Ju Mu'er seemed not to hear and continued, "So the conditions we agreed on before will definitely be honored by the Second Master. In a moment, the Second Master will take all the maids and subordinates away. We don't need to have any contact with each other in the future. If there is any progress or problem in the investigation, you can have someone secretly send a message, and we can arrange to meet in a secluded place."
Long Er turned around and glared at her. But Ju Mu'er couldn't see it and continued to herself, "Second Master, don't forget that you mustn't let anyone know that you're involved in this matter. Also, if you find out anything, you should let someone inform me. You must not act rashly in this matter. Think things through carefully before taking any action."
Does she really need to teach me this?!
Who is truly the powerful and strategist behind everything?!
Long Er didn't even feel like arguing with her anymore. He pulled her onto the bed, took off her shoes, covered her with a blanket, and wrapped her up. He disliked the ugly hat and wanted to throw it away, but Ju Mu'er wouldn't allow it. Long Er couldn't persuade her otherwise, so he glared at her for a long time and let her have her way.
Ju Mu'er, having finished sleeping, said in a gentle and virtuous tone, "Second Master, please take care."
I refuse to leave.
Long Er casually dragged a chair over and sat down on the edge of the bed. "Tell me, you've been thinking about this for two years, have you ever had anyone in mind to suspect?"
Ju Mu'er blinked: "Everyone involved in this case could be involved. People from the Ministry of Justice, people from the government offices, other high-ranking officials in the court, and even the musicians who listened to Master Shi play the zither with us at the execution ground could all be involved. But, to be able to mobilize so many people and to be able to end this case cleanly and efficiently, without anyone questioning or investigating it again, I think that person must be of high rank and power."
“I know that. What I mean is, do you have any clues pointing to a particular person, the one you suspect the most?”
"Ever since I learned the meaning behind that melody, I've thought about it. Perhaps a heartless and ungrateful person, having had his past exposed, fears being discovered and thus vows to reclaim the score. Minister Ding of the Ministry of Justice has a wife and concubines, and wields immense power. I've heard he frequents brothels and is quite lecherous, so it wouldn't be surprising if he did something deceitful. His wife's family is powerful, and the Minister is henpecked, forbidding any other woman from bearing him children. All of this seems to suggest a motive for stealing the score and killing him. However, his musical skills are mediocre, and he lacks refinement. If someone wanted to expose his misdeeds, why would they conceal the score? This seems like complicating matters and failing to grasp the true meaning."
Ju Mu'er paused here: "But it's also possible that the person was trying to prevent him from understanding. However, I inquired beforehand and found that Minister Ding is from the capital and grew up there. The part about the expedition and waiting for return in this song doesn't quite fit. But perhaps the expedition and waiting for return is just a metaphor."
She went on and on with her analysis, her serious expression making Long Er laugh: "It's so complicated, can your brain even process that?"
Ju Mu'er pouted and ignored him. He was the one who made her say it, but she was laughed at after she did.
Her pouting made Long Er laugh again, but after laughing, he affirmed her analysis. "You're right. I'll investigate the background of these people. It will definitely be clearer than you trying to find out by teaching piano all over the streets."
"Although there are many things I don't understand, I have a clue that can lead me directly to the real culprit."
Long Er raised an eyebrow, somewhat disbelieving. If finding the real culprit was so easy, why did she divorce him?
"Of course, it will be difficult to catch him in the end, and it will be even more difficult to have enough evidence to overturn the case. So I kept that clue and didn't alert him." Ju Mu'er said with a little smugness on her face: "Second Master, I can tell you the clue, but if we catch the real culprit in the end, I'll consider it a win."
She's so petty. But her expression is so cute that Ryuji couldn't help but have wicked thoughts.
He leaned close to his ear and said, feigning seriousness, "Tell me this in a low voice, it's so important."
His face touched her lips, causing Ju Mu'er to flinch. Long Er seemed oblivious and urged her, "Tell me quickly."
