The room was silent for a moment.

After a while, the sharp edge pressed against her neck gradually relaxed, and the other person released his grip. Lu Tong turned around, fumbled for the fire starter, and relit the lamp.

The weak light illuminated a small section behind the bookshelf, also illuminating the other person’s face.

Pei Yunying stood in front of the wooden shelf, seemingly squinting slightly from the sudden lamplight, looking at her and saying: “Imperial Physician Lu.”

A lone lamp and cold moon, a desolate night. Among the four walls of bookshelves and the room full of records like a flood, people seemed about to drown within them.

The young man wore only simple black clothing, unlike his brightness during the day, appearing secluded and cold, even his gaze lacking its usual warmth, calm and dark as the deep sea.

Lu Tong’s gaze swept over the record in his hands.

He held a medical case file.

Even physicians couldn’t casually view medical records in the archive, let alone Pei Yunying, an outsider. But just now she had clearly heard Pei Yunying using keys to unlock something. Setting aside where he had obtained the keys… had he come here tonight for a medical record?

The oil lamp in her hand could only illuminate a small area. The small characters on the medical record were like ripples, gradually becoming clearer from blurriness, vaguely visible…

Before she could see clearly, her vision suddenly went dark.

Someone had covered her eyes.

The hand covering her eyes was slightly cool, like the subtle itch of snowflakes landing on her cheek.

Pei Yunying’s laughing voice sounded in her ear: “Still dare to look? Imperial Physician Lu truly isn’t afraid of death.”

Lu Tong remained silent.

In a moment, that slightly cool snowflake left her eyes, and her vision gradually restored to light. When she looked up again, Pei Yunying had already put the medical record back in his chest.

Lu Tong frowned.

She actually didn’t care what Pei Yunying had come to do. Coming to the Medical Academy’s archive in the middle of the night couldn’t be for a stroll.

As the Commander of the Palace Guard, his previous night pursuit through the snow, the assassin in the palace, and tonight’s uninvited arrival… each incident seemed anything but simple.

Mysterious, but also dangerous.

He bent down to take the oil lamp from Lu Tong’s hand, his gaze sweeping over the medical record Lu Tong was holding, pausing slightly before saying: “Coming out so late, what bad deed is Imperial Physician Lu planning?”

Lu Tong: “I should be asking Lord Pei that question, shouldn’t I?”

Both sneaking into the medical archive at night – if speaking of incriminating evidence, they were even.

He nodded, looking at her with a slight smile: “Originally I wanted to go unnoticed, who knew I’d run into you.”

“…What should we do, Imperial Physician Lu?”

Lu Tong’s expression was indifferent.

He was very close to her.

When he had covered her eyes earlier, Lu Tong had been forced to step back, her spine pressed against the cold bookshelf. Looking up, she met those deep black eyes of his.

His features were extremely handsome, beautiful and gentle, like a good man who would come in dreams on a spring night in the capital, even his shadow carrying some romantic fragrance.

Yet his gaze was extremely cold.

Like bone-chilling snow hidden in the calm deep sea, only from the occasional ripples could one glimpse the coldness concealed beneath.

Lu Tong looked at him calmly: “What does Lord Pei want to do?”

She recalled the cold line that had fallen on her neck in the darkness just now, and in that moment she had sensed the dangerous aura emanating from him.

It wasn’t an illusion.

Pei Yunying smiled, set down the oil lamp, and was about to speak when his gaze suddenly stopped on the wooden shelf behind her.

There sat a small medicine bottle.

He took the medicine bottle.

The bottle was exquisite, and under the lamplight, three small characters on the bottle became faintly visible—

Bird Silence Powder.

Pei Yunying looked down, and when he saw clearly, his expression suddenly became somewhat meaningful.

“How is such a dangerous thing placed here?”

The Medical Academy had various prepared medicines placed everywhere for easy access, and the medical archive was no exception.

“Bird Silence Powder” was a muting drug.

Palace servants who made mistakes, or masters wanting to keep secrets, often used this medicine.

This bottle, who knows who had casually placed it here.

“Lord Pei might as well speak directly.”

He glanced at Lu Tong, casually waving the medicine bottle in front of her, his usually bright eyes completely devoid of laughter: “Does Imperial Physician Lu know that in the imperial palace, this substance is often used to keep secrets.”

The night was like water, with a gentle breeze blowing. The small flame in the oil lamp also swayed precariously, like weak ripples about to be submerged in the night’s tide.

Lu Tong stared at him coldly.

His expression was indifferent, unmoved.

After a moment, Lu Tong suddenly reached out, snatched the medicine bottle from Pei Yunying’s hand, pulled out the cork and tilted her head back to drink it down.

Her movement was too quick; Pei Yunying hadn’t expected it. When he reacted, his expression suddenly changed: “What are you doing?”

“Didn’t Lord Pei want me to drink it? I’ve finished it.”

Her wrist was suddenly grasped tightly, and he angrily said: “Are you crazy?”

Lu Tong frowned slightly.

“Who told you to actually drink it?” His earlier ease and aggressive pressure vanished completely, his expression showing some shock and nervousness. He grabbed Lu Tong’s hand and headed outside: “Come.”

