◎What if I had kissed you?◎

“Why did you come?”

Zhang Yiran followed Luo Wanqing out of the office building and onto the street, asking seriously: “Is there something wrong?”

“How is Aunt Zhao?” Luo Wanqing didn’t immediately discuss business, first inquiring about Aunt Zhao’s situation.

Zhang Yiran paused, then his tone softened: “She’s doing well.”

With that, he smiled: “A few days ago, when we saw off Elder Sister and Young Master Qin, Young Master Qin came to visit our home and told my mother he would take Elder Sister to the northwest, asking mother not to worry.”

This had been arranged long ago. Luo Wanqing nodded without saying much.

During this time, Zhang Yiran had lost considerable weight, with some stubble on his face. Though his expression was clear, compared to before, he had matured greatly.

Luo Wanqing thought for a moment, then raised her hand: “I haven’t yet congratulated Master Zhang on your promotion to the Censorate.”

“It’s just going back to where I came from,” Zhang Yiran shook his head. “Nothing particularly worth celebrating. However, if Inspector has any use for me in the future,” Zhang Yiran raised his hand in salute, “please command me.”

These words left Luo Wanqing stunned, then puzzled: “Master Zhang doesn’t seem to have this personality.”

If he had this personality back then, how would he have been demoted from the Censorate to the Ministry of Works?

“That depends on who it’s for.” Zhang Yiran looked up with a light smile: “I trust Inspector wouldn’t make me do anything against my conscience.”

“Not that death row prisoner anymore?” Luo Wanqing joked. Zhang Yiran was speechless.

After a moment, both of them laughed lightly.

“I’m serious. Zhang Yiran’s face showed a smile, but his expression was particularly solemn. “Inspector has done so much for the Zhang family, and I also believe what Inspector will do next is what I want to do too.”

Hearing Zhang Yiran’s implication, Luo Wanqing remained silent.

Zhang Yiran continued: “Though Zhang is insignificant with little influence, please allow Zhang to do something for Miss.”

Luo Wanqing’s movements paused slightly. She knew he was serious. After hesitating for a moment, she said slowly, “It was Sister Jiuran who helped me greatly. Everything I do for her is proper.”

“But…”

“However, I do need your help today.”

Luo Wanqing stopped exchanging pleasantries with him, leading him toward Zhenbao Pavilion, saying slowly: “First accompany me to retrieve a hairpin.”

“Retrieve a hairpin?”

Zhang Yiran was somewhat surprised, not expecting Luo Wanqing to call him out for this task.

Luo Wanqing nodded, walking ahead: “Tomorrow is my Shadow Envoy’s birthday. I commissioned a hairpin for him—you accompany me to retrieve it and help provide cover.”

Hearing this, Zhang Yiran was somewhat dazed.

Luo Wanqing turned to look at him: “Master Zhang?”

“Oh,” Zhang Yiran came to his senses, seeming to just realize what she had said, asking back: “Provide cover?”

“Yes, many people are following us now. You just pretend to be shopping with me. After we part tonight, you help me find someone.”

Zhang Yiran listened, raising his hand to block people on the roadside for Luo Wanqing, asking quietly: “Who?”

“Do you remember that night when I disguised myself as someone kidnapped by human traffickers and met you and Li Guiyu, you rescued a group of people trafficked by kidnappers?”

“I remember.” Zhang Yiran nodded, recalling: “I sent that group to the Supervision Department, and the Supervision Department handed them over to the Eastern Capital Prefecture, arranging for them to return to their families.”

“Among them was a woman named Meixiang,” Luo Wanqing named her specifically. “She lives in the seventh alley east of the city. You need to find her and bring her to the Supervision Department for me before tomorrow. This matter must be done secretly.”

“Alright.”

Zhang Yiran agreed immediately, not even asking what it was for.

Luo Wanqing was quite grateful.

