Chapter 23: Jiao Cang "Delicate Concealment" / Are You the One

 FlamingoBees 

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 Jiao Cang "Delicate Concealment" / Are You the One

 

 Chapter 23: 

 

Just as Mian Tang was lost in her thoughts, the speed of the game between the two players began to slow down. As the match approached its endgame, the situation grew more complex, and each move required careful consideration. A single misstep could cost either player the entire game.

However, it was apparent that the young man's focus was wavering. His mind seemed to be elsewhere, as he frequently lifted his head to steal glances at Mian Tang.

After catching him staring several times, Mian Tang grew irritated. She took the hood from Li Mama and pulled it over her head, shielding herself from the impertinent gaze of this presumptuous man.

Seeing the look of disdain in her eyes as she glared at him, Zi Yu felt his heart clench painfully: Had she truly resolved never to look at him again?

Caught in a moment of melancholy, Zi Yu missed the decisive move. Cui Jiu placed his piece on the board, sealing the game's outcome.

It was a cunning maneuver, one that left no room for debate. Zi Yu had no choice but to accept defeat gracefully. This time, he lifted his head and gave Cui Xingzhou a deep, respectful look.

His spies had reported back with only superficial details the day before. They had followed Mian Tang to her lodging and learned from the innkeeper that her husband's surname was Cui and that he was supposedly a merchant.

From this, Zi Yu assumed that after leaving Yanshan Camp, Mian Tang must have been disheartened and married some random man out of spite. After all, there were few men in the world truly worthy of her, and in her anger, what kind of man could she have possibly found?

But even if she intended to degrade herself, he could not allow it to happen. Zi Yu resolved to wait until Mian Tang calmed down and regretted her decision, at which point he would offer her a way out. If need be, he was willing to overlook her reckless behavior after leaving the mountain.

Thus, when Zi Yu heard that the man named Cui Jiu was unable to solve the fairly simple puzzle, he felt a wave of disdain and decided to step in and solve it. He hoped to subtly remind Mian Tang that she had entrusted herself to the wrong person. How could such a shallow man, no matter how handsome, be worthy of her?

However, what Zi Yu hadn't anticipated was that this seemingly decorative "flower pillow" of a man was concealing great skill. Cui Jiu played a brilliant game of chess, clearly having invested a significant amount of effort in his mastery of the game.

Meanwhile, Mian Tang's eyes were fixed solely on her husband.

No wonder her husband could make a living through chess—his skill was indeed remarkable! For a moment, she felt a small glow of pride light up her face. Smiling, she gestured for Li Mama to hand her a handkerchief so she could delicately wipe her husband's hands as he stood up from the game.

Yet Cui Jiu, as he glanced down at her, noticed that her face was still as pale as paper. Clearly, her earlier discomfort had not subsided.

When he looked back again, the young man named Zi Yu seemed unable to bear the blow of losing the match. He had already disappeared into the bustling crowd with his attendants.

Cui Xingzhou's sharp eyes caught sight of his planted spies quietly slipping away, following close behind Zi Yu. Satisfied, he allowed himself to relax.

If Cui Xingzhou’s suspicions were correct, this young man named Zi Yu was surely connected to the rebels at Yangshan. He intended to see if his men could follow the trail and uncover more information.

As for Mian Tang... her intense reaction upon seeing that youth—could it be that she remembered something?

With this in mind, he gently supported the still-weakened Mian Tang and guided her out of the crowd, heading back to the inn where she had been staying.

Perhaps the long day of wandering the streets had truly worn her out. Once they returned to the inn, Mian Tang quickly grew drowsy.

Cui Jiu listened to Mian Tang complain about her headache, and carefully removed the tightly placed hairpins from her hair, letting the long, black strands cascade down. He gently massaged her scalp, easing her discomfort. Then, he cautiously asked, "When you saw that Zi Yu just now, did anything come to mind?"

Mian Tang held his hand, rubbing her cheek against it affectionately, though confusion clouded her face. "It's just this splitting headache, like an axe cleaving through... Husband, why do you ask? Is this Zi Yu an old acquaintance of yours?"

