Where the Mask Ends - Chapter 70

Chapter 70

Wei Rao saw Lu Zhuo, and she also realized that Lu Zhuo was watching her as well. He remained motionless, a familiar, mild, and fake smile hanging at the corners of his mouth.

The two had come to Jincheng together and hadn't seen each other for a month. Now that Lu Zhuo had returned from his recruitment drive, in such a situation, Wei Rao really ought to go down and greet him. However, the boatman’s tale of saving a beauty told by the wealthy merchant was reaching its most exciting part. Wei Rao felt an itch in her heart—she wanted to hear how the magistrate judged the case: was the beauty awarded to the consumptive husband who had spent a fortune to marry her, or to the young, strong-bodied boatman who couldn't bear to see her marry the wrong man?

But the merchant knew how to keep his audience in suspense. He spoke slowly, pausing to sip his tea, not appearing to be in any hurry at all.

Wei Rao looked across the river again and noticed that Lu Zhuo had tethered his horse, Flying Ink, to a willow tree. He was sitting at a long wooden table set up on the bank, talking to a clerk in plain clothes, as if he intended to dine at that shop.

Wei Rao looked at the small shop’s signboard; it was a place selling mutton skewers and mutton soup. The interior and exterior were desolate, and the smell probably wasn't very appetizing.

Wei Rao had a feeling that Lu Zhuo was likely waiting for her, wanting to know why his wife in name had entered a restaurant with three men.

Wei Rao didn't feel particularly guilty, but she didn't want Lu Zhuo to harbor too many misunderstandings. Once the merchant finished his story, Wei Rao spoke a few words to her cousin Huo Jue, then lowered her voice to address the two merchants: "There seems to be an old friend of mine on the riverbank. We haven't met in many years. I am anxious to go downstairs and have a word with them; I hope you will forgive my abrupt departure."

The two merchants laughed and said it was no trouble.

Wei Rao bade the three men farewell and walked out of the private room. Zhao Song and Zhao Bo were waiting in the hallway.

Wei Rao signaled for the two to follow her downstairs.

The restaurant they were in was quite famous in Jincheng. As Wei Rao went down, there were staff leading new diners up, so there was a bit of dodging and weaving, which delayed her descent for a while. When Wei Rao finally walked out of the teahouse and looked across at where Lu Zhuo was, she was surprised. The mutton shop, which had been devoid of customers just moments before, was now nearly full. In particular, the tables placed around Lu Zhuo were packed with female patrons, ranging from middle-aged women in their thirties or forties to young girls of thirteen or fourteen.

The women were all watching Lu Zhuo, while he sat peacefully sipping tea, appearing completely unaware of the surrounding gazes.

Wei Rao found herself truly enlightened.

Seeing the Young Mistress staring at the Heir, Zhao Song felt a sudden jolt. He remembered the image of the Heir wearing a yellow flower and carrying a hedgehog. Unable to focus on the joy of the Heir returning to the city, he hurriedly whispered to explain on the Heir's behalf: "Young Mistress, our Heir is handsome and elegant; in the past, whenever he went out, common women would always gather to watch. But please rest assured, Young Mistress, the Heir maintains his integrity and avoids the company of women; he has never once looked twice at them..."

He hadn't finished praising him when Zhao Bo suddenly tugged at his sleeve.

Zhao Song turned back in confusion.

Zhao Bo secretly pointed toward the Heir’s table.

Zhao Song looked again and saw a young lady in a colorful skirt sitting across from the Heir’s small table, smiling and chatting with him. And the Heir—who, in his words, "never looked twice at anyone"—showed no signs of displeasure whatsoever, even pushing the plate of mutton skewers in front of him toward the young lady.

Zhao Song’s face turned bright red. Had the Heir not seen that the Young Mistress was already downstairs, or had he not had his fill of carrying hedgehogs and was doing this intentionally to make the Young Mistress angry?

Zhao Song was ten thousand times worried for the Heir, but in such a scene, he had no idea what more he could say.

Zhao Bo suddenly said indignantly: "That young lady is truly thick-skinned! She must have said something that the Heir couldn't easily refuse. Our Heir has the best temper; surely he doesn't want to embarrass her in public!"

