After leaving Wen Jiang’s room, we naturally had to visit Wen Qi. Although I felt a lingering awkwardness in my heart, I made sure not to let it show on my face. Just as I took Wei Qingming’s arm to lead her toward the First Madam’s courtyard, Wei Qingming stopped in her tracks. She tilted my chin up and smiled. "Zhenzhen, you have something on your mind."
A wave of warmth and gratitude washed over me, mixed with a touch of shock. I could only manage to say, "Lord Wei is becoming more godlike by the day. Have you perhaps mastered the art of mind-reading?"
She smiled faintly. "The night I brought you home, the moment I appeared, you nervously glanced at Wen Qi several times."
"Over these years..." I lowered my head, speaking gloomily, "I have... changed a lot. I was afraid you might prefer the way I used to be."
"What foolish talk." For a rare moment, she seemed displeased. Her grip on my chin tightened slightly, and her voice dropped an octave. "Not only has my Azhi not changed at all, but even if you had, I would love every version of you. If you doubt my heart again, I shall truly be cross."
I threw myself into her arms, laughing and crying with joy.
Wen Qi’s room looked exactly as it had when I lived there, with only a few minor changes to the furnishings. It was likely arranged this way by the First Madam specifically to welcome her home. Wen Xiang and Wen Shu had both married out, and the First Madam only had a few young sons left under her wing. Keeping Wen Qi by her side was probably born out of a sense of loneliness.
Wei Qingming exchanged polite, distant greetings with Wen Qi. After a few words of concern, she sat far off by the table to maintain proper decorum and avoid suspicion, just as she had with Wen Jiang. On the night of the nineteenth, they had only shared a fleeting glance from a distance; this was the first time Wen Qi had seen her up close again. Although a formal visiting card had been sent ahead and she had prepared herself mentally, Wen Qi still couldn't help but freeze, staring at the person who had stirred her youthful heart and occupied her thoughts for over a decade.
Her face flushed with a lonely, quiet red. Leaning against the couch, she bowed slightly. "Thank you, Sister Zhenzhen, for your great kindness. And thank you... Cousin Qingming, for taking the time to visit."
I quickly pressed her down as she struggled to rise, smiling. "Sister Qi, please rest easy. We are relieved just to see that you are well."
I asked the usual questions about her medication and the doctor’s diagnosis. Wei Qingming’s previous patience with Wen Jiang had been entirely for the sake of the investigation—to collect those prescriptions. Now, she was merely going through the motions, sitting and waiting for the two of us to finish our exchange of sisterly platitudes. Sensing Wei Qingming’s utter indifference, Wen Qi finally reached her breaking point. The disappointment in her heart gradually seeped onto her face until she could no longer maintain her mild, gentle politeness. Claiming she felt unwell, she turned her head toward the wall.
Chaoyun and Qingchen were also present. Having seen how close the Third Young Master Wei used to be with Miss Qi, they had harbored some expectations. Now, they were stunned, exchanging wide-eyed looks of disbelief.
By the time we stepped outside, the sky was nearly dark. I gazed at the last sliver of light on the horizon, my thoughts churning like a restless tide.
"Yindeng is moving out of Wangxiang Tower the day after tomorrow," Wei Qingming said suddenly.
"Ah..." I snapped back to reality. "Sigh, we can't exactly go to see her off. Is it safe for her to live in the suburbs?"
"Mhm. Everything has been arranged," she said. "Before she left, fearing it might damage the friendship between you and Wen Qi, she included a single sentence in the intelligence report she submitted to me."
"What did it say?"
"'Wen Qi is strange; be extremely careful.'" Wei Qingming chuckled. "Pingkang Fang is the world's premier marketplace for lies. In front of Yindeng, Wen Qi’s affectations are nothing more than child's play."
"I had my own doubts about her originally," I said. "But if she... how could she have been kidnapped by the Thousand-Color Palace? Wen Jiang’s return was orchestrated by Xia Ji. If Wen Qi knew, she could have easily avoided it or asked Wen Gan to escort her..."
As I spoke, the realization dawned on me. "She used that very event to wash away suspicion!"
