Wu Ruo observed all the students from North Courtyard as he was eavesdropping. The students from North Courtyard were peeping at Wu Shi and Wu Hao now and then.
“What are you looking at?” Wu Xi whispered.
“Don’t go anywhere but Shuqing Yard these days. Mark my words?” Wu Ruo said.
“I barely go out after I go home. Nobody asks me out anyway.” Wu Xi nodded.
Before they had a problem with other courtyards, she used to go out with Wu Qing and Wu Yun sometimes. But now she tried her best to stay away from them in case she got into any trouble without a reason.
“It will be fine.” Wu Xi comforted her.
“I know. In a few years, I can go out for training like Zhu and I will be able to make more friends.”
“Be careful when you choose friends.”
“I know.”
They left the school directly after class and went to the transfer courtyard leading to each yard and then heard someone call Wu Ruo, “Ruo.”
Wu Ruo looked back and Ba Se was marching their way happily with a red gift box, “This is for you.”
Wu Ruo slightly frowned.
He had sent him this and that lately, a total sucking face.
“Thank you. But I can’t accept it.”
“Why? You don’t like my gift?” Ba Se asked gingerly.
“That’s not the problem it. We haven’t known each other for long. How can I take things from you? You keep it to yourself. And don’t send me more.”
“Just take it.” Ba Se grabbed his hand and stuffed it into his hand, and ran away.
“…” Wu Ruo.
Wu Xi frowned and said in whispers, “Ruo, does he like you or what?”
“Are you saying…” Wu Ruo asked.
“I mean, that kind of like between men and women. I think he has feelings for you. Otherwise, why do you think he comes to see you every time after class?”
If Wu Ruo hadn’t been married to a man, she wouldn’t have thought it this way. Besides, it was not strange that Wu Ruo had admirers since he was even more beautiful than women.
“…” Wu Ruo.
He also thought Ba Se was into him the first time they met. But it was a fact that the one Ba Se loved was his sister Wu Xi in last life and he had only been interested in women. Therefore, he must be mistaken. The reason why Ba Se sent him gifts was because he wanted to butter him up. After all he was Wu Xi’s elder brother.
But now that Wu Xi said the same thing, could it be…
Wu Ruo had a chill once he came to think that Ba Se had a special feeling for him, “Don’t ever talk about it.”
“You should refuse him as quick as possible. Otherwise, Xuanyi might mistake it.”
Wu Ruo didn’t say a word but his eyes sparkled slightly.
In the following days, the situation in the South Courtyard got much worse. Many of them started to vomit and have watery stools, and some would even pass out all of sudden without a reason. The situation was serious. They hired the best physician in the town but still couldn’t find out what went wrong. A few servants died miserably.
Wu Qianqing was the first one who sensed that something went wrong. He thought they must be cast bewitched worms. Therefore, he went to invite Wu Bufang over to the South Courtyard.
Wu Bufang was a well-informed person. With one look at the patients, he was pretty sure that they were cast bewitched worms.
“Bewitched worms?” Liao Liuyan asked exhaustedly, covering her painful stomach, “How come? We haven’t gone out lately.”
“You don’t need to go out on the street. Perhaps they secretly slipped the worms into the South Courtyard.” Wu Bufang explained.
“Who would it be?” Ruan Lanru asked.
“Only people from the south know how to cast bewitched worms. But we have never offended any of them. Why did they do this to us?” Liao Liuyan said.
“Maybe someone hired a wizard to deal with us.” Wu Qianqing said.
“Ouch!” Dong Mingji screamed.
Everyone was startled by her.
“What’s going on?”
“It hurts.” Dong Mingji’s face was blue and her lips were purple. He huddled in the chair as if she had been poisoned. She looked scary, “Grandpa, I remember one thing…”
“What is it?” Wu Bufang asked.
“I remember two days before the Winter Festival, something strange happened. A lot of worms suddenly appeared in the town. My husband was marshaling in the town. So he investigated it and he was later told that a wizard was doing rituals at Hei Mansion.”
Wu Qianqing had a bad feeling about it when she mentioned Hei Mansion.
“Hei Mansion?” Wu Bufang was confused.
“Wu Ruo’s husband’s place.” Dong Mingji said, her eyes turning red, “It must be Wu Ruo. He must be behind of all of these.”
“Nonsense! Why would Ruo do harm to you?” Wu Qianqing said angrily.
“Because we once took his betrothal gifts, he holds a grudge against us. Therefore he hired a wizard to cast a worm spell on us. What an evil-hearted person!”
“It can’t be Ruo. He would never hurt you.”
“Then why are you, your wife and Wu Xi perfectly fine?” Dong Mingji cried out.