Miss Truth
Chapter 282 - 178: Sang the Rabbit and Liu Paopian

Chapter 282: Chapter 178: Sang the Rabbit and Liu Paopian

Ran Yunsheng saw Ran Yan’s questioning gaze, sat cross-legged before the table, and smiled, "The Su Family from Jushui County and the Medicine King Su Family descend from the same lineage. Back then, Su Chengbai was serving as the Chief Imperial Doctor at the Imperial Medical Bureau, but in his third year, he needed to take over the Su Family affairs and thus resigned to return to his hometown. When leaving, Consort Yang gifted him a pair of Huji sisters. It’s said that these two Huji women were so stunningly beautiful that any man who saw them would be completely bewitched."

A vision of Su Fu floated into Ran Yan’s mind, from which she could infer that his mother’s physical beauty was certainly extraordinary.

"Not long after, Su Chengbai gave one of the women to his cousin, Su Ling, who is also the father of Lady Su," Ran Yunsheng sighed, a hint of pity flashing in his lustrous eyes, "Su Ling was deeply in love with that Huji woman. Since she entered his household, he never took another concubine. He even sent away the concubines that he previously had. Su Ling died young; his official wife never bore children, so after Su Ling, there was only Lady Su in that line."

"What was Lady Su’s maiden name?" Ran Yan asked.

Ran Yunsheng thought for a moment, then said uncertainly, "It seems her name was Su Luan, with the nickname Ziqi."

Ran Yan suddenly understood—Lady Su’s nickname was Ziqi, and Su Fu’s style name was Ziqi. Perhaps the sisters, longing for their homeland, had chosen the names ’Ziqi’ with the intent to signify ’the time to return home’."

With this thought, Ran Yan lost interest in learning more. Just from the two characters "returning time," she could tell that it wasn’t a joyful experience. Aside from case matters, Ran Yan seldom found interest in the tragedies of the human world.

Seeing her expression listless, Ran Yunsheng said, "Ah Yan, rest well. I have some matters to attend to, and I’ll come to see you in the evening."

"Brother Shi, go ahead with your work, I’ll take good care of myself." A faint smile surfaced on Ran Yan’s pale and delicate face as she watched Ran Yunsheng leave.

Although Ran Yan felt somewhat dizzy, she refrained from letting herself fall asleep. If she slept too much during the day, she would end up bored at night.

In the courtyard, Liu Qingsong paced back and forth, while Sang Chen squatted on the steps.

After pacing dozens of times, Liu Qingsong suddenly spun around, his eyes earnestly fixed on Sang Chen, "Mr. Sang, do you have any other solutions?"

Sang Chen looked up solemnly and said, "If groveling for forgiveness doesn’t work on Lady Ran, then you’ll have to use the ultimate method!"

Liu Qingsong grabbed his hand in gratitude, tears welling up in his eyes, full of expectation, "Please tell me, Mr. Sang."

"You could slash your throat in front of Lady Ran to seek her forgiveness," Sang Chen said.

Liu Qingsong’s face stiffened, and after a long silence, his eyes gradually hardened. The autumn breeze whistled, lifting the edges of his robe and contributing to the somber atmosphere. Suddenly, he said dryly, "Is there not another way?"

Sang Chen insisted, "Seeing your sincerity like this, Lady Ran would surely forgive you. This is the best method."

Liu Qingsong stared at Sang Chen, trying to find even the slightest hint of jest in his expression, but all he saw in those limpid eyes was seriousness... nothing but seriousness. Liu Qingsong had no doubt that if Sang Chen were in his place today, he would indeed commit suicide to apologize.

"Could it be that Doctor Liu is the type who clings to life and fears death?" Sang Chen asked suspiciously.

Liu Qingsong turned away, stroking his temples, thinking to himself whether this rabbit was braver than him? Clearly not! But in terms of obstinacy, Liu Qingsong had to admit defeat. He immediately adjusted his mindset, adopting a spirited and righteous demeanor as he turned back and said, "Mr. Sang! Although I have not read many books, I have still read quite a few. You cannot insult my character like this! I am not one to cling to life and fear death, does committing suicide to apologize make one a brave man? No! That is what a coward would do. A true man like me dares to act and take responsibility, how can I think only of escaping reality with death? The body and hair are inherited from my parents, and to harm them is to show great disrespect!"

Out of breath, Liu Qingsong fell silent; seeing Sang Chen staring at him in shock, he couldn’t help feeling proud.

Sang Chen snapped back to reality, confused, "Doctor Liu, if you haven’t read books and yet have read many, have you actually read books or not?"

Liu Qingsong felt deflated, unaware that this rabbit’s focus was always different from ordinary people’s. But then a sudden inspiration struck, and he declared, "Let’s go out!"

With that, he grabbed Sang Chen’s sleeve and walked out, murmuring nonstop as if seeing Sang Chen as an ally in the same battle, "I’ve decided to buy a gift for Yan Yan, and then apologize sincerely."

This solution was the most reliable that Liu Qingsong could think of. And indeed, Ran Yan was a straightforward person, and it was very likely that she would accept a heartfelt apology.

The solution was reliable, but the person putting it into action was not.

...

Half an hour later.

...

In Jushui County’s largest teahouse, Liu Qingsong and Sang Chen sat tearfully under the stage where the storyteller was performing, enraptured by the masterful tale.

"Huashuo," which is storytelling, usually consists of Buddhist stories in teahouses. However, Jushui County had a novelty: the "Jade Headscratch," which tells the story of Emperor Wu of Han and Lady Li.

