Chapter 75 Signs of Discovery

Hasn’t he been dead for years?

Shen Zhao’s expression cooled. She had not yet found time in the past two days to deal with the residence’s physician, and now the man had come here of his own accord. All the better.

She steadied her voice and commanded, “Come in.”

Outside the door, the residence physician, Chen Kang, raised his brows in surprise—why was the general here with Qing’er? Though dissatisfied, the thought of finally seeing Qing’er in person made him suppress his resentment. He only needed to be careful, to restrain himself and not let anything slip.

He had worked hard to seize this opportunity, sneaking here without the old madam’s knowledge to catch a glimpse of the young master. No matter who was present today, he was determined to enter that room.

Qing’er’s visits to the capital were few and far between, and every time, the old madam would have him avoid the child, fearful Qing’er might recognize him. But so many years had passed, two or three decades—Qing’er could not possibly remember him.

Chen Kang answered, “Yes,” then, heart pounding with excitement, pushed open the door. He wondered what Qing’er looked like now, after all these years.

The old madam was haunted by her own guilt, fearing Qing’er would see through him. With age, his features had long since lost their youthful sharpness. How could Qing’er possibly recognize him?

The child he had yearned for day and night—at last, he would see him again.

As the door opened, Chu Renqing’s eyes shot wide in an instant. Chen Kang, too, was stunned.

The resemblance—so very alike, unmistakably one of their own.

But why were Qing’er’s eyes swollen and red? Had the general bullied Qing’er? That wretched son of his—how dare he mistreat Qing’er?

Suppressing his anger toward Shen Zhao, Chen Kang bowed, “This humble servant greets the general, madam, and the young master.”

Shen Zhao’s brows knitted. Both Chu Renqing and the physician were behaving strangely—especially the physician, whose expression was far too suggestive. The way he looked at Chu Renqing was too intense.

And why did she feel that Chu Renqing and the physician had similar facial features? On closer inspection, their mouths were nearly identical, and even their figures bore a striking resemblance. The more she looked, the more similarities she saw.

A suspicion arose in her heart. Was she overthinking it? Although their ages did align, the physician was from the capital, while Chu Renqing had been born in Jinzhou.

They had no connection—unless…

“You… Why aren’t you dead? How are you still alive?” Chu Renqing’s hand trembled as he pointed at Chen Kang.

Shen Zhao’s eyes narrowed. Perhaps her suspicions were not unfounded.

Chu Renqing’s eyes burned with hatred. This face, though worn by the years, was imprinted in his heart. He could never forget—it was his mother’s distant cousin, the very one to whom his mother had given her stepmother’s personal belongings. It was he who had taken those things to accuse her.

But why hadn’t he died? Chu Renqing remembered clearly—this man had been beaten to death by the Chu household’s servants.

Suddenly, Chu Renqing recalled something. His third brother had said he’d been dosed with a childless poison for nineteen years, and every month the household physician would check the pulses of the masters—yet never once revealed the truth to him. His third brother had also said the physician was their mother’s man, brought into the house by her years ago.

He understood now. Only the legitimate wife had died that year. All the culprits still lived, unpunished. His mother had even brought this villain, who killed the legitimate wife, into the general’s residence—to keep harming his third brother.

Chu Mu gazed thoughtfully at the physician, Chen Kang. Why had Chu Renqing reacted so violently to seeing Chen Kang? Why had he said Chen Kang should be dead?

Chen Kang broke out in a cold sweat at Chu Renqing’s words, but forced himself to remain calm. “Young master, what are you saying? You must be mistaken. I have always served diligently at the Chu residence—how could I possibly die?”

Had Qing’er recognized him? He should have been happy that Qing’er still remembered him. But now, those words chilled him to the core.

How could Qing’er wish him dead? Everything he did was for the sake of the two brothers. Why couldn’t Qing’er understand him?

“I am not mistaken. Du Kang, you are Du Kang, my mother’s distant cousin, the one who managed the pharmacy for the Chu family. I might mistake anyone else, but never you. You’re the one who killed my mother, who destroyed her reputation!” Chu Renqing roared at Chen Kang.

“And now you dare to harm my third brother as well. Why are you still alive? Why won’t you just die?”

Chu Renqing’s words cut Chen Kang to the quick. He clenched his medicine chest tightly. Did Qing’er know how much those words wounded him? How could Qing’er wish him dead, when everything he had done was for those brothers?

How could he not show some understanding?

It had been so many years since anyone last called him Du Kang. He had no right to that surname ever since he fled from Jinzhou. Now, even if his life depended on it, he could not admit to being Du Kang.

Chen Kang shot a wary glance at Shen Zhao. All these years, he had hidden himself well, never slipping up. This wretched child was always so careless. Since the child became a general, the old madam, under the pretense of concern, had assigned him as the general’s personal physician on all his campaigns. Every time the general went to war, he followed, to prevent the child from meeting other doctors who might discover the truth.

For the past few years, as the general was stationed in the capital, he too had enjoyed a few peaceful years. The general even trusted and respected him somewhat, never suspecting a thing.

“Humble as I am, I don’t know what the young master means. I am from the capital, from Chenjia Village on the outskirts. My surname is Chen, not Du. Perhaps the journey from Jinzhou has left you exhausted, young master, making you see things. I will prepare two soothing decoctions for you at once.”

This was no place to linger. Chen Kang immediately took out brush, ink, and paper from his medicine chest to write prescriptions. Though he longed to look at Qing’er a while longer, he dared not stay.

Chu Renqing suddenly knocked the physician’s writing tools to the floor and gripped his shoulders tightly. “I could never mistake you, Du Kang. You killed my mother, and now you harm my third brother. You should die…you should die!” He turned to Shen Zhao. “He is the same villain who colluded with my mother to frame my stepmother all those years ago!”

He was guilty, his mother was guilty, and so was Du Kang. He would not let a single one of those who harmed his mother escape. He had suffered too much over the years, living each day in torment and guilt toward his mother and third brother, haunted by nightmares every night.

Now was the time for him to atone.

Chu Mu and Shen Zhao’s faces changed abruptly. Chu Mu was on the verge of fury—his anger overwhelmed all reason.

Everyone close to him was a heartless villain, damned a thousand times over—yet he had protected them all along. If his mother saw this from beyond the grave, how heartbroken she would be.

“Du Kang, I will have you pay for your crimes in blood.”

His eyes were cold as ice. Seeing this, Shen Zhao cried out at once: