After the Cold and Aloof Husband's Mask Falls - Chapter 53

In the end, Cui Jue also knew that this was no place for conversation. Once Xiao Sun’s men had dispersed from the pavilion, he released Gu Wanlan, letting her and Gu Lehuang return to the estate first while he went to find Cui Qiong for other matters.

However, just before leaving, he specifically called that host, Qingzhu, forward. He scrutinized Qingzhu’s face twice with great care, making both Qingzhu and Gu Wanlan tremble. Finally, he left behind a playful remark—”Nothing more than mediocre”—before boarding his carriage and departing.

Throughout the entire ordeal, Gu Lehuang kept her head tucked down, as silent as a quail. It wasn’t until Cui Jue’s carriage was out of sight that she dared to let out a soft breath. “When Brother-in-law doesn’t speak, he truly looks terrifying…”

“Is that so?” Gu Wanlan made a fist and gave a predatory smile. “In a moment, I think you’ll find out whether I’m the scary one or he is!”

“I was wrong! Sister, I was truly wrong today!” Gu Lehuang hurriedly begged for mercy.

Initially, she had only wanted to use this to tease her sister, but who knew her sister would be so unlucky as to be caught red-handed by Brother-in-law?

Gu Lehuang thought for a moment and then bolstered her courage to explain for herself. “But look, Sister, it’s a good thing those hosts I called were all chosen according to Brother-in-law’s aura. I imagine that after seeing Qingzhu, Brother-in-law will eventually understand that you truly came here for serious business. In that sense, it’s a blessing in disguise.”

It would have been better if Gu Lehuang hadn’t mentioned it. The moment she did, Gu Wanlan couldn’t help but recall that meaningful look Cui Jue had left her with. She felt awkward all over, her cheeks burning.

She hooked an arm around Gu Lehuang’s shoulders, pulling her into a tight embrace, and said in a mix of shame and annoyance, “Shut up! Never mention this matter again! Otherwise, I’ll give all the things I bought for you to Gu Baozhu!”

Hearing this, Gu Lehuang didn’t dare act up anymore. She promptly shut her mouth and dared not say another word.

After the mishap at Nanfeng Pavilion, Gu Wanlan lost the mood for shopping. Estimating that Cui Jue would need some time with Cui Qiong, she gave Gu Lehuang a purse and let her go shopping on her own, with an agreement to meet back at this spot in half an hour to return to the estate together.

Gu Lehuang saw that Gu Wanlan had important business to attend to, so she accepted the purse without hesitation. However, just as she was about to leave, the image of the guards with their swords rampaging through Nanfeng Pavilion surfaced in her mind. She stopped in her tracks, looking hesitant.

“?” Gu Wanlan raised an eyebrow.

Gu Lehuang kneaded the purse in her hand until it was slightly deformed before speaking in a low voice. “Sister, you saw it just now. When the commotion started in the building, I was the one who stalled Qingzhu. Later, when Brother-in-law appeared, I was the one who frightened Qingzhu so he wouldn’t dare speak recklessly in the future.”

Gu Lehuang took a soft breath. “So, I am very useful.”

“Sister, although I don’t know what you are doing out here, I know that without you, our Protector State Duke’s Estate would have long ago scattered like monkeys from a falling tree. So, if possible, I can also contribute my strength.”

Fearing Gu Wanlan wouldn’t believe her, she quickly added, “You know, I was originally a child among the refugees. It was only through the Madam’s charity that I grew up into this noblewoman’s appearance. Therefore, when it comes to doing things, I believe I am at least not inferior to Gu Baozhu.”

Gu Wanlan never expected Gu Lehuang to say such words. She looked at Gu Lehuang’s face, which was full of both trepidation and a bit of indignation, and burst into laughter.

Likely, Gu Lehuang had grown worried for her after witnessing the scene in the building.

She reached out to ruffle Gu Lehuang’s head and chided playfully, “What are you thinking? I never said I would support this entire Marquis’s estate alone. There will certainly be a day when I need you. Until then, don’t overthink things and just enjoy your days as a noblewoman.”

Her sister hadn’t mentioned Gu Baozhu at all, only their Marquis estate.

Gu Lehuang was instantly happy again.

Seeing that her sister seemed to like ruffling her head, Gu Lehuang followed the movement of Gu Wanlan’s palm and nuzzled against it, acting spoiled. “Then Sister must not forget what she said today.”

“I won’t forget.”

Gu Wanlan had intended to go to Songyan Studio to find Xiao Chen and have him look into the people behind Nanfeng Pavilion.

Since Xiao Sun and that mysterious person agreed to meet there, the mysterious person must have a connection to the establishment to be so certain of its safety. Furthermore…

It didn’t surprise her that Xiao Sun wanted to investigate Cui Jue.

What did surprise her was, firstly, Xiao Sun definitely had his own people in the capital. Why didn’t he use his own men to investigate Cui Jue, but instead sought help from the mysterious person? Was it because he found some important information and needed someone else to corroborate it? Or was it because the mysterious person had deep ties with the great families—even the Cui family—and Xiao Sun believed the information from that source would be more credible?

Secondly, there was that sentence she overheard: “Someone in the palace once witnessed Cui Jue entering the palace…” Setting aside the reason for his visit, this meant the mysterious person’s influence extended even into the palace. For such a high-ranking person to be so close to the Roulan royalty was truly worth tracking and monitoring.

Unfortunately, when she arrived at Songyan Studio, Xiao Chen was away on an errand. Gu Wanlan could only leave a message for him, asking him to meet her as soon as he returned.

Leaving Songyan Studio, it was still quite early for her meeting with Gu Lehuang, so Gu Wanlan wandered aimlessly through the surrounding area.

She realized that Cui Jue was hiding secrets.

