Chapter 132: Truth Will Come out Sooner or Later (I)
Translator: Storm in a Teacup
Fang Shuoyang left the imperial study an hour later.
After he left, Shi couldn’t help asking Long, “Are you really going to send him there?”
Long smiled bitterly. “Qingzhou, don’t you understand? It’s not my idea. He has made up his mind and we can do nothing to stop him.”
Hearing that, Shi fell silent.
Long sighed. “Maybe it’s a good thing. He can go to find out what exactly happened.”
“Do you think he can find out?” Shi frowned.
Long said, “He can make it if someone helps him. Even if he fails, we can still get some other information.”
“How will you tell Xu You about it?” Shi asked again.
Although Shi didn’t believe in fate, he knew that Long really treated Xu differently and he could see Long’s care and concern for Xu even from Long’s eyes.
Therefore, Shi believed that Long really regarded Xu as his younger brother.
Due to that, Shi asked this question. He was afraid that it would be hard for Long to explain it.
After keeping silent for a while, Long said, “Qingzhou, we can talk about it later. Now… let’s go back to Qiankun Palace first.”
Shi didn’t ask why and just nodded.
When they came out of the imperial study, they didn’t rush to Qiankun Palace. On the contrary, it seemed that something was bothering Long and he was a bit absent-minded all the way.
When they got to Qiankun Palace, Long said, “Qingzhou, let’s eat outdoors today.”
“Hmm?” Shi raised his eyebrows. “You mean in the courtyard?”
“Okay.” Long nodded. “It’s cool outside.”
“Okay.” Shi wouldn’t object.
However, it was not meal time yet. Long and Shi didn’t want to eat at the moment, so they just sat down in the yard.
The servants brought a pot of tea. Long didn’t ask them to stay there. Instead, he told all of them to leave.
Only Long and Shi were left in the yard and Shi found that Long was a little strange.
Shi had found that since they came back from outside.
Long went to the imperial study as soon as he came back… Although there was a homicide case…
Long’s expression showed that something more serious was bothering him.
At this moment, Shi was more certain.
When they almost finished a pot of tea, Long still didn’t say anything, so Shi had to ask, “You’re not happy?”
Long blinked and said, “Well… how can I be happy?”
“It’s not just because of the homicide case and Fang Shuoyang, is it?” Shi said.
Long didn’t say anything.
Shi continued, “What’s the matter with you? Can you tell me?”
Long didn’t speak at once, looking hesitant.
Shi got closer to Long. Then, he stood up and walked behind him.
“What is it that you can’t tell me?” The sound of Shi’s voice was very soft and gentle.
Long pursed his lips and said sullenly, “Why did that woman call you ‘Brother Shi’?”
Shi was surprised.
Long was unhappy because of this? Just because of this?
However, Long misinterpreted Shi’s reaction.
Long thought that Shi really had some secrets, which were about him and that woman!
As a result, Long’s face immediately darkened and he also looked a little nervous.
“Qingzhou, you and that woman really…”
“What are you thinking about?” Shi realized it and hurriedly interrupted him.
“Hmm?” Long was confused.
Shi really wanted to laugh. “You’re thinking too much. I have nothing to do with that woman.”
Long knitted his brows. “Seriously? Qingzhou, you don’t need to lie to me. Even if there’s really something, it’s all in the past. I’m not so petty-minded, but don’t lie to me. You…”
“I didn’t lie to you.” Shi felt helpless.
Long fixed his eyes on Shi and Shi also stared at Long, seriously, calmly, and sincerely.
Seeing that Shi was so serious, Long was a little surprised. “You… Are you telling the truth?”
“Of course I am!” Shi said firmly. “I just don’t think it’s a big deal. That’s all. What on earth are you thinking about?”
Long gently pursed his lips and he still couldn’t believe it.
Shi had to say, “When she called me ‘Brother Shi’, I was also very confused. Later, I recalled that a little girl seemed to have called me that before, but it was a long time ago. Things are absolutely different from what you thought. I found you disliked that woman, so I didn’t want to speak more with her. That’s all.”
Long kept silent.
Shi said softly, “I really have nothing to do with her and I’m definitely not her childhood sweetheart as you imagined… Do you want to know what happened?”
Hearing that, Long immediately nodded quickly.
“Yes, I want to know. Tell me.”
After recalling it for a while, Shi said, “It happened when I was about ten years old. That year, my mother went back to her parents’ place.
Later, she went to pray for my father in the mountain and didn’t take me with her because I was too little. She left me in my grandparents’ place.”
“And then?” Long hurriedly asked.
Seeing that Long was so curious, Shi smiled. “I was not happy to be left behind. After a few days, I secretly went up to the mountain to find my mother. But you know, I was little at that time and I was not familiar with that area, so I got lost… Then, I met Wu Xiangyuan. I didn’t know Tianji Sect or even her name back then. She only said her name was Xiangxiang. It seemed that she went to the mountain because she ran away from home…”
“She ran away from home at such a young age? She’s really something else,” Long said.
Shi thought it was funny and nodded. “That’s it… She was local, so I followed her to the top of the mountain and found my mother. She was a little girl and her parents were not around, so my mother kept her there. Then, my mother asked someone to inquire about the girl’s family and we stayed together for almost two days… Then, she was taken away. If she didn’t call me that earlier… I’d forget this woman.”
“Is that all?” Long picked his ear.
“Or what else could there be?” Shi asked.