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

It was the hottest time of the day, and walking outside might cause heatstroke, so Madam Dong had the Dong family carriage take her back.

Also riding in the carriage was a woman servant, Nanny Wang, who was a servant of the Dong household. Previously at Wan’en Temple, this same woman had accompanied Lu Tong back as well.

Nanny Wang’s attitude toward Lu Tong was now much more polite. She made bland conversation with Lu Tong along the way. When they reached the entrance of Renxin Medical Hall, Lu Tong thanked Nanny Wang and lifted the carriage curtain to get out, when she suddenly heard Nanny Wang beside her make a sound of surprise.

Lu Tong turned her head, and Nanny Wang pointed outside the carriage: “That person looks like Commander Pei?”

Lu Tong followed her gaze.

The sun was blazing overhead. Under the long street’s eaves, a layer of fuzzy moss had grown after the rain, green and lovely. Creeper vines spread up the walls, creating a scene of summer tranquility where cool and warm colors were distinctly separated.

Someone stood in the shadows under the eaves. Seemingly sensing Lu Tong’s gaze, his footsteps stopped and he looked up toward her.

Fragmented sunlight filtered through the gaps of the plum tree at the entrance, casting scattered rays on him. The young man’s expression was hidden in the shadows and couldn’t be seen clearly, but those beautiful black eyes looking at her contained a certain depth.

Scarlet robes and silver blade, with elegant and noble bearing—it was precisely the Palace Command Commander Pei Yunying.

Lu Tong’s heart couldn’t help but skip a beat.

Just a few hours ago, she had been making up stories before Madam Dong, hinting at an intimate relationship between herself and Pei Yunying. In just a moment, she had encountered the person himself here, giving her the guilty feeling of being caught red-handed in a lie.

Nanny Wang’s gaze was still moving between Pei Yunying and Lu Tong when Lu Tong already put on a smile and turned back to the woman: “Commander Pei is here to see me. Thank you for the trouble today, Nanny. I’ll take my leave first.”

Nanny Wang quickly said: “Dr. Lu, please attend to your own business.” But the way she looked at her was completely different from before.

Seeing that her purpose had been achieved, Lu Tong said no more and got out of the carriage.

As soon as she got out, the young man beside Pei Yunying saw Lu Tong approaching and immediately waved his arms vigorously toward her: “Dr. Lu!”

Lu Tong walked over and stopped in front of Pei Yunying and Duan Xiaoyan, saying: “Commander Pei, Young Master Duan.”

“Dr. Lu,” Duan Xiaoyan smiled at her brightly: “The Commander and I just arrived here and were wondering why we couldn’t see you in the medical hall. We thought you weren’t here today, but unexpectedly met you here. What fate.”

Pei Yunying didn’t speak, his gaze passing over her to land on the Dong family carriage stopped at the medical hall entrance.

“That’s the Grand Court of Imperial Stud Minister’s carriage?” He raised an eyebrow.

Lu Tong said: “That’s right.”

Pei Yunying nodded casually and smiled as he looked at Lu Tong, his gaze somewhat strange: “When did Dr. Lu become so close with the Grand Court of Imperial Stud Minister?”

Lu Tong’s heart sank.

His tone was calm, but the way he looked at her was like a sharp blade, very penetrating.

Lu Tong steadied herself and replied with lowered brows: “This is all thanks to Commander Pei’s assistance last time. After Madam Dong and I resolved our misunderstanding, I occasionally go to the Grand Court of Imperial Stud Minister’s residence to treat Young Master Dong.”

She calmly kicked the ball back to him.

Pei Yunying looked down at her.

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

Lu Tong looked at Pei Yunying again: “I wonder what brings Commander Pei here so suddenly?”

“To collect a debt.”

“Collect a debt?”

He clicked his tongue and smiled as he reminded Lu Tong: “Dr. Lu truly forgets things easily. How could you forget that you still owe me two packets of Spring Water Life from the Luyuan Pawn Shop?”

Luyuan Pawn Shop?

Spring Water Life?

Lu Tong suddenly understood.

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

Duan Xiaoyan looked at Lu Tong: “Dr. Lu, you really did forget about our Commander completely.”

Yin Zheng had just come out from the inner shop when she heard this comment, and couldn’t help but cough twice. The way this was said, those who didn’t know 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. Commander Pei, Young Master Duan, please come in and sit.”

The shop was very quiet.

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

The spilled medicinal materials in the inner shop had been cleaned up by A’Cheng. Yin Zheng invited the two to sit on bamboo chairs and went into the small courtyard to brew tea for them.

A’Cheng stood far to one side. The clever young clerk had already seen that these two were of extraordinary status, especially the young man sitting in the room—golden crown and embroidered clothes, outstanding appearance. He looked like a handsome and elegant young master from an official family, but the long blade at his waist gleamed coldly, coating even his fine clothing with a sharp edge.

Though he smiled, the smile didn’t seem to reach his eyes.

Making people want to get close while also feeling afraid.

A’Cheng walked to Lu Tong’s side and looked at Pei Yunying, asking: “Dr. Lu, is this an acquaintance of yours?”

If not an acquaintance, how could Yin Zheng welcome these two in and even go brew tea for them?

Among those who could drink tea at Renxin Medical Hall, there was currently only one regular customer, Master Hu.

Pei Yunying: “Yes.”

Lu Tong: “Not really.”

The voices sounded simultaneously, but the answers were completely different.

Pei Yunying looked at Lu Tong with a smile that wasn’t quite a smile, showing no trace of annoyance on his face.

Lu Tong said calmly: “We’ve met by chance a few times, hardly enough to be called acquaintances.”

“Miss Lu saying this is rather heartless.” Duan Xiaoyan touched his chin, “Not to mention that our Commander saved your life under Baoxiang Tower before, or that he mediated and spoke for you before Madam Dong at Wan’en Temple, just the meeting at Luyuan Pawn Shop was only a month ago.”

“My Commander paid fifty taels of silver to redeem your hairpins and jewelry. Fifty taels is worth two months of my salary. In these times, who would kindly lend such a large sum to a stranger?”

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

Hearing this, A’Cheng looked at Lu Tong with some surprise: “Dr. Lu, you bought hairpins and jewelry?”

Lu Tong usually dressed simply and never wore any jewelry or ornaments. Du Changqing had even mentioned behind her back to A’Cheng that such a beautiful face was wasted, that she didn’t even know how to dress up, wearing clothes plainer than his deceased grandmother.

“How strange,” Pei Yunying asked casually: “Haven’t you seen your Dr. Lu wear them?”

A’Cheng smiled: “I haven’t seen her wear any. Actually, since Dr. Lu came to our medical hall, I’ve never seen her wear any jewelry.”

After saying this, as if realizing this didn’t sound good, he glanced at Lu Tong and quickly added: “But Dr. Lu is naturally beautiful, she looks good even without those ornaments.”

Pei Yunying chuckled lightly, his gaze falling on Lu Tong standing before the medicine cabinet: “How strange, Dr. Lu spent a fortune on jewelry and hairpins but doesn’t wear them?”

Lu Tong’s movements in selecting medicinal materials paused slightly.

This man was truly difficult to deal with.

Yin Zheng had seen Pei Yunying several times before and knew he was deep and cunning. Following Lu Tong’s instructions, she deliberately avoided conversing with Pei Yunying to prevent being trapped into revealing information.

But A’Cheng was different. A’Cheng was meeting Pei Yunying for the first time, didn’t know his identity, and didn’t know he was dangerous.

She didn’t turn to look at Pei Yunying’s expression, only replied calmly: “When practicing medicine in a medical hall, hairpins and jewelry are inconvenient. If there are grand festivals, I would naturally wear them.”

“The Commander simply hasn’t seen them.”

Pei Yunying nodded: “That makes sense.”

He leaned back and suddenly said: “Speaking of coincidences, Dr. Lu, one of the flower hairpins you redeemed at Luyuan Pawn Shop came from the Ke family in the southern district.”

“The Ke family?” Lu Tong turned around, looking puzzled.

He stared into Lu Tong’s eyes: “On the first day of the fourth month, at Wan’en Temple, in the Wuhuai Garden where Dr. Lu stayed, the deceased guest was the eldest master of the ceramic Ke family in the capital.”

A’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: “Dr. Lu doesn’t remember that dead person?”

Lu Tong opened her eyes slightly, her tone somewhat strange: “I never met this person, how could I remember him? Besides, didn’t the Commander say that I forget things easily? Being busy with making and selling new medicine daily, I’ve long forgotten such unimportant people and matters.”

