Moonlit Reunion

"Doctor Mei, didn't you just marry the renowned Wu Er Niangzi of Chang'an? Yet I don't see a trace of joy on your face. Could it be that married life isn't treating you well?"

Cui Shouyuan, also a doctor in the Ministry of Justice, suddenly sidled up to Mei Zhuyu with a familiar tone. Mei Zhuyu was always a solitary figure, and even his daily lunch at the ministry was undisturbed—until today's unexpected visitor.

Mei Zhuyu glanced at Cui Shouyuan. They had barely exchanged words before, though Cui Shouyuan was far more sociable in the ministry. He was the type who frequently invited others to brothels and pleasure houses, generous with his money and quick to call others "brother." Mei Zhuyu had little interaction with him, so he responded with a cold nod and turned to leave.

Unexpectedly, Cui Shouyuan persisted, following him. "Brother, tonight we're heading to Cai Niangzi's place in Pingkang Lane for some fun. Why don't you join us?"

Mei Zhuyu shook his head. "Thank you for the invitation, but I won't be going."

Cui Shouyuan clicked his tongue. "Now, don't take this the wrong way, brother, but your wife is quite the free spirit—she visits brothels and pleasure houses more often than I do. Doesn't that bother you at all? I’ve heard that even though she married you, she still lives at Duke Yu's residence and hasn’t even stepped foot in your home. Clearly, her heart isn’t with you. But that’s to be expected—everyone knows Wu Er Niangzi’s temperament. I understand your frustration, but as men, we must be magnanimous. A good marriage alliance brings future advantages. A little discomfort now is nothing. I sympathize with you, which is why I thought we could become close friends and I invited you..."

Cui Shouyuan rambled on, but Mei Zhuyu remained expressionless. Only when he finished did Mei Zhuyu respond, "Stop bothering me. Go back to your own place."

His bluntness caught Cui Shouyuan off guard. Once the words registered, Cui Shouyuan's friendly demeanor darkened. He slapped the table and stood up, storming off while muttering under his breath, "I always thought he was just quiet and upright, but turns out he’s just an ungrateful wretch. Thinks he’s something special now that he’s tied to Duke Yu’s household. Pah."

Mei Zhuyu ignored him and went about his business. Ever since his marriage to Wu Zhen—or rather, since news of their engagement spread—there had been no shortage of gossip. After the wedding, the rumors only grew. Some said he was a social climber who married an unmarriageable woman, others claimed he was a fool who chose the wrong partner and ruined his life, and still others mocked him for having no control over his wife and losing all dignity as a man. There were sneers to his face and laughter behind his back. Mei Zhuyu was well aware, but he didn’t care.

He knew Wu Zhen for who she was. Others’ opinions and judgments meant nothing to him—he had never cared what people thought. Yet there were always those who presumed to know better and came to mock him.

At the thought of Wu Zhen, Mei Zhuyu’s brush paused. He lifted his gaze to the lush greenery outside the window. It had been several days since he last saw her. A few days after the Dragon Boat Festival, she had returned to Duke Yu’s residence and hadn’t appeared since.During the days around the Dragon Boat Festival, Wu Zhen had stayed by his side constantly. In those short few days, he had almost completely grown accustomed to having his gaze follow her every moment. After Wu Zhen returned to Duke Yu's residence, he felt the loneliness and silence of his own house for the first time. It was a place he was used to, yet the absence of one person suddenly made it feel vast and empty.

Before being with Wu Zhen, he had never imagined that one day he would grow unaccustomed to such quiet, solitary days.

On his way back from duty, Mei Zhuyu overheard Cui Shouyuan chatting with two officials from the Ministry of Justice—about him. Cui Shouyuan’s tone was full of disdain and mockery: "What use is that Mei fellow? He can’t even control his own woman. I know for a fact that Wu Er Niangzi has been at Huzhu Pavilion these past few days. Since when do women go out carousing while their men do nothing? Look at him—Mei Zhuyu is just useless. He doesn’t dare to rein her in, so he has no choice but to swallow his anger."

