Chapter 29 Unexpected Turn of Events [VIP]

Chapter 29 Unexpected Turn of Events [VIP]

Chapter Summary: The little fox has become more and more like a "human" as it absorbs the flavors of everyday life.

Ten days later, at the front market of Yanggu County.

The paulownia trees rustle, and the cicadas are about to fall silent. People come and go at the entrance of the county town, as bustling as ever.

"Qi Gu, Ba Xian! Is the shop ready?"

"My wife, everything is ready!"

A loud shout came from inside the pancake shop, followed by the sound of heavy footsteps echoing from the front corridor and the steps below.

A moment later, a gentle breeze carried the young man into the hall. Qi Gu, covered in sweat, leaned in with a broad smile.

"Don't worry, my wife!"

Looking up, Qi Gu saw Pan Yue peeking out from behind the curtain. He grinned and, ignoring the sweat pouring down his face, rushed forward to meet her.

"Everything's set up! Yun-ge has come to help too, and he and Ba-xian are keeping watch now! All the neighbors have come, just waiting to support the lady!"

"good!"

Pan Yue handed him the handkerchief, turned to pour him tea, and looked up at the inner room, saying, "Shi Yang, check if the Jade Rabbit Cake on the left stove is ready?"

"...Just right!"

After a series of orderly sounds of the fan rising and falling, a response came from the inner room.

"Wife, move aside quickly, be careful of the heat!"

A moment later, just as Qi Gu finished his bowl of tea, Shi Yang appeared before them, carrying a stack of steamed buns and emitting smoke.

"Qi Gu, lend a hand!"

"Coming right up!"

The three of them divided the stack of steamed buns in Shi Yang's hand, chatting and laughing as they headed out the door.

"My lady, this osmanthus cake is truly delicious and sweet. It was worth all the effort you put into collecting the osmanthus flowers!"

Surrounded by the fragrance of osmanthus, Qi Gu took a deep sniff, couldn't help but swallow, and then turned to Pan Yue and said, "My lady, after all this effort, are you really not taking a single penny?"

"How can you change your mind at the last minute about something you agreed to this morning?"

Pan Yue gestured for him to watch his step, then smiled and nodded, saying, "The pancake shop has been closed for a long time. It's only right that we distribute some tea and fruit to the neighbors as we reopen today. The osmanthus cake and jade rabbit cake smell sweet, but they're not difficult to make. They're perfect for attracting customers!"

"My wife is right!"

Stepping through the porch, Shi Yang and his companion strode towards the newly opened shop under the porch.

Pan Yue followed closely behind, and looking at the bustling crowd in front of the shops, her heart, which had been hanging in suspense for half a day, suddenly settled down.

Attracting popularity is the obvious reason.

More importantly, ever since she was taken to the county government office, rumors have never stopped.

Instead of repeatedly reiterating those so-called "truths" that few people can believe, like a broken record, it would be better to use a more direct approach to divert the attention of the county residents and move on from this issue.

"Madam Pan is here!"

Suddenly, someone shouted, and Pan Yue snapped back to reality.

The once orderly line was thrown into chaos by the loud shout, with everyone pushing and shoving, craning their necks, afraid of falling behind.

"Smack!"

"Stand still, all of you!"

Songsong stood guard at his stall under the scorching sun. Before he could even get a good look at Yunyun's appearance, he saw people shoving each other. His bright fox-like eyes widened suddenly, and he brandished his whistle, shouting angrily, "Who's causing trouble?!"

"Quickly! Don't shove me! You'll anger Wu Er!"

"He's not as easy to get along with as my wife..."

"Exactly!"

"..."

Although he was dismissed from his post, his reputation as a "tiger-fighting hero" remains.

With him in charge, the team quickly regained its order.

"...You've all been waiting for a long time!"

Fearing that delay might lead to unforeseen circumstances, Pan Yue quickly stepped forward, bowed to the crowd at the stall, and then instructed Shi Yang and the others...

"Yun Ge and Shi Yang, you two stand in one line and distribute the osmanthus cakes; Qi Gu and Ba Xian, you two go together and distribute the jade rabbit cakes, one for each of you, no more than one."

"good!"

"Aunties and uncles, don't fight over it! Everyone gets one!"

"..."

As everyone stepped forward in an orderly fashion, Pan Yue opened a third line specifically to welcome the elderly, weak, sick, and young who could not push their way forward.

