Chapter 257: Eaves, the leader of the killers appears
Men were often careless; no one noticed the expression on Du Fuling’s face, and Du Zhongshu, who was displeased that Du Fuling had disobeyed him and come here, was even less likely to pay attention to her.
No one was buying Du Fuling’s act, and she became even more disgratisfied. Looking at Yu Hongxiu, she asked pitifully, "Sister Hongxiu, don’t you believe me? I’m genuinely eager to repay a favor. I’ve even humbled myself by begging her."
The three seated gentlemen once again turned their attention to Du Fuling. They didn’t know what had happened, but seeing Bai Ruozhu’s solemn face and Du Fuling sneaking glances at her, anyone could guess it had something to do with Bai Ruozhu.
That made Du Zhongshu restless. He looked at Du Fuling and said, "Stop causing a scene. Do you think I don’t know you’ve become wild and snuck out? If you cause more trouble, you’ll be sent back to Beiyu City tomorrow."
Du Fuling stomped her foot in frustration. "Brother, how could you speak to me like that? This time I really did tell our mother. And I’ll be going home in a few days, you don’t need to drive me away!" She paused for a moment, "As soon as I’ve found the person I owe and fulfilled my debt, I’ll leave right away."
"What do you mean by ’the person you owe’?" Du Zhongshu looked at Du Fuling with a puzzled expression.
Du Fuling with a dreamy look on her face retold the story of how she met danger on the street one day and was saved by Jiang Yichun. She exaggerated some parts, such as how she was on the brink of death or how the person who saved her risked his life, which is why she felt the need to repay him.
Bai Ruozhu listened and sneered inwardly, thinking: Darling, how exactly do you plan to repay him? Offering him your body?
At hearing the mention of a "masked gentleman," Du Zhongshu’s expression changed slightly, he suspected he knew who it was. The gentlemen, having seen Jiang Yichun help the Bai family in the public hall, although Officer Li didn’t reveal Jiang Yichun’s identity, knew that he was a person of unconventional background and illustrious status.
Bai Zepei just quietly took a glance at Bai Ruozhu, then withdrew his gaze, seemingly daydreaming.
"She must know who my savior is. But what if she does? I’ve begged her twice already, and she keeps turning up her nose at me. She is clearly a mean-spirited village woman who’s hoodwinked you all!" Du Fuling exclaimed furiously.
In the end, Du Fuling was still young; she couldn’t keep her cool. If she had managed to keep playing the victim, even Bai Ruozhu would have been out of options.
One of the gentlemen, Mr. Xie, coughed and said, "Miss Du, you’ve misunderstood. I also know the man you’re talking about. He has a special identity. Not even Officer Li at the county government office knows his real identity."
"Yes, Fuling, stop making a fuss. He just happened to save you. He doesn’t want you to thank him since he didn’t tell you his name. Don’t be stubborn and cause troubles for the family." Du Zhongshu’s tone hardened. He knew of the man and had an idea of whom he was serving in the Imperial Court; this was not a man to mess with lightly.
Du Fuling’s eyes reddened as she was scolded, but she couldn’t rebel against Mr. Xie. She glared resentfully at Du Zhongshu and said, "Brother, you’re too much. How could this little matter cause any trouble for our family? Failing to repay a favor is what will tarnish our family’s reputation!"
Du Zhongshu frowned at Du Fuling severely, saying harshly, "Enough! I said you’re not supposed to look for that man, you better stop making a fuss about this. I’ll arrange for someone to take you home tomorrow!"
Du Fuling was shocked that her brother would scold her in front of outsiders, especially in front of that mean-hearted Bai Ruozhu who was just a simple village woman. Even now she seemed indifferent to everything, while her face blushed with humiliation.
Thinking of this, Du Fuling stood up abruptly and ran out in tears.
Du Zhongshu’s face darkened even more. He stood up and bowed to Mr. Xie and Yu Hongxiu, saying, "Sir, madam, my younger sister is undisciplined, I apologize for any offense caused."
Yu Hongxiu didn’t look too pleased either. With Du Fuling running out in tears from the Xie residence, those unaware of the situation would think they had wronged her.
"No harm done. You’d better go check on her, lest she cause trouble in her ignorance." Yu Hongxiu suggested with a meaningful look.
Du Zhongshu bowed again, then turned to Bai Zepei and Bai Ruozhu, "Zepei, Miss Ruozhu, I bid you both goodbye for now, I will come and apologize another day."
Bai Ruozhu actually felt some sympathy for Du Zhongshu. She understood why Du Zhongshu didn’t want Du Fuling to pester Mr. and Mrs. Xie. His sister was just too spoiled and tactless.
Once Du Zhongshu had left, Mr. Xie said somewhat awkwardly, "Let’s not let this affect our mood. Let’s eat."
Yu Hongxiu proactively served Bai Ruozhu some dishes and gave a conciliatory smile, "Ruozhu, don’t take it to heart. If I’d known ahead of time about her temper, I wouldn’t have invited her for dinner."
Bai Ruozhu understood that Yu Hongxiu had sided with her all along, so how could she vent her frustration on Yu Hongxiu?
"Sister Hongxiu, I should be the one thanking you for speaking up. Let’s forget about her and eat." Bai Ruozhu said with a smile.
The four of them resumed their meal and soon put the matter of Du Fuling out of their minds.
The next day, business at the Bai family stall was as usual, bustling with customers. Bai Ruozhu was in good spirits, until a burly man showed up. While she was making pancake, she took a glance at the new customer and instantly felt as if she had been plunged into an ice cellar, a chill running from her head to her feet.
She clearly remembered this figure. Each time she recalled him, she would shiver slightly. The memory of the cliff edge was too vivid and too perilous.
She was certain that the man standing before her was the leader of the killers who was talking by the cliff that day. Even though he was speaking in his usual voice, which was no longer the hoarse tone, Bai Ruozhu still recognized him!
The hunters chasing Jiang Yichun had their faces covered with black hoods, even wrapping their hair and necks, but to ensure they could see, hear, and breathe properly, their eyes, ears, and mouth and nose areas were exposed.
What Bai Ruozhu saw from her space at that time was the man’s side profile. Since she could confidently fix her gaze, she observed very carefully, even noting the way his mouth moved when he spoke. And she also noticed something subtle - a small hole near the temples of his ear, commonly known as ear grain.
Bai Ruozhu had learned traditional Chinese medicine from her grandpa since childhood and was very familiar with the acupuncture points on the ear. Therefore, she was very meticulous when observing someone’s ears. How could she miss someone with ear grain? Plus, she had a high-definition large screen in her space, she couldn’t have missed that if she tried.
Her heart was pounding, but she didn’t dare to show any signs. If the man realized that she was acting abnormally, he would definitely kill her to silence her.
"Shopkeeper, give me your best pancake." The man turned his head to look at Bai Ruozhu, with a smile on his face.
If Bai Ruozhu hadn’t recognized him, she would have thought he looked kind and benevolent. Who would have thought he was a killer?
"Sure thing, it’ll be ready soon!" Bai Ruozhu replied in a chirpy voice, doing her utmost to keep it from shaking.
The man stared at her for another moment before turning his head back. At that moment, Bai Ruozhu was still able to reaffirm that it was indeed him, she was absolutely sure she hadn’t made a mistake!