In the end, Pei Yunying didn’t appear. The servant sent by Pei Yunshu returned saying that the guards at the Pei residence claimed Pei Yunying had left last night on official business and hadn’t returned yet.

Pei Yunshu nodded: “I see.” Her tone carried a hint of regret.

Lu Tong wasn’t particularly concerned. She had come today primarily to check the pulse of both Pei Yunshu and her daughter. After exchanging a few words, she went to examine little Baozhu in her cradle.

Fortunately, although Baozhu’s birth had been a close brush with death and the situation had been dire and worrying, once that calamity passed, it truly seemed to embody the saying “after extreme misfortune comes extreme fortune.” The “Child’s Sorrow” seemed to have left no lasting effects on the little girl. She gradually grew from frail to robust, and although she appeared slightly smaller than other infants her age due to being premature, her body was healthy and strong.

As Lu Tong held her hand, Baozhu stared at her with bright black eyes without blinking, showing no signs of stranger anxiety.

Lu Tong updated Pei Yunshu about Baozhu’s recent condition. Pei Yunshu immediately breathed a sigh of relief, her worried heart temporarily settling. She clasped her hands together repeatedly thanking the heavens for their protection, saying that when she had free time she must donate some incense at Wan’en Temple.

Seeing that Baozhu had no major issues, Lu Tong then checked Pei Yunshu’s pulse.

Compared to Baozhu, Pei Yunshu actually needed more recuperation.

Earlier, due to being poisoned with “Child’s Sorrow,” Pei Yunshu had been forced to agree to induced labor, losing blood and energy during delivery, depleting both her defensive and nutritive qi. After giving birth to Baozhu, she worried constantly about the baby’s health, along with the divorce from the Prince of Wen and moving out of his residence. Perhaps there were too many concerns weighing on her mind – her blood was deficient, nutritive qi insufficient, and defensive qi unstable, leaving her external defenses weak.

Lu Tong prescribed some medicines to support her qi, strengthen her defenses, nourish her blood, and restore balance.

These activities took up half the day.

When noon approached, nearly meal time, Pei Yunshu led Lu Tong to the hall, smiling: “We have few people here and the food is simple, I hope Dr. Lu won’t mind.”

Lu Tong followed her into the hall.

The hall was brightly lit, with a simple square table in the center and several wide chairs. Some maids were bringing hot dishes to the table.

Lu Tong and Pei Yunshu sat down at the table.

Unlike Renxin Medical Center, where during Lu Tong’s visits Du Changqing would fill the table with meat and fish, with steamed buns as big as faces, afraid of letting anyone go hungry, the food at the Pei residence was much more refined.

There was chrysanthemum rice cooked with rice grains, served in palm-sized celadon bowls, each grain distinct in color. There was tender tofu soup, light yet rich in flavor. Bamboo shoots, spicy sesame vegetables, frozen three delicacies, kumquat dumplings… There were meat dishes too, white-fried spring goose and pan-fried small chicken served on grass-woven plates, decorated with fresh flowers.

Though the portions weren’t large, the presentation was beautiful.

Pei Yunshu poured Lu Tong a bowl of ginger-citrus peel soup, smiling somewhat embarrassedly: “I don’t know how to cook, and the maids I brought from the Prince’s residence don’t either. The cook here used to work in a restaurant, Yunying hired him for me. I don’t know what you like to eat…” Suddenly remembering something, she moved a plate of desserts in front of Lu Tong: “Oh right, Dr. Lu, please try this.”

Pink lotus flowers rested on jade-green lotus leaf-shaped porcelain plates, flowers and leaves fully spread, like freshly picked lotus, always reminiscent of summer evening breeze by the pond.

Lu Tong was startled.

It was a plate of lotus pastries.

Pei Yunshu’s voice came from beside her: “…Dr. Lu, please try them while they’re hot. Yunying said you like these.”

Lu Tong’s hand holding the chopsticks paused: “Lord Pei?”

Pei Yunshu smiled: “I really didn’t know what you liked to eat. The other day I was worrying over the menu when Yunying happened to come by to see Baozhu, so I casually asked him.”

“I didn’t expect him to actually know, but he really did tell me.”

She looked at Lu Tong: “Dr. Lu really likes these?”

After a moment of silence, Lu Tong nodded: “Yes.”

“That’s wonderful. But…” Pei Yunshu seemed puzzled, “How does he know Dr. Lu likes lotus pastries, did you tell him?”

Lu Tong recalled that night in the Southern Medicinal Storage, when she hid in that abandoned dusty storeroom and ate all the lotus pastries Pei Yunying had brought.

