, breathless, until someone called out to him.
“Zhou Liu, what are you doing?”
That voice made Zhou Liu-lang stop in his tracks. He looked up and saw Young Master Qin sitting in a carriage, waving at him.
“Perfect timing—I was just looking for you. I’ve got some bad news,” Young Master Qin said with a smile. “I just ran into your mother on the street. She asked where you were. I managed to cover for you in time, but judging by her face, I don’t think she bought it.”
Zhou Liu-lang pulled his lips into a twisted smile—one that looked more like crying than laughing.
“…You brat, using my name to lie. And for three whole days, without even giving me a heads-up. If you get exposed, don’t blame anyone but yourself…” Young Master Qin went on with a laugh. But then he noticed something off about Zhou Liu-lang’s expression.
“What’s wrong? Did someone hit you?”
He laughed again, but mid-laugh, he stopped and looked closely at the strange expression on the young man’s face.
“What is it? What happened?” Young Master Qin asked seriously.
It’s a broken arm, you know. I attached it…
Don’t forget to share this good news with your dear friend…
That’s right—it was good news. It further proved that she might be able to heal Young Master Qin, the only hope, the only real, tangible hope. It had to be said.
But—she did it on purpose. She meant to do it.
Staying silent was torment. Speaking up was torment.
Zhou Liu-lang clenched his fists, his body trembling slightly.
“Liu-lang, do you still consider me a friend or not?” Young Master Qin said with a frown.
Friend…
“Shi’san, if I asked you to do something, would you do it?” Zhou Liu-lang asked hoarsely.
Young Master Qin chuckled.
“That depends on what it is. I don’t go around agreeing to things blindly,” he replied.
Zhou Liu-lang pulled his lips into a strained smile.
“Could you… stop being my friend?” he asked.
Young Master Qin was stunned.
“Oh,” he said, and then realization dawned. He looked at Zhou Liu-lang, smiled, and lightly tapped him with his cane. “You fool. You’re tormenting yourself again, aren’t you? Got tricked by Jiao-niang again, didn’t you? Listen—until you truly let her go, don’t expect to ever feel at ease around her!”
Let go? How could he let go…
Zhou Liu-lang gave a bitter smile.
“Shi’san, just now, she healed someone’s broken arm,” he said.
Young Master Qin was startled, his expression stunned, as if he hadn’t heard correctly.
“A severed arm,” Zhou Liu-lang repeated, holding out his hand to demonstrate. “She reattached it…”
A severed arm—reattached…
Then ruined leg…
Young Master Qin looked at him in speechless shock.
As Zhou Liu-lang ran out, the courtyard fell into a strange silence. Aside from the maid and Ban Qin, no one understood what had just happened.
How could a single sentence drive that young man into such a frenzy?
But none of them dared to ask. Xu Maoxiu once again reminded them that he would return after settling Li Dashao, then hurried off in his carriage.
Once the carriage departed, Jin Ge’er closed the gate, and the courtyard returned to its usual calm.
Cheng Jiao-niang turned around and looked at the two maids.
Their expressions were somewhat strange.
“Do you two think I was being harsh?” she asked.
The maid and Ban Qin snapped out of their daze and quickly waved their hands.
“No, no—Miss, you’re not a harsh person at all!” they said in unison.
Cheng Jiao-niang gave a faint smile, said nothing more, and stepped forward.
“I’ll go tidy up the room,” Ban Qin said quickly.
“No need,” Cheng Jiao-niang replied. “I’ll stay in the study.”
If conditions allowed, her mistress had very high standards for living arrangements. Since Li Dashao had stayed in the main hall for three days, she definitely wouldn’t want to stay there now.
Ban Qin responded with a “yes.”
“Then I’ll move your things to the study,” she said.
“I’ll help you,” the maid added.
The two girls smiled and walked off ahead. Just as they reached the corridor, they heard a thumping sound coming from the wall.
“That guy again…” the maid muttered with a frown, turning to look.
At first, there was no one on top of the wall. But soon enough, a young man leaned out, and when he saw Cheng Jiao-niang looking his way, he waved and smiled.
“Have you eaten yet?” he asked.
Asking about meals at a time like this? Think everyone’s as idle as you?
The maid snorted and walked back into the house.
Ban Qin suppressed a laugh and followed, hearing a lady behind her respond that she had already eaten.
“It’s rare for me to come out like this. I was really worried you’d leave without me even knowing,” said Duke Jin’an.
Yeah, right. As if you wouldn’t be able to find out. Even if she really left, you’d definitely know where she went, the maid thought, curling her lips in a slight pout.
“I won’t be leaving just yet,” Cheng Jiao-niang replied.
Duke Jin’an smiled and nodded.
“Before you go, be sure to let me know,” he reminded her.
“All right,” Cheng Jiao-niang said.
“I’m actually a bit reluctant to see you go,” Duke Jin’an added with a smile.
Inside the room, the maid gave the brush holder in her hand a shake and let out two soft snorts.
“I haven’t left yet,” Cheng Jiao-niang said.
She hadn’t left yet, so there was no need to talk about reluctance or not. Maybe she would leave in the future—whether there’d be reluctance then was still uncertain.
There was no need to worry over something that hadn’t even happened.
Duke Jin’an laughed heartily, nodded, and rested his arm casually on the top of the wall.
“Hey, I just saw your brother running out in tears,” he said, clearly amused by the thought.
Brother?
Zhou Liu-lang?
Of course. If this man could find out about her background and status, it was no surprise he also knew who Zhou Liu-lang was.
But—Zhou Liu-lang cried?
Inside the room, the maid and Ban Qin exchanged a look.
He actually… cried…
Miss’s words really are… something else…
“Did you hit him or scold him? Poor boy,” Duke Jin’an said with a laugh.
“In a way… I humiliated him,” Cheng Jiao-niang replied, turning away and holding her hands calmly. “Very harsh words, and a very harsh act—anyone who heard it would think I’m a cruel person.”
Duke Jin’an laughed heartily.
“Not at all,” he said. “Being on the receiving end of your sharp words should be considered a good thing.”
A good thing?
The maid and Ban Qin paused in their tidying, exchanged a confused glance.
