Guo Chengfeng's eyes flickered. He picked up the pot of hot tea that someone had just delivered, poured a cup, and gently pushed it in front of Shen Qing. "I understand how you feel," he said. "After all, a lot can change in ten years. Zihan has grown up, and Yu Jiuqing has become more and more... unfathomable.
The closer you once were to someone, the more helpless you can feel when a rift forms between you.
That's why you could write to me for help investigating, but you don't dare ask Yu Jiuqing to his face.
Don't worry, I know how to be discreet. I heard Yu Jiuqing was injured in an assassination attempt this morning. When I came this time, not even Chen Li came out to receive me. The fact that I came to find you means I'm confident your identity won't be exposed.
Although I'd love to ask where you've been for the past ten years, there's no point in me asking if you don't want to talk about it. If you wanted to tell me, you would.
But Ah Qing, you can't keep running away like this. Setting Yu Jiuqing aside, Zihan needs his mother."
'An assassination attempt.'
'So Yu Jiuqing was attacked this morning.'
Shen Qing picked up the tea in front of her, warming her hands on the cup. "Who says I'm going to keep running away?" she said. "I just don't like to fight a battle unprepared. Like you said, there are too many complications between me and Yu Jiuqing. If we can still make it work, that would be for the best. But if we can't, I need to think about what to do next."
'Just the question of Zihan's future is enough to worry about.'
Guo Chengfeng raised an eyebrow slightly. After a moment, he chuckled and said, "Ah Qing, sometimes I find you quite frightening. You always seem so calm, as if there's nothing in this world that could make you lose your composure."
'Even after not seeing her husband and child for ten years, she can still think so calmly about the future, weighing all the pros and cons.'
'Few men could manage to be so rational.'
Shen Qing was speechless.
'Does he have some kind of misunderstanding about me?'
'In fact, she hadn't been calm at all, starting from the moment she'd impulsively applied to be a Maid at the Prime Minister's Mansion.'
'Or rather, she hadn't been calm since the moment she decided to stay in this world for Yu Jiuqing all those years ago.'
"But I don't think that's a flaw. I actually quite like it."
Guo Chengfeng suddenly broke into a small smile. "I told you back then, your temperament is perfect for business. If you had chosen me instead of Yu Jiuqing, we would surely be living in perfect harmony now, without all these troubles."
'There he goes again.'
'Even after ten years, he still likes to make these kinds of jokes.'
Shen Qing shot him a look, a hint of mischief in her voice. "So, you could accept your wife abandoning you and your child, disappearing without a word for ten years?"
Guo Chengfeng choked.
'That question was really putting him on the spot.'
After a moment, he shook his head and chuckled. "If you were my wife, I never would have let you disappear from my sight for ten whole years in the first place."
With that, he took a stack of papers from his robes and placed it in front of Shen Qing, smoothly changing the subject. "This is what you asked me to investigate. It happens to be something I've looked into a bit myself over the past few years. The details are all here."
Shen Qing didn't say that her departure back then had been inevitable, regardless of who her husband was.
She picked up the stack of papers and began to scan through them quickly.
Her memory and information processing skills had always been better than others'. That was why she had skipped grades and graduated early, entering the Space-Time Administration Bureau at just sixteen to begin her first mission.
'Who would have thought she'd get herself stuck on her very first mission?'
In a little over a quarter of an hour, she finished reading all five pages filled with text. After a moment of silence, she said, "On the surface, there's nothing particularly special about those six women. The only one who stands out is this Aunt Cao from the Jiangnan Cao Family.
She's a beauty that the current Minister of the Ministry of Justice specifically selected from a branch of the Cao Family. However, there were rumors back then that the Minister of the Ministry of Justice was part of the Cheng King's Party."
She had asked Guo Chengfeng to investigate the six women in the Prime Minister's Mansion.
The findings weren't too surprising. Even if the people who sent those women all had ulterior motives, those motives were surely buried deep and not easily unearthed.
Guo Chengfeng nodded. "That's right. You and Yu Jiuqing have a long history with Prince Cheng, don't you?
But the connection between the Minister of the Ministry of Justice and Prince Cheng was only ever a rumor, with no proof. And after Prince Cheng's rebellion failed back then, he was crippled, his legs useless. He was exiled to the desolate northern lands to live out his days. The Holy Emperor of Da Qi took pity and spared his life, but whether that was a blessing or a curse for him is hard to say.
A Prince Cheng like that doesn't seem capable of making any waves."
Shen Qing immediately understood what he meant. She handed the papers back to Guo Chengfeng and said coolly, "So, while this Aunt Cao seems to have a connection to Prince Cheng's side, whether she was actually sent by him is still up for debate."