Lu Tong shook off his hand: “What for?”

“Find a doctor.”

“I am a doctor.” Lu Tong stepped back: “You told me to drink the medicine, and you’re telling me to find a doctor. Lord Pei, are you joking with me?”

He seemed to have a headache, his voice no longer as calm as before: “I was just trying to make you understand this matter is confidential…” His voice suddenly paused as Pei Yunying looked at Lu Tong: “Why can you still speak?”

“Bird Silence Powder” takes effect immediately upon consumption, yet several breaths had passed and Lu Tong was perfectly fine.

Pei Yunying looked at her hesitantly: “You just now…”

“The medicine bottle was empty.”

Lu Tong smiled slightly, her expression somewhat mocking: “‘Bird Silence Powder’ is poison, Lord Pei, you wouldn’t think the Medical Academy would casually place such poison around, would you?”

That medicine bottle had been sitting there for who knows how long – it was empty. Chang Jin had mentioned a few days ago about putting some insect-repelling fragrant pills inside to prevent the books from rotting, but had apparently forgotten about it.

Hearing this, Pei Yunying was stunned.

Lu Tong said: “Actually, even if I had drunk it, it wouldn’t matter much. However,” she looked up, staring at Pei Yunying strangely: “I was the one taking poison – why should the Palace Commander be agitated?”

She knew he was deliberately trying to frighten her, so she deliberately went along with his act.

Only Pei Yunying’s sharp reprimand just now had, for an instant, created an illusion.

As if he were nervous about her.

She was very close to Pei Yunying. When he lowered his head, he met Lu Tong’s serious gaze.

Those eyes were usually calm most of the time, though occasionally one could glimpse turbulent waves within them, causing one to overlook their original appearance. Whether it was the lamplight being too mysterious or the spring night in the capital being too gentle, those eyes were as clear as water, filled with genuine confusion, like the moonlight that had passed through the courtyard earlier, tenderly illuminating the entire forest.

He paused, then suddenly averted his gaze, saying coldly: “I don’t want to cause trouble for myself.”

This reason wasn’t very good, but Lu Tong didn’t continue questioning.

The room was quiet for a while before Pei Yunying looked back at Lu Tong: “If that medicine bottle hadn’t been empty, would you have drunk it too?”

“Yes.”

He frowned: “Why?”

“I believe Lord Pei wouldn’t make me drink muting medicine.”

He stared at Lu Tong, his expression somewhat strange: “You trust my character that much?”

“No.”

Lu Tong spoke lightly: “I think that if Lord Pei were truly worried about me revealing secrets, he would directly kill me with one stroke rather than give me a bottle of muting medicine.”

“My lord wouldn’t be so kind.”

Pei Yunying: “…”

He laughed mockingly, his tone very light: “Hearing you talk, am I completely evil?”

Lu Tong didn’t answer, only looking toward the window where dark clouds had completely dispersed from the long sky, and a bright moon hung at the treetops.

Only a short stub remained of the lamp wick.

Nearly the fourth watch.

She reminded: “Isn’t Lord Pei leaving? If someone notices and pursues later, I’ll have to say you held me hostage.”

Pei Yunying glanced at her. Lu Tong stood in that bit of weak firelight, darkness on all sides, wearing a snow-white undergarment standing before the bookshelf, her dark hair cascading over her shoulders like a waterfall. Her frail, pale appearance was like a beautiful female ghost who had walked out from the scrolls on the shelves.

Seemingly docile, but actually dangerous.

He smiled indifferently: “Then I’ll say we’re accomplices.” After a pause, he looked at her again: “But that probably won’t happen – at most they’ll think we’re having an affair.”

Lu Tong retorted: “Rest assured, my lord. Even for an affair, I wouldn’t choose someone like you.”

He choked, seemingly amused by anger, looked at Lu Tong once more, then turned and walked toward the door.

Just as he was about to reach the door, he suddenly remembered something: “Oh, right.”

Lu Tong raised her eyes.

“Next time you want to hide, remember to hold your breath.”

He seemed to deliberately provoke her: “Your breathing was too obvious – I heard it as soon as I entered.”

Lu Tong: “…”

The room returned to quiet.

Lu Tong gripped the medical record in her hand tightly.

If she had known this would happen, she should have stabbed him with a needle earlier.

She shouldn’t have shown mercy.

…

The spring mountains were quiet at night, and the long sky at the fourth watch had not a single star.

In the courtyard, the black dog lying in its shelter suddenly opened its eyes, straightened up and listened toward the gate for a moment, then curled back up again.

In the study of the Palace Commander’s Manor, someone entered the room.

The room was brightly lit with tall bronze lamps burning brightly.

Xiao Zhufeng sat at the desk. Hearing movement, he looked up to see Pei Yunying slip into the room.

“Did you find what you were looking for?” he asked.

Pei Yunying reached into his chest, pulled out a record book and tossed it in front of him, while removing the black clothing he wore and putting on an outer robe from the chair.

