Chapter 104: Déjà Vu
Chapter 104: Chapter 104: Déjà Vu
"Yes."
It wasn’t surprising he knew she was close with Song Tan.
Lu Xiu fell silent for a moment before looking up. "You truly are quite kind to others."
Hearing such a compliment from Lu Xiu was not only unbelievable, it made her skin crawl.
Liang Wan didn’t dare to respond.
He added, "I’ll have someone investigate this, but it’s been a while. We might not find anything."
Liang Wan replied, "Of course. But regardless, I’m grateful you’re willing to help."
Lu Xiu sneered. "Your attitude is always exceptionally pleasant whenever you ask for my help. It’s just that—" He shot her a sideways glance. "Once you’ve gotten what you want, you’re always so quick to burn your bridges."
Liang Wan’s sheepish smile froze. ’Have I done that?’
Just as she was trying to think of an explanation, his expression turned serious. "Can you still recall the place where the willow trees were planted?"
Liang Wan was a bit stunned. Under his focused, insistent gaze, it felt as if all her thoughts were laid bare, and she could only nod honestly.
"It should be about fifteen li west of the city."
"Take me there another day." His gaze was heavy with an indescribable seriousness.
Liang Wan asked, surprised, "Do you suspect there was a hidden message in that letter?"
"Perhaps." Lu Xiu’s dark eyes met hers. "As far as I know, Liang Jiao died by accidentally falling into the water while drunk. What makes you think he was murdered by Wang Su?"
Liang Wan frowned. "It’s true my father drank, but he was always self-disciplined and would never indulge to that extent. What’s more, it was time for him to return home, yet he was heading in the opposite direction. Isn’t that strange?"
He mulled it over. "Did your mother say anything to you?"
Liang Wan shook her head. "After Father passed away, she wouldn’t speak to me or even see me for over a month. At the time, I just thought she was overwhelmed with grief and that seeing me reminded her of him. Only now do I realize she resented me. She believed I brought disaster upon everyone around me."
The memory of her mother’s hysterical screams from the day their home was ransacked suddenly echoed in her mind.
She had said the most unforgivable thing she ever did was give birth to her.
"I also understand why she wanted me to become a nun—"
Lu Xiu silently took her hand.
Liang Wan looked up and stared at him. "Perhaps her disdain for me isn’t baseless. What if I really am here to collect a debt?"
"Collect a debt? From me included?" He remained motionless, his gaze locked on hers.
A faint smile touched Liang Wan’s lips as she nodded gently. "Perhaps."
"Then how would you have me repay you?" he asked, his eyes downcast as a low chuckle escaped him.
Liang Wan averted her eyes, her gaze falling on a candelabrum in the corner where the flames flickered.
’At first, I wanted him to pay with his life...’
Swallows murmured under the eaves.
Liang Wan lifted the bed curtains and sat up. Morning light streamed through the window, brightly illuminating the room.
Lu Xiu had already left for the morning court session. He had to be at the palace before dawn almost every day, so it was no surprise he always seemed exhausted upon his return.
After a period of recuperating in seclusion, the Grandmaster’s health had improved somewhat, and he had resumed attending court. Since Liang Wan no longer had to pay him her morning respects, she had much more time to herself.
In addition to concocting poisons, she also made various wellness products. Under her subtle influence, the Grandmaster made it safely past the Summer Solstice.
Liang Wan knew very well that only with the Grandmaster’s continued health could the Lu Family maintain its stability. Otherwise, their internal political disagreements would tear them apart sooner or later.
This problem had existed in her previous life, but back then, she paid no mind to the Lu Family, and any news she heard was merely hearsay.
Since she was currently part of the Lu Family, she didn’t want to see it fracture so quickly.
Now, the person she was most worried about was Song Tan.
In her previous life, Song Tan had caught a chill that developed into a lingering illness. He was bedridden and never recovered, passing away on the day of the Winter Solstice. His funeral procession drew a massive crowd, with everyone hoping for one last glimpse of the beautiful Tan Lang.
In this life, if she could alter the Grandmaster’s destiny, how could she not try to alter his as well?
At the Dragon Boat Festival banquet, she had discreetly taken Song Tan’s pulse.
He used face powder year-round, and perhaps from using too much, he showed faint signs of poisoning. Fortunately, it hadn’t seeped deep into his system and was only skin-deep.
Liang Wan didn’t dare to be complacent. In addition to creating a new cosmetic powder for him, she strictly forbade him from using any products from unknown sources.
As the saying goes, one can’t be too careful.
Song Tan was close to her, and he was under Feng Qingyue’s watchful eye day in and day out. There was no guarantee that she wouldn’t take her hatred for Liang Wan out on him.
’If I think about it that way,’ she mused, ’was Song Tan’s sudden death in my past life related to Feng Qingyue after all?’
"Liang Ji?"
The sudden appearance of a young maidservant pulled her back to reality. She set down the needlework in her hands, composed herself, and then looked at the girl. "What is it?"
For some reason, Lu Xiu seemed to have taken a great liking to butterflies recently.
Whenever he made a request, it came with the condition that she embroider a butterfly on his clothing.
Liang Wan couldn’t help but complain internally.
The young maidservant lifted her gaze slightly and stammered for a moment. "The... the white porcelain vase with the red plum blossom design in the Master’s room... was accidentally smashed."
The young maidservant looked deeply uneasy.
Ordinarily, such matters wouldn’t be reported to her, but the Chief Steward had taken leave for a few days, so she had to help oversee things.
Liang Wan set aside the garment she was working on, stood up, and headed out the door.
She had been here for so long, yet she had never once been to Lu Xiu’s personal chambers.
She was about to call for Qiuxi, only to see her retreating figure hurrying toward the front courtyard.
"Has Qiuxi been busy the past couple of days?" Liang Wan asked the maidservant behind her with a frown.
The maidservant hesitated. "According to her, some of her family came to visit."
’Family?’
Liang Wan’s brow furrowed. Qiuxi had signed a lifelong bond with the Liang Mansion precisely because her entire family was gone. Where on earth did this new family come from?
’Could it be Chun’er, asking for money again?’
But with Lu Xiu’s vase on her mind, Liang Wan decided to go to his room first. He would be back before long.
The maidservant who had broken the vase was kneeling on the floor, sobbing. The steward standing beside her also looked anxious. When they saw Liang Wan, they both bowed in greeting.
His room was carpeted, but by a stroke of bad luck, the very spot where the vase had been placed was on an uncovered patch of floor.
Liang Wan walked over, bent down to pick up a small shard, and examined it closely in her hand.
She glanced at the weeping maidservant. "This vase isn’t some priceless antique from a past dynasty; it was fired recently. The Master won’t care about something like this. Stop crying and get back to your duties."
After a quick look, Liang Wan prepared to leave.
"Be sure to clean up every last one of these shards. We don’t want anyone getting cut."
The window was wide open, and a cool breeze gusted in, causing the pages of a manuscript on the desk to flip with a RUSTLE RUSTLE.
The maidservant and the steward were still on their hands and knees, carefully searching for shards, terrified of missing even the smallest sliver.
Liang Wan walked over to the desk. It was strange. The Master’s Mansion was opulent, and the decor in the other courtyards was exceptional. Why were his personal quarters, of all places, so... plain?
Liang Wan was astonished.
She glanced at the manuscript on the table again, and her eyes unintentionally fell upon a half-finished calligraphy sheet. Liang Wan picked it up carefully. She had seen his calligraphy on the day she arrived, but now she realized the style of his handwriting... it felt strangely familiar.