First was his obscured parentage, then the heavily guarded Akishiyama Art Studio at night, then the differences between the Cui Jue in her dream and her past life, and finally, what she had overheard today…

She had previously thought about having a good talk with him, but she had been delayed by other matters. Now that she revisited the idea, for some reason, a trace of trepidation grew in her heart.

Gu Wanlan stood in place for a while, lost in thought, before eventually turning back into Songyan Studio.

“Investigate Cui Jue again?!”

The manager cried out in surprise, instinctively glancing at Gu Wanlan.

To prevent the manager from misunderstanding, Gu Wanlan put on a solemn face and tapped her index finger on the table. “Focus the investigation on the day Xiao Sun caused that uproar. Check if he ever entered the palace—”

“No,” Gu Wanlan paused, lowering her eyes. “Investigate that late night. Aside from myself, who else entered the palace on short notice?”

While standing at the doorway just now, smelling the scent of ink and paper from the shop, she suddenly recalled the scent she had inadvertently caught on Cui Jue that night.

If she wasn’t mistaken, that should be the Ambergris incense burned within Emperor Qingyuan’s Qianxin Hall.

When she came out of Songyan Studio again, Gu Wanlan noticed a large crowd gathered across the street, noisy and seemingly watching some commotion.

Gu Wanlan had no interest in such scenes and was about to leave when a shrill, piercing cry of accusation reached her ears. Her footsteps stopped instantly.

“You pack of dogs! Officials protecting officials will bring divine retribution! The Prince of Huai’s heir killed my granddaughter! May you all die a miserable death! All of you!”

“Slandering royalty and nobility without evidence—it’s already a kindness that you haven’t been beaten with a board, you old woman! Leave this place at once! And you lot, what are you looking at? Keep looking and you’ll all be taken in for a beating!”

Seeing the bailiffs come out with boards to disperse the crowd, the onlookers immediately scattered like birds and beasts, leaving only a thin, small, white-haired old woman huddled on the ground.

Seeing the old woman still lingering there, the bailiff grew annoyed and raised his board as if to strike her. Suddenly, his gaze met Gu Wanlan’s not far away.

The woman didn’t move or speak; she just watched him quietly. For a moment, he felt as if the board in his hand weighed a thousand pounds.

Once he recognized her face, a cold sweat broke out on his back. This was the eldest young miss of the Protector State Duke’s Estate, Gu Wanlan—one of the people his superior, the Prefect, had warned him never to offend.

The bailiff looked panicked, thinking the young miss had taken pity on the old woman and was going to reprimand him. He was about to step forward to explain when, to his surprise, the young miss merely took one look at the scene and turned to leave.

Though he didn’t understand, the bailiff breathed a sigh of relief. Looking at the old woman who had no evidence but came to accuse the Prince of Huai’s heir, he felt no more annoyance. Instead, he somewhat helplessly fished out two copper coins and tossed them to the ground. “If you want to report a crime, you must at least find someone to write a formal petition for you first.”

The old woman didn’t move, as if she were exhausted from her previous shouting, lying on the ground like a withered old dog. Only after the bailiff returned to the yamen did she carefully gather the two copper coins and slowly push herself up from the ground, supporting her aching waist.

Once she was out of public view, she saw a beggar by the roadside and wordlessly tossed the two coins into his broken bowl.

However, as she limped into the dilapidated alley near her home, she discovered a tall, slender woman standing there. She was visibly startled.

Gu Wanlan lowered her crossed arms, stood straight from the doorframe, and smiled. “Old Mrs. Wang, apologies for my uninvited visit. I am quite interested in the ‘Prince of Huai’s heir’ you mentioned.”

When she heard the old woman’s accusation by the street, she already believed five-tenths of it. During her recognition banquet, the heir’s conduct made it clear he had ruined many girls. At the time, she had no leisure to manage it, but now that a victim’s relative was before her, she would certainly lend a hand.

Thus, she had asked others for the old woman’s address and arrived a step ahead.

Seeing Old Mrs. Wang’s suspicious look, Gu Wanlan said solemnly, “The Prince of Huai belongs to the titled military nobility, and Prefect Zhao of the Jingzhao Office was once a fellow student of the Prince. If you truly have a grievance, you should take a written petition to the upright civil officials. People like Censor Xie or Secretariat Director Wang will surely take charge of this matter.”

Old Mrs. Wang looked at Gu Wanlan defensively, her voice raspy. “And why would you help me?”

Gu Wanlan gave a slightly mocking smile. “I’ve only said a few words to you; it hardly counts as helping.”

If she were at Changping Pass and someone committed such a foul deed under her jurisdiction, she could have cut off the man’s head on the spot. There would be no need for such a winding path or the need to borrow the strength of others.

Old Mrs. Wang looked at Gu Wanlan in silence. “I understand. If her grievance can see the light of day, we will thank you.”

The old woman’s current state was far too calm, which surprised Gu Wanlan. Before she could think further, a familiar figure caught her eye.

Gu Wanlan instinctively turned to look, just in time to see the profile of a woman covered in jewels entering the small courtyard next door.

Gu Wanlan froze on the spot.

Old Mrs. Wang glanced at Gu Wanlan, then followed her gaze. “The woman next door is the widow He. She used to live alone serving her in-laws, and her life was quite miserable. But about half a year ago, her son sent her a large sum of silver. Now she lives quite comfortably.”

“The widow He?”

Gu Wanlan murmured.

She had seen her. Years ago at Changping Pass, He had come to visit her son. But back then, she looked much more weathered.

“What is her son’s name?”

“He ranks third in the clan. His given name is San. He San.”

He San.

The very first person Cui Qiong executed when he went to Changping Pass as the army supervisor.

In an instant, several scattered pieces of information seemed to connect within her mind.