Actually, she had forgotten exactly how those pastries tasted. She had been so tired and hungry then, only focused on filling her stomach, with no mind to savor them carefully, vaguely remembering they were sweet.

Lu Tong came back to herself and answered gently: “Perhaps I mentioned it to Lord Pei when we were at the Prince’s residence before.”

After all, during that time, she and Pei Yunying had spent some time together at the Prince of Wen’s residence.

Pei Yunshu nodded, looking at Lu Tong with a meaningful tone: “It seems Dr. Lu and our Yunying are quite familiar then.”

The next moment, she leaned closer, her eyes flashing with mischief: “But it’s been so long, how come we haven’t seen that fiancé of yours?”

Lu Tong: “…”

She silently picked up a lotus pastry, deciding to avoid this unanswerable question with silence.

This meal was quite difficult to get through.

Pei Yunshu had somehow suddenly developed an intense interest in her never-before-seen “fiancé” and began probing indirectly.

Since this person was entirely made up by her, Lu Tong could only respond vaguely. The meal left her with a faint headache.

After the meal, Baozhu had fallen asleep. Children this age spent most of their time eating and sleeping, with only brief periods of play.

Seeing there was still some time, and remembering Pei Yunshu’s mention during the meal about her waist often aching, possibly from carrying Baozhu too much, Lu Tong examined her. She found that it was strain on the kidneys, damage to the channels from movement, along with wind-cold invasion, causing blood and qi to clash, resulting in back pain. She had Pei Yunshu go into the room and lie face down on the bed, where she massaged her lower back and legs to relax them. Then she performed acupuncture on various points including Yaoyangguan, Sanjiaoshu, Shenshu, Dachangshu, Zhibian, Huantiao… using a reducing then tonifying method.

After all this was done, Pei Yunshu’s back pain indeed lessened considerably. Lu Tong wrote another prescription for some decoctions and instructed Fangzi about them.

When busy, time passes unnoticed. By now the sun was setting in the west, twilight had arrived again, the remaining sunlight cast a warm red glow over the courtyard outside, and Baozhu had awakened from her sleep, making baby sounds as she sought her wet nurse.

Lamps were lit in the room. Pei Yunshu felt the cold and went to change into a thicker silk brocade garment. When she came out, she saw Lu Tong standing with her back turned, intently studying the hanging scroll on the hall wall.

Pei Yunshu walked over and looked at the wall painting too, asking: “Is it beautiful?”

Lu Tong nodded: “Yes, it is.”

Actually, she didn’t really understand paintings and calligraphy.

In her childhood, she had only heard her father say that ancient people believed painting people was the most difficult, followed by landscapes, then dogs and horses, then pavilions, with objects being relatively easy. Something about “eight standards of painting” and “spirit transmitted through meaning” – she had only half-understood, neither comprehending nor not comprehending.

She had never been able to quiet her mind to appreciate these landscape meanings – wasn’t it just a painting?

Therefore, whenever she saw Lu Qian and Lu Rou speaking eloquently about such things, she always felt extremely impatient.

But later, after spending a long time alone on Luomei Peak, her temperament gradually smoothed out. With plenty of free time, she slowly began to appreciate these things.

Lu Tong stared at the painting on the wall.

The silk was even and clean, the ink clear and distinct, depicting a young woman in light-colored robes leaning by a window painting, with flower clusters and butterflies fluttering below the window. The young woman in the painting lowered her brows and wiped away tears, full of unspoken feelings, the brushstrokes extremely lively and true to life, truly capturing the sentiment of “Still seen among flowers, pairs flying together. Inexplicably wiping tears from rouge-stained cheeks, causing both wings to droop.”

“This was painted by my mother.”

Pei Yunshu’s voice came from beside her.

Lu Tong was somewhat surprised.

The late Lady Zhaoning?

Her impression of Lady Zhaoning had only been from what she heard from Du Changqing and Jin Xianrong – a woman who was ultimately abandoned by her husband while in the rebels’ hands. She hadn’t expected to glimpse such a different side of her in this painting.

Pei Yunshu gazed at the silk painting, pausing for a while before saying: “My mother loved to paint.”

“When Yunying and I were young, while mother was still alive, every New Year she would paint a family portrait to hang in our home.”

“After she passed away, all the paintings in the residence were buried with her. I secretly kept one. When Ji shi entered the family, it wasn’t appropriate to hang the painting at home. When I entered the Prince of Wen’s residence, I worried the servants wouldn’t care for it properly and damage the scroll. Now that I have my own residence, I can openly hang it here without fear of others’ gossip.”

Lu Tong spoke softly: “The Lady painted very well.”

Pei Yunshu pulled her clothes closer: “Actually, Yunying paints very well too.”

