Bai Shui wasn’t sure how long she had been unconscious. Even when she woke up, she didn’t realize that she had fainted before. Her eyes opened slightly and she heard Qin Fang calling her name anxiously. She suddenly remembered why she was lying here. She hadn’t even opened her eyes fully when tears began to streak down her face. Bai Shui cried out hoarsely, “Brother!”
Qin Fang paused. He took in her haggard appearance, his heart aching. Qin Fang reached out to hug her. “Shui Shui, don’t cry.”
“Where is my brother?”
“We brought you back together. His body was sent to the Ministry of Justice. Ming Yue is there.”
For a moment, Bai Shui remained dazed. She asked, “Is Lord Su also there?”
“Yes, he is. However, since he’s a member of the Ministry of Rites, he cannot get involved. But don’t worry, Shui Shui. My brother-in-law would never just sit back and let other people ignore this case. I won’t either!”
Bai Shui’s heart was in turmoil as grief and despair engulfed her. In her mind, she was back in that cave, feeling as if the world were collapsing around her. She remembered how she had felt the moment she had seen her brother: it was as though she had walked in a boundless place for an eternity, in the hope that there might be a way out, but after decades of persisting, someone had suddenly told her that there was no way out at all!
There was no way out. She no longer had any purpose. She no longer had any hope.
Bai Shui had worked so hard for so many years, but for what? In the end, all she had gotten were her brother’s bones.
She had once thought that she could bear the weight of the heavens, but now that the sky had collapsed, she found that she was as small as an ant and as weak as a bug.
Knowing that Bai Shui was suffering, Qin Fang wanted to sigh, but he did not dare. He could only hold her even more tightly.
“What are you doing…” The voice that came from behind was surprised and astonished. It even quavered. Qin Fang turned around in surprise. “Mother.”
Madam Qin looked at their entwined fingers. She stepped forward swiftly, pushed Bai Shui backwards with great force, and yelled, “What are you doing?! You…” Madam Qin’s gaze was fixed upon Bai Shui. Suddenly, Madam Qin noticed the slight rise of Bai Shui’s chest. Bai Shui’s face was pretty and delicate, although it was sickly pale.
This person was clearly a woman. Madam Qin was even more shocked, taking a sudden step back. Noticing that a servant was about to enter, she turned around and yelled, “Get out! Close the door!” She had not yet recovered her wits.
The servant was startled and unsure what had happened but still hastened to close the door.
When Madam Qin turned around, she found her son kneeling before her. “Mother, Shui Shui is a good girl. Don’t make this hard for her.”
Madam Qin suddenly sneered. “Make it hard for her? You’re clearly making it hard for me. Isn’t she a constable? How is she a woman? This is a crime. This is deceiving the imperial family. Don’t you know that this is a felony that deserves beheading?”
“I know, but Shui Shui has her reasons. She came to Kaifeng as a man in order to find her brother.”
“Did she find her brother?”
Qin Fang paused, then spoke. “She did.”
Madam Qin said coldly, “Then have her leave the Qin family and the capital as soon as possible. I can’t allow you to have anything to do with her. Someone with such crimes on her back, do you think I could allow you to bring her into the family through marriage?”
Qin Fang was silent for a moment. Seeing the deathly pale Bai Shui, Qin Fang said, “Her brother…passed away.”
Madam Qin instantly swallowed the mocking words that rose to her lips. She refrained from speaking any more vicious words. However, she still found the situation absurd. Using another identity was a great crime. How did Qin Fang dare touch such a girl and even bring her home? If the servants knew…
At this time, Madam Qin firmly cast aside her empathy. Now, she had every intention of driving Bai Shui away. If she didn’t, it would bring great danger to the family. She looked at Bai Shui. After a moment of hesitation, she said, “Forgive me, but I cannot keep you.”
Qin Fang said urgently, “Mother!”
“Shut up!” Madam Qin lightly scolded. “If your father comes back and finds out that you’ve done such a stupid thing, what do you think he’ll do? He’ll skin you alive! He might even have her bones taken apart and send her remains to the yamen.”
Madam Qin’s words were not false. Qin Fang was aware of his father’s methods, but he couldn’t bear to leave Bai Shui like this. She needed him. He had promised to take care of her. Something terrible had just happened to her. Was he really going to send her away during her most difficult time?
Bai Shui struggled off the bed, bending over to thank Madam Qin. She began to search for her uniform.
Madam Qin saw that Bai Shui’s official uniform was worn through and that there were blood stains on it. Glancing at the thin inner garment, Madam Qin could see a lot of gauze from old wounds. She sighed inwardly. She didn’t want to be too heartless, but the girl really couldn’t stay.
When she saw her son moving forward to help the girl get dressed, she suddenly remembered that he had never even gotten changed on his own before. Since he clearly had no qualms about seeing her in various states of undress, Madam Qin assumed that he had already taken the girl’s virtue. She began to feel more guilty and did not urge them to hurry.
After Bai Shui got dressed, she thanked Madam Qin and left. Madam Qin saw that Qin Fang was about to follow, so she grabbed his arm and hissed, “Didn’t you listen to what I said? The more you get involved with her, the more suspicious your father will be. You’ll be the death of her if you continue pursuing her!”
