The rain grew heavier, and silver candles burned quietly at the table.

Under the flickering lamplight, two people in the room confronted each other.

After a long silence, Lu Tong spoke: “How did you recognize me?”

She should have realized earlier—Pei Yunying asking for wine, wanting to see qin playing and dancing, then wanting shoulder massage, clearly just deliberately toying with her. Yet she had thought this was Pei Yunying’s true nature, intentionally flirting with the dancing girl he had invited.

However, she was already wearing a face veil with elaborate makeup, and hadn’t even uttered a single word. How had Pei Yunying recognized her?

The young man sighed and shook his head: “Other girls have eyes full of tender affection, but your eyes radiate murderous intent that can be felt from ten li away.”

He laughed once: “Who could you possibly deceive?”

Lu Tong: “…”

She really wanted to blind this person’s eyes with a handful of ash poison.

Pei Yunying poured tea and took a sip, then smiled as he looked her over: “Doctor Lu is quite different today.”

She usually had a plain face, wore mostly old clothes, and braided her hair for the convenience of practicing medicine and preparing drugs, appearing completely indifferent to others. But today she had changed into brilliant cicada gauze dance costume—peacock blue dance attire embroidered with golden peacocks, her waist slender as a willow, the blue face veil thin and soft, tassels swaying, revealing those beautiful eyes.

Her eyes were beautifully shaped, with slightly drooping corners that looked very innocent. After having her brows and eyelids touched up, her eye color deepened, making her dark eyes even more profound, giving her a cold beauty.

Today she hadn’t braided her hair—her full head of black hair fell like a waterfall, dotted with thin braids, which were foreign decorations. Combined with the jingling silver ornaments all over her body, at first glance, she was a hundred beauties blooming in one seat.

Pei Yunying looked at her with a half-smile: “Born with such gentle eyes, yet carrying such heavy murderous intent.” He reminded, “Doctor Lu, if you keep killing people at the drop of a hat, what will your future fiancé think when he finds out?”

Lu Tong, already angered by his earlier teasing, retorted sarcastically: “If Lord Pei keeps visiting flower houses at the drop of a hat, what will your future wife think when she finds out?”

Pei Yunying raised his eyebrows: “When I have a wife in the future, I won’t visit flower houses anymore.”

Lu Tong sneered: “Then I’m not as magnanimous as the Commander. When my future fiancé finds out, I’ll just kill him.”

The room fell quiet.

After a long while, Pei Yunying spoke: “So what are you here to do today?”

He glanced at Lu Tong, leaning back against his chair: “To kill your fiancé?”

Lu Tong didn’t want to say more to him. She had already delayed too long here today, and now didn’t know where Qi Yutai was. However, now that Pei Yunying had discovered her, given this person’s scheming nature, he would likely watch her next moves. Today was a failure.

“It’s getting late, so I won’t disturb your lordship’s good time.” Lu Tong deliberately avoided his question. “I’ll leave first.”

“Leaving just like that?”

“Afraid of being seen by others and tarnishing the Commander’s reputation.” After speaking, she headed for the door.

He ignored Lu Tong’s sarcasm, only laughing behind her: “Doctor Lu doesn’t seem to understand the situation yet—do you really think you can leave?”

Lu Tong stopped and turned to look at him coldly.

“It’s not me.” He raised his chin, pointing toward the door. “The third floor of Yuxian Tower isn’t accessible to ordinary people. This is the West Pavilion, which is fine, but over there,” he glanced toward the door, “the East Pavilion has guards.”

“I don’t know what you want to do, but barging in so carelessly, you’ve probably already been discovered. I guess the people outside are waiting for you to walk into their trap.”

“Doctor Lu, you’ve alarmed people.”

Lu Tong’s heart shook.

The seemingly empty corridor on the third floor actually had guards?

But from going upstairs to entering the room, except for the pimp who was lured away by Yin Zheng, she hadn’t encountered any obstruction.

In an instant, a chill swept through her heart, like a mantis catching cicadas suddenly turning to see the oriole approaching from behind.

As if to confirm Pei Yunying’s words, chaotic footsteps sounded outside, accompanied by men’s shouts, like the commotion of official soldiers searching.

Lu Tong suddenly looked at Pei Yunying.

He sat in the room, with gentle candlelight from the pearl lamp falling on him, his eye color unclear.

“Whose people are outside?” Lu Tong asked.

“I don’t know—princes, young masters, wealthy noble guests, just those familiar faces.”

Lu Tong walked two steps toward him: “Can the Commander help me?”

When saying this, her voice softened a bit, trying to invoke their past acquaintance.

