Fortune Across the World

Chapter 114: Learning the Whereabouts, Desiring to Head West

The Third Miss? Could that be the daughter of the great General, Miss Lu? Upon hearing this, Lian'er instinctively exchanged a glance with Aunt He, wiping away her tears before following her mother out of the room.

Outside the door, they saw the female guard leading Qing'er into the courtyard. After delivering her, the guard withdrew. Qing'er respectfully greeted them both, and without delay, asked directly, "Madam He, Miss He, I have come to inquire about Mr. Ding's current whereabouts."

Lian'er clenched her sleeves tightly, her intuition telling her that Ah Yu's sudden departure was related to the General's Miss Lu. Based on Ding Qiyu's behavior those days, she could guess the reason for Ah Yu's departure. This girl was surely asking about Ah Yu's whereabouts on behalf of Miss Lu. Bitter and pained feelings welled up within her: if she couldn't accept Ah Yu's identity, why was she still concerned about where Ah Yu had gone?

Madam He, cautious about revealing her "son's" whereabouts, asked, "May I know the purpose of your inquiry about my son's whereabouts, Miss?" She hadn't delved deeply into Ding Qiyu's personal relationships and couldn't fathom the connection between the General's Third Miss and her "son." Even though Ah Yu had left the General's service, given his associations with the General's family, Aunt He knew the importance of being careful.

After a brief pause, Qing'er explained, "It's like this: my lady and Mr. Ding share a deep friendship. Mr. Ding has been in Yinzou for nearly three months, yet there has been no correspondence with my lady. Finding a true friend is rare, and my lady misses him, so she sent me to inquire about his whereabouts to reestablish communication." After all, her lady was a girl, and openly admitting that Mr. Ding's departure had caused lovesickness might leave a bad impression on his family, so Qing'er chose her words carefully.

A "deep friendship"? Lian'er found this hard to believe. Did Miss Lu want to find Ah Yu? But as for herself... Lian'er glanced at her mother; no matter how much she missed Ah Yu, she couldn't leave her mother alone and head off without hesitation. She was, after all, different from the much-loved Miss Lu. Feeling a mix of helplessness and bitterness, she excused herself, saying, "You two continue; I'll return to my room," and quickly retreated, fearing she might lose her composure.

Qing'er was puzzled, noticing Lian'er's saddened expression as she left. Why did Miss He look so upset? On reflection, she realized that Mr. Ding and his "sister" were not blood-related. Could it be...? The thought surprised Qing'er—Mr. Ding certainly had a way with attracting young ladies! It seemed her lady wasn't the only one troubled by him.

Madam He, too, was baffled by her daughter's sudden departure but focused on the matter at hand. The General's family had always treated them well, so since Miss Lu had sent someone out of friendship, she decided it was inappropriate to withhold information. Thus, she provided Qing'er with Ding Qiyu's correspondence address. After seeing Qing'er off, she spent quite some time trying to understand Lian'er's mood, but her daughter remained silent, absorbed in her needlework and unwilling to answer directly, leaving Madam He with no choice but to drop the matter for now.

...

In the west courtyard of Qingliu Garden, Ding Qiyu rested for nearly two hours, finally alleviating her exhaustion. As evening approached, she tidied up and headed off with some new gadgets she had made, intending to find the little girl.

Meanwhile, in the study of Fumeng Residence, Fu Ruqing found her thoughts drifting away from the book in her hands. Two important matters in the western regions required her attention, and though she had postponed them as much as possible, she could delay no longer. If she were to go west, surely that person wouldn't accompany her, right? After all, Jiyuan Pavilion was rapidly growing...