Shocking Mountain Moon

Chapter 113 Hidden
My brother eats red bean cake.

This was the only sentence the little girl said to him, and from then on it became his knot, his obsession, and his nightmare.

He dreamed of that sweet voice countless times: Brother, eat red bean cake.

My brother eats red bean cake...

When he woke up from the nightmare, he was overwhelmed by the guilt. What he remembered most clearly was her appearance, her voice, and the small mole next to the base of her right hand when she handed him the red bean cake.

Later, when he grew up and became capable, he learned the identity of the little girl: Qiu Heng, the sixth daughter of the Yongqing Marquis's Mansion.

After taking control of the Imperial City Bureau, he secretly sent people to search, but found nothing.

It was not until the early summer of this year that the Yongqing Earl's Mansion found the sixth girl who had been missing for ten years.

He couldn't wait to go to her house to confirm that she was indeed the little girl who was kidnapped to bring him red bean cake.

The guilt that had been buried deep in his heart for ten years made him want to make up for it, to protect her from worries, and to shelter her from the wind and rain.

But I didn't expect to lose my heart.

Xue Han did not regret losing his heart, but he had to hide his feelings carefully to prevent his adoptive father from hurting Qiu Heng.

It would be easy for the adoptive father, who was known as the "Hidden One", to deal with a girl from a poor mansion. He had caused her to be abducted when she was young, and if he harmed her again now, he would be punished with death.

After listening to Xue Han's story, Xue Quan was very surprised: "So you have such a connection with that girl."

"Yes, I have felt guilty all these years."

"I didn't realize that Han'er is such a loyal person." Xue Quan smiled meaningfully.

"I had a rough childhood and experienced the ups and downs of life. I will always remember those who are good to me."

Xue Quan smiled with satisfaction: "Yes, it was your father who misunderstood you."

"I'm glad that father is not angry anymore." Xue Han breathed a sigh of relief.

Qiu Heng followed Ling Yun back in silence. When she returned to her residence, she tentatively called out "Brother Ling".

Ling Yun said with a straight face: "Stretch out your hand."

Qiu Heng hesitated for a moment and slowly stretched out his hand.

The marks left by pinching the palm are particularly conspicuous.

"Bring the best ointment." Ling Yun ordered the maid.

"It's just a little skin breakage, no need."

Ling Yun's face turned even colder: "It doesn't hurt when it's just a little skin broken? Ah Heng, you are so cruel to yourself."

How could he endure so much that he pinched his palm to pieces?

"Brother Ling, I——"

"I know you have no feelings for Lin Chengfeng." Ling Yun didn't let Qiu Heng continue.

He didn't want to hear Ah Heng lying to him, nor did he want Ah Heng to be embarrassed and tell the truth.

Let him speak for himself.

"Brother just hopes you can be nicer to yourself."

Qiu Heng's nose was sore: "Brother Ling, under the circumstances at that time, this was the best solution."

"Is it true that Lin Chengfeng has no complaints about being given a marriage?"

Qiu Heng and Ling Yun looked at each other and smiled, "It's better than proving that Miss Qiu and Lin Chengfeng have an affair. Isn't that right, Brother Ling?"

Ling Yun was silent.

Even though I was angry and distressed, I had to think about it. At that time, there was no better choice. Apart from Ah Heng admitting it, no one else could do anything.

"Your Majesty, the medicine is here."

Ling Yun took the ointment, signaled the maid to leave, opened the porcelain bottle and applied the ointment to Qiu Heng himself.

Qiu Heng looked at Ling Yun who was applying medicine gently on her and felt dazed for a moment: Brother Ling seemed to treat her better than when they were in the south.

"What about Xue Han?"

Ling Yun asked this question in a calm tone, but Qiu Heng subconsciously closed her outstretched fingers.

"Don't move." Ling Yun held her hand tightly. "Master Xue..." Qiu Heng felt a bitter feeling in her heart when she talked about Xue Han, but she didn't show it on her face. "He probably guessed the truth like Brother Ling, and as a friend, he wanted to help me."

friend?

Ling Yun silently recited these two words in his heart and put away the porcelain bottle of ointment: "Ah Heng and Master Xue have become friends?"

"Master Xue has helped me many times, I cannot help but appreciate it."

