How could I possibly be confined in a cage?

Lu Peijun held a wine glass in her hand and talked to the people around her, while keeping an eye on the new concubine out of the corner of her eye.

Qingru sat there, watching everyone flatter Zheng the comprador and the new concubine, but she felt no interest whatsoever.

Just then, Zheng, the comprador, arrived at the table with his new concubine, holding a wine glass.

Comprador Zheng's smile remained unchanged. He stretched out his hand, and a waiter came over to fill his glass.

"Oh, Mrs. Director, it's been so long!"

The director's wife, dressed in a crimson cheongsam with her hair neatly combed, smiled and raised her wine glass to clink with his upon hearing this.

Congratulations on the addition of another new member to your family.

"Thank you so much. It's all my fault for not looking properly. You should be sitting at the head table."

The director's wife shook her head. "No need. I'm neither a relative nor an elder, so I'm perfectly fine here."

Zheng, the comprador, knew the director's wife's character well, so he stopped trying to persuade her and thanked her repeatedly, giving her plenty of face.

The other people at the table were not as presentable as the director's wife, so they followed suit.

When Zheng's comprador heard Lu Peijun and Qingru, his eyes lit up.

"This gentleman looks unfamiliar, but... um... this lady seems familiar."

Qingru smiled and said, "You have a good eye. This is my second time here. The first time was when Miss Zheng returned to the country, and I came to congratulate her."

Zheng, the comprador, remembered that Qingru had come with Guo Zixing. Although she was beautiful, she was very low-key. Later, she disappeared outside Zheng's garden, causing him a great deal of embarrassment.

Zheng, the comprador, put aside his thoughts and also offered a separate toast to Lü Peijun and his daughter.

"Oh dear, I'm getting old and my memory isn't what it used to be. Please forgive me if I offend anyone."

Lu Peijun stepped forward and said, "You're too kind. Qingru is a junior. It's her who has offended you, not you who has offended her."

Zheng, the comprador, was puzzled. He seemed to vaguely recognize Lü Peijun's face, but couldn't quite place it.

Lu Peijun prompted, "My name is Lu Peijun. I was once a scholar who passed the imperial examinations in the late Qing Dynasty, and later I ran an antique shop."

Zheng, the comprador, felt a surge of excitement. A former Qing dynasty scholar?

There's a saying that goes, "A successful candidate in the provincial examination is worth gold, a successful candidate in the imperial examination is worth silver." If the Qing Dynasty hadn't fallen, this man would have been a prominent figure in the local elite. How could someone who could stand on equal footing with local officials at the prefectural or county level be in such a "down-and-out" state?

Lu Peijun calmly accepted Zheng's scrutiny, his gaze composed.

Fortunately, Zheng quickly regained his shrewdness and resumed his conversation with others.

After several rounds of drinks, the atmosphere became increasingly lively. The Lü family father and daughter were surrounded by many curious people, who scrutinized and examined them, but the two remained calm and composed, winning them a lot of goodwill.

Qingru's beauty naturally attracted many young men, but unable to refuse them all, she had no choice but to hide away.

"You must be Cui'er."

Qingru turned around and saw that it was Liu Xiang.

"Yes."

For a moment, I didn't know how to explain, and it wasn't easy to explain my true identity when we met last time.

Liu Xiang pursed her lips. Qingru was beautiful back then, but now that she has a different identity, she is even more dazzling.

"You really stole the show today. Apart from the new concubine, you had the most people surrounding you."

Even someone as dull as Qingru could hear the sarcasm in Liu Xiang's words, let alone someone as intelligent as her.

"What's the matter with you?"

Liu Xiang was embarrassed that the other person didn't respond at all. She looked at Qingru's gorgeous dress with a hint of jealousy, and then at her own frayed dress, she felt even more envious.

"I considered you a friend, and now you're the kind of friend I have?"

Heaven help it, Qingru and she only met once, so there was no deep affection between them.

“I had a compelling reason at the time, and I didn’t mean to lie to you. My name is Lü Qingru. Let’s get to know each other again.”

Qingru reached out her hand, not wanting to dwell on the matter any longer, but Liu Xiang pouted and reluctantly took her hand back.

"Liu Xiang, I've always been called Liu Xiang."

"My name is Liu Songbai, let's get to know each other."

A man suddenly entered between the two, gripping them tightly with both hands.

Qingru was so startled that she quickly withdrew her hand, saying, "No need to get to know each other."

Liu Xiang said with dissatisfaction, "Second brother, what did you do to scare me like that?"

Liu Songbai brought his hand to his nose and smelled it, savoring the fragrance, and said nonchalantly, "I called you, but you're hard of hearing and didn't hear me."

Qingru shook her head and was about to leave when Liu Xiang quickly caught up with her.

"Wait, I'll go with you."

Liu Songbai followed closely behind the two.

"Why are you following me?" Qingru asked, somewhat displeased. How could this person have no self-awareness? Couldn't he tell that he didn't want to talk to her?

Liu Songbai seemed to realize his mistake only then. "I'm sorry, I was so focused on my sister that I didn't notice you. I'm really sorry."

His face was full of mockery, and he kept apologizing, but his eyes were restlessly scanning Qingru.

Qingru resisted the urge to roll her eyes and pulled Liu Xiang in front of her, saying, "Since your brother is looking for you, you should go back with him."

Without waiting for their reaction, he quickly left the place.

The area outside the manor is quiet and deserted, so I'd better not go there to avoid running into any more strange people.

She practically ran into the hall, lifting her skirt to avoid being stepped on, but she ignored the scene in front of her.

"Ah!" Qingru exclaimed softly as she bumped into someone and fell to the ground, her ankle twisted and aching.

"Is everything okay?"

A hand reached out in front of her. Qingru looked up and saw that it was a man dressed as a soldier. No wonder it hurt so much when she bumped into him.

Qingru shook her head. "It's nothing."

But she was wearing high heels and had twisted her ankle, so she couldn't stand up for a moment.

Without saying a word, the soldier pulled him up in one swift motion, so fast that Qingru didn't even have time to react.

"I have something to do. You need to have someone massage and soak your feet in hot water tonight, otherwise they will definitely swell up."

Qingru steadied herself by holding onto the pillar. Even without the man saying it, she knew that her foot wouldn't heal properly for at least three to five days.

"Well, I understand, thank you."

The man smiled and said, "Okay, I'm leaving now. Goodbye."

"Goodbye."

The man seemed to be in a real hurry, and quickly leaped past Qingru.

Qingru didn't take the matter to heart, but not wanting to embarrass herself by limping in, she found a servant and asked him to inform Lü's father.

"Qingru? Come with me quickly."

Qingru looked at Zhang Xun with a puzzled expression, "What are you doing here?"

"I have something urgent to discuss, so I came here specifically to see you."

"Find me?"

"Yes, I knew you were here. I've been looking for you for ages."

"what's up?"

"You'll find out later."

Qingru was completely bewildered. Why were there so many things happening tonight? One minute it was this, the next it was that.

Zhang Xun pulled Qingru along quickly, not noticing that she had injured her foot.

Avoiding crowds along the way, Zhang Xun quietly pushed Qingru out through a side door.

"Why?" Qingru was a little reluctant. She was still wearing her evening gown, and it was cold outside, so it was very inconvenient.

The Zheng Family Manor is adjacent to the Mi River, and at this moment a car is quietly parked on the riverbank.

Qingru limped over, opened the car door, and took a look.

Guo Zixing and Zheng Peilan fell back onto the back seat of the car...