“Lord Pei?”

Pei Yunshu smiled: “Yunying’s painting was personally taught by my mother, and the academy teachers also praised him…” She paused before continuing: “But after mother passed away, he stopped painting.”

At this point, her tone became somewhat sad.

Lu Tong remained silent.

It seemed the Pei siblings had an extremely close relationship with the late Lady Zhaoning.

Just then, Fangzi entered the hall from outside: “My Lady, the Young Master has returned.”

Pei Yunying had returned.

Lu Tong followed Fangzi’s gaze.

The last rays of sunset had scattered from the horizon, flowers dimmed and the moon was dark, as courtyard lanterns lit up one after another. A tall figure crossed the courtyard, gradually approaching. Pei Yunying wore a vermillion brocade robe patterned with continuous pearls, sheep, and birds. His handsome face showed a hint of severity in the darkness.

As he came closer, with the gradual brightening of the lanterns, that severity slowly faded away. The young man’s eyes were as gentle as a warm breeze, softly stirring spring waters.

Pei Yunshu smiled at him: “We were just talking about you, and here you are. Isn’t today not your day off? Why are you back so late, you missed dinner.”

Pei Yunying replied casually: “Had official business.” He glanced at Lu Tong, his lips curving slightly: “Dr. Lu is here too.”

His tone was somewhat distant.

Lu Tong remained silent.

He smiled again: “What were you saying about me?” He bent down to play with Baozhu, who was being held by her wet nurse.

Baozhu grabbed his finger, trying to put it in her mouth, but was stopped by Pei Yunying.

Pei Yunshu said: “Nothing much. You’ve come back at just the right time. Dr. Lu needs to return to West Street soon, and it’s dangerous for a young woman to walk alone at night. Since you’re back, you should escort her.”

“No need,” Lu Tong said.

As soon as the words left her mouth, both Pei Yunshu and Pei Yunying looked at her.

Lu Tong remained composed: “I have something to say to Lord Pei.”

Pei Yunshu was taken aback.

Pei Yunying turned his head, his black eyes quietly fixed on her.

After a while, he straightened up, letting go of Baozhu’s hand, and said to Lu Tong: “Wait for me in the study.”

“I’ll change clothes and come.”

Lu Tong: “Alright.”

Fangzi led Lu Tong to Pei Yunying’s study, while Pei Yunying went to change clothes. Only Pei Yunshu and the maids remained in the hall.

Pei Yunshu stepped back and sat down in a chair, suddenly remembering something, and asked the matron beside her: “Did Yunying just tell Dr. Lu to wait for him in his study?”

The matron answered yes.

“Strange…”

Pei Yunshu blinked in confusion.

Pei Yunying had always disliked people entering his rooms. Even Pei Yunshu hadn’t been in his study much, probably because it contained court documents, and he feared causing trouble.

Looking at how Lu Tong and her brother seemed politely distant rather than close, yet Pei Yunying would so readily let Lu Tong into his residence, even into the study that others couldn’t enter?

Not to mention that plate of lotus pastries, could it be that between the two of them…

Were there things she didn’t know about?

…

While Pei Yunshu pondered these thoughts, Lu Tong remained unaware.

Pei Yunying’s residence was right next to Pei Yunshu’s, separated only by a wall, just a few steps away.

However, this mansion appeared much quieter than Pei Yunshu’s residence.

Perhaps because there was no baby’s crying to enliven Pei Yunying’s side, or perhaps because the mansion was sparsely populated, maintained too pristinely, even showing some coldness. When people entered, they felt a layer of serene solitude.

Fangzi led Lu Tong past the steps and corridor, around the small courtyard, and stopped in front of Pei Yunying’s study: “Miss Lu, please enter. The Young Master will be here shortly.”

After saying this, she lowered her head and left.

Lu Tong pushed open the door and went in.

The study was very simple.

There was a desk near the window, and on the east side of the room sat a small table with a reading lamp, incense burner, inkstone, and writing brushes. Near the writing desk was a curio shelf displaying some antiques and vessels, along with a narcissus arrangement.

The room was simple and casual, extremely plain compared to the extreme luxury of Qi Yutai’s Ceremonial Office. Completely different from Pei Yunying’s usually beautiful appearance, it exuded a sharp coldness.

Lu Tong walked a few steps into the room and saw a very small round table in the deepest part, piled high with something, so she went closer to look—

It was a small tower.

Made entirely of thumb-sized wooden balls whittled from wood, not exactly square but rounded, stacked one by one from bottom to top into a small tower, towering and magnificent. From a distance it looked quite spectacular, and without getting close, one might think it was an intentionally arranged arrangement.