Ling Yun pondered for a moment and reminded: "Brother, you don't know much about Xue Han, but his adoptive father Xue Quan is not an easy person to get along with. Ah Heng needs to be more careful when interacting with Xue Han."

"Well, I see."

"What's going on with Cui Er?" When mentioning Cui Er, Ling Yun's tone became much more casual.

Qiu Heng looked helpless: "I don't know what's wrong with him. Not long ago, the Cui family came to propose marriage, and I thought he wanted to marry me home to take revenge on his good friend Han Ziheng."

Ling Yun's mouth twitched, and he was even more helpless than Qiu Heng: "Ah Heng, no man would do this."

There's no deep hatred, but would you risk your life just to vent your friend's anger?

Qiu Heng finally came to her senses: "Cui Er he——"

Ling Yun replied: "I like you."

Qiu Heng frowned: "We don't have much contact."

Ling Yun smiled and said, "Young masters like Cui Er like to come and go quickly, so there's no need to worry about it. It's a good thing that he stood up today."

If the two were fighting, the emperor would still seriously consider whether to grant the marriage or not. But when Cui Er showed up, the emperor would just think that they were a group of young people making trouble and would be too lazy to intervene.

And so it is.

"But Ah Heng will probably have to face some gossip for a while."

Qiu Heng curved her lips and said, "These are irrelevant."

Thinking about it now, Concubine Yu went straight to Lin Chengfeng, obviously knowing that Concubine Qiu still had feelings for Lin Chengfeng.

Given Concubine Yu's arrogance, if Concubine Qiu doesn't act with caution, she will be dodged again if she dodges this time.

The gleams of swords and shadows in the deep palace are all hidden in the dark, and the murderous intent can only make those who are in it be cautious. She is outside the palace and cannot do anything about it.

"Ah Heng, please discuss things with your big brother more often in the future, and don't handle them all by yourself." Ling Yun raised his hand and gently stroked Qiu Heng's head.

"Got it, big brother."

When Princess Kang heard from Prince Kang about the bustle in the pavilion, her head began to ache.

"I said this girl is extraordinary, Yun'er——"

"Yun'er acts like an older brother." Not wanting his wife to bring up their son, Prince Kang interrupted Princess Kang.

Princess Kang calmed down for a moment and nodded: "Yes, Yun'er did a good job."

She almost fainted when she heard the prince say that Yun'er finally stood up.

Fortunately, Yun'er's words and actions were appropriate, and Prince Kang's Mansion did not become a laughing stock in the eyes of other mansions.

Unable to point out her son's fault, Princess Kang called her daughter and warned her privately, "Jiayi, mother knows that you and Ah Heng get along well, but getting along well is one thing, and you are the county lady, you are precious, you must not learn from Ah Heng and get entangled with several men."

Princess Jiayi frowned after hearing this: "Mother, what you said is biased. I have also heard about what happened today. It was clearly Master Xue and Master Cui who admired Ah Heng, not Ah Heng who was entangled with them."

Princess Kang's face darkened: "If she was so proud, how could everyone admire her?"

Princess Jiayi looked at Princess Kang in surprise: "Ah Heng is pretty, has a good personality, can make incense, play Cuju, climb trees, and has the courage to lead a black bear away alone. It would be strange if no man admires her. If my daughter were a boy, she would also like a girl like Ah Heng."

Princess Kang was so angry that she fell backwards: "If you keep talking nonsense——"

"Fangzhou has fried some radish cake for my daughter. I'm leaving first, mother." Princess Jiayi smiled at Princess Kang and ran away holding up her skirt.

"Look at her, what she has learned from that girl Qiu Liu. I'm really afraid that she will be corrupted by the bad company..." Princess Kang was so angry that she complained to her trusted confidant Aunt Mei.

"Don't be angry, Princess. The county princess has a pure heart and will not develop bad habits." Aunt Mei advised.

Princess Kang sighed heavily: "Since I adopted this adopted daughter, my life has become more and more lively day by day."

In the Qiuheng Courtyard, the aroma of fried radish cake wafted from the small kitchen, attracting the maids and servants to glance in the direction of the small kitchen from time to time.

Qiu Heng stayed alone in the inner room, took out the wooden doll and looked at it carefully.

(End of this chapter)