Chapter 39

Chapter 39

It was a day off, and Su Yu slept especially well in the former residence of the late emperor, where only her trusted people were present.

When she woke up, the sun was high outside. As soon as she opened the door, she saw Xie Yiguan standing at the entrance as if he had been waiting for ages.

Su Yu tilted her head and gave him a questioning look.

Xie Yiguan smiled and said, "Your Majesty, don't you want to go to the West Market?"

Su Yu: "..." She was planning to deceive someone. Bringing Xie Yiguan, who stuck out like a sore thumb, would mess with her plans, wouldn’t it?

She said coolly, "Ayou is enough to accompany me. If you have nothing to do, Inspector, you can sort out the accounts of Jinmeng Pavilion and hand them over to Second Miss Liu. By the way, arrange the palace examination after a month. After that, you’ll take up the position of Canal Inspector of Jiangnan Circuit."

Xie Yiguan: "..." When she needed him, she called him "cousin," but when she didn’t, she sent him off to work. Truly, the monarch is ruthless!

Xie Yiguan had initially wanted to watch the scene and learn from it to avoid being deceived by Su Yu in the future, but she refused his presence and assigned him tasks on a day off.

He sighed softly to himself; he had only himself to blame.

Xie Yiguan looked at Su Yu again. After several months, she still hadn’t gotten any better at tying her hair; it was as crooked as ever. Her face was the only thing keeping the look from falling apart—her messy hair half-covering her face didn’t look wrong, but it did bother him, and he really wanted to fix it...

So, he finally said something he’d wanted to suggest since they first met: "Your Majesty, can I fix your hair?"

"Sure." Su Yu had no objections. She usually just threw her hair into a ponytail without much thought, but she had noticed both Cui Xuan and Xie Yiguan were always very neat with their hair. As for Yu Chiyi, he was the type to fight bare-chested, so he couldn’t care less about his hair.

Su Yu sat in front of the dressing table, allowing Xie Yiguan to undo her ponytail, her black hair cascading down like a waterfall.

Xie Yiguan was stunned.

Su Yu, who was already strikingly beautiful, was wearing a light crimson round-necked wide-sleeved robe. The summer garment, made of light gauze, faintly revealed the white clothes beneath, giving off a youthful charm.

Now, with her long hair flowing down, her face reflected in the copper mirror appeared slightly blurred, the sharpness of her eyes softened. Only her peach blossom eyes remained, seemingly smiling yet not, utterly captivating.

Even Liu Wushi would be stunned, and for a moment, he felt doubt too...

However, Su Yu's gaze was too candid, and he had indeed seen the authentic records in the royal genealogy. So, Xie Yiguan pushed his doubts aside and once again felt sorry for Liu Wushi, lamenting that Su Yu, as a monarch, really had no qualms about deceiving people in either men's or women's clothing.

But since Liu Wushi had worn women's clothing first, it was no surprise that Su Yu deceived him.

Xie Yiguan was really good at tying hair. He wrapped the hairband around and secured the ponytail neatly.

Su Yu stood up, checking her reflection in the mirror from both sides, unable to help but exclaim, "Zhiwei, you're incredible!"

She turned around, her peach blossom eyes sparkling, looking at Xie Yiguan with an almost adoring gaze.

Xie Yiguan paused, stepped back, bowed, and covered his eyes to avoid looking at Su Yu. "Your Majesty flatters me."

"Alright, I'm leaving now, cousin, feel free."

As Xie Yiguan looked up again, the light crimson figure walked away with light steps, her ponytail swinging with each step, not quite in line with proper etiquette but full of vitality. He sighed softly; just a moment ago, being looked at by Su Yu with such eyes had caused his heart to beat unconsciously faster, let alone Liu Wushi, who she was wholeheartedly trying to deceive—

This Liu Jiulang, born intelligent and highly self-regarding, had reportedly never encountered a problem he couldn't solve since taking over the Liu family's business. This time, he would learn what it meant to stumble.