Duan Xiaoyan choked and instinctively glanced at Pei Yunying.

Lu Tong’s words meant that wasn’t Pei Yunying also among the “unimportant people and matters,” which was why she had completely forgotten everything about the Luyuan Pawn Shop incident?

The Palace Command Right Army Commander, the prominent Heir of Duke Zhaoning, would actually one day be so obviously despised by someone.

Truly, fortune turns in cycles.

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

The teacups were sweet white porcelain small bowls, warm to the touch, but the tea leaves looked somewhat coarse, with a bitter aroma and murky tea soup. It didn’t smell like tea, but more like medicine.

Duan Xiaoyan, afraid of bitterness, stared at the teacup before him without daring to drink, while Pei Yunying beside him had already picked up the tea bowl and taken a sip.

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

Renxin Medical Hall was small, but because it faced north and had a large plum tree in front that was lush and leafy, almost wrapping the entire pharmacy inside, even though it was summer, the shop wasn’t hot.

That young proprietor was probably someone who knew how to enjoy life—tea stove and meditation chairs, bamboo couch and flower vases. The medicine cabinets were wiped very clean, and on the wall directly opposite hung a ink wash painting.

On the table beneath the painting lay a half-read copy of “Liang Dynasty Law,” its pages rustling in the wind.

Though the shop was small, it was arranged with extreme elegance and cleanliness. The mugwort and sachets hung for the Dragon Boat Festival hadn’t been taken down yet, and a faint medicinal fragrance permeated everywhere. There were no mosquitoes or flies, and it was comfortable and cool for summer.

A breeze blew from the depths of the inner shop, making the felt curtain sway slightly, with the sound of cicadas faintly audible from the courtyard.

The young man walked over and was about to reach out and lift the felt curtain.

Someone blocked his way.

He looked down at the woman before him: “Dr. Lu, what do you mean by this?”

Lu Tong stood in front of the felt curtain, looking somewhat displeased: “Commander Pei, hasn’t anyone told you not to casually enter a woman’s private chambers?”

“Private chambers?” Pei Yunying was momentarily taken aback.

Yin Zheng, seeing this, quickly explained: “Commander Pei, our young lady usually lives in this small courtyard, so it truly is a woman’s private chamber…”

He seemed somewhat surprised, as if he hadn’t expected Lu Tong to actually live here. After a while, he spoke: “How does Dr. Lu come to live in the medical hall?”

Ordinary practicing doctors all lived in their own homes, let alone a young woman like Lu Tong.

Lu Tong smiled: “The capital is different from other places—rice is precious as pearls, firewood expensive as cassia. For ordinary people like me, staying in the medical hall saves on living expenses.”

“The Commander is from an official noble family, so naturally wouldn’t understand.”

Her words were without fault, but when she mentioned “official noble family,” a trace of barely concealed disgust flashed in her eyes.

Pei Yunying looked thoughtful.

After a long moment, he said: “This medical hall is located on West Street, with a tavern ahead. The capital has no curfew, and West Street has city guards patrolling every night. Dr. Lu has good judgment—though this place is simple, it’s safer than living elsewhere.”

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

He glanced at the felt curtain again before withdrawing his gaze: “So it’s private chambers. When Dr. Lu was so nervous just now, I thought there was a corpse hidden inside.”

This sounded like a joke, but it made Lu Tong’s eyes immediately turn cold.

She looked up at the person before her.

Pei Yunying was extremely handsome.

Graceful and outstanding in appearance. Probably because of his noble birth, even standing in the dim and narrow pharmacy, he couldn’t hide the elegant nobility of someone accustomed to fine silks and wealth.

He also had a pair of captivating eyes, beautiful and deep. His gaze initially seemed gentle and warm, but looking closer, one suddenly felt it was sharp and indifferent.

This person was annoyingly perceptive.

Lu Tong stood entirely in his shadow, her gaze pausing for a moment on the dark silver cloud patterns on his embroidered robes before looking away.

She said: “Commander Pei jests. This is a medical hall, not the Palace of Hell.”

Pei Yunying was unconcerned: “Even if it really were the Palace of Hell, I believe Dr. Lu would have ways to avoid being discovered.”

His lips curved slightly as his gaze swept over the half-read “Liang Dynasty Law” on the table. “Hasn’t Dr. Lu already studied the capital’s laws thoroughly?”

