After Minor Heat had passed in Shengjing, the weather grew increasingly sultry.

In front of the silk shoe shop on West Street, a cooling awning had been made from brocade fabric. As evening approached, vendors would gather in twos and threes beneath it to enjoy the cool air.

Today was unusually cool, with no sun visible since dawn. Du Changqing led Summer Rongrong and her servants into town for a stroll, planning to buy some local products for Rongrong’s parents. Only Acheng and Yinzheng remained at the medical shop helping Lu Tong organize medicinal herbs.

Lu Tong sat in the medical shop, stacking the newly made “Xianxian” in a corner of the long counter. A few days ago, she had borrowed another hundred taels of silver from Du Changqing, so she could only make more medicinal tea to supplement her income.

Yinzheng was sweeping the floor while Acheng had gone to the sweet soup shop on West Street to buy sweet soup for Lu Tong.

Du Changqing found Lu Tong’s taste preferences hard to understand, but this newly opened sweet soup shop was just right for Lu Tong’s taste. Two cups cost three copper coins in total. While others in the medical shop found it too sweet, Lu Tong would buy and drink both bamboo tubes herself daily.

After about half an incense stick’s time, just as Lu Tong had finished arranging all the medicinal tea, Acheng returned.

The returning Acheng appeared hesitant, holding the bamboo tubes of sweet soup, looking somewhat restless.

Lu Tong glanced at him: “Why don’t you come in?”

Before Acheng could speak, a voice suddenly emerged from behind: “Doctor Lu!”

Lu Tong’s hand paused while arranging the medicinal tea, and Yinzheng, who was sweeping, straightened up to look toward the door.

Duan Xiaoyan walked in from outside with a grin, greeting everyone familiarly: “Miss Yinzheng.”

Lu Tong looked toward him. Behind Duan Xiaoyan stood a handsome young man carrying a sword, who smiled as he met her gaze.

Lu Tong’s heart sank.

This person was like a persistent ghost.

She paused briefly before speaking coolly: “What brings Official Pei here?”

Pei Yunying walked in: “To buy medicine.”

“Buy medicine?”

Duan Xiaoyan turned around: “With the summer heat lately, our brothers in the barracks inevitably suffer from the weather while patrolling. The official wants to buy some heat-relieving medicinal tea to brew and distribute among the brothers.” He smiled at Lu Tong: “Since we’re all acquainted, we specifically came to support Doctor Lu’s business.”

Lu Tong nodded: “Thank you.” Then she addressed them both: “Please wait a moment.”

She sat at the table and began writing a prescription. Pei Yunying stood by the medicine cabinet, his gaze passing over her flowing handwriting, raising his eyebrows slightly.

Lu Tong hadn’t noticed. After finishing, she handed the prescription to Acheng, who went to prepare the medicines. Yinzheng glanced between them and smiled: “Please sit here for a while, let me brew…”

Before she could finish saying “tea,” two bamboo tubes of sweet soup were already placed on the small table.

Pei Yunying looked up as Lu Tong withdrew her hand with a smile: “We just bought sweet soup, Official Pei and Young Master Duan can try it.”

This meant she had no intention of brewing tea for them.

A cup of sweet soup would take only a moment to drink while brewing and drinking tea would take quite a while. Though Lu Tong hadn’t said it explicitly, she had thoroughly expressed her intention for them to leave.

Pei Yunying’s gaze swept across Lu Tong’s face. After a while, he shook his head and good-naturedly picked up the bamboo tube of sweet soup for a sip.

The next moment, the young man’s smile froze slightly.

Beside him, Duan Xiaoyan had already cried out: “Peh peh peh, this is way too sweet! Doctor Lu, what did you buy?!”

“Ginger honey water,” Lu Tong said. “Is it very sweet? I think it’s just right. All the medicines in the shop are bitter, Young Master Duan’s ginger honey water is sweeter than medicine.”

Her expression was calm, her tone without any trace of mockery, making it impossible to tell if she was deliberately teasing them.

Pei Yunying put down the bamboo tube and sighed: “That makes sense.”

Lu Tong looked at him.

This person showed no sign of anger, maintaining a polite and gentle demeanor throughout. It was hard to tell if this was due to a good upbringing or cunning.

While Acheng was still preparing the medicine, Duan Xiaoyan cleared his throat softly with his fist against his lips, making small talk: “Doctor Lu, when I saw you at the Fan mansion gate last time, I wanted to chat more, but official duties were pressing… How have you been these days? Has anyone caused you trouble?”

Lu Tong sat down at the table: “No one has, thank you for Young Master Duan’s concern.”

Duan Xiaoyan coughed twice more: “Speaking of which, at the Fan mansion last time, I lost my money pouch…” As he said this, he looked probingly at Lu Tong.

Lu Tong quietly gazed at him.

Duan Xiaoyan stuttered: “Did… did you see my money pouch?”

The shop fell silent for a moment.

Gray clouds obscured the sky, and the leaves of the plum tree in front of the door rustled in the wind.

After a while, Lu Tong calmly spoke: “Is Young Master Duan suspecting that I stole your money pouch?”