Lu Tong saw that the topmost wooden piece was either blown askew by the wind or something else, half hanging outside the tower’s peak, looking about to fall. After some thought, she reached out her hand, wanting to push that top piece back in—

“Don’t touch it.”

“Crash!”

A sudden loud noise.

The young man’s warning and the sound of the wooden tower collapsing came almost simultaneously.

The tall wooden tower instantly broke apart, like a waterfall frozen for an entire winter suddenly finding release, abruptly cascading down, thunderously spilling all over the floor.

Lu Tong whirled around.

Pei Yunying stood at the door, his gaze passing over the instantly collapsed wooden tower, speaking expressionlessly: “Did you do that on purpose?”

Lu Tong: “…”

This time she really hadn’t done it on purpose.

Lu Tong pressed her lips together: “I’m sorry, I’ll help you build a new one.”

“No need.”

Pei Yunying bent down, picked up a piece of wood that had rolled to his boot, and walked to the small table to put it down.

Lu Tong watched him, unsure if it was her imagination, or if Pei Yunying was in a bad mood, but she felt he was particularly distant today, as if deliberately maintaining distance.

However, Lu Tong had no interest in knowing Pei Yunying’s mood or why he was acting this way. Including why he would stack such a wooden tower in his study, looking all mysterious, yet without hiding any secret scrolls inside.

Not even a gold brick.

Just putting on airs.

Pei Yunying noticed her gaze, smiled slightly, and ignoring the mess on the floor, sat down at the small table and asked Lu Tong: “What did Dr. Lu want to see me about?”

Lu Tong fell silent, sat down across from him, and didn’t speak for a moment.

He raised an eyebrow: “Is it so difficult to say?”

Actually, it wasn’t difficult to say.

It was just that now, she truly had no conditions with which to bargain with Pei Yunying.

Lu Tong said: “Lord Pei’s intelligence network is vast; what the Imperial City Bureau in Shengking cannot discover, Lord Pei knows.”

“What are you referring to?”

Lu Tong leaned forward, staring into his eyes: “Grand Tutor Qi loved to keep birds, but five years ago, the Grand Tutor’s mansion stopped keeping birds. Does Lord Pei know what happened in the Qi family five years ago? What did Qi Yutai do?”

She asked: “Why does he hate Chinese thrushes?”

The room suddenly fell silent.

In the distance, the night wind brushed against the ornate windows, making this quiet night seem so still that a falling needle could be heard.

Lu Tong’s gaze passed over the small table, falling on the wooden blocks scattered across the floor.

Qi Yutai’s mother suffered from epilepsy, and Qi Yutai might have had epileptic episodes in his childhood, so the Grand Tutor’s mansion had used soothing Lingxi incense to nurture Qi Yutai for many years, never even using other incense pills.

Everything seemed quite stable.

But five years ago, the Grand Tutor’s mansion secretly summoned Cui Min for a diagnosis, and that vaguely written medical record revealed something different.

Those prescriptions and medicines for stabilizing the mind seemed to indicate that Qi Yutai was showing signs of having episodes.

But what was the cause of his episodes?

If it was just time for an episode to occur, why did Qi Yutai particularly hate birds, especially Chinese thrushes?

Chinese thrushes…

Just as Lu Tong had watched helplessly as Yun Niang poisoned and killed Wuyun, and thereafter would tremble uncontrollably at the sight of black puppy cubs, Qi Yutai must have had some reason to hate seeing Chinese thrushes.

She wanted to prepare an untraceable poison for Qi Yutai, but needed to know who was the most important medicinal catalyst.

However, the Qi family’s power was overwhelming, and secrets about Qi Yutai were always buried, leaving no trace to be found. Why Qi Yutai hated Chinese thrushes, Lin Danqing didn’t know, Miao Liangfang didn’t know, Master Cao from Kuaihuo Tower didn’t know…

But Pei Yunying might know.

To know the truth, she could only ask the person before her.

Returning from her thoughts, Lu Tong looked across at him.

The young man had changed out of the vermillion brocade he wore when returning home, now wearing only a frost-colored snow-patterned robe, the garment loose and emanating a hint of coolness in the lamplight.

The setting sun and changing seasons hastened short views, while frost and snow cleared the cold night sky. That layer of cold white made his handsome features take on a sharp edge, in the dim lamplight, showing a coldness completely different from his usual self.

Pei Yunying looked at Lu Tong, his gaze calm.

The dim lamplight danced in his dark pupils, which also faintly reflected Lu Tong’s image.

After a moment, he lowered his eyelashes: “I know.”

Lu Tong’s heart leaped with joy.

“But Dr. Lu,” he spoke, his tone suddenly sharp: “Why should I tell you?”