Water in the pot on the stove boiled and rolled.

Little Song saw Qun Qing enter and lifted his head, but Fang Xie said, “Where are you looking? Watch the water.”

Fang Xie wore an outer robe, his lips pressed together. He methodically poured the separated medicinal ingredients into the water, paying no attention to Qun Qing. But the crisp clang when he covered the scalding pot lid betrayed his state of mind.

By the window in the inner room was a low couch. Qun Qing sat down on her own, propping up her face to watch Fang Xie.

Two years ago, after being rescued from the temple, Doctor Li had used every method possible to feed her medicinal soup. When Qun Qing woke, she saw a similar scene:

White mist drifted gracefully up to the beams. Fang Xie knelt on the couch sorting medicinal ingredients, his small face icy cold, like a child sculpted from snow. “Master, don’t bother with her. She doesn’t even want to live—why save such a patient?”

But once Doctor Li went out, Fang Xie still came to feed her medicine. She deliberately spat it on his robe, wanting to let herself perish. Fang Xie’s face went pale with anger, but after calming down, he still held the spoon and continued feeding it into her mouth.

Later, learning that Princess Bao’an was still alive, Qun Qing wanted to run back to personally kill her enemy. But that sword that pierced through her chest had wounded her too severely. After lying down for half a month, when she could finally move, she ran out with her hair loose and saw the scene beyond this inner room:

Emperor Chenming had captured the palace city, and Chang’an was awakening from nocturnal chaos. Yangbing District was full of injured people. On rows of spring benches lay people missing arms and legs, blood soaking through their cloth garments. Couples embracing and weeping, women holding dead infants, old women kneeling and crying loudly—wailing, moaning, and pleading mixed together like a great net covering the entire sky.

Qun Qing stood among them, pale-faced, feeling her own insignificance. Her life and death, her love and hate, compared to these people, were so trivial and insignificant.

That day when she returned, she drank all the medicine in one gulp under Fang Xie’s astonished gaze. Three days later, she could get out of bed. Ten days later, she returned home, giving all the family’s money and all the medicinal formulas her mother left to Doctor Li to repay the life-saving grace. Another ten days, she learned basic medicine-brewing techniques from Doctor Li and, together with Fang Xie, carried medicine boxes and walked among the injured people.

Fang Xie walked beside her, his small face still puffed with anger, but he would reach over to carry her medicine box and would stand in front of her when she encountered difficult patients. The day she returned to the palace, Fang Xie found it hard to accept and didn’t see her off…

She supposed today he was still angry about her leaving without saying goodbye last time. But there was no helping it—who told her to run into Lu Huating?

Qun Qing had walked quickly all the way and was indeed a bit thirsty, so she poured herself a cup of water. Before she could drink, Fang Xie suddenly snatched the cup away. “The water is cold—you’re drinking it too?”

His voice had changed to an adolescent tone. Watching Fang Xie’s back, Qun Qing suddenly noticed he had grown much taller.

Fang Xie added hot water and handed it to Qun Qing, finally opening his mouth to speak. “Elder Sister has condescended to return in the midst of her busy schedule—do you want to ask about your mother’s situation?”

Speaking thus, he handed Qun Qing a reply letter. “Master said he found your mother’s residence in Jiangnan, but was a step too late—she had already gone south. Don’t worry, Master is pursuing her southward.”

Looking at the reply letter, Qun Qing couldn’t help but worry. Going further south would reach the border of Nan Chu, and Great Chen and Nan Chu’s borders frequently had friction. But Doctor Li had already gone to search—besides asking Fang Xie to reply with thanks, she could do nothing else.

“Actually, I came today wanting more Cold Frost Rain Dew,” Qun Qing said.

Fang Xie’s eyes swept over her reddened face with some anger. That bone-pushing technique was said to be extremely painful. Which young lady was like her, willing to endure pain to ruin her perfectly good face?

He clasped her wrist with one hand. Qun Qing stiffened but didn’t struggle, letting him take her pulse. Instead, she asked with concern, “How is it? Are there any problems?”

“Doesn’t Elder Sister never care about her own body?” Fang Xie was startled and looked up at her.

Qun Qing didn’t know how to explain this rebirth matter and said awkwardly, “I care very much now.”

“There’s no problem.” Though he didn’t know why she had this transformation, Fang Xie’s tone became gentler. “I’ll prescribe a few more tonics for you. You must also pay attention to your health normally.”

“I also want a set of Mother-Child Soul-Transferring Pills,” Qun Qing said.

