"Shopkeeper, my young lady is looking for your Young Master." Yaner said to Shopkeeper Liu, her tone laced with arrogance and disdain, "To look at my mistress with such disrespect, it’s no wonder you come from a small village."
Although Zhuma Town can’t compare to the bustling Yecheng, it’s hardly what one would call a small village.
Shopkeeper Liu was momentarily taken aback and asked in confusion, "Our Young Master?"
Yaner, impatiently glancing at him, tapped on the tabletop. Only when Shopkeeper Liu’s gaze returned from Su Qiuyu did she speak, "Just say that Miss Su from the Capital city has arrived."
Upon hearing that the visitor was from the Capital city and familiar with Xia Zheng, Shopkeeper Liu didn’t dare to dally for a moment. He hurriedly offered her a seat and served tea.
However, just as he was about to go upstairs to fetch someone, he suddenly slapped his forehead in realization, "Look at me, all confused! Apologies, Miss Su, our Young Master isn’t here at the moment, but our Boss is. Would you like me to call him for you?"
"Old Mr. Zhen? That would be fine." Although she felt somewhat disappointed upon learning that Xia Zheng wasn’t around, as long as Old Mr. Zhen was there, it should be fine. The relationship between Xia Zheng and Elder Zhen was extremely close; surely, Xia Zheng wouldn’t have escaped.
Shopkeeper Liu did not know that Elder Zhen was actually Lao Fan, but it seemed from her words that she had guessed Elder Zhen’s real surname.
The Boss had just been in the backyard administering acupuncture to Madam Liu. He should be finished by now.
Su Qiuyu sat at the table, while Yaner had already taken a teacup out of the food box she carried with her.
"Put it away. It won’t look good if Brother Zheng sees it."
As Su Qiuyu glanced at the teacup, she remembered an incident from the past. She had a cleanliness obsession; she never used anything more than once, especially utensils for eating and drinking. However, Xia Zheng particularly disliked this trait of hers, once sarcastically commenting that she was being pretentious.
On being spoken to by the man she loved, she had cried bitterly, resolving from then on never to smash cups and bowls in front of Xia Zheng ever again. Still, when she wasn’t in his presence, she carried on as before.
Just as she was about to drink tea, Su Qiuyu’s eyes suddenly caught a glimpse of a shadow. It was a frail woman, whose gait revealed her weakness. She was veiled head to toe, and even her hair was covered in white gauze.
The woman walked alone from the backyard and seated herself on a nearby chair, gasping slightly for breath.
Fuman Building was merely a dining establishment with no accommodation; the woman’s emergence from the backyard indicated she belonged to the building. Furthermore, such attire clearly suggested that she wasn’t one of the staff.
Su Qiuyu almost immediately surmised that this woman was the seductress who had enticed Xia Zheng!
Her beautiful eyes examining the surroundings, Su Qiuyu decided to stand up and slowly approach the woman shrouded in white gauze only after confirming that Xia Zheng was nowhere to be seen in Fuman Building.
In an instant, the usually gentle and delicate Su Qiuyu’s demeanor shifted dramatically, as if she wished she could flay the woman before her alive.
The woman under the white gauze vaguely sensed something amiss and looked up, her eyes brimming with confusion.
"Yueyue, I’ve found the handkerchief. Let’s go," called a male voice from the backyard. Jeng Ruyue quickly turned around to see Liu Siqi waving a handkerchief, smiling at her.
Jeng Ruyue returned the smile. With Liu Siqi’s support, she stood up slowly. The acupuncture session had ended quite early today, and Liu Siqi, seeing her bored, had suggested a walk. However, Jeng Ruyue had always been frail since childhood and seldom went out, hence her decision to completely drape herself in white gauze.