"Sister, the weather is so hot today, why is brother standing in the sun?"

Zhou Fangyan arrived half an hour later.

Pan Yue was feeling dizzy and lightheaded from the heat. She was holding her hand, hoping to go inside and rest for a while, when she heard what she was saying and suddenly looked up.

Having maintained order, Songsong was not required to patrol in the sun, but for some reason, he neither left nor approached her side.

"...Your face is all sunburned, why don't you come in?"

As if sensing something, Songsong suddenly raised her head; their eyes met, then she hurriedly looked away, as if she had suddenly become endlessly curious about the ants scurrying across the tree.

Pan Yue's clear eyes trembled slightly, and she lowered her gaze, her expression somber.

She was not unaware of the origins of the awkwardness between the two.

Although Songsong returned to Zishi Street, the question that had slipped out on Jingyang Ridge remained unanswered...

She remembered the colorful rain of falling petals that fell for her, magnificent and gentle, unlike any other in the world; she saw the changes in Songsong, his behavior towards others, and the chicken soup he served yesterday was sweet and delicious, just like the taste of home.

The little fox has become more and more like a human, showing signs of life.

Intellectually, his words were clearly shallow; his actions had already spoken for themselves. Yet, emotionally, something seemed to be missing…

The two met because of a misunderstanding, because Grandma Song "misheard"; for the first three months, Songsong's dependence on her, her faith in her, and even her conviction all stemmed from "what Grandma said"...

Whom did he rely on, believe in, and admire—her or Granny Song, who told him everything?

He's just an innocent, straightforward little fox, completely unaware of the ways of the world. Can he really understand the subtleties of human nature and the complexities of love?

“…Elder sister? Elder sister?!”

The movement of her clothes brought Pan Yue back to her senses. She looked down and saw Zhou Fangyan's wide-open eyes. She smiled and said, "It's too sunny outside. Would you like to come inside with your older sister for a bowl of plum soup?"

"good!"

Zhou Fangyan held Pan Yue's hand in one hand and Granny Qiu's hand in the other, suspending herself in mid-air, shaking her head and giggling with delight.

"Big brothers..."

Before she could even enter, she caught a glimpse of Shi Yang and the others sweating profusely under the scorching sun. She paused, her small brows furrowing in distress.

"Don't worry, Ayan!"

Seeing that she suddenly stopped moving, Pan Yue turned her head and followed her gaze. She quickly understood and looked down at her, saying, "Ayan and Grandma can rest in the inner room for a while. Let Sister bring out the plum soup for them to eat, okay?"

"good!"

Zhou Fangyan's eyes lit up, and she happily followed the two away.

"Yun Ge, Shi Yang, you guys take a break! Take turns coming over for some plum soup!"

"My lady, please have some first..."

Everything at the stall was in perfect order, just as she had hoped.

Pan Yue set aside the round bucket filled with plum soup and poured it out bowl by bowl, filling the entire table.

Before the crowd could approach, she lowered her eyes to stare at the plum soup in her hand, hesitating whether to use it as an opportunity to strike up a conversation with Songsong. Suddenly, a cold ray of light swept across the long street and flew toward the pancake shop.

The midday sun was scorching.

The light that swept across her eyes was too dazzling, and Pan Yue subconsciously closed her eyes.

"careful!!!"

Thoughts always slow down under the scorching sun.

Hearing the startled shout, the plum juice in her hand trembled slightly, and Pan Yue raised her head with a blank expression.

The earth, baked by the scorching sun, was steaming hot, and everything around seemed hazy and distant.

"Go to hell!"

Pan Yue felt a gentle breeze brush past her ear. Before she could react, amidst the distorted heatwaves around her, Xu San, the manager of Yanzitang, with his face twisted into a ferocious grimace, suddenly appeared before her, passing through the sweltering heat and the crowds.

"Buzz!"

The blinding light swept past the dagger he held high above his head, converging into a line of cold light like a sharp blade, cutting through the waves of heat and piercing into her eyes.

Pan Yue's pupils suddenly contracted!

With a crash, the plum juice in my hand suddenly fell to the ground, and everything before my eyes was frozen into a black and white ink painting.

Behind him were faces filled with fear, numbness, helplessness, and uproar; in the center stood Xu San, his face contorted and eyes bulging with rage; the focal point was the short dagger he held high, scorched by the blazing sun, intense and blinding, as if it could draw blood and kill instantly.

wrong!

