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墨書 Inktalez
Before the second hour of the day had arrived, Nie Qiuyuan had already taken me to He Xue Ting's residence in Suzhou.
This time, we hadn't informed anyone about our outing, so it was just the two of us. Nie Qiuyuan had me restore my appearance as a young lady, while he donned a set of black formal attire, complete with a treasured sword, looking dashing and suave. As we walked down the street, we resembled a pair of kindred Jianghu Heroes.
Due to a restless night filled with nightmares, I felt a bit sluggish in the early morning. Seeing this, Qiu took pity on me and decided to treat me to breakfast at an exceptionally nice restaurant.
The breakfast was exquisite and delicious, but it did little to alleviate my drowsiness, making me long for modern coffee shops.
Nie Qiuyuan listened with great interest as I described coffee, cafes, and their ambiance. He insisted that once we returned to my world, we must visit a café together. I calculated that this was already the latest item on his list of things to do after "arriving in the modern world," so... it seemed urgent that I should focus on finding a way for him to traverse into the 21st century.
When we arrived at the entrance of He Manor and knocked on the door, the butler appeared somewhat bleary-eyed. It seemed that Lord He Xue Ting was not particularly strict with his servants.
We handed our invitation card to the head steward of He Manor, who was momentarily stunned and stared at us in disbelief. After a minute of confusion, he suddenly became flustered, unsure whether to let us in or go inside to announce our arrival.
I could understand his dilemma because our ages and appearances did not resemble those of officials from the fourth rank court. Although Nie Qiuyuan was visiting in an unofficial capacity as a colleague, it still seemed rather dubious.
However, the invitation card was genuine, so the steward dared not dismiss us but became even more bewildered.
Nie Qiuyuan chuckled and said, "Don't be anxious; just go inside and inform your master. We will wait here at the door."
The steward was taken aback for a moment before hurriedly bowing in response and darting inside. His panicked demeanor made me burst into laughter.
Qiu watched me with amusement and stifled a giggle. Suddenly, he pulled me close and wrapped his arms around my waist, silently lifting us onto the roof.
"What are you doing? Aren't we waiting for him?" I found his actions perplexing.
"We're going to play a little joke on He Sir," he said mischievously. "We'll make him go to the front door to greet us while we sneak in quietly and give him a surprise. How does that sound?"
Is my husband really such a mischievous person? Well, if it were just between the two of us, it might be possible, but right now we are investigating a case, so he must have his own thoughts.
This could be considered an attack when unprepared, catching one off guard, and disturbing one's mind, right?
Nie Qiuyuan held me in his arms and lightly glided over the buildings, landing gracefully in a place resembling a garden.
We had already reached the depths of the estate. The garden was densely planted with flowers and trees, lush and vibrant, with blossoms in full bloom. A gentle breeze passed by, carrying a faint fragrance.
In the distance, deep within the flower bushes, stood a woman in a plain dress. She had her back to us, gazing intently at the pond beside the Pavilion.
Her hair was styled up in a woman's fashion, and from her posture and silhouette, she appeared Linglong graceful, making me In My Heart anticipate the spring-like beauty of her turning around with a smile.
Perhaps it was because Qiu saw her that he landed here. We should pay a visit to the sick Madam He. Could this enchanting figure be the wife of He Xue Ting?
No wonder Qiu wanted me to dress as a woman when going out today. The governor's wife, Madam He, has been suffering from madness; if we two "men" barged into her inner quarters carelessly, it would surely frighten her. If I looked like a daughter instead, it would be much better. My dear god is truly attentive to details.
We quietly approached her from behind and were already quite close, yet her body remained stiff as if she were completely unaware of everything around her.
So I gently cleared my throat behind her.
Her shoulders trembled slightly as she suddenly turned around, startling me in return. Upon closer inspection, although I had guessed she might be very beautiful, her appearance captivated me instantly.
A typical beauty from Jiangnan, her delicate features radiated an elegant and gentle aura when she was quiet—truly exuding femininity. No wonder she fell ill; even her husband remained devoted to her.
The woman looked at me in surprise before shifting her gaze to Nie Qiuyuan. She stared at him for a moment before suddenly breaking into a joyful smile and quickly walking towards us.
“Cui Lang!” She reached out and grabbed Nie Qiuyuan's sleeve. “Why did it take you so long to come? I've been waiting for ages. How should I punish you?”
Her words sounded like the everyday affectionate banter between lovers. At that moment, I truly believed this woman must be insane.
It seemed she did not live in this world but rather in an imagined one. In that world, she was intimately together with her lover, this “Cui Lang.”
Wait a minute, isn’t she Madam He Xue Ting? How could she be calling him… “Cui Lang”?
