"Mother, don't worry, Yu will definitely pass on the message to eldest brother!" Shen Zhiyu patted his chest, nodding resolutely, as if accepting a sacred mission.
Seeing his earnest and well-behaved appearance, Li Yueshu chuckled, unable to resist ruffling his hair and messing it all up.
But Shen Zhiyu didn't mind at all. He deliberately nudged his head forward, making it easier for his mother to stroke him.
Li Yueshu was amused by the little fellow's antics and laughed heartily. The next day, when she took him to the academy, she specifically put extra snacks in his small bag.
The little fellow was so happy that he hugged his mother's neck and nuzzled her.
Watching Ayun enter the academy, Li Yueshu turned to leave.
Just as she was about to get into the carriage, she overheard a conversation nearby:
"I heard that the bookstore near the academy caught fire last night, and the entire place was burned down."
"Really? That's such a shame! That was the biggest bookstore in town. I was planning to buy my child some ink and brushes later!"
Hearing the conversation, Li Yueshu also felt a pang of regret.
That bookstore had good quality products and a complete selection. She always bought things for the children there, and now it was burned down.
Li Yueshu sighed and didn't think much of it. She got into her newly purchased carriage, naturally not hearing the rest of the conversation: "I heard that a place in the next town was also burned down last night..."
After leaving the academy, Li Yueshu went to the medical hall to check on Liu Lanlan's husband's condition.
The wound on his left arm was quite deep. Although he could move it normally now, it hadn't healed enough for surgery.
After looking around the medical hall and seeing that everything was fine, Li Yueshu planned to go straight home.
But as soon as she got into the carriage, she suddenly felt something. She reached out and flipped open the carriage curtain, only to see a red figure lounging comfortably inside.
Li Yueshu paused, lowering her guard, "Why are you here?"
Hong Dai got up and moved closer, leaning against the carriage door, "Why are you alone? Where's your shadow of a husband?"
Mentioning Shen Wei, Li Yueshu's lips turned down.
Shen Wei had wanted to come along today, but she had found an excuse to keep him at home.
She really didn't want to be with that scoundrel right now!
Li Yueshu lowered the curtain, whipped the horse's hindquarters, and the carriage immediately started moving.
Only then did she speak, "You're not staying at Qingfeng Hall. What do you want with me?"
Hong Dai lifted the curtain and stuck her head out, "Haven't you heard? Qingfeng Hall was burned down. I'm homeless now."
Li Yueshu turned back in surprise, "Qingfeng Hall? Wasn't it the bookstore that was burned down?"
Hong Dai raised her eyebrows, "You heard? How was it? Did that bookstore burn completely?"
Li Yueshu: "..."
She suddenly seemed to understand something.
"You burned down the bookstore?"
Although her tone was a question, her eyes clearly indicated certainty.
She remembered Hong Dai saying before that the first time she met her, she was buying things for the children at the bookstore and was educating Ayi, saying that women should also study and so on.
And before, when Hong Dai wasn't in Tong Mu County, she had also heard from a brothel runner at Qingfeng Hall that Hong Dai had come to Tong Mu County chasing someone.
Connecting these, it wasn't hard to guess.
Hong Dai didn't deny it either. "He burned down my Qingfeng Hall, so it's only natural for me to return the favor by burning down his bookstore. It's not too much."
Li Yueshu drove the carriage, but her heart was filled with curiosity. "This 'he'... is it the groom whose wedding you ruined during the New Year?"
Hong Dai blinked, looking surprised. "Madam Shen is so smart, I'm almost feeling like I have no secrets!"
Li Yueshu: "..."
She felt even more curious about Hong Dai's story.
She ruined his wedding, and he burned down her Qingfeng Hall. She then burned down his bookstore in retaliation. The next step should be for him to retaliate.
So...
Li Yueshu suddenly turned back, her expression serious. "Are you here to say goodbye, or to seek refuge with me?"
Hong Dai hadn't expected her to react so quickly. She paused for a moment, then innocently winked, "We're friends, Little Yueshu. You wouldn't be so heartless as to abandon me, would you?"
Li Yueshu's lips twitched.
"Whoa—"
Li Yueshu suddenly stopped the carriage, turned back, and looked at her expressionlessly. "You're wrong. I am that heartless."
Saying that, she patted the carriage side with her whip and coldly uttered two words: "Get out!"
Now it was Hong Dai's turn to be stunned: "..."
So heartless, just as she knew Li Yueshu to be!
Hong Dai shifted her body and wrapped her arms around Li Yueshu's right arm. "Don't be so cold! If you take me in, I'll give you some news, how about that?"
Li Yueshu raised an eyebrow. "That depends on what the news is."
Hong Dai rested her chin on her shoulder, her breath like orchid fragrance, her movements alluring. "The task commissioned to Chi Yun Tower to investigate you has been canceled."
Li Yueshu poked her brow with her index finger and pushed her away. "Why was it canceled?"
Hong Dai moved aside, fanning herself with her handkerchief. "I don't know about that. However, you are the only person Chi Yun Tower has been unable to gather information on in so many years. Although the task is canceled, Chi Yun Tower's investigation into you has not stopped."
Li Yueshu slightly lowered her gaze, her brows furrowing unconsciously.
She had previously suspected that the Second Prince Qin Ye Cheng had paid a hefty sum for Chi Yun Tower to investigate her. But after the assassination attempt last time, the Second Prince should have intensified his investigation, not canceled it so abruptly.
Unless, the other party already knew her secret and no longer needed to investigate.
Thinking of this, the aura around Li Yueshu instantly turned cold.
Shen! Wei!
Hong Dai sensed the change in the atmosphere around her and cautiously leaned closer. "Did you think of something?"
Li Yueshu gave her a cold glance, then immediately flicked her whip. "Giddy up!"
The horse, having been whipped, immediately bolted forward. The sudden jolt of the carriage made Hong Dai lose her balance and nearly fall.
She could tell that Little Yueshu was quite angry, so she'd better not ask any more questions.
...
Li Yueshu drove the carriage with a low pressure emanating from her, implicitly agreeing to Hong Dai staying at her house to hide.
Her wedding was ruined, and only her insignificant Qingfeng Hall was burned down. And Hong Dai retaliated by burning down one of his bookstores. The actions of these two were somewhat childish, and they certainly weren't enemies to the death.
Since that was the case, taking her in wouldn't cause any trouble.
Besides, she had another purpose for taking in Hong Dai.
Ever since she discovered that Shen Wei was pretending to be foolish, Li Yueshu had felt uncomfortable sharing a bed with him every time.
If it weren't for the fact that every room in the house was occupied, and that Ayi and Ayun slept together, she would have kicked that scoundrel out long ago.
Now that Hong Dai was here, she had an excuse to tidy up the pharmacy and drag Hong Dai to sleep in the pharmacy.
No one knew Li Yueshu's thoughts. Only Wei Zimao, seeing her move her things to the pharmacy, seemed to guess something and a smug smile curved his lips.
And so, amidst a period of "calm," Wei Tonghao arrived a full three days earlier than expected.
"Zimao, hurry and open the door! Father is here! Let me see my darling granddaughter!"
Before the sound of the horseshoes had even faded, Wei Tonghao's hearty and bold voice rang out.
In the quiet afternoon, almost the entire village heard the commotion and came to Li Yueshu's house to watch the excitement.