Chapter 116: Suspicion

Chunxiu immediately shook her head and exclaimed, “It wasn’t a dream! Someone really tried to kill me! If I hadn’t woken up from the thunder and seen her standing by my bed in the lightning flash, I’d probably be dead by now! She was even holding a knife and kept stabbing at me—it was terrifying!”

Feng Chunming shrugged. “But there’s no one here now. Besides, who would come to kill you in the middle of the night? It’s pouring rain outside. In my opinion, you must have mistaken a dream for reality.”

Chunxiu protested anxiously, “I’m telling you, it was real—it wasn’t a dream! Why won’t you believe me?”

Feng Chunming simply shrugged again without responding, his expression clearly showing disbelief. Feng Cheng also seemed skeptical. He yawned and said, “Well, as long as nothing happened, that’s what matters. Chunxiu, go back to sleep—you need to return to the governor’s residence early tomorrow morning.”

At this, Chunxiu suddenly remembered something and hurriedly said, “Father, didn’t you send someone to beat up Wu Laosan earlier? Could it be that they’re angry and came to kill me in retaliation?”

Upon hearing this, Feng Cheng burst out laughing and sneered dismissively, “Even if Wu Laosan had a hundred times more courage, he wouldn’t dare kill anyone. As for Wu Meixue—she’s just a fragile girl with no strength to even tie up a chicken. It’s impossible.”

“But…” Before Chunxiu could continue, Feng Cheng interrupted, “Enough. Stop thinking about that dream and go back to sleep.” With that, the group left the room.

Although Feng Cheng repeatedly insisted it was a dream, Chunxiu remained shaken. She dared not turn off the lights or close her eyes, nervously staring at the windows rattling under the wind and rain.

Was it… really a dream? No, it wasn’t! Someone truly wanted to kill her. But who? As Father said, Wu Laosan wouldn’t have the guts, and as for Wu Meixue…

Thinking of Meixue, Chunxiu suddenly recalled something. Before, Meixue had been afraid of her. Even a slightly harsh tone from her would make Meixue lower her gaze in fear. But after she accidentally hit Meixue on the head some time ago, Meixue had changed. She became less and less like her old self. Especially today when she spoke to her, both her tone and demeanor were completely different from before.

Could it be… that she wasn’t Meixue? Chunxiu quickly dismissed this thought. She had grown up with Meixue and was very familiar with her appearance. That face undoubtedly belonged to Meixue. What exactly… was going on here? Or perhaps Meixue had undergone a drastic personality change due to her injury?

However, even if Meixue’s personality had changed, she couldn’t possibly be ruthless enough to wield a knife against her. Yet… as she reflected, although she hadn’t seen the attacker clearly, those eyes… they bore an uncanny resemblance to Meixue’s.

Could it be possible? Could it be that timid and weak Meixue, who didn’t even dare speak loudly, was capable of such a thing?

Chunxiu instinctively felt it was unlikely, but those eyes… the more she thought about them, the more they seemed to resemble Meixue’s. After careful consideration, the person who harbored the deepest grudge against her was none other than Meixue.

If the masked figure she saw tonight was indeed Meixue, then… there must be a deep secret hidden within her. Perhaps… a forgotten suspicion resurfaced in her mind.

Could it be… that Meixue was connected to Shen Yunyi, the assassin who had previously attacked the governor? Was her earlier timid and helpless demeanor all an act? Reflecting further, when she secretly searched Meixue’s room, the latter had desperately resisted and refused to let her open the cabinet. It was entirely possible that Shen Yunyi had been hiding inside. Unfortunately, she had fled in terror after believing she had “accidentally killed” Meixue, leaving without investigating further.

The more Chunxiu thought about it, the more likely it seemed. If she could find evidence linking Meixue to Shen Yunyi, even if Second Master favored Meixue, he would never forgive her. This way, she could thoroughly eliminate this thorn in her side!

Moreover, Chunxiu vaguely remembered the clothes the assassin wore during the lightning flash. If she could find them in Wu’s house, it would prove that the assassin was indeed Meixue. At this realization, Chunxiu grew excited and wished she could rush to Wu’s house immediately to search. However, she soon deflated. The governor’s residence had only given her a single day off, and she had to return to work early the next morning, leaving no time to visit Wu’s house unless she gave up her job.

After much deliberation, Chunxiu ultimately couldn’t bear to abandon her position. Additionally, fearing another assassination attempt while staying home, she decided the governor’s residence was safer for now. She resolved to suppress her suspicions for the time being and act when she had another opportunity to leave. Meanwhile, since the music pavilion was currently deserted, she could search Meixue’s quarters. Perhaps she’d uncover some clues.

________________________________________

On the other hand, Yunyi had originally planned to quietly kill Chunxiu. However, the sudden clap of thunder ruined her plans. To avoid revealing her presence, she had to leap out the window and flee just before the Feng family entered. Drenched in the rain, she returned home.

But having made up her mind to eliminate Chunxiu, how could she simply give up? Moreover, after this incident, Chunxiu might suspect her. Therefore… this person absolutely had to die!

Knowing Chunxiu would return to the governor’s residence early in the morning, Yunyi prepared to act along her inevitable route as dawn broke. Just as her hand reached for the gate, Wu Laosan’s voice suddenly called out from behind her. “Girl, where are you going so early in the morning?”

Startled, Yunyi turned around to see Wu Laosan standing under the eaves, wrapped in a cotton coat. She hastily improvised, “Didn’t Father mention wanting pancakes from Zhang’s shop on the street? It’s the fourth day of the new year, so maybe Zhang’s shop has reopened. I thought I’d go buy some.”

Wu Laosan didn’t suspect anything and chuckled. “Zhang’s shop is always closed until the eighth day of the first lunar month. It definitely hasn’t opened yet, so don’t bother.”

“Then… I’ll buy some other pastries for Father.” In response to Yunyi’s words, Wu Laosan waved his hand dismissively. “Don’t waste money on that. Besides, it’s raining and cold right now—it’s easy to catch a chill. We still have dumplings at home; we can boil some of those.”

Seeing that Wu Laosan wouldn’t let her leave, Yunyi had no choice but to turn back. Folding her umbrella, she asked, “Why did Father get up so early? Is your body still hurting badly?”

Wu Laosan chuckled warmly. “After applying the medicinal wine yesterday, I’m completely fine. Back when I used to hunt in the mountains, I woke up even earlier than this.” As he spoke, he headed toward the kitchen and beckoned her. “Come, help me start the fire. Let’s cook some dumplings.”

Yunyi nodded reluctantly. Disrupted by Wu Laosan’s intervention, she knew she couldn’t kill Chunxiu today and would have to postpone her plans for now.

What Yunyi didn’t realize was that as she walked toward the kitchen, Wu Laosan, following behind her, suppressed his smile and instead revealed a complex expression filled with worry, doubt, and concern.