“I’ll go with you.”

Lu Tong froze for a moment, thinking she had misheard.

“Didn’t catch that?” He glanced at her. “I said, I’ll accompany you.”

Lu Tong’s brows furrowed.

This year, Sunan City had heavy snow, with mountains sealed by snow drifts. The journey to Luomei Peak was indeed dangerous, and Li Wenhu’s concerns weren’t alarmist. If the situation weren’t urgent, she wouldn’t choose to travel at this time either.

Pei Yunying often traveled outside and would only be more aware of the conditions. She had expected him to voice objections, but never imagined he would suggest going together.

“Are you planning to keep standing there like that?”

Pei Yunying tilted his head slightly, reminding her: “In another quarter hour, when the other medical officials wake up, you won’t be able to leave even if you wanted to.”

Lu Tong: “…”

What he said was indeed true.

If Chang Jin found out, he would certainly stop her.

She stared at Pei Yunying for a moment. He didn’t seem particularly concerned as he let her scrutinize him. Lu Tong really had no way to deal with him. After a brief moment, she looked away, bowed her head, and walked past him: “Let’s go.”

Pei Yunying raised his eyebrows, seemingly quite pleased by her resigned appearance. He leisurely caught up with her and took the bundle and bamboo basket from her hands.

Lu Tong turned back and tugged twice unsuccessfully, saying: “I’ll carry it myself.”

“Dr. Lu.” He sidestepped to avoid Lu Tong’s hand, lifted his chin slightly, and gestured for her to look at the layers of distant mountain peaks.

“The mountain path is treacherous, the snow is deep and the roads slippery. We can’t ride horses, and I see you’re also planning to walk up the mountain.”

He said: “Carrying so many things, do you really think you’re an ox or horse?”

These words sounded caring, just not very pleasant to hear. Lu Tong retorted sarcastically: “I have great strength, and you know it too, Your Excellency—I’ve practiced killing people and burying bodies.”

“Then you should save your strength even more.” Pei Yunying readily accepted her words. “We haven’t reached the point where force is needed yet.”

Lu Tong: “…”

She had nothing to say to this person.

Fortunately, although Pei Yunying had taken away the heavy items, he hadn’t presumed to carry her medical box as well. As they were about to pass the quarantine station, Lu Tong tugged at Pei Yunying’s sleeve. He turned back, and Lu Tong pointed to another small path not far from the quarantine station.

“Let’s take this route,” Lu Tong said in a low voice. “So the others won’t discover us.”

If the medical officials discovered them, there would be another round of arguments. Li Wenhu was actually right—dangerous undertakings weren’t suitable for bringing others along. It would be even better if the person behind her wasn’t following.

Pei Yunying glanced at Lu Tong without saying anything, allowing her to pull him by the sleeve into a small path.

That path was some distance from the quarantine station, so the guards stationed there wouldn’t notice.

Lu Tong walked while frequently looking back toward the quarantine station, trying to make her figure less conspicuous.

Watching her movements, Pei Yunying suddenly laughed.

Lu Tong was puzzled: “What are you laughing about?”

“Actually, even if someone discovered us, if I wanted to take you up the mountain, they wouldn’t stop us.”

He sneered: “On the contrary, with you acting so sneaky like this, those who don’t know might think you and I are eloping behind everyone’s backs.”

Lu Tong paused, her gaze falling on her fingers gripping his sleeve.

A man and woman, acting suspiciously, sneaking around, being cautious—if someone encountered them at this moment, they would indeed look somewhat guilty of improper relations.

But these words sounded somewhat familiar.

It seemed that initially in the medical officials’ courtyard, when they encountered each other at night, Pei Yunying had also said similar words to her.

Lu Tong suddenly released his hand, saying coldly: “Your Excellency is overthinking.”

He straightened his sleeve, speaking unhurriedly: “After all, I’m still unmarried. My reputation matters.”

Lu Tong held back and swallowed the curse words she wanted to say, turning to continue forward: “Let’s go.”

…

The sky gradually brightened.

The epidemic-repelling incense in the medical officials’ quarters had been replaced with a new batch. Lin Danqing rubbed her hands together, hunched her shoulders, and knocked at the door. After a long while with no response, she pushed hard, and the door opened.

