Rebirth: Contract Husband Falls in Love with Me-Chapter 602 - 312: A Flash of Inspiration (Part 2)

"Yes!" Shi Fengju laughed and could hardly wait to leave with him.

Seeing the young master suddenly beaming with excitement and radiance, Chang Huan couldn’t help but be stunned and stood there in a daze. It was Shi Fengming who, irritably, barked out, "What are you daydreaming about? Hurry up and bring the horses here!" Snapped out of their reverie, they hurriedly complied.

Having returned to the inn, as soon as Shi Fengju shared his analysis, Butler Jin, Liu Ya, and Zhuang Weixian’s eyes all lit up in agreement, each acknowledging the sense in it.

"The old servant hadn’t thought of that until now. The young master really is thoughtful. Rest assured, I will immediately arrange for someone to investigate! I believe we will have news soon!" Butler Jin promptly said. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

Shi Fengju nodded, "Check thoroughly. Leave no stone unturned—no matter the size of the ship, whether official or private, no matter where headed, let none slip by, understood? And, the search along the banks must not be halted—it needs to be meticulous! I know everyone is exhausted; each of you will first receive a reward of fifty taels, and there will be further substantial rewards once we return! Just one thing—no slacking off. If someone reports slackness or an attempt to pull the wool over our eyes, don’t blame me for being ruthless!"

"Yes, the servant understands!" Butler Jin busied himself bowing in agreement.

In the depths of despair, finding hope once again, Shi Fengju was overwhelmed with emotion, fatigue washing over him so that he could hardly maintain his composure.

Seeing this, Shi Fengming sighed and urged him to rest in his room.

Shi Fengju nodded, saying, "You too should rest for a day and then return to the Shi household tomorrow! Your sister-in-law is still pregnant, and it’s not good for you to be away for so long. With Butler Jin and me here, everything will be fine!"

Zhuang Weixian also said, "Yes, you should go back first. I will stay to watch over things, so you can rest assured! The Shi family’s businesses cannot go unsupervised! Fengju currently has no heart for it, and if you do not oversee things, I fear workers may become restive. Wouldn’t it be troubling if something were to happen?"

Shi Fengming hesitated, but with some coaxing and a forced smile from Shi Fengju, he finally agreed, nodding, "If that’s the case, Young Master Zhuang, I entrust my elder brother to you! I will head back tomorrow, and if there’s any news, don’t forget to send word back to me! I will also have someone communicate any matters from home!"

Shi Fengju nodded absentmindedly, but thought to himself: Whatever matters are at home, let them be. I have no mind to care for them! I’ve always considered others, maintained the big picture, worried about this and that, always fearing that what I do is not comprehensive or satisfactory enough. But what in the end? I thought I could control everything, yet I couldn’t even protect my Sang Wan...

In the Marquis Wuwei’s residence in the capital, under the meticulous care of the imperial doctor and servants, Sang Wan’s health finally began to improve day by day, and her complexion grew better.

She found herself missing Shi Fengju more and more, often standing on the balcony of the Emerald Pavilion, staring blankly in the direction of the south.

Zhao Qi’s tenderness and attentiveness amplified, and at times such as these, Sang Wan experienced a torment beyond words. She didn’t like it, not one bit.

The better Zhao Qi treated her, the more she longed for Shi Fengju. Maybe, as early as when the incident happened in Handan, her heart already could not part with him. But she deliberately avoided thinking of this, deliberately sidestepping the fact. Now, however, there was no avoiding it! She came to realize just how important he truly was to her—definitely not just a partner in life, definitely not! She liked him, she cherished him...

"Miss Wan!" On this particular afternoon, Mrs. Zhao came leisurely with Mrs. Ding and two maids, the maids carrying a rectangular exquisite box.

"Tomorrow there will be a poetry gathering at Princess Xinyang’s residence, go with Qi’er! I’ve prepared your clothes and jewelry; see if you like them and if they fit!" Mrs. Zhao said smilingly, directing the maids to open the box for Sang Wan to see.

Sang Wan’s heart sank; what did she have to do with whatever Princess or residence holding a banquet? It was obvious to anyone what Mrs. Zhao meant by inviting her to accompany Zhao Qi. Sang Wan felt troubled at once; she could gauge Mrs. Zhao’s temper somewhat, and knew she could not cross her line. Zhao Qi might not do anything to her, but if Mrs. Zhao ran out of patience, the outcome could be uncertain!

She wanted to decline, but she dared not to refuse.

Angering Mrs. Zhao might lead to her never leaving this residence and never seeing Shi Fengju again in her life.

"What’s wrong? Is there something troubling you? If anything is troubling you, just say it!" Mrs. Zhao smiled affably, even taking her hand and saying with a smile, "We’re not strangers, silly girl, there’s nothing difficult to speak of!"

Her hand held Sang Wan’s, whose cool touch made Sang Wan feel a tremor. Suppressing the urge to withdraw her hand, she managed a faint smile after a moment, "But, I don’t understand the etiquette and rules. I fear I might make a fool of myself and, not only become a laughingstock, but also embarrass the Young Master... "

Mrs. Zhao covered her mouth and chuckled, turning to Mrs. Ding with a smile, "Look at Miss Wan, she is so sensible! How can someone not feel affection for such a child! I believe in you; you’re not that kind of person, you are already perfect! Besides, you have Qi’er, he will take good care of you! Miss Wan, Qi’er’s feelings for you are sincere! Alas, as a mother, and a widow, this life doesn’t ask for much, only that my son may achieve his hopes and be safe and sound! Miss Wan, it has been a long while since he has attended any gathering in the capital. Think of it as helping me, accompany him, he surely won’t go without you! I also don’t want him to always linger on the periphery, it pains my heart to watch him like that!"