Miss Truth

Su Luan’s voice choked up as she continued, "Later one day, he said he needed to return home. I was tied up and couldn’t leave, so I prepared a return gift and had someone accompany him back. Perhaps he heard some idle gossip at home because, after returning, he drank even more heavily. Initially, he only drank within the residence, but later, he began to frequent taverns alone and was carried back by the waiter at night. At first, I was worried, but over time, it became a routine, and I seldom inquired about his affairs. Finally, one night, he didn’t return, and after waiting two days, he was still nowhere to be seen."

When Mu Qilang, a legitimate son of the Mu Family, married into the Su Family, although it was due to the longtime friendship between the two families, it was a considerable blow to him personally. Perhaps he had some beautiful illusions before he joined by marriage, but facing Su Luan, a wife superior in every way, it only underscored his uselessness as he idled away his days. For a man with ambitions, this was torture.

"I originally planned to gradually introduce Qilang to the Su Family’s business after a year, but I never expected it to lead to such irreversible consequences," Su Luan spoke of this matter without much regret. She had single-handedly upheld the Su Family from her teenage years, pouring her heart and soul into managing it properly. At that time, Mu Qilang was a stranger to her, and as a savvy businesswoman, she would never allow an outsider to suddenly interfere with the Su Family’s business. Even hiring a shopkeeper required observation over a period, let alone someone who would eventually share ownership of the Su Family business!

Now, Su Luan only felt guilty for not caring enough about Mu Qilang back then.

However, even if given another chance, Su Luan could not guarantee she could make amends. Managing the Su Family’s business was already draining her; she couldn’t spare more energy to focus on other matters. She had her difficulties!

"Three days after Qilang’s disappearance, I had someone search everywhere to no avail, so I reported it to the Government Office. But at that time, the Government investigated for half a month and still didn’t have any clues!" Su Luan said, her voice suddenly becoming sharp, a stark contrast to her usual elegance.

County Magistrate Song quickly spoke to Xiao Song, "I have been here only for two years."

The implication was clear: the inefficiency of the Government Office back then had nothing to do with him.

After saying this, County Magistrate Song felt it was unnecessary. Although Xiao Song wasn’t serving in the Ministry of Personnel, he was extremely familiar with officials everywhere. Even if an official from the Ministry of Personnel was brought here now, he might not know more than Xiao Song.

Su Luan took a sip of tea and continued, "I secretly communicated with the Mu Family and personally went to apologize. Since Qilang’s whereabouts were still unknown at the time, the Mu Family could not blame me. After another half a month of searching with no sign of him alive or dead, the Mu Family and I agreed to declare him dead from illness and conducted his funeral."

In Jushui County, Mu Qilang was known for keeping a low profile and had never offended anyone. Violent deaths were rare in Jushui County, so when a grown man suddenly disappeared, most people thought he might have eloped with some woman. Combining this with Mu Qilang’s depressive behavior when he returned home, even the Mu Family thought the same. If that were true, it would be a loud slap on Su Luan’s face. Feeling sorry for Su Luan, they agreed to her request.