No wonder before we escaped, Yindeng specifically insisted that I take Wen Jiang while she took Wen Qi. It was to prevent Wen Qi from potentially acting against me. And before leaving, she had decisively and ruthlessly killed Jinzhu with a single blade—likely as a warning and a deterrent.
The "Golden Patron" I had once impersonated... what role did that identity play in all of this?
The next morning, Wei Qingming took me to Xixi Tower to investigate the scene of Li Zizhuo’s murder. Chu Jiangheng had almost grown accustomed to the two of us appearing as a pair; he could now manage to hide his look of disdain. Behind my veil, I tilted my chin up slightly and gave him a triumphant smile. Wei Qingming stepped forward imperceptibly to shield me, initiating the greetings, and the group headed straight for the sealed building where the Haoqiu Banquet had been held.
It had been three days since the banquet ended on the eighteenth, yet the scene remained a mess. This was because the men from Yingzhao Temple had surrounded the entire building that night and had kept it under strict guard ever since. Nearly a hundred servants who slept in the common quarters on the ground floor had been driven out and temporarily confined in other courtyards of Xixi Tower, awaiting summons and interrogation by the officials at any moment.
The ground was littered with caps, shoes, socks, kerchiefs, and hairpins. Countless gold beads, jewelry, waist rings, and jade pendants lay lonely in the snow, radiating a brilliant luster, yet no one dared to scavenge them. Duan Qimo was naturally present, standing with two other hosts to greet us with cupped fists. One was Boss Jiang Hongguang, who handled the food and drink business, and the other was the financier, President Huang Maoshi of the Baiheng Chamber of Commerce. Aside from providing funds, the Duan family had taken full charge of the planning. In truth, everything within the banquet hall had been decided by Duan Qimo alone; the other two were merely there today as company. The manager of Xixi Tower responsible for the banquet knelt on the ground with a group of core subordinates.
After a few days, Duan Qimo had returned to her usual state of exquisite dress and graceful bearing. Furthermore, her aura seemed even sharper than before. Every gesture exuded an air of ambition and the pride of one who held victory in her grasp. Her eyes flickered with a sharp, restless light—she was likely handling major affairs around the clock, yet she remained methodical, moving from one task to the next with increasing proficiency. After performing her salutations, she straightened up and met Wei Qingming’s gaze with burning intensity, as if telling her that everything was back on track. Wei Qingming merely gave a slight nod in response, offering no further sign.
Taking advantage of the gap while Lord Wei and Lord Chu questioned the staff and reviewed the entry and exit logs according to protocol, I gave Duan Qimo a look, and the two of us stepped aside. She naturally anticipated what I wanted to say. Her previously glowing expression cooled, yet she still maintained perfect etiquette as she smiled. "What is it, Madam Su?"
"I spent several days with her. You were the one she thought of," I said. "Whether awake, asleep, or ill... even when she was being held captive, your name was the one on her lips."
The corner of Duan Qimo’s mouth twitched into a faint smile. She only said, "Thank you."
"She is not doing well." I frowned. "Go see her, or at least send a letter. Of course, this is between the two of you, and I have said my piece. A human life is but a fleeting thing, like grass in late spring. While there is still a chance to cherish someone, you should cherish them."
Having said that, I had no desire to look at her cold face any longer and turned to find Lord Wei.
At that moment, more people arrived—it was actually Yan Mingqiu and Yan Xiangjun. Upon seeing Wei Qingming, Old Brother Yan gave a mischievous grin. With his arms crossed, he squinted at her and said, "You’d better wrap up this case today. I’m heading back to the sect after the New Year."
"Fine," Wei Qingming replied. "I owe you much for your help this time. I’ll treat you to a drink before you leave." So, the presence of the immortal lord and lady at this mundane matchmaking banquet had also been Lord Wei’s arrangement...
"Great!" Brother Yan rubbed his hands together with a sly, foolish grin. "That’s a small matter. You have to spar with me."
...I suspected this fellow hadn't been beaten enough by Xia Ji that night; his skin was itching for a fight.
