Chapter 104. Homicide (part 1)
On the second day, the weather was good and in the side courtyard of Rong Jing Tang, Tao Yuan took out a few set of clothes for Jing Chu Chu to choose.
Ever since the Jing family’s husband and wife came over, the courtyard that Old Shen Furen previous gave for the Jing siblings to stay at, became somewhat crowded. The Jing couple attained the next level of overbearingness, and directly and unreasonably occupied the next largest courtyard other than Old Shen Furen’s. Other than that, they kept on ordering Rong Jing Tang’s servants everywhere. If one did not know, one would think that it was the Jing couple who was staying in Rong Jing Tang and not Old Shen Furen.
Jing Chu Chu sat in front of the table and carefully drew her eyebrows in front of the bronze mirror. She was very serious with each stroke and brush, her lips had a touch of rouge on them and there was not even a strain of misplaced hair on her head. She apparently dressed up very carefully.
“That moon white coloured piece.” Jing Chu Chu said. The moon white coloured robes were plain but they could better portray Jing Chu Chu’s delicate and pitiful charms. Today was the day that she would be meeting up with Sun Cai Nan, and whether he would be obsessed with her would depended on these moments.
Perhaps it was the evilness of a female’s vanity or perhaps she really had some affections for Sun Cai Nan, she obviously knew that it was extremely dangerous to meet up with Sun Cai Nan at the moment, but she still wanted to try.
Tao Yuan put away the rest of the clothes when someone pushed the doors open and came in. It was Jing Furen.
When Jing Furen saw Jing Chu Chu dressed up as such, she was suspicious, “Chu Chu, are you going out?”
“Want to go out to buy some jewellery.” Jing Chu Chu said, “In the future one will become the Young Furen of the Shen family’s Second household, and one cannot keep wearing those old jewellery as one will be viewed lightly by others.”
“It should be as so.” Jing Furen said. Anyways the money that Jing Chu Chu spent on jewellery was all coming out from the common fun, these days Jing Furen gained a lot from it. Jing Furen said, “How can you go alone? I will go with you.”
“No!” Jing Chu Chu quickly refused.
Jing Furen was puzzled, “Why not?”
“I… I have agreed to go together with the Yi family’s Young Lady.” Jing Chu Chu tugged Jing Furen’s hands, “In the future at the Ding capital, one must build good relations with these young ladies. Mother better not go as Yi Young Lady do not like to see strangers. You know that these noble young ladies’ temperaments are somewhat weird.”
Jing Furen was somewhat unsatisfied, “What noble young ladies. What a big deal. In the future you will also be an official’s Furen. Forget it. Since you want to build up good relations then go and bring more guards out.”
“No need.” Jing Chu Chu declined, “The Yi family has many guards. How would it look like if I bring more over? Mother, do not care about it and wait for my return with jewelleries for you.” Finishing, she continued to draw her eyebrows.
Jing Furen could only give up.
It was only when she went out of the residence and onto the horse carriage, that Jing Chu Chu became somewhat nervous and asked Tao Yuan, “The tavern that you choose, is it reliable?”
“Young Lady do not need to worry.” Tao Yuan said, “The tavern is very far away and remote. Usually there are very little people who would go there thus when one wear a veiled bamboo hat to cover the face, no one would be able to recognise anyone.”
It was only then that Jing Chu Chu calmed down.
The horse carriage passed by the southern city and finally stopped at a remote alley. Jing Chu Chu put on the bamboo hat and also the veil before letting Tao Yuan escort her to the tavern.
Even though Jing Chu Chu often toured around with gentlemen in SuZhou, her current status was different now. Even though the people of Ming Qi were open-minded, but it was still not a small charge when a female with an engagement meet up privately with other males.
There were only two floors in that tavern and true to Tao Yuan’s words, it was generally remote and deserted as there were only a few crowds of twos and threes present. They did not pay any attention to her when she came in. Tao Yuan gave the cashier a tael of silver and smiled, “Shopkeeper, where is the room that was reserved yesterday?”
The shopkeeper quickly instructed the shop assistant to bring Jing Chu Chu over.
The guest room was located at the end of the second floor and the attic was made of wood. Tao Yuan thanked the shop assistant. Once they entered the room, Jing Chu Chu took off the veil and bamboo hat in a hurry, “It is so stuffy.”
“Young Lady should rest first and drink some tea.” Tao Yuan said, “One think that Gentleman Sun is arriving.”
