Chapter 464: Exposure
Lin Qing took the medicine and then strolled with Song Ci to another clothing shop, before sitting down in a teahouse with a pot of tea and a few small pastries.
"Madam, do you really think that person is suspicious?" Lin Qing handed her a cup of tea.
Song Ci took it and sipped, saying, "If there really is an issue, we’re not sure if it’s good luck or bad luck for us. We haven’t been out for a long time and now we encounter bandits and child kidnappers."
Lin Qing smiled, rare playfulness dancing in her eyes as she winked at her, "You said you wanted to protect me from being kidnapped. Looks like I’ve dodged a bullet?"
Song Ci forced a smile.
"So, do you think I’m unlucky or have a prophetic mouth?"
Lin Qing: "If it’s true, then you’re a lucky charm to those children."
Song Ci sighed, "I hope so."
Nearby, Nanny spoke up, "Why does Madam think that person is a kidnapper?"
"If he was really worried about his son, how could he have such an attitude? Didn’t you hear him say the child had a fever due to a head injury? If there’s a serious head injury causing fever, normally they should bring the child out for a consultation. But he didn’t and said if the wrong medicine was taken and killed the child, it had nothing to do with the doctor. Tell me, what father would say such a thing?"
Nanny and Hongtao suddenly understood.
"It might not even be those missing children."
"Even if it’s not them, it’s still a poor child."
Hongtao sighed, "Madam is so kind-hearted."
Song Ci smiled and took a sip of tea.
...
As night fell, the man they saw earlier, carrying a bag of medicine, returned from a brothel to a poor residence, only to be kicked away by a bearded man as he walked in.
"Liu Erzi, are you out of your mind?"
The bearded man referred to as Liu Erzi had a darkened face, "Why the hell didn’t you wait until tomorrow to come back?"
He walked to the door, cautiously looked around, and then sniffed the air, his expression changed: "Did you even go to drink at the brothel?"
Zhao Hei avoided eye contact, "I didn’t."
"You dare lie?" Liu Erzi was furious, "You’re covered in the scent of makeup and alcohol. That kid is sick, and you didn’t rush back with the medicine. Instead, you went drinking and playing with women?"
Zhao Hei argued, "I only had one drink. I’ve been hiding like a rat these days, I’m suffocating."
"You’d better not let the master hear that, or I can’t help you." Liu Erzi sneered, then said to a woman in the shadows, "Come out, go and brew the medicine."
The woman nervously stepped forward, fearfully looking at the two, trembling as she spoke, "M-Master, my son."
"Behave and your son will be fine, or else..." Liu Erzi sneered coldly.
The woman immediately said, "I’ll go, I’ll go right away, please don’t hurt him."
These people were demons; they had already killed her husband, her son couldn’t be lost too.
Liu Erzi then told Zhao Hei, "Get ready, we’re leaving the city tonight."
Zhao Hei’s eyes lit up, and he quickly nodded.
The two turned and went back inside, unaware that someone was watching from a spot on the roof, quietly slipping away.
Within the palace.
In the brightly lit Imperial Study, Emperor Chu paused his writing.
"They took action?"
The Dragon Guard kneeling below responded promptly, and Emperor Chu sneered, "Keep a close eye, don’t let a single fish slip through."
"Yes."
Emperor Chu boldly wrote down, the word ’kill’ fiercely and ominously marking the white paper.