Untouchable Lovers-Chapter 81 - 78: A Fragrant Meadow in Ten Steps
Chapter 81: Chapter 78: A Fragrant Meadow in Ten Steps
Ah? She had really forgotten.
Chu Yu suddenly remembered after a while that two days ago, she had used Seven-leaf Snow Ganoderma to threaten Rong Zhi, intending to have him help her with something, and the first task was to find the thief in the mansion.
Today had been very chaotic, not only had she learned the reason behind Rong Zhi’s feud with Yue Jiefei, but she had also witnessed Tian Rujing’s superhuman abilities. Chu Yu received so many shocks that she had tossed the minor matter of theft to the back of her mind.
She had acted that way initially because she couldn’t figure out Rong Zhi’s stance and could only temporarily treat him as an enemy. She was quite unkind towards everything that involved him, but after learning some of the past events today, she started to feel a bit guilty for being overly cautious.
At that time, she had indeed been somewhat excessive in pressing him.
Thinking of this, Chu Yu’s gaze unintentionally softened with apology when she looked at Rong Zhi, “Have you found it?”
...
Rong Zhi stood quietly, smiling softly, “Indeed, I have found it.”
If it were before today, Chu Yu would definitely suspect that his rapid discovery of the thief meant he was in collusion with them, but now, with her change of heart, she looked at things more positively and no longer harbored blind suspicion and mistrust.
Chu Yu felt genuinely relieved from the depths of her heart: It was truly great that Rong Zhi was not an enemy.
Although the matter with Tian Rujing was somewhat frustrating, knowing that Rong Zhi’s real target was not her felt like a blessing in disguise.
Chu Yu also patted her skirt and stood up, saying, “Who is it? Have they been detained? Take me to see.” She was about to walk through the bamboo forest towards the garden exit when Rong Zhi reached out and gently pulled on her sleeve.
Chu Yu stopped in her tracks and turned around to see Rong Zhi hand her a neatly folded handkerchief, “Princess, please wipe your mouth first.”
Chu Yu was slightly taken aback, unsure of his intentions, but Rong Zhi chuckled, held one corner of the handkerchief, raised his hand to wipe her lips gently and carefully, removing the grease stains. He whispered softly, “There, that’s better.”
The two of them stood very close together, and Chu Yu stiffened, allowing him to proceed. Everything around her was dim, Rong Zhi’s smile vague, and only his eyes, clear and fluid like water, calm as a deep pool, truly stood out. It wasn’t until Rong Zhi withdrew his hand that Chu Yu came back to her senses, her face involuntarily heating up, grateful that the dense night concealed her blush.
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Rong Zhi walked ahead into the forest first, his snow-white clothes gently fluttering in the darkness. Thin bamboo branches occasionally brushed against him, and the faint moonlight broke through the gaps between the leaves, casting upon him, making him seem like fragmented ice and snow. Chu Yu hesitated momentarily before following his footsteps.
They emerged from Muxue Garden through the bamboo forest, and after only a few steps, a guard approached, first bowing to Chu Yu, then reporting to Rong Zhi, “Young Master Rong, everything has been arranged.” This was a servant Chu Yu had assigned to Rong Zhi the day before.
Rong Zhi glanced at Chu Yu, seemingly recalling something amusing, and laughed, “Princess might as well come take a look. Although I had guessed who it was early on, there were parts I didn’t expect. Now I believe the saying, ‘In a ten step radius, there must be fine grass.'”
They were led by the guard without leaving West Upper Pavilion to their destination. The name of this garden was inscribed on the gate: Spring Warm Garden.
This used to be the residence of Shan Yin’s Princess’s two male concubines, but now, only one person resided here — Liu Se.
Could it really be Liu Se?
Chu Yu was astonished. She turned to look at Rong Zhi, who just then turned to her as well, nodding with a smile, his meaning clear without words. The courtyard door was ajar, and from within came loud, coarse cursing that sounded like Liu Se. Rong Zhi smiled and pushed the door open, and they entered.
As they walked from the courtyard entrance to the front of the house, a mere twenty steps or so, Liu Se cursed non-stop, from Rong Zhi’s ancestors to his more recent forebears, all in vulgar street slang, delivered so fluently without a single pause. Some expressions were so ingeniously crafted that Chu Yu had to ponder for quite some time to grasp their meanings.
Only a few steps into the house, and Liu Se was already venturing into improper relations with Rong Zhi’s parents in his tirade. When Rong Zhi entered the room, he couldn’t help but laugh and respond, “That is truly regretful, as my father and mother have already been laid to rest. You’ve come just a step too late.”
As the two entered, it was as if someone had pressed a mute button; the stream of abuse came to an abrupt halt.
Only one lamp was lit inside the room, casting faint light. Several guards stood watch at the entrance. Seeing Rong Zhi and Chu Yu arrive, they quickly performed salutations. Rong Zhi walked straight to the center of the room, his gaze holding a smile as he looked toward Liu Se.