Zhao Song immediately looked at his younger brother with newfound respect. Yes, that must be it.

Wei Rao was amused by the Zhao brothers' eagerness to defend Lu Zhuo. What did it have to do with her whether Lu Zhuo attracted bees and butterflies? She simply felt that, by protocol, she ought to go down and meet him. However, there were no empty seats left by Lu Zhuo, and he was being accompanied by an enthusiastic beauty. If Wei Rao joined them, wouldn't she be ruining their fun?

Returning to the restaurant didn't seem appropriate either. After thinking for a moment, Wei Rao said to Zhao Bo: "You go and serve the Heir; Zhao Song will accompany me back to the guesthouse first."

After speaking, Wei Rao started walking forward.

Zhao Song gave Zhao Bo a look and immediately followed.

Zhao Bo watched the Young Mistress’s receding back and felt certain that she must be furious!

Zhao Bo ran across a nearby stone bridge to the other bank, then sprinted, sweating profusely, to the mutton shop. As he approached the Heir’s table, he heard the young lady in the colorful skirt asking the Heir where he was from. The Heir gave a faint smile, glanced at him, and stood up, saying: "Please enjoy your meal, Miss. I must excuse myself."

Seeing this, Zhao Bo caught the hint and went to untether Flying Ink, following the Heir who had already stepped out onto the street.

"Master, didn't you see the Young Mistress earlier?" Zhao Bo asked anxiously.

Lu Zhuo glanced in the direction Wei Rao had left: "I saw her. Why was the Young Mistress at the restaurant?"

Zhao Bo recounted the process of the Young Mistress meeting Young Master Huo Jue by chance.

Lu Zhuo: "Has the Young Mistress been following Cousin Huo to do business these past few days?"

Zhao Bo: "Yes. The Young Mistress disguised herself as the Cousin's younger male cousin. She rarely spoke, and when she did, she changed her voice. She was never exposed."

Speaking of this, Zhao Bo truly admired the Young Mistress; she was clearly a seductive and dazzling beauty, yet her disguise as a man was seamless, dignified, and lacked any of the bashful shyness of a noblewoman—save for being a bit short.

Lu Zhuo thought of the Wei Rao he had just seen. Her usual male attire was for convenience, but today, while socializing closely with merchants alongside Huo Jue, she hadn't just added a mustache and adjusted her lips; she had even done something to her robes to make her chest appear completely flat.

Even so, Lu Zhuo still felt that Wei Rao shouldn't be attending such gatherings with Huo Jue. Men, at the dining table, would more or less make inappropriate jokes. As a woman, she should be avoiding such things—how could she actively accompany him?

However, Lu Zhuo had also grasped Wei Rao’s temper: she preferred activity over stillness and dared to even defy the Old Matriarch’s instructions behind her back. He had no choice in the matter, let alone expect Zhao Song and Zhao Bo to convince her to stay honestly at the guesthouse.

"Master, you saw the Young Mistress, so why did you let those women sit beside you?" Zhao Bo asked, confused. "The Young Mistress left her seat in a hurry as soon as she saw you to come meet you, but you... this time, I fear you have offended her deeply."

What woman would be happy to see her husband laughing and joking with other women? The Young Mistress had a spoiled temper. She had once fled to her country estate and made the Heir plead three times before agreeing to return, and later, she had punished and teased the Heir in front of the Yang siblings. Zhao Bo felt that this time, if the Heir wanted to coax the Young Mistress back, he would surely have to pay a heavy price.

Lu Zhuo laughed: "The shopkeeper set up tables to do business; I can't very well stop others from sitting down."

Wei Rao hadn't been in such a hurry to see him. From the moment she spotted him to the moment she left her seat, at least two cups of tea had passed. Perhaps it was only because she saw him lingering on the bank that she felt forced to come down and meet him.

Zhao Bo felt regret for his master: "When they sat down, you could have just left!"

Hearing this, Lu Zhuo merely smiled.

Back at the guesthouse, Wei Rao removed her fake mustache and washed her face. While Bi Tao was combing her hair, the little maid in the courtyard announced that the Heir had returned.

Bi Tao couldn't help but speed up.

Wei Rao was in no rush. She knew that Zhao Bo would have already told Lu Zhuo whom she had met and who she had eaten with.

