Chapter 731: Chapter 4AA: Ruyi (Part 2)

“Ruyi?” Duan Rong asked, “Did that mother you mentioned give you that name?”

“Yes.”

“Then what was your original real name?”

The woman said, “My original name, I have already forgotten.”

In the darkness, there was a long silence.

After a while, Duan Rong sighed and fell asleep.

The woman waited in the dark for a long time, seeing that Duan Rong seemed to be asleep, she finally dared to wrap herself in the quilt and fell into a deep sleep as well.

The next morning, amidst the chirping of birds, Duan Rong slowly woke up.

He lay on his pillow, turned his head slightly, and through the veil, glanced at the floor near the pillar, only to see it empty with the bedding already put away.

Duan Rong lifted the veil and leaned out of bed.

He was slightly stunned as he realized the outer garment and shoes he had placed by the bed last night were nowhere to be found.

Duan Rong was puzzled when a figure walked in; it was Ruyi, already dressed neatly. She wore a grass-green dress lined with moon-white, her bright eyes and white teeth accentuated, and her skin fairer than snow.

Ruyi entered, holding Duan Rong’s clothes and shoes in her hands. She lowered her eyes, set down the shoes without saying a word, and assisted Duan Rong in getting dressed and putting on shoes. She was trained in the courtyard, skilled and meticulous, not a thread out of place.

Ruyi straightened Duan Rong’s clothing and then stood up, smiling calmly, “Sir, I’ve prepared hot water. Please freshen up first.”

“Alright.” Duan Rong then walked out.

He approached the washstand and saw a copper basin already holding a bit more than half of clean water. Just as Duan Rong was about to wash his face, Ruyi stopped him. “Sir, please wait a moment.”

Ruyi came over with a warming pot, poured some steaming hot water into the basin, tested the temperature with her white tender hand, then folded a white cotton towel into the hot water, and respectfully said, “Please use it, sir!”

Duan Rong tested the water, it was slightly warmer than lukewarm, just right. He began to wash slowly, and since the water temperature was comfortable, he washed for a bit longer.

After washing his face, he discovered a cup of clear tea on the table and took a few sips.

Just as Duan Rong put down the teacup, Ruyi walked in with a food container, smiled, and said, “Here’s breakfast just taken from the kitchen, sir, see if it suits your taste?”

As Ruyi spoke, she laid down two buns, a pancake, some small dishes, and a bowl of salted meat porridge on the table.

Duan Rong glanced and said, “Why is there only one bowl of porridge? Where’s yours?”

Ruyi replied, “Please eat first, sir. I’ll just eat in the kitchen later.”

Duan Rong sat at the table and said in a deep voice, “Next time, bring two servings; you will eat with me.”

“Yes,” Ruyi responded quietly, almost like the sound of a mosquito.

After Duan Rong finished breakfast, he started reading the stack of documents from last night. While he was engrossed, Ruyi silently placed a fresh cup of tea not far from him, close enough for him to reach without disturbing his reading.

Once Duan Rong delved into the documents, he was in a state of absolute calm, sitting motionlessly, his eyes intensely focused on the material in his hands.

The cup of tea that Ruyi placed there, Duan Rong did not touch once, but every half an hour, Ruyi would replace it with a fresh one.

Thus, several hours flowed by like a stream.

Suddenly, Ruyi came over with a food container, softly calling from not too far, “Sir, it’s time for lunch!”

Duan Rong raised his head upon hearing her, and after a moment, gradually pulled his thoughts back from the flow of information in the documents.

He glanced at the sky outside and asked, “Is it already noon?”

Ruyi replied, “Yes, sir, you have been sitting still, reading attentively for several hours now.”

Only then did Duan Rong become aware of the stiffness in his legs. He stretched them, picked up the nearby teacup, took a sip, and asked Ruyi, “Did anyone come to see me this morning?”

Ruyi answered, “Director Zhu came by once; seeing how focused you were on reading, he chose not to disturb you and left by himself.”

Duan Rong asked, “Which Director Zhu?”

Ruyi responded, “It was Director Zhu Zhengfu.”

“Did only he come by?”

“Yes.”

Duan Rong’s expression flickered slightly. Last night, Zhu Cheng said he would deliver Li Shensi’s recent schedule first thing in the morning, but it still hadn’t arrived. It seemed something had delayed it.

Noticing Duan Rong’s contemplative look, Ruyi asked, “Sir, is something wrong?”

Duan Rong replied, “No, let’s eat first.”

Ruyi then brought the dishes from the food box and placed them on the table. The dishes were quite sumptuous.

