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墨書 Inktalez
It was three days later that Azure Feather was seen again.
Xing Ruyi was sitting in a corner of the teahouse, holding Yin Yuan, listening to the teacher read. Just as the story reached an exciting point, Yin Yuan sneezed, interrupting her interest. She intended to scold him lightly, but saw his delicate pink lips pouting, looking even more aggrieved than she felt. The slight annoyance that had just surfaced in her heart vanished instantly. With a hint of helplessness, she pinched the little one's cheek and looked up, only to catch sight of a familiar green figure—it was Azure Feather, who had visited the Rouge shop three days prior.
From what she learned from Shengzi, Azure Feather was a girl brought back from Yangzhou by the renowned Baihua Tower. She excelled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and was particularly skilled in Western songs and dances. In just a few short days, she had already replaced the previous courtesan from Hongxiu Mountain Villa, becoming the new Courtesan in Luoyang.
Thinking of the sorrowful mole on Azure Feather's neck, Xing Ruyi couldn't help but sigh softly. The shadows of Yan Niang and Jin Luo surfaced in her mind, leaving her feeling inexplicably uneasy.
Yin Yuan babbled happily, gripping Xing Ruyi's finger tightly as if trying to comfort her. Feeling warmth in her heart, Xing Ruyi tightened her embrace around Yin Yuan, lifting the corners of her mouth into a smile.
"You know how to comfort people now, don't you?" She playfully poked at his mouth with her finger. Yin Yuan's eyes darkened for a moment before he stuck out his tongue and licked her finger, then grinned widely like an ordinary carefree baby.
"Was that intentional?" Xing Ruyi pretended to be angry, pointing at Yin Yuan.
Yin Yuan continued to smile toothlessly and even let out those characteristic baby giggles.
Unable to stay mad at his laughter, Xing Ruyi shrugged and said generously, "I'll settle this with you when we get home!"
Instantly, Yin Yuan stopped laughing, his face scrunching up into a pitiful expression as if he were about to cry.
Feeling triumphant, Xing Ruyi smirked and stood up with Yin Yuan. The teacher's reading remained captivating, but the listener had lost the enthusiasm she had when she first arrived.
She fished out some loose change from her waist and placed it on the tea table. The attentive waiter quickly approached with a tea tray. When he reached them, he didn't rush to collect the money but instead slightly bowed and asked with a smile, "Is Ruyi leaving?"
"Yes, he's making quite a fuss; it's making it hard for anyone to enjoy the story."
"Well, young masters do tend to have their baby tantrums. And since the young lady is so straightforward by nature, taking care of such a child can indeed be challenging. If it were someone else, they might not have the same patience as you do. But I wonder what this child's parents do; they must have some extraordinary qualities to have given birth to such an adorable and unique child."
As expected of a teahouse waiter; he was quite adept at gathering gossip while being subtle about it.
"Honestly, I want to know what you just asked too." Xing Ruyi raised an eyebrow slightly, appearing somewhat helpless. "To be honest with you, I found this child at the door in the middle of the night. I thought he was cute and decided to take him in. As for his biological parents, they probably have their own reasons."
"Found him?" The attendant looked at Yin Yuan, then at Xing Ruyi. Seeing that she didn't seem to be joking, he shook his head with some regret and said, "Such a beautiful child, how could his biological parents bear to abandon him? It must be as you say, the girl has her reasons. It's fortunate for the child that he was brought to you."
"Reluctantly, I suppose it's fate," Xing Ruyi replied, glancing down at Yin Yuan.
Everything in the world has its cause and effect.
If she hadn't given Madam Liu that medicine, this child wouldn't have transformed into a fetus. Without this child, Qing Luan might still be alive; if Qing Luan were alive, Ah Xing wouldn't have died; if Ah Xing hadn't died, this child wouldn't have been sent to the Rouge shop to become the adopted son of her and the fox. She was both the cause and the effect of this child; when one thinks about it carefully, it truly forms a cycle.
The attendant sensed Xing Ruyi's helplessness and didn't dare to inquire further in front of her. He collected the scattered silver coins from the table, holding the tray and stepping aside.
Just as Xing Ruyi was about to take a step forward, a loud crash came from behind her. Turning around, she saw a mess on the ground—a middle-aged man in a silk shirt curled up on the floor. Cold sweat trickled from his forehead, his face contorted in pain, and he occasionally let out low groans of agony. Next to him lay a plate of sunflower seeds and a dish of broad beans. Most of the sunflower seeds were shells; not many broad beans had been eaten.
Seeing this, the attendant hurriedly set down the tea tray and rushed over. As he helped the man slightly, he was startled by a sudden groan of pain from him.
"It hurts! It hurts! Don't move, my stomach hurts!"
The man grimaced, lying still on the ground while showing some resistance to the attendant's help.
"Alright, I won't move. You just lie there; I'll go call the shopkeeper," the attendant said as he got up. Just then, the tea house owner rushed out from the back room upon hearing the commotion, muttering incessantly, "I'm going to die; I'm going to die! My business was just starting to pick up; how could this happen? You fool! What are you waiting for? Hurry up and call Manager Liu from Jishengtang!"
The shopkeeper slapped the attendant on the back. The attendant lowered his head in response and didn't dare to retort. Seeing the shopkeeper glare at him fiercely, he quickly adjusted his waistcloth and hurried out.
Xing Ruyi stood by the side and noticed that the man's face had turned pale and his lips were white while he clutched his abdomen tightly. She knew he had been poisoned. Although it wouldn't kill him immediately, if he endured half an hour of pain, he could either faint or become weak. She wasn't a cold-hearted person; seeing how frantic the tea house owner was made her speak up.
"From his condition, it seems like he's been poisoned. If you trust me, perhaps you should let the Fox Demon take a look first."
Xing Ruyi's suggestion caused the shopkeeper's face to change completely.
"What nonsense are you talking? This is my legitimate business! How could a customer get poisoned in my tea house?"
"I only said his symptoms resemble poisoning; it didn't happen in your tea house."
"Go away, go away! A woman, spouting nonsense. This is an emergency, something anyone with eyes can see."
"I completely agree with Ruyi's words; this person clearly has been poisoned." Chang Tai, dressed in official robes, pushed through the crowd. Two constables followed him, each holding a stack of portraits, seemingly in search of someone.
"Brother Chang!"
Encountering Chang Tai in the teahouse was a fresh experience for Xing Ruyi, especially under such circumstances.
"Lord Chang!"
The teahouse owner felt displeased at the interruption by the constable but dared not show it. However, the onlookers, upon hearing Chang Tai's words, turned their attention to the teahouse owner.
Clearly, they trusted Chang Tai's judgment more and believed that the man was poisoned rather than facing an emergency. Additionally, as patrons of the teahouse who had consumed fruits, snacks, and tea, they felt a sense of panic if things were unclear.
"Fox Demon, it's been a few days since we last met. How have you been?"
"Thank you for your concern, Brother Chang. The Fox Demon has been eating well and sleeping soundly; everything is fine."
Chang Tai looked around and noticed the fox was not present. He asked another question: "Are you alone?"
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