Chapter 626 - 628: The Important Secret Order of the Ministry of Political Affairs
Bai Ruozhu hurriedly put her emotions away, quickly folded up the letter, and squeezed out a smile for her second brother, saying, "It’s okay, second brother. He wrote that he might be coming back later. I was initially worried something had happened, but it turned out to be a false alarm."
Bai Zepei clearly did not believe her explanation. He had glimpsed the ink imprints on the paper earlier and noted there weren’t many characters, yet his younger sister seemed unable to say exactly what was written. He knew that no amount of questioning would be useful at this point.
"As long as everything’s fine, it doesn’t matter if he comes back a little later. Go back and accompany Dengdeng." Bai Zepei’s gaze dropped softly, and he spoke in a persuasive tone.
He remembered that the previous letters usually had a noticeable thickness when he held them. This one, however, was so thin, it was as if it were empty inside. Somehow, this made him think of indifference...
Could it be that the letter suggested she should not wait for him? Bai Zepei’s heart tightened at the thought. He wanted to ask how far his sister’s feelings for him had developed, even regretting that he had helped Jiang Yichun in the past.
Forget it, he decided not to dwell on it too much. Perhaps it was all just a misunderstanding.
Bai Zepei shook his head, walked back to his room with large strides, and buried himself in his books.
Returning to her room, Bai Ruozhu just sat quietly on the bed. Even when Dengdeng wriggled towards her like a little mudskipper, and she didn’t react until he turned over and reached out to grab her hand.
Her hands were somewhat cold, and it wasn’t until they were held in Dengdeng’s chubby hand that she felt some warmth. She took Dengdeng into her arms, head buried in the crook of his neck, she softly said, "When will you grow up and let your mom lean on your shoulder?"
Dengdeng, being ticklish, burst out laughing. Only after hearing her child’s laughter did Bai Ruozhu’s mood lighten a little.
After playing for a while, Dengdeng wanted to breastfeed and fell asleep after feeding.
Bai Ruozhu placed the child on the bed and carefully covered him with a blanket. Only then did she take the letter out of her pocket once more.
Her hands trembling slightly, she pulled out the letter, which clearly bore a single line of small characters: Who exactly are you?
She scrutinized the note several times. The handwriting was indeed Jiang Yichun’s, not a forgery. Besides, if someone were to forge a letter in order to create a misunderstanding between them, they could easily write more, something along the lines of ’don’t wait for me’ or ’we’re not right for each other’.
Yet this phrase ’who exactly are you?’ hit Bai Ruozhu hard, confirming her belief that it must have been written by him.
Once, when they had discussed Chang Sheng, she had asked if he would believe her if she claimed not to be the same Bai Ruozhu as before. He had said that he would believe her words.
So why was he asking this question now?
Because the love-forgetful poison had been resolved, he remembered his former lover, but also remembered their encounters? The unconditional trust and tolerance of the past were now replaced with suspicion?
Who exactly are you?
This sentence felt like a heavy hammer hitting Bai Ruozhu’s heart.
After a long while, she folded the letter again and put it back into her space. She decided not to reply to him and didn’t want to explain anything. If he had any doubts, he could ask her face to face.
Of course, she also wanted to see what changes he had undergone.
However, the thought that there was someone else in his heart, that he might have gone to find that person, a dull ache rose in her heart. She should have known this day would come. Selfishly, she had wished not to give him the antidote for the love-forgetful poison, but fate had it otherwise. That powerful parasite ruined everything that they had planned together.
After thinking for a long time, Bai Ruozhu shook her head forcefully. She should not be this despondent. Love was not the only thing in this world. She also had family love and friendship. She was not a woman who could not live without love. Moreover, a single phrase couldn’t confirm that he had changed his heart. Only by meeting him could she truly understand.
The pair had experienced so much together, their feelings hadn’t been formed overnight. Even if his feelings for someone else were amplified, she should still believe in their bond and give him more trust.
With these thoughts in mind, she took out her ink and pen and decided to write him a reply.
"We’ll talk when we meet. I’ll wait for your return."
She also only wrote one line, simple but with a clear attitude. She was still willing to wait for him and wanted him to come back so she could tell him everything.
She sealed the letter with wax and went to her second brother’s study to hand over her letter.
"I’ll have to trouble second brother." Bai Ruozhu cheerfully said.
Bai Zepei couldn’t help but give his sister an extra glance. He confirmed that there was nothing unusual about her, and it didn’t seem that her mood was particularly terrible. Could it be he had guessed wrong earlier?
"Oh, you two are playing ’less is more’ now?" Bai Zepei pinched Bai Ruozhu’s letter and couldn’t help but ask.
Bai Ruozhu laughed, "People express thousands of words through silence. Can’t I do the same with just a few words?"
Bai Zepei curled his lips, "Alright, I’ll deliver it to Minister Meng tomorrow."
_
On the official ship, Jiang Yichun was slowly reading through a thick stack of documents. His brows furrowed sporadically, only to relax into a slight smile soon after.
The paper in his hand was filled with words. Some ink blotches marred a section of the paper, but this did not hinder his reading. After all, they were his own notations. Of course, he would remember what he had written.
The paper contained all the little details he had recorded about his experiences with Ruozhu. He was in a complex mood now. If she was not herself, then who was she?
He hadn’t forgotten about the times he spent with Bai Ruozhu, but the more he remembered, the more suspicions arose. For instance, when he had been ambushed in Anyuan Town, where had Ruozhu taken him to hide?
Of course, he did not want to distrust Ruozhu, but after regaining his memories, he was filled with questions. Moreover, thinking about the gentle woman who had proffered kindness towards him caused internal strife.
"My Lord, an urgent secret letter has arrived!" The guard spoke hastily, highlighting the importance of the message.
Jiang Yichun swiftly took the letter, read it quickly, and couldn’t prevent his eyes from widening in surprise. How could this be!
"It has been confirmed that the sixteenth prince of Chengshui Country, Zhou Jue, is the one who kidnapped the four doctors and is aware of the existence of the Bai family. You have been assigned by the Bureau to intercept him immediately. If necessary, you may eliminate Bai. Under no circumstances should she fall into the hands of Chengshui Country."
The secret letter was brief but contained pivotal information. Jiang Yichun destructed the letter with his inner strength and said to the guard, "Order a change of course immediately, and we will return!"
The guard was stunned, shouldn’t they have been on a mission to the Capital under Imperial Decree? Weren’t they almost there? Why were they turning the ship around?
When Jiang Yichun saw him standing there, he yelled harshly, "What are you waiting for? If you delay and cause the mission to fail, you will be punished according to Bureau law!"
"Yes." The guard quickly accepted the order and left. Soon, the official ship started to turn around and returned the way it had come.
Jiang Yichun’s brows were tightly knitted. That secret order was issued by the Prime Minister, the highest official in the Political Affairs Bureau, where everyone had to obey his deployment. And he had said in his letter: if necessary, eliminate Bai...