Mei Zhuyu didn’t linger to hear more, nor did he take these words to heart. He let them pass as soon as he heard them, already planning to return home and practice drawing talismans. It had been a while since he last practiced, and he feared his hand might have grown unsteady. Since he had nothing else to do, it would be a good way to clear his mind.

Wu Zhen, however, was not as magnanimous as he was. Coincidentally, that night, Cui Shouyuan had arranged to visit a pleasure house in Pingkang Lane with some companions. Drunk and unable to hold back his grievances, he began badmouthing Mei Zhuyu. And as luck would have it, Wu Zhen happened to be nearby, hearing every word.

"Don’t be fooled by Mei Zhuyu’s indifferent act at the Ministry of Justice. Privately, he must be seething with resentment—what man could tolerate his woman fooling around outside? But aside from his aunt the Imperial Consort, what leverage does he have against Duke Yu’s household? He has no choice but to endure it. And yet he still puts on that magnanimous, unaffected front."

"Look at how he acts all high and mighty, refusing to associate with the likes of us. But in truth, didn’t he marry that Wu Zhen just for the influence of Duke Yu’s household? Don’t get me wrong—he’s far more cunning than us simple-minded folk. As long as he can stomach Wu Zhen flirting around outside, he’ll rise through the ranks and prosper. That’s not something just anyone can endure..."

Standing behind the second-floor railing, Wu Zhen pointed at the blustering Cui Shouyuan below and asked coldly, "What is that thing? Where did he crawl out from?"

Huzhu let out an amused sound, looking down at Cui Shouyuan with a mix of schadenfreude and pity. "That’s Cui Shouyuan, one of the four department heads in the Ministry of Justice—same rank as your little husband. He’s a regular here in Pingkang Lane. You might not be familiar with him, but he’s married to Princess Li Yuyou of Shanyang Manor."

Wu Zhen did know Li Yuyou—they had gone out together a few times in the past. But Li Yuyou was dissolute, keeping a harem of male companions. Wu Zhen had grown tired of watching her flaunt her lovers with excessive affection every time they met, so she stopped socializing with her.

Seeing the Cat Official’s cold smirk and furrowed brows, Huzhu tried to console her. "He’s just some insignificant trash. Even if he spouted nonsense, if it upset you, you could just deal with him casually. No need to get so worked up."

Wu Zhen waved a hand, pressing her fingers to her temple with a slight headache. "No, I was thinking about something else."

Huzhu: "What?"Wu Zhen's expression was somewhat complicated. "My husband has a straightforward and indifferent temperament. He sees people clearly but doesn't waste much thought on others. These people who are cursing him now must have crossed paths with him often, and he's probably heard all this before..."

Huzhu understood. "Oh, so you're worried? Afraid your husband might hear these words and doubt you?"

Wu Zhen: "Not that. He likes me so much that nothing else matters. I don’t think he’d take these words to heart."

Huzhu: "Then what are you worried about? Your husband won’t suspect you over this. You’ve heard plenty of such talk yourself and never cared—why bother with them?"

Wu Zhen sneered again. "I’ve heard countless people say all sorts of things about me, but if they dare insult my husband to my face, that’s unforgivable."

Huzhu: "They weren’t exactly saying it to your face. If they really were, they wouldn’t dare—your reputation for fierceness isn’t exactly small either."

Wu Zhen: "Hah. If I heard it, it counts as saying it to my face."

"So what are you going to do?" Huzhu asked, curious.

Wu Zhen crossed her arms and smiled. "What can I do? My notorious reputation precedes me. If they make me unhappy, I’ll make sure they’re unhappy too." With that, she headed downstairs. Sensing a good show, Huzhu leaned eagerly against the railing to watch.

Cui Shouyuan was thoroughly drunk. By the time Wu Zhen approached him from behind, he was still ranting about how Mei Zhuyu didn’t know his place. Only when his friends on either side stared past him with horrified expressions did he sluggishly turn his head.

At the sight of Wu Zhen, half of Cui Shouyuan’s drunkenness evaporated in fear. He shuddered, his face paling. "Wu—Wu Er Niangzi..."

