What kind of scene was this?

Zhou Shaojin felt somewhat bewildered.

First, because of Cheng Xu, she had been scrutinized by everyone’s staring eyes. Then she was called by Cheng Xu to Changchun Hall to retrieve that cursed seal. After that, she was told that Cheng Lu had always spoken of her at the academy in ambiguous terms, saying they were childhood sweethearts and innocent playmates. Now she had personally heard Pan Qing say something about “is the second young lady of the Zhou family more beneficial to Father, or would the future matriarch of the Cheng family be more beneficial to Father”… She felt like the entire world had been turned upside down. She seemed to be living in an illusion—what was real and what was false, she had never understood…

Someone emerged from the grove of trees beside her.

A carmine-red brocade vest, her double-spiral hair buns properly adorned with pearl flowers, a red mole the size of a grain of rice between her brows, and an inexplicable smile playing at the corners of her mouth.

Zhou Shaojin’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Wu Baozhang!

What was she doing here?

When had she arrived? What had she heard? Had she noticed her?

Zhou Shaojin pondered these questions.

But Wu Baozhang moved nimbly back into the grove, hiding behind a large tree.

Zhou Shaojin was stunned, but from the corner of her eye she saw Cheng Xu and Pan Zhuo walking side by side.

How had Pan Zhuo ended up walking with Cheng Xu!

Her brow furrowed slightly as she heard Cheng Xu approaching and asking Pan Zhuo, “You really haven’t seen Second Cousin of the Zhou family?”

“I truly haven’t seen her!” Pan Zhuo frowned, his expression somewhat serious. “I just parted ways with my sister here. If the second young lady of the Zhou family had come by, I definitely would have seen her!”

This was a straight path—anyone walking by would be visible.

“Could she have gotten lost?” Cheng Xu murmured, slowing his steps and looking around in all directions.

So Wu Baozhang was hiding from these two!

Pan Zhuo and Pan Qing’s words churned in Zhou Shaojin’s mind. Without thinking much, she instinctively hid behind a tree thick enough to require two people’s arms to encircle.

But a loud shout rang out from above: “Who’s hiding there?”

Zhou Shaojin had always been timid. She was immediately frightened out of her wits, her legs went weak, and for a long while she couldn’t move.

Light footsteps approached her ears.

Zhou Shaojin’s heart pounded wildly.

If someone dragged her out, what should she say?

She peeked over cautiously and saw Cheng Xu walking toward the grove with a stern face. Pan Zhuo stood on the path, asking Cheng Xu with a puzzled expression, “What happened?”

“Someone is hiding in the grove.” Cheng Xu said in a deep voice, with a coldness between his brows that Zhou Shaojin had never seen before.

Zhou Shaojin was taken aback.

Wu Baozhang walked out of the grove trembling.

“Young Master Cheng, it’s me!” She looked at Cheng Xu with a completely red face, saying shyly, “Siyi Hall is so noisy, my head hurt terribly, and I was afraid of spoiling the elders’ enjoyment. I wanted to quietly be alone here for a while. I didn’t expect to encounter you and Young Master Pan… I originally wanted to avoid you…”

What an excellent excuse!

Zhou Shaojin almost applauded Wu Baozhang.

If it had been her, she might not have thought of such an excuse.

She thought Cheng Xu would show pity for the fairer sex and let Wu Baozhang go. Who knew that Cheng Xu would furrow his brow slightly, glance at the distant Siyi Hall, and smile: “And you are, young lady?”

“Oh!” A flash of panic crossed Wu Baozhang’s eyes as she hurriedly said, “My father’s surname is Wu, given name Xiu, and he is the Prefect of Jinling. A few days ago when visiting your residence to call on Madam Yuan, we brushed past each other. Young Master doesn’t remember me, but I remember you!”

Hearing this, Cheng Xu looked deeply at Wu Baozhang and said, “I didn’t expect Miss Wu to have such a good memory. I only go to pay my respects to my mother after school at three quarters past the hour of You in the afternoon. For Miss Wu to have brushed past me—what fate indeed!”

Usually guests who hadn’t left by three quarters past the hour of You would stay for the evening meal.