Wei Qingming smiled faintly. Taking it as agreement, the great fool Yan couldn't wait a day or even an hour—he suddenly threw a punch. Naturally, she parried it. Neither of them moved their feet, relying entirely on their fists and palms. In an instant, they exchanged five or six moves, so fast my eyes blurred. All I could see were the wide, silver-patterned sleeves of Lord Wei’s ten-thousand-gold robe fluttering like green banners...
Yan Xiangjun and I looked at each other in silence, shaking our heads repeatedly. She and her brother showed no surprise at seeing me; Wei Qingming must have explained the situation when she asked them to keep an eye on things at the banquet. Finally, Yan Mingqiu grew impatient and resorted to trickery. He reached down with one hand and grabbed Wei Qingming’s sleeve. The two "fighting cocks" finally stopped their movements, because if either of them applied even a bit more force, that thin, delicate silk would surely be torn...
In fact, everyone in the courtyard was staring at them. Boss Jiang and President Huang were utterly aghast, their mouths agape. Duan Qimo watched intently, her expression filled with admiration and praise. Chu Jiangheng’s face was greener than Wei Qingming’s robes. Only Yan Xiangjun and I maintained our usual composure, covering our eyes tightly.
Yan Mingqiu smugly released his junior brother’s sleeve and spat out, "I told you this kind of dog-skin isn't flexible! I’m never wearing it again!" It turned out he was still piqued at his sister, unhappy about being dressed up like a flamboyant rooster for the matchmaking banquet. I couldn't help but feel a silent pang of sympathy; Lord Wei was truly an innocent victim, nearly suffering a "broken sleeve"...
Just as he was about to turn and walk away with his tail held high, his feet were hooked out from under him. He fell flat on his face with a heavy thud... it was a taste of the "Arrow-Hawk Grappling" he had once explained.
Wei Qingming gave a cold smile. "Even without the dog-skin, you aren't very flexible either."
Yan Mingqiu used a high-level movement technique to leap up from the ground. He brushed the dust off his hands and face, still grinning foolishly. "We’ll fight another day, another day. You handle the case first."
Although tripping a martial arts master of Yan Mingqiu’s caliber was an almost impossible feat, we all knew that from the moment her sleeve was grabbed, Wei Qingming had lost in some sense. This was truly a rare humiliation in her life... who could have predicted that the great fool Yan would be so shameless! It was one thing to throw manure at a divine senior brother like Zhang Yuande on the tournament grounds, but this was his own junior brother!
The great fool Yan sat down cross-legged on a small stool in front of the building's entrance, waving his hand dismissively. "Go look at the murder scene. I’ll sun myself here and wait for you!"
Wei Qingming had already walked away with an icy expression. Starting with Chu Jiangheng, the crowd scrambled to follow her, their heels practically hitting the backs of their necks. I instantly understood the vividness of the idiom "scrambling like ducks"...
It wasn't until we reached the eastern side of the second floor, where Li Zizhuo had resided, that Lord Wei finally managed to suppress her anger. She looked back and frowned, clearly wanting to say that so many people didn't need to follow, but she held her tongue. She watched in silence as Manager Lin of the tower stepped forward with quick, short steps, wiping the sweat from his brow despite the freezing winter, and opened the door to Li Zizhuo’s bedroom.
I lifted my skirt, pushed through the crowd, and leaned in close to her. "Let's beat him up later!"
Her expression finally softened a bit. She gave me a small smile and turned to enter the room.
Chu Jiangheng was an Emissary, after all, and possessed basic common sense. He ordered the crowd to stop fifteen paces away and not to trample the scene. Even I obediently stood ten paces back, waiting for Lord Wei to conduct her initial inspection before calling me in if needed.
Yan Xiangjun, knowing she wouldn't be able to maintain her "immortal lady" poise if she stayed near her brother—likely wanting to kick him a few times—had followed us up. She finally found a moment to walk over to Duan Qimo’s side and asked softly if her injuries were still bothering her. Duan Qimo merely shook her head, her eyes fixed unblinkingly on Wei Qingming’s back as she investigated the case.