With a wave of her hand, the person beside Cui Shouyuan hastily scooted away. Wu Zhen sat down next to him, leaning against the table with a smirk as she eyed him sidelong. Her tone was deceptively pleasant. "I’m married now. Why call me Wu Er Niangzi? My husband’s surname is Mei—you may address me as Madam Mei instead... Cui Shouyuan, was it? Do you know who my husband is?"

How could Cui Shouyuan not know? He had just been cursing none other than Mei Zhuyu. Forcing an awkward laugh, he tried to brush it off, pouring Wu Zhen a cup of wine. "Ah, I must have had too much to drink—I’m completely wasted. I don’t even remember what I said just now. If I offended you in any way, I—I apologize, Madam Mei."

Cui Shouyuan’s family background wasn’t top-tier. He had only climbed into the upper echelons of nobility by marrying a princess, and most of his social circle consisted of low-ranking officials. He couldn’t afford to offend Wu Zhen—this woman was deeply favored by the Emperor and Empress, had close ties with nearly every influential figure in the palace, and mingled with half the noble youths in Chang’an. If he truly angered her, he’d be in serious trouble.

Heart pounding, Cui Shouyuan thought that groveling and apologizing should suffice. After all, most of his insults had been directed at Mei Zhuyu, with only a passing mention of her. Surely Wu Zhen wouldn’t be that angry. He still believed Wu Zhen didn’t care much for Mei Zhuyu—that her current show of confrontation was merely for appearances. There was no way she’d go to great lengths for someone like Mei Zhuyu. Everyone knew Wu Zhen had countless lovers in her music house. With Mei Zhuyu’s plain looks and unyielding temperament, how could she possibly be fond of him?However, Cui Shouyuan was abruptly awakened by a splash of wine. He stared blankly at Wu Zhen, only realizing she had drenched his head and face with wine when she set down the cup.

"This…"

Before Cui Shouyuan could utter another word, Wu Zhen's expression darkened. She stood up, grabbed him, and dragged him outside. Stumbling along, Cui Shouyuan found her grip astonishingly strong—he couldn't break free at all. The next moment, his head went cold again as Wu Zhen shoved his entire face into a lotus pond. The startled koi fish darted in chaos, and after the initial shock, Cui Shouyuan instinctively struggled.

Wu Zhen paid no heed. She held his head underwater calmly, then yanked him up by the hair after a while, only to shove him back under before he could catch his breath. After several rounds of this, Cui Shouyuan was left limp as mud, utterly disheveled, with tears, snot, pond water, and duckweed smeared across his face.

By the time Wu Zhen finally released him and tossed him aside, Cui Shouyuan was completely sober. Filled with anger and humiliation, but mostly terror, he curled up on the ground, trembling and gasping for air.

Wu Zhen looked down at him, wiping her hands dry. "Remember this: next time you see my husband, Mei Zhuyu, you walk the other way. If he lays eyes on you again, I’ll beat you again. And if I hear you speak ill of him—whether to his face or behind his back—just wait for my ‘hospitality.’"

Leaving Cui Shouyuan to wallow in his fear, Wu Zhen, now satisfied, headed to the Demon Market to find Liu Taizhen.

"Little Snake, I’ve dealt with quite a bit of filth these past few days. You handle the rest."

Liu Taizhen looked listless, lacking energy. Around the Dragon Boat Festival, the air was thick with the scent of realgar wine. As a snake in her true form, Liu Taizhen detested the smell—not because it frightened her, but because she found it foul, much like how humans recoil from the stench of waste. These days, she avoided going out, leaving the Demon Market affairs to Wu Zhen, Huzhu, and Shengun (The Charlatan), who had been running around day and night to manage everything.

Hearing Wu Zhen’s words, Liu Taizhen asked, "What’s the matter? Got something else to do?"

Wu Zhen declared without a hint of guilt, "I’m a married woman now. It’s been days since I’ve seen my husband, and there are rumors upsetting him. I need to go comfort him properly."