Xiao Zhufeng took the record, looked through it briefly, his gaze flickering: “…It’s actually still there.”

The person in front finished changing clothes, poured himself a cup of hot tea, lowered his head to take a sip, then said upon hearing this: “Can we report back now?”

Xiao Zhufeng nodded, then asked: “You weren’t seen going to the Medical Academy?”

The tea-drinking motion paused as Pei Yunying stared at the floating tea leaves in his cup: “No.”

Xiao Zhufeng nodded, then asked: “Imperial Physician Lu wasn’t there either?”

The young man suddenly looked up: “Why are you asking about her?”

His reaction was suddenly intense, causing Xiao Zhufeng to be startled as well, then say: “I always feel you keep meeting her in unexpected places. Given the karmic connection between you two, I thought you might have encountered her today.”

Speaking of this, Xiao Zhufeng suddenly paused, looking at him suspiciously: “If you didn’t see her, you didn’t see her. Why do you look so guilty?”

Pei Yunying’s expression changed slightly, as if stung by a certain word in that sentence, and he said coldly: “Are you bored or not?”

He then slammed the teacup on the desk irritably: “Take the thing and report back yourself.” He turned and left.

Xiao Zhufeng: “…”

This person usually wasn’t so moody. It was just one sentence – who knows what he said wrong to provoke such anger.

He put away the record book and said coldly: “Inexplicable.”

…

Last night’s wind had disturbed those in the medical archive but couldn’t disturb this morning’s sun.

The next day was clear, with gentle wind and beautiful weather. New swallows in front of the hall circled the willow branches at the Medical Academy entrance, coming and going in pairs as spring flowers competed in beauty.

This morning there was no need to treat Jin Xianrong, and there was nothing at the Palace Commander’s Manor either, so Lu Tong got up later than usual.

Just after washing up, she saw Lin Danqing enter from outside carrying a large bundle.

Lu Tong’s gaze swept over the bulging luggage behind her and asked: “Are you going out?”

Lin Danqing nodded: “Yes, today is our ten-day rest period, and I’m going home. I’ve been at the Medical Academy for two months and haven’t gone back once – I’ve saved up two months’ worth of days.” She suddenly remembered something and stared at Lu Tong: “Sister Lu, did you forget today is the rest day?”

Lu Tong was startled.

Medical Academy physicians whose homes were in the capital didn’t need to sleep in the academy. She and Lin Danqing were special cases, staying overnight in the dormitory. Medical Academy physicians who stayed overnight received an extra tael of silver per month in salary, though neither of them stayed for the extra pay.

Lu Tong stayed to get close to Qi Yutai, while Lin Danqing’s reasons were unknown.

The two-day rest period every ten days was a Medical Academy tradition. Since entering the Medical Academy, various matters had come one after another, and Lu Tong hadn’t asked Chang Jin for leave. She had originally planned to save up this month’s days together, but was delayed by the Qi Yutai matter. If Lin Danqing hadn’t mentioned it, she would have almost forgotten about today’s rest period.

Seeing Lu Tong’s silence, Lin Danqing thought she had some difficulty, so she came over and took her arm: “Sister Lu, why don’t you come to my house? My family’s mansion is very large. Come back with me and I’ll show you my golden silk cat Embroidered Ball – she’s so beautiful and acts coquettish when people come. You’ll definitely love her.”

Lin Danqing knew Lu Tong was alone in the capital. Though she had previously worked at the West Street clinic, the young master of the clinic wasn’t related to Lu Tong after all, so he couldn’t count as family. Others returned to their own homes during rest periods, but Lu Tong’s home wasn’t in the capital, so if she really left the Medical Academy, she had nowhere else to go. It would be better for her to return to the Lin family together.

Lu Tong came to her senses and politely declined: “No need, I want to return to West Street.”

“Really?” Lin Danqing studied her expression, still unwilling to give up: “Don’t be polite with me!”

Lu Tong smiled and shook her head.

After repeatedly inviting Lu Tong unsuccessfully, and with the Lin family servants’ carriage urging outside, Lin Danqing had no choice but to give up and carry her luggage out herself. Her eagerness to return home was evident – even her bouncing figure as she left showed her joy, making Lu Tong smile slightly as she watched.

Her smile gradually faded.

She got up and walked to the wooden cabinet in the room, bending down to lift out a bundle from inside.

The bundle was flat, not containing much. Before Lin Danqing entered the Medical Academy, the clothes, snacks, story books and miscellaneous items she brought filled five large wooden boxes, as if moving house. Lu Tong was different – besides a few clothes and silk flowers, the four porcelain bottles Pei Yunying had brought, Du Changqing’s capital, there was only the bag of broken silver that Yin Zheng had secretly given her.

She hadn’t used a single coin of that broken silver, keeping it carefully preserved.

Lu Tong picked up the bundle, shouldered her medical box, opened the door and walked out.

Outside, spring was enchanting. Under the clear sun, wind blew and almond blossoms fell like snow from the full trees. She looked up as the warm sun poured down from overhead, making her squint slightly.

It had been so long since she’d returned to the clinic…

She wondered how Yin Zheng and the others were doing now?