Ju Mu'er reached out from under the covers, groping and pinching his ear to stop him from making any more advances. Long Er's ear tickled, and he couldn't help but laugh. This seemingly real yet playful flirting pleased him. It wasn't until Ju Mu'er whispered the whole story in his ear that he became serious.
"I'm done talking," Ju Mu'er nudged him. But Long Er remained motionless.
He mentally reviewed the situation and replied, "I'll arrange this. You can take action once everything is settled."
"Okay." Ju Mu'er replied while pushing him again.
Long Er finally sat up obediently. Ju Mu'er was about to breathe a sigh of relief when her lips were suddenly pressed together as Long Er quickly pecked her. Ju Mu'er was startled and was about to speak when her lips were sealed shut, and her tongue was lightly touched. The familiar intimacy and Long Er's scent made her heart flutter. Before she could recover, he was already gone.
Long Er simply said "I'm leaving" and disappeared from the room.
Soon, Xiao Zhu and Xiao Ping came in, tidied up the room, explained the details of taking medicine and eating to Ju Mu'er, and then left.
Ju Mu'er lay on the bed, listening intently. Soon, the courtyard became quiet, without a sound. Ju Mu'er knew that Long Er had fulfilled his promise, cutting off all contact with her and taking everyone away.
Ju Mu'er didn't know how she felt, but she knew this was for the best. He had barely left, and she already missed him. She should rebuke him for his infidelity, but the lingering taste of his on her tongue was so wonderful; she missed him.
Ju Mu'er grew increasingly saddened by his passing. His absence had triggered her headaches again. She wasn't usually such a delicate person, but his departure made her feel incredibly vulnerable. She started feeling unwell again; she felt feverish and short of breath. She was deeply distressed.
Ju Mu'er lay alone in the room, the silence unbearable, she didn't want to move at all. As she endured it, she seemed to fall asleep, but she thought she could hear sounds coming from inside the room. She was in a daze, not knowing whether she was dreaming or awake.
Until someone rudely pushed her: "Get up and drink your medicine!"
That sound...
Ju Mu'er was pushed and felt a little pain. She opened her eyes, but all she could see was darkness. Was she awake?
"Wake up, take your medicine." Long Er's voice rang out again: "I was only gone for a short while, and you're acting sick again. Are you deliberately trying to make me uneasy?"
"Second Master..."
“I’m not like Second Master, I am Second Master.” Long Er poked her forehead: “Drink your medicine.”
He helped Ju Mu'er sit up against the headboard, but she still couldn't believe it. "Didn't Second Master leave? And Xiao Zhu and Xiao Ping, they're all gone."
"Yes, they're all gone. Didn't you say that we shouldn't let outsiders know we still have dealings? I put on quite a show, making a big fuss by taking them away in front of all the neighbors. And no one will see anyone from the Long family come here again after that."
"Why is Second Master here?"
"I sneaked in, no one noticed." Long Er said this without any embarrassment. "We won't have any official dealings, but we can still flirt around secretly, didn't you promise that?"
Ju Mu'er opened her mouth in surprise. When did she agree to secretly flirt with him? How could this be the behavior of a respectable woman?
But what about the joy in her heart? Where has her sense of shame and morality gone?
Long Er was still scolding: "Tell me yourself, who's to blame for all this? I can't be a proper husband anymore, I've become a secret lover."
Who asked him to be her lover? Ju Mu'er wanted to cry. A decent woman shouldn't do such a shameful thing, but this feeling of wanting to cry didn't necessarily mean she was sad. She was so strange; she had gone mad.
"Drink your medicine. If you dare to get a fever again, just try it. I've never really yelled at you properly before. You've spoiled me rotten." Long Er cursed as he roughly shoved the medicine bowl into her hands.
Ju Mu'er held the bowl and drank the medicine in big gulps, tears falling into the bowl, but the medicine was surprisingly not so bad to drink.
If you have no shame, then so be it.