Qin Fang was stunned. He had thought that he was steadfast and that he had already considered everything, but now that he really had to face the problem, he found that he had actually made no preparations at all.
He had promised Bai Shui everything, but he could not do anything.
In front of his father and in front of the imperial power, he was a dandy who could only eat-drink-play and make merry.
A great sense of defeat washed over Qin Fang, making him a little dazed. He turned in the direction that Bai Shui had just departed.
Seeing that he still wasn’t letting go, Madam Qin said anxiously, “How long are you going to make a fool of yourself?”
“Mother.” Qin Fang returned to his senses. “I’m not making a fool of myself. I like her. Long ago, she helped me clearly understand what we will have to face in the future. I knew then and I know now that no matter what happens, I will protect her and stay by her side. How can I go back on my word?”
Madam Qin was stunned. “Aren’t you afraid that your father will send her to the prison?”
“I am afraid. It’s just that I won’t be able to hide this matter from my father. Mother, do you really think all the servants actually listen to you? If you want to tell them, then do so. No matter what happens, I will not leave her alone, even if she is imprisoned or expelled from the capital.”
After speaking these words, Qin Fang stepped outside. Madam Qin reached out to hold him back, but her son gently pushed her hand aside. She could only stand there and watch him leave.
When did her son—who spent the whole day playing—learn how to stand up and act like a man?
*
It took Qin Fang a long time before he was able to catch up to Bai Shui. When he saw the side of her face, all his hesitation disappeared into thin air. As he looked at her, a smile crossed his face. He had the sudden urge to hug her. This time, he hadn’t cowered.
Bai Shui was livid; she did not spare him a glance. After walking for a long time, she whipped around and glared at him coldly. “What are you following me for? Go back to your house. I don’t want to be watched by the Duke of Yan. I need to solve my brother’s case.”
Qin Fang’s grin gradually diminished. “I won’t go.”
After seeing his expression, Bai Shui could no longer push him away. Qin Fang bent over and took her large sword, which was very heavy in his hand. “Let’s go. I’ll take you to the Su residence.”
Bai Shui was silent. She nodded gently. After entering the yamen, she had always supported other people who had needed it. Now, there was someone she could rely on.
*
When Su Yunkai and Ming Yue arrived at the Qin residence, the butler told them that Qin Fang had just left with Constable Bai. When they asked where the two had gone, the butler shook his head and said he didn’t know.
Su Yunkai and Ming Yue guessed that the two of them had either gone to the Su residence or to Ming Yue’s home. After all, Qin Fang knew that Su Yunkai and Ming Yue had been at the criminal department earlier. He probably knew that they would be out by this time.
Ming Yue suggested, “Why don’t we each go to our own homes so that we can make sure one of us is where they end up going?”
This method was the most convenient. Su Yunkai nodded and said, “If you find that they aren’t there, maybe they haven’t arrived yet, so wait for a little bit.”
“Okay.”
Su Yunkai added, “Once we’ve met with Bai Shui, I will go to Mount Gu again. I think there are still some suspicious things that require investigating. Perhaps I will find some additional clues.”
Ming Yue also felt that there was something wrong, something that made her uneasy. “Take more people when you go.”
“I will.”
They were very close to Ming Yue’s home now. After they went their separate ways, Ming Yue jogged home, fearing that Bai Shui might have come back first. Bai Shui’s home was next door to hers. As she passed by, she saw that the lock hadn’t been opened, so she didn’t stop. Then, she suddenly heard a crackling sound in the yard, rather like a branch breaking. Ming Yue halted in her tracks.
At this moment, another neighbor opened the door to dump out waste water. Ming Yue hurriedly walked over to ask quietly, “Aunt He, can you let me in? I think my Brother Bai’s home has a thief.”
Aunt He moved to the side to let Ming Yue in. As she closed the door, she said, “Is the person back there not Constable Bai? I just went out to get fish. As I was entering my house, I heard movement from over there.”
“If it really was him, why didn’t he go through the front door? The lock hasn’t been opened yet.”
“Maybe he forgot.”
“His key is attached to his waist. He can’t have lost it.” Ming Yue looked up at the second floor of Aunt He’s home. She said, “Aunt He, I’m going up to have a look. I can see Brother Bai’s yard from upstairs.”
“Go ahead.”
Ming Yue lifted her skirts and walked up to the attic. There were miscellaneous objects scattered around. When Ming Yue entered the attic, where hardly anyone went, she caught a bunch of cobwebs. Ming Yue leaned over and walked slowly to the window. When she looked over, there was no one in the yard. She frowned. Had she heard wrong?
As she was about to leave, two men came out of the house. She was startled. The two men whispered to each other. With little effort, they jumped up and over the wall easily.
Ming Yue had never seen the two men before. She didn’t know many people in the capital. She had no idea who they were. She was about to head down to Bai Shui’s house to take a look, but then, she saw a thick smoke rising from the house. The next moment, a fire had engulfed half the wooden house.
.
A Hint of Spring 
Thank you for the update.
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