"Hua Chongyang, come back with me."
Seeing that Hua Chongyang didn't want to talk, Ye Laoqi was no pushover either, and stepped forward to shove Lan Cao aside:
"What right do you have to tell Chongyang to see that heartless man! If anyone should be seen, it should be him coming to see Chongyang! Who does he think he is!"
Lan Cao was a prominent figure in Lan Ying Palace; who, besides Lan Wuxie, would dare speak to her like that? Especially Ye Laoqi, a mere sixteen or seventeen-year-old girl. But Lan Cao glanced at Ye Laoqi, her expression changing, yet she forced herself to remain composed, and looked directly at Hua Chongyang:
"Hua Chongyang, I'm not asking you, I'm begging you. The sect leader said that if I don't bring you back, I'll have to die."
Hua Chongyang remained expressionless, his face as white as snow in the sunlight, not even glancing at the orchid.
"Then you might as well go die."
Lancao's face turned pale instantly, and her lips trembled slightly.
"Please have pity on me."
Hua Chongyang turned his face to look at the flowing water under the stone bridge, and moved his lips:
"Please have pity on me, Orchid."
Lancao gritted her teeth and actually knelt down in the street:
"Hua Chongyang, you know the Pavilion Master's temper. Consider yourself saved my life today!"
Ye Laoqi was almost certain that Hua Chongyang would soften and go back with her, but Hua Chongyang didn't even lift his eyelids, still smiling as he looked down from the bridge:
"You're really loyal to him. Orchid, don't make things difficult for me, go back."
"If you don't come with me, I'll kneel here and won't get up."
"Whatever you want."
"Hua Chongyang, just for the sake of our past acquaintances, please..."
"It's not impossible for me to go see him on the pleasure boat."
"Just name your conditions, as long as I can fulfill them!"
Hua Chongyang slowly raised the corners of his lips, looking at the orchid, his smile filled with coldness:
"Go and kill Lan Wuxie. Once he's dead, I'll go see him."
Ye Laoqi was taken aback.
Hua Chongyang looked away and walked past the orchid. The orchid stood up and called out to her retreating figure:
"Do you think we still need someone else to kill him?"
Hua Chongyang didn't even turn his head.
Upon returning to the brothel, Hua Chongyang slipped into Ye Laoqi's room, took out a porcelain bottle, handed it to Ye Laoqi, and then flopped onto the bed.
"The Pavilion Master's antidote. Have someone bring a bucket of water. Don't say anything more to her."
"water?"
"I'm going to take a shower."
Ye Laoqi sensed that something was clearly wrong with Hua Chongyang, but dared not ask any further questions. He hurriedly left, carrying the porcelain bottle. A short while later, someone brought in a wooden bucket and hot water. Hua Chongyang took off his clothes, got into the bucket, closed his eyes, and instructed the maidservant to pour the water:
"Take the clothes down and burn them."
The little girl gave her a strange look, but Hua Chongyang pretended not to notice. She poured water over herself with a ladle, washing away the mottled bruises and purple welts on her body. After washing, she had someone carry away the bucket and help her get dressed. Just as Hua Chongyang was about to go see Ye Qinghua, Ye Laoqi pushed open the door and came in:
"On the Double Ninth Festival, the author has disappeared."
"In the garden? By the lake?"
"No. I just ran into Huang Si and Liu Da coming back. They said the landlord sent someone to call them back."
Hua Chongyang paused for a moment, then raised his hand to tidy his hair and walked out:
"I'll go take a look."
Upon arriving at Ye Qinghua's door, they encountered Chu San, the brothel's second-in-command, who almost never appeared in brothels and was dressed in black with an expressionless face.
"Chongyang Festival, have you seen the poster?"
"We're looking for her."
Chu San frowned:
"No. She's busy."
"how?"
"She came to see me early this morning, and as soon as she saw me, she knelt down," Chu San said, pacing back and forth in the room. "She said she wanted me to take good care of you all from now on. I asked her what she wanted, but she wouldn't say. The more I thought about it, the more uneasy I felt, so I rushed over to check on her."
Hua Chongyang slowly sat down in the chair.
Judging from her words, Ye Qinghua was clearly prepared to die. But what exactly did she want to do?
She stood up, then sat down again, then stood up again, walked to the door, and suddenly remembered a sentence Ye Qinghua had muttered to herself a few nights ago:
"I can only feel at ease if Bo Jiang is eliminated."