Guo Chengfeng smiled. "It's still so easy talking to you. You asked me to look into this because you suspect Yu Jiuqing had some other motive for taking in these women, right?"
Shen Qing propped her chin on one hand and turned to look away, not saying a word.
Guo Chengfeng's gaze deepened, and he said with a smile, "Nevertheless, the fact remains that he took those women in. I'm only a merchant, after all, so the information I can dig up is limited. If you really want to know the answer to that question, your best bet is to ask Yu Jiuqing directly.
If, when the time comes, the answer you get isn't the one you want..."
The man before her paused. Shen Qing turned her gaze slightly toward him, only to see the smile in his eyes deepen as he said, "I can take you away.
It's been ten years, but you must still know plenty of people in the Capital City. Yet you chose to ask for my help because I'm the only one who frequently travels all over, has the least contact with Yu Jiuqing, and would never betray you.
Ah Qing, if you get hurt then, I can take you away from the Capital City, even away from Da Qi. We can go wherever you want. How about it?"
Shen Qing was taken aback for a moment.
For an instant, she actually felt that the man before her was being sincere, not joking.
The corner of her mouth twitched, and just as she was about to say something, a rather frantic shout suddenly carried over. "Young master, slow down! Wait for me..."
Shen Qing immediately turned to look.
'That was Xiang Qiao's voice!'
As she turned, she saw Yu Zihan, whom she had just met, rushing toward them. Upon seeing her, the young boy clearly faltered. His steps slowed to a halt, and he stood outside the pavilion, asking in bewilderment, "Shen Qing, what are you doing here? Do you know Uncle Guo?"
He had heard that Uncle Guo had arrived, so he immediately asked someone where he was and rushed over.
He just hadn't expected to see Shen Qing.
Guo Chengfeng raised his eyebrows, looking from Shen Qing to Yu Zihan and back, a curious expression appearing on his face.
Just then, Xiang Qiao also caught up. Seeing Shen Qing sitting with Guo Chengfeng, she was clearly just as surprised, staring at Shen Qing with a look of utter confusion.
Shen Qing hadn't expected Yu Zihan to come over and, for a moment, didn't know how to answer.
At that moment, a clamor of chaotic shouts erupted from a short distance away—
"Fire! Fire!"
"It looks like... the fire is in the direction of the stewards' quarters! Everyone, with me! Help put it out!"
The instant the shouts rang out, a group of servants hurried past them.
Before Shen Qing could react, she saw the young boy's expression change slightly. He suddenly muttered under his breath, "Oh no..."
Xiang Qiao, standing beside him, immediately had a bad feeling. Forgetting all about Shen Qing, she grabbed Yu Zihan's hand and frowned. "Young master, this doesn't have anything to do with you, does it?!"
Yu Zihan opened his mouth, secretly glanced at Shen Qing, and finally said with some frustration, "I heard Steward Su was going to punish Shen Qing today, so I had Zao Sheng find the right time to set a fire at Steward Su's place. I was going to use the chaos to send Shen Qing some warm clothes and something to kneel on..."
Since everyone here was someone he trusted, Yu Zihan decided to just be blunt.
'Who knew the person who was supposed to be getting punished would be sitting here perfectly fine?'
Hearing this, Xiang Qiao nearly fainted from anger. "Young master!"
Even Shen Qing couldn't help but raise her eyebrows.
'This little guy is certainly bold. It seems the rumors are true. Who knows how much trouble he's caused over the years to earn the title "Little Terror of the Capital City."'
Yu Zihan quickly added, "But I only told Zao Sheng to burn a tree in her courtyard! As long as they put the fire out in time, it won't spread to the living quarters..."
Before he could finish, another group of servants rushed past nearby, their voices drifting over on the evening breeze—
"...Did you hear? They seem to have caught the arsonist! I heard it's one of the young servants from our own mansion!"
"No way! Security in the mansion was suddenly tightened this morning. I was just thinking something must be up. That servant couldn't be an assassin who snuck in, could he...?"
Yu Zihan's face instantly changed. Without another word, he turned and hurriedly chased after the servants who had just run past.
Xiang Qiao immediately followed, anxious and exasperated.
Shen Qing's brows knitted together. Watching that small figure, she sighed inwardly and followed as well.
Guo Chengfeng was left standing alone in the pavilion. Watching Shen Qing's retreating back, he suddenly murmured, a mix of bitterness and wistfulness in his voice, "It seems she's not so calm after all..."
'Perhaps she only acts so calm in front of outsiders like us.'