Xie Yiguan smiled; as long as Su Yu's schemes didn’t involve him, he was happy to watch the drama unfold.

Su Yu, holding the drawings she had made, arrived at Honglefang, only to be informed by the shopkeeper that Liu Jiuniang was not there.

"Ah? He's not here?" Su Yu blinked, appearing quite disappointed. Before coming, she had already used the system to check where Liu Wushi was.

Some time ago, Liu Wushi had gone to Jiangnan with the fleet, but he had already returned to the capital yesterday, which is why Su Yu is seeking him out today.

The shopkeeper casually glanced at the second-floor rooms and said with no emotion, "Liu Jiuniang has gone back home due to family matters. He might not be serving wine here from now on."

Su Yu immediately had the system display her location and checked Liu Wushi's movements. Sure enough, she saw him hiding in a room on the second floor, standing behind the door and observing the activity downstairs.

Su Yu: "..." Is he testing my acting skills or something?

She lowered her head, pretending to be very disappointed, then suddenly looked back up. "Where is Jiuniang's home?"

The shopkeeper shook his head. "Don't really know."

Su Yu pursed her lips slightly, appearing unhappy. After politely thanking the shopkeeper, she left with Yu Chiyou without staying longer.

Liu Wushi waited on the second floor for a while but didn’t see anyone come back. He quickly said to Guo Laidong, who was by his side, "Quick, go after them."

"Yes, sir. Do you want me to bring more people along? The guard next to her looks pretty tough," Guo Laidong replied. He had recognized that this was the young man who had a feud with their master.

Though he didn’t understand how Su Yu, looking so delicate, had managed to offend their master, Guo Laidong always did what Liu Wushi said.

"Go alone first and don't lose track of them. If her guard discovers you, don't confront him," Liu Wushi instructed, still worried.

Guo Laidong thought Liu Wushi was worried he couldn’t handle Yu Chiyou and said, "Sir, don't underestimate me. That guard may look fierce, but he's also young and might not beat me."

Seeing Guo Laidong's eager-to-go expression, Liu Wushi fell silent for a moment before sternly saying, "What are you doing? I just told you to follow them and absolutely not to engage!"

Guo Laidong nodded, getting it. "I understand."

Liu Wushi approached the shopkeeper and kept asking about his conversation with Su Yu. Finally, he asked desperately, "Did she leave any note for me?"

The shopkeeper, expressionless, shook his head, thinking inwardly: You said you weren’t coming back again, so why would she leave a note?

Liu Wushi felt a bit disappointed but then smiled to himself. "She really is heartless."

Noticing the shopkeeper's inquisitive gaze, he coughed lightly. "I just wanted to check if she left any useful info."

Later, Liu Wushi returned to the second-floor room, and when he came down again, he was dressed as Liu Jiuniang, in women's clothes, chasing after Su Yu.

The shopkeeper: "..." He was getting too old to understand the young people these days!

Leaving Honglefang, Yu Chiyou quietly asked Su Yu, "Sir, should I find out where this Liu Jiuniang lives?"

"No need," Su Yu shook her head. "Since we're out, let's enjoy ourselves. I'm hungry; let's find a restaurant to eat."

As soon as they sat down at the restaurant, Yu Chiyou whispered in her ear, "Sir, that big man has been following us since we left Honglefang..."

Su Yu kept her eyes forward. "Ignore him. Don't be surprised if we run into someone we need to meet."

Yu Chiyou: "?"

After leaving the restaurant, Su Yu visited a jewelry store and a Hu merchant's shop. As she was leaving, she almost bumped into someone, but her slender figure easily dodged the collision.

Yu Chiyou immediately stepped in front of her to protect her.

The tall, thin man opposite them cursed, "Are you blind? How dare you bump into your young master!"

Halfway through his tirade, he suddenly stopped, his cloudy eyes fixed on Su Yu, and then he grinned lewdly. "Which young master are you? I've never seen you before."

Yu Chiyou was about to draw his sword.

It was Su Yu who tapped his back, telling him to hold back.

