Chapter 107

Li Qingluo had just returned to Hongfenguan and was looking at the deed when Liu Sui'er quietly came.

"In broad daylight you dare come—aren't you afraid of being discovered?"

Li Qingluo had someone pour Liu Sui'er a cup of tea.

Liu Sui'er took off her cloak, gave Li Qingluo a hehe smile, and said, "Elder sister..."

Seeing that Li Qingluo didn't dislike this form of address, Liu Sui'er's smile instantly grew warmer.

"Elder sister, I've come to see you. Don't worry—these past few days Li Kechuan's heart is wholly on Li Qingzhu, so even if I leave him he won't notice."

Li Qingluo: "I'll arrange for you to leave the manor today."

Who would have thought Liu Sui'er would say: "No! I don't want to leave the manor."

Li Qingluo looked at her, and Liu Sui'er hurriedly explained: "Elder sister, I'm not coveting the wealth and honor of the Jiangjun Fu. Rather... I feel that staying would be better!"

Li Qingluo said nothing, so Liu Sui'er continued: "Elder sister, think about it—Li Qingzhu hasn't yet noticed my presence. If she only realizes this later and then I appear, she'll see her brother's chamber maid who looks like her, and discover it's actually her own younger sister! What would her expression be?"

"Heh, just thinking about it feels great! So I don't want to miss this chance."

Li Qingluo: "But staying here is dangerous. If Li Kechuan, trying to curry favor with Li Qingzhu, might kill you!"

Li Qingluo thought of Meixue—wasn't her tragic death caused by Li Qingzhu's sowing discord and jealousy?

Although Li Qingluo certainly wanted to use Liu Sui'er, she hadn't gone so far as to disregard Liu Sui'er's life and death.

Liu Sui'er, upon hearing this, felt deeply moved.

"Elder sister, you, you're actually worried about me?"

Li Qingluo: "No."

Liu Sui'er stepped forward, carefully reaching out to tug at Li Qingluo's lapel: "Elder sister! This time you've gotten into trouble, I've been so worried I can't eat or sleep! As for whether Li Qingzhu lives or dies, I couldn't care less!"

Li Qingluo gently pushed Liu Sui'er's hand away.

"Alright. Whether you go or stay is up to you. If you sneak away now, it might still drive Li Kechuan mad for a while; if he finds you, Li Qingzhu might even fly into a rage. But if you stay, you know what situation you'll face—I needn't say more."

Que'er beside her quickly said: "Liu Second Miss, our young lady isn't trying to scare you! In the master's courtyard there used to be a maid named Meixue, who had carried the master's flesh and blood for several months; just because of a few words from Li Qingzhu, the master had her and her child beaten to death, mother and child dying together!"

Liu Sui'er's face turned deathly pale upon hearing this.

She unconsciously touched her own belly.

Seeing her action, Li Qingluo's heart gave a thump: "You!? You're pregnant? I told you to drink the contraceptive decoction, didn't I? You didn't drink it!?"

Liu Sui'er's eyes reddened: "Elder sister, when I was first sold into that place I had already taken the red flower medicine. The mother clearly said that women who take red flower medicine will never bear children for life."

"So after sharing a room with Li Kechuan, I found the medicine bitter and secretly poured it out… but who would have thought I… I don't even know how this happened."

Having just heard Que'er's words, Liu Sui'er is now terrified.

After discovering this, she has never dared to tell Li Qingluo.

Only now did her movement give her away.

Li Qingluo didn't know what to say.

Liu Sui'er clutched her belly, sobbing: "Elder sister, let me keep this child! Perhaps this is my only chance in life!"

Li Qingluo: "Have you thought it through?"

Liu Sui'er nodded eagerly: "I've decided, I've decided! For his sake, I can sacrifice my life!"

Li Qingluo thought: Is it worth it? To sacrifice one's life for an unformed child?

Li Qingluo: "Then listen to me. I will send you out of the manor."

Liu Sui'er still looked bewildered: "But..."

Li Qingluo: "You don't want to risk your life before the child is even born!? By then, forget saving the child—your own little life will surely be forfeit!"

"First leave the manor to nurture the pregnancy; once the fetus is stable, I'll arrange for you to reappear."

Liu Sui'er knew Li Qingluo's words made sense, sighed, and then agreed.

When she appears pregnant, the deed will be done, and it will indeed infuriate Li Qingzhu even more.

Liu Sui'er recalled: "Right. In Lan Cang Institute there's a maid named Zier; her elder sister used to be Li Qingzhu's senior maid, Bier. Zier says her sister Bier was killed by Li Qingzhu, and the two sisters had originally planned to save enough silver to leave the manor together when they came of age, but her sister suddenly died in a fire with no warning."

"Now that Li Qingzhu has returned, no one cares about the slaves she burned to death in a fire; she already harbors a deadly hatred for Li Qingzhu."

"Elder sister, this girl might be useful."

Li Qingluo pondered: "Alright, I'll note this down."

"First, don't startle the snake, and certainly don't tell her that we two know each other."

"Also, after you leave the manor, I want you to write a letter and send it back to the Liu family."

That evening, Li Qingluo arranged to send Liu Sui'er out of the Jiangjun Fu.

After another two days passed, Li Kechuan suddenly realized he hadn't seen Shanhu in a while, so he had someone bring her up to attend to his dressing and sleeping.

Shanhu is very bold in bed, and also gentle and considerate.

Li Kechuan, who has never even visited a brothel, naturally takes to her ways.

Moreover, Shanhu's appearance and figure are exactly what Li Kechuan loves most, so even if Li Qingzhu returns, Li Kechuan would at most forget Shanhu for a few days before naturally thinking of her again.

But the maid's reply was: "Master, the servant… the servant couldn't find Elder Sister Shanhu."

Li Kechuan: "What do you mean by not finding her?"

The maid's voice, thin as a mosquito: "Elder Sister Shanhu… she… she has disappeared."

That night, the Lan Cang Institute was brightly lit with candles.

It is said that Li Kechuan flew into a great rage.

In the end, even those in Chun Zaitang were awakened by the noise.

Naturally, the Ziwei Tang where Li Qingzhu now resides also heard the commotion.

She asked: "What's happening? I hear it sounds like the commotion from Lan Cang Institute."

The maid replied: "Miss, I just went out to inquire, and they said the master's Shanhu is missing. The master is flying into a rage, ordering people to find her."

Li Qingzhu only then realized, there was now an extra concubine in her older brother's room, heard that she looks very much like her?

"Older brother, does he care a lot about this concubine?"

Maid: "Usually he's quite doted on. I, the servant, have seen several times Coral pushing the young master around for a walk in the courtyard. When the young master just had the incident, only Coral, having come to the mansion, could attend to him closely; nobody else could suppress the young master's temper."

Li Qingzhu's face gradually grew grim.

"I heard that she looks very much like me?"