The two went to Zhenbao Pavilion together to collect the hairpin. Zhang Yiran looked at the white jade hairpin and knew it was quite valuable, couldn’t help saying: “Xiniang cares deeply for Shadow Envoy Cui.”

“He’s given me much more.”

Hearing this, Luo Wanqing knew she had chosen well and was quite pleased. She closed the box, settled the account with the shopkeeper, and then went downstairs with Zhang Yiran.

Seeing the sky had darkened, Luo Wanqing bid farewell to Zhang Yiran, saying quietly: “Thank you for tonight’s trouble.”

“I will not fail this trust.”

Zhang Yiran bowed, then turned to leave.

After walking just a few steps, Luo Wanqing remembered something she wanted to give him and called out: “Zhang Yiran!”

Zhang Yiran turned back to see Luo Wanqing throw a short flute to him. Zhang Yiran caught it, then heard Luo Wanqing say: “For you.”

Zhang Yiran stared blankly at the short flute, remembering this was what Luo Wanqing had given him before.

When he blew it, that “Shadow Envoy Cui” would come.

Luo Wanqing saw his thoughts and quickly explained: “Specifically for you.”

Hearing this, Zhang Yiran smiled, holding the short flute and bowing to her across the crowd.

Luo Wanqing waved, turned, and left, placing the jade hairpin box in her sleeve as she began considering where to go tonight.

During this time, she had been cleaning up the Eastern Palace’s illegal businesses, arresting only low-level figures and no officials. From these people’s fragments of words, she deduced the responsibilities of all Eastern Palace-related personnel in operating these illegal businesses, and how they had established connections with the Eastern Palace Six Rates.

Among Li Shangwen’s remaining people, none of the unclean ones could be spared.

Especially the Eastern Palace Six Rates.

Every day, she carefully examined all prisoners’ transcripts, comparing, connecting, and pondering.

She roughly figured out that these illegal businesses had official protection, but the Eastern Palace hadn’t reached the point of complete control. Officials simply didn’t handle their cases and ignored them, but wouldn’t participate in their conflicts either.

The Eastern Capital’s power network was deeply entrenched. These illegal businesses had early conflicts with other officially protected forces. Though the lower-level people didn’t know, based on their descriptions, the Eastern Palace Six Rates military must have intervened to help them. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have had such ready manpower at their beck and call, allowing them to run rampant in the Eastern Capital and firmly establish their footing.

When they encountered trouble, their contact was the Crown Prince’s Assistant Lin Shuzhi. This person was a cousin of the Crown Prince’s Grand Tutor, Lu Lingchan. According to intelligence from former Eastern Palace informants, the hub connecting Eastern Palace civil and military officials was Lu Lingchan. So when conflicts arose, it was likely that Lin Shuzhi contacted people below, then notified Lu Lingchan, who would then deploy the Eastern Palace Six Rates to help.

Now, someone had already identified Lin Shuzhi. She could apply for Lin Shuzhi’s arrest warrant today. As a scion of a noble family, Lin Shuzhi wouldn’t last half an hour in her hands. Once Lin Shuzhi talked, she could immediately arrest Lu Lingchan.

However, on the one hand, arresting Lin Shuzhi would be quite difficult. On the other hand, as soon as she arrested Lin Shuzhi, Lu Lingchan might immediately flee, even destroying all related evidence.

So she didn’t count on using Lin Shuzhi’s arrest to trap Lu Lingchan and then follow the trail to take down the Eastern Palace Six Rates.

She had found another path.

She had previously suspected the three Inspectors’ incidents involved inside cooperation, and after she announced within the Supervision Department that they wouldn’t strictly investigate this case, she faced much less resistance, further confirming her suspicion of an informant in the Supervision Department. So she reviewed materials from the three Inspectors’ incidents, identifying the list of Inspectors who knew their whereabouts on the days they had problems.

Five people were under her suspicion: the three Fang brothers, Xing Ling, and Zhao Sanhu.

