Contentment with modest wealth

Chapter 196 I'm going to apologize to your brother!
Investigative investigation was a strength that He Qu and his team had been trained in since childhood. Moreover, what they were looking for this time was not anything important. The group searched the room twice and found nothing else, but they did find two poems and a small painting of flowers and birds that looked like they had been casually stuffed into a drawer.

He took it out and went into the alley, where he handed it to Shen Qingzhou.

Shen Qingzhou unfolded the mask and glanced at it, then frowned slightly beneath the mask before taking it and walking outside.

Lu Jia had witnessed Shen Qingzhou's shadow guards before, and even after standing alone in the same spot for so long, she hadn't been afraid. However, for someone who had died once, courage had long since been forged.

It's just a bit boring. I should have brought the silver willow along; at least we could have chatted for a while.

She wondered why Shen Qingzhou had brought her here despite the freezing cold, since they couldn't catch Wei Shi cheating tonight.
Since this place has been confirmed as the location where Wei committed adultery in secret, it is inevitable that some clues will be found.

But even with evidence, we still need to catch them in the act to see what happens, so this trip doesn't seem that necessary.

Actually, Lu Jia was worried about Shen Qingzhou's health.

Just recalling the scene when the two first met in Shawan, one knows that the rumors about his long-term illness are not false. Although he has become much stronger in the past six months since they met, his illness has not been cured. That must be true, right?
She lived two lives, receiving love and care from her adoptive parents and making friends like Liu Xiyu who appreciated each other. However, Qiu Niang was only hoping for her safety and it was not appropriate for her to talk about dangerous matters. Liu Xiyu, on the other hand, was unfamiliar with the court and could not delve into such matters.

Therefore, if we're talking about people who truly understand each other and can talk freely without any reservations, the only one is Shen Qingzhou, whose ways are completely different from those of the Lu family.

When Qiu Niang learned his identity, she immediately wondered whether their marriage agreement could be fulfilled. Lu Jia, on the other hand, wondered whether they could still maintain their relationship as before.
So without saying a word, I told him not to care about the engagement.

Lu Jie was preoccupied with maintaining her relationship with the Yan family, while Shen Bo chose to distance herself from the situation; she and Shen Qingzhou were destined to have no future.

And he didn't need to be tied to the daughter of a treacherous official.

They can't become lovers.

Some thoughts should be kept hidden.

Let's try to be good friends.

As a friend, it's not unreasonable for her to care about whether his body can handle it.

She kicked at the snow on the ground with her toes, the snowflakes flying wildly in the dim light, and her thoughts were also flying wildly in her mind.

"Snap, snap..."

As they kicked, the sound of footsteps crunching on snow suddenly came from the street.

She looked at the cold, desolate snow all around and instinctively pressed herself against the wall.

On such a cold day, in such the dead of night, who would be strolling leisurely down the street?
She poked half her head out.

A figure walked from afar into the depths of the alley. The light was too dim to see his face, but one could vaguely make out that he was wearing a cloak and had a tall and slender figure. Upon closer inspection, one could see that he was carrying a bundle on his shoulder and holding a gleaming longsword in his hand!

Lu Jia's heart immediately jumped into her throat...

Good heavens, this might be a bandit!

She quickly turned her head to look in the direction Shen Qingzhou had left, but there was no sound at all!

Why hasn't he come back yet?

And what about his bodyguard?

Just then, the clicking sound got even closer!

He's already here!

Lu Jia stared wide-eyed at the man. He was now only three steps away. He could clearly see that the man was indeed holding a sword, as well as the gleaming silver mask on his face and the exquisite brocade cloak he wore...

No! A mask and a cloak?
A flash of white light suddenly appeared in Lu Jia's mind. Her breath almost stopped, and she stared wide-eyed at the person—

"Miss Lu."

The man stopped in front of her and addressed her correctly.

Lu Jia stared at his mask and the eyes behind it, her mind almost completely blank!

"How could it be you?..."

Lu Jia's heart was pounding in her throat.

Shen Qingzhou blew on the chicken blood on the sword, then handed over the bundle: "Were you waiting for Young Master Shen? I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. I had a conflict with him just now and accidentally crippled him."

"But when I saw him leave this bundle behind, saying that he would not rest in peace if he could not hand it over to me in person, I kindly made this trip for him."

Lu Jia took the bundle and looked up at him again.

Shen Qingzhou paused for a moment: "Aren't you shocked or sad at all?"

Lu Jia's gaze remained fixed on his face. After a moment, she handed the bundle to her left hand: "What's there to be sad about? It's just that his skills aren't as good as yours."

Shen Qingzhou choked.

A lingering doubt remained: "Then why were you so surprised when you saw me? Do you know me?"

Lu Jia looked at him: "You want to know why?"

Shen Qingzhou paused for a moment, then nodded.

Lu Jia beckoned to him with her right hand: "You're too tall. Bend down a bit, and I'll tell you."

Shen Qingzhou paused again, then lowered her waist.

Just as he bent down, Lu Jia suddenly jumped up, accurately pinched his ear with her right hand, and at the same time threw the bundle she was holding in her left hand at him!

"You liar! Your brother was right, you're a liar!"

Shen Qingzhou was completely stunned!
Lu Jia raised the bundle and frantically punched his back: "You knew what was going on with me all along! You've been lying to me all this time! You played me! You've been playing me for so long, I'll teach you to pretend! I'll teach you to pretend!"

This little girl isn't very tall, but she has incredible strength! Especially in this situation!
Shen Qingzhou, who had been pampered since childhood and had never even been hit by her parents' feather duster, almost had her ears torn off!

Lu Jia was furious!
I'm so angry I could explode!
She could understand that he had no choice but to lie to her about being homeless before, but his current attire was exactly the same as his appearance on that snowy night five years later. This clearly meant that he knew from the beginning that he was reborn and that he himself had returned from that night, but he had to keep it from her!
He had to pretend he knew nothing!
And she's still lying about what she dreamed about?

He was probably secretly laughing to himself while she was talking nonsense.

She was wrong!
She's going to find Shen Zhui and apologize!

He's right, that guy is absolutely despicable!
"Listen to me!" Shen Qingzhou grabbed her arm.

Lu Jia chased after him and hit him a few more times before finally stopping.

Shen Qingzhou pulled off his mask, looking utterly disheveled: "If I wanted to lie, why would I tell you? I could have just kept it from you for the rest of my life, couldn't I?"

Lu Jia stomped her foot on his toe: "Then tell me why?!"

Shen Qingzhou winced in pain, lifted her foot, and only put it down after she had recovered, saying, "Because I can't forget you."

Lu Jia paused for a moment, then started hitting him on the back again: "You're still talking nonsense!"