Wu Zhen never liked to dawdle. Upon learning that Mei Jiadalang possessed an Unrotting Bone, she wasted no time. Without hesitation, she left her group of followers, claiming an urgent matter, and rode away from Yudai Pool on horseback. No matter what, she had to get her hands on that Unrotting Bone first, lest Mei Jiadalang carelessly fall victim to that ill-fated bone.
Mei Jiadalang lived in Changle Ward, with his residence close to the eastern ward wall. Wu Zhen easily found his address and headed straight for the Chungming Gate. After rounding a corner southward, she arrived near the eastern wall of Changle Ward. As usual, she avoided the conventional path, eschewing the proper ward entrance in favor of climbing the wall.
Wu Zhen tied her horse to a locust tree by the roadside. The chestnut-colored steed obediently waited in the shade, appearing docile. However, while the horse seemed gentle before Wu Zhen, it was ferocious towards unfamiliar people. Any thief daring to steal it could be trampled to death.
Thus, Wu Zhen had no fear of her horse, Red Tassel, being stolen. She casually patted its head before walking to the base of the tall ward wall. Glancing left and right to ensure no one was around, she placed her feet on the wall’s surface and climbed up in a few quick moves, flipping over in the blink of an eye.
After crossing the ward wall, she still had to scale the courtyard wall of Mei Jiadalang’s residence. This wall wasn’t very high; Wu Zhen didn’t even need to gather momentum, simply leaping up directly. Nevertheless, as it was someone’s private property, she first gripped the top of the wall with one hand and peered inside, making sure no one was there before jumping down.
Mei Jiadalang, also known as Mei Zhuyu, had moved from Qu Prefecture a year ago. Both his parents had passed away, and he had no siblings. His closest relatives in Chang’an were Mei Si’s family and Imperial Consort Mei, but according to Mei Si, this eldest cousin wasn’t a sociable person and rarely interacted with others. So he lived alone in this residence. Wu Zhen, sitting atop the courtyard wall, glanced down and immediately knew he was indeed someone who loved tranquility—there wasn’t a single servant in the courtyard.
To Wu Zhen, his residence seemed very small, incomparable to the Duke of Yu’s mansion, but it was certainly sufficient for one person. Wu Zhen had directly climbed into the main courtyard where the owner lived. She wasn’t sure if there were people in the front courtyard, so she listened intently for a while and thought she heard a faint rustling sound from the back courtyard, but she paid it no mind.
If Mei Zhuyu hadn’t carried the Unrotting Bone with him, it must have been in the house. She decided to search here first, and if unsuccessful, she’d find a way to take it from his person.
Although she came as a thief, Wu Zhen moved about as casually as if she were a guest, even taking time to appreciate the scenery in the courtyard. Most people of the time loved bright, vibrant flowers, with almost every household growing peach and plum trees, hydrangeas, roses, and hibiscus. However, Mei Zhuyu’s courtyard was a sea of deep and light greens, without a trace of cheerful colors.
Green vines cascaded down one side of the courtyard wall. Several pine trees were planted in the yard, with a cluster of green bamboo by the window. A loquat tree stood in front of the courtyard, its green unripe fruits hanging from the branches. A small pond had been dug in front of the corridor, with two or three newly sprouted lotus leaves standing tall. In the crevices of large rocks by the pond grew tufts of calamus, also a fresh green color.
Even the doors, windows, and corridor pillars were in deep wood tones, without a single vermilion pillar. The entire courtyard exuded an elegant, serene, and… cold atmosphere.
In this season with summer’s approach looming, it gave Wu Zhen a chill.
“Good heavens, marrying such a man would surely bore one to death,” Wu Zhen muttered as she went to push open Mei Zhuyu’s door.
Wu Zhen had calculated that Mei Zhuyu should be on duty at the Ministry of Justice today, so she could rummage around here for quite some time. Thus, she confidently and boldly entered Mei Zhuyu’s room.
The room was indeed empty. At first glance, the furnishings were simple. In the bedroom, apart from the bed, wardrobe, chests, and writing desk, there were no superfluous items. The study wasn’t completely partitioned off, separated only by a bamboo screen. The study contained many more things, especially books.
Wu Zhen browsed the bookshelf for a while before starting to search for the Unrotting Bone. However, after searching for some time, she couldn’t sense the faint resentful aura.
Could it not be here? Had the young lord carried that thing on his person? What rotten luck.
Wu Zhen closed Mei Zhuyu’s wardrobe and was just thinking about leaving to check the Ministry of Justice when she heard footsteps outside. The sound was extremely light; most people probably wouldn’t have heard it, but Wu Zhen had sharp ears and heard someone approaching the room. Without panicking, she walked to the window, intending to slip out through the back courtyard. But before she could push the window open, she heard rustling sounds outside again.
Peering through a small gap in the window, she saw an old man dressed as a servant sweeping fallen leaves outside. If she went out this way, she would surely run right into him. The window in the study wouldn’t work either; she’d be discovered by the approaching person. The room was spacious with few furnishings, and even the overhead beams couldn’t hide a person… Tsk, no choice.
Wu Zhen began to undress.
