Chapter 63 — The Melody in Mind
Lord Bai Jiu didn’t take a carriage; he only brought Zhang Huwei and a few others to rush over.
The place was remote, and by the time they arrived, lanterns had been lit and hung beside the carriage.
The accompanying guards wore dark clothes and moved lightly, staying alongside the carriage so they were not easily noticed.
As they neared Jingshui Alley, a sudden commotion arose ahead. The carriage had barely moved a few steps when a clay flowerpot came crashing down from the wall in front of it, shattering with a loud bang! The horses panicked, neighing loudly. The driver immediately pulled on the reins, “Hoo! Hoo!”
Before the person who had thrown the object could even approach to block the carriage, he rushed forward to stand in front of it, shouting, “Stop, stop! No one is allowed through here tonight! Do you know which family’s business is going on up ahead—”
He hadn’t finished when Bai family guards surrounded him, twisting his arms behind his back and pressing him to the ground. Zhang Huwei personally stepped forward, twisting the man’s hands further and kicking him in the knee, forcing him to kneel.
The man still wanted to shout, but the click of a gun pressed to his temple silenced him instantly. Cold metal against his head, he recognized a pistol, and his throat seemed crushed; he stopped speaking, sweat rolling down his forehead.
A hand reached out from the carriage, lifting a corner of the curtain. A soft cough and a voice asked, “Which family are you from?”
The kneeling man’s heart sank at the voice. He stammered, only to have Zhang Huwei tap his head with the gun and scold, “His Lordship is asking you—answer quickly!”
Under the gun, he dared not lie. Swallowing hard, he stammered, “We… we are from the Black Tiger Gang, second-in-command. Please spare us! We didn’t mean to block your master’s carriage; it’s just… dark, and we mistook the carriage…”
Lord Bai Jiu asked again, “Why are you here?”
“This… this is to… to see someone.” The man, still kneeling, hurriedly explained everything, hoping to save his life: “Our second-in-command happened to see a young lady inside and felt a great affinity. So we thought to come visit a few more times. Lately, there have been a lot of people lingering here, which worried us, so we came at midnight to check.”
Zhang Huwei slapped him on the back of the head, snorting coldly. “This is His Lordship’s business! How dare you meddle, patrolling on your own? Do you even know whose residence this is? Blind as a dog, and you come here causing trouble!”
In the blink of an eye, Lord Bai Jiu understood the situation and, slightly impatient, said, “Send all these people to the authorities. Prepare the carriage. Take them into Jingshui Alley.”
Zhang Huwei followed orders. Those caught making noise or attempting to flee were knocked out with a single slap and dragged along.
The Black Tiger Gang’s second-in-command—a short, dark, stout man—hadn’t even climbed over the courtyard wall yet and had already taken several punches to the face from Bai family guards. With a bruised, swollen face, he relied on numbers to shout.
Zhang Huwei, used to handling situations alone, saw the chaos and immediately helped Wang Su and the others tie up everyone. It didn’t matter if they were second-in-command or just a runner—they were all bound and sent to the authorities.
Jingshui Alley, small residence.
Lord Bai Jiu sat in the main seat, with Liu Ruyi standing slightly below him on the right.
Everyone reported everything they knew to him. When finished, someone asked softly, “Lord, Liu Ruyi is here. Should we call He Lianchun?”
“No need.” Lord Bai Jiu asked again, “Is Jing’er still here? Go fetch him.”
The guard cautiously replied, “Lord, Little Xie left just a short while ago.”
“Where did he go?”
“We don’t know either. Young Master Bai personally came to fetch him.”
Lord Bai Jiu nodded. “Understood. You may leave.”
After dismissing the guards and attendants, Lord Bai Jiu sat quietly for a long while without speaking.
Liu Ruyi stood to his right, head lowered, freshly medicated, carrying a hint of the fragile beauty of an ailing girl. She looked pitiful, almost irresistibly so.
After standing for a while, her legs grew soft. She lifted her eyes slightly and met Lord Bai Jiu’s gaze directly.
His eyes were icy cold. Liu Ruyi shivered and quickly lowered her head. That single glance felt as if he had seen straight into her heart, and the sensation was unnerving.
The room was silent. Outside, only the flickering candlelight cast shadows on the paper windows, forming two vague silhouettes.
Soon, the sound of a pipa drifted through the room.
The guards exchanged glances, standing in the courtyard, uncertain and afraid to move.
One whispered, “Captain, didn’t our Lord come today not to handle cases, but to listen to music?”
“Just stand quietly. Don’t make a sound. Do you think you can guess His Lordship’s thoughts?”
The guards outside listened to the pipa. They didn’t understand the music, but the people inside did.
Lord Bai Jiu sat in the main seat, his face expressionless, lost in thought. Occasionally, when the music trembled slightly, he would glance at Liu Ruyi, sitting five steps away across from him.
Liu Ruyi felt his gaze prickling like needles on her back. Fingers pressing the strings, she murmured, “Lord, I played the wrong notes again. I’m not familiar with this piece… I’ve only seen the sheet once or twice. Next time, I’ll practice carefully before playing for you.”
Lord Bai Jiu said, “Play ‘Xunyang Melody.’”
Liu Ruyi: “I… I don’t know that one either.”
He continued, “Then play something by Ju Shilin or Chen Zijing.”
His words were already forgiving, but Liu Ruyi had never encountered so many pieces. She only knew a few taught by the palace musicians. She didn’t even know the names of the ones Lord Bai Jiu mentioned. Despite asking her to play two or three pieces, she couldn’t.
Liu Ruyi clutched the pipa, biting her lip. “I only know a few simple tunes from home… perhaps—”
Lord Bai Jiu said coldly, “It’s nothing special.”
Liu Ruyi’s face was pale, her neck still wrapped in gauze, yet she remained seated, not leaving.
“I’ve inquired. He Lianchun did draw you. But all that time, you never noticed? You had reason to hit her, but to injure yourself and make such a scene… it was all just to see me,” Lord Bai Jiu said, eyes calm. “After all your schemes, what exactly do you seek?”
Suddenly, Liu Ruyi knelt before him, pipa in hand, her voice trembling slightly: “Lord, you and Master Cao are close. Ruyi asks nothing else—only that you convey a message to him, asking him to come see me.”