She walked in, calling: “Sister Lu!”

There was no one in the room.

A piece of paper lay on the table. Lin Danqing casually glanced at it, suddenly her expression changed, and the next moment, she ran frantically out of the quarters holding the paper, shouting: “Chief Medical Officer, Chief Medical Officer, something’s happened!”

Chang Jin was just about to go to the quarantine station when Lin Danqing’s shouting startled him: “What happened, what happened?”

“Medical Officer Lu has gone up the mountain!” Lin Danqing almost slapped the paper in Chang Jin’s face. “Early this morning, she went by herself!”

“What?”

Chang Jin was shocked. Seeing the note Lu Tong had left, his face immediately turned pale with worry: “How could Medical Officer Lu go up the mountain alone!”

Actually, Lu Tong had mentioned going up the mountain to him once before. However, locals Cai Fang and Li Wenhu had warned them that Luomei Snow Mountain was perilous—easy to enter but difficult to exit on snowy days. They had repeatedly cautioned against rashly entering the mountain, and Lu Tong had been present at that time.

Lu Tong was usually the most rational and calm person. How could she have lost her mind today?

Chang Jin stamped his foot: “Quick, quick, go find Commander Pei. He has many men and horses. If we hurry now, we might still be able to bring Medical Officer Lu back. Hurry!”

The medical official who went returned in less than half an incense stick’s time, with a mournful expression: “Chief Medical Officer, Commander Pei is missing…”

“Missing?” Chang Jin was greatly shocked.

Duan Xiaoyan, who had followed upon hearing the news, first searched around the medical officials’ courtyard, saying strangely: “I haven’t seen my brother since early this morning. I thought he was having a leisurely chat with someone in your medical officials’ courtyard. What, he’s not with you?”

One was a young female medical officer, the other a young commander—both had vanished without a trace early in the morning, leaving only a few words. Lin Danqing frowned: “These two haven’t eloped, have they?”

There were plenty of such plots in story books, though there wasn’t exactly an obstacle here to beat the mandarin ducks apart.

Ji Xun, standing in the crowd, looked up with somewhat surprised eyes.

Chang Jin said irritably: “Eloping up the mountain in such heavy snow—that’s not called eloping, that’s called a suicide pact!”

Eloping wasn’t too far-fetched, but a suicide pact seemed unlikely.

Just as everyone was in chaos, Pei Yunying’s personal guard Qing Feng arrived belatedly from outside, saying: “The master has accompanied Medical Officer Lu up the mountain together.”

“Ah?” Everyone turned to him in unison.

Qing Feng said calmly: “Medical Officer Lu wanted to go to Luomei Peak. When the master went out, he happened to encounter her, so he accompanied Medical Officer Lu into the mountains.”

The people in the courtyard looked at each other.

After a long while, Lin Danqing said: “Has Pei Yunying gone crazy?”

Pei Yunying was a commander. He knew better than anyone how dangerous it was to enter the mountains at this time. Not only did he not stop Lu Tong when he heard she wanted to go up the mountain, he even went with her himself—not a bit of sense. This was even worse than eloping.

However, Duan Xiaoyan’s expression suddenly relaxed.

“Oh, my brother went with her,” he curved his eyes: “Then it’s fine.”

“Has your brain also burned out?” Lin Danqing was shocked. “Aren’t you worried they’ll have an accident on the mountain?”

“That’s my brother,” Duan Xiaoyan said confidently. “My brother never does anything he’s not sure about, and he’s going up the mountain with Medical Officer Lu. Medical Officer Lu won’t have any accidents.”

The young man looked into the distance, where faint red dots could be seen among the distant snow-white peaks.

He withdrew his gaze and spoke confidently: “Don’t worry, he’ll definitely take good care of Medical Officer Lu.”

…

While the medical officials’ quarters was in chaos over Lu Tong and her companion, the subjects of their discussion had no time to spare for such concerns.

The mountain path of Luomei Peak was steep and difficult to traverse. Lu Tong, carrying her medical box, navigated through it, skillfully taking detours around every small path.

