NOVPUBHua Zui looked warily towards the source of the noise. “Who’s there? You two, go check it out.”
Shen Roujia heard the approaching footsteps, clutching her fists tightly.
Just then, a familiar voice called from around the corner.
“Aunt Hua? What are you doing here?”
Upon hearing Gu Zhi’s voice, Shen Roujia instantly felt a wave of relief wash over her. She looked gratefully at Gu Zhi’s back, her heart still pounding.
With one hand behind her back, Gu Zhi gently waved in Shen Roujia’s direction.
Shen Roujia didn’t know when Gu Zhi had woken up.
Hua Zui’s voice, neither near nor far, responded, “Zhi Zhi, why are you here?”
Gu Zhi, looking half-awake, replied, “I was woken up by the noise.”
Hua Zui sighed in relief and then smiled warmly at Gu Zhi. “Go back to sleep. We’re not done here yet.”
Gu Zhi waved her hand. “If there’s nothing else, I’ll go back then. Aunt Hua, you should rest early too.”
Taking advantage of their conversation, Shen Roujia quietly slipped away and waited at the entrance for Gu Zhi.
“Zhi Zhi, I’m here…”
Gu Zhi saw the small head peeking out from the corner, looked around cautiously, then walked over with vigilance.
With a slightly worried and reproachful tone, she said, “You are really brave, coming out here without knowing anything.”
Shen Roujia gently tugged at Gu Zhi’s sleeve. “Zhi Zhi, don’t be mad. I didn’t want to wake you because you were sleeping so soundly.”
Gu Zhi sighed helplessly. “This is not the place to talk. Let’s go back.”
Shen Roujia blinked obediently. “Alright.”
On the way back, Shen Roujia didn’t think too much.
It wasn’t until Gu Zhi explained some of the situation that Shen Roujia gasped in surprise.
“Really?”
Gu Zhi nodded. “Actually, very few people know about Aunt Hua and that woman, but it’s said that she was a close confidante of Aunt Hua.”
“But that woman foolishly had feelings for Aunt Hua’s husband.”
“Sadly, her life was short, and she passed away early.”
Shen Roujia found this quite odd.
“So, you’re saying almost no one knows who this woman is?”
Gu Zhi also found this point strange. “Indeed, no one knows.”
“After Aunt Hua’s husband passed away, she dismissed all the servants and started taking in people with disabilities.”
Shen Roujia lightly tapped her finger on the table, lost in thought for a moment.
What initially sounded like a normal relationship suddenly felt odd in this context.
“Why does it feel like something is being hidden?”
Gu Zhi was taken aback. “What do you mean?”
Shen Roujia wasn’t sure either and shook her head.
That unknown confidante should be a crucial clue.
Shen Roujia suddenly thought of something. “How long has Lady Miao Yin been married to her husband?”
Gu Zhi squinted slightly, thinking for a moment, then replied, “Not for long…”
Shen Roujia became more convinced that things were not simple. She pursed her lips slightly.
“So they knew each other for many years before getting married?”
Gu Zhi shook her head again. “No, it’s a recent affair. However… there’s a rumor that he was a Hu musician.”
Shen Roujia was startled. So that’s why all information about him was kept secret.
Now, it seemed to make sense.
Shen Roujia smiled. “Let’s find a way to inquire about her confidante.”