Mei Zhuyu entered his room. He had just returned from hunting geese in the outskirts and had soiled his clothes. He opened the wardrobe to find clean clothes to change into. Just as he had stripped down to only a plain white undergarment, he suddenly felt something was amiss and turned to look at the bed.
The neatly made bed seemed to have been disturbed, slightly messy. Mei Zhuyu frowned, feeling a gaze on the back of his head. He turned around and suddenly met a pair of bright yellow eyes.
A tabby cat was crouched on top of his wardrobe, looking down at him.
Mei Zhuyu’s movements halted. He felt this tabby cat looked familiar, seemingly the same one he had seen at the government office before. He guessed this cat must be someone’s pet; if it were a stray, it wouldn’t have such bright, clean fur.
But how did this cat get into his room? Mei Zhuyu looked up and met the tabby cat’s gaze for a while, changing his clothes under its watchful eyes. Then he walked to the window and opened it.
The old servant sweeping fallen leaves in the back courtyard saw him and quickly put down his broom, saying, “Young master is back? Do you need some hot water for a bath?” seeing him wearing clean clothes and guessing he might have soiled his previous outfit.
Mei Zhuyu shook his head without speaking. The old servant knew his temperament and said no more, continuing to sweep with his head down.
Mei Zhuyu left the window open and adjusted the outer robe he was wearing before walking to the study area.
Wu Zhen looked at the window, guessing that Mei Zhuyu was letting her leave through it. This man was quite decent; most people, upon suddenly finding a stray cat in their room, would likely yell and chase it away, disgusted by the perceived filth. He, however, was calm and tolerant, even washing her paws last time.
Wu Zhen hadn’t obtained what she came for, so she certainly couldn’t leave so easily. Besides, her clothes were still stuffed under the young lord’s bed; she had to retrieve them. But the servant sweeping the courtyard was still outside. Turning into a cat had this inconvenience—why couldn’t her accessories transform into cat fur? Each time she had to undress and redress.
Jumping down from the wardrobe, Wu Zhen also walked to the study area. Mei Zhuyu had pushed open the large window on one side of the study and hung up the bamboo screen. The bright sunlight outside made the room luminous, with the rippling light from the pond outside reflecting on the interior walls, creating swaying patterns of light.
Mei Zhuyu sat on a cushion by the floor-length window, leaning against a crescent-shaped armrest. One hand lightly pressed against his forehead, his gaze drifting lightly to the emerald pond outside, lost in thought. He had removed his headwrap, his jet-black hair tied in a bun with a strand falling loose by his ear.
Wu Zhen inexplicably felt that the young lord’s faint demeanor looked quite alluring. Her whiskers twitched as she walked behind Mei Zhuyu. As she drew closer, she finally sensed the ominous aura belonging to the Unrotting Bone. It seemed the young lord was indeed carrying it on his person.
Now, how should she get her paws on the Unrotting Bone? Wu Zhen walked to Mei Zhuyu’s front, crouched down, and scrutinized him while pondering her next move.
Mei Zhuyu’s gaze fell on her again, this time with some surprise. He had thought the cat would leave on its own, but it had followed him instead. This cat seemed extraordinarily human-like. Doubt arose in Mei Zhuyu’s mind, and he carefully observed the tabby cat before him for a while. However, he didn’t sense any unusual demonic aura; this should indeed be an ordinary cat.
There were indeed some creatures in the world born with extraordinary intelligence. Thinking this, Mei Zhuyu set aside his doubts.
Wu Zhen, after contemplating the young lord for a moment, tentatively moved forward and reached out a paw to touch his robe.
Mei Zhuyu, now certain that the tabby before him was an ordinary cat, didn’t know what it wanted to do and simply watched it silently. Wu Zhen probed for a while, and seeing no reaction from the young lord, boldly jumped into his lap.
Mei Zhuyu had been sitting cross-legged, and now found himself with a lapful of tabby cat. Wu Zhen, having jumped into the young lord’s lap, sniffed his scent with her nose. She was trying to locate where the Unrotting Bone was hidden, but what she smelled was a fresh, grassy fragrance. Her mind wandered idly, thinking, “Oh, the young lord must have been roaming in the wilderness before returning.”
Wasn’t he supposed to be on duty today? Why was he at home now, seemingly with nothing to do?
Mei Zhuyu was genuinely stunned. He had never encountered such a proactively affectionate animal before. With a furry cat nuzzling in his lap, he felt a bit uncomfortable, but looking at the soft, fluffy fur glowing in the sunlight, he couldn’t resist and gently stroked it.
The cat allowed his touch without struggle, focusing intently on sniffing him. So Mei Zhuyu stroked the cat’s ears again, the soft, warm sensation causing his expression to soften. He didn’t have much fondness for cats and dogs, but for some reason, he suddenly found this tabby in his lap quite adorable.
Wu Zhen finally located the Unrotting Bone; it was in an inner pocket at the young lord’s waist. She thought to herself, “Well, well, impressive. The young lord even keeps this thing so close to his body.”
Pretending to be casual, she hooked her paw around the small pouch, pulling it out. It fell onto the floor nearby with a soft thud. Just as she was about to step on it, Mei Zhuyu suddenly picked her up and set her aside, retrieving the small pouch and reattaching it to his waist.
Wu Zhen: … Hey.