“Come over and tidy up my hair.” Jing Chu Chu fiddled with herself as she looked at the copper mirror, “One wore the veil the entire journey and it had messed up one’s hair.”
“Young Lady look very good.” Tao Yuan complemented, “And is especially beautiful today.”
As they were speaking, the door squeaked open which made Jing Chu Chu and Tao Yuan surprised for a moment before they heard a familiar voice, “Chu Chu, it is really you.”
Sun Cai Nan stood at the doors and his eyes were eagerly looking at Jing Chu Chu. In a moment, Jing Chu Chu’s face became red and she gave a look at Tao Yuan, “Withdraw.”
“Alright.” Tao Yuan smiled, “May Gentleman Sun and Young Lady talk, this servant will guard outside the door and not let others come in.”
The words said seemed to be suggesting something. Jing Chu Chu lowered her head as Tao Yuan closed the doors behind her. Sun Cai Nan took two steps forward and called out, “Chu Chu.”
Jing Chu Chu hesitated for a moment before looking up. Her eyes seemed to be filled with tears, half was due to melancholy and half was due to regret. If Shen Miao was fortunate to be present at the moment, she would also admire Jing Chu Chu ability to portray the realism of the act.
Sun Cai Nan walked to Jing Chu Chu and said softly, “Chu Chu, the matter of marriage between you and Shen Yuan, is it true?”
Jing Chu Chu paused before nodding her head.
“You…” It was as if Sun Cai Nan had suffered a huge blow and took two steps back. When Jing Chu Chu saw this, her eyes reddened and she timidly said, “You are angry?”
“No.” Sun Cai Nan paused before suddenly stroking Jing Chu Chu’s face. He said, “I have heard of the matter and it was Shen Yuan who forced himself onto you. It is you that do not have any other choice other than marrying him. I do not blame you or am angry with you.”
Hearing this, Jing Chu Chu lowered her head but no one saw the trace of elation in his eyes. Shen Cai Nan must have truly like her that even if she was about to marry to Shen Yuan, he was still reluctant to blame her.
“Actually…” Jing Chu Chu turned her head, “That day Second Biao Older Brother did not touch me. It is just that under that circumstances it was difficult to explain to everyone.” She lowered her head, “Gentleman Sun, actually I… I am still of perfect condition!”
Actually nothing happened on that day between Jing Chu Chu and Shen Yuan. It was just that when that hug was seen by everyone, it could not be made clear. Afterwards Jing Chu Chu found someone to take a look at her and came to be aware that she was still a virgin. It was just that Shen Yuan and Old Shen Furen were not aware of this, thus she did not speak about it, else when Old Shen Furen and Shen Yuan knew of the matter, they would definitely make a big issue out of it. The situation was however quite different when she said it to Sun Cai Nan. Men would always hope that their women were innocent, and if Jing Chu Chu and Shen Yuan really had something going on, there would be a knot in Sun Cai Nan’s heart. However if there was nothing going on then in Sun Cai Nan’s eyes Jing Chu Chu would become even more pitiful.
Sure enough when Sun Cai Nan heard those words, he was shocked, “What?”
Jing Chu Chu raised her head and said tearfully, “One would give one’s female’s body to the person one loves. It is just a misunderstanding between Second Biao Older Brother and me, but there will be no way out in the future. It can be said that Gentleman Sun and I had met too late. Is Gentleman Sun disgusted with me?”
With a pull, Sun Cai Nan embraced Jing Chu Chu and comforted in a warm voice, “How could I be disgusted with you? I am delighted with you, my heart ache for you and like you!” Sun Cai Nan’s eyes were flashing in ecstasy. He initially thought that Jing Chu Chu’s innocence was given to Shen Yuan, and one would not be able to take back the investment by sleeping with Jing Chu Chu once. Who knew that Jing Chu Chu was still an innocence female? This was very surprising for him.
When Jing Chu Chu was embraced by Sun Cai Nan, she pretended to struggle for a little before not moving. She let Sun Cai Nan hug her and slowly untie her robes…
Coincidentally downstairs, someone was riding a horse to the front of the tavern and handed the horse over to the shop assistant outside. He walked in and stopped at the front of the cashier before familiarly giving a tael over and walked up himself. It was at that moment when the shop assistant saw him, he then shouted, “Gentleman!”
The person who turned back was not other but Shen Yuan.
“What is the matter?” Shen Yuan asked.
