“What are you going to Yufu County for?”

Zhao Huai kept his head lowered and didn’t respond for a long time.

Not until his subordinate handed him the wine pot again did he take it in his hand and finally look up at Muruo.

He said, “To see an old acquaintance.”

“Oh? I didn’t expect the head of Gaoshan Stronghold to have old acquaintances too!”

“What do you mean by that?”

Zhao Huai questioned him.

“No meaning at all—just making conversation. Why are you so agitated?” As he spoke, Muruo pointed his chin at his severed arm and said without reservation, “Let me tell you, though your hand is fine now, you still need to be careful. Looking at the recent weather, it’s probably not going to be good. Who knows when this rain will stop? If the wound gets damp, it’ll cause you pain in the future.”

Zhao Huai snorted. “As long as I don’t die.”

At this, Muruo sneered, swayed to his feet, and returned to Jingrong’s side.

As soon as he sat down, he lowered his voice and reported, “Zhao Huai is not only a tough man, but his mouth is pretty tight too. He just won’t talk.”

So this fellow had gone to gather information.

Jingrong cast his gaze toward Zhao Huai and picked up that small stick again, poking around in the fire.

As he did so, he said, “Those who come unbidden come with ill intent. Keep an eye on him too.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t let your sweetheart be abducted again.” Muruo teased.

Jingrong glared at him. “Drink your wine.”

“Fine, fine, fine! I’ll drink my wine, you poke your fire. On a night of endless rain like this, it’s best to be alone.”

With that, Muruo stood up and went outside.

Ji Yunshu glanced at Muruo’s retreating figure, then pushed Wei Yi over to Lang Bo.

“Stay with your Brother Lang for a while.”

Wei Yi rubbed his eyes. “Okay.”

He hugged Lang Bo’s arm and continued sleeping.

Lang Bo’s face immediately turned ashen!

The guards nearby smiled without speaking!

Ji Yunshu was about to get up and go out when Jingrong grabbed her arm. “Sit still and don’t run around.”

“I’m just going out for a moment. I’ll come right back in.”

Jingrong glanced outside, understanding in his heart. “Don’t stay too long with that Muruo fellow. Drunks don’t think before they act.”

“I know.”

She agreed!

Ji Yunshu left the ruined temple. Outside, the heavy rain was falling even harder and more urgently than before, like enormous pearls striking the pitted and uneven ground, the sound like booming bells!

Wisps of cold wind penetrated to the bone, like ants gnawing.

Muruo sat in the corridor outside, one foot propped up, leaning against a pillar with his head tilted back, drinking.

Dark light radiated from the horizon, filtering through threads of rainwater flowing down from the tiles, dimly sprinkling on his shoulders.

He looked somewhat desolate.

Ji Yunshu quietly walked over and sat down across from him, lifting her head to watch the endless rain.

She said, “Green plums in their season, rain stretching far and wide, a small boat here, wine for the gentleman.”

The corners of her mouth curved with a smile, and in her deep eyes flowed a gentle warmth like water.

Muruo laughed.

He poured a mouthful of wine down his throat. “So Mister Ji is not only excellent at solving cases, but also quite good at composing poetry.”

“Just a few small verses—anyone can recite them.”

“Green plums, rain, small boats, gentlemen—interesting, interesting!”

He took another drink of wine!

Ji Yunshu looked at him, drew in a breath of cold air, and asked, “Master Muruo, may I ask a question?”

“Please do.”

“This wine—one more cup can dispel sorrow, but one less cup?”

Hm?

An interesting question!

Muruo narrowed his eyes in thought, tapped his temple with his finger, and said, “One more cup dispels sorrow, one less cup… won’t let you wake up.”

He began drinking again, one mouthful after another.

Ji Yunshu said, “Master Muruo has never been able to let go of someone in his heart. Wine can make you forget everything, yet it can also make you remember everything. In the state of intoxication, sorrow is easily dispelled. In the state of sobriety, emotion is difficult to release.”

Her voice was gentle as falling jade.

Muruo said nothing, only the corners of his lips curved in a smile.

Those waves of wine scent, accompanied by the fine drizzling rain, gradually dissipated…

The two sat outside for a long time!

Ji Yunshu saw that Muruo had already gotten drunk, leaning against the large pillar with his eyes closed. Even the wine pot in his hand had rolled to the ground.

Clang!

She quietly stood up, preparing to go inside. She had only taken a few steps when Muruo’s voice came from behind her.

“Miss Ji, thank you.”

She didn’t respond. The corners of her lips curved in a smile as she went inside.

The people inside had all fallen asleep leaning against the fire. She quietly sat down, but Jingrong opened his eyes, grasped her hand in his, and rubbed it.

It was ice cold!

“A woman’s hands should be used for painting and embroidery. How can yours be like this—if not touching corpses, then always ice cold?”

Ji Yunshu smiled lightly. She grasped Jingrong’s large palm in return, delicately feeling the thick calluses one after another on his palm.

“In this whole world, which prince has so many calluses on his palms?”

“By that reasoning, this prince and you truly are a match made in heaven.”

“Who said I’m a match made in heaven with you?”

“What’s this? Do you want to say again that you’re a prince and I’m a commoner?” Jingrong tilted his head and asked.

That statement had always been a thorn in his heart!

Ji Yunshu pressed her lips together, lowered her gaze, then lifted it again after a moment and said, “I take back those words.”

“Take them back? How can words be taken back?”

“If I say I can take them back, then I can. Consider those words unsaid.”

“What if I don’t allow it?”

“Hm?”

Ji Yunshu was puzzled.

Jingrong held her slender, delicate hand and gazed at her affectionately. “You’re a prince, I’m a commoner—these two sentences, this prince will always remember. Precisely because of the vast difference in our status, we’ve endured so many hardships to reach this point. It’s truly not been easy. Therefore, this prince will cherish you and love you even more—for a lifetime, for all eternity, unchanging.”

Sweet words flowed so easily from his lips!

Good thing everyone around them had fallen asleep, or they would have gotten goosebumps all over.

Suddenly—

A commotion came from outside.

Hurried, disorderly footsteps came from outside the ruined temple, accompanied by rough male voices.

“Hurry, hurry, hurry! This rain is really annoying.”

“It’s all your fault for traveling at night.”

“How can you blame me?”

…

Three or four people shuffled in!

Each was drenched like a drowned rat. As soon as they entered, they shook the rainwater from their clothes, raising their hands and clapping them loudly.

The commotion was extremely loud!

It woke everyone in the ruined temple. Everyone stared at those few people.

In the middle of the night, disturbing their sweet dreams.

Those few men who appeared to be in their thirties or forties also noticed the two groups of people in the ruined temple. Seeing that some wore swords while others carried blades, they instinctively felt intimidated.

One bold man among them cupped his hands, revealing a humble smile. “Everyone, sorry to disturb you! With such heavy rain outside, we came from Yuzhou city and really had no choice but to come in to take shelter from the rain.”

They pulled the other three to find an empty spot and sat down.

They also lit a fire.

Having been awakened, everyone found it difficult to fall back asleep.

An old man among those few people pulled out a steamed bun from his bundle to toast over the fire. He looked over Jingrong’s and Zhao Huai’s two groups, then asked, “Are you all heading into the city?”

No one answered!

“If you’re heading into the city, I advise you not to go. Things are chaotic in the city.”

Hm?

Everyone was puzzled.

Lang Bo asked, “Has some disaster struck Yuzhou city?”

“Worse than a disaster—people are dying.”