Chapter 67: Farewell

  "I'll lie down for a while, you go out and take good care of Cai Xia, don't be slow!" Fourth Aunt instructed lightly.

  "Yes, I'm just outside. What can I do for you, mistress?" Due to the Hongzhi incident, Hongru also became much more honest, and the occasional hint of disdain and contempt in her words and deeds was completely gone.

  In Old Master's heart, Fourth Aunt was not someone without weight.

  Fourth Aunt lay quietly on the bed, staring blankly at the embroidered canopy with a mixture of green and blue silk threads, her hand under the thin quilt unconsciously rubbing her lower abdomen. She hadn't expected that increasing the dosage would hurt so much, the pain was almost unbearable, large beads of sweat broke out from her forehead, neck, and body, she gasped for air in big gulps as the sharp pain in her chest nearly suffocated her. But all this was worth it, wasn't it?

  Who would have thought that this was her own doing? Only the concubine who tried every means to escape drinking the abortion medicine, who would have thought that she not only drank it happily but also secretly increased the dosage? If not for this, how could this matter be made known to everyone, and how could Old Master Yao discover that Madam Ma's words and actions were inconsistent?

  There's also Hong Yu, who doesn't mind and tacitly understands that Ma Shi can't not have someone by her side, but it's impossible for both quotas to be taken up by people she's brought in. She has to make room for one of them to arrange for herself. She won't take the initiative to find fault with Ma Shi, nor will she openly confront her, but a timely attack is the best defense, and she must do something for herself.

  After resting for three days, Fourth Aunt's body had fully recovered. Two days later, Ren Yichen brought the seven maidservants he had selected to the Yao residence for her to choose from.

  Madam Ma introduced the several candidates and briefly described their situations, then, suppressing her resentment, said to Fourth Aunt: "You take a look yourself, pick one that suits your heart! If none of them are satisfactory, it doesn't matter, tomorrow we'll have someone bring more for you to choose from!"

  In short, it's essential to let you choose something that satisfies you. Mrs. Ma felt a sour taste in her heart.

  Fourth Aunt smiled and yielded, saying it's up to the mistress to decide.

  Ma heard and had two points of impatience, cold-faced still ordered her to choose herself, Fourth Aunt only then personally selected.

  They finally chose a 16-year-old maid named Qingmei, with an oval face, high nose bridge, and a steady look in her eyebrows. Fourth Aunt didn't even change the name, it was just her.

  Green plum gave Mrs. Ma a bow and then followed Fourth Aunt out.

  Afterwards, the backyard of the Yao family remained quiet. Fourth Aunt insisted on serving beside the mistress every day and following rules. Mr. Yao saw her determination and also acquiesced. Mrs. Ma was even more eager, except for confidential matters that couldn't be let Fourth Aunt know about, she would send her away to follow rules and serve at other times, until Mr. Yao sent someone to find her or after dinner before ordering her to return.

  Fourth Aunt watched with cold eyes from the main courtyard, people coming and going, words spoken back and forth, nothing could escape her eyes and ears. Some things, even if Mrs. Ma tried to avoid her, she still managed to catch a glimpse of them and get a general idea.

  "Second Miss, Fourth Aunt said that Ren An, the master of Ci Xin An, came this morning and had a private conversation with Madam Ma. I don't know what they talked about, but he left after lunch. When she saw him off, he brought many gifts." In the evening, under the lamp, Rong Ma reported to Yao Cunhui in a low voice.

  "Is it Master Ren'an of Ci Xin An?" Yao Cunhui's body trembled, his heart suddenly tightened, and he hastily asked: "Isn't that the Ci Xin An in the south of the city? Is this Master Ren'an the one who is quite famous in the upper class of the capital, known as the 'Living Bodhisattva'?"

  "It's her." Mother Rong replied with a slight frown. Generally, the three aunties and six grannies were the most hateful, often being petty people who would go in and out of various homes, prying into private matters, causing countless troubles. Mother Rong had personally witnessed many such incidents and thus deeply detested this type of person. When she heard Yao Cunhui mention Ren An's master at such a high level, Mother Rong was not quite convinced in her heart.

  To put it simply, she also reserved a few opinions about this renowned Ren An master and didn't think she was that great. There was no other reason, just having seen her twice, she felt that she "didn't seem right".

  "Mother Rong, please ask Fourth Aunt to be more careful around this person. Also, find two reliable people outside to investigate this Ren An master," Yao Cunhui thought for a moment, looked up at Mother Rong with a serious tone: "They must be reliable people."

  Ci Xin An, Ren An Shifu, although I don't know what Ma wants to do, but Yao Cun Hui is very clear about Ci Xin An and this Ren An Shifu. In her previous life as Madame Hou, the once-famous Ren An Shifu was beheaded by the government for framing a good family woman! That so-called Ci Xin An is actually a den of evil, it's said that women who went to pray for children were often drugged and sent to the secret room, where they were defiled by scoundrels. This is the truth about seeking children!

  This matter caused a huge stir in the capital, and countless families were torn apart because of it. Countless women were so ashamed that they took their own lives or were abandoned by their husbands' families.

  This Ren An master has come to Yao Fu again and is colluding with Madam Ma, definitely nothing good will happen.