The shop assistant quickly shook his head and throttled down below with his towel. In the short moment when he passed him, Shen Yuan could clearly hear the shop assistant mumbling, “It is so pitiful. Everyone under the sun know that one has worn a green hat.”
Shen Yuan’s steps stopped and when he looked down, he saw that the gazes of the diners below seemed to be on him as if they were pointing him out. Shen Yuan’s expression slowly darkened.
This was a tavern that he frequently visited and when he had to pass information to Fu Xiu Yi’s people, it would happen here. There was a total of nine princes in the Ding capital and relationships were especially tangled and complicated. As Prince Ding has hidden himself the deepest, his people were especially careful. Every time when Shen Yuan came over he was very careful and occasionally he would change his clothes. There was no one that knew him here but why was the current situation somewhat strange.
He shook his head but went up to the second floor without consulting anyone as that was the place where he would meet up with Fu Xiu Yi’s people. But when he reached the last room, he saw for the first time a familiar person.
When Tao Yuan saw him, she jumped in shock. Shen Yuan’s heart sank. Tao Yuan was Jing Chu Chu’s maid, why was she here? Could it be… He stepped forward to walk over. Tao Yuan could not dodge in time before Shen Yuan kicked open the doors of the room.
One only saw that in the spacious guest room there were two overlapping persons on the couch with clothes all thrown around on the floor. Tao Yuan exclaimed, “Young Lady, Second Young Master has come!”
One person on the bed suddenly sat up and half of the fair body was exposed. It was Jing Chu Chu. She looked at Shen Yuan at a loss and said, “Second… Second Biao Older Brother!”
Shen Yuan looked at her coldly and the other person on the couch, Sun Cai Nan slowly woke up. He sat up and since he was spoiled as he grew up, when his lingering moment with Jing Chu Chu was interrupted he was very angry, “Who are you?”
“Second Biao Older Brother!” Jing Chu Chu recovered to her senses in a moment and pointed to Sun Cai Nan, ” Second Biao Older Brother, it is he who forced onto me and I was not willing!”
“Slut!” Sun Cai Nan sneered and gave Jing Chu Chu a slap, “Obviously it was you who invited me impatiently. Why now turn your back?”
“Gentleman Sun!” Tao Yuan rushed over and said in indignation, “How could you treat Young Lady as such? Why do you want to do this to Young Lady? Could it be to let our Second Young Master wear a green hat (be a cuckold)? You absolutely want to go against Second Young Master!”
In the blanket of chaos, no one actually noticed that Tao Yuan’s words were not right. Sun Cai Nan sneered, “Second Young Master?” He sized Shen Yuan up by looking at him from top to bottom before smiling arrogantly, “Correct. I want to let your Second Young Master wear a green hat. How about it? Shen Yuan, you still have not tasted this fiancée of yours. The taste of a virgin is actually not bad.”
“You you are talking nonsense!” Tao Yuan was surprised, “Our Young Lady…”
“You still do not know?” Sun Cai Nan looked at Shen Yuan exaggeratedly, “It is not surprising that you were played at the palm of a female. But Second Shen Young Master, even though you have great ability in court, your woman was still slept by me. Moreover you still have to marry her, so how is the feeling of picking up used shoes?”
The veins on Shen Yuan’s forehead were throbbing and he finally took two steps forward and with a punch, knocked Sun Cai Nan onto the ground.
“You dare to hit me?” Sun Cai Nan was used to be spoilt and pounced onto Shen Yuan without a second word. Both of them had no martial arts background and could only deal punches to one another. Sun Cai Nan was a little taller and stronger than Shen Yuan, so Shen Yuan was gradually at a disadvantage and was being pushed down by Sun Cai Nan as he hit him.
“Scoundrel!” Tao Yuan rushed over and helped Shen Yuan by clinging to Sun Cai Nan from behind. Shen Yuan took advantage of the gap and freed his hands when he felt something cold in them. As he was hit very hard, he did not think anymore as he pushed that thing to the front.
A ‘chi’ sound was heard.
That sound was particularly long and the noises around seemed to have silenced, until Tao Yuan screamed and Jing Chu Chu frenetic face appeared in front.
Shen Yuan looked down and saw that there was a silver handle in his hands, and now only the knife handle was seen. As for the rest of the blade, it had disappeared into Sun Cai Nan lower abdomen.
Large pieces of blood flowers bloomed.
Sun Cai Nan fell face upwards.