Acheng crouched by the medicine cabinet, the sound of him preparing medicines rustling softly. Yinzheng stood by the table near the door, head lowered, diligently wiping the table.

Duan Xiaoyan froze for a moment, then laughed awkwardly: “How could that be? I was just mentioning it casually.”

Lu Tong nodded: “Young Master Duan, I haven’t seen your money pouch.”

Duan Xiaoyan hurriedly said: “I also think you haven’t seen it, I probably dropped it somewhere else.” After speaking, his hand under the table gently tugged at Pei Yunying’s clothes.

Pei Yunying sat to the side, his gaze passing over the stack of ‘Xianxian’ on the shop table, suddenly changing the subject: “Doctor Lu’s medicinal tea sells well, I hear even the Fan family’s detailed judgment official personally requested it.”

“It was just lucky to catch Madam Fan’s eye.”

“How could it be luck?” He smiled, “Madam Fan cherishes her figure, and Doctor Lu happened to make slimming medicinal tea just in time to help. If I didn’t know Doctor Lu was from out of town, I would have thought you prepared it especially for Madam Fan.”

Yinzheng’s hand tensed on the cloth as she wiped the table.

Lu Tong looked at him: “Your words are too kind, Official. Creating a medicinal tea isn’t as simple as others might think. Moreover, I’m just a common person, completely unconnected to official families. How could I influence a madam’s decisions?”

He nodded: “Indeed.”

He then looked toward Yinzheng at the counter. She kept her head down, carefully gathering scattered white papers from the table.

Pei Yunying watched for a while, then reached for the sweet soup bamboo tube and took another sip, immediately furrowing his brows, seemingly finding the drink too sweet.

He called out: “Doctor Lu.”

Lu Tong responded with a sound.

“I remember in our previous meetings, that maid of yours was usually quite talkative. How come in these recent meetings, she’s become so quiet.” He set the bamboo tube back on the table, speaking unhurriedly: “She’s not staying away from me for fear of letting something slip, is she?”

Lu Tong’s brow twitched.

She looked up at Pei Yunying.

No lamps had been lit during the day, and the sky had completely darkened. He sat in the summer gloom, wearing crimson brocade clothes, a sharp sword at his waist, exceptionally elegant and handsome.

But the smile in his eyes was faint.

After a pause, Lu Tong calmly replied: “Official jests. We are of humble status, and when we meet noble young masters and distinguished guests like yourself, we become tongue-tied and awkward, unfit for proper company. I hope Official will not take offense.”

Her repeated use of “Official” carried a hint of sarcasm. Duan Xiaoyan also sensed the subtle atmosphere and became restless, pretending to ask Acheng over there: “Um… is the medicinal tea ready?”

“All done!” Acheng called out while placing two large packages of medicinal tea on the counter, wiping his sweat: “There’s quite a lot of medicinal tea, sorry to keep you officials waiting.”

“It’s no trouble at all.” Duan Xiaoyan also wiped his sweat, standing up and fanning himself, saying: “Why is it so hot today!”

He walked to the counter, paid the silver, picked up the two large packages of medicine, and urged Pei Yunying: “Official, it’s getting late, we should head back. We shouldn’t delay Doctor Lu from seeing patients.”

Lu Tong stood up: “Farewell, Official.” Showing no intention of asking them to stay.

Pei Yunying quietly watched her. After a while, he smiled and lowered his head, stood up, took a few steps, and then suddenly seemed to remember something. He turned around, picked up the unfinished ginger honey water from the table, and waved it at Lu Tong: “Thank you for the ginger honey water, Doctor Lu.”

“Until next time.”

After they left Renxin Medical Shop, Yinzheng moved to the doorway and only let out a gentle sigh of relief, patting her chest, when their figures were no longer visible.

Acheng muttered softly: “How can Official Pei have such a good temper yet always seem so creepy…” He mumbled to himself, “It must be because of that intimidating sword of his…”

Meanwhile, after leaving the medical shop, Duan Xiaoyan and Pei Yunying went ahead to fetch their horses.

Duan Xiaoyan complained quietly: “Brother, I told you today’s trip would be futile. Doctor Lu couldn’t have picked up my money pouch. Now it’s become so awkward, how can I face her again?”

Pei Yunying stopped walking: “Who says it’s impossible?”

Duan Xiaoyan froze: “She was lying?”

“Can’t tell. But with her words, believe three-tenths at most, and in crucial moments, don’t even believe that much.”

Duan Xiaoyan was speechless: “Brother, I feel you’re biased against Doctor Lu. I’ve asked around before, Doctor Lu has a great reputation on West Street. Everyone says she’s a beautiful and kind living Bodhisattva, yet you guard against her like a thief. Is it necessary to be so wary of a frail woman?”

“Frail woman?” Pei Yunying sneered: “Did you notice what she was wearing today?”

“What was she wearing?” Duan Xiaoyan paused: “A dress, quite pretty. Doctor Lu is beautiful, she looks good in anything.”

Pei Yunying gave him a look.

Duan Xiaoyan was puzzled: “Am I wrong?”