Though she felt the three Fang brothers and Xing Ling were unlikely, they had indeed known all three Inspectors’ whereabouts simultaneously, so she didn’t rule them out.

For these five, she told each of them a different official’s name today, then hinted she would take action tonight to arrest these officials.

Now she only needed to check these officials’ locations one by one. Whichever official had preparations around them would reveal who the informant was.

Among these five, she had always suspected Zhao Sanhu the most, so she gave him the most crucial information about Lin Shuzhi.

If Zhao Sanhu was the informant, the news of her arresting Lin Shuzhi tonight would already be known to the other side. Those people would only focus on arresting Lin Shuzhi, making it much safer for Zhang Yiran to take away Meixiang.

And her arrest of Lin Shuzhi would be intercepted. When she failed to catch Lin Shuzhi, those people would relax their guard. When Zhang Yiran brought Meixiang back, she could use Meixiang’s testimony tomorrow to apply for Lu Lingchan’s arrest warrant. By then, Lu Lingchan wouldn’t have time to react—she’d catch him like a turtle in a jar.

This way, she’d both identify the informant buried in the Supervision Department and catch Lu Lingchan—killing two birds with one stone.

With Lu Lingchan in hand, having the entire Eastern Palace hub, whether the Eastern Palace Six Rates or others, she’d have witnesses and evidence. Only then would this case truly begin thorough investigation.

Luo Wanqing organized her plan in her mind, then first went to check the first corrupt official, the Crown Prince’s Registrar, Master Qin.

She had told Fang Yuan she would arrest this person. She silently infiltrated the Qin residence—the Qin family was completely unprepared, showing that Fang Yuan was fine.

She used the same method to test the officials corresponding to Fang Zhi, Fang Shun, and Xing Ling. These officials all showed no signs of having received any information.

Luo Wanqing eliminated them. It was already the hour of the pig. Now, only one person remained—the one most closely connected to Lu Lingchan and with the highest official rank: Crown Prince’s Assistant Lin Shuzhi.

This person corresponded to Zhao Sanhu. She had told Zhao Sanhu she would arrest Lin Shuzhi tonight.

She had indeed been watching Lin Shuzhi for a long time. She knew tonight he would stay overnight at Zhaixing Tower.

He had kept a courtesan there as his mistress, visiting every five days. Today was exactly the fifth day.

If Lin Shuzhi wasn’t there tonight, then Zhao Sanhu was the traitor.

Luo Wanqing calculated the time and headed toward Zhaixing Tower.

At this time, on the back mountain of the Supervision Department, Xie Heng was playing chess with Zhuque.

Zhuque’s chess skills were poor. He struggled desperately, holding a white piece and scratching his head, completely unable to continue.

After a while, Zhuque said with a bitter face: “Young Master, should I just surrender?”

“No.”

Xie Heng picked up his teacup and urged, “Continue.”

Zhuque held the chess piece between thumb and forefinger, hesitating for a long time. A pigeon cooed and fluttered into the courtyard. Qingya, who was brewing tea, stood up and took several messages from the pigeon.

He quickly scanned them, then turned to look at Xie Heng: “Young Master, Aunt Baili sent messages from down the mountain.”

“Speak.”

“Today, Inspector Liu went shopping with Master Zhang Yiran and bought him a hairpin.”

At these words, Zhuque immediately looked toward Xie Heng.

Xie Heng’s fingers tightened slightly around his teacup, his expression cold as he only said: “Don’t waste resources on such information.”

“There’s more.”

Qingya smiled, then became serious: “Afterward, Master Zhang went to find a woman named Meixiang and is now hiding in the crowd heading toward the Supervision Department. Inspector Liu checked four Eastern Palace-related officials’ residences in succession, then headed toward Zhaixing Tower. Half an hour ago, the Third Prince deployed personnel into Zhaixing Tower.”

Hearing this, Xie Heng suddenly looked up sharply.

After a moment, he stood up and walked into the room. While changing clothes, he coldly ordered, “Notify Xuanshan to prepare people. Zhuque,” he emerged wearing a mask and said coldly, “follow me.”

