Chapter 13: The Long Goodbye
That day, the tranquil lake of Lian Heng's heart, still for over a decade, finally rippled.
The warmth of those paper lanterns illuminated not only the night sky but also the shadows lurking in her heart.
Could it be that no woman can ever escape the allure of romance?
Standing beneath an osmanthus tree, Lian Heng looked at the drifting clouds in the sky and let out a silent sigh.
Opposite her, Second Madame Su Caiyun and her maid Xiaofeng were busy "shaking osmanthus flowers." Among all the household members, this pair of mistress and maid lived the most carefree lives, untroubled by worldly concerns.
Su Caiyun spread a bamboo mat under the tree, while Xiaofeng hugged the trunk and gave it a vigorous shake. The osmanthus blossoms fell like a golden rain, covering their hair and shoulders. The sweet fragrance permeated the air, intoxicatingly rich.
Su Caiyun scooped up a handful of blossoms and said softly, "Ah Heng, they smell wonderful. Would you like to try some?"
Just as Lian Heng was about to nod, her towering bodyguard interjected firmly, "Miss! The master has strictly ordered that you must not eat anything carelessly!"
Su Caiyun covered her mouth and laughed, her round eyes curving into crescents. "Brother Qiao is so dedicated! That's reassuring. With you around, Ah Heng's safety is in good hands!"
Xiaofeng gathered the blossoms from the mat and placed them into two crystal bowls she had prepared. "Second Madame, one bowl is for the altar, and the other is for making osmanthus cakes, right?"
Su Caiyun nodded and said to Lian Heng, "You've loved osmanthus cakes since you were a child. I'll make them for you later!"
Just then, Lu Qiaoqiao strolled in with a cheerful laugh. "I want some, too! If I hear about it, I should get a share!"
"Then I'll make more and send some to your nephew. The master hasn't been sending him any since yesterday," Su Caiyun said as she moved the mat to another osmanthus tree.
Lu Qiaoqiao's face turned pale. "Ah, it's not that he's not sending him any—just trying to avoid suspicion, I suppose. Ah Heng, do you think the master might truly suspect me of pushing you into the river? I care for you too much to harm you!"
Lian Heng smiled. "How could that be? Third Madame, you're overthinking it!"
Lu Qiaoqiao let out a long sigh. "Ah, the family looks harmonious on the surface, but there's suspicion all around. I wonder when peace will return."
Lian Heng tensed. It was true—so very true.
"It's one thing for the family to doubt me, but I'm afraid Sanlang might truly believe it. He's so upright, and we've only recently reconnected…"
"Mr. Di would never think that," Lian Heng reassured her, then asked curiously, "By the way, why do you call him Sanlang?"
"My elder sister was a concubine. The main wife had two sons, and he's the third. When he was little, the Di family and my parents all called him Sanlang," Lu Qiaoqiao explained casually, but the floral fragrance couldn't lift the shadow clouding her brow.
"My head feels a bit dizzy. I'll go rest," she said, walking away slowly.
Since becoming pregnant, her once lively and straightforward demeanor had faded. Her emotions were unstable, her days idle, and her mind burdened by fears for her unborn child. Accusations of ill intent only added to her gloom, leaving her listless and lost.
Lian Heng worried that Lu Qiaoqiao might be suffering from prenatal depression.
"Third Madame, you still need some activity. Don't just lie down all the time!" Lian Heng called out to her retreating figure.
The night was silent, free from the croaking of frogs or the hum of cicadas. Outside, the soft moonlight flowed over the courtyard like water. The sky was deep and heavy, like ink, its stars twinkling like a child's mischievous yet crystalline eyes.
Lian Heng lay on her soft, fragrant bed, unable to sleep.
She loved nights like this—quiet and serene, when everything was still except the thoughts branching freely in her mind.
Emotions and human nature were the most complex of puzzles. She didn't want to sleep, didn't want to dream of that despicable man, Baoguo. Though the past was like smoke, the shadows of murder lingered in the present. Her heart seemed fated to bear endless worries and pains.