At this moment, Liu Se was tied up with thick hemp ropes, his green clothes in disarray, his long hair a tangled mess, and a red mark from a slap visible on his pale face, making him look pitiful. Initially, he saw Rong Zhi and was about to continue his torrent of curses, but as soon as he caught sight of Chu Yu behind Rong Zhi, his expression changed. Tears welled up in his eyes, and with his plump red lips trembling, he uttered, “Princess, save Liu Se! If Princess hadn’t come, Liu Se would have been killed by Rong Zhi.”
Following this, Liu Se accused Rong Zhi of being tyrannical and autocratic, vilifying him as the number one villain under the heavens, which Chu Yu found quite amusing. Rong Zhi, standing beside her, couldn’t help but smile repeatedly. Once Liu Se had tired from his accusations, Rong Zhi replied, “What eloquence you have. Listening to you, even I almost started to believe it to be true.”
Chu Yu tilted her head to look at him and teasingly said, “What he’s saying couldn’t actually be true, could it?”
Rong Zhi replied with a nonchalant smile, “What does Princess think?”
He clapped his hands, and a line of people entered from outside. A pair of guards brought in several people, including servants who did odd jobs, gatekeepers, accountants from the outer mansion, as well as ordinary merchants, peddlers, and a youth with a rather feminine appearance who bore some resemblance to Liu Se.
Upon seeing the effeminate youth, Liu Se’s complexion changed and he shouted, “Rong Zhi, if you have a personal vendetta, come at me! Why are you taking my brother?” It turned out that the youth was Liu Se’s older brother.
Rong Zhi shook his head and looked down at Liu Se with a gaze full of pity. With a flick of his finger, someone behind him presented evidence that had been found, namely the jewelry and jade articles that had gone missing from the Princess Mansion.
Liu Se turned pale, but thinking of the consequences of admitting guilt, he still stubbornly resisted, “You are framing and setting me up. I have never seen these things before.”
Rong Zhi didn’t show any annoyance and simply flicked his finger again. Someone else recounted the process of the investigation and the results of questioning others separately.
As he listened, Liu Se’s spirit deflated all at once. His eyes glazed over, and his body went limp, and were it not for the ropes forcibly tying him to a pillar, he would have likely collapsed on the spot.
Liu Se had taken significant risks when he first entered the mansion years ago, colluding with an accountant from the outer mansion to embezzle funds. However, the money was given to his brother to facilitate dealings within the official circles as he embarked on his career. Later, when Rong Zhi took full control of the mansion’s affairs, Liu Se didn’t dare to make another move. But in recent days, sensing he would no longer be favored by the Princess, Liu Se contemplated one last venture before being dismissed, hoping to secure a comfortable life afterward. He didn’t expect Rong Zhi, who had been stripped of power, to intervene and drag him forth.
When he was bound here, he still held on to a shred of hope, but now he was utterly hopeless. With the evidence irrefutable, he had no grounds or standing to claim innocence.
Rong Zhi let out a slight smile and turned to Chu Yu, “I hadn’t paid much attention before, but Liu Se really is quite talented. He embezzled with an accomplice from the outer mansion and stole precious items, which he then secretly transported out and sold. The channels for disposing of the loot were also rather discreet.” Although in his eyes, it was still somewhat superficial, for Liu Se, who had no guidance, it was a rarity.
Initially, Rong Zhi had deduced that Liu Se was the thief based merely on his knowledge of the mansion’s inhabitants. But during the investigation, there were surprises: Liu Se came from a poor background, uneducated yet learned some accounting from his merchant father. His unexpected sensitivity and passion for money and trade made his accounting rather clever. Although it couldn’t fool Rong Zhi, it had certainly confused Huan Yuan, who was new to these matters.
Rong Zhi detailed the entire investigation to Chu Yu and asked for her decision on the matter. Chu Yu watched Liu Se unblinkingly, her own heart troubled, uncertain of what to do.
In truth, she did not harbor a strong resentment for someone who stole from the mansion’s wealth. Commanding Rong Zhi to find the thief was only because she did not want a rat gnawing at the base, and she had not even considered how to punish when the thief was actually caught.
What complicated matters most was that Chu Yu had just dealt harshly with You Lan two days earlier. If she were to suddenly be lenient, it would undermine her previous actions. Yet what Liu Se had done was a grave mistake, and even regular punishment, not to mention a severe one, would not be too excessive.
Was she really to have him killed?
Perhaps sensing Chu Yu’s dilemma, Rong Zhi spoke up with a graceful smile, “If Princess finds it difficult, why not hand Liu Se over to me for handling?”
Upon hearing this, Liu Se instantly turned deathly pale and cried out, begging Chu Yu for mercy. Despite Rong Zhi’s courteous demeanor, deep inside, Liu Se harbored a profound and indelible fear of him.
