Chapter 97: Surging Undercurrents

Chapter 97: Chapter 97: Surging Undercurrents

Shuang’er said indignantly, "When Nanny and I helped that young lady change her clothes, we saw that her body was covered in injuries, without a single patch of unblemished skin. She must have been abused for a long time."

Nanny Fang sighed. "From the looks of it, she must have thrown herself into the river because she couldn’t bear the torment any longer."

Zhi Wan was quite astonished.

’To think that young lady had suffered so much.’

"I don’t know what kind of monster would treat a young lady like that," Nanny Fang cursed.

Shuang’er chimed in with a few curses of her own.

After hearing them, Zhi Wan felt unsettled as well.

As the matter was weighing on her mind, Zhi Wan took Nanny Fang and Shuang’er to the young lady’s cabin to visit her first thing the next morning after breakfast.

Just as they entered, the young lady was waking up. Thinking Zhi Wan and her maids had saved her, she threw off the covers and was about to get out of bed to kowtow.

"Please, don’t. We weren’t the ones who saved you," Zhi Wan said, rushing to stop her.

Upon hearing this, the young lady looked at them, bewildered. "Then who was my savior?"

Just then, Ouyang Zhenzhu came over to see what was going on. Hearing the question, she pointed to herself and said, "I was the one who found you! If it weren’t for me, you would have been swept away by the river, who knows where."

"Thank you, Miss. I, Miss Liu, will never forget you for saving my life. I am willing to become your servant to repay this kindness." The young lady quickly kowtowed to Ouyang Zhenzhu.

After she finished her kowtow, Ouyang Zhenzhu rubbed her head and said, "Actually, I just discovered you. The one who gave the order to save you was Mr. Lu."

Miss Liu froze.

Zhi Wan and the others were speechless.

"Could I ask you ladies to take me to kowtow to my savior?" Miss Liu asked cautiously.

Zhi Wan hesitated, as she didn’t know if her cousin would be willing to see her.

"I’ll go get Mr. Lu for you." Ouyang Zhenzhu, perhaps feeling a little awkward about having been kowtowed to, dashed off to get him as soon as she finished speaking.

Nanny Fang helped Miss Liu back to bed and asked with concern, "Last night, when we were changing your clothes, we discovered you were covered in injuries. What happened?"

Miss Liu wiped her tears and choked out, "My husband’s family beat me. I couldn’t bear it, so I jumped into the river. I never expected to be rescued by you all..."

Miss Liu had a frail build, and her face was pale and bloodless. She looked incredibly weak, and this, combined with her story, made it easy to feel sympathy for her.

Nanny Fang and Shuang’er were especially sympathetic to her plight. Having seen the scars on her body with their own eyes, they also wiped away their tears upon hearing her words.

"Miss, to have survived this ordeal means you’re destined for good fortune. You must pull yourself together. The doctor said you’re already with child," Nanny Fang urged.

"I’m pregnant?" Miss Liu stared at her, stunned.

"Yes, that’s what the doctor said." Nanny Fang nodded, helping her lie back down and tucking her in.

Miss Liu touched her stomach, her expression hovering between a smile and a sob, making it impossible to tell if she was happy or sad.

Zhi Wan’s gaze fell on her face. She noted that aside from her pale complexion, there wasn’t a single scar on her face. Her features were beautiful, her skin smooth and delicate—not at all the appearance of someone who had suffered long-term abuse.

Seeing this, she couldn’t help but feel a flicker of doubt. ’Or am I just overthinking things?’

Just as Zhi Wan was puzzling over this, Lu Zhan and Duan Ling arrived.

"Miss Liu, Mr. Lu, the man who saved you, is here!" Ouyang Zhenzhu announced boisterously as she entered ahead of them.

Hearing this, Miss Liu struggled to get out of bed to kowtow to Lu Zhan, but he stopped her with a raised hand. "Miss, there’s no need for such formalities. I’ve come to ask a few questions."

"Please ask, Sir," Miss Liu said, lowering her head.

"Where are you from? What is your name? And why were you floating in the river?" Lu Zhan asked calmly, but his gaze was sharp.

