Chapter 46: Murderous Nursery Rhyme (X)

As it neared 7 PM, Su Yunkai finished dinner and continued to talk to Ming Yue about the case. A fire the size of a bean was flickering in the room, as only a kerosene lamp was lit, creating a dim, yellow glow. On the contrary, there were less formalities on both ends as a result.

Bai Shui walked around the village but found nothing unusual. She wanted to report to Su Yunkai, but she heard Ming Yue’s voice in his room. Since nothing had occurred anyway, she decided to retreat and prepared to return to the An residence and wash up. Otherwise, when everything started to get busy again, she might not have time. Although she wore men’s clothing, she still had the heart of a woman and wanted to keep clean.

When she arrived at the door, she directly pushed it open to get her clothes. At the same time, she saw Qin Fang changing. His back, which was facing the door, was very sturdy. He wasn’t flabby, but he also didn’t seem too skinny. Perhaps because he was raised luxuriously from a young age and had rarely been exposed to the sun, he was a little too white for a man. In fact, he was even whiter than those white-faced scholars.

She paused in the doorway, not bothering to dodge the sight, then closed the door behind herself. Qin Fang turned around when he heard the sound. Seeing her come in, he quickly grabbed the clothes to cover his body. However, her face gave no indication that she had seen him in a state of undress. That made him gloomy. He clothed himself as he sat opposite her, watching her pour tea.

Bai Shui looked up. “Are you thirsty, too?” With that, she poured two cups of tea.

“I’m not thirsty,” Qin Fang said. “When I was changing my clothes, why didn’t you scream or run away? Couldn’t you have at least covered your eyes?”

The corners of her mouth curved. “Why would I do that? Of the yamen officers who go out to patrol in the sweltering heat and come back, who doesn’t open their clothes wider or bare their arms?” She lightly glanced at him again. “I’ve seen so many more people who are stronger and sturdier than you.”

Qin Fang felt violated. He drew his clothes tighter. “I’m not talking about that. I am different from them. At least show a different expression. “

“What difference? Aren’t you all men?”

Qin Fang opened his mouth, hesitant, and stuttered, “I thought… I thought I would be a little different.” He was surprised to find himself both lacking confidence and uncomfortable. After a while, he turned back and took something from another long table and gave it to her. “For your hands.”

Bai Shui looked down. It was a small medicine box made of wood. When it was opened, there was a piece of solidified oil inside. “What is this?”

“I bought it from the doctor who treated my brother-in-law. It’s white jade cream for you to put on your hands. If you rub a little on every night, your hands will be moistened a lot. It’s not very good but bear with it a little. Once we get back to the yamen, I’ll buy you a better one.”

Bai Shui stared intently at the box. His words in her ears seemed to be interwoven into music. After thinking more about it, the music became a buzzing and annoying noise, knocking on her heart. “I don’t want it.”

When Qin Fang saw her chucking the box back without a hint of care or appreciation, he said angrily, “Where did I go wrong? Why are you always so cold to me?”

Bai Shui wasn’t a piece of wood. Qin Fang may not have even realized what he was doing and what it meant, but she knew and understood.

Seeing her frown and not speak, Qin Fang thought it through a little. “Are you tired? I told you a long time ago that you shouldn’t tire yourself out. It’s not good for your health… “

“Qin Fang.” Bai Shui interrupted, finally looking him in the eye, her words slow, “Don’t be so kind to me ever again.”

“Why?”

“Because I like you.”

After saying the words she’d thought a hundred times, Bai Shui found that the feeling was not simple at all. The four words burned in her heart like firewood, scorching her until her whole body was heating up and her mouth went dry. Qin Fang was also stunned. He blushed and raised his neck slightly and coughed. “Oh…oh… “

“But I can’t like you anymore.”

Qin Fang, who had just been viciously doused with cold water, almost jumped up. “Why?!”

Bai Shui took a sip of the lukewarm tea, trying to calm herself down, and said slowly, “I’m going to Kaifeng to find my brother.”

“I can help you. I’m the little marquis of Kaifeng. My father is a duke.”

“How? What identity will you use to help me?”

“Mar…” Qin Fang was not stupid either. He suddenly understood. A marquis? What would Bai Shui’s identity be, then? The Bai Shui who had deceived the whole government or the woman Bai Yao?

If she were to use the identity of Bai Shui, no matter whether or not she found her brother, she couldn’t stay in Kaifeng anymore. Otherwise, entering the duke’s family as a man who turned into a woman would cause her to be charged with the crime of deceiving the emperor.

If she were to use the identity of Bai Yao, she couldn’t continue searching for her brother. In the official documents, she was Bai Shui. She could only resume her female identity if she didn’t go to Kaifeng. But he wasn’t going to be able to leave Kaifeng in the future.

He suddenly felt powerless. He understood why she hadn’t been fighting with him recently and always acted cold.

She knew that she liked him and that he liked her.

She wanted to take advantage of the budding feelings and cut them off as soon as possible, so that there wouldn’t be any more entanglement in the future.

How calm and determined she was.

Qin Fang believed that he indeed hadn’t liked her enough to be reluctant to give her up. In fact, if he really cared for her, he would’ve thought of the issue long ago and not later than she had. Even at this time, he felt that his feelings for her were simply due to the fact that she was refreshing, which wasn’t different from the reason he initially felt attracted to most other girls.

No wonder she was considering possible difficulties and whether or not they would harm her in the future. She couldn’t just recklessly disregard the effects.

