A’luo’s gaze was complex as she stared at her for a long time, then said, “After all, you’re childhood sweethearts. He’s a very good person. You might as well return to his side – I think he’d be willing.”

Suzhen replied, “You’re meddling too much, Miss Gu! He doesn’t treat me very well, but he treats you extremely well. You might as well be with him instead.”

A’luo laughed coldly. “You still think about Lian Yu in your heart, so why bother?”

“As you wish. Just come at me, I’ll be waiting for your brilliant moves.”

“I have no interest in either Li Zhaoting or Lian Yu!”

Suzhen replied coldly as well. Seeing that Li Zhaoting’s complexion had recovered somewhat, she withdrew her hand. Her entire arm was numb and stiff, and she no longer had the strength to tear off fabric to bind the wound. She lifted her hem to cover the wound and tried to move away, but her vision went black and she collapsed to the ground.

“Feng Suzhen, get up! You cannot die here!”

Before her eyes was the dim, flickering reddish light of the fire starter and A’luo’s voice, teeth slightly clenched.

But she remained drowsy and could no longer get up.

…

“Your Majesty, here… they’re really here!”

Voices and light gradually pressed into her ears and eyes. She could barely breathe, but her eyes instinctively opened halfway. The door above was open, and she could see dust dancing in the air. It was light.

People jumped down one after another. Her gaze searched among them, and she immediately recognized him in the crowd.

He also spotted her at once, rushed to her in a few steps, lifted her up, and pressed his cheek tightly against her face. His hands were so strong yet trembling slightly, his bright, sharp eyes filled with fear.

“Li Huaisu.”

He held her with one arm while checking her breathing with the other, calling her name softly as if they had never been apart.

She couldn’t open her eyes wide but suddenly began to cry.

“Your Majesty, Miss Gu is over here!”

She remembered the scene of Wu Yan seriously wounded in Huo Chang’an’s arms that day. She wanted to ask him to stay with her a while longer, but felt she had no right to make such a request. And indeed, he wasn’t Huo Chang’an – he soon gently placed her in someone else’s arms.

Her heart ached, and she finally lost consciousness completely.

“Li Huaisu, Li Huaisu…”

In her dreams, someone was calling her with worry.

“Lian Yu.”

She responded unconsciously and heard a soft sigh.

“Don’t call her. Let her sleep more.”

“No, sleeping too long isn’t good for her body. It’s about time she woke up, but she just wants to keep sleeping. Huaisu, Li Huaisu, wake up.”

Her face hurt. Suzhen frowned and slowly opened her eyes. She saw Xiao Zhou and Wu Qing’s faces. Xiao Zhou withdrew her hand from Suzhen’s face – apparently, she was the one who had just pinched her.

She glared at her fiercely. Wu Qing smoothed her hair while Xiao Zhou smiled and walked away, soon returning with a bowl and handing it to Wu Qing. She helped Suzhen sit up against her shoulder and instructed Wu Qing, “You feed her.”

Wu Qing nodded and stirred the spoon in the bowl a few times, her eyes showing rare warmth. “Come, drink some hot soup. You nearly scared us to death.”

“Smells so good. Is this ginseng soup simmered with chicken? What bliss.” Suzhen sniffed hard and smacked her lips.

Xiao Zhou burst out laughing. “Look at you, so greedy. This is premium ginseng medicine simmered with old chicken. You’ve slept for three days. We’ve been feeding you liquid food these past few days, and now this to restore some color to your face.”

“Premium ginseng medicine – do we have such things at our residence?” Suzhen was slightly puzzled. Her voice from shouting too much in the cave was hoarse like an old woman’s, very unpleasant.

“This is the palace,” Wu Qing answered flatly as she fed her soup.

“The palace?” Suzhen was startled and sat up from Xiao Zhou’s shoulder, looking around. It wasn’t the scenery of her room at the Criminal Investigation Bureau. The surroundings were decorated with brocade and jade screens, yet seemed somewhat familiar. She suddenly remembered where this was.

She had been imprisoned here by Lian Yu for several days!

“What does Lian Yu mean by this?” She looked at Wu Qing and Xiao Zhou with some anger.

Wu Qing didn’t answer, but Xiao Zhou’s expression became somewhat serious. “The day you disappeared, we thought you had gone to investigate the case. Only when you hadn’t returned to the residence after two days did we realize something might have happened to you. Soon, a servant from the Li residence came asking if their young master was with you, and we knew something was seriously wrong. We immediately reported to the palace, only to discover that Consort Gu had also suddenly disappeared. Her palace maids and eunuchs didn’t know where she had gone either – the palace was already in chaos. Fortunately, His Majesty heard the report and determined that your three disappearances were most likely related to the case. He led people to the palace maid’s quarters again, found the mechanism, and rescued you all. The imperial physicians all said that if it had been a few hours later, none of you could have been saved.”

“Setting aside other matters between you and His Majesty for now, His Majesty has issued a death order – until these two cases are solved, everyone from our Criminal Investigation Bureau will lodge in the palace.”

“You know this case’s primary suspect is the Dowager Consort. Even if it’s not her, it’s someone as formidable as her. You nearly lost your lives this time. While our Criminal Investigation Bureau has the ability to protect ourselves, outside we can never be as safe as in the palace.”