“The first time I saw her at Baoxiang Tower, she wore coarse clothes. The second time, at Wanen Temple, it changed to white gauze. Today, her clothes have changed to cloud-pattern silk.”

“Brother, you remember so clearly.” Duan Xiaoyan dismissed it, “It’s normal. Doctor Lu is from out of town, coming to Shengjing, learning to dress like Shengjing women. Everyone has a desire to look beautiful, even Zhizi has several flowered dresses.”

Pei Yunying handed him the bamboo tube from the medical shop and turned to untie the horse’s reins: “Coarse cloth costs three hundred wen per bolt, silk gauze five hundred wen per bolt, as for cloud-pattern silk, at least one guan of money per bolt. In less than half a year, Doctor Lu’s clothing expenses have increased quite a bit.”

Duan Xiaoyan held the bamboo tube, confused: “What does this prove?”

Pei Yunying untied the horse’s reins and mounted: “It proves that if Lu Tong had entered the Palace Front Court with you, by now, she would be your superior.”

He called “Hya!” and rode off. Duan Xiaoyan stood dumbfounded for a while before coming to his senses and shouting angrily: “Brother, you’re insulting me!”

……

Renxin Medical Shop.

It wasn’t until the evening that Du Changqing returned with Summer Rongrong and her servant.

Today’s outing had yielded quite a harvest, with local products Du Changqing brought back filling nearly half the courtyard. Seeming extremely tired, Du Changqing didn’t say much to Lu Tong before calling Acheng to go home.

Yinzheng closed the shop door, and Lu Tong lit the lamps. Summer Rongrong had Xiangcao come over to give Yinzheng a small paper package.

Yinzheng asked puzzled: “What’s this…”

Xiangcao smiled: “It’s white jade frost rice cakes that my young miss and young master bought today. Thinking Doctor Lu likes sweet things, they specially brought some for her.”

Yinzheng thanked her and took the package back to Lu Tong’s room, where Lu Tong had just entered carrying her medical box.

“The rice cakes from Miss Summer next door,” Yinzheng said.

Lu Tong: “Put them on the table.”

Yinzheng placed the rice cakes on the table, turned to close the doors and windows, and trimmed the lamp wicks with scissors, brightening the room.

Lu Tong put away her medical box, then bent down to pull out a small case from under the bed, then opened the desk drawer and took out a light gold money pouch.

The pouch was made of silk satin, embroidered with two playful mandarin ducks amid swirling water plants, exquisitely crafted. Hidden along the edge of the pouch was a small line of text—a name: Duan Xiaoyan.

This was Duan Xiaoyan’s money pouch.

Yinzheng walked over with the oil lamp, placed it on the table, and looking at the pouch, softly asked Lu Tong: “Miss, why didn’t you return the pouch to Young Master Duan when he came to the shop today?”

That day at the Fan mansion gate, Duan Xiaoyan had left in a hurry. As Lu Tong and Yinzheng were about to leave, they saw a money pouch dropped on the ground.

The pouch was still loose, with Duan Xiaoyan’s name embroidered on it. He probably hadn’t secured it properly after paying for tea at the tea stall, and it had fallen out while walking.

Lu Tong had picked up the pouch and kept it safe. Today when Duan Xiaoyan came, Yinzheng had thought Lu Tong would return it, but unexpectedly, Lu Tong hadn’t said anything.

In the quiet night, Lu Tong’s fingertips traced over the raised embroidery of the name on the pouch, and she suddenly spoke: “Why was Duan Xiaoyan at the Fan mansion gate?”

Yinzheng was startled, instinctively answering: “…Wasn’t he passing by on official business?”

“If he was passing by on official business, why was he in casual clothes? There were only three or four people at the tea stall. After seeing us, Duan Xiaoyan left, and those people left with him, showing they were together.”

“When Duan Xiaoyan asked me why I was there, I only told him I was administering acupuncture, but today Pei Yunying directly mentioned that I was treating Madam Zhao, showing he knows my every move.”

“Also, when you called Duan Xiaoyan’s name that day, he was slow to respond, finally turning around as if reluctant to be discovered by us. Why is that?”

Yinzheng listened with growing alarm: “Miss means…”

“He was monitoring me.”

Lu Tong said calmly: “We’re being watched.”

Outside the window, plum branches cast shadows through the gauze curtains onto the window frame, framing a picture.

Yinzheng’s lips turned pale: “But why would they be watching you, Miss?”

Lu Tong lowered her eyes: “As early as at Wanen Temple, Pei Yunying had suspicions about me. All these probing questions are about Ke Chengxing’s death. But since the case is closed and they can’t find evidence, he can only work through me.”

Hearing this, Yinzheng grew more nervous: “They’re officials, we can’t fight them. Miss, what do you plan to do now?”

Lu Tong picked up the money pouch from the table, carefully looking at the two playful mandarin ducks, and smiled slightly.

“It’s fine, let him watch.”

She opened the case, put the pouch inside, and bent down to return the case under the bed.

Everything disappeared without a trace.

“For us, this might be a good thing,” she said.