He was truly scum.

“I understand.” Qin Fang gripped the wooden box in a trance.

They were silent for a long time. Neither of them continued to talk. Sometimes, when things were laid out honestly, it only made people think more worriedly. 

Outside the yard, a cow mooed, and Qin Fang took the opportunity to get up and leave the house without saying a word. Whether he was inside or outside in the An residence, he was uncomfortable. No matter what, he couldn’t return to the house tonight. He decided to simply go to the Zhu residence to talk to Su Yunkai.

Who would have thought that there was already someone in the room? He originally wanted to listen carefully from the crack of the door, but as he leaned over, the door, which hadn’t been closed all the way, slowly creaked open and his whole head was revealed.

Su Yunkai and Ming Yue both looked over. Qin Fang laughed awkwardly and came in. “Brother-in-law, Ming Yue.”

“Didn’t you go back to the An residence long ago? To think that you haven’t slept yet.” Ming Yue’s impression of Qin Fang was that he was a drowsy dandy. She was surprised that he would come here at this time.

Qin Fang moved a chair and sat down, feeling extremely gloomy. Su Yunkai came to a faint realization. “Were you driven out by Constable Bai’s beatings?”

“No,” Qin Fang sighed.

Noticing that he was silent and playing with a box in his hand, Ming Yue’s sensitive nose gave a sniff. “White jade paste?”

“Yes.”

“What are you doing with this paste for women?” Ming Yue understood, “Is it for Bai…”

“Wait.” Qin Fang stopped her. “This thing is for my own use. What am I giving it to Constable Bai for? Don’t speak nonsense.”

Su Yunkai and Ming Yue, who had known for a long time, looked at each other. They exchanged a message through eye contact.

Qin Fang saw that their expressions were strange and asked doubtfully, “What are you thinking?”

Su Yunkai thought for a moment. Then, he looked outside. After confirming that there weren’t any people around, he said, “You were giving it to Bai Shui.”

“…… No, he, a man…”

“I know she’s a woman.”

“He’s not…” Qin Fang was struck dumb. “You know? When did you know? “

“Since we left Nanle County.”

Qin Fang nearly started throwing insults. He did not expect anyone else to know. He thought he was the first to find out. Turns out, he figured it out even later than his brother-in-law. To think that he had once been proud for thinking he was the only one who knew the secret! His heart suddenly hung low. “You, you, how did you know?”

Su Yunkai saw that he looked nervous. Suddenly, he thought of something. True, with Qin Fang’s temperament, it was impossible for him to know that Bai Shui was a girl from the subtle clues. Seeing him stumble over his words, he determined that Qin Fang must’ve seen something, which was why he nervously continued to inquire. He probably thought that Su Yunkai had been caught in the same situation. “I guessed from the details.”

“Really?”

“Really. What did you think?”

Qin Fang shook his head hard. In the end, he didn’t think he had shook his head hard enough, so he shook it again. Seeing Ming Yue’s apparent lack of shock, he suddenly thought he was a joke. “So you both already know…I was the last to know.”

To think that he had been so prideful. To think that he had thought that he was the only one in the world who knew the secret.

All of a sudden, the secret belonging between him and Bai Shui disappeared. His heart fell. It was as though the last bit of entanglement between them had disappeared completely.

Thinking about it, he gave a long sigh.

Su Yunkai said, “Don’t get too close to Bai Shui unless you’ve thought of a solution for the consequences.”

“I understand…We talked about it just now..”

Ming Yue was surprised, “You did? Then, since you two already discussed it, you…”

Did they already make everything clear to each other?

Qin Fang vaguely guessed what she was going to say. “She said she likes me.”

Ming Yue was stunned again. She hadn’t expected Bai Shui to be so bold.

“The reason why she expressed this directly was because she wanted to tell me that she can’t like me anymore. She also told me to stop being kind to her. Otherwise, she can’t leave properly in the future.”

Su Yunkai had expected this for a long time, but he didn’t expect that Bai Shui would bring this up first. Bai Shui was not intelligent enough to help him solve cases. She had to work hard, not caring about her health to run back and forth. Yet, it had been Bai Shui who had thought of the consequences of liking Qin Fang and brought up the topic first. In the eyes of the world, her behavior could’ve been declared as frivolous. Still, she spoke up without fussing or being clingy and she didn’t stay quiet because of embarrassment.

Originally, Su Yunkai hadn’t understood how Bai Shui as a woman could’ve been a constable for so many years, but now he finally understood. Ordinary men were nothing in comparison to Miss Bai. “So your response was to leave the room and come here?”

Qin Fang didn’t understand for a moment. “What else could I do? Stay there and fight? That would be awkward for her. “

Su Yunkai did not speak for a while. Then, he said, “Haven’t you thought about staying and discussing this matter with her, face-to-face? Is there no better way than simply leaving? “

Even if Bai Shui would go to Kaifeng in the future, she could still recover her female identity after leaving Kaifeng. If Qin Fang could forgo all his power, he could definitely follow Bai Shui away. Unfortunately, he only thought of escaping; he didn’t think about solving or facing his problems. Su Yunkai wanted to tell him that, but if he said it straight, Qin Fang would instead react passive-aggressively.

Only when Qin Fang himself understood could he deal with the possible obstacles in the future.

Although, was Qin Fang’s lost expression because…he hadn’t thought of it yet?

Maybe it was also because…his feelings weren’t deep.

Su Yunkai sighed silently.

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