Wu Caiwei, with no other path, appeared to give up her struggle in their eyes. The men exchanged glances and couldn't help but tease, "Our Madam is so delicate and fair-skinned, it makes one's heart flutter just looking at her."
Seeing their repulsive behavior, Wu Caiwei couldn't help but frown. She calmly inquired, "Who sent you?"
"No one sent us! You're just too attractive and caught our attention. You chose to walk down this secluded alley, which conveniently provided us with an opportunity?" one of the men leered, bursting into laughter. The others joined in with hearty chuckles.
After their laughter subsided, they felt something was amiss. How could a woman facing five men remain so calm? Either she knew she couldn't escape and resigned herself to her fate, or she had some backing and was unafraid. They had a sinking feeling it was the latter, which was not a good sign. Forcing down their unease, they decided to act swiftly.
As they charged forward, Wu Caiwei silently drew the dagger concealed in her sleeve. Judging by their demeanor, they were scum from the capital, notorious for their misdeeds. Today, she would teach them a lesson.
Screams soon followed, attracting the attention of passersby. Seeing their astonished gazes, Wu Caiwei directly produced a piece of silver and addressed the crowd, "They tried to defile me, so I injured their hands. Whoever goes to report this to the authorities will receive this silver."
Some, fearing retaliation, dared not speak. However, there were those with influence who felt it was shameful for five grown men to bully one woman. They volunteered for the task. Soon, officers arrived, and Wu Caiwei accompanied them to the county yamen, recounting the events.
The scribe recorded her statement, his gaze shifting between astonishment and suspicion as he observed her. He never expected such a frail-looking woman, who appeared to be the wife of a wealthy family from her attire, to strike without hesitation. More remarkably, her combat skills were exceptional; he had never encountered anything like it in all his years. This was indeed a curious tale. As soon as she left the yamen, news of the incident spread throughout the capital. Everyone now knew that the newly wed eldest daughter-in-law of the Zhu family was not to be trifled with, and that five burly men had been no match for her.
Just as Wu Caiwei emerged from the county yamen, she ran into the Third Young Master and his treasured sister out shopping. It was a true case of enemies meeting on a narrow path.
Seeing the people who appeared before him, the Third Young Master exclaimed involuntarily, "What are you doing here?"
"Just came from the county yamen. Speaking of which, today has been quite unlucky. I didn't consult the almanac before leaving home and encountered some thugs. I've sent them all to prison."
"You mean they're in prison now? How could you, a weak woman, be a match for them?" The Third Young Master was shocked and asked with some uncertainty.
"The world only knows that our Liu family has been practicing medicine for generations. Little do they know we also practice martial arts. Otherwise, how could I forage for herbs alone in the mountains year-round without fear of encountering villains?" Wu Caiwei said with a smug air.
"I just remembered I have something to attend to. You browse here for a while; I'll be back soon." With that, Liu Pengyuan turned and walked away towards the county yamen without waiting for his sister's reaction.
"Brother, Brother, didn't you say you'd go shopping with me?" Liu Zhiyi stamped her foot hard and pouted, realizing her brother hadn't stopped walking after she'd called out to him. This was the first time she'd encountered such a situation, and she felt a pang of disappointment.
She then turned to look at Wu Caiwei standing before her, finding her increasingly displeasing to the eye.
Wu Caiwei was not accustomed to indulging her. She directly asked, "Miss Liu, do you dislike me? This is only our second meeting, and I'd only met your fiancé once before that. Why do I seem to bother you?"
"What did you say? You're saying you only met him once before marrying into the Zhu family?"
"To be precise, it was twice. The second time was when your elder brother brought me to visit the Zhu family. Old Master Zhu brought his two sons to greet us. That was the occasion when the eldest Young Master Zhu took a liking to me. You should have heard about it."
Liu Zhiyi fell into thought. Although she didn't know if Wu Caiwei was telling the truth, she felt that with her current status, there was no reason for her to lie.
"Madam Zhu, my brother is busy and can't accompany me shopping. I've also lost the interest to buy anything. Let's arrange another time." Liu Zhiyi's gaze towards Wu Caiwei softened unconsciously.
Wu Caiwei, as if not noticing the change, readily agreed. Soon, the person she had sent to keep an eye on the Liu family's every move reported that a young servant was riding a horse, carrying a bundle, heading south.
Wu Caiwei knew that Liu Zhiyi was sending someone to gather information, trying to pinpoint who was targeting her and who had given her the wrong signals. After much deliberation, Wu Caiwei concluded it could only be Zhu Chenxing. She had some suspicions about the inner workings of this matter, but further confirmation was needed.
As fate would have it, when she returned to the manor, Zhu Chenxing was waiting for her at the entrance. Wu Caiwei walked up to him proactively, wanting to see what tricks he had up his sleeve.
"I heard you struck the gatekeeper today. We're from the same place and don't understand many of the rules. I still need to remind you that wealthy families value filial piety and virtuous conduct. Otherwise, you'll be ridiculed when you go out."
Seeing that he intended to continue, Wu Caiwei quickly interrupted, "If you're waiting here to lecture me, I advise you not to waste your effort. I don't like to listen, nor will I do as you say."
"I'm doing this for your own good," Zhu Chenxing said loudly as she tried to leave.
"I can't afford your 'good.' It would be enough if you don't harm me. I heard that Miss Liu harbors doubts about my saving you back then and has sent people to the south to investigate your affairs." Wu Caiwei looked at him meaningfully.
Zhu Chenxing's heart leaped. What did she know? How much did she know? He had a sinking feeling that things were spiraling out of his control, which was not a good omen.
He was aware that Miss Liu had sent people to deal with Wu Caiwei, but hadn't she always believed that the person she was in love with was him? Why was she suddenly investigating him?
This was not the time to pursue how she obtained the information. The priority was to move her away quickly. He knew that everything left traces, and after living there for so many years, it was impossible to conceal all his tracks. All he could do was ensure she couldn't be found.
A few days before her marriage to Zhu Chenxing, Miss Liu received conclusive information. It turned out there was indeed another person with whom Zhu Chenxing had grown up—a woman from his village named Li Wenwen. When her people went to investigate, Li Wenwen had already disappeared from the village.
When his sister discussed this matter with him, Liu Pengyuan was furious. The last time he had sent people to deal with Wu Caiwei, they ended up in prison. It had cost him a lot of money and connections to get them out. To find out he had the wrong person all along!
The thought of all the time, manpower, and resources he had spent in vain filled him with rage. Although Zhu Chenxing was to be his future brother-in-law, the way he protected that woman indicated he had little affection for his sister. His sister loved him, and he could fulfill her wishes, but the woman he protected would not be so fortunate.