Wei Rao had a clear conscience, so she didn't care how Lu Zhuo viewed her; besides, he was only her husband in name.

After finishing her grooming, Wei Rao came to the hall and saw Lu Zhuo sitting on the armchair facing north, drinking tea, with two little guesthouse maids standing by to serve him.

Seeing Wei Rao, Lu Zhuo smiled, set down his teacup, and walked toward her, looking like a husband returning from a long journey finally seeing his beloved wife again.

Wei Rao smiled faintly and lowered her gaze.

Bi Tao gave a look, took the maids out, and thoughtfully closed the door.

The moment the door panels closed, Lu Zhuo stopped.

He was only about a step away from Wei Rao. She caught a faint whiff of mutton—it must have been picked up from that mutton shop. Wei Rao covered her nose with her handkerchief, walked around Lu Zhuo to another armchair, and asked with a smile: "Has the Heir recruited enough fine soldiers?"

Lu Zhuo took a deep breath with his back to her; he hadn't noticed before, but after being shunned by her, he realized he had the scent of mutton on him.

The food at that mutton shop could be described as utterly repulsive. Lu Zhuo had ordered a portion of roasted meat and a bowl of mutton soup; he had tasted a piece of the meat, and as for the soup, he hadn't even wanted to take a sip. Even so, he had managed to get the mutton smell on him. No wonder that even at the peak of the noon rush, that shop had no customers.

"The number of soldiers is sufficient; whether they are 'fine' soldiers or not, we will only know in a month," Lu Zhuo said, while untying his outer robe to reveal the thin white undergarment beneath.

Wei Rao saw this, furrowed her brows, and looked away.

Lu Zhuo tossed the robe in his hand onto the empty armchair, looked at Wei Rao, and said: "I’ve been rushing for half a day and I am tired. If you have anything to say, let's talk on the couch in the secondary chamber."

Before his words had faded, he had already entered the secondary chamber.

Wei Rao sat for a while before walking inside. She lifted the curtain and saw Lu Zhuo emerging from the inner room holding his quilt.

Wei Rao then said: "Cousin came to Jincheng for business. Zhao Bo already told the Heir about this, right?"

Lu Zhuo: "Hmm. Cousin has come from afar; I have already sent Zhao Song to deliver an invitation. Tomorrow night, we will be the hosts and invite Cousin to a banquet."

With Cousin's status as a merchant and Lu Zhuo's status as the Duke of Ying’s Heir, no one would whisper if he didn't entertain him. By taking the initiative to invite him, he had given both Wei Rao and Huo Jue face.

Wei Rao accepted the favor on her cousin's behalf: "Then I shall trouble the Heir to go to the expense."

Lu Zhuo set the quilt down, sat in a chair wearing only his undergarment, looked at Wei Rao, and asked: "How is Cousin’s business going?"

Wei Rao had no choice but to sit beside him and, lowering her eyes, said: "The goods brought have all been sold. Next, we will be purchasing a batch of furs."

Lu Zhuo tapped the armrest of the chair and asked with a smile: "Are you going too?"

Wei Rao wanted to go, but she had an agreement with her cousin: once Lu Zhuo returned to the city, she could no longer go looking for him.

"No. My cousin sets great store by rules. I only asked him to take me along on the grounds of being bored while you were away. Now that you are back, if I go again, he will become suspicious." Wei Rao said, intentionally praising her cousin. The truth was indeed so; she didn't want Lu Zhuo to misunderstand that her cousin was also a non-conformist.

Lu Zhuo laughed. She was interesting in her speech—when Huo Jue constrained her, he was "setting store by rules," but when he constrained her, she wished she could sew his mouth shut.

"I blame myself for returning too early and ruining your fun." Lu Zhuo turned his head, looking at Wei Rao with a shamed expression.

Wei Rao, however, caught the sarcasm in the word "fun."

She said indifferently: "Fun is too strong a word; it was just a bit of tomfoolery. Now that I am full and satisfied, I am going to take a nap. The Heir should get some rest early."

Having said this, Wei Rao entered the inner room, closed the door, and slid the bolt.

Lu Zhuo looked toward the window, and finally, he smiled.