She had lived on this mountain for seven years, going up and down countless times. Every rock, every tree, every stream here seemed to match her memories, deeply etched and unforgettable. In those past years, she had tried countless times and by every means to escape this mountain. After Yunniang’s death, she had sworn at Yunniang’s grave never to return. She hadn’t expected that today, she would be walking the old paths again, carrying a medical box.

This time it wasn’t an escape—she had actively returned.

This feeling was somewhat strange.

Lu Tong walked very quickly, so she didn’t notice the gaze of the person behind her.

Pei Yunying was lost in thought.

Luomei Peak was very large. The vast white snow obscured everything, making each place look remarkably similar to the next. Yet Lu Tong seemed always able to accurately recognize each difference and find the least strenuous path.

As if she had lived here for many years.

After crossing a steep slope ahead, Lu Tong stopped at a pine tree and turned back to hand him a black cloth.

Pei Yunying looked up.

“You can’t keep looking at the snow continuously—prolonged exposure will cause temporary blindness.” After explaining, she found a large rock under the tree to sit on and pulled another black cloth strip from her chest to cover her eyes.

“Wear this. We’ll rest here for a moment.”

Pei Yunying thought briefly, smiled without saying anything, took the black cloth to cover his eyes, and sat down beside Lu Tong.

The black cloth was ingeniously made—not thick or heavy, thin as a cicada’s wing. The snow-covered ground became gray, but they could still see each other through a hazy layer, preventing snow blindness.

Lu Tong fumbled in her bundle and pulled out a dry cake for him.

Pei Yunying pushed it away: “Not hungry.”

“Are you afraid I only brought enough for myself?” Lu Tong stuffed the cake into his hand and handed him the water bag. “Don’t worry, I brought enough. Otherwise, if you starve to death here, I’d still have to bury you, which would be very tiring.”

Pei Yunying: “…”

Lu Tong hadn’t been this sarcastic with him for a long time. However, the long-absent tone seemed to return them to a more distant past, when she hadn’t deliberately distanced herself from him, coldly isolating herself completely from others.

He glanced at Lu Tong’s bundle. The bundle wasn’t light and was bulging. He had carried it all the way, thinking she had brought various things. Looking now, it was packed full of dry food and water.

It looked like enough to live on the mountain for over a month.

No wonder she was so generous with the dry food.

He found it somewhat incredible, then amusing: “You really are thoroughly prepared. Are you planning to live on the mountain?”

Lu Tong: “Did you think I came up the mountain to die? Even if I got lost in the mountains, I wouldn’t die immediately.”

“I can see that.” Pei Yunying said lazily. “You’re very familiar with this place.”

Lu Tong was familiar with the mountain paths.

Her stamina was much better than he had expected. She showed no signs of fatigue along the way. Though the mountain path was rugged and steep, she seemed accustomed to it. It had been the same last time at the tea garden in Mangming Township—she walked very quickly, like someone who regularly walked mountain paths, as agile as a light deer.

He casually picked up a tree branch and randomly scratched in the snow twice, asking as if unintentionally: “Have you been here before?”

Cai Fang and Li Wenhu spoke of Luomei Peak as a barren mountain, with rotting corpses often found in the chaotic burial grounds. Even the red plum blossoms covering the mountains sounded somewhat bloody and eerie. Sunan hadn’t had heavy snow for many years. The accumulated snow covered large areas, making it easy for people to lose their way. But Lu Tong had a clear purpose and was obviously not here for the first time.

Lu Tong looked into the distance. The snow scene covered by the black cloth wasn’t very clear—hazy and seemingly different from her memories. After a moment of silence, she said: “I used to live here.”

He was startled and turned to look at her: “By yourself?”

“With my master.”

Pei Yunying was somewhat surprised.

After thinking for a while, he asked: “So six years ago when I first met you, you were already living on Luomei Peak?”

“Yes.”

Pei Yunying looked at her: “Then why didn’t you invite me up to sit? We were so close to your home.”

Lu Tong: “…”

She said: “I was afraid you wouldn’t survive.”

“How so?” The man raised his eyebrows. “Was your home a black shop where anyone entering would be abandoned as a corpse in the wilderness?”

Lu Tong: “Yes, you should thank me.”

“You talking to me like this is much more normal.” Pei Yunying scoffed. “The way you avoided me like the plague recently, I thought you really planned to never interact with me again.”

Lu Tong paused, instinctively looking up at him. Through the black cloth, both were hazy figures. She couldn’t see his expression clearly and could only hear his voice. But perhaps precisely because she couldn’t see the other’s gaze, there was a sense of safety in not being exposed.

Gripping the dry food tighter, Lu Tong changed the subject: “Why were you at the medical officials’ quarters today?”

“Didn’t I say? I felt unwell last night.”

“Liar.”

Pei Yunying examined the marks the tree branch had made in the snow, smiling faintly.

The night Ding Yong died, Lu Tong was very sad.

She rarely shed tears. The few times she had cried were all related to family. Since the Qi family’s downfall, she seemed to have settled all major matters and was always drifting uncertainly. However, the night Ding Yong died, the tears that fell on his shoulder suddenly allowed Pei Yunying to touch a bit of her true heart.

Like a crack appearing in something tightly wrapped—perhaps a good thing, but also extremely dangerous.

When the true heart shows cracks, it becomes fragile.

So he had Qing Feng pay extra attention to Lu Tong.

Yesterday evening, Lu Tong had gone to find a shovel and asked Duan Xiaoyan for some dry food. She usually ate very little, and when Duan Xiaoyan had offered to bring her food before, she hadn’t wanted it. This behavior was really abnormal. Later, Qing Feng saw through the window that she seemed to be packing a bundle and reported this to him.

So he came to keep an eye on her personally.

Lu Tong was the type of person who always did big things quietly. For instance, when she went to the capital alone for revenge, it was also done silently. He always felt that if he didn’t keep a close watch, who knew what unexpected things she might do again.

Facts proved he hadn’t guessed wrong.

Pei Yunying picked up the water bag and asked: “What are you doing up the mountain?”

“Gathering medicine.”

“Gathering medicine?”

“The new prescription for treating the epidemic contains an ingredient called houbian. The toxicity of houbian is difficult to neutralize. I remember that on Luomei Peak, at some distance from the mountain top, there’s a stream. North of the stream, on the cliff face, grows chimuteng. The toxicity of chimuteng is similar to houbian—perhaps we can try it.”

After Ji Xun told her about chimuteng, Lu Tong had been considering it, thinking it might provide a glimmer of hope.

But the delivery from Pingzhou would take too long. Cuicui didn’t have time.

She might not have time either.

She remembered there was a place on Luomei Peak where chimuteng grew, but that was a long time ago. Now she could only treat a dead horse as if it were alive and go up to search once.

After hearing this, Pei Yunying nodded: “I see.” After thinking, he spoke again: “So you’re familiar with this place because you often gathered medicine on the mountain?”

Seeing how familiar she was with Luomei Peak, she seemed familiar with every medicinal field.

Lu Tong hummed in acknowledgment.

Pei Yunying raised his eyes: “What kind of person was your master when you lived together?”

“You’re asking too many questions.”

“You’re saying too little.” He narrowed his eyes, his dark pupils concealing some inquiry. “Why do you never talk about your own affairs?”

Lu Tong rarely spoke about her own matters.

Most of the time, he had to ask before she would answer. Even her answers were vague—she was stingy about saying even one more sentence. She glossed over her past in Changwu County in just a few words. He knew nothing about Lu Tong from Sunan.

Clearly the Qi family case was settled and she no longer bore a great revenge, yet at certain moments Pei Yunying could still vaguely sense that she seemed to be hiding a secret—a deeper, more unwilling to be discovered secret.

She was too cunning and habitually patient. No matter how he probed and questioned, she revealed not the slightest flaw.

The young man’s gaze was too sharp. Even through the black cloth, it seemed capable of seeing through people.

Lu Tong turned her head away, changing the subject in a concealing manner: “That’s not important. As for you—I may not be able to find the chimuteng. Following me into the mountains, aren’t you afraid of being trapped and dying on the mountain?”

“Not afraid.” Pei Yunying spoke carelessly. “You brought enough supplies anyway.”