Cheng Xu’s words had an underlying meaning—clearly that day Yuan Shi had not kept any guests at all.

Zhou Shaojin was quite surprised.

She had always thought Cheng Xu was merely a scholarly dandy, but she hadn’t expected him to have such a meticulous side, actually catching the flaw in Wu Baozhang’s words!

Wu Baozhang—what exactly was she trying to do?

Zhou Shaojin looked at her with a feeling that old grievances remained unavenged while new ones were being added.

When Wu Baozhang was exposed, not only did she not panic, but she had a kind of certainty that “since things have come to this, without evidence you can’t accuse me of lying.” She actually calmed down and smiled: “Indeed! If we hadn’t left late that day, we wouldn’t have had the fortune to see you, Young Master.”

But Pan Zhuo seemed to recall something, his expression turning unpleasant. In a low voice he said, “When did Miss Wu leave Siyi Hall? How come I didn’t see Miss Wu just now?”

Wu Baozhang smiled: “I just came out. Before I could look around, I ran into you two young masters. What terrible timing!”

“Really?” Pan Zhuo looked at Wu Baozhang suspiciously, his eyes cold.

Wu Baozhang continued smiling warmly: “I don’t know why Young Master Pan doubts me?” As she spoke, she said regretfully, “If I had known, I shouldn’t have avoided you two young masters…”

Zhou Shaojin was too lazy to listen to Wu Baozhang’s nonsense. She lifted her skirt, preparing to leave this place quietly.

But as her foot came down, the forest floor produced a series of crisp trampling sounds.

“Who’s there?” Cheng Xu shouted.

It was over!

She’d been discovered!

Zhou Shaojin turned and ran.

“Second Cousin of the Zhou family!” Behind her came Cheng Xu’s voice, both delighted and alarmed.

Zhou Shaojin’s heart was in a panic.

Compared to being discovered by Cheng Xu, she was more afraid of Wu Baozhang and Pan Zhuo knowing she had been eavesdropping.

Ahead, tree branches blocked her path horizontally. But when she pushed aside the obstructing branches, she saw that beneath the screening green trees, a winding bluestone path passed right in front of her. Not far away, she could even hear the sound of flowing water and people talking.

Without thinking, she ran toward that bluestone path.

Cheng Xu smiled bitterly. No longer caring about anything else, he hastily apologized to Pan Zhuo and hurriedly chased after her down the bluestone path.

Pan Zhuo thought briefly, then followed as well.

Wu Baozhang stood there, her expression hesitant, but then she saw Da Su, Feicui, and Yuru chasing after them.

Da Su and Yuru didn’t recognize Wu Baozhang, but Feicui had an impression of her. She quickly said, “Eldest Miss Wu, have you seen our eldest young master?”

A flash of unclear, obscure light passed through Wu Baozhang’s eyes as she smiled: “Are you looking for the second young lady of the Zhou family or looking for your eldest young master? I saw your eldest young master chasing after the second young lady of the Zhou family in that direction.” As she spoke, she pointed toward the small path.

Feicui’s expression didn’t change, but in her heart she wanted to curse Cheng Xu a few times.

“Thank you for your concern, Eldest Miss of the Wu family.” She smiled. “We’re all looking for the second young lady of the Zhou family. So is our eldest young master.”

“Oh?” Wu Baozhang smiled meaningfully. “What happened? Why are you all looking for the second young lady of the Zhou family?”

But Feicui didn’t want to spar with Wu Baozhang. Smiling, she thanked Wu Baozhang, ignored her, and went onto the bluestone path with Da Su and Yuru.

The faster Zhou Shaojin ran, the louder the sound of flowing water became, and the greater her hope grew—no matter who those people were there, as long as she insisted she had gotten lost, in front of outsiders, surely Cheng Xu couldn’t forcibly escort her back to Siyi Hall?

Thinking this, her view suddenly opened up.

Rocks stood in layers, clear spring water splashing down. A seven or eight-year-old Taoist acolyte in blue robes was using a bamboo tube to draw water. Beside him was a thatched pavilion, with three or four men sitting on the floor inside. A thin-faced man in his thirties, looking like dried bamboo, stood outside the pavilion with his hands in his sleeves, his eyes half-open and half-closed as if not fully awake. But when his eyes opened fully, a cold gleam shot like lightning toward Zhou Shaojin.