She peeked timidly from behind Yu Chiyou and said to the man, "I didn’t mean to bump into you. Which family are you from? I’ll ask my cousin to come and apologize."

The man sneered, "Your cousin? Who does he think he is? He’s not worthy of stepping over the threshold of my house. But you, young beauty, you can come back with me right now."

The man had brought quite a few servants with him, and at his signal, they immediately surrounded Su Yu and Yu Chiyou.

Su Yu looked around and noticed that the previously busy street had suddenly emptied out. There were no onlookers. The people in the shop behind them stayed far away, not daring to come near. Clearly, the overindulged young man before them was a well-known local bully in this area.

Those who ran rampant in the capital were either prestigious family heirs or high-ranking officials’ children.

Su Yu regretted sending Xie Zhiwei on an errand.

So, she decided to use Xie Zhiwei’s name to gauge the man’s reaction. "My cousin is Xie Zhiwei, Xie Yiguan."

The man let out two cold snorts, his tone dripping with arrogance. "Some random nobody named Xie Yiguan? Never heard of him."

Su Yu was fairly certain that the man was from a prestigious family but not part of the central power structure.

She acted extremely uneasy and asked, her voice trembling, "Exactly which family are you from?"

"Young Master Zheng, this young lord has just arrived in the capital and isn’t familiar with the rules of the West Market. Please don’t take offense," Liu Wushi said, forcing a smile as he stepped in front of Su Yu.

He had finally caught up with Su Yu and saw the way Zheng Maozhi was eyeing her, which made him feel sick. Zheng Maozhi was the younger cousin of Zheng Maoxing and was known as a local bully in the West Market. He would take anyone who looked good, regardless of gender, by force.

Liu Wushi had been hesitating. He was in women’s clothes, making it inconvenient to act. He considered going back to get help for Su Yu, but when he heard her voice trembling, he couldn’t stop himself from thinking how frightened and helpless this naive young girl, who had just arrived in the capital full of excitement to meet him, must be feeling right now…

He took a big step back and now stood in front of Su Yu.

Sure enough, when Zheng Maozhi saw Liu Wushi, his eyes lit up, and he reached out to grab Liu Wushi’s hand. "Beauty, come back to my mansion with me!"

Liu Wushi endured the disgust, thinking a touch to his hand wouldn’t be a big deal if it meant luring Zheng Maozhi away…

But Su Yu couldn’t bear it anymore. She kicked Zheng Maozhi in the groin, causing him to let go of Liu Wushi’s hand in pain.

She shouted, "Ayou!"

Yu Chiyou acted decisively!

Su Yu grabbed Liu Wushi’s hand and turned to run into a nearby alley.

The moment Liu Wushi’s hand was held, his heart pounded heavily. He turned back and grabbed Su Yu, "This is a dead end. Follow me."

He was very familiar with the West Market and knew how to escape the pursuers. However, the more they ran, the heavier Su Yu’s breathing became, and several times her hand almost slipped out of his.

Liu Wushi looked down and saw that Su Yu’s face was flushed, her peach blossom eyes misty, and her red lips slightly parted and moist.

Without thinking, he scooped her up into his arms and continued running.

He ran with Su Yu for a long distance until they reached the backyard of another shop owned by the Liu family, where he felt it was safe to stop.

It was only then that Liu Wushi realized Su Yu was still in his arms!

His heartbeat was extremely rapid, unclear whether it was due to the intense run or some other reason. He tried not to look down, but Su Yu’s arms were still around his neck, and her gentle breaths on his neck constantly reminded him—

He was holding Su Yu!

Su Yu said softly, "Ninth Miss... let me down..."

"Oh! Okay!" Liu Wushi, unusually flustered, quickly put Su Yu down, and then moved more than ten steps away from her as if avoiding a dangerous beast.

The back door opened again, and Liu Wushi spun around in surprise to see Guo Laidong.

