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"The young lady has already been taken back to the Chen Family. The Zhu Clan is resisting fiercely, even risking their lives, but there’s nothing they can do..." A-Song was worried that the young lady might have thoughts about the Zhu Clan, after all, they were mother and daughter. Such thoughts could lead to dire consequences, which was why he felt the need to explain.
"I know, so I don't blame her!" How could she be blamed? A woman living in an era where women were treated as inferior, what could she possibly do? She had already suffered enough; if things got worse, it would drag the entire Zhu Family down with her. That was a gamble she couldn’t take. It wasn’t selfishness; it was simply that the people of the Zhu Family didn’t deserve to become collateral damage.
" Luan'er, do you need me to speak to Nishang?" Xuanyuan Rui asked with a glint in his eyes and a smile on his face.
" Nishang?" Qing Luan paused for a moment, her eyes lighting up with excitement. "Right! How could I forget her? Xuanyuan Rui, go tell Nishang. You know what to say, right?" With such a trump card in hand, whether it was Qiu Mingqi or Chen Xiaode, they would be at a disadvantage.
"Don't worry, I've got this covered!" This was a trivial matter.
"Alright then, you go to the palace while I head to the Zhu Family. I don’t want them to panic and come up with some chaotic ideas; it would be us who suffer in the end!" There had been times when things had backfired; she needed to be cautious.
"Yes, if there’s any news, I’ll send someone here to let you know."
"Good!"
After their brief discussion, everyone went about their tasks. After Xuanyuan Rui left, Qing Luan and the others emerged from the secret chamber. She sent someone to hint to Plain Grandmother that Li Yunluo could be released... Before she could say much more, Qing Luan took her people and left. At that moment, Li Yunluo realized she had entered Jade Pavilion, where she was being watched at every turn—openly monitored—which left her feeling quite helpless.
The people here were just as shameless as Zhu Qingluan. She had said she could take care of herself, yet all the maids and servants responded in unison: "You’re new to Jade Pavilion; if anything happens to you, we can’t take responsibility. The young lady said we must take good care of you!"
Take good care? How could she be alright? With someone watching her every move, it was driving her mad.
Her goal was Xuanyuan Rui; now that she was in Jade Pavilion, she couldn’t see him at all. What kind of situation was this!?
Damn it! She had to get out of this place; otherwise, she would be the first one to lose her mind.
Zhu Residence.
Upon hearing that Qing Luan had arrived, they immediately sent someone to greet her. The Zhu Clan was particularly anxious, fidgeting nervously and rubbing their hands together, as if that would help calm their nerves.
Dressed in a light blue embroidered skirt adorned with small red flowers, with wide sleeves and a fitted waist, Qing Luan's fifteen-year-old beauty was on full display. Her long, dark hair cascaded softly down her back, and she wore no adornments except for a single braid of hair pinned back from her forehead, allowing the strands on either side to fall gracefully, softening her previously imposing demeanor into that of a delicate young girl.
As soon as Qing Luan entered the room and saw the Zhu Clan, she did not rush forward but instead solemnly performed a bow and softly called out, "Mother!"
That one word, "Mother," brought tears to the eyes of the Zhu Clan members. Unable to hold back any longer, one of them rushed forward and tightly embraced her, crying out, " Luan'er, my Luan'er! It's all my fault; I didn't protect you well enough and let you suffer so much!" She had always thought that Qing Luan would resent her and reject her as a mother. With a heart full of conflicting emotions, she never expected that not only did Qing Luan not hate her, but she also recognized her as her mother. How could that not cause her heart to ache?
Being held so tightly brought a warmth that Qing Luan had not felt in a long time. Perhaps this was what maternal love felt like—strange yet comforting.
"Mother, you did nothing wrong. Please don't blame yourself," she wanted to act like a child and be spoiled, but doing so would only make the Zhu Clan feel more guilty. She looked up from the embrace and reached out to wipe away the tears on her mother's face with a smile. "Mother, I'm not crying; why are you acting like a child and sniffling?"
"You child..." The teasing made the Zhu Clan smile, her eyes filled with joy as she refused to let go of the precious treasure she had regained.
Qing Luan felt like a hostage, forced to sit on a chair alongside the Zhu Clan. Fortunately, the chairs in the Zhu Family were large; otherwise, she would have felt quite pitiful.
" Luan'er, this is your uncle, and that is your aunt," though excited, the Zhu Clan understood the importance of manners and introduced Qing Luan to everyone.
"Greetings to Uncle and Aunt," Qing Luan stood up to perform the proper greetings one by one. Then, with a hint of apology in her voice, she said, "I didn't recognize Mother at first because I didn't want to cause her trouble. If I acted inappropriately, I hope Uncle and Aunt can forgive me for my ignorance."
"You child truly tugs at my heartstrings," hearing her words brought tears to Madam Zhu's eyes. How could such an endearing child not evoke sympathy?
Zhu Wujie also felt his eyes welling up; being a man, he managed to contain his emotions better than women often do.
" Luan'er, your sister has been taken back by Chen Xiaode. Do you know?" Zhu Wujie was the first to regain his composure.
"Yes," Qing Luan nodded without hesitation. "I already have a plan regarding my elder sister's situation. Uncle should not interfere; otherwise, it might attract Chen Xiaode's attention again!" In battles between officials and merchants, it was often the merchants who suffered losses. Therefore, she needed Zhu Wujie to cultivate himself and keep a low profile.
“ Luan'er, do you really have a way?” Knowing that Azure Phoenix was hidden by Qing Luan, the Zhu Clan felt both heartache and gratitude for their daughter; otherwise, Azure Phoenix might not be here now.
“Yes, I do. That’s why I came to inform you, so that your plans won’t conflict with mine and end up benefiting them instead,” she said, determined to take decisive action against Qiu Mingqi.
“Alright, since Luan'er has said so, then uncle will trust your judgment,” Zhu Wujie replied, filled with curiosity about her plans but refraining from asking further. His trust made Qing Luan feel grateful.
After being requested by the Zhu Clan to stay for dinner at the Zhu Family, Qing Luan finally left. Looking back at the grand entrance of the Zhu Family, she recalled how tenderly Zhu Clan had served food at the table and silently vowed: Mother, I will definitely bring back my elder sister and second sister. Our family will reunite; you can rest assured.
Qing Luan returned, and Jade Pavilion reopened. Upon hearing the news, Fu Tianlin came to ask Qing Luan if the changes at Tianxiang Restaurant would begin soon. After receiving her answer, Tianxiang Restaurant, which had seen a significant drop in business, closed its doors, causing quite a stir in the capital.
With Jade Pavilion reopening, Qing Luan instructed Plain Grandmother to take Li Yunluo away and not let her appear in the shop. Li Yunluo was dissatisfied and questioned Qing Luan’s intentions. With a smile, Qing Luan replied, “You’re just a country girl who fled here; how could you understand anything about gold and jade? If you break something or offend a customer, you wouldn’t be able to compensate for it even if you sold yourself.”
This left Li Yunluo speechless, unable to retort.
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Afternoon is running out of time; there will be updates tonight…
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