Neither he nor Duan Ling entered the cabin, standing just by the door.

"I am from Qinghe County in Jizhou, and my name is Miss Liu. I jumped into the river to end my life because I could no longer bear the abuse from my husband’s family. I never thought I would be rescued by you kind people," Miss Liu replied in a low voice, wiping away her tears.

"I see. You should rest well, Miss." After saying this, Lu Zhan asked nothing more and left with Duan Ling.

A faint glint flashed in Miss Liu’s downcast eyes. When she looked up, she looked utterly pitiful. In a seemingly casual tone, she asked, "If I may be so bold, where are you all headed?"

"We’re going to—" Ouyang Zhenzhu started to say, but Zhi Wan tugged her sleeve. "We’re going to Qingzhou."

Ouyang Zhenzhu gave her a stunned look but said nothing more.

"So, you’re going to Qingzhou..." Miss Liu murmured to herself, then added, "I have relatives there. I can’t go back to Qinghe County, so my only option is to seek refuge with them. I’m afraid I must trouble you to take me along for the journey."

Hearing this, Ouyang Zhenzhu smiled. "That’s wonderful! We can travel together for a part of the way."

"My apologies for the trouble," Miss Liu said, looking a bit abashed.

"You’re not going back to Qinghe County? Then what about your baby?" Zhi Wan asked.

"I..." Miss Liu hesitated for a moment, then said softly, "Once I get to Qingzhou, I’ll ask my relatives to help me think of a solution."

Zhi Wan nodded. "You must be hungry. I’ll have someone bring you something to eat. We won’t disturb your rest any further."

"Thank you, Miss," Miss Liu said gratefully.

After they left her cabin, Ouyang Zhenzhu couldn’t help but ask, "Wanwan, why did you lie about us going to Qingzhou?"

Zhi Wan glanced back at the cabin and whispered, "Miss Liu doesn’t seem to be an ordinary person."

Ouyang Zhenzhu was taken aback for a moment. After thinking about it, she nodded. "Now that you mention it, you’re right. Her skin is very fair and smooth, even better than mine."

"But her body beneath her clothes was covered in injuries. That wasn’t fake..." Nanny Fang said in confusion.

"Did you look closely at the injuries? Were they new or old?" Zhi Wan asked.

"There were new injuries and old ones," Nanny Fang replied.

This was something Zhi Wan couldn’t understand either.

After a moment’s thought, she instructed, "There might be something wrong with Miss Liu. Everyone needs to be on their guard when speaking with her. Don’t let her trick you into revealing any useful information. Also, we can’t let her know that we’ve become suspicious."

Hearing this, they all nodded in agreement.

「Lu Zhan’s Cabin」

Duan Ling frowned. "You suspect there’s something wrong with Miss Liu?"

"Yes," Lu Zhan nodded. "When Chen Jiu pulled her out of the water, he noticed symmetrical indentations on the inside of her right index and middle fingers. That comes from long-term use of hidden weapons. Moreover, the waterways in this region haven’t been peaceful in recent years. There are frequent pirate attacks. The Court has dispatched several units to eliminate them, but they’ve come up empty-handed every time, unable to even find the pirates’ hideout."

Duan Ling was shocked to hear this. "Are you saying Miss Liu could be one of the pirates?"

"We can’t rule out the possibility," Lu Zhan said.

Duan Ling grew restless. "This won’t do. I need to have our men tighten security. And we need to keep an eye on that Miss Liu."

"Yes," Lu Zhan nodded.

Once Duan Ling was gone, Lu Zhan rose and stood by the window, gazing at the calm surface of the river with his hands clasped behind his back.

’The river’s surface looks calm, but undercurrents are surging beneath. The rest of the journey, I’m afraid, will be anything but peaceful.’

Just then, Chen Jiu came in and reported, "Princely Heir, the Miss wishes to see you."

Lu Zhan paused for a moment, then turned and went out the door. Sure enough, Zhi Wan was standing outside.

"Cousin," Zhi Wan said with a slight curtsy.

"What is it?" Lu Zhan asked.