Guo Laidong had been following them the whole time, intending to make his move since Su Yu no longer had a capable guard by her side. But after following them all the way and seeing Liu Wushi make several twists and turns before hiding in a Liu family shop, he grew more suspicious and decided to push the door open and step inside.

As soon as he clearly saw Liu Wushi's face, he froze, wide-eyed. This... was his young master?!

Fearing that Guo Laidong would expose his true identity in front of Su Yu, Liu Wushi quickly stepped forward and bowed. "Guard Guo, what are you doing here? I'm no longer working at Honglefang."

Guo Laidong had seen Liu Wushi in women's clothing before, when he had to disguise himself to smuggle iron. But this time...

He gave Su Yu a strange look. The young master was slightly out of breath, his hair a bit messy, yet he was undeniably beautiful.

Before he could take another glance, Liu Wushi had already moved in front of Su Yu, unhappy that Guo Laidong was still staring.

"Guard Guo, is there something important you came for?" Liu Wushi's voice was slightly cold.

Guo Laidong, having grown up with him, knew that Liu Wushi was displeased and quickly waved his hand, saying, "That guy has already taken care of everyone, you... should this young master return?"

Liu Wushi thought Guo Laidong really lacked tact. He hadn't even had a chance to talk to Su Yu yet, and Guo Laidong was already suggesting that she leave!

He lowered his voice and said, "Even though everything's been taken care of, it's still dangerous for the young master to go back. I'll trouble Guard Guo to bring the young master's guards here."

When they were alone again in the courtyard, Liu Wushi carefully looked at Su Yu. Seeing her flushed face, he felt his own ears growing hot. He said softly, "It's been a while, I no longer work at Honglefang. If you're looking for me, you can come to this place."

He passed a note to Su Yu.

Su Yu also quietly asked, "Will Ninth Miss not sell wine in the future? I came to find you today to show you something I specially designed for you, a wine pourer. It seems I won't need it now..."

Liu Wushi softly coughed twice and took a few steps closer to Su Yu. "Let me see, maybe it can still be used," he said.

Su Yu took out her sketches, which contained not only the wine pourer but also other designs.

Liu Wushi immediately noticed a crossbow design among the sketches. This crossbow was quite different from the ones currently in use.

Su Yu also saw it and hurriedly tried to snatch it back, her face turning red. "I borrowed my cousin's study yesterday, and this is his. I took it by mistake, give it back to me quickly!"

Liu Wushi studied the design repeatedly until Su Yu, growing anxious, called out, "Ninth Miss?"

He smiled gently and handed the design back to Su Yu. "This appears to be an important item. Young master, you should keep it safe and return it promptly."

Su Yu nodded firmly and instructed Liu Wushi, "My cousin doesn't let us use his study, my cousin and I sneaked in. I need to put it back secretly. Ninth Miss, please don't tell anyone else."

Liu Wushi smiled and said, "I understand."

Su Yu gave him a pure, innocent smile.

Liu Wushi felt a twinge of guilt and awkwardly turned away.

Yu Chiyou arrived soon after, and Su Yu bid farewell to Liu Wushi. After walking a few steps, Liu Wushi hurriedly caught up, saying, "Let me see you off, young master."

Guo Laidong followed behind Liu Wushi, numbly watching his master awkwardly seeing the young master off onto the carriage, and standing there until the carriage disappeared before reluctantly turning back.

Liu Wushi met Guo Laidong's complex gaze and quickly explained, "She is Cousin Xie Zhiwei's cousin. I got close to her only to gather information, nothing more!"

He heavily emphasized the last four words.

Guo Laidong: “……” Just to gather information, you ended up carrying someone for ten streets?

He asked with a blank expression, "Did you find out anything, sir?"

Liu Wushi curled his lips. "No information, but I saw something interesting instead."

His memory was good; he had already memorized the design.

What he didn’t know was that Su Yu in the carriage also curled her lips and said to Yu Chiyou, "I hope he remembers the design and doesn’t get it wrong."

Yu Chiyou smiled too, not understanding, but following Su Yu’s lead.