Crossing the Mountains

Chapter 171 What's Wrong?
Tan Huaike looked at her, then lay down next to him, fully clothed.

Sensing the rustling sounds on the bed, Shen Tu Zhuo froze, shrinking into the covers and barely daring to breathe. Then he felt Tan Huai Ke tidying the corners of the blankets for him, the familiar fragrance lingering in his nostrils, making his heart pound like a drum. Just a moment ago he was shivering from the cold, but now he felt so hot that he was about to break out in a sweat.

Tan Huaike pulled down the blanket covering his head and face and laughed, "Don't you feel stuffy like this?"

Their breaths mingled, their eyes reflecting each other's faces. All their desires were amplified on this inopportune night, eroding their skin and minds inch by inch.

Boom——

Shen Tu Zhuo felt as if a string in his mind had snapped, the string that had bound and pulled him so tightly that it crumbled under Tan Huai Ke's gaze. He didn't know what he was thinking or what he was going to do. When he came to his senses, he found himself flipping over and pinning Tan Huai Ke down on his shoulders.

Whether it was because his body was still too weak from his illness, or because he had suppressed his emotions for too long, this simple action left him breathless. He gazed at those lips he had longed for for so long, as if he had fallen into a familiar and enchanting nightmare, sinking deeper and closer. But before, he knew it was an illusion, and now he couldn't tell if it was real.

He kissed her without hesitation.

Tan Huaike paused for a moment, then responded to him.

A surge of emotion overwhelmed him at that moment. Shen Tu Zhuo held the woman he had longed for tightly, wishing he could crush all obstacles and meld her into his very bones. All thoughts of incestuous relations between uncle and sister-in-law, guilt towards his brother, and the perilous situation vanished from his mind. He simply wanted to love someone; what was wrong with that?
They had never been so close, close enough to hear each other's heartbeats.

Feeling the hard heat pressed against her, Tan Huaike came to her senses slightly. It wasn't that she was unwilling; in Mohe, women had no concept of chastity. As long as they liked someone, they could bravely pursue them, even if there was no result. But as she touched Shen Tu Zhuo's strong chest, she also noticed its unusual heat. Considering his illness, she really shouldn't be making a fuss at this time.

Thinking of this, Tan Huaike's fingers swept from bottom to top across his burning heart, neck, and jaw, finally touching his lips and pushing away the distance between them.

Shen Tu Zhuo was in a daze, but he was unwilling to give up when the matter was about to happen, and he still wanted to pester her. Tan Huai Ke took a few inches back again and whispered a warning: "Fu Feng said that your illness came on fiercely and you must take good care of yourself. Otherwise, you will suffer from chronic illness and become weak and bloodless at such a young age, which would not be worth it."

Seeing it but unable to eat it, Shentu Zhuo exhaled a breath of hot air and lay back down in his original position indignantly: "Who's suffering from both qi and blood deficiency? I think he's the one who's suffering from both qi and blood deficiency!"

Tan Huaike touched his sweat-dampened forehead and said with satisfaction, "As expected of a miracle doctor, the medicine worked so quickly. After sweating so much, Uncle shouldn't feel cold anymore, right?"

"..." Shen Tu Zhuo resisted looking at her, still sulking, "It's not just not cold, my heart is burning!"

"Then take your time cooking it." Tan Huaike got up from the bed with a smile, straightened her clothes and hair, and said, "I'll go and warm up a bowl of porridge for you so you can have something to eat after you finish cooking it."

"Oh, thank you, sister-in-law," Shentu Zhuosheng said listlessly.
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Shen Tu Zhuo demonstrated through his actions that he was not deficient in either qi or blood. Although the illness seemed to have come on fiercely, he recovered quickly thanks to Fu Feng's careful treatment and his own abstinence from worldly desires.

Seeing that he was alright, Tan Huaike stopped staying with him. She had many affairs to attend to at the chamber of commerce and the shops. Besides, she remembered Lord Tao's reminder and wanted to inquire about the whereabouts of the previous resident of the Shentu family's old residence.

Because their investigation of the old case was discovered, Shen Tu Zhuo was punished as a result. Tan Huai Ke dared not act rashly and openly inquire about the whereabouts of this family. Therefore, she could only take a roundabout approach, patiently looking for a suitable opportunity and a suitable person, and then pretending to mention it casually.

For example, when she was chatting with other business owners at the Chamber of Commerce about business, she lamented that she had wasted money renting a haunted house:
"I originally thought that since my uncle was a high-ranking official, perhaps the old residence could bring him good fortune. Who would have thought this house would be so cursed? I don't know if someone altered the feng shui or what, but as soon as we moved in, we had a run of bad luck. Putting aside whether it brings wealth, my uncle's promising career was almost ruined, and even his health isn't as good as before." The businessman, who believed in these things the most, listened with great interest: "Lord Shentu was once a Grand Herald, so this house should have been a treasure trove for promotion and wealth. How did it end up like this? Could it be that someone really tampered with the feng shui, harming Lord Shentu's family and then trying to harm others as well? To change our luck, we must first find the source of this misfortune, right?"

Some people offered her advice: "I don't think this house can be blamed for what happened to Lord Shentu back then. No matter how serious the incident was, it was just a demotion. He wasn't dismissed from his post or lost his life. It can only be said that he made a mistake and angered the emperor. But I heard that the merchant surnamed Li behind him is the one who is really cursed. His family members are dying or getting sick, and his business has plummeted. I suspect that this family doesn't know the rules and has inadvertently ruined the feng shui of this good house."

Tan Huaike deliberately complained, "So I have to find this family and find out what happened before I can solve this problem? That's too troublesome. So many years have passed, who knows where they went..."

So the conversation turned to where the Li family had gone, and whether anyone had heard of or seen them. Fortunately, the Guangli Chamber of Commerce had extensive connections, and after a few rounds of inquiries, she actually received some information—

A pharmaceutical merchant revealed that he had done one last business deal with Boss Li before he left Andu, and roughly knew where he was going. The place the merchant mentioned was quite unexpected for Tan Huaike.

Meanwhile, Fu Feng was giving Shen Tu Zhuo a follow-up examination at the old house when, coincidentally, he also ran into another person.

Fu Feng, who was taking the pulse, watched helplessly as the man climbed in through the window, ignoring him completely. He expertly rummaged through the cabinet, stuffed some silver into his pocket, then stood aside with his arms crossed, nodding at Shen Tu Zhuo: "Are you feeling better?"

Fu Feng exclaimed in surprise, "Anyone who didn't know better would think you were a thief! Do you think this is your own home? You just walk in and take money?"

Shen Tu Heng said, "Isn't this my home?"

Fu Feng: "..." Okay, I can't argue with that.

Shen Tu Zhuo was furious: "Why are you taking my private savings!"

Shen Tu Heng said, "This is the money she gave you, right? It's money that came from my household. You're just leaving it there anyway. I need it urgently, so I'll take it back for myself."

Shen Tu Zhuo: "..." Is this even human language?

Fu Feng stopped: "It will be clear in a couple more days. I can eat more good food now and get ready to set off."

"What kind of nonsense have you learned? What do you mean by 'eat something good and get ready to go'? What kind of journey am I going on?"

"Aren't we leaving Andu to return to Hexi?" Fufeng said. "I've had enough of traveling, so I'll go back with you."

“I’ll go with you too,” Shen Tu Heng said.

"Why are you joining in the fun?"

"The Crown Prince gave the order." Shentu Heng weighed the money bag in his hand. "This money is for my travel expenses."
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Next chapter: Since she's already dead, let's not make things difficult for her.