When Luo Wanqing reached Zhaixing Tower, it was almost past midnight. Though Zhaixing Tower was still bustling with voices, compared to an hour earlier, it had improved considerably.

Luo Wanqing stood downstairs watching the courtesan’s room for a while. When the lights in the room went out, she took advantage of the night to climb up the building.

The courtesan’s room was at the highest point of Zhaixing Tower. She climbed onto the roof, leaped into the corridor, and quietly came to the window.

She had brought a prepared mask and used a dagger to silently pry open the window, planning to enter and investigate.

If Lin Shuzhi was there, it proved that Zhao Sanhu wasn’t the informant.

The informant couldn’t grasp their information, so she could take the opportunity to kidnap Lin Shuzhi and apply for an arrest warrant. Though she’d be scolded, it wasn’t impossible.

If she could get information from interrogation tonight, she’d go arrest Lu Lingchan overnight—Lu Lingchan might not escape either.

If Lin Shuzhi wasn’t there, Zhao Sanhu was undoubtedly the informant.

Of course, there was also the worst possibility…

Luo Wanqing carefully leaped through the window, holding poison powder in her hand.

But as soon as she entered, she smelled blood. She almost without hesitation turned to flee.

But at that moment, lights blazed up and a maid screamed: “Murder!”

The moment the sound rang out, Luo Wanqing simultaneously leaped out of the room. Arrows shot from all directions. Luo Wanqing drew her sword to cut down the arrow rain and leaped down from Zhaixing Tower!

Her movements were too fast for anyone to react, except for one person who rushed out of the house and followed her down as she jumped.

The night wind howled. The young man fell extremely fast, wearing a lake-blue brocade robe with wide sleeves like wings, like a frenzied wind attacking a butterfly, flowing with cold beauty in the night.

Luo Wanqing looked at the young man following her down in disbelief, finally realizing.

Tonight, it was Li Guiyu personally waiting for her!

Zhao Sanhu was indeed the informant.

The Eastern Palace side knew about her coming to arrest Lin Shuzhi tonight and had prepared early.

But it wasn’t enough that Lin Shuzhi wasn’t there or that they had set an ambush—they had killed someone and prepared to frame her here!

Thinking of this, Luo Wanqing felt anger rising in her heart.

However, she knew she absolutely couldn’t leave any trace here.

If Li Guiyu caught her, she couldn’t explain herself tonight—she’d be caught red-handed at Zhaixing Tower.

Understanding this clearly, she hit the ground without any hesitation and immediately ran.

Li Guiyu was already attacking, grabbing her hair and slamming her against the wall with a “clang,” saying coldly: “So smart, yet you still wade into this muddy water?”

As soon as he finished speaking, Luo Wanqing bent at the waist and kicked back, simultaneously pressing forward and sharply bending Li Guiyu’s wrist downward. Li Guiyu was forced to let go, then reversed his grip toward her neck.

Luo Wanqing raised her hand to block, using Li Guiyu’s force to stand up. The two pushed against each other’s wrists for a moment. Seeing an opportunity, Luo Wanqing suddenly scattered poison powder with her left hand while simultaneously striking toward Li Guiyu’s face with Qianji in her right hand!

Li Guiyu swept his wide sleeve to deflect all the powder and Qianji. Luo Wanqing took the chance to escape, and Li Guiyu immediately pursued, following Luo Wanqing as they raced across rooftops.

Under the bright moonlight, two figures chased endlessly across the rooftops.

Luo Wanqing glanced behind her, knowing that with Li Guiyu’s skills, catching up to her was just a matter of time.

She couldn’t continue fleeing in such open areas—she needed to mix into crowded places.

Luo Wanqing surveyed the surroundings and saw the Eastern Capital’s largest brothel, Chunfeng Pavilion, brightly lit with red lanterns and wine, bustling with voices.