Thinking of this, Hua Chongyang turned to look at Chu San:
"Sister Chu, do you know where Bo Jiang is?"
"That's easy to say, it's right here on the shore, amidst the fragrant orchids."
The group headed straight for the orchids and irises along the riverbank. Chu San remained silent the entire way, only glancing at Hua Chongyang's expression as they neared their destination before speaking:
"The orchids on the bank are probably related to the Orchid Shadow Palace. As for whether they are owned by the Orchid Shadow Palace, I'm not entirely sure."
Hua Chongyang nodded hastily, his expression completely unchanged:
"oh."
Several people noticed that her expression was off, and it wasn't just because of Ye Qinghua.
Behind them, Liu Dachao and Hua Chongyang nudged Huang San with their elbows, their lips twitching slightly. Huang San, with zero eyesight, immediately yelled:
Why did you stab me?
Liu Da's expression changed, and he stepped forward:
"Chongyang, Sister Liu, I heard you dumped Lan Wuxie?"
"Yes, Sister Liu," Hua Chongyang said absentmindedly, "Lan Wuxie slept with Bo Jiang behind my back. I slapped him and decided to leave him."
"Of course, of course. So, is your mother going to seek revenge on Bo Jiang this time?"
"No," Hua Chongyang answered quickly, "Why would she need to get involved in something like this?"
"Why is that?"
"The original poster thinks Bo Xilai and Jiang Zemin will be detrimental to me."
As they talked, they arrived at the streamside. Turning a corner, they crossed a wooden arched bridge and passed through a grove of trees, where the fragrant orchids and water lilies awaited. Hua Chongyang, without waiting for a reply, went straight to the innkeeper and asked:
"I'm looking for Bo Jiang."
After the shopkeeper looked her up and down:
"Is her surname Hua?"
"yes."
"Third floor, top-tier room," the shopkeeper bowed and scraped, "Miss Bo left you these words before she left."
"Bo Jiang is gone?"
"Miss Bo and her party checked out of their hotel at noon today and left just half an hour ago."
Hua Chongyang suddenly had a bad feeling. He ignored Chu San and the others and turned around to run to the third floor.
The door to the top-tier room was tightly shut, but she kicked it open and went inside. Incense was burning in the room, and a light blue silk bed curtain hung down. Hua Chongyang stared at the bed curtain for a long time, then her hands suddenly began to tremble. Liu Da and the others caught up and stood beside her, looking around, their gazes also fixed on the bed curtain.
Hua Chongyang's throat tightened, and he could barely utter a word:
"Sister Chu... could you go and check on her for me?"
Dressed in black, Chu walked over in a few steps, hesitated for a moment, and then reached out to lift the bed curtains.
Hua Chongyang slowly turned his face and saw a person lying quietly on the bed.
Leafy green flowers.
50. Impermanence...
Chu San looked back at Hua Chongyang, then cautiously stepped forward to check Ye Qinghua's breathing, and then pinched her wrist to take her pulse.
Hua Chongyang was already feeling dizzy. After Chu San looked up at them one by one and said, "The Lord is dying," Huang San and Ye Laoqi rushed forward and started crying.
Hua Chongyang couldn't move, and her vision blurred as she nearly collapsed. Liu Da caught her and helped her to a chair nearby. After sitting for about fifteen minutes, Liu Da looked at the bed, then at her, and finally asked her cautiously:
"Chongyang... I'll help you back first. I'll have your sister Huang and the others take your mother back later."
Hua Chongyang took a few deep breaths and suddenly stood up, looking at Huang San and Ye Laoqi, who were crying and cursing at the head of the bed:
"Sister Huang, Seventh Brother, you two keep watch over my mother. Sister Chu, Sister Liu, take the innkeeper and come with me to Lake Moon Manor."
She didn't even glance at Ye Qinghua again, and turned to walk out.
Upon seeing Ji Chong at Lake Moon Manor, Hua Chongyang didn't utter a word, but knelt down before him with a thud:
"Uncle Ji."
Ji Chong looked on with surprise:
"Double Ninth Festival?"
Hua Chongyang kowtowed, and the first thing he said after raising his head was:
"Uncle Ji, my mother is dead."
"……What did you say?"
Chu San raised an eyebrow coldly and explained:
"Ye Qinghua is the same person as Hua Chuxue from back then."
Ji Chong was taken aback:
"Impossible! What nonsense are you talking about?"