They all ran shops on the same street—who didn’t know who? After one sharp-eyed person called out, many immediately chimed in.

“It really is the bookstore owner!”

What about the other one?

Unfortunately, he turned too quickly, leaving people with only a view of his dazzling bare bottom.

Just as everyone was feeling regretful, they heard a bang as the bookstore door slammed shut.

It shut!

People’s eyes lit up.

Where did such a thoughtful door come from?

But for Heir Pingjia, the suddenly closing door was too despairing.

He pounded desperately on the door. Seeing it wouldn’t budge, he lifted his foot to kick it, but forgot he wasn’t wearing shoes.

With a scream, Heir Pingjia clutched his foot and fell sitting to the ground.

Several curious faces leaned in above him.

“This is—”

“Good heavens, Heir Pingjia!”

The several heads above Heir Pingjia quickly disappeared.

The onlookers tactfully pulled back a distance to avoid inviting trouble upon themselves.

Of course, the spectacle was still worth watching—watching a spectacle wasn’t against the law.

The patrolling officers arrived belatedly.

“Who’s causing a disturbance? Don’t you know today is the auspicious day of the imperial street parade for new officials—” The lead officer’s rebuke came to an abrupt halt upon seeing two bare-bottomed grown men.

He first looked up at the sky to confirm he wasn’t dreaming in broad daylight, then flew into a rage: “Corrupting public morals! Take them away, take them away!”

What had he seen?

Two men with bare bottoms!

His eyes were going to go blind!

Several officers immediately stepped forward to arrest them. Seeing the two weren’t wearing even a strip of cloth, they found themselves in the awkward position of having nowhere to grab, and couldn’t help but look toward the lead officer.

“What are you looking at me for? Arrest them!” After unconsciously glancing at Heir Pingjia and the other man, the lead officer quickly looked away and waved his hand in disgust. “Get them some outer garments to cover themselves.”

People hiding nearby watching the excitement whispered to each other.

“Should we really not remind the officer that’s Heir Pingjia?”

“Better not. What if we’re mistaken?”

“True. And even if we’re right, what if the person who goes to remind them gets resented by Heir Pingjia?”

As they were discussing, they saw someone dressed as a servant rush over and block the officers’ path.

“You can’t take our heir away!”

Heir?

Only then did the lead officer examine Heir Pingjia carefully.

Heir Pingjia’s face displayed a spectrum of colors. He wished he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

At this moment, he didn’t even have the strength to yell at his servant, left only with the humiliation that drove one to madness.

The lead officer recognized all the nobles and dignitaries who frequently appeared on the streets. With this careful look, it really was Heir Pingjia.

“So it’s—”

Before he could finish speaking, Heir Pingjia’s eyes rolled back and he fainted.

The lead officer paused.

Was he actually trying to escape reality?

“What are you standing around for? Send the heir back to Pingjia Marquis Manor.”

One officer asked: “Chief, what about this person?”

The lead officer glanced at the bookstore owner with his deathly pale face and frowned in disgust: “Send him to Pingjia Marquis Manor as well.”

If it were a commoner, they could still throw him in jail on grounds of corrupting public morals and disrupting the joyous top scholar parade. But now that Heir Pingjia couldn’t be arrested, naturally the fellow who had been fooling around with Heir Pingjia couldn’t be arrested either.

Send them all to Pingjia Marquis Manor and let the marquis manor have the headache.

In the blink of an eye, all the officers left with the men, leaving only the onlookers gathering in groups to discuss excitedly.

“I really never expected Heir Pingjia to like men.”

“I was wondering why Heir Pingjia always frequented the bookstore. I actually believed those rumors that Heir Pingjia liked reading.”

Someone chuckled: “If Heir Pingjia really liked reading, would he still be at the bookstore today? Among the imperial street parade scholars, there should have been him as well.”

This reminded quite a few people.

“Old Wang next door went to see the top scholar parade and even bragged to me about it. Heh heh, let’s see how he shows off now.”

