When Lu Tong left the Dong Manor, it was already noon.

It was the hottest time of day, and walking outside risked heatstroke, so Madam Dong arranged for the manor’s carriage to take her back. Accompanying her in the carriage was an elderly servant woman, Mother Wang, who had previously escorted Lu Tong back from Wan’en Temple.

Mother Wang’s attitude toward Lu Tong had become much more courteous. They engaged in casual conversation along the way. When they reached the entrance of Renxin Medical Hall, Lu Tong thanked Mother Wang and was about to lift the carriage curtain to step down when she suddenly heard Mother Wang make a surprised sound.

Lu Tong turned her head as Mother Wang pointed outside the carriage: “Isn’t that Official Pei?”

Lu Tong followed her gaze.

The sun blazed overhead, and after the rain, a layer of soft moss had grown under the eaves of the long street, a lovely green. Ivy roots crawled up the walls, creating a distinct boundary between cool and warm in the summer scenery.

Someone stood in the shadow of the eaves. Seeming to sense Lu Tong’s gaze, he stopped and looked up at her.

Scattered sunlight filtered through the gaps in the plum tree at the entrance, casting a few stray rays upon him. The young man’s expression was hidden in shadow and unclear, but those beautiful dark eyes that looked at her held a profound depth.

In crimson robes with a silver sword, carrying himself with noble bearing, it was indeed the Commander of the Palace Guard, Pei Yunying.

Lu Tong’s heart skipped a beat.

Just hours ago, she had casually fabricated hints to Madam Dong about her close relationship with Pei Yunying. Now, in mere moments, she encountered the man himself—it truly felt like being caught in a lie.

While Mother Wang’s gaze still darted between Pei Yunying and Lu Tong, Lu Tong put on a smile and turned back to the elderly servant: “Official Pei is here to see me. Thank you for your trouble today, Mother. I’ll take my leave first.”

Mother Wang hurriedly replied, “Please attend to your business, Doctor Lu.” Though her gaze now held a very different meaning than before.

Seeing her objective achieved, Lu Tong said no more and stepped down from the carriage.

As soon as she alighted, the young man at Pei Yunying’s side spotted Lu Tong approaching and immediately waved his arms vigorously: “Doctor Lu!”

Lu Tong walked over and stopped before Pei Yunying and Duan Xiaoyan, saying, “Official Pei, Young Master Duan.”

“Doctor Lu,” Duan Xiaoyan smiled brightly at her, “The Commander and I just arrived and were wondering why we couldn’t find you in the medical hall. We thought you might not be here today. What a coincidence to run into you here!”

Pei Yunying remained silent, his gaze moving past her to fall on the Dong family carriage stopped at the medical hall’s entrance.

“Isn’t that the carriage from the Court of Imperial Entertainments?” he raised an eyebrow.

Lu Tong replied, “Indeed.”

Pei Yunying nodded casually, looking at Lu Tong with an odd expression on his smile: “When did Doctor Lu become so close with the Court of Imperial Entertainments?”

Lu Tong’s heart sank.

Though his tone was calm, his gaze was as sharp as a blade, piercing in its intensity.

Lu Tong steadied herself and replied with lowered brows: “This is all thanks to Official Pei’s previous assistance. Madam Dong and I resolved our misunderstanding, and I occasionally visit their manor to treat Young Master Dong.”

She skillfully deflected the question back to him.

Pei Yunying looked down at her.

After a while, he nodded: “I see.” His tone was flat, and it was unclear whether he believed her or not.

Lu Tong looked at Pei Yunying again: “May I ask what brings Official Pei here so suddenly?”

“I’ve come to collect a debt.”

“A debt?”

He clicked his tongue and reminded Lu Tong with a smile: “Doctor Lu certainly forgets important people easily. Don’t you remember? At Luyuan Pawnshop before, you still owe me two packages of Chunshui Sheng.”

Luyuan Pawnshop?

Chunshui Sheng?

Lu Tong suddenly remembered.

These days she had been busy producing and selling “Xianxian,” and had indeed forgotten about this matter.

Duan Xiaoyan glanced at Lu Tong: “Doctor Lu, you have completely forgotten about our Commander.”

Yin Zheng, who had just come out from the inner shop, heard just this sentence and couldn’t help but cough lightly—the way he said it, someone who didn’t know better might think there was something between Lu Tong and Pei Yunying.

Lu Tong turned toward the medical hall: “I’ll go get the medicinal tea. Official Pei, Young Master Duan, please come in and have a seat.”

The shop was very quiet.

It was too hot today, and Du Changqing, who feared the heat, was lazy and hadn’t come to the medical hall. Only Ah Cheng and Yin Zheng were busy in the shop.

Ah Cheng had already cleaned up the spilled medicines in the inner shop, and Yin Zheng invited the two to sit in the bamboo chairs, then went to the small courtyard to brew tea for them.

Ah Cheng stood at a distance. The young shop assistant was clever and had already noticed these two visitors were unusual, especially the young man sitting in the room. With his gold crown and embroidered clothes, he had an outstanding appearance, looking like a handsome and dashing noble youth. Yet the long sword at his waist gleamed coldly, coating his brocade with a layer of sharpness.

Though he smiled, the smile seemed not to reach his eyes.

It made people want to draw close yet feel afraid.

Ah Cheng walked to Lu Tong’s side and asked while looking at Pei Yunying: “Doctor Lu, is this an acquaintance of yours?”

If they weren’t acquaintances, why would Yin Zheng welcome these two in and go brew tea for them?

Currently, only old regular customer Merchant Hu could get tea at Renxin Medical Hall.

Pei Yunying: “Yes.”

Lu Tong: “Not really.”

Their voices rang out simultaneously but with completely different answers.

Pei Yunying looked at Lu Tong with an ambiguous smile, showing no sign of annoyance on his face.

Lu Tong said coolly: “We’ve met by chance a few times, hardly enough to be considered acquainted.”

“Lady Lu’s words seem rather cold.” Duan Xiaoyan stroked his chin, “Not to mention our Commander previously saved your life below Baoxiang Tower, or how he intervened on your behalf with Madam Dong at Wan’en Temple. Even our meeting at Luyuan Pawnshop was just a month ago.”

“My Commander paid fifty taels of silver to redeem your hairpins and ornaments, fifty taels is equal to two months of my salary. In these times, who would kindly lend such a large sum of money to someone who isn’t family or friend?”

Duan Xiaoyan pouted: “I’ve known the Commander for so many years, and he’s never lent me that much.”

Hearing this, Ah Cheng looked at Lu Tong in surprise: “Doctor Lu, you bought hairpins and ornaments?”

Lu Tong usually dressed simply and never wore any jewelry or ornaments. Du Changqing had once mentioned to Ah Cheng behind her back that it was a waste of such a beautiful face, not even knowing how to dress up, wearing clothes plainer than his deceased grandmother’s.

“Oh?” Pei Yunying asked casually, “Haven’t you seen your Doctor Lu wear them?”

Ah Cheng smiled: “No, I haven’t. Come to think of it, since Doctor Lu came to our medical hall, I’ve never seen her wear any ornaments.”

After speaking, as if realizing this wasn’t appropriate, he glanced at Lu Tong and quickly added, “But Doctor Lu is naturally beautiful, she looks good even without ornaments.”

Pei Yunying gave a light laugh, his gaze falling on Lu Tong who stood before the medicine cabinet: “How strange then, that Doctor Lu would spend such a fortune on hairpins and ornaments but not wear them?”

Lu Tong’s movements in selecting medicines paused slightly.

This man was truly difficult to deal with.

Yin Zheng had met Pei Yunying several times before and knew of his deep cunning. Following Lu Tong’s instructions, she deliberately avoided conversing with Pei Yunying to prevent being tricked into revealing anything.

But Ah Cheng was different—this was his first time meeting Pei Yunying, and he didn’t know Pei Yunying’s identity or how dangerous he was.

She didn’t turn to look at Pei Yunying’s expression, only calmly replied: “Working as a physician, ornaments are often inconvenient. I will wear them at important festivals.”

“The Commander simply hasn’t seen them.”

Pei Yunying nodded: “Indeed.”

He leaned back slightly and suddenly said: “Speaking of which, it’s quite a coincidence. One of the flower hairpins Doctor Lu redeemed from Luyuan Pawnshop was made by the Ke family from the south of the city.”

“The Ke family?” Lu Tong turned around, showing confusion.

He stared into Lu Tong’s eyes: “On the first day of the fourth month, at Wan’en Temple, in the Wuhuai Garden where Doctor Lu stayed, the guest who died was the eldest master of the Ke family, known for their porcelain in the capital.”

Ah Cheng blinked, not understanding why Pei Yunying suddenly brought this up with Lu Tong.

Lu Tong said: “Is that so?”

She lowered her eyes: “How inauspicious.”

Duan Xiaoyan asked: “Doctor Lu doesn’t remember the dead person?”

Lu Tong widened her eyes slightly, her tone somewhat strange: “I’ve never met this person, how could I remember them? Besides, didn’t the Commander say I easily forget important people? I’ve been busy producing and selling new medicine daily, unimportant matters and people have long been cast from my mind.”

Duan Xiaoyan choked, instinctively glancing at Pei Yunying.

The implication in Lu Tong’s words was that even Pei Yunying was among those “unimportant matters and people,” which was why she had completely forgotten everything about the Luyuan Pawnshop incident.

The Right Commander of the Palace Guard, the heir of the illustrious Marquis of Zhaoning, actually faced such obvious disdain one day.

Truly, fortunes rise and fall.

Just as he was thinking this, the felt curtain was lifted, and Yin Zheng came forward with two cups of tea, placing them before the two: “Official Pei, Young Master Duan, please have some tea.”

The teacups were small bowls of sweet white porcelain, smooth to the touch, but the tea leaves looked rather coarse. The fragrance carried a bitter note, and the tea soup was murky—it smelled less like tea and more like medicine.

Duan Xiaoyan, who feared bitterness, stared at the teacup before him, hesitating to drink, while Pei Yunying beside him had already picked up his cup and taken a sip.

The tea essence was weaker than the medicinal flavor, terribly astringent. He frowned slightly, put down the teacup, and stood up, his gaze falling on this cramped and small medical hall.

Though Renxin Medical Hall was small, it faced north and had a large plum tree in front, its dense branches and leaves almost completely enveloping the entire shop. Thus, even in summer, the shop wasn’t hot.

The young owner knew how to enjoy life—there were tea stoves, meditation chairs, bamboo couches, and flower vases. The medicine cabinets were wiped clean, and on the wall opposite hung an ink painting.

Under the painting on the table lay a carelessly placed copy of “Laws of the Liang Dynasty,” opened halfway, its pages rustling in the wind.

Though the shop was small, it was arranged with elegant simplicity and cleanliness. The Dragon Boat Festival’s artemisia and sachets had not yet been taken down, a faint medicinal fragrance permeated everywhere, keeping away mosquitoes and flies while providing summer comfort.

A breeze blew in from the inner shop, making the felt curtain sway slightly, with cicada sounds faintly audible from the courtyard.

The young man walked over, about to lift the felt curtain.

Someone blocked his way.

He lowered his gaze to look at the woman before him: “What does Doctor Lu mean by this?”

Lu Tong stood before the felt curtain, her expression somewhat displeased: “Official Pei, has no one ever told you not to intrude into a lady’s private quarters?”

“Private quarters?” Pei Yunying was momentarily stunned.

Yin Zheng nearby hurriedly explained: “Official Pei, my lady usually lives in this small courtyard, it is indeed a lady’s private quarters…”

He seemed surprised, apparently not expecting Lu Tong to live here. After a moment, he spoke: “Why does Doctor Lu live in the medical hall?”

Usually, resident physicians lived in their own homes, especially since Lu Tong was a young woman.

Lu Tong smiled: “The capital is different from other places, with rice as precious as pearls and firewood as precious as cinnamon. For ordinary people like me, staying at the medical hall helps save on living expenses.”

“As a noble official’s son, the Commander naturally wouldn’t understand.”

Her words were without fault, but when mentioning “noble official’s son,” her eyes flashed with an unmistakable trace of hatred.

Pei Yunying appeared thoughtful.

After a while, he said: “This medical hall is located on West Street, with taverns ahead. The capital has no curfew, and the city guard patrols West Street every night. Doctor Lu has good judgment—though simple, this place is safer than living elsewhere.”

Yin Zheng’s heart skipped a beat. Pei Yunying’s words were the same as what Lu Tong had said when she first moved to Renxin Medical Hall.

He glanced at the felt curtain once more before withdrawing his gaze: “So it’s private quarters. Doctor Lu was so nervous just now, I thought there might be a corpse hidden inside.”

Though this seemed like a joke, it caused Lu Tong’s expression to instantly turn cold.

She raised her eyes to look at the person before her.

Pei Yunying was extremely handsome.

Graceful and distinguished, his appearance surpassed others. Perhaps due to his noble birth, even standing in this dim and narrow medicine shop couldn’t hide his elegant and noble bearing, accustomed to moving among silks and brocades.

He also had captivating eyes and brows, beautiful and profound. His gaze initially seemed gentle and warm, but upon closer inspection, became sharp and indifferent.

This person was irritatingly perceptive.

Lu Tong stood entirely in his shadow, her gaze lingering for a moment on the dark silver cloud pattern of his embroidered clothes before moving away.

She spoke: “Official Pei jests. This is a medical hall, not the Hall of Yama.”

Pei Yunying was unfazed: “Even if it were the Hall of Yama, I think Doctor Lu would have ways to avoid detection.”

His lips curved slightly, his gaze sweeping over the half-opened “Laws of the Liang Dynasty” on the table, “Hasn’t Doctor Lu already thoroughly studied the capital’s laws?”

Lu Tong’s heart sank.

He had even noticed this.

“My lord may not know, but for common people of low status like us, it’s inevitable to face trouble from others. If we don’t study the laws clearly, we’ll always be at a disadvantage.”

“After all,” she looked directly into Pei Yunying’s eyes, “the law doesn’t favor the noble, and justice doesn’t bend for the powerful, right?”

Pei Yunying quietly looked at her without speaking.

Their back-and-forth, though gentle and calm in tone and expression, was like a sword half-drawn from its scabbard in the small shop, making the atmosphere tense.

Ah Cheng, watching these two, shuddered for no apparent reason and walked to Lu Tong’s side to carefully remind her: “Doctor Lu, Maiden Yin Zheng wants to get the ‘Chunshui Sheng,’ but ever since the people from the Medicine Bureau took the official formula, our shop hasn’t made any new ‘Chunshui Sheng.'”

“Chunshui Sheng” had been reclaimed by the Imperial Medicine Court as an official medicine. Unless it was an official pharmacy, no other medicine shops or medical halls could sell it privately, including Renxin Medical Hall.

Lu Tong was silent for a moment, explained this to Pei Yunying, then walked to the medicine cabinet, bent down to search out the last few jars of “Xianxian” from the bottom, and handed them to Pei Yunying along with the accompanying medication precautions.

“The medical hall doesn’t have Chunshui Sheng now, but ‘Xianxian’ sells the best. If Official Pei doesn’t mind, you can use this as a substitute.”

Pei Yunying took the medicine jars from her hand and looked at the precautions list.

The list was longer than a maiden’s waistband. He lowered his eyes to scan it: “Avoid sweets and greasy foods, take three times daily at fixed times, don’t lie down or sit immediately after taking, walk two li within an hour after taking…”

Pei Yunying was first surprised, then laughed: “Doctor Lu, if one follows all these precautions, wouldn’t one become slim even without taking the medicine?”

With so many rules and restrictions, both for food and behavior, each one could lead to slimming—it seemed the medicinal tea might make no difference whether taken or not.

Lu Tong: “Medicine is three parts poison. Ordinary people find it hard to persist with just medicinal tea. Following the instructions is necessary for the best results.”

“If Official Pei doesn’t like it, I can prepare another prescription for nourishment.”

Ah Cheng secretly glanced at Pei Yunying. This young official appeared tall and slim but not weak, with a nimble figure, broad shoulders, and narrow waist—he didn’t look like someone who needed medicinal tea to gild the lily.

“I like it, I like it!” Duan Xiaoyan snatched the medicine jar, smiling: “If the Commander won’t use it, why not give it to me? My Zhizi has gotten so fat lately it can’t show its face. This medicinal tea would be perfect to try!”

Having said this, he ignored Pei Yunying’s expression and stuffed the Xianxian into his robes.

Pei Yunying glanced at him, not bothering to address such shameless behavior.

Lu Tong asked: “Official Pei, are we even now?”

Pei Yunying raised an eyebrow: “Is Doctor Lu trying to chase us away?”

“My lord is overthinking.”

Ah Cheng: “…”

No wonder that young master thought she was being dismissive—he also felt today’s Doctor Lu wasn’t as agreeable as usual, seeming somewhat passive-aggressive.

Pei Yunying nodded, beckoned to Duan Xiaoyan beside him to take the medicinal tea, and said to Lu Tong: “In that case, we won’t disturb you further. Perhaps another day we can discuss medical principles with Doctor Lu.”

“Better not have the opportunity.” Lu Tong showed him no courtesy at all.

Duan Xiaoyan nearly choked.

Lu Tong lowered her eyes: “Frequent meetings with a physician are not a good thing. I hope my lord stays healthy, sleeps and eats well, and has no occasion to meet me again.”

Duan Xiaoyan scratched his head.

Though the words were good and seemed faultless, why did they sound like a curse, making one’s hair stand on end?

Pei Yunying looked at her, and after a while, nodded: “Very well, I’ll try my best.”

Duan Xiaoyan and Pei Yunying left Renxin Medical Hall, walking toward the end of West Street. They had tied their horses at the tavern’s stable at the street entrance.

Duan Xiaoyan looked back and said to Pei Yunying: “Brother, Lady Lu seems to dislike you.”

Doctor Lu appeared polite yet distant, with perfect manners, but in her words and expressions, there was always a hint of impatience, as if they were some kind of terrible plague.

“Did you offend her before?” Duan Xiaoyan asked.

If not for, Pei Yunying’s handsome appearance, he wouldn’t have earned a lady’s dislike.

Pei Yunying smiled: “Perhaps it’s because I saw through her true nature.”

“True nature? What true nature?”

Pei Yunying thought for a moment: “Don’t you think she looks very much like…”

“Like what? A female Buddha?”

“Of course not.”

He said quietly: “A female Yama.”