Chapter 92: Gimpse of the past
Sunrise came with a hotness in the air that cleared every cold from the night before. Shen Qingyue was sitting at the edge of the bed, nursing a cup of brewed tea in her hands.
The lingering warmth helped keep her grounded to the girl in front of her. Face relaxed in sleep, hands curled up on her side.
It was the first time she’d taken the liberty to look past the ordinary maid she’d known from the beginning. And she had Lieyin’s carelessness to blame for that. That damn bond that made her feel things that were too inconvenient.
Qingyue straightened up when Ru Yi started to stir awake. Good. They needed to talk. Yexue was so busy sulking it was impossible to have a conversation with her.
They were already out of time. Dealing with the bandits as fast as possible was Qingyue’s priority so they could move on with their journey.
Ru Yi sat up on the bed, rubbing sleep out of her eyes. "Why didn’t you wake me up?"
Qingyue didn’t bother with an answer, she merely bent down and poured Ru Yi a cup of tea. "What happened yesterday?"
Ru Yi accepted the tea, hesitating slightly. "We met Madam Lin’s husband when we went to their residence, he said Madam Lin had gone on a business trip. Turned out he had her chained in a cave, along with their daughter."
Qingyue nodded, a signal that she should go on.
Ru Yi narrated everything like it happened without leaving a single detail out. "I think Madam Lin’s husband is connected to the kidnappings."
There was no hesitation, no wavering on Qingyue’s part. She didn’t even interrupt.
"The cave beneath the house wasn’t just a place where he imprisoned his wife and child," Ru Yi continued. "There were rope fibers, wheel tracks, torn cloth...things that suggest repeated movement. People have been moving in and out of the cave."
"Did you see foot tracks?"
Ru Yi nodded. "Madam Lin said her husband made a deal. One that required sacrificing his first child. But if that deal brought him wealth, then it’s possible that he didn’t stop there."
Silence stretched.
Qingyue’s eyes narrowed. "You’re suggesting," she said slowly, "that the sacrifice wasn’t a one-time price."
Ru Yi nodded again. "Yes." Her voice softened but it didn’t lose its edge. "What if it’s ongoing?"
A faint breeze passed between them, carrying that thought with it. Qingyue didn’t speak immediately, but something was behind her gaze.
"That aligns with something I saw," she said at last. "At the village head’s house. There were children’s clothes." A beat passed. "Elder Zhou Wen has no children. At least that’s what Madam Xiao said."
The implication settled heavily between them.
Ru Yi’s chest tightened as she connected the dots fast. "They could be working together. Would explain why it had gone on for so long without the bandits being caught."
Qingyue nodded, slightly impressed. "He was also reluctant for us to look into the matter."
"He’s probably protecting the others." Ru Yi’s thoughts raced now, all the pieces falling into place. "That’s why no one has been caught."
Her fingers curled against the cup that was long forgotten in her hands. "Because the people in charge of protecting the village are the ones terrorizing them."
Qingyue didn’t deny or soften it. "That’s very likely."
Ru Yi swallowed, then pushed further. "And the bandits," she added. "Everyone blames them, but...they’ve never been properly hunted down. This is hell! How can they be comfortable hurting children?"
"The bandits are a cover," Qingyue replied. "A distraction. Something easy for the villagers to fear so no one looks closer."
"There’s a bigger play going on, and we need to find out what it is." Ru Yi sighed, finally taking a sip of her tea and wincing at the bitter taste. "On another topic..."
Qingyue tilted her head to the side. "Yes?"
"I’m sorry about yesterday. I was the reason you had a fight with Yexue." She felt uncertain. "I know this might sound selfish but I’m glad Yexue decided to follow me. We wouldn’t have been able to make it out of the cave on our own."
Qingyue considered it for a short while. "It worked out for the best." There was no dismissal or irritation. "Yexue can be...a bit hotheaded sometimes. But I guess it paid off this time."
"Can I ask something of you?"
Qingyue’s expression was puzzling but she nodded anyway.
"Can you talk it out with her? It makes me feel uneasy that you three are at odds with each other. I don’t want it to drag longer than it should." Ru Yi hesitated. "Of course, I’m not trying to overstep my boundaries. I just—"
"Why do you care so much?" Qingyue put her cup slowly on the floor. "I thought you’d be more elated at the fact we’re fighting."
Ru Yi’s brows furrowed. "Why would I be? If anything I envy how you’re always there for each other. I always wished I had a sibling, but unfortunately I was an only child. Having a family I could lean on was a luxury I couldn’t afford since birth."
Qingyue’s forehead creased. "What do you mean you’re an only child?"
"It happens when parents give birth to just one child," Ru Yi teased. "I thought you’d be familiar with the concept."
Qingyue didn’t share her humor. "You have an older sister according to your records. And your family is very much alive."
"No...I can assure you my parents only have—" Ru Yi got a whiplash. Of course she was confusing her original world with her character in the book. She’d lived here long enough the two lives had bled into one.
"My mistake," she mumbled. "I guess I put that life behind me."
"From what I understand, your parents didn’t want you because you were deemed useless—" Qingyue paused when she saw Ru Yi flinch. "If you want to pay them a visit, you can. We’ll pass your village if we remain on course."
"What?" In the original world she hadn’t known her parents. Not truly. She’d been put up for adoption which showed their true feelings towards her. She hadn’t bothered to find them or know if they were even alive.
"Consider it a reward for staying with me last night."
Ru Yi shook her head. "I’ll have to decline. If my family didn’t want me before, they certainly wouldn’t want me now."
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