Chapter 86: with translation of chapter title

Li Qingluo hurriedly chased from behind and happened to see the young lady turn her head at the sound and glance.

When she saw Qu Shi and the others, she actually let out a startled cry in panic.

Then she covered her already masked face and quickly went into the room beside.

Qu Shi stood where she was and did not step forward.

The shopkeeper bustled about trying to appease both sides; when Qu Shi and her party returned to the private room, her pent-up anger seemed to have dissipated.

Since Li Qingluo had indeed come, she naturally still wanted to pick out a few nice items.

She idly pulled Huan Jieer into various poses, yet from time to time she glanced at Qu Shi, who sat listlessly to the side.

Did you see that?

After all, she had raised Li Qingzhu as her beloved treasure for sixteen years by her side; even with Li Qingzhu's face covered, how could this mother possibly not recognize her?

That silhouette must have appeared in her dreams countless times.

Qu Shi's loss of composure made Chang Mama break out in a sweat from anxiety.

Qingyi brought over tea; after Qu Shi took two sips, she suddenly stood up: "I'm going out for a bit!"

Having said that, she didn't bother whether Li Qingluo was still there and hurriedly left the private room.

Chang Mama and Qingyi didn't even have time to attend to Li Qingluo, the second young lady; they both rushed out after her.

Li Qingluo looked at Deng Mama, who gave a slight nod and also followed her out.

After the time it took to burn an incense stick, Deng Mama returned.

"Young lady, the mistress has already returned to the carriage waiting for you. Just put the items you picked on the Jiangjun Fu account."

Li Qingluo pointed, and the attendants of Wangchun Lou immediately wrapped up more than a dozen pieces of jewelry.

"Do you like it, Huan Jieer?"

Li Qingluo bent down to ask her concubine sister; Li Qinghuan, having seen the world today, would hardly dislike it.

She merely stared at those jewelry pieces with longing eyes, seeming still reluctant to part with them.

Li Qingluo: "Go pick something for your aunt as well, secretly."

Li Qinghuan's eyes then lit up.

"Thank you, elder sister!"

Cui Er accompanied Li Qinghuan to pick more, while Li Qingluo walked to the window and looked down, seeing the Jiangjun Fu carriage already parked below.

Deng Mama came up behind her and whispered: "The mistress bumped into Li Qingzhu; likely Li Qingzhu was also startled, picked nothing, and just left."

"It so happened that the mistress, upon going out, saw her again. Although she kept her face covered, the mistress still followed her downstairs and watched Li Qingzhu board the carriage."

"Young lady, do you think the mistress really confirmed this?"

Li Qingluo: "Not seeing her face clearly, one can deceive oneself. What do you think—does she now hope Li Qingzhu will return from the dead, or would she rather Li Qingzhu were simply dead?"

Deng Mama gave a hehe laugh: "This old servant can't guess the mistress's thoughts."

Li Qingluo plucked a flower and tossed it down: "Some people, when dead, are a white moonlight; but if they come back to life, they become a shadow in a sewer."

Hardly had she finished speaking when she saw the carriage downstairs suddenly move.

Deng Mama craned her neck, looking astonished: "The mistress isn't waiting for the young lady? Where is she going?"

Today the household had only readied one carriage; if Qu Shi left, how would the young ladies get back?

Deng Mama grew a bit angry: "The mistress is really neglecting you!"

Li Qingluo was not angry.

She had long grown accustomed to Qu Shi's neglect of her; hadn't she before teamed up with Li Kechuan to set a trap for her?

What is this, after all?

"If I'm not mistaken, she must be unwilling to let it go and went to follow Li Qingzhu's carriage to find out. Deng Mama, shall we go take a look?"

Although phrased as a suggestion, Li Qingluo indeed moved at once.

She had Cui Er take Li Qinghuan back to the manor first, while she herself, with Deng Mama and Que'er, hurried downstairs and pursued the carriage's direction.

Deng Mama was so worked up by the young lady's action that her heart felt like it would jump out of her throat.

After much persuasion, they finally placed a piece of veil on Li Qingluo's face.

"My young lady, why don't you and Que'er return to the manor? Let this old servant go follow alone; you have no carriage attendant along the way, it's too dangerous—"

Li Qingluo: "Granny, don't say more—look quickly!"

Li Qingluo grabbed Deng Mama's hand and pointed ahead.

In broad daylight, a wine shop actually burst into a great fire!

The street was in chaos; although the fire fighters were below the wine shop, shadows still flickered upstairs, and even people engulfed in flames jumped down from the upper floors!

Deng Mama exclaimed "Heavens!" and pulled Li Qingluo to hastily dodge to the side.

"Young lady, we can't go that way!"

Li Qingluo, however, saw the Jiangjun Fu carriage attempting to slip into an alley.

In the blink of an eye, that carriage truly vanished.

Li Qingluo: "Can we go around?"

Seeing Li Qingluo's determination today, Deng Mama gritted her teeth and said: "Young lady, come with me!"

The three of them merely swayed in the crowd and then disappeared again.

Yet they were clearly seen by Zhui Yu from above.

Although Li Qingluo still wore a veil, she could not escape Zhui Yu's eyes.

He immediately turned to find Duan Rongshi, who was watching the opera, and reported: "Your Lordship, this subordinate seems to have seen the second young lady."

There's no need to specify which second young lady.

After all, the only young lady who could be mentioned before their lord is this one.

Duan Rongshi looked toward Zhui Yu, as if not caring, and only asked: "Lotus Sect remnants, how many escaped?"

Zhui Yu: "Five! Our people are giving it their all to capture them."

Deng Mama really does have a method.

Going into a cloth shop, then coming out the back, turning around puts you right on the backstreet of the burning tavern!

There are far fewer people here, yet the crowd is still bustling, watching the spectacle.

Deng Mama turned and brought Li Qingluo and Que'er up to a teahouse.

This teahouse's location is very special—going up to the third floor lets you see the burning tavern in perfect clarity.

Li Qingluo saw Deng Mama flash a plaque, and the shopkeeper immediately ushered them up to the third floor.

Li Qingluo saw it clearly—wasn't that plaque exactly the one her grandmother had once given her?

Her heart gave a slight twitch; she didn't ask further, followed them up to the third floor, and just as she was about to go down the other side, she caught sight of Li Qingzhu there!

Li Qingluo looked at Deng Mama, who was also very surprised: "How is she here? Is that lady following a ghost?"

Li Qingluo: "She must have already found Mother's trail."

Thus, Li Qingzhu had long since shaken off Qu Shi.

At this moment, Li Qingzhu entered an elegant room.

Li Qingluo looked at Deng Mama, who hadn't even spoken yet, and she already understood: "Miss, I understand."

Deng Mama merely glanced at the shopkeeper, who immediately ushered them into the room next to the elegant one, another more spacious chamber.

Li Qingluo had no time to wonder why the shopkeeper obeyed Deng Mama so readily; she hurried to the wall and pressed her ear to listen next door.

Seeing her action, Deng Mama immediately smiled; she saw her go to the corner, push a floor lamp, the wall slowly shifted, and the thick wall instantly lost a section!

The voices from next door immediately became clear to the ear, as if right before one's eyes.