It was like a nightmare repeating itself.

Fu Tingyun’s mind went blank, and she didn’t know how much time passed before she came to her senses.

How had he found her?

Her heart was filled with anxiety, yet her body lay limp on the bed, unable to move.

The fear she felt when he had squeezed her neck overflowed from her memory.

Agree quickly, nod quickly… otherwise her life would be in danger.

Yet all the strength in her body seemed to have been drained away, and she couldn’t muster any energy.

She was frantic with worry.

But the hand covering her mouth gradually loosened.

She took a long, deep breath; her back was wet with sweat.

“Do you know where the temple stores its grain?” He sat quietly in front of her bed.

In the darkness, his eyes gleamed like those of a cat she once kept. No, a cat’s eyes were more docile. His eyes were cold and indifferent, without a trace of warmth, making her afraid.

“No, I don’t know!” Fu Tingyun responded nervously, her voice stammering.

He slowly straightened his posture… seeming somewhat disappointed… his body gradually merging with the darkness… She couldn’t see his expression clearly or sense his mood… Those eyes in the darkness seemed to have suddenly frozen over, brighter and more dazzling than before, but also colder than before, making her heart chill.

Fu Tingyun shivered as if drenched with cold water, which cleared her mind considerably.

He had come looking for food, hadn’t he?

There were dogs outside and maids on night duty inside. How had he entered so silently?

Tonight, Lu’E was on night duty. She was sleeping on the daybed beside her bed. She…

As the thought flashed through her mind, an image of Lu’E lying in a pool of blood suddenly appeared.

“What have you done to my maid?” She anxiously pushed him aside and lifted the bed curtain.

Her anger at Lu’E’s possible harm exceeded her fear of him.

Moonlight fell quietly on the window lattice. Lu’E was lying on her side on the daybed, facing her, her expression peaceful and calm.

Fu Tingyun was startled.

“I pressed her acupoint,” he said lightly. “If it’s not released in time, she will die all the same.”

She stared at him, her gaze revealing some apprehension.

He had entered without taking a life.

He was truly skilled.

No wonder he didn’t consider her a threat.

What should she do now?

Fu Tingyun felt anxious.

He sat there motionless, as silent as the night.

A thought suddenly struck her.

If she were useful to him, he probably wouldn’t take her life so easily!

With a glimmer of hope, Fu Tingyun became somewhat calmer.

“Isn’t there food in the kitchen?” she asked softly.

He made no sound, just looked at her steadily, as if asking what she meant.

As long as he was willing to listen to her, there was hope.

Fu Tingyun feared most that he would kill her without saying a word.

“Not long after I woke up, Master Fruit discovered that the food and rice urns in the kitchen had disappeared,” she said tactfully. “Everyone thought it was done by hungry young nuns. But Master Fruit said that if it were hungry young nuns, they would at most steal a cake or a bun. Finding the matter suspicious, she reported it to the abbess, Master Guo Hui. Master Guo Hui then said that there had been a severe drought in Qingyang and Gongchang recently, with many refugees flooding into Shangzhou and Tongzhou. Since Shangzhou and Tongzhou are only a few hundred li from our Huayin, it must be refugees who came here and stole the food from the kitchen while everyone was resting during the noon heat. As for the granary, they have probably made thorough arrangements to secure it.”

She was warning him that the two masters at the temple were calm, composed, and quick-witted—not to be trifled with—while also implying that he shouldn’t act rashly. Taking her life would not ensure his easy escape.

“If I suddenly go asking about it, Master Guo Hui and Master Fruit would certainly be suspicious,” she said. Although she didn’t dare to pressure him, she maintained appropriate eagerness to help. “I still have thirty vegetarian buns left from dinner. If the warrior doesn’t mind, why not satisfy your hunger with these for now, while I gradually inquire about where the temple stores its grain? There’s no rush.”

He gazed at her intently, something flashing in his eyes: “I’m surprised you have some cleverness!”

His tone was light, seemingly tinged with mockery.

Fu Tingyun was taken aback.

Was he talking about her?

What did that mean?

Praise? Sarcasm?

While she was distracted, he had already stood up.

The rustling sound was particularly clear and loud in the silent night.

Fu Tingyun became very anxious.

A man and a woman alone together in the middle of the night—if someone discovered him in her room, she couldn’t explain it away even with a hundred mouths. And with Zuo Junjie already causing trouble, she would be the subject of pointing fingers!

She almost wanted to grab the hem of his clothes.

“Didn’t you say you had vegetarian buns?” he showed no concern, his voice neither loud nor particularly hushed. “I want to take them with me.”

He commanded.

Fu Tingyun was overjoyed.

Once he took the buns, he should leave, right?

Thinking she could send him away, she quietly got out of bed and found a piece of coarse blue cloth in the closed cabinet to wrap the buns.

“What is this?” His deep voice suddenly came from behind her.

They were so close that she could feel his breath.

Fu Tingyun felt uncomfortable and hurriedly said: “These are ‘Four Substance Pills’ from home.” Fearing he might not understand, she explained, “It’s Four Substance Decoction made into pills for easy carrying.”

The coarse blue cloth in her hand was what Mama Xiu Zhu had used to wrap medicinal herbs during her last visit. When looking for wrapping cloth, she had also found a few bottles of medicine pills.

Without a word, he stuffed the pair of small porcelain bottles into his clothes, as if the contents of the cabinet belonged to him.

Fu Tingyun was stunned for quite a while.

Medicines couldn’t be taken carelessly, or they could cause serious harm.

After some thought, she still said: “Those are for replenishing qi and nourishing blood.”

He nodded, looking as if he understood.

Fu Tingyun’s eyes widened as a bold thought came to mind.

He had stolen so much food, yet came back looking for more after just two or three days. He didn’t rummage through her dressing case on the table but took possession of two bottles of medicine pills… Could it be that he wasn’t alone?

Then who was he?

A wanted notorious bandit or a fugitive who had murdered in his hometown?

Such people usually operated alone.

A refugee?

With family in tow, in the scorching heat, suddenly relocated, without food or water, someone might have fallen ill and couldn’t endure it. That would explain why so much food only lasted two or three days, and why he immediately pocketed the qi-replenishing and blood-nourishing pills upon hearing what they were.

But would refugees have his level of skill?

Mere brute strength wouldn’t enable someone to enter Jingyue Hall so silently.

The more she thought about it, the more confused she became, the less she understood.

He had already picked up the bundle: “I’ll come back tomorrow.”

Come back tomorrow?

Fu Tingyun stood frozen, as if anchored by a divine needle.

He had already nimbly pushed open the window lattice and, like a swallow, disappeared into the willow grove with a few leaps.

The scenes from legends describing gallant heroes came vividly to life before her eyes.

Fu Tingyun was dumbfounded.

In the distance, several dogs barked.

The dogs in her courtyard, hearing the commotion, also started barking.

Lu’E was awakened.

Rubbing her sleepy eyes, she asked: “Ninth Miss, why did you get up by yourself? If you needed anything, you could have called me.”

Fu Tingyun responded with an “Oh,” looked at her expressionlessly for a long while, then climbed back into bed as if sleepwalking.

Not knowing what had happened, Lu’E scratched her head and poured a cup of tea for Fu Tingyun. Just as she approached the bed, Fu Tingyun suddenly sat up, looking unwell.

“Ninth Miss, what’s wrong?” Lu’E asked with concern.

“Nothing!” Fu Tingyun mumbled a few indistinct words, drank half a cup of tea, and lay down, while her heart was like a water droplet in a hot oil pan—exploding.

He said he would come back tomorrow!

That meant he was imposing himself on her.

What if she couldn’t find out anything?

She turned over uneasily.

Was she going to aid the wicked by helping him discover the location of the granary?

Mama Chen had said this morning that those refugees were roaming everywhere, grabbing food whenever they saw it, willing to risk their lives for it. What if he gathered refugees to raid Biyun Temple’s granary? After all, Biyun Temple was full of women. If lives were lost because of this, wouldn’t it be her fault?

If she had known this would happen, she should have told Master Guo Hui.

As the thought crossed her mind, Fu Tingyun turned over again.

What was the use of thinking about this now? Who knew if he would come to find her again? If she told Master Guo Hui now, putting aside the incident in the back courtyard, if Master Guo Hui simply asked, “Why are you only telling me this now?” how would she answer?

When she woke up the next morning, Fu Tingyun’s eyelids were dark with fatigue.

Everyone knew of her anxiety, so naturally, no one asked about it.

After hesitating all morning, Fu Tingyun finally called Han Yan over and asked her to help inquire about the granary—her own throat had not yet recovered, and she didn’t dare to speak.

Han Yan busied herself for most of the day but discovered nothing.

What should she do?

Fu Tingyun became restless at the thought of him coming back in the evening.

As the sun set in the west, with no other options and feeling the need to make amends, she had Han Yan request another thirty vegetarian buns.

She lay awake until midnight, and he arrived as expected.

Neither the dogs nor Lu’E on night duty made any sound.

Fu Tingyun’s fear deepened.

He learned that she had prepared thirty vegetarian buns for him and that her capable maid had been busy all day but had not discovered where the grain was stored. Yet he didn’t lose his temper or stare at her with those cold eyes. Instead, he simply said, “Then I’ll come back tomorrow,” and left with the thirty buns.

Sometimes sinister and vicious, sometimes straightforward and decisive, and always saying “I’ll come back tomorrow”—Fu Tingyun felt she was going mad.

To make matters worse, early the next morning, Mama Chen called Lu’E over: “Where have all those vegetarian buns gone?”

Lu’E didn’t know either but protected Fu Tingyun: “The Ninth Miss had us feed them to the dogs.”

Mama Chen sat there drinking tea without a word. The oppressive atmosphere, like an impending storm, made Lu’E’s legs tremble.

Just when she felt she couldn’t hold on any longer, Fan Mama entered and whispered something in Mama Chen’s ear.

Lu’E couldn’t help but prick up her ears to listen.

Although standing in front of Mama Chen, Fan Mama’s voice was too low. She could only vaguely hear phrases like “letter from the mansion,” “the First Madam said,” “will return in a few days,” and “told you to be careful.”

Before Fan Mama finished speaking, Mama Chen signaled her to stop. She said a few words like “The price of rice in Huayin has risen to three taels and two qian of silver per shi. Don’t indulge the Ninth Miss’s whims. When you should advise her, do so,” then dismissed Lu’E.

Lu’E glanced at the tightly closed gate, then ran like the wind toward the main room where Fu Tingyun was staying.