According to Pei Yunying, the people outside were of high status and had already noticed someone had infiltrated the third floor. Once discovered, she would be treated as a suspicious target. If the people outside weren’t Qi Yutai, that would be fine, but if they were Qi family members, she would have alerted her prey.

And Pei Yunying was the Heir of Duke Zhaoning—among the powerful, they always had to consider and accommodate each other.

She looked at Pei Yunying.

Pei Yunying stood up from his chair and smiled as he shook his head at Lu Tong.

“I can’t.”

“Doctor Lu and I have no relationship—helping you would mean offending others. Those mad dogs in the capital are troublesome to deal with. I never look for trouble.”

He walked past Lu Tong’s side, seemingly wanting to open the door and leave.

A hand grabbed his sleeve.

Pei Yunying looked down.

Slender fingers gripped his black clothes, showing a kind of desperate persistence. Lu Tong’s voice was calm: “Your lordship seems to have forgotten—you still owe me a favor.”

Pei Yunying paused.

Lu Tong looked up at him: “That day outside the Military Patrol Office, I used myself as bait and gave Lord Pei a gift. At that time I said, ‘I don’t need the Commander to repay it now—when I think of it in the future, I’ll ask the Commander for it.'”

She stepped forward, pressing closer to Pei Yunying: “Now I want to collect this favor from your lordship.”

He said with amusement: “This is using kindness to coerce repayment.”

“Does Lord Pei want to go back on his word?”

He raised his eyebrows, about to speak, when knocking suddenly sounded outside.

“Anyone there?”

Lu Tong’s gaze tightened—they had come.

The knocking sounded like urgent drums, breaking the rainy night’s silence. Pei Yunying suddenly sighed, and in the next moment, grabbed Lu Tong and headed toward the screen.

The silver candle flickered from the stirred wind, and peonies bloomed brilliantly on the pearl lamp.

A large piece of silk mist descended from above, enveloping the two figures on the mandarin duck bed.

Lu Tong was slightly startled and instinctively wanted to struggle, but her wrists were pressed into the bedding, unable to move.

Pearl rope and jade curtains, brocade drapes and lotus tent. On the harmonious mandarin duck embroidered quilt, a pair of colorful mandarin ducks entwined their necks in tenderness, magnificent and radiant. His hard robe corners and her soft gauze skirt tangled together—black brocade mixed with a touch of brilliant blue.

Golden silk warm tent and silver screen leaning—Lu Tong was pressed by him into the bedding, her head full of silver ornaments making crisp sounds against the jade pillow, quite evocative of “jade pillow and the sound of breaking hairpins.”

But the person before her was unmoved by beauty. Pei Yunying released his hands, his gaze showing no trace of romance, only warning in a low voice: “Don’t move.”

Lu Tong’s brows moved slightly.

There was a legend of a person—when a neighbor’s young wife was drunk, a renowned scholar often came to drink, and when drunk would sleep beside the young wife, hearing the sound of her falling hairpins through the curtain without any improper thoughts. People called him a true gentleman.

Now it seemed Pei Yunying was exactly like that legendary gentleman—

The knocking outside grew more urgent. Lu Tong understood his meaning and, after thinking, reached out both hands to embrace his waist, moving even closer to his side.

Pei Yunying’s body stiffened, and he looked down at Lu Tong in surprise.

Lu Tong looked at him calmly.

Since they needed to act to deceive outsiders, naturally it had to look real. His appearance of keeping people at a thousand li distance and warning strangers away couldn’t even fool Yin Zheng—who could it fool?

Lu Tong didn’t think this was anything special. She had stayed too long at Luomei Peak—those barriers between men and women, that shyness, were too distant for her.

At this moment, she simply pressed tightly against the person before her, embracing him, nestling against him, like countless lovers in romantic cities.

Someone was singing faintly downstairs.

“Taking advantage of good weather, clear mountains and winding waters, moon shining on West Lake, scattered cold and subtle. With one’s beloved, blue lacquer and red, under the lantern, arranging hair and drawing brows…”

“Tasting fragrant tea together, two hearts entrusting each other, misty waters hazy, falling flowers delicate…”

“Wushan’s clouds and rain, thinking of it day and night, only envying mandarin ducks, not envying fairy maidens…”

Downstairs were beautiful songs and dances, outside was wind and rain, and in the flickering candlelight, drapes and robes entangled ambiguously, casting only a pair of hazy shadows on the red gauze tent.

He and she were very close—if not for the face veil, their lips could almost touch.

Suddenly, the knocking outside stopped abruptly, followed by a muffled sound—someone had barged in.

Those chaotic footsteps surged behind the screen, and an impolite voice rang out: “Come out!”