Fang Xie looked at her with shocked anger. These Mother-Child Soul-Transferring Pills were poison and antidote. If the antidote couldn’t be taken in time, the person who took the poison would die from abdominal pain and bleeding. Obviously, she was still doing those dangerous missions.

Watching his expression, Qun Qing said, “Don’t worry. It’s not for use in the palace, and I know what I’m doing—I won’t kill anyone.”

“Fang Xie.” Qun Qing thought for a moment and said, “What you said before—if I leave the palace, this place is still my home—is that true?”

Fang Xie’s eyes widened and his breathing became rapid. “Elder Sister, you…” Wasn’t she determined to stay in the palace at all costs? He had thought he would never have the chance to meet her outside the palace in this lifetime.

“Not seeing you before and not reading your letters—that was wrong of me,” Qun Qing said. “Come see me on the Lower Prime Festival. By then I’ll tell you my plans.”

Now that her mother’s whereabouts were completely unknown, she already regarded Fang Xie as her only remaining family in this world.

“Cold Frost Rain Dew, Mother-Child Soul-Transferring Pills—do you need anything else?” Fang Xie asked.

“I want to ask you for one more medicine, but I don’t know if you’ll prepare it.” Qun Qing took a sip of tea and looked at him. “Cold Fragrance Pills.”

Among the papers her mother left behind, Cold Fragrance Pills could suppress the poison of “Yearning Attraction.”

Fang Xie knew that medical texts recorded Cold Fragrance Pills. But when he returned with the medical text, Little Song said, “Sister Qing said she had urgent business and borrowed our inner room.”

Fang Xie stood at the door holding the book and waited a while, then suddenly pushed open the door. The wooden window was wide open, night wind pouring in, and the room was already empty. Behind the screen was only a set of neatly folded palace attire, illuminated by moonlight like a thin cicada shell.

He chased downstairs. Lanterns were just being lit all around, and where the lights were most brilliant was the direction of Pingkang District. In the crowd walked a flower girl with dark hair piled high, revealing her snow-white neck. An enormous, brilliant dragon lantern danced above her head. In the distance was an extremely tall, bright four-story building—Siye Tower. Fang Xie frowned. “Elder Sister!”

That lady turned her face slightly but didn’t look back, disappearing into the fire trees and silver flowers.

On the second floor of Siye Tower, diamond-shaped lanterns at the four corners were all lit. It was the time for guests to arrive, and from time to time came delicate laughter and greetings.

Court officials recognized the gentleman behind the railing and would greet him. Passing musicians, seeing his profile, would also cast sweet glances, turning their heads for another look.

Lu Huating propped one hand on the railing, smiling as he returned the greetings, his gaze glancing down the stairs, but never seeing anyone appear.

Naturally, there was also the possibility that Qun Qing had taken the permit he gave her and simply run away.

His fingers on the railing clenched, but his face showed nothing, his lips still able to produce smiles for others.

At three-quarters past the Hour of the Rooster, Pingkang District’s bell tolled, signifying Chang’an’s evening officially began. Lu Huating cast a final cold glance toward the bottom of the stairs.

The bell’s deep sound resonated. The instant it transmitted into the building, a high-piled coiffure appeared on the staircase, followed by a neck and a dress deep red as flowers.

Hearing the bell, the musicians beside Qun Qing, holding their lutes and lifting their skirts, rushed upward. Qun Qing hadn’t worn such a long skirt in ages and nearly tripped, so she gathered it up.

“Why are you dressed like this?” When Qun Qing walked before him, Lu Huating’s eyes held some surprise. He averted his gaze and immediately removed his outer robe.

After all, this was a pleasure district. He clearly remembered having Chisu prepare two sets, one of which was an ordinary cross-collar style. He had thought Qun Qing would certainly choose that one.

Qun Qing lowered her head and saw the jade-green gold-buttoned low-cut collar on her body. This musician’s low collar was much lower than ordinary ones, exposing a large expanse of skin below the collarbone as white as milk, unconsciously drawing gazes to converge there.

Qun Qing most hated others interfering with her clothing choices and said coldly, “I think it looks good.”

Normally she had no opportunity to wear such clothes and wanted to try on this occasion. When the wind blew outside, she did have some regrets, but there was no turning back once the arrow was shot.

Lu Huating stopped talking.

Immediately after, a drunken patron staggered past them, saw Qun Qing, and his gaze brazenly slid across her chest. Qun Qing had never been to wine shops or music halls. This was the first time she knew that people’s gazes could be as sticky as tentacles—clearly not touching her, yet she felt something had already been taken from her.

