After transmigrating into the book, I helped my mother reconcile with her divorced husband.

Chapter 060 That Place

Her eyes darted around, her gaze landing on Lu Huai, a mixture of coquettishness and allure, but unfortunately, in the wrong place.

Madam Ruan didn't care about any of this and said in a coquettish voice, "You smell like another woman. Who is she? She's prettier than your wife and better at serving people than I am. Stop looking at your wife. She doesn't like you anymore. Look at your expression. You're just like that old man lying in his coffin, hurting your wife's heart for us playboys."

"Shut up!" Lu Huai glared at Ruan Shi: "Yun Niang, don't listen to her nonsense. I would never make you sad for another woman."

If Xie Chaoyun hadn't seen him and Ji Wanwan with her own eyes, and hadn't heard what they said with her own ears, she would have really been fooled by the deep affection in his eyes.

Pushing aside Lu Huai, she walked up to Madam Ruan and asked, "How did Steward Lu die? What was your purpose in infiltrating the Lu family estate?"

Ruan pouted, her gaze slowly sweeping over Xie Chaoyun's face: "How would I know how he died? He was perfectly fine when I left. Instead of asking me here, Madam, you should ask his wife, Xu Lan. She was the last one to see that old man."

“Madam Xu has no reason to kill Steward Lu. On the contrary, it is you whose origins are unknown and whose behavior is suspicious.”

"Does Madam trust Madam Xu so much? Is it because you two are in the same boat?" Meeting Xie Chaoyun's gaze, Madam Ruan felt slightly uncomfortable and looked away. "Never mind, I can't stand women staring at me like that, especially beautiful women. I did have ulterior motives for getting close to that old man, but Xu Lan is not innocent either. She put drugs in the old man's tea."

"How did you know?" Xie Chaoyun pinched Ruan's chin. "Did you scheme this?"

“I would never treat myself so badly.” Madam Ruan twisted her body. “I did drug the old man, but the drug I used was different from the one Xu used. Hers was slow-acting, meant to make the old man impotent. Mine was administered immediately, meant to make the old man feel exceptionally capable. If you really can’t find the cause of death, you could start by investigating the drug Xu used?”

As soon as Ruan finished speaking, Lu Yong climbed up the ladder.

Xie Chaoyun released his grip and continued to ask, "What is your purpose in causing a disturbance at the Lu family's residence?"

"What else could it be for? It can't be for that old man in the coffin, can it?" Ruan snorted. "I'm just a helpless woman. It's not unreasonable for me to ask Xu to give me that courtyard, is it? A person can't just live by having a place to live. They need to have work, money, food, and tea. Is it wrong for me to want to stay on the estate?"

"With your abilities, you don't need to rely on the Lu family's estate to survive." Xie Chaoyun's eyes sharpened. "Tell me, which country sent you as a spy, and what is your purpose in infiltrating my Lu family?"

"Guess?" Madam Ruan said with a seductive look in her eyes, "I am just a mistress, I dare not claim to be any of those spies that Madam mentioned."

Xie Chaoyun glanced at her, then slowly clenched her fist.

When the news reached the capital, Lu Zhiyuan was sitting in a restaurant opposite the rouge shop with Physician Jiang, whom she had bumped into on the street, watching the commotion. Liu Ying clung to the railing, chattering, "Miss, I saw that Liu family manager! His hat, his hat was blown off by the wind. Good heavens, there really is such a thing as a ghost shaving a head. This ghost's skills are quite unique."

Standing at the door of the room, Lu Yun glanced at his young mistress, held back, and didn't respond to Liu Ying's words.

Manager Liu, sporting a bald patch on his head, stood in front of the rouge shop and spoke to Manager Lu in a humble tone, but Manager Lu barely responded.

"Listen to what this Manager Liu is saying. He claims his hair was shaved by a ghost and he's causing trouble for our shop. Could it be that the ghost came out of our shop? If so, Manager Liu, you'd better produce some evidence. Without evidence, it's slander, and I'm going to take you to the authorities."

Shopkeeper Liu's lips curled into a smile: "I had no such intention. It's just that the master said I'm incompatible with a certain item in the shop, and all I need to do is find and take it out. I would be grateful if Shopkeeper Lu would do me a favor. If anything is moved or altered, I will compensate you at the original price."

Manager Lu's expression turned slightly cold. Compensation?

Is this about compensation? He intended to harm the young lady; it's a miracle he wasn't beaten to death.

"Manager Liu is deliberately trying to smear our shop. As everyone knows, this shop originally belonged to the Pingnan Marquis's family and had been in business for three generations. Until it passed to the current Marquis, he gave it to a distant relative who was not good at business, causing the shop's business to plummet and forcing it to close down. A few days ago, my new owner bought this shop. She was not familiar with business in the capital, but seeing that I was honest and reliable, she invited me back. This shop, except for the land and the building itself, has had everything that could be demolished and everything that could be replaced replaced. I wonder what Manager Liu is referring to as something that clashes with you? Is it the carpenter I hired, or the new timber and stone purchased from the East Market?"

"This—" Manager Liu's face turned ashen, his fists clenched tightly.

"Since there's nothing wrong, Manager Lu, what harm is there in letting Liu's men go in and take a look?"

"What's the big deal? Manager Liu, are you playing dumb with me?" Manager Lu sneered. "Everyone doing business on this street knows that you, Manager Liu, are mortal enemies with the Lu family. Yes, this shop has changed owners, but you, Manager Liu, are just as hostile. The new owner has taken a liking to me, but I dare not take that risk."

The onlookers were buzzing with discussion, and the noise carried upstairs. Lu Zhiyuan perked up her ears to listen to the commotion.

Physician Jiang took the note handed to him by a servant, read it several times, and then put it on the table: "Your mother has encountered trouble in a neighboring county. It involves a dead person. You, Yuan'er, may be more adept at this than I am."

Lu Zhiyuan picked up the note and looked at it.

"He came back to life after death and even scratched that place. Does Steward Lu have some kind of weird fetish?" Lu Zhiyuan shook the note and thought about it, then came up with a possibility. "Imperial Physician Jiang, let me test you."

"Is Yuan'er going to give me a question? Is it a question for the living or a question for the dead?"

"This applies to both the living and the dead." Lu Zhiyuan rolled the paper into a ball: "If Imperial Physician Jiang wanted to hide something on his person, where do you think would be the least likely place to hide it?"

Physician Jiang patted his chest, touched his belt, looked at his armpit, and finally pointed to the top of his head: "If it's something delicate, you can hide it in your hair. If it's something larger and thinner, like a banknote, you can hide it in your shoes."

“Imperial Physician Jiang is the kind of person who hides his money.” Lu Zhiyuan smiled with narrowed eyes: “What if it’s something like a key? Just this big of a key.”

"Such a big key?" Physician Jiang touched his belt. "Then it can only be hidden in the waistband. No, it can't be hidden in the waistband. If we're caught in a search, they'll find it with a single touch."

“There’s a spot that you can’t feel out.” Lu Zhiyuan pinched her fingertips.

Physician Jiang asked curiously, "Where could you hide such a large key without anyone noticing?"

“It’s—” Lu Zhiyuan tilted her head and crumpled the paper ball: “It’s that place.”