Chapter 123: An Unexpected Meeting

Sensing their confusion, Changxing explained, “My surname isn’t Jia. I adopted that alias simply to make it easier for the two of you to meet. If you want to offer thanks, direct it to my young master. It was her idea that allowed you both to leave safely.”

Cheng Dong was easy to please, having never encountered many remarkable individuals. Dong Xue, however, had seen countless sons of wealthy and official families. Yet, as she looked at the child before her, smiling so innocently, she felt something different—something extraordinary about this person. Perhaps it was the aura that belied her age, or the sharp intelligence that shone through her eyes.

This was no ordinary child; her future was boundless.

Dong Xue silently marveled at this thought.

Cheng Dong, an honest man, promptly stepped forward to express his gratitude upon hearing that the young master had saved them.

Liu Qin smiled and appraised the two. Cheng Dong’s appearance was plain, but his honest and simple demeanor made him trustworthy. As for Dong Xue, who had removed her heavy makeup and donned simple village attire, her natural elegance still shone through—a true beauty like a lotus emerging from clear water.

They say beauty suits the hero, but Liu Qin, having lived two lifetimes as a woman, believed that no matter how great a hero or how formidable a power one was, it could not compare to the unspoken glance of someone who treats you sincerely.

And to forge a mutual love that endures to the end requires great fortune.

Dong Xue was indeed very fortunate.

Liu Qin stopped their thanks with a smile. “Brother Cheng, Sister Dong Xue, there’s no need for formalities. Our meeting is fate. If we can help fulfill Brother Cheng’s sincere feelings for Sister Dong Xue, we are truly happy.”

Changxing retrieved a bundle from the carriage and handed it to Cheng Dong. “Brother Cheng, this is a gift from my young master, wishing you both an early happiness in your union.”

Tears glistened instantly in Dong Xue’s eyes. Cheng Dong attempted to refuse, but Changxing pressed the gift firmly into his hands.

“Brother Cheng, it’s getting late; you should set off as soon as possible.”

Nearby, the coachman approached Liu Qin with a respectful bow. “Young master, rest assured, I will ensure their safe arrival.”

Liu Qin nodded.

Cheng Dong and Dong Xue expressed their heartfelt thanks once more before supporting each other into the carriage, parting with tears.

A sharp crack of the whip, the sound of hooves echoed, and under everyone’s watchful eyes, the carriage gradually disappeared at the end of the road.

This farewell might be their last in this lifetime. May you walk hand in hand to old age, living a peaceful and happy life.

Liu Qin murmured silently in her heart. She wondered if she and Jiang Li would one day achieve their own happy ending, if they too could say, “Hold your hand, grow old with you.”

Lost in thought, she suddenly felt a hand reach out, taking hers, as if to fulfill that very phrase.

Looking up, Jiang Li’s handsome face turned toward her, eyes filled with affection, instantly sweeping away all her melancholy and farewell sorrow.

Just as she was savoring the moment, another hand reached out from the other side, grasping hers as well. Startled, she turned to see Xiao Wu’s bright face, his gaze burning as if a furnace glowed within.

Her heart skipped a beat—whether to be alarmed or pleased, she wasn’t sure. In the end, she patted her belly, comforting herself that these were just children, inexperienced and naive. They probably thought this was a game of snatching candy or toys. She would just be the invisible plaything and let these two compete.

Sure enough, Jiang Li and Xiao Wu soon engaged in a serious contest of wills. Their eyes flashed like sparks, exchanging sharp glances that must have left them both metaphorically wounded.

Liu Qin was too lazy to argue with the two children. She shook off their hands and climbed back into the carriage alone, leaving them to their duel.

Only Changxing cast a sorrowful glance at his young master, sighing deeply for her.

Meanwhile, at the Huaiyang Marquis residence, the marquis received a letter from Liu Cheng detailing the interrogation results, as well as the deaths of Madame Xie and Dong Xue.

Hearing of Dong Xue’s death, the marquis sighed with some regret and sadness but soon let go. After all, she was just a sister; whatever past affection existed faded with her passing.

Since Madame Xie was deceased, the mastermind behind the scenes remained undiscovered. However, Liu Cheng subtly mentioned that the eldest master of the Fang family, Fang Zhen, had attempted to plead for leniency.

That single sentence was enough for the shrewd marquis to understand the situation.

He slammed the letter on the table, muttering, “Fang Zhen, Fang family—do they take me, the Huaiyang Marquis, for a pushover?”

Unbeknownst to Liu Qin, her cunning stratagem had inadvertently made the Fang family a formidable enemy and, by extension, gained an ally for the Liu family.

The region around Yan Yu Lake was in turmoil due to the closure of the Drunken Spring Tower. For days, conversations swirled only around this topic. Some took pleasure in others’ misfortune, others lamented, and some speculated about the secrets behind it all. Gossip ran rampant.

When Liu Qin, Jiang Li, and Fang Nuo came to study music theory, they found the Yan Yu Tower abuzz with whispers, the name “Drunken Spring Tower” everywhere.

Liu Qin chuckled to herself. The three of them, familiar with the area, headed straight to the room where they had previously had tea. This room had once been Wan Yue’s private tea room for close acquaintances; it was now their classroom.

They opened the door without announcement, only to halt abruptly at the scene inside.

The atmosphere was unmistakably ambiguous. A solitary man and woman stood by the window, backs to the others. The woman was in front, the man just behind her. From that angle, it seemed as if the man was holding the woman in his arms, and their gestures were intimate. As the three entered, they caught sight of the man raising his hand to touch the woman’s coiffed hair.

Jiang Li and Fang Nuo immediately flushed crimson, their minds filled with a thousand thoughts of fleeing at once. Nevertheless, they maintained a composed demeanor, turning to leave with grace, stopping only at the stairs.

But then something felt off.

What was wrong?

One person was missing.

Looking back again, Jiang Li’s face turned redder with anger.

Someone shamelessly lay against the door, giggling as they peered inside. The sparkle in their eyes was brighter than anything Jiang Li had ever seen.

The two at the window had already turned around at the noise. Had Jiang Li and Fang Nuo looked again, they would have seen the truth: the pair maintained a respectful distance, not leaning close at all. The man’s raised hand had been merely to point outside, but the angle created an illusion.

Jiang Li, too embarrassed to stay, ran to the door to drag the shameless one away for a lesson, when Wan Yue’s gentle voice called out, “Ali, Qin’er, Anuo, you’re here.”

Raising his eyes, Jiang Li recognized Wan Yue. Her expression was calm and serene, showing neither the blush of passion nor the embarrassment of being caught. The man stood three feet away from her, his hands casually behind his back, watching them.

Suddenly, everything became clear—they had misunderstood.

Awkwardly rubbing his nose, Jiang Li finally greeted, “Teacher.”

Wan Yue never accepted such titles lightly, but out of their insistence, she allowed it.

She beckoned them inside, pointing to the person beside her with a smile. “Let me introduce a friend from the martial world.”

Jiang Li looked closely and finally understood why his sister’s eyes had been sparkling—this man was an old acquaintance. They recognized him, but he did not recognize them.

Liu Qin inwardly groaned. Fate truly works in mysterious ways—when one mountain does not move, another flows; mountains and waters meet again.

It seemed she had not been mistaken after all.

(To be continued.)