After this person passed, she reached out her hand. Lu Huating expressionlessly handed over the outer garment.

Qun Qing said no more, shaking it out to drape over herself, covering her exposed skin. Lu Huating walked at her side. “Pass through this corridor, up to the third floor—that’s my private room.”

The outer robe hung over her hand, slightly cool. Lu Huating’s voice came from beside her, causing the right side of her coiffure to tremble slightly. Qun Qing suddenly felt a strange sensation in her heart. This distance was extremely close—with just one reach, she could touch the person beside her.

In the past, only Yang Fu and Fang Xie had walked beside her like this. Having it be a longtime enemy who needed guarding against was rather strange.

This outer robe was slightly large on Qun Qing, with stiff sleeves whose edges kept brushing Lu Huating’s arm, almost like scraping his skin with a blade.

Usually they spoke in opposition. Walking side by side seemed to be a first, so it felt somewhat strange.

He disliked walking too close to others. His eyelashes moved slightly as he imperceptibly widened the distance.

Then, that stiff sleeve suddenly intruded between his arms, filling all the space.

She had taken his arm.

Lu Huating looked at Qun Qing. She was actually curving her lips, and with the change in her expression, her eyes seemed to lift with an indescribable charm. She was looking ahead. Lu Huating’s stiff arm relaxed and dropped, reversing to clasp her hand—someone was coming ahead.

This gentleman was about thirty years old, wearing a round-collar robe with a sachet and folding fan, holding a wine pouch. He had smiling eyes with drooping corners. He indeed stared at Qun Qing’s face before turning to Lu Huating and smiling, fine lines appearing at his eye corners. “Yunming has come.”

Lu Huating looked at him for a moment. “Brother Cui.”

Behind this gentleman followed a respectfully obedient madam. Qun Qing guessed this person was Cui Zhu, and now received verification. They hadn’t walked two steps before running into Siye Tower’s owner. Fearing he would see through them, they pretended intimacy.

“Where did this lady come from?” Cui Zhu scrutinized Qun Qing.

Lu Huating’s expression didn’t change as he smiled. “Brother Cui, you don’t even recognize ladies from your own building anymore?”

Cui Zhu was slightly startled and glanced at the madam behind him. Madam Liu trembled when meeting Lu Huating’s dark eyes, lowering her head to say, “This is a lady still practicing dance in the pit rooms. Master Lu liked her and brought her out.”

The pit rooms were chambers built underground. Inside were confined girls from refugees and other commoners. They had to undergo beatings and training before coming upstairs. Since new people arrived regularly, there were many Cui Zhu hadn’t seen. But this wasn’t convenient to explain to outsiders.

Cui Zhu realized. “There are over a hundred ladies in this building. Naturally I wouldn’t recognize new ones.”

Lu Huating said, “If Brother Cui has no urgent business, shall we proceed?”

“I actually do have one matter.” Cui Zhu took a drink and said, “Could the Chief Administrator ask the Princess Consort to ask Minister Xiao when my disappointing illegitimate younger brother Cui Shi can be released?”

“That’s hard to say…” Lu Huating’s face showed hesitation. “The Princess Consort has never gotten along with her stepmother. Since Xiao Jingxing was born to the stepmother, the siblings’ feelings are thin. Just days ago the Princess Consort returned to the Xiao family once and had a huge argument with Xiao Jingxing. This Minister Xiao has just taken office with three fires burning—he only seeks justice. Who can persuade him?”

“Then forget it. Tonight let’s drink and enjoy ourselves.” Cui Zhu didn’t press and let them go. But after they walked away, his smile lines disappeared. Cui Zhu’s other illegitimate brother Cui Shengbin said, “Elder Brother, do you really believe him? I think he and that Xiao Jingxing are in league. We should throw him out!”

Cui Zhu stopped him. “Guests are guests. Do you know how much silver he’s spent here?”

He didn’t believe that one Court of Judicial Review Minister plus one Chief Administrator could topple such a large, prosperous Siye Tower. He took a drink and instead turned back to ask Madam Liu, “What’s the name of that lady Lu Huating brought?”

“This… the people in the pit rooms, this old slave doesn’t remember either,” the madam said.

“Does Elder Brother fancy that little lady?” Cui Shengbin frowned. “I think she looks quite ordinary.”

“This woman’s eyes have the aura of weapons and warfare,” Cui Zhu said lightly, though his expression seemed to be savoring the memory. “Truly spirited—not inferior to Chun Niang. Such a pity that Chun Niang didn’t understand propriety.”