Her throat suddenly went dry and hoarse, Pan Yue's rapidly contracting pupils widened abruptly, and her heart skipped a beat.

The finishing touch wasn't the dagger!

Amidst the numb, uproaring, and panicked crowd, a figure was moving against the current, completely out of place.

Like a shooting star streaking across the summer night sky, the black and white colors were suddenly shattered!

"Don't be afraid!"

In an instant, a reassuring aura suddenly approached, covering everything in a flash; dry palms covered my eyes, and all around was pitch black.

"Whoosh!"

"snort……"

The ear-piercing sound of tearing silk, accompanied by a muffled groan that she tried desperately to suppress but still inadvertently let out, fell into her ears, and Pan Yue's hand, which she had subconsciously raised, paused slightly.

The air was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

In an instant, the neighbors all came to their senses.

"Ah!! Run! Murder!!!"

"Xu San has gone mad! He's killing people!"

"..."

The surrounding chaos seemed to be veiled by a layer of gauze.

"Knock knock knock"

The truth only reached her ears, one sound after another, her heart pounding like a drum.

The hand resting on Songsong's waist tightened unconsciously, and the eyelashes in her palm trembled slightly.

wrong!

Pan Yue suddenly opened her eyes.

It wasn't her eyelashes that were trembling!

A gentle breeze brushed past my ear, and the stench of blood arrived late.

Threads, slowly and steadily... seeped into her nostrils, invaded her consciousness... forming a complex and intricate net, binding and trapping her heart, which had already sunk to the bottom, tighter and tighter, more and more firmly...

Despite the scorching heat, the cicadas in the trees continued their incessant chirping, making her feel as if she were in a frozen wasteland, her hands and feet icy cold, teetering on the verge of collapse.

"Buzz"

She didn't know how much time had passed, but the hand that had been on her shoulder suddenly tightened, and the smell of blood under her nose intensified. Pan Yue slowly came back to her senses.

"……loose?"

Pan Yue ignored her pounding heart, tilted her head back, and tried to get Songsong to let go of her hand, but the force holding her around her only tightened.

Songsong seemed to have used up all his strength. Ignoring his trembling body and disheveled appearance, he rested his head on her shoulder, his face pale, and his breaths heavy.

A drop of cold sweat silently rolled down his cheek and seeped into his collar.

It felt like a sharp blade had struck her heart.

"Songsong, don't say it..."

"That day, Yunyun asked me..."

Before Pan Yue could speak, the person on her shoulder turned slightly, their breath brushing past her ear as if stained with the blood of her heart, broken and incoherent.

"Do you know human love? Do you know what a lover is...?"

"Songsong is just a little fox, who only knows how to listen to the wind and appreciate the moon, and is free and unrestrained. She doesn't know anything about vows of eternal love or sweet nothings..."

"Cough cough! Cough cough cough..."

The stench of blood brushing past her ear suddenly intensified, while the force supporting her grew lighter and lighter.

"Back in the Zhao family, it was clearly Yunyun herself who said that if one truly read ten thousand books, one should know the fox's true feelings; once she has chosen someone, she will never change her affections..."

"Yunyun is not a fox..."

Songsong's voice grew softer and softer, like a murmured whisper.

"Songsong isn't afraid... Songsong is only afraid that Yunyun will offend Songsong and never want to see Songsong again... cough cough!"

Blood rushed to his head, and droplets of blood foam spilled from the corners of his lips.

"...Songsong!"

Pan Yue's voice trembled as she opened her arms, trying to support him.

"...Don't move!"

Songsong buried his head in her shoulder, just like when he was in fox form, nuzzling her gently, then sniffing her softly, and murmured, "Foxes are simple-minded and pure-hearted... A fox's heart is so small, it can only hold one person at a time... So..."

The muffled sound nestled in her neck grew softer and softer, like the buzzing of a mosquito, yet it was like a thunderclap, knocking on the door of her heart through her clothes and skin.

"...Isn't that enough?"

As soon as the word "enough" was uttered, the hand around her shoulder suddenly loosened.

"Boom!"

It was as if a sudden rainstorm and gale had swept in, knocking on the door of her heart and leaving her mind blank.

"...Songsong...Songsong?!!"

Pan Yue suddenly lost her voice, her whole body trembled, and her hands holding him shook involuntarily.