The story interwove warfare, royal court drama, a hero’s rugged charm, and tender emotions, deeply moving. Even someone like Liu Qingsong, who had read countless books, admired the author of this storybook for its brilliance.

Liu Qingsong, for his part, preferred gossipy tales, like historical secrets and private romantic stories, while Sang Chen was engrossed with concentration.

Just as the story reached a part about the battle at Yanmen Pass, where a young man named Qi Liang bragged to the soldiers about his beautiful new wife, Liu Qingsong signaled the waiter to refill their teacups. Munching on snacks, he critiqued the story, "This Qi Liang is bound to die."

"Why?" Sang Chen was somewhat displeased, because Qi Liang was a courageous and resourceful young man with a promising future, so how could he die?

Liu Qingsong said indifferently, "Don’t you ever read storybooks? From ancient times to the present, in stories, those who are handsome and debonair, who love deeply and think of their wives on the journey, or have unfulfilled wishes, are bound to die eventually."

No sooner had his voice fallen, than the storyteller on the stage sorrowfully announced Qi Liang’s death. Instantly, the tea house patrons sighed with pity, and some even shed tears of grief.

A prophecy fulfilled, Sang Chen was stunned, taking a while to come to his senses.

Quickly, the story returned to Emperor Wu’s Lady Li, and the two of them again listened intently,

On the stage, the storyteller was recounting how Lady Li, gravely ill, had turned down Emperor Wu’s repeated requests to see her.

As the light and shadow shifted within the tea house, the scorching white sunlight gradually turned to golden red, and the master storyteller took several breaks.

Ultimately, after Lady Li died, Emperor Wu summoned sorcerers to form arrays to call back his wife’s soul. He stared forlornly at the figure resembling Lady Li and wrote sadly, "Is it evil? Not evil? Standing and looking forward, why is she so belatedly arriving."

Is it you? Is it not? Rising to look in anticipation, my heart anxiously wonders, why have you not arrived yet! He captured the depths of his longing and heartbreak in one sentence.

Liu Qingsong and Sang Chen had tears streaming down their faces.

Sang Chen wiped his face, somewhat embarrassed, and Liu Qingsong laughed heartily, "Brother Sui Yuan, we are both passionate beings, passionate beings indeed!"

When they left the tea house, the lanterns had just been lit. The two who had intended to buy gifts had instead filled their bellies with tea and shed a few tears, completely forgetting their original purpose.

Sang Chen was still immersed in the story, incessantly sighing, "In this world, there is no greater distance than that which separates life and death."

"Not so," retorted Liu Qingsong.

Looking at him inquisitively, Sang Chen saw Liu Qingsong smile suggestively and say, "The farthest distance in the world is not life and death. It is when you stand before her, and she does not know that you love her."

The implication in Liu Qingsong’s words caused a blush to bloom on Sang Chen’s cheeks as he whispered, "Lady Ran knows, I’ve expressed my feelings to her."

Liu Qingsong spoke lazily, "The farthest distance in the world, is not when you stand before her, and she does not know you love her."

"Brother Liu, why do you always contradict yourself?" Sang Chen frowned.

"It’s because you love her, but she does not love you back," Liu Qingsong continued without heeding him. "The greatest distance in this world is not when you love her, and she does not reciprocate your love. It is when you love her yet fear her."

Sang Chen stopped in his tracks; because of fear, he dared not get closer, and so he could only watch her from afar, forever.

Liu Qingsong gave Sang Chen’s shoulder a deep pat, "Brother, I may not be as learned as you, but when it comes to matters of the heart, I am a man who has experienced it..."

"You feel the same way?" Sang Chen’s eyes shone as he stared at Liu Qingsong, as if he had found an ally.

"I am different from you," Liu Qingsong looked up at the pale crescent in the sky, and said despondently, "I was born before you, by the time you were born, I was already old... Alas, the woman I like, I can only ever take her to see goldfish."

Sang Chen was full of confusion. He didn’t understand what Liu Qingsong meant, but he grasped the implication of the earlier verses knowing that it meant never having met the lady he liked until he was old.

It sounded utterly desolate, yet Liu Qingsong was only around twenty-five or twenty-six—how could he be old? So, he consoled, "Brother Liu is in his prime, even waiting another ten years wouldn’t be considered old. That lady will eventually grow up."

Liu Qingsong shook his head bitterly and sighed, "A loli will never grow up." Even if one batch grows up, there will always be another to follow.

"So the lady Brother Liu admires is called Loli?" Sang Chen paid no attention to the deeper meaning in Liu Qingsong’s words, and rather shyly said, "Yet Lady Ran’s name is more euphonic..."

Liu Qingsong’s mouth gaped open, partly in frustration, partly feeling as if he had forgotten something... something about Ran Yan...

"Ah!" Liu Qingsong exclaimed, grabbing Sang Chen’s sleeve, "Quick, look around for a store that hasn’t closed yet! We forgot to buy the gifts!"

Before Sang Chen could respond, he was already being pulled back.

The curfew drums began to sound. After five hundred beats, those still wandering the streets would face punishment.

While they were in frantic haste, Ran Yan was just finishing her dinner, and Xiao Song was talking to her.

"Is the case closed?" Ran Yan inquired.

Xiao Song smiled lightly and said, "Not yet closed. Although Luo Ling has confessed to the murder without denial, she refuses to detail the process of the crime. She has been reluctant to cooperate since her arrest, so we are still searching for evidence." (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote with your recommendation ticket and monthly ticket. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

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