Miss Truth
Chapter 311 - 196: Schedule

Chapter 311: Chapter 196: Schedule

Especially, Princess Baling had actually been scheming that sort of idea.

"Wife? It’s night, do you want to clean up and go to sleep?" The voice of Wan Lu sounded from outside the door.

Ran Yan, while dissecting the last mouse, responded in an even tone, "Another quarter of an hour."

Hearing the voice from the room as if it emerged from hell, Wan Lu involuntarily shrank her neck and shook her head at Xing Niang in front of the hall, then quickly trotted over to whisper to her, "The wife said another quarter of an hour."

Xing Niang sighed and said, "Then keep the water hot, and send it to the bathhouse a little later."

A quarter of an hour later, Ran Yan finished processing the mouse’s corpse, took off her gloves and mask, and pulled open the door. Outside, the sky had darkened completely, and lanterns were lit along the corridor.

Ran Yan stretched lazily, and just as she was about to put on her wooden clogs, she was suddenly gagged from behind, and before she could struggle at all, she was hoisted by her waist and swiftly whisked away into the dark.

The strong chest behind her and the cold aura emanating from the entire body made Ran Yan think of only one person, Su Fu.

They reached a secluded place, and only then did Su Fu barely set her down, but he did not immediately let go of her.

Ran Yan angrily pushed him away and turned to stare coldly at that incomparably handsome face.

"I..." Su Fu saw her anger and wanted to explain, but did not know where to start; this situation was indeed his fault.

Being an assassin, Su Fu’s actions were not surprising, and Ran Yan felt she might have overreacted. She softened her tone and asked, "What brings you here in darkness?"

"Just to see you," disappointment flickered in Su Fu’s profound eyes. He had left Suzhou more than a month ago, and whenever he was lonely, he would inexplicably think of this beautiful but not lively face. No one had ever given him such a sense of security. He hoped that Ran Yan would also feel a bit different about him, but it seemed that he had hoped for too much.

"Your identity... how have you settled in Chang’an?" Ran Yan asked.

But in an instant, Su Fu’s state of mind returned to normal, "I work at the Imperial Medical Bureau, unofficially under the orders of Prince Wei Li Tai, and reside in Anshan Square."

Regarding such confidential matters, Su Fu did not conceal anything.

Ran Yan was slightly stunned; in such a situation, she did not know what to say next. If they continued the topic further, Su Fu was likely not to hide anything, but Ran Yan did not want to know now. Talk about the scenery? Ran Yan looked up at the pitch-black sky, unable to even remark, "The moonlight is nice tonight."

When Su Fu was alone, it was common for him not to speak a word for a month, and he had not thought of any specific topics to discuss on this visit.

"Wife?" "Wife?"

As they remained silent, Wan Lu’s calling voice faintly carried from a distance.

"Then... I’ll go back," Ran Yan said.

"Hmm," Su Fu replied.

Ran Yan walked slowly down the path, head bowed, pondering the perplexing change in her relationship with Su Fu. Initially, he should have killed her to silence her, and she should have been constantly on guard; it was a situation that seemed destined for a life-and-death struggle. Why had it become like this now?

They were neither friends, enemies, nor lovers...

Ran Yan halted her steps, turned her head to glance at the spot where she had just stood, and saw that figure in black still standing under the shadow of the trees, almost merging with the darkness.

As she approached He Ya Inn, Wan Lu saw her and sighed in relief, hurrying over, "Where did you dash off to in the blink of an eye, Wife?"

"I was just walking around nearby." Ran Yan replied.

Since they were in the mansion, Wan Lu didn’t think much of it. She simply bent down to place the wooden clogs in front of Ran Yan, chattering, "Wife, you are all grown up, how can you go without wearing shoes? What would you do if you hurt your foot?"

Ran Yan silently put on the shoes and followed Wan Lu to the bathhouse, looking like a child who had been scolded, though her demeanor remained composed.

After a bath that washed away the day’s fatigue, Ran Yan lay powerless on the couch, reflecting that she truly needed to enrich herself; surviving in ancient times was not easy! Previously, her literature grades always hovered around the passing line, yet she managed to thrive by relying on her autopsy skills. In ancient times, to stand out, one had to develop in all aspects: moral, intellectual, physical, aesthetic, and labor.

Ran Yan drifted into sleep, and the last thought before she fell asleep was that she wanted to find a copy of "The Book of Songs" or something similar to read the next morning.

The next morning, Ran Yan slept soundly to the sound of the morning drum. Since her wounds had just healed, and coupled with the fatigue from traveling, Madam Xing did not wake her.

She slept until the sun was high, only waking when the bright sunlight on the floor caught her eye. She sat up abruptly, her drowsiness completely dispelled.

Ran Yan usually kept a very punctual schedule. Since the last time she passed out, her biological clock seemed to have been disrupted, although she had planned to read in the morning...

Ran Yan had inherited the original owner’s talents and memories, but as time passed, these infrequently used skills gradually faded. Now recalling "The Book of Songs," she could only piece together fragments. It seemed that heaven did not simply give away these skills; one must seize the opportunity, or else it would be a loss.

Thinking this, she jumped off the couch and casually threw on a satin dress.

"Wife," Wan Lu brought in water, seeing Ran Yan hastily getting dressed and remarked curiously, "Do you have plans for today, Wife?"

"Mhm," Ran Yan nodded, uttering a statement that left Wan Lu dumbfounded, "I want to study and embroider."

"Embroider... embroider?" Wan Lu was momentarily confused. Back in Suzhou, Madam Xing had taught Ran Yan embroidery and though there was some foundation and the results were quite good, the posture left much to be desired.

After a moment, Wan Lu said, "Don’t you read every day, Wife?"

"I’ve been reading about Medical Skills. Today, I want to look into poetry and essays... stuff like that," Ran Yan said earnestly.

These were the two art forms that the original owner could present confidently. Ran Yan intended to preserve them at all costs. As for embroidery... Since Ran Yan needed good vision for autopsies, and embroidering could strain the eyes, she planned to practice it for just half an hour each day.

After breakfast, Ran Yan went to the small library in He Ya Inn and set up a schedule for herself.

No sooner had she put down her pen than she heard someone knocking on the door.

The voice of Madam Xing came, "Wife, Assistant Minister Xiao has come to visit. Would you like to meet him?"

Ran Yan weighed down her written schedule with a paperweight, opened the door, and said, "Isn’t he supposed to be at court? How does he have the time to come here?"

"Wife, today is Assistant Minister Xiao’s bathing holiday," Madam Xing replied.

A bathing holiday, as the term suggests, was a day off given to officials to bathe and rest. This occurred on the last day of the beginning, middle, and end of each month, and hence was also called the decadal rest. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you are welcome to visit Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation ticket and monthly ticket. Your support is my greatest motivation.)