Lu Tong looked at Pei Yunying.

Pei Yunying’s expression didn’t change. He reached out to hook up a corner of the gauze curtain and spoke lazily: “Who is it?”

Someone’s voice sounded, seeming somewhat uncertain and hesitant: “Commander Pei?”

Pei Yunying smiled, reached out to pull Lu Tong into his embrace, casually pulling over a brocade quilt from the bed to wrap her tightly. Lu Tong naturally hugged his waist and half-buried her head in his chest, looking like a dancing girl trembling with fright.

The gauze curtain was completely pulled aside. In Lu Tong’s vision appeared a tan brocade robe hem. Whether intentionally by Pei Yunying or not, she was pressed against Pei Yunying’s chest, able to smell the light orchid and musk fragrance on him, but unable to lift her head to see the other person’s face. She only heard Pei Yunying laugh: “Young Master Qi.”

Qi?

Lu Tong immediately realized—this person was Qi Yutai!

She wanted to look up and see clearly this murderer who had killed Lu Rou. She had come from Changwu County and planned for so long just to approach this person. Approaching Qi Yutai was much more difficult than approaching Ke Chengxing and Fan Zhenglian. A long time had passed, and she had learned pitifully little about Qi Yutai.

But her body was restrained by Pei Yunying. Lu Tong struggled twice without breaking free, and not wanting to continue lest Pei Yunying become suspicious, she had to give up, helplessly listening to this person converse with Pei Yunying.

The man spoke with some surprise: “I didn’t expect Commander Pei to be here today…”

Pei Yunying answered politely: “Not on duty today. What is Young Master Qi doing?”

“My guards discovered that someone suspicious has infiltrated this floor and is wandering around this area. Didn’t Commander Pei see anything?”

Lu Tong kept her head down, unable to see Qi Yutai’s expression, but though his speech was polite, his tone carried some suspicion.

Pei Yunying hadn’t lied—this floor indeed had Qi family secret guards.

Lu Tong felt herself being held tighter by Pei Yunying, and the young man’s frivolous voice came from above her head: “No, I’ve been quite busy and didn’t see anything.”

The room fell quiet again. Lu Tong felt scrutinizing gazes from above.

She could guess her current appearance—disheveled clothes, shy and blushing, clinging so tightly to Pei Yunying. The whole room was filled with spring passion—anyone would think they were entangled here.

Qi Yutai paused, and when he spoke again, his tone indeed carried more understanding: “I see.”

“I haven’t yet congratulated Young Master Qi on his birthday,” Pei Yunying smiled.

At these words, Qi Yutai’s attitude seemed to soften somewhat, no longer as suspicious as before, even actively inviting Pei Yunying: “Disturbing the Commander’s interest is my fault. Today is my birthday—why doesn’t the Commander join us?”

Lu Tong’s heart sank, her fingertips threateningly pinching Pei Yunying’s waist.

Pei Yunying’s body stiffened, then he smiled and declined: “Never mind, the good night passes quickly—I won’t join the commotion.”

With things said to this point, having such a large group surrounding someone’s bed was ultimately impolite. Qi Yutai said no more, called his people to leave, and before going reminded Pei Yunying that today was hasty, but they must gather another day.

After this group left and there was no more movement outside the door, Pei Yunying looked down and spoke calmly: “Doctor Lu can let go of me now—they’ve left.”

Lu Tong released her hands and immediately stood up from the bed.

Pei Yunying didn’t mind Lu Tong’s heartless change of face, lowering his head to adjust his waist belt. Lu Tong glanced at him and asked knowingly: “Who was that just now?”

“The current Grand Tutor Manor’s young master, Qi Yutai.” He answered quite readily.

Lu Tong probed: “He wants to win you over?”

Pei Yunying had dismissed Qi Yutai with just a few words. Lu Tong didn’t think it was entirely due to wariness. Hearing his later active invitation for Pei Yunying to gather again, it seemed very much like deliberate recruitment.

If Qi Yutai had won over Pei Yunying, then Pei Yunying would also become her opponent.

“I have no intention of agreeing,” he said indifferently, turning to see Lu Tong walk to the window and gently push open the window crack. The cold air of wind and rain immediately rushed in.

Lu Tong asked: “When can I leave?”

Qi Yutai’s people were on this floor. Although Pei Yunying had dismissed them with a few words, Lu Tong wasn’t certain the other party had completely relaxed their vigilance. If the other party was also waiting outside like a hunter, her going would be like walking into a trap.

“Not now—you and I are currently in the midst of a passionate night, so we must act thoroughly. In a little while, I’ll have someone escort you out.”