As long as it doesn't drag down the Long family or him, that's fine.
A note from the author: I have seen everyone's comments.
This part is currently revelation, and while the plot framework is already set, I'm getting stuck on handling the details, making writing very difficult. I'll try my best to finish this part first, and then work on revising it properly.
I've been lacking confidence in my writing lately, but thankfully you're all still supporting me. Give me a kiss each, let me give you one! Come on, don't be shy!
77. Stealing a fragrance while solving a mysterious case
"Poor thing, she's so worried about me she could cry." Long Er took the empty bowl from her after she finished drinking, and teased her while wiping her mouth and face with a handkerchief.
"She cried because the medicine was too bitter."
"I don't believe it." It's not that I don't believe his words.
Ju Mu'er pursed her lips and hid under the covers, secretly amused. Her head still ached a little, and she could hear Long Er's nagging lecture in her ears, but she found it quite pleasant to listen to.
That day, Long Er almost spent the night in Ju Mu'er's room.
"Almost" means "failed".
The reason was that after he fed her a bowl of medicine and a bowl of porridge, the patient Ju Mu'er became energetic and lively, effectively driving him away. She listed several reasons.
First, they divorced. Master Long completely ignored this reason. He was framed; he hadn't even settled the score with her yet, how dare she bring it up?
Secondly, if word got out that he wasn't home at night, everyone would start speculating wildly. If it were said that Second Master Long was having an affair and ruining his reputation, that would be terrible. Second Master Long glared; he divorced his wife after only six months of marriage—how good could his reputation possibly be?
But Ju Mu'er had something to say. Regarding the third point, if someone discovered he had spent the night at her place, it would not help solve the case and would ruin all her previous arrangements. Long Er, however, was unconvinced. He had his men guarding the house; he wasn't running around being watched. Who would notice him? Besides, who asked her to make these arrangements?
Master Long was quite satisfied with each of these rebuttals, but he didn't expect Ju Mu'er to have one more.
She said she was sick, and Su Qing was very worried. Although Su Qing had been sent home by Long Er today, she was going to pick flowers on the mountain before dawn tomorrow, and would definitely come to the wine shop to visit her before then. In order to keep their promise not to have any involvement in front of outsiders, Long Er couldn't let Su Qing see him here. So either Long Er would go back in the middle of the night, or he would sneak out the window before Su Qing entered the house.
Ryuji was unwilling to accept either of these two points.
Although he said he was a secret lover, it didn't mean he would sneak out of windows in the dead of night like a thief. He was the dashing and debonair Master Long, and he couldn't do such a thing.
So, after confirming that Ju Mu'er had taken her medicine, wasn't hungry, wasn't in a rush to sleep, and had a toilet, Master Long rode back to his residence with a sullen expression.
He talked a lot with Ju Mu'er that day, and the mysteries piled up one after another, leaving him completely baffled. He lay in bed, looking at the moon outside the window, and sorted everything out in his mind once again.
Long Er admitted that, as Ju Mu'er had said, these matters were merely speculation, without any concrete evidence. Those who believe will believe, and those who don't will remain unconvinced. His previous dismissive and dismissive attitude had unknowingly pushed his Mu'er away. She was sensitive and cautious; the Emperor's outburst of imperial power had made her consider leaving the Long family, but in reality, he was the one who started it all.
Even now, Long Er still felt that his master Boyin's affairs were none of his business. But since Mu'er couldn't extricate herself, he naturally couldn't get away either. However, as someone who studies the zither, he was bound by it, and he couldn't let Mu'er's thinking lead him astray; he had to investigate using his own methods.
Long Er's investigation was conducted in secret, but this case was a major case that attracted national attention back then, with countless people involved. Because so much time had passed, many people and things were not the same as they were back then, making it quite difficult to investigate them one by one while keeping it hidden from others.
Therefore, the progress of the matter is not drastic, but rather like a trickle of water searching for a outlet in a blockage, only able to seep in little by little, accumulating strength and waiting to burst forth.