She immediately changed direction, rushing toward Chunfeng Pavilion.

But by then Li Guiyu had reached her back, saying impatiently: “Stop running.”

With that, he reached out to grab her clothes and pull her back.

At that instant, arrows whistled from around them. Li Guiyu immediately turned back and caught an arrow aimed at him.

With this arrow blocked, Luo Wanqing gained space to move forward. She used all her strength, bounding like a rabbit and leaping like a crane, rushing to the wall of Chunfeng Pavilion, jumping down from the wall edge, trying to rush straight into the pavilion.

But her toes had barely touched ground when a great force attacked from behind, grabbing her around the waist and pulling her back.

Luo Wanqing spun in midair using her waist strength, her dagger cutting straight toward the other’s neck. But he seemed to have anticipated this, pressing down on her wrist holding the dagger and pinning both wrist and person heavily against the wall.

The dagger was forced loose and fell. Her entire body was pressed against the wall by him, and she couldn’t help but grunt softly.

The young man smoothly lifted her chin and lowered his head to kiss her. She instinctively closed her eyes, but he stopped inches from her lips.

At this moment, Li Guiyu leaped into the courtyard. He glanced at the corner where a young man was pressing down on a woman in apparent pleasure, immediately averted his gaze, and rushed toward the interior of Chunfeng Pavilion.

After Li Guiyu left, the other person still didn’t move. Only their breathing intertwined with Luo Wanqing’s. The familiar cold fragrance made Luo Wanqing’s body tremble involuntarily. She didn’t know how to react and could only wait for his command, keeping her eyes tightly shut.

After a long time, the young man finally pulled back and withdrew, chuckling softly: “Still not opening your eyes?”

Hearing this, Luo Wanqing immediately opened her eyes. Looking up at the young man with the gilt mask before her, her eyes lit up: “Cui Heng?”

Seeing her expression, Cui Heng paused, suppressing his momentarily stopped heartbeat, and smiled brilliantly, draping his outer garment over Luo Wanqing.

“Let’s go.”

He took her wrist and ran toward a nearby window, then leaped up, entering the second floor of Chunfeng Tower through the window and heading toward the sounds of voices.

With Cui Heng’s arrival, Luo Wanqing’s heart immediately settled. Not thinking about anything else, she followed him, running through the corridors, unable to help looking up at him.

Today, he wore a silver-gray silk wide-sleeved outer shirt with large branch and leaf patterns embroidered in silver thread, layered with a pure white gauze outer shirt, paired with a white brocade right-front robe and white and silver collar shirts underneath—layer upon layer, extraordinarily wealthy and noble.

Now this outer shirt was on her. He wore white clothes and a silver crown, leading her running through the corridor. Lamplight flowed over her, her nostrils filled with the scent of his clothes. For a moment she felt this garment was like a rope, silently binding the two of them together.

He led her through empty corridors into the main hall. Clamorous sounds greeted them. Cui Heng put his arm around her shoulders, holding her in his embrace, saying softly: “I’ll take you out.”

“Why didn’t you climb the wall to leave earlier?”

Luo Wanqing was curious.

Cui Heng didn’t answer. With his arm around her shoulders, he casually took a small wine bottle from a servant’s hand, like a young master who frequented brothels, embracing a beautiful woman as he walked through the corridor. He smiled and greeted people around them, then whispered in her ear: “Outside are his people—no need for conflict.”

With that, Cui Heng continued instructing: “Once we’re out on the main street, I’ll take you to change clothes first. His people have blocked the roads back to the Supervision Department. If you stay on the street for another hour, then no one will remember exactly when you appeared on this street. By then, even if he arrests you, it will be meaningless.”

Luo Wanqing listened and understood Cui Heng’s meaning.

Earlier in the Zhaixing Tower room, there had been a bloody smell—Li Guiyu had probably already set up his scheme. Perhaps people from the Ministry of Justice, Censorate, and such were already prepared nearby, just waiting for her to enter the room. Then the maid standing at the door would scream, Li Guiyu’s people would rush out to pin her down, and she’d be caught red-handed at the scene as the murderer of whoever was in the room.

