The house felt quieter and colder without Zeyang.
For years he had lived alone, with only Ling quietly taking care of the household chores, but that day the villa seemed empty.
Lu Shen didn't yet have enough energy to dedicate himself to creating spells, so he went to the study just to tidy up and plan future work. He was behind on a few commissions, but most of them had been completed in the days before Zeyang's kidnapping.
As he scrolled through the list of upcoming commissions, his finger stopped on a name. His eyes couldn't look away, and his mouth tightened.
It was time to bring clarity.
He rose from the chair, changed, and got into the car.
Arriving at the herbalist's shop, he parked and approached the glass door. As he entered, the small bell jingled and the owner came toward him.
Her smile died on her face as soon as she recognized him, but she forced her lips into one.
"Mo Yiran." Lu Shen's voice and expression were cold. "Tell me what you want."
She looked at him for a long moment. "So you've discovered who I am."
The sorcerer nodded.
"Maybe it's for the best…" She smiled. "I just wanted to see you. To know that you're okay…"
"Then you shouldn't have left."
"It wasn't my choice. Your father sent me away. He wouldn't let me take you with me or see you. When I told him I didn't want to stay with him anymore, he gave me no choice. If I had tried to get custody of you, he would have destroyed me: he was the powerful general, I was just a simple witch. I'm not asking for your forgiveness. I know I didn't have the courage to deserve you."
"Then why did you come to me?"
"When I heard you had settled here, I moved to the city too and opened this shop," she said, spreading her arms. "I came to commission spells from you so I could see you regularly. I don't want anything else."
Lu Shen didn't take his eyes off her. When she finished speaking, he looked around the shop: small, but cozy, filled with the scent of herbs.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her reaching a hand toward him. He took a step back and stared at her. "I have to go."
She nodded and folded her arms around her torso. "Will I see you again?"
"I don't know," he replied, then left without looking back.
---
Zeyang was surprised when Ling came to open the door for him.
"Mr. Lu asked me to come because he went out and knew you didn't have the keys. He said he won't be long."
"Thank you, Lao Ling, you can go. I'll wait for Mr. Lu to return myself."
The man nodded. "I've prepared lunch," he said before leaving.
The detective thanked him and watched him go.
Then he picked up a book and sat on the sofa. But he couldn't continue reading: his thoughts kept returning to Lu Shen.
When the sorcerer finally returned, he went to meet him.
Seeing him, he immediately sensed that something was wrong: his expression was tense, his posture stiff.
"Shen, what happened?"
"Nothing."
Zeyang looked at him without arguing. He knew it wasn't true, but insisting would be useless. "Thank you for sending Ling to let me in."
The sorcerer lifted his gaze, then his expression softened. "How was the office?"
"Shall we talk after lunch?" The other nodded, so the detective went to the kitchen to get the food.
When they sat on the sofa, Lu Shen asked, "Everything okay with Lombardi?"
Zeyang began speaking without taking his eyes off him. "Yes, he wanted to inform me that the investigation is being handled by the army… and that General Lu wants to speak with me."
Lu Shen stiffened. "Why?"
"For telling the facts, I imagine. I'm one of the directly involved parties," he replied with a smile.
But the sorcerer had grown more serious. "It's not like him to personally conduct interviews. Didn't your boss say anything else?"
Zeyang had thought about what to say, deciding not to go into detail, but he didn't want to lie to Lu Shen, so he finally admitted: "It's because of your involvement."
A bitter smile curved the sorcerer's lips. "I suppose it's a period of settling scores. Maybe it's right. I've postponed it for too long."
"What do you mean?"
"This morning I went to the herbalist's."
Zeyang didn't need to ask which herbalist he meant. "Did you talk to her?"
He nodded, and after a long pause continued. "I wanted to know what she wanted from me. She told me she just wanted to see me. That it was the general who sent her away and kept her from me."
He had rested his elbows on his knees, his gaze distant.
Zeyang leaned a little closer. "I'm sorry." He could feel the sorcerer's voice carrying coldness and wondered how much pain it hid.
Lu Shen shrugged and looked at him. "Don't worry. I won't let the general pressure you."
"I'm not afraid of him. The only thing I fear is that he might hurt you again, but I won't let him."
"It won't happen."
Zeyang nodded.