Lu Tong’s heart sank.

He had even noticed this.

“The Commander doesn’t know—people like us of humble origins inevitably have others come causing trouble. If we don’t study the laws clearly, we’ll always suffer losses.”

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

Pei Yunying looked at her quietly without speaking.

Their exchange was warm and calm in words and expressions, yet it was like hanging a blade about to be drawn but not yet drawn in the small inner shop, making the atmosphere around them tense.

A’Cheng watched these two and for some reason shivered, walking to Lu Tong’s side to carefully remind her: “Dr. Lu, Miss Yin Zheng wants to get ‘Spring Water Life,’ but ever since the Medicinal Materials Bureau took away the formula, our pharmacy hasn’t made new ‘Spring Water Life.'”

“Spring Water Life” had been taken over by the Imperial Medical Academy as official medicine. Except for official medicine bureaus, other pharmacies and medical halls couldn’t sell it privately, including Renxin Medical Hall.

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

“The medical hall currently has no Spring Water Life. ‘Xianxian’ sells best now. If Commander Pei doesn’t mind, you can use this as a substitute.”

Pei Yunying took the medicine jar from her hand and looked at the medication instruction sheet.

The sheet was longer than a girl’s belt. He looked down and scanned: “Avoid sweets and greasy foods, take three times daily at regular times, cannot lie down immediately after use, must walk two li within one hour after taking…”

Pei Yunying was first surprised, then laughed: “Dr. Lu, if one follows all these medication instructions, even without taking medicine, wouldn’t it be hard not to lose weight?”

With so many rules and regulations, covering both diet and activities, each one capable of causing weight loss, the medicinal tea seemed almost unnecessary.

Lu Tong: “Medicine is one-third poison. Relying on medicinal tea alone is difficult for ordinary people to persist with. Following the instructions is necessary for the best effect.”

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

A’Cheng secretly glanced at Pei Yunying. This young master looked tall and lean but not weak, with a very trim figure—broad shoulders and narrow waist. He really didn’t seem like someone who needed medicinal tea for improvement.

“Like it, like it!” Duan Xiaoyan snatched the medicine jar away, smiling broadly: “If the Commander doesn’t need it, why not give it to me? My Zhizi has gotten so fat recently she can’t be seen in public. This medicinal tea is perfect for her to try!”

After saying this, regardless of Pei Yunying’s expression, he stuffed Xianxian into his clothes.

Pei Yunying glanced at him, too lazy to deal with such shameless behavior.

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

Pei Yunying raised an eyebrow: “Is Dr. Lu trying to send away guests?”

“The Commander is overthinking.”

A’Cheng: “…”

Can’t blame that young master for overthinking—he also felt today’s Dr. Lu wasn’t as easy to talk to as usual, somewhat sarcastic.

Pei Yunying nodded and called to Duan Xiaoyan beside him to take the medicinal tea properly, then said to Lu Tong: “In that case, we won’t disturb you. Perhaps in the future there will be opportunities to discuss medical principles with Dr. Lu.”

“It would be best if there were no such opportunities.” Lu Tong gave him no face at all.

Duan Xiaoyan nearly choked.

Lu Tong lowered her eyes: “Frequent meetings with medical practitioners is not a good thing. I hope the Commander enjoys good health, sleeps and eats without illness, so that we may never meet again.”

Duan Xiaoyan scratched his head.

These were good words, and there was nothing wrong with them, but somehow they sounded like a curse, making one’s hair stand on end.

Pei Yunying looked at her, and after a long moment, he nodded: “Very well, I’ll do my best.”

Duan Xiaoyan and Pei Yunying left Renxin Medical Hall and walked toward the end of West Street. They had tied their horses at the stable of the tavern at the street entrance when they came.

Duan Xiaoyan turned back to look and said to Pei Yunying: “Brother, Miss Lu seems to really dislike you.”

That Dr. Lu appeared polite and distant, with proper etiquette, but between her words and expressions, there was always a hint of hidden impatience, as if they were some kind of flood or fierce beast.

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

If not, with Pei Yunying’s handsome appearance, how could he possibly be disliked by a young lady?

Pei Yunying smiled: “Maybe 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 Bodhisattva?”

“Of course not.”

He said indifferently: “A female King of Hell.”