Her heart trembled. She felt as if she had fallen into an ice cave, her hands and feet turning cold.

Behind her was Cheng Xu’s voice, slightly anxious: “Second Cousin!”

Ahead was a group of unfamiliar men who were clearly extraordinary at first glance.

Zhou Shaojin looked back in panic, caught between advance and retreat.

But someone in the pavilion beckoned to her: “Little miss, come here!”

She focused her gaze.

The man beckoning to her appeared to be only twenty-two or twenty-three years old, wearing an indigo blue plain-faced fine cloth Taoist robe. His skin was fair and delicate, his forehead smooth and full, his nose bridge high and straight, his bright eyes clear and warm. His appearance was quite outstanding. While everyone else sat properly upright on grass mats with green scrolling grass pattern borders, only he casually propped himself on one elbow, leaning against a large golden-yellow welcoming pillow. His manner was languid, with an air of looking down on the world with uninhibited freedom, yet because his temperament was gentle, he didn’t make people feel annoyed or disgusted.

Zhou Shaojin hesitated somewhat.

The man had already said, “Do you know how to boil water?”

Only then did Zhou Shaojin notice that in the middle of the pavilion was a small red clay stove, with a handled purple clay teapot on top. In front of each man was placed a small purple clay cup.

They were clearly drinking tea here.

“I know a little bit.” Zhou Shaojin, unable to discern these people’s background, said modestly.

The man then laughed, turned his head to a man beside him in his thirties wearing a sapphire blue brocade robe with clustered flowers and said, “Bieyun, usually those who say they know ‘a little bit’ are experts.” After saying this, he said to Zhou Shaojin, “Come help us boil a pot of water!”

The other men all smiled kindly.

Zhou Shaojin’s eyes stung slightly.

Even if she resembled a maid, her clothing and dress were absolutely not like a maid’s. But if one were to say this man had mistaken her identity… looking at those clear, bright eyes, Zhou Shaojin didn’t believe it.

He had clearly heard Cheng Xu’s shout and was helping her out of an awkward situation!

Zhou Shaojin softly answered “Yes” and hurriedly walked over with her head lowered.

The spring water splashed on the rocks, like large and small pearls falling on a jade plate.

From the man’s clothing came a faint, elusive scent of agarwood.

That was the treasure of the capital’s “Huo Record” incense shop, called “Thus Have I Heard,” thirty taels of silver per tael. Only one hundred taels were sold each year—it had a price but no market.

Wearing an indigo blue plain-faced fine cloth robe yet using “Thus Have I Heard” incense—if he wasn’t of extremely noble status and position, having reached the state of doing as he pleased without transgressing propriety, then he was a young master of an aristocratic family who had deeply understood the true essence of food, clothing, shelter, and travel. Whether the former or the latter, this person could not be underestimated.

Zhou Shaojin somewhat stiffly knelt on the cushion that the thin man who looked like dried bamboo had placed beside the man in the indigo blue plain-faced fine cloth Taoist robe. Seeing that they were drinking Iron Arhat tea, she carefully used silver tongs carved with auspicious clouds to pick up a piece of silver frost charcoal from the smooth fine bamboo basket made of Xiangfei bamboo and placed it in the small red clay stove.

The water began to softly bubble.

Zhou Shaojin then heard the man called “Bieyun” say, “But even if Wan Tong is demoted to Jinling City to serve as garrison eunuch, he is the Emperor’s chief companion. The bond of affection is different after all. I’m afraid in just a few days he’ll be summoned back to the capital!”

Zhou Shaojin’s hand trembled, and the silver tongs carved with auspicious clouds nearly fell.

But the crowd acted as if they hadn’t seen anything.

The man beside “Bieyun” said, “This time he’s implicated in the factional struggle dispute. Returning to the capital probably won’t be that easy. What’s more, in the capital there’s still Wang Gang eyeing him like a tiger! I actually think that if Wan Tong can peacefully retire here, that would be good. I’m just afraid he won’t even be able to escape unscathed.”