He had clearly used all his strength, so why couldn't he stop his downward momentum?

"Songsong, don't be afraid! Don't be afraid!"

The wound on her back, directly opposite her heart, came into view. Pan Yue seemed to be burned by the crimson stain that covered her back. Her throat tightened, and her pupils suddenly contracted.

Ignoring the scorching sun and the dust-covered ground, she embraced Songsong, who was covered in blood, and knelt down amidst the mess, trembling as she pressed her hand to the wound.

"...Why, why is it still flowing?...Loose, loosen!"

An unprecedented sense of fear welled up in my heart and invaded my entire body.

The sunlight filtering through the trees felt like sharp blades, blurring her vision, cutting into her flesh and bones, and causing her excruciating pain.

what to do?

How can we save Songsong?

Who can save Songsong?

loose……

Pan Yue's dazed eyes suddenly focused, and she embraced the motionless Songsong, whispering in her ear in a daze.

"Songsong, don't be afraid... Yunyun is here! Yunyun will take you back to Jingyanggang..."

"Yunyun, go find Granny Song, she'll definitely have a solution!"

"Don't be afraid, Songsong..."

"...If it weren't for her meddling, even with ten brains, that short-statured girl wouldn't have been able to come up with any ideas about gold ingots or Mayflowers, and she wouldn't have dared to make long-term contracts with Qingchen Academy and Lotus Embroidery Shop!"

"The academy and the embroidery shop are one thing, but County Magistrate Song is my father-in-law! Why is the county government also signing a contract with her?! Her womanly charm has actually made Master Ximen speak up!"

"Now my Yanzitang is deserted and burdened with debt, all because of her!"

When Pan Yue came to her senses, the chaos around her had subsided.

The bolder neighbors gathered in a circle, pointing and whispering among themselves.

Xu San, the perpetrator, was subdued by Lin Dutou, who had come to support him. He knelt before Lin with his hands tied behind his back, still baring his teeth and full of resentment, repeatedly accusing Pan Yue of her crimes.

A neighbor, unable to bear it any longer, shouted back, "Manager Xu, you're mistaken! The Swallow Hall is deserted and burdened with debt; it's clearly because you're addicted to gambling and unwilling to manage it properly. Now your wife and children have run off with someone else. How can you blame anyone else?!"

"shut up!"

Shopkeeper Xu's eyes were bloodshot, and he twisted his neck, his eyes wide with rage.

Kneel down!

Enraged, Chief Lin kicked the man's raised knee and tightened his grip on his wrist.

Xu San let out a muffled groan and fell to his knees with a thud, his neck stiff and he gasping for breath in pain.

"Madam Pan?"

Once he finally calmed down, Chief Lin beckoned the constables forward, then strode towards Pan Yue. Upon seeing the wound on Wu Song's back, he couldn't help but gasp.

"Wife, is Wu Er here?"

Lin, the head constable, suddenly squatted down, took his pulse, and raised his head with a furrowed brow, saying, "Madam, Wu Er's injuries are serious. Don't move him for now! I'll go fetch a doctor..."

"It's alright!"

Pan Yue trembled as she pulled back his hand that was hanging limply at his side. She steadied herself, her face pale, and looked up at Shi Yang and the other two, saying, "Keep an eye on the shop before I come back!"

"Yes!" Shi Yang squatted down, unsure of what to do with his hands and feet. "Please rest assured, my wife!"

"Chief Lin!"

Pan Yue nodded slightly, then turned to look at Xu San, who had fallen face-first into the mud, her eyes dark and gloomy like a cold frost and snow.

"With everyone watching and all the evidence in place, it seems unlikely that today's murder case will be wrongly convicted!"

Lin, the head constable, was taken aback. Before he could answer, Pan Yue lowered her eyes and gently smoothed Wu Song's disheveled hair. She said in a hoarse voice, "Please trouble you, head constable, to call a carriage for me."

"carriage?!"

Lin Dutou subconsciously looked at Wu Song, who was pale as a ghost, and then at Pan Yue, who was swaying precariously. He asked with a puzzled look, "Does Madam want to take Wu Er out of the city?"

"Thank you, Chief!"

Pan Yue didn't say much, only nodded and said, "The horses must be strong, preferably able to cross mountains and valleys..."

Lin, the head constable, frowned. After a moment, he made up his mind, stood up, and said, "Alright! Please wait a moment, my lady!"