As soon as she returned to the city, Wu Caiwei received news that Madame Zhou would not be easy to leave. As expected, she eagerly anticipated her next moves.
The Grand驸马’s mood had slightly improved recently. After Madame Zhou's departure, although the Princess still paid him little attention, her attitude towards him had visibly softened. The Grand驸马, both pleased and more motivated, made an effort to spend time with her every day, keeping her thoroughly entertained.
The Grand Princess’s thoughts were simple: regardless of whom he truly loved, as long as Madame Zhou was not present, he was hers alone. At their age, with children so grown, a divorce would be too embarrassing, as if she had lost. Moreover, this man was now willing to humble himself to coax her.
One day, as soon as the Grand驸马 left court, he went to the largest jewelry store in the capital to pick up the hairpin he had ordered for the Princess a few days prior. The finished product was even more beautiful than he had imagined, and he was delighted. Just then, a young gentleman approached him, clapped him on the shoulder, and said with some excitement, “Grand驸马, long time no see. It was on a rainy day over a decade ago that we hid from the rain together here, and, with nothing better to do, came to pick out jewelry. I never expected to see you here again after all these years.”
When the Grand驸马 saw him, he was stunned. Hadn’t she left? How could she be here? What was going on? A huge question mark formed in his mind. Was Old Master Bai playing a trick on him? He had so many questions he wanted to ask, but with so many people around, he feared it would lead to complications and make the Grand Princess suspicious again. After all his efforts, it would all be in vain.
“This young master truly has a sense of humor. So many years have passed, how could I possibly remember you? Perhaps we could find a place to catch up,” the Grand驸马 said, somewhat agitated, while gently removing the man's hand from his shoulder.
Madame Zhou nonchalantly patted her hand and said playfully, “Alright. Remember before we came to this jewelry store that day, we went somewhere? Let’s meet there. Grand驸马, you can’t not come.”
If he had a choice, the Grand驸马 truly didn’t want to go. He feared that if he didn’t, the woman might cause some unforeseen trouble.
Making an excuse to dismiss his nearby servants, he secretly went to a small inn. As he reached the entrance, he saw a maidservant waiting. The Grand驸马 understood immediately and followed her.
Soon, they arrived at a room on the second floor. If he remembered correctly, this was the very room where they had met secretly over a decade ago. Even the furnishings hadn't changed. What a pity that things had changed so much.
Madame Zhou leisurely sipped her tea, watching him look around as if reminiscing about the past. She scoffed internally. Anyone would think he was deeply attached to the past, when in reality, he wished she would disappear from his sight.
The Grand驸马 turned and saw her so relaxed. He remembered the purpose of his visit, and his anger flared. He couldn’t help but demand, “Didn’t you leave? Why are you back? I never heard any news of your return.”
Madame Zhou looked at him with a half-smile, “How could I bear to leave you? I just snuck back.”
The Grand驸马 sighed, “Why must you cling to the past? Isn’t it better for us to look forward?”
“Why say so much? We’ve finally managed to get together today. Come, have some tea. Taste if my skills have declined,” Madame Zhou deflected his questions and naturally poured him a cup, handing it to him.
Little did they know, an unexpected person had arrived in the adjacent room. When Wu Caiwei heard that Madame Zhou was disguised as a man, she suspected something was brewing. After finally clearing her schedule, she received news that they had entered this inn and specifically requested the room next to theirs.
Fortunately, the inn’s quality was not high, and the soundproofing was not particularly effective. Moreover, due to her martial arts training, she had sharp hearing. By leaning her ear against the wall, she could clearly hear their conversation.
She heard the Grand驸马 say irritably, “I’m in no mood to taste tea with you now. Tell me, how can I get you to leave? And this time, I mean truly leave, don’t sneak back halfway. I really can’t handle it.”
Seeing that he wouldn’t even touch the tea she poured for him, Madame Zhou stepped forward, took his hand, and firmly placed the tea in his palm, saying without room for argument, “Drink this cup of tea first, then we can talk properly.”
The Grand驸马 looked at her deeply. Madame Zhou raised her eyes, meeting his gaze unflinchingly. Neither would back down. In the end, the Grand驸马 relented, picked up the teacup, and downed it in one gulp.
He then slammed the teacup onto the table and said testily, “Now can you tell me?”
Madame Zhou said sadly, “Don’t worry. If coming here today can’t stir any memories for you, then what else can I hope for? I’ll be leaving shortly. This time it’s for real. But don’t send anyone to watch me, lest you alert the Grand Princess. That wouldn’t be good.”
The Grand驸马 was somewhat incredulous upon hearing this. He hadn't expected her to agree so easily. He looked at her suspiciously, pondering whether her words could be trusted.
Wu Caiwei, in the adjacent room, also frowned. Given Madame Zhou’s personality, she shouldn’t have let go so easily. Had her purpose in returning to the city already been achieved?
Suddenly, she seemed to realize something and her eyes widened. Could it be that the tea she had given him contained something? It wasn’t impossible.
As the two left the inn, Wu Caiwei quietly followed. She was mainly tracking Madame Zhou. This time, Madame Zhou truly kept her word, and with her maidservant, hurried towards the city gates. Not far from the capital, in a small town, they rested briefly before inquiring at a coach and horse service, clearly intending to leave.
Reaching a secluded spot, Wu Caiwei quickly strode forward and knocked both of them unconscious. She whistled, and guards not far away quickly arrived. Soon, the alley was empty, as if nothing had ever happened.
The Grand驸马 returned to the Princess’s manor in a daze. As usual, he went to visit the Princess and had lunch with her.
Back in his room, however, he suddenly felt his heart race, nausea, and his limbs stiffen. He couldn’t muster any strength and slowly collapsed under the terrified gaze of his servants.
Screams erupted from his room. Some people frantically carried him to the bed, others rushed to report to the Grand Princess, and still others went to fetch a doctor. At that moment, everyone had only one thought: if anything happened to the Grand驸马, they would be in trouble too. They all prayed for his well-being.