Long Er not only had to put his mind to investigating the case, but also had to figure out how to keep Ju Mu'er glued to his side.
For three consecutive days, Su Qing came to visit early in the morning and left again at night. Since Long Er had adopted an attitude of indifference, he naturally couldn't get close to her anymore. Su Qing couldn't be with him, so he was so annoyed by her that he wished Li Ke would kidnap her.
He visited Ju Mu'er's boudoir every night, only to be driven away each time with the excuse that Su Qing would be coming early the next morning. This fueled Long Er's resentment.
On the third night, Long Er finished all the medicine prescribed by the doctor, and Ju Mu'er's fever subsided, and she seemed to have recovered. So he issued an ultimatum. "Tomorrow you need to make it clear to Su Qing that she doesn't need to take care of me day and night. She's so clingy every day, how am I supposed to live?"
Ju Mu'er was taken aback when she heard this, then pursed her lips and suppressed a laugh. If someone didn't understand, they would think that Su Qing had become attached to Second Master Long, making it hard for him to breathe.
Seeing her expression, Long Er said resentfully, "You're still smirking? You'd better save your laughter. I have other tricks up my sleeve to keep Su Qing from getting in my way. You just wait."
Ryuji really did what he said he would do.
The next day, before Ju Mu'er could tell Su Qing that she didn't need to go through the trouble of coming to take care of her every day, Su Qing spoke to her first. "Sister, I can't stay here like this tomorrow."
"I'm fine now and can take care of myself. Qing'er, you don't need to worry."
"No, it's because my master is sick. I'm worried about him and have to go take care of him." The little girl sounded quite anxious.
Ju Mu'er was taken aback. Li Ke was actually sick? "What's wrong with him?"
“I’m not entirely sure either. I only know that he’s bedridden and quite ill. The doctors the Long family has hired are all helpless. They said they can only try treating him with medicine.” Su Qing almost burst into tears as she spoke. “Sister, my master is highly skilled in martial arts and has a strong body. He doesn’t get sick easily. Could it be some kind of life-threatening emergency that he suddenly can’t get out of bed?”
Ju Mu'er's mouth dropped open, completely at a loss for words. Master Long's move was far too ruthless.
Ju Mu'er dared not expose Long Er's scheme. Although she felt sorry for Li Ke, who was pretending to be sick, and Su Qing, who was anxious, she was afraid that if she exposed Long Er, he would resort to even more ruthless tricks.
That night, Long Er arrived triumphantly.
Upon entering the room, he first uttered the same words he had to report every day: "No one noticed my arrival, no one noticed our relationship."
Ju Mu'er didn't speak; she was sitting in the chair combing her hair. Her smooth, black hair swayed in front of her as she combed. Long Er saw it in the moonlight and, recalling the feel of that hair under his fingers, couldn't help but swallow hard.
He coughed twice, picked up a candle and lit it. Then he walked to Ju Mu'er's side, touched her hair, and scolded her in a very harsh tone: "You've only just recovered from this illness and you're already washing your hair? Did the doctor agree? If you catch the disease again, I won't talk to you anymore."
Ju Mu'er ignored him, got up, put the comb back on the table, and tidied up her clothes chest.
Long Er, with a lecherous grin, went over and handed her the small bundle he was carrying.
"do what?"
"Put my change of clothes in the box too, otherwise you won't be happy if others see them outside."
Ju Mu'er didn't answer, turning her head as if she hadn't heard, but said, "I'm all better now, you see I'm fine, go back home in peace."
Long Er pretended not to hear. He threw his bundle directly into the box without tidying it up, closed the box as if he had claimed the spot, kicked off his shoes, and pounced on Ju Mu'er's bed like a king.
"It's good that you're better now. Come here, give me a back massage."
Ju Mu'er paused for a moment, then slowly walked over: "Let's go back after the back massage while it's still not too late."