“What if I can’t find the way?”

“Then I’ll die with you.”

Pei Yunying smiled at her and handed her the water bag: “You said at the medical clinic before that you wanted to die with me anyway.”

Lu Tong was stunned for a moment, forgetting to take the water bag from his hand.

It seemed that much earlier, at Renxin Medical Clinic, when he had come to settle accounts with her over Duan Xiaoyan’s involvement in the corpse frame-up at Wangchun Mountain, arriving with ill intentions and full of schemes, probing and testing with every word and sentence. She had threatened to die with Pei Yunying then, but he had remained calm and smiling: “To live sharing the same bed, die sharing the same grave—sharing a tomb after death is something I would only do with my wife.”

The words spoken as calculating probes back then had an entirely different meaning now.

While she was still in a daze, Pei Yunying’s light laughter reached her ears.

“Dr. Lu, if you can’t find a way out, today we could indeed share a tomb after death.”

He spoke casually, but Lu Tong reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, jumping up instantly: “Who wants to die with you?”

Pei Yunying was startled, somewhat puzzled: “It was just a joke. Why are you so agitated?”

She pulled off the black cloth from her face and glared at him, suppressing her anger.

Pei Yunying sat under the tree, also removing his cloth covering, gazing at her with a slight flicker in his eyes.

The relaxed atmosphere from before was instantly broken, and the surroundings became tense for a moment.

“This isn’t funny.” After a stiff standoff, Lu Tong said coldly: “Don’t joke about life and death.”

Pei Yunying: “You…”

Lu Tong turned around without saying another word, lowered her head to put away the water bag, shouldered her medical box, and walked forward without looking back: “Let’s get moving.”

She rose swiftly. Pei Yunying lowered his eyes and pondered for a moment, said nothing, picked up the bundle, and followed her forward.

Luomei Peak was covered in vast snow. Except for the red plum blossoms covering the mountains, it was difficult to distinguish one place from another. No wonder Cai Fang and Li Wenhu had repeatedly warned them—if ordinary people entered the mountain at this time, eight or nine out of ten would get lost inside.

The wind and snow gradually intensified.

Mountain snow came more urgently than valley snow. Flakes flew and howled toward them, almost blinding their eyes. Lu Tong, not paying attention, stepped into a snow pit and stumbled.

“Careful.”

Pei Yunying steadied her. Once Lu Tong regained her footing, she suddenly felt dizzy for a moment. This dizziness came fiercely, almost making her unable to stand. She grabbed his arm to steady herself.

Pei Yunying looked down: “What’s wrong?”

Lu Tong shook her head, suppressing the momentary discomfort. When her gaze swept forward, her eyes immediately brightened.

“We’re here.”

Not far ahead, there was indeed a winding stream. The stream water had completely frozen, blending with the snow-covered ground. Without careful observation, it was impossible to distinguish it. Unless one were extremely familiar with this place, it would be very difficult to detect any clues.

Lu Tong, carrying her medical box, ran quickly over.

Pei Yunying followed behind her: “Slow down.”

When they got close, they indeed saw a slanted cliff face north of the stream, now covered with a thick layer of snow.

Lu Tong looked at the cliff face, feeling anxious.

Luomei Peak was very large, and the medicinal herbs and poisonous plants in different areas varied. Yunniang always had her running around everywhere. In those past years, she had memorized every plant and tree on this mountain. A few years ago, she had indeed harvested chimuteng here, but she didn’t know if it was still there now.

She walked to the base of the cliff and placed her palm against it, instantly feeling bone-chilling cold.

Pei Yunying glanced at her, pulled Lu Tong away, and reached out himself to brush away the snow from the cliff face.

The cleared cliff face was completely empty—nothing was there. Only a withered piece of broken wood remained with half a vine stump, wrinkled into a ball, clinging to the cliff face.

Lu Tong was stunned and bent down to pick up the broken wood.

The withered vine branch lay in her hand, completely lifeless, like a rotted rope curled in her palm.

She stiffened for a moment and looked up at Pei Yunying.

Pei Yunying was startled: “What’s wrong?”

“…It’s withered.”

Lu Tong murmured: “The chimuteng here has withered.”