Such a bitter life! She grabbed a pillow and pressed it over her head.
At that moment, a piercing scream shattered the night.
"Help! Murder!"
The voice came from Yu Luoying's room—Su Caiyun's voice.
Lian Heng hurriedly threw on her robe and dashed downstairs. Outside, the Qiao brothers blocked her path.
"Miss, don't go. Constable Yun has already gone in."
"I must! That's my mother's room—Second Madame is there!"
Yu Luoying's room was already ablaze with light.
Su Caiyun, holding a firestarter, stood trembling by the doorframe. Lu Qiaoqiao, clutching a knife, stood dazed by the bedside, her expression blank. Yun Zixing claimed to have immobilized her with an acupressure point.
As for Yu Luoying, she cowered in a corner of the bed, her eyes wide with terror as she stared at Lu Qiaoqiao.
"What happened here? Qiaoqiao, weren't you already asleep? How did you end up here?" Lian Zheng demanded as he arrived, his disbelief evident at the bizarre scene before him.
"Master Lian! Just now, Third Madame entered with a knife, intending to kill the mistress. Fortunately, Second Madame wasn't asleep and noticed her. If she'd been a moment later, the consequences would've been unimaginable."
"Qiaoqiao?!" Lian Zheng stared at her in disbelief, pain etched in his eyes.
Lu Qiaoqiao looked back at him blankly, her usually bright eyes dull and unfocused.
"With both witnesses and evidence, Master Lian, how do you plan to deal with Third Madame?" Yun Zixing asked, taking the knife from her hand, his usual playful demeanor replaced by sternness.
"Qiaoqiao, why would you do this? And was it you who pushed Ah Heng into the river before?"
She was the woman he loved, whom he had showered with every possible affection. What more could she want? Did she have to eliminate the main wife to satisfy her ambition?
Lu Qiaoqiao remained silent, her eyes vacant.
It was only due to Lian Heng's persistent pleas that the suspect was not handed over to the authorities. Instead, she was confined to a vacant servant's quarters, locked away, completely stripped of her freedom.
"Ah Heng, do you think there's something suspicious about this? But when I opened my eyes, I did see her holding the knife," Yu Luoying said anxiously as Lian Heng stayed to keep her company.
"There are many suspicious points. First, her dazed state suggests she might've been sleepwalking. Second, in the year she's been here, she's never shown signs of sleepwalking. Given her past in the brothel, such a condition would've made her survival there difficult. It's strange that it would suddenly appear now."
"Don't overcomplicate things! She clearly tried to kill me and is now feigning madness. Do you think she'd admit to it if she weren't caught red-handed?" Yu Luoying clutched her blanket tightly. "Thankfully, Second Madame lives in the west wing. Otherwise, I'd be doomed!"
"Yes, rest now. The Qiao brothers are guarding the stairs, so you don't need to worry anymore."
The complexities of a polygamous household were exhausting! Was her reincarnation into this family meant to make her personally experience the superiority of modern monogamy?
The next morning, Yu Luoying spat blood as soon as she woke.
Physician Liu examined her pulse for a long time before inspecting the blood. Finally, he delivered a shocking conclusion—she had been poisoned.
Testing with a silver needle revealed the poison was in the remaining tea in the pot.
Panic spread through the household. Most believed Lu Qiaoqiao to be the culprit.
Though Lian Zheng had initially doubted it, the chain of incidents linked to the third household planted seeds of suspicion in his mind.
Only Lian Heng refused to believe it and secretly informed Di Yun.
"Miss Lian, for you to still trust my aunt at a time like this—I am deeply grateful," Di Yun said when he arrived. He seemed thinner after only two days apart, his deep, luminous eyes now tinged with sorrow.
"Constable Yun seems disinterested in thoroughly investigating this case. Now that several incidents are connected to your aunt, he seems eager to conclude the case and leave my family," Lian Heng said, leading him to the room Lu Qiaoqiao had once occupied.