Yet, Ruyi only had a porcelain bowl, with all her food mixed together in it. She took the bowl to a corner to eat.

Duan Rong glanced at Ruyi, knowing this was a deeply ingrained rule for her, a sense of hierarchy instilled from a young age—something he couldn’t easily change.

He sighed and then began eating on his own.

Duan Rong had just taken a couple of bites when he suddenly saw in the sunlight outside, Chou Luan was still drinking on that large bluestone. His posture was half-reclined, as if he hadn’t moved since last night.

Duan Rong suddenly called out, “Ruyi!”

Hearing this, Ruyi swallowed her food and walked over quickly. Duan Rong noticed a grain of rice at the corner of her mouth but didn’t mention it. Instead, he pointed at a dish in front of him and said, “I haven’t touched this braised pork, take it to Chou Luan. Let him have it as some food to go with his drink.”

Ruyi glanced at Chou Luan in the courtyard, then back at Duan Rong, saying, “Sir, he never eats anything! Just drinks.”

Duan Rong frowned slightly. “Only drinks?”

“Yes!” Ruyi replied, “I heard from the servants that a couple of years ago, he got drunk and accidentally killed his beloved wife. Since then, he’s been like this. Neither human nor ghost.”

Ruyi seemed puzzled, her brows furrowed, as if talking to herself, “If it’s because of drinking that he accidentally killed his beloved wife and can’t forgive himself, shouldn’t he quit drinking? Why does he drink even more?”

On hearing this, Duan Rong chuckled dryly, “It’s when he’s sober that he can’t forgive himself. When drunk, he forgets.”

Ruyi looked at Duan Rong, her expression serious, and said, “Isn’t that just escaping?”

“Yes, it’s escaping,” Duan Rong said. “But one has to live on.”

These words from Duan Rong made Ruyi’s heart tremble, and her eyes reddened slightly.

Because she often used this saying to comfort herself when she suffered humiliation in the courtyard.

Indeed, one has to live on…

Just as Duan Rong finished their lunch, a figure hurriedly arrived. As soon as he entered the courtyard gate, Duan Rong saw that it was Zhu Cheng.

As Zhu Cheng stepped through the door, he immediately saw Duan Rong seated at the table, and knelt down at once, exclaiming, “Subordinate greets Sir!”

Duan Rong said, “Zhu Cheng, we are old acquaintances, no need for such formalities.”

Zhu Cheng stood up respectfully, pulled out a stack of documents from his chest, though only about one-third the thickness of last night’s batch.

Zhu Cheng placed the stack of documents on the table and clasped his fists together, respectfully saying, “There have been some significant changes in a few areas, so I rechecked everything. It delayed me for some time; please punish me, Sir!”

Duan Rong replied, “It’s fine. I was looking at some data this morning. You came just at the right time! Zhu Cheng, have a seat and let’s talk.”

Seeing that Duan Rong invited him to sit, Zhu Cheng perched on the edge of a chair diagonally across from Duan Rong.

Although they hadn’t seen each other for half a year, Duan Rong’s status had changed significantly since then. Although he was also of Zhu He’s bloodline in the Mortal World, it was generations removed, and Zhu He’s descendants were numerous. They could not compare to Duan Rong, who was now a highly regarded Direct Disciple. Therefore, Zhu Cheng’s eyes were filled with reverence as he looked at Duan Rong.

As soon as Zhu Cheng sat down, Ruyi brought over a cup of tea, placed it in front of him, and quietly retreated.

She knew Duan Rong and Zhu Cheng had matters to discuss, so she closed the door as she backed out.

Indeed, Duan Rong had matters to discuss with Zhu Cheng. He brought up several points of doubt from the documents he reviewed that morning for Zhu Cheng’s input. Zhu Cheng explained two points in more detail, but was stumped by the rest of the questions Duan Rong asked.

Five days ago, Zhu Zhengfu received a secret letter from the ancestors and entrusted the task to him. He organized last night’s batch of documents for five entire days, confident they were impeccable. But after just a few questions from Duan Rong, Zhu Cheng was already sweating. He hadn’t anticipated that Duan Rong would be so meticulous, and that his questions would be so probing and challenging.

Zhu Cheng had no choice but to note down Duan Rong’s questions, promising to return to the Ministry of Justice to review documents, clarify these issues thoroughly, and then report back.

As Zhu Cheng exited the villa, he realized the back of his clothes was drenched with sweat. Because the questions Duan Rong asked, although tricky, upon careful consideration, each touched on critical points. He had, through habitual thinking, glossed over all of them in his reports without addressing them thoroughly. This approach, at its least, could be considered negligence, and at its worst, misleading.