  "Second Miss, rest assured, I understand and will definitely take care of this matter." Rong Ma was stunned, not expecting that her attitude towards Master Yao Cunhui was even more repulsive than hers. While feeling relieved, she also felt uneasy, and gave Yao Cunhui a deep look.

  Yao Cunhui couldn't help but sigh inwardly: What a pity that Shen Ke had already entered the military camp, otherwise, asking him for help would be safer and more reliable than anything else! Thinking again, it was already late September, and in just a few days, Shen Ke would set out to rush to the Western Regions battlefield. Yao Cunhui's heart sank slightly.

  Yao Cunhui did not expect that the next evening, Shen Que would quietly arrive at Luomei Courtyard. Rong Ma was startled and silently retreated to guard the outer room, allowing the two of them to have a good conversation in the bedroom.

  "How did you get here!" Yao Cunhui was both shocked and delighted, staring at the handsome young man who seemed to have descended from heaven, as if in a dream.

  "Hui'er!" Shen Que's eyebrows and eyes were filled with warm smiles, and in the smile, there was a hint of reluctance and unbearable pain.

  He gently held her in his arms, lifted his hand to gently smooth out her soft and fragrant hair, the reluctance in his heart gradually swelling up, from two points slowly rising to ten points, lowering his head to gaze at the gentle and lovely contours of her profile, his eyes slightly sunken.

  "I just happened to have something I wanted to talk to you about, and here you are! It's as if we're connected by heart." Yao Cunhui smiled slightly and lifted her head from his chest, her body subtly moving away from his.

  "Heh heh, go ahead and say what's on your mind. Hui'er's affairs are my affairs." Shen Ke swallowed back the words that were about to come out of his mouth and smiled intimately.

  A sweet thought flashed through Yao Cun's mind, and he suddenly felt a sense of solidity. His dense eyelashes blinked lightly, and he slightly raised his head to stare at Shen Que: "I want you to think of a way to help me investigate the Ci Xin An in Nanguo. I suspect that place is not good. Can you help me check if there's anything fishy going on?"

  " Ci Xin An?" Shen Ke raised an eyebrow and asked: "Is it the Ci Xin An where Ren An Shifu is located?"

  "Yes." Yao Cunhui nodded, feeling somewhat disheartened and resentful. Even Shen Que, a grown man, knew about Ren An, which showed that this Ren An was indeed very famous.

  "Alright, I'll send someone to investigate." Shen Jue smiled and nodded, "Qian Shan of the Shen Manor is my trusted aide. When the time comes, I'll have him find a way to inform you of the results. If I'm not around, if you encounter any difficulties, you can also look for Qian Shan. He's my person, Hui'er doesn't need to be polite."

  "Ah? Hmm, I remember." Yao Cun Hui was slightly stunned, he didn't ask anything, did that mean he agreed?

  "You, why don't you ask me why I want to investigate Ci Xin An?" Yao Cun Hui couldn't help but ask.

  A hint of helplessness flashed in Shen Jue's eyes, and the corners of his lips curved into a smile as he said without thinking: "Hui'er has her reasons for doing this, I trust you."

  A warmth arose in Yao's heart, her gaze suddenly softened, and she slightly lowered her eyelids. In the depths of her heart, ripples slowly spread out, one circle after another, softening her entire being. This man always managed to move her so easily!

  "Hui'er," her gentle and watery expression, as well as her radiant face, deeply attracted all of his attention. In Shen Qian's heart, endless reluctance and attachment suddenly surged up, his affectionate gaze deeply enveloped her, as if he wanted to deeply imprint her in his heart.

  He raised his hand and gently placed it on her shoulders, his voice low and husky: "The situation has changed, the day after tomorrow, I'll be leaving!"

  "What! Yao Cun Hui's body and mind were greatly shocked, and he suddenly raised his head to stare straight into his eyes, asking foolishly: "Departure? Where to?"

  "The situation has changed, the day of departure has been brought forward." The hand on her shoulder tightened, her reaction made him even more heartbroken. At this moment, he even wanted to go back on his word, as long as he could stay by her side, he didn't care about anything else.

  Can't see her, can't hear her voice, can't get any news about her joys and sorrows... Shen Jue suddenly felt a strong sense of fear and trembling, how could he spend such days?

  Yao Cunhui's pale face slightly recovered, and her eyes also gradually regained some clarity. She smiled faintly: "Hehe, didn't expect... it to be so soon!" Her heart felt empty and hollow, as if something most important and solid had been suddenly pulled away, leaving only emptiness and a sense of ungrounded panic.

  He's really leaving!

  He said it would be at most three years. But in these three years, no one can predict what will happen, and after three years, no one knows what it will become!

  Three years can change many things.

  Yao Cunhui's heart suddenly ached, tears flooded his eyes, and through the dim light of the water, his figure became somewhat disjointed and fragmented.

  She blinked hard, trying to hold back the tears in her eyes, raised an eyebrow and smiled: "May you have a smooth journey, take good care of yourself, I'll be waiting for your triumphant return, to marry me as your bride!"

  "It will definitely happen!" Shen Ke's arms wrapped tightly around her, his head buried in the crook of her neck, the warmth and faint scent of her skin making him both heartbroken and warm. He whispered resolutely in her ear: "Hui'er, I'll definitely come back, I'll definitely marry you! Hui'er, promise me, wait for me, wait for my return!"