Chapter 293

Chapter 293: A Troubled Heart Wang Hechun's Wife froze. She had just seen her mistress follow Du Cheng into the rockery, and now she had no idea what stage things had reached. Seeing the Marquis about to approach, Wang Hechun's Wife stammered, unable to speak clearly. Song Shulan found it strange. "Didn't you follow your mistress here? Where is she?" As he spoke, Song Shulan peered into the rockery. Seeing that the Marquis was about to enter, Wang Hechun's Wife instinctively moved to block the way with her body. "What are you doing?" Song Shulan frowned. "Marquis... Marquis, my mistress was just scolded by the Prince, and she's inside crying right now." Wang Hechun's Wife was so nervous that the words came out of her mouth without passing through her brain. Hearing that Zhao Susu was indeed in the rockery, Song Shulan didn't think much of it and told Wang Hechun's Wife to step aside. Wang Hechun's Wife didn't dare move, but when Song Shulan shot her a glare, she was pushed aside. Just as Song Shulan took two steps inside, he saw Zhao Susu coming out from within. "Master Song." Zhao Susu's eyes were red as she directly threw herself into Song Shulan's arms. "They all... they all blame me, saying I'm the one at fault. I only asked why my mother's mourning hall was so shabby." She spoke with great grievance, and with Zhao Susu in his embrace, Song Shulan didn't think too much about it. After comforting her for a while, Song Shulan noticed a hairpin on the ground not far away, and then saw that Zhao Susu's hair was slightly disheveled. Before he could ask, Zhao Susu spoke first. "I was just so heartbroken that I wanted to find a place to hide and cry. Mama Wang, come in and help me pick up the hairpin." Wang Hechun's Wife entered trembling with fear, keeping her head lowered the entire time, terrified that the Marquis might notice something wrong with her expression. As she bent to pick up the hairpin, she could just see the tip of Du Cheng's shoe exposed from within the rockery, and her heart leaped into her throat. "Marquis, my mistress's hairpin has fallen. Why don't I find a place to help my mistress fix her hair anew?" Wang Hechun's Wife didn't dare let the Marquis stay here any longer. If he discovered something, wouldn't that cost her old life! Song Shulan nodded, and hearing Zhao Susu's sobbing, couldn't help but offer a few words of comfort. After the three of them walked away, Zhao Susu couldn't help but glance back once. Du Cheng's love was intense and burning, unlike Song Shulan's—even though he had spoken a few words of comfort, everything about it revealed perfunctory indifference. They returned to the mourning hall. As daughter and son-in-law, Zhao Susu and Song Shulan would need to be there for these next few days. However, Cui Lingrong did not go. By now, she no longer feared others criticizing her for not observing proper etiquette. These past few days, she either stayed in the mansion or went to visit Yuan Mingzhu. On this day, she returned from Yuan Mingzhu's place and saw Song Shulan sitting in the room with a stern face. Cui Lingrong asked, "Why does the Marquis have time to visit today? Is there something?" "Didn't I tell you to go out less?" Song Shulan had just returned and was displeased to learn that Cui Lingrong had gone out again. "Did you go to see Xie Yunting?" Cui Lingrong was utterly speechless. "Song Shulan, what's gotten into you again?" It was the first time she had called Song Shulan by his name directly. Even in the past, no matter how angry or exasperated she was, she had always maintained the proper form of address. "What did you call me?" Song Shulan's ink-black thick brow arched high on one side. Cui Lingrong averted her gaze. "I called you Song Shulan. Isn't your name Song Shulan?" With that, Cui Lingrong let out a cold laugh. "I said no, and you don't believe me. In that case, why don't you catch me in bed with someone, or catch me meeting secretly with General Xie?" "You... you're shameless!" Song Shulan roared in anger. "Listen to yourself—do you have any upbringing left?" "I spoke to you properly, but you refused to believe me and insisted on dragging in all sorts of nonsense. Let me tell you, if you come asking these messy questions again, you can get the hell out!" Cui Lingrong pointed at the door, indicating that Song Shulan could leave right now. But Song Shulan had come with a purpose. Unable to out-argue Cui Lingrong, he turned to give Dongyun a look. "How are you doing your job? No sense at all—the mistress has been here for so long and you haven't even served a cup of tea!" Dongyun looked at the Eldest Young Madam, at a loss. Cui Lingrong gave Dongyun a signal. "Dongyun, you may go out first. As for tea, the Marquis isn't thirsty." With the Eldest Young Madam's instruction, Dongyun hurried out. Just as Song Shulan was about to find fault with Cui Lingrong, she brought up Zhao Susu first. "Zhao has lost her status as County Mistress, and the Rong Prince Mansion has fallen out of the Emperor's favor. Has the Marquis thought clearly about how he will treat Zhao from now on?" Song Shulan cleared his throat. "She and I share the affection of our youth. Even if she has fallen on hard times, it wouldn't be right for me to kick her out of the house while she's down." "True, you two are childhood sweethearts. I can't compare to your bond." Cui Lingrong showed no jealousy, but deliberately provoked Song Shulan. "But do you know how Elder Master Du died?" "Of course he died of illness. How else would he have died?" Song Shulan answered matter-of-factly. "Earlier, when Jin-ge was sick, the abbot of Fahua Temple came to examine him and said he had been poisoned with a rare slow-acting toxin. Does the Marquis know—Elder Master Du also died from this same poison." Cui Lingrong looked at Song Shulan, her gaze playful. "You... what do you mean?" Cui Lingrong smiled. "Do you even need to ask? In this marquis household, who would poison Jin-ge? The second and third branches have no reason to, and the Old Madame dotes on her grandson. Would you or I do it?" No. That left only Zhao Susu. Song Shulan held his breath, feeling a chill seeping through to his very bones. Song Shulan knew that Mei-shi's death and the deaths of the Mei family were certainly connected to Zhao Susu. Since Zhao Susu could kill one person, she could kill a second, a third... any number of people. Du Shibei had dared to keep a concubine in a hidden residence, and Zhao Susu's temper had been at its worst back then. It was entirely possible. "What exactly are you trying to say?" Song Shulan asked. "I've made myself perfectly clear. Mei-shi was killed by Zhao Susu, and so were the Mei family members. Elder Master Du died by her hand as well!" Cui Lingrong's tone grew heavier. Song Shulan frowned deeply. "Don't talk nonsense. The Du family is a distinguished household after all. If Zhao-shi had been poisoning him over a long period, wouldn't the Du family have noticed? Du Shibei was the eldest son and eldest grandson of the Du family, destined to inherit the family enterprise. Would the Du family just watch Zhao-shi keep trying to murder Du Shibei?" "For that question, you'll have to ask Zhao-shi yourself." Cui Lingrong looked at Song Shulan quietly for a moment. "I'm telling you all this merely as a warning to the Marquis. Now that you've become Zhao-shi's bedmate, and you..." She paused deliberately. Neither needed to say it aloud—both knew Cui Lingrong was referring to Song Shulan having become a eunuch. "And you can't satisfy her in every way. The Marquis should be careful—don't walk the same path as Elder Master Du. When the time comes and I'm burning incense for you, I won't be able to stop myself from cursing you for being blind." With that, Cui Lingrong called for Dongyun to see the guest out. Song Shulan's heart was heavy. On one hand, he felt that since Du Shibei had been ill for so long, the Du family couldn't possibly have been completely unaware. On the other hand, he felt that Zhao Susu truly was capable of such a thing. His heart was in turmoil, utterly unsettled.