“But we had our incident in the palace.”

“That’s because you were alone. His Majesty has now assigned many people to protect us – they’re right outside your room. Huaisu, at this critical juncture, you mustn’t be stubborn—”

“Alright, I understand,” she interrupted before Xiao Zhou could finish. “I still have this much sense of priorities. Since His Majesty has commanded it, then so be it.”

She suddenly remembered something. “How are Li Zhaoting and Gu Xiluo?”

“They’re fine,” Xiao Zhou said with a change of expression, her eyes showing disdain. “Their lives are quite tough, especially that Miss Gu. You’re really too kind-hearted, still worrying about them.”

“I’m really not that kind-hearted. I just don’t want to die together with them.”

“That’s true too. Dying together would make some things unclear,” Xiao Zhou nodded, then said to Wu Qing, “Go next door and call Zhui Ming and Tie Shou, tell them Huaisu is awake.”

Wu Qing’s gaze flickered slightly, but she didn’t say anything, just replied “Alright” and went out.

“What exactly do you want to say that you had to send Wu Qing away?” Suzhen looked at Xiao Zhou and raised an eyebrow slightly.

Xiao Zhou also raised her eyebrows. “You two, one appears carefree and the other seems cold and aloof, but you’re both quite shrewd inside. I just want to tell you some private girl talk. What really happened with your hand? Did you do Li Zhaoting some favor?”

Seeing Suzhen remain silent, she raised her voice. “Don’t you dare try to lie to me! When you were carried up, I saw clearly from the side – Gu Xiluo and Li Zhaoting had blood around their mouths, only you didn’t. You and Li Zhaoting both had wounds on your hands, only Gu Xiluo didn’t. I think His Majesty understands what all this means. Do you know how awful His Majesty’s expression was at the time!”

“I know you haven’t gotten over His Majesty – otherwise, who were you calling out to in your dreams just now? But like this, you and His Majesty—”

Suzhen laughed and looked up. “Before I answer your questions, you answer me two questions first. Who did Lian Yu personally carry out? And has he come to see me these past few days?”

Xiao Zhou was immediately choked up. After a long while, she finally said softly, “Huaisu, I truly consider you a friend.”

“I do too, so I’m grateful for your concern and that you want me and Lian Yu to reconcile. But Xiao Zhou, we can never be together again. He still has feelings for me, but that’s all – it’s no longer life and death devotion, and we can’t grow old together. Enough, let’s not talk about it anymore. If we continue, I really can’t hold up.”

“I’m sorry.”

Xiao Zhou suddenly lowered her head.

Suzhen got up and hugged her. “Just be well with Wu Qing, don’t worry about me.”

Xiao Zhou patted her back, her voice soft by her ear. “Actually, I’m not entirely concerned about you – I have my selfish motives too. Thank you, and I hope your blessing comes true.”

“What are you doing?”

Zhui Ming’s loud voice called out in surprise.

The two turned around to see Wu Qing and the others pushing through the door, with Ming Yanchu and a eunuch following behind.

Ming Yanchu also looked at the two with some puzzlement, his gaze complex, but soon smiled. “Is Magistrate Li feeling better? The imperial physician said it was about time for you to wake up, and indeed it was right. The Seventh Prince and Ninth Prince, being friends with Magistrate Li, sent these supplements to the palace. Though the palace has everything, it’s still their thoughtful gesture. Please accept them, Magistrate Li.”

As he spoke, the eunuch beside him respectfully placed a pile of colorful gift boxes on the table.

Suzhen understood that everyone was constantly guarding against her harming Lian Yu because she was an orphan of the Feng family, but having interacted with her, they felt somewhat guilty about her.

But by the time they finally had a better impression of her, she and Lian Yu were already— She held some resentment against Ming Yanchu, but this favored person of Lian Yu always wore a smiling face around her afterward. If she continued to be petty, it would seem meaningless. Let it be.

She clasped her hands together and bowed in return. “Thank you for your trouble, Eunuch Ming. Please also convey my thanks to the two princes.”

Ming Yanchu was stunned. After a long time, he slowly bowed in return. After pausing, he continued, “Besides delivering gifts, this servant came to notify Magistrate Li that tomorrow His Majesty will summon Magistrate Li, the Criminal Investigation Bureau, and Magistrate Li to discuss Consort Yu’s case. This matter is of great importance – His Majesty and the Empress Dowager will personally oversee this case.”

Everyone from the Criminal Investigation Bureau felt their hearts tighten upon hearing this.

After Ming Yanchu left, Suzhen wanted to start discussing the case. Xiao Zhou and the others were also enthusiastic, but Wu Qing wouldn’t allow it. She drove everyone out, telling Suzhen to rest another day – tomorrow’s matters could wait until tomorrow. But Suzhen couldn’t sleep anymore. When Xiao Zhou and the others came earlier, they had brought all the materials and left them on the desk in the room. She began to bury herself in re-examining the case files.

Just as she reached a crucial point, there was suddenly a knock at the door. She sighed and walked over to open it. “My dear advisor, didn’t I tell you that Lian Yu and I really can’t have anything anymore? You don’t need to keep persuading me—”

As she spoke, she suddenly froze. Outside the door, Li Zhaoting stood quietly in a pristine white robe, looking at her calmly.