Then, forget investigating the Eastern Palace case—she couldn’t clear herself.

But she had run fast, not been pinned at the scene, and wore a veil so no one dared definitively identify her. Li Guiyu could only quickly catch her now to have any chance of throwing mud on her.

But the longer time passed, the worse for Li Guiyu. In a while, she’d change clothes and linger on the street. Her outstanding appearance would be remembered by people on the street, but they’d hardly remember the exact time. As long as she insisted she had been shopping on the street tonight, even if Li Guiyu caught her in an hour or two, it would be hard to identify her as the murderer.

The key now was to leave Chunfeng Pavilion without conflict, go to a clothing store on the street to change clothes, and create witnesses for not being at the scene.

To avoid conflict, disguising as a young master with his concubine and leaving Chunfeng Pavilion openly was indeed the simplest method.

Thinking this, Luo Wanqing glanced at Cui Heng beside her, who was greeting people.

He could chat with anyone, appearing familiar with this place, completely blending in. Even wearing a mask didn’t attract attention.

He threw a bag of silver to a servant and followed him upstairs with Luo Wanqing in his arms.

Surrounded by clamorous voices, dancers performing music on the high platform, men and women around them playing wildly, Luo Wanqing leaned in his embrace, hidden by him in the dark passage, carefully listening to the surrounding sounds, asking quietly: “How did you come?”

Cui Heng didn’t speak. He saw one of Li Guiyu’s guards carrying a sword upstairs from afar, looking around everywhere.

His gaze swept over the guard’s face as he said lazily: “Let me ask you something.”

“Mm?”

Luo Wanqing looked up to see Cui Heng turn to look at her, smiling ambiguously: “What were you doing closing your eyes by the wall earlier?”

Luo Wanqing was stunned, then realized what he was asking about, involuntarily freezing.

Seeing this, Cui Heng opened his fan and lowered his head, using the fan to block both their faces, whispering in her ear: “Were you,” his breath sprayed on Luo Wanqing’s ear as he calmly watched the guard walk past them through the fan’s gaps, his tone particularly ambiguous, “thinking I was going to kiss you?”

Hearing this, Luo Wanqing’s heart raced.

But she also saw the guard nearby and knew Cui Heng’s intention. She didn’t dare let herself overthink, lowering her head without speaking.

Within the fan’s square inch coverage, Cui Heng looked up at her.

Luo Wanqing sensed his gaze but didn’t dare look back. After a moment, Cui Heng realized something and burst out laughing.

Hearing the laughter, Luo Wanqing pushed Cui Heng away, pulling tight the clothes he’d given her, somewhat embarrassed as she followed the servant ahead.

Cui Heng tapped his shoulder with the fan, laughing as he followed Luo Wanqing into the room the servant had arranged.

After the two entered, the servant tactfully withdrew.

Luo Wanqing pretended she hadn’t heard anything, busily going to open the window nearby and checking the scene outside.

The window faced an alley beside the main street. Jumping out from here and walking to the main street would be perfectly unnoticed.

Luo Wanqing’s mood improved considerably. She turned back, saying, “We’ll jump from here…”

“What if I had kissed you?”

Both spoke simultaneously.

Luo Wanqing was stunned, looking at Cui Heng not far away, arms crossed in front, leaning casually against a pillar.

He looked at her with a smile. Luo Wanqing couldn’t speak.

After a long time, she stammered: “Emergency… I… didn’t…”

Before she could finish, Cui Heng chuckled: “Alright.”

He straightened up and walked to her, calmly passing by her side, then supporting himself on the window edge with one hand, leaped down, calling: “Just kidding. Let’s go.”

Author’s Notes:

[Mini Theater] Xie Heng: “Flirting with my wife right under my nose—so angry! I’ll beat his drums to pieces!”