Cui Jiu smiled faintly and replied, "I don’t know him."

Seeing that Mian Tang still seemed weary, he instructed Li Mama to bring over the calming tonic that Zhao Quan had specially prepared for her. With the steam still rising, Mian Tang drank it down and soon fell into a deep sleep.

Once she was resting peacefully, Cui Jiu’s spies returned with their report. They informed him that the young man named Zi Yu had gone to a large inn nearby. However, that inn had been completely taken over by the forces of the local commander, General Shi, ten days prior. Guards stationed outside, all under General Shi’s command, kept ordinary people from approaching. The spies could only follow the trail to the perimeter before being forced to retreat.

Cui Xingzhou, having heard the report, gestured for the spies to keep a close watch on the inn.

Now, he was nearly certain that the young man who had proactively given Mian Tang the prize today was the same person who had the jade chessboard sold off at a loss through the jeweler yesterday. Moreover, this young man was likely her former husband, Lu Wen!

If he was indeed Lu Wen, it was a significant surprise to Cui Xingzhou.

Despite the young man’s somewhat ill appearance today, he was well-groomed and far from the rough, bandit-like look one might expect. His evident reluctance to part with Mian Tang suggested that Cui Xingzhou's plan had worked well. It would be interesting to see how Lu Wen would handle his jealousy and what steps he might take to reconnect with Mian Tang.

Cui Xingzhou knew he needed to stay close to Mian Tang in the coming days.

Meanwhile, Mian Tang awoke from her dream-filled slumber, her mind still foggy. The sun was setting, and the room was beginning to light up with lamps. Her husband, Cui Jiu, was seated at a nearby table outside the curtain, engrossed in a book. His imposing profile was bathed in the warm light, making it hard for anyone to look away.

Seeing her wake up, Cui Xingzhou set aside his book and helped her sit up, speaking gently, "Do you feel better now?"

Mian Tang snuggled against him like a cat, her voice still drowsy, "I had such a confusing dream..."

Cui Xingzhou, trying to hide his curiosity, narrowed his eyes slightly and asked, "What did you dream about?"

Mian Tang rubbed her face against his chest, her voice soft and weary, "I dreamed that my man was with another woman. I wanted to cry, but I had to hide it and it was so hard..."

Cui Xingzhou, with half-closed eyes, watched her slightly drooping red lips and the dimple that had vanished from her cheek, seemingly lost in the dream's aftermath.

After a pause, he gently asked, "Was it me with another woman in your dream?"

Mian Tang, feeling a bit guilty under his questioning, gave a vague response, but she was starting to wake up more fully.

The dream she had was not about Cui Xingzhou, but rather... the young man, Zi Yu, whom she had only met once!

In the dream, she was angrily berating the pale-faced youth, though she couldn't remember exactly what she was saying. The intense sense of finality and betrayal left a lasting impression.

Mian Tang was unsettled by the dream and the possibility that she might have known Zi Yu before. Although it was just a dream, it was troubling to dream about another man.

When Cui Xingzhou asked her again, she avoided the topic and changed the subject. Yet, she couldn't shake the feeling that there was something significant about Zi Yu, especially considering her husband had mentioned him just before she went to sleep. Did she know him from before?

Driven by unease, Mian Tang decided to discreetly ask Li Mama about it while Cui Xingzhou was away for a meal.

Li Mama, aware that she needed to balance revealing information with not alarming Mian Tang, found herself in a difficult position. She needed to subtly guide Mian Tang's memory without making her suspicious. This kind of delicate questioning was indeed challenging.

Finally, pressed by Mian Tang's urgency, Li Mama decided to be straightforward and bluntly revealed, "He was your previous lover..."

When these words were spoken, Mian Tang's almond-shaped eyes widened in disbelief. She angrily threw the bowl of jujube soup she was drinking, causing it to crash to the floor, and she shouted, "Li Mama, what nonsense are you talking about?"

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