A Misty Night, With A Crystal-Clear Moon - Chapter 18

Chapter 18: The First Glimpse of the Jade Heart

It was his first trip to Suzhou. Although he was already very familiar with the saying, “In heaven there is paradise, on earth there is Suzhou and Hangzhou,” Suzhou was not as prosperous as Shanghai. Much of it was still quite old, with most men wearing long gowns and women wearing traditional long coats and pants. From the bridge, he saw a woman wearing a pink Western-style dress from afar.

She held a parasol and stood quietly in the center of the bridge, forming a beautiful painting with the surrounding green trees and small bridge. His heart was inexplicably moved. Before Mu Sheng could catch up, he ran over alone.

She was stunning: a fine, pale face, a high, straight nose, a sharp chin, and a pair of eyes like bright moonlight. She saw him, too, scanning him up and down. Unlike typical women, she didn’t blush or shy away, appearing poised and graceful.

He was about to step forward and greet her when another woman ran up, smiling, and spoke a few words to her. He couldn’t hear what they said, and seeing her about to leave, he panicked, wanting to call out to her. Just then, Mu Sheng arrived. “Young Master, why did you run off here? Mu Sheng had such a difficult time finding you.”

Mu Shaohui didn’t have time to speak to him and immediately chased after the direction Yu Linglong had gone. Mu Sheng was confused and could only trot along after Mu Shaohui. Mu Shaohui followed Yu Linglong through a bustling street, across two alleys, and several hutongs (narrow lanes), until he eventually found himself back near the arched bridge.

He was completely disoriented. He focused his eyes, and suddenly the person he was following was nowhere to be seen. He was anxious and angry. Mu Sheng was panting beside him. “Young Master, that young lady is gone. Could she have been messing with us?”

Just as Mu Shaohui was feeling disheartened, a clear voice came from behind him. “Are you looking for me?”

Mu Shaohui spun around. It was indeed the woman he had been chasing! He looked at her, overjoyed, and said, “Miss, my surname is Mu…”

“I don’t care what your name is. I just want to know why you were following me?”

He froze. “I… I saw Miss alone on the bridge, and you greatly resembled an old friend of mine. I felt an immense sense of kinship. I apologize if I intruded upon you; it was truly my fault.”

“Hmph, Sir, your approach to striking up a conversation is outdated. The more you equivocate like this, trying to conceal your true intentions, the more I feel you harbor ill will. Don’t tell me those are your sincere feelings. In my eyes, men in this world are all liars, specializing in deceiving ignorant women. Unfortunately for you, I am not such a woman. You are disappointed.”

The area they were in was also a bustling part of Suzhou, and soon a crowd gathered around them. Mu Shaohui was inherently a charming young man. Back in England, the women who had fallen for his sweet talk were countless, including several women from London society. He never expected to run into his nemesis today.

He refused to back down and continued, “Miss has truly misunderstood. I have no malicious intent. I merely wished to make your acquaintance. Given your extraordinary speech and modern attire, you must have traveled abroad and studied overseas. Perhaps we once brushed past each other in the past and didn’t know it. Thinking about that is deeply regrettable, so I resolved not to let such a regret happen again.”

“I admit, you are a very charming man. You can captivate thousands of women in this world. Unfortunately, I am an exception. What I dislike most is a good-for-nothing dandy like you, who knows nothing but idleness and flirting with women all day long. Don’t try to interrupt me. Your gesture tells me that you are merely a gilded exterior covering rot, a prodigal son with no manners or respect. I know what you want, but please abandon that thought. Not only does your character not appeal to me, but neither does your intelligence.”

Mu Shaohui’s nose was already smoking with anger. “What do you mean?”

“You followed me for so long and didn’t realize I was toying with you? You are simply a walking fool.”

“You! Don’t assume that just because I have a favorable impression of you, you can overreach yourself!”

“I’m sorry to disappoint you, but I didn’t think that at all. I just wanted to tell you that I will never like a man dumber than I am, especially one as ill-intentioned and hypocritical as you.”

“You!”

“Cui Xin, let’s go. Don’t even try to follow me; I won’t let you know where I live.”

Mu Shaohui had been publicly humiliated by Yu Linglong. He cast aside his polished facade and was about to charge forward to thoroughly argue with this arrogant, audacious woman. He was determined to show her, once and for all, whether he was an ambitious young man or a mere dandy.

Mu Sheng held him back. “Young Master, let’s just go. That young lady speaks recklessly. There’s no need for you to stoop to her level.”

Mu Shaohui shoved him away and furiously started to rush forward. He heard an old man nearby chuckling. “Young man, I think you should just give up. This girl is not to be trifled with.”

Mu Shaohui stopped and asked, “What did you say? You know her?”

The old man chuckled softly. “Know her? Oh my, you must be from out of town. Who in all of Suzhou doesn’t know the name of this Miss Yu?”

“Miss Yu?”

“Her father is Yu Tianqi, the richest man in Suzhou. To say this young lady is formidable is all thanks to her father. This girl is exactly as her name suggests: Yu Linglong (Jade Exquisite); she has a heart of seven apertures and exquisite understanding. She could recite the Three Character Classic as soon as she could talk. Before the age of ten, she had read through all the ancient poetry and prose. She is Yu Tianqi’s only daughter. Yu Tianqi raised her like a son, sending her to England at the age of ten. She only just returned. Her father is an arrogant and condescending man, and his daughter is even more so. You’ve set your sights on her, but you’re going to suffer, oh yes.”

Mu Shaohui was greatly surprised by what he heard from the old man. He had indeed felt that the girl was extraordinary but hadn’t realized her background was so prominent. He scoffed, turning to the old man. “Old man, I swear here and now, I will marry her in this lifetime. Just you wait and see.”

The Investigation

The news of Mu Shaohui’s humiliation in Suzhou somehow reached Mu Yinchun, who strictly forbade Mu Shaohui from thinking about Yu Linglong again. But Mu Shaohui would not give up. He ordered Mu Sheng to secretly investigate Yu Tianqi and Yu Linglong in detail. That day, he was discussing business with Mu Yinchun and saw Mu Sheng arrive. Knowing the results were in, he excused himself.

“The old man was right. Miss Yu went to England at age ten and studied at the most famous girls’ school there for four years. Yu Tianqi bought a house specifically for her in London, which is still unsold. Yu Tianqi is notorious in Suzhou business circles for using unscrupulous means, seizing wealth, and being cunning and treacherous. Before he took over the Yu family, their business was just an ordinary one among many Suzhou merchants. After he took control, he rapidly annexed several small businesses in a short time. Using his excellent social skills, he became a favored guest of the Suzhou Governor. His businesses cover all sectors in Suzhou: banks, hotels, pawnshops, and pharmacies—all hold his assets. Later, he connected with some foreigners and started new types of cabarets and banks. The verifiable total wealth is astonishingly large. However, there are rumors that Yu Tianqi recently had a falling out with Commander Cao.”

“Oh? How could such a shrewd businessman fall out with his own patron?”

“That’s not entirely clear, perhaps a financial deal didn’t work out.”

“What else? Does he have any assets in Shanghai?”

“Yes, but not many. Oh, right, he has a sister who married in Shanghai. She is the wife of Lang Qiyou, the deputy director of the police bureau.”

“Lang Qiyou?” Mu Shaohui smiled secretly. “Mu Sheng, excellent work. I refuse to believe I cannot win Yu Linglong’s conviction, regardless of how many apertures her jade heart has. Even if she were the Monkey King reborn, she wouldn’t escape my Five-Finger Mountain.”