He spoke of these matters casually, not as unnatural as he had been on the bed earlier.

Lu Tong frowned: “Do you princes and young masters always have so many secret guards protecting you when out?”

“Depends on the person,” Pei Yunying sat at the table. “He does, I don’t.”

Lu Tong said nothing. Something flashed quickly through her mind—too fast for her to catch, but she instinctively felt something was wrong.

Seeing her standing motionless, Pei Yunying took a jade cup from the tea set: “It’s still early—would you like some tea?”

“Tea?” Lu Tong was stunned. “Isn’t it wine?”

“Drinking leads to mistakes,” he said matter-of-factly. “I had it changed to tea.”

Lu Tong was speechless for a moment.

No wonder she hadn’t smelled alcohol when pouring earlier, thinking it was because the room’s incense was too strong. It wasn’t wine at all. Good thing she hadn’t thought of some foolish idea to get Pei Yunying drunk, or tonight Pei Yunying’s view of her would be no different from the monkey shows in the marketplace.

Since she couldn’t leave now anyway, Lu Tong simply walked to sit across from Pei Yunying.

“You nearly got me implicated,” Pei Yunying handed her a teacup. “Doctor Lu, you owe me a favor today.”

This person was really good at accusing others first. Lu Tong reminded: “If I hadn’t been held up by you, I wouldn’t have stayed here at all.”

Even more so, she would have already seen Qi Yutai and accomplished what she needed to do, instead of watching the opportunity slip away as she was now.

He didn’t continue pursuing the matter, seeming to understand as he skipped this topic, instead smiling: “A night in the upper room costs a hundred taels of silver—you got a bargain, Doctor Lu. Rest well for a moment.”

The pattering rain mixed with the singing from downstairs. A warming brazier burned in the room. Both people in the room remained silent, quietly listening to the rain outside the window.

After an unknown amount of time, the rain gradually lessened.

Someone knocked outside. Pei Yunying said: “Come in.”

A man who appeared to be a guard entered from outside. Lu Tong had seen this person before—he was Pei Yunying’s guard, Qing Feng, who had previously helped her escort Wang Shan to the Military Patrol Office.

Seeing Lu Tong, Qing Feng wasn’t surprised, as if he already knew the whole story, only saying to Pei Yunying: “My lord, Qi Yutai has retired.”

Pei Yunying nodded: “Call Hongman up.”

Lu Tong was startled—Hongman?

She had heard Hongman’s name—Yuxian Tower’s famous courtesan. She… was Pei Yunying’s person?

“Lord Pei, my maid Yin Zheng is still in the building,” Lu Tong spoke.

Pei Yunying looked at her and sighed: “Doctor Lu, you’re really bold.”

He said to Qing Feng: “Find her, but be careful not to alarm others.”

Qing Feng nodded and left.

Soon after, someone knocked outside again. A red-dressed woman pushed the door open and entered, her voice coquettish: “Lord Pei—”

She was an extremely beautiful woman. Though her tone was playful, her expression carried some respect. After entering, her form of address changed, and she spoke softly: “Young Master…”

Pei Yunying: “Take her out.”

“Yes.” The woman asked no questions and showed no curiosity, only walking to Lu Tong’s side and smiling slightly: “Let’s go, miss.”

Lu Tong stood up.

Cold rainy night wind rushed in fiercely as the door opened. The room was too warm, outside too cold—Lu Tong couldn’t help shivering.

Those brilliant thin gauzes wrapped around her slender body, making her figure appear even more delicate, as if she had become a wet lamp about to be extinguished in this rainy night.

Pei Yunying glanced at her, paused, stood up and walked to the side to take the black brocade gold-threaded cloak from the chair. But turning around, he saw Lu Tong had already followed Hongman and walked out directly, without any hesitation, not even saying a word of thanks.

He looked down at the cloak in his hands, shook his head with a smile, casually threw the cloak aside, and walked to the window to open it a bit more.

Cold wind mixed with fine rain hit his face, but made him more awake.

Qing Feng entered from outside, closed the door, and said to him in a low voice: “My lord, Miss Yin Zheng has been found. Miss Hongman will escort her and Miss Lu back to the medical hall together.”

Pei Yunying nodded.

The room became quiet again.

He stood by the window, his gaze falling on the coral woven carpet not far away, where half a burner of spilled incense ash had splashed on the carpet’s exquisite embroidered patterns, blurring into a patch of chaotic dark color.

Pei Yunying’s gaze paused.

Suddenly, he said: “Check what distinguished guests were on the third floor of Yuxian Tower tonight.”

Qing Feng was startled: “My lord suspects…”

He lowered his eyes, his voice very light.

“She never wastes effort.”