My Fulang is a Delicate Flower Chapter 14 Part 1

Chapter 14  

Huo Shu didn’t expect to get an answer from him, and even if he did, it wouldn’t be anything pleasant to hear.  

He raised his brow and glanced at the sulky ger.  

“Just a joke.”  

Ji Taoyu fell silent and didn’t reply to Huo Shu. Instead, he turned and went into the house to fetch the crabapple hairpin and handed it back to Huo Shu.  

Huo Shu looked at the hairpin, his brow twitching. “Such a temper, are you really angry?”  

Ji Taoyu said irritably, “You climbed over my family’s wall. If someone had seen, how could I explain it? Shouldn’t I be angry?”  

“Your parents are preoccupied with the You family’s matter. No one saw.”  

“Does that mean you can just climb walls whenever you want? What if someone thought you were a thief?”  

Huo Shu frowned, trying to explain. “I was just in a hurry.”  

Ji Taoyu lifted his eyes to look at Huo Shu. “What’s the hurry? Are you rushing to leave?”  

Not rushing to leave. Huo Shu didn’t answer.  

Ji Taoyu saw him lowering his gaze, silent, as if he’d been scolded. His face was as expressionless as usual, yet somehow, it made him seem wronged.  

But it was probably just his imagination. Still, Ji Taoyu decided not to press the matter further about the wall-climbing. Then he heard: “I won’t do it again.”  

Ji Taoyu’s lips parted slightly in surprise before he averted his gaze. The prickly, defensive attitude from earlier instantly softened. His tone gentled as he said,  

“Someone did ask about this hairpin at the banquet today. The ger from the Wu family said it didn’t look like style nowadays but more like something women liked years ago. His older sister had a crabapple hairpin just like this, one she saved up for a long time to buy.”  

Huo Shu raised his brow. So he had already asked around, yet he still dared to tease him on purpose.  

He gave the ger a long look before saying, “His sister?”  

“I wasn’t sure at first.”  

Ji Taoyu explained, “The Wu family’s sister has a bad reputation in the village. She hasn’t been around for a long time.”  

The Wu family was relatively well-off in Mingxun Village - not exactly wealthy, but they never lacked food and had surplus most years.  

They had four children: two sons, a daughter, and a ger.  

Years ago, when the Wu family’s daughter came of age, many families sought her hand in marriage. But for some reason, no match was ever settled.  

There were several disputes at home, and at one point, she even threatened suicide, though no one knew exactly why.  

Later, the third daughter of the Wu family left the village. The story was that she had renounced worldly desires, covered her hair, and become a nun in the mountains.  

But the villagers weren’t entirely convinced. Some said she had become a rich man’s concubine, others even claimed she had eloped with a wild man.  

Gossip had always swirled around her, but since the Wu family never responded and no one had solid proof, the rumors eventually died down over the years as people lost interest.  

“I was still young back then and don’t know the full story. But based on this, it might really be the Wu family’s daughter.”  

Huo Shu tucked the hairpin away. “Whether it’s her or not, I’ll find out by asking with this as proof.”  

Ji Taoyu said, “Do you even know where she is? How will you ask? There are so many rumors precisely because no one has seen her at the mountain temple.”  

“Then I’ll ask her family.”  

Ji Taoyu pursed his lips. “A man suddenly asking a family about a young woman’s whereabouts, before long, the village will be saying the third Miss Wu’s lover has come looking for her.”  

“You’re my lifesaver, so my family won’t make a fuss over your rudeness. But other families might not be so forgiving. If they complain to my father, it’ll just trouble him unnecessarily.”  

Huo Shu was at a loss. “Then what do you suggest I do?”  

“I knew you’d be like this, so I asked the Wu family’s ger in advance.”  

Ji Taoyu glanced at Huo Shu.  

“I told him the hairpin’s origin and asked for his sister’s whereabouts. I promised we wouldn’t disturb her life, we just wanted to return a keepsake to the right person. He’s simple-minded and easy to talk to, so he was moved and told me where his sister really is now.”  

“Whether she’s the one Brother Changsui's lover or not, Brother Huo, you mustn’t reveal the third Miss Wu’s location to anyone else, alright?”  

Huo Shu promised, “Don’t worry. I have no interest in gossiping about others’ private matters. I just want to settle my own business.”  

Ji Taoyu figured as much and said, “The third Miss Wu is now at Shili Cloth Shop in the city. I heard she works there as a weaver.”  

“Good.”  

Huo Shu said, “I’ll go to the city tomorrow.”  

With that, he flicked away the rainwater that had dampened the front of his robe. “I’m leaving.”  

Ji Taoyu noticed the red marks on the fingers that had been pinched earlier - four distinct lines across the knuckles. Even on such rough hands, the redness was clearly visible. He must’ve been pinched hard.  

“Wait.”  

He hurried to the cabinet, rummaged through it, and pulled out a small jar. “Ointment for external injuries.”  

Huo Shu’s eyes brightened. He reached out to take it, but the ger suddenly withdrew his hand. “No, I already gave you ointment last time. You shouldn’t need this.”