“Exactly! How can a top scholar parade compare to two grown men running bare-bottomed into the street?”

Everyone nodded in agreement.

For the sake of face, they must let those who went to see the top scholar parade know what just happened!

Lin Hao mixed in the crowd listening to these discussions, in excellent spirits.

Uncle Liu really knew how to get things done.

“Second Miss.” Someone called quietly.

Lin Hao saw Uncle Liu beckoning and walked over.

“Is Second Miss satisfied?” Uncle Liu asked with a smile.

Lin Hao smiled and nodded: “Uncle Liu certainly has methods. When I saw them run directly out from the bookstore’s main entrance, I knew it had succeeded.”

This type of layout with a shop in front and courtyard in back often had a back door to use. If these two had fled through the back door into an alley, it wouldn’t have had this effect.

“It was also perfect timing and location. They thought everyone had gone to watch the top scholar parade today, so they actually carried on right there in the bookstore. Suddenly hearing the firecracker sounds, they panicked naturally and rushed toward whichever door was closer—” Uncle Liu explained proudly, then seemed to remember something, his expression becoming subtle. “Second Miss personally witnessed them running out?”

“I saw them.” Lin Hao’s expression didn’t change. “Didn’t Uncle Liu notify me to come watch?”

Uncle Liu: “…” If the old madam found out, she would definitely break his legs.

“Second Miss, we must keep this secret.”

“Naturally. Uncle Liu worked hard. I’ll bring you sauced beef tonight.”

“Does Second Miss have other business?”

“I’m going to tell Elder Miss Chen.”

After parting from Uncle Liu, Lin Hao turned around and saw a familiar figure.

Lin Hao was startled and instinctively assessed Qi Shuo.

Not having seen him for several days, Prince Jing’s heir looked somewhat paler, yet much better than she’d thought.

Hadn’t they said Prince Jing’s heir was seriously ill—

“Second Miss Lin, what a coincidence.” The young man smiled in greeting.

“Has Your Highness… recovered from his illness?”

“Ahem.” Qi Shuo turned his head and coughed twice. Suddenly he had a feeling of frailty unable to withstand a gust of wind. “It was just a chill.”

“That’s good then.” Lin Hao revealed a genuine smile, greatly relieved.

These past few days, thinking of Prince Jing’s heir had given her a headache.

She’d been conflicted about whether to go see him, yet reason told her she had no standing to do so.

She could hardly run to Prince Jing’s Manor and tell Princess Consort Jing: Your son possibly fell ill because of me, so I’ve come to visit.

If she hadn’t heard that servant called Changning talking to himself, she would have scolded herself for being presumptuous.

Now seeing Prince Jing’s heir appearing before her eyes full of life, she finally felt at ease.

As Lin Hao was thinking this, from the corner of her eye she caught sight of the servant following behind Qi Shuo.

The servant’s hesitant appearance stirred up again the confusion she’d felt these past days: Had Prince Jing’s heir jumped into the lake to save her?

Being different from others since childhood made Lin Hao extraordinarily straightforward in some aspects.

When she couldn’t figure something out, she simply asked.

“That day when Your Highness jumped into the lake… who were you trying to save?”

Changning couldn’t help but widen his eyes.

Second Miss Lin was actually asking the heir directly!

Qi Shuo was clearly also somewhat surprised.

He seemed to want to curve his lips but suppressed it, ultimately asking without revealing his emotions: “Why would Second Miss Lin ask this question? I mean… a question whose answer seems obvious to many people.”

Lin Hao glanced at Changning.

She had also thought the answer was obvious, if not for hearing this servant’s words.

Of course, she wouldn’t speak of that day’s events. Otherwise, it would be admitting she’d climbed the wall and eavesdropped again.

“My views on a person often belong to the minority, so I remain curious even about seemingly obvious questions.”

The young man curved his lips in a smile: “What a coincidence. I also belong to that minority.”