Who exactly is this “Cui Lang”?
“Cui Lang, we look best in these plain clothes. I never want to change; no one else can touch them. But why do you never come? Do you really think I look good like this?” Madam He asked shyly, her face showing a hint of flirtation, resembling an unmarried young girl.
Although this woman was mad, I couldn't bear to watch her cling to my husband’s sleeve and express her feelings for him. I stepped forward and took her hand. In reality, I was inserting myself between her and Nie Qiuyuan, forcibly pulling her hand away from his sleeve.
“Hello, Madam He,” I greeted her.
Madam He looked at me in surprise, and soon her face was suddenly filled with extreme terror.
“Cui Lang, who is she? Cui Lang, weren’t you going to take me away!”
Madam He suddenly cried out, tears beginning to form on her long eyelashes.
“Madam, please calm down. We are not… Mr. Cui. Madam, please settle down and let me explain…” Her crying left me feeling completely at a loss.
Though I was somewhat flustered, thoughts began to form in my mind. Could it be that this woman was mad because she didn’t love He Xue Ting at all but was infatuated with that “Cui Lang,” yet was trapped by He Sir beside her?
At that moment, a deep male voice echoed from afar, stern and seemingly scolding.
"What are you doing here? Didn't I repeatedly instruct you that the lady must not be left alone? How could you let her stay in the garden by herself? This is unacceptable!"
A thin female voice, tinged with tears, responded, "It was the lady who was thirsty and insisted that I fetch water. I know I was wrong; please have mercy, my lord!"
We turned to see He Xue Ting, dressed impeccably in his Official Robe, approaching us with an expression of anger on his face.
As he drew near, he suddenly stopped, astonishment written all over his features.
"Nie... Lord Nie?" He Xue Ting's tone was filled with disbelief. "This... this is..."
The implication was clear: how could we have suddenly appeared in this back garden and even encountered the lady?
Nie Qiuyuan smiled slightly and said, "I came today specifically to visit He Sir. I had someone announce my arrival at the entrance, but my wife, being playful, saw a butterfly and ran off after it. I didn't expect she would bump into your esteemed household's ladies; I truly feel quite apologetic."
Hearing this, I couldn't help but grit my teeth in silence. Nie Qiuyuan, every time you act on your own whims, you drag me out as a target. Just wait until we get back; I'll settle the score with you.
He Xue Ting glanced at me, his surprise deepening. He must have realized that I was the same person he had seen yesterday with the "Confidant." Before he could react further, a woman's angry voice rang out: "Cui Lang, what is going on? Are you trying to blame me?"
He Xue Ting hurried forward, disregarding our presence as he opened his arms and embraced the lady gently, soothing her with soft words. "It's alright, I'm here. Awang, don't be afraid; everything is just fine."
After a moment, He Xue Ting finally lifted his head and apologized, saying, "Please forgive me, Lord Nie. My wife has suffered from this condition for years now; no remedy has worked. Recently, she has even been unable to call my name correctly."
With that, He Xue Ting shook his head lightly and sighed deeply.
Nie Qiuyuan smiled slightly and said, "It's nothing. However, Madam seems tired. Why don't you go back and rest? We can talk here; it will be quieter."
He Xue Ting was taken aback and turned to the maid who had just been scolded, tears still in her eyes. "Help Madam to her room to rest. Remember, she must not leave your side for a moment."
Madam He leaned on the maid and walked a few steps in a daze, but suddenly turned around, her eyes filled with anger.
"Where are you taking me? Let go of me; I will not go with you!"
The maid replied, "Madam, watch your step. We are not going anywhere; we are going back to rest."
Madam He murmured, "Cui Lang, is that you? Hmm, I will listen to you..."
I looked at this seemingly ethereal yet mentally unstable Madam He and couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy. It seemed that Qiu's judgment was correct; when you instinctively sense something is wrong, you should follow the clues and see for yourself. Look at this Madam He; she clearly has some peculiarities.
Nie Qiuyuan remained silent until the maid had helped Madam far away before turning to He Xue Ting.
Seeing this, He Xue Ting quickly forced a smile and said, "My wife is in such a state; it's truly unfortunate and has disturbed your enjoyment, my lord. I have sought doctors everywhere, invited various renowned experts, even called in Taoist priests to exorcise evil spirits, yet there has been no improvement. I shouldn't mention these matters. My lord, Madam, why don't we go to the front hall for some tea to rest a bit? I will have someone prepare some light wine..."
Nie Qiuyuan looked at him with a serious expression and suddenly spoke, "He Sir, there is no need to seek doctors anymore. If you do not stop adding Aconite poison to her food every day, even Bian Que or Hua Tuo could do nothing."
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