Fangke arrived at the county office to find the entire building completely empty except for one constable on duty.

The constable appeared to be in his mid-twenties, with foreign blood running through his veins — a head of small, coffee-brown curls wrapped in a black headscarf, his speech carrying a rolling, curling quality to it. Fangke found him oddly familiar and struck up a detailed conversation, through which he learned that the Cheng County office only operated half-days: from the hour of Chen to the hour of Wu was work time, afternoons were off.

He had been about to leave and come back the next day when the constable heard Fangke mention opening a medical hall, and suddenly perked up with great enthusiasm. He urged Fangke again and again to wait at the county office while he went to fetch the Chief Clerk.

Fangke found this very strange.

Based on his experience opening a medical hall in Heyue City, such a minor matter as setting up a practice required only a simple review and approval from the county’s household registrar — why would it need to trouble the Chief Clerk?

After waiting a full half-hour, the Chief Clerk finally arrived. He introduced himself as surnamed Zhu — a man of around thirty, with a broad, flat face whose features barely rose and fell when viewed in profile. He had large eyes, a large nose, and dark circles under both. He looked Fangke up and down at length before opening his mouth.

“You’re the one who wants to open a medical hall in Cheng County?”

Fangke: “Yes.”

“Really opening a medical hall?”

“Yes.”

“Truly, indeed, opening a medical hall?”

Was this man deaf or simpleminded? Why did he keep going around in circles?

Fangke lost patience. “Get on with it!”

“No rush, no rush,” Chief Clerk Zhu paced in place. “You’re from out of town?”

Fangke: “I arrived in Cheng County today.”

“Ah,” Chief Clerk Zhu paced a few more steps. “Is the shop rented or purchased?”

“Rented.”

“Rented where?”

“Immortal Lady Street, Penglai Ward.”

“Take this Chief Clerk to have a look. I need to conduct a thorough inspection.”

Fangke decided this Chief Clerk Zhu was thoroughly unpleasant.

They made their way back to Penglai Ward in the rain. The front hall was already set up in reasonable fashion — Ita was busy wiping down the medicine cabinets, while Mu Xia wandered about clutching a scroll, looking here and shaking his head, making notes with his brush, then looking there and sighing, making more notes, apparently quite dissatisfied with the placement of the shop’s furniture.

Chief Clerk Zhu seemed genuinely astonished. He stood in the doorway and stared at the “Fang Family Medical Hall” signboard for a long while, then stepped inside and stared at the medicine cabinets for another long while. The foreign-blooded constable who had followed him in apparently recognized a kindred spirit in Ita, and cheerfully introduced himself as Li Nili — only to receive a withering glare from Ita in return.

Mu Xia stepped forward to greet them, learned the visitor’s identity, and warmly welcomed Chief Clerk Zhu to take a seat.

Fangke sat reluctantly to one side as host and looked around. “Where are Mu Tang and Jin Ruo?”

The name of Hua Family’s Fourth Young Master was known throughout and beyond the Tang Kingdom. To avoid exposing his identity, Hua Yitang had devised an alias — Mu Tang. Fangke thought Hua Yitang had truly no talent for naming; this name sounded even worse than Hua Yitang.

“They’ve gone out, they’ll be back soon.” Mu Xia set two cups of hot water before them. “Ita has been rushed off her feet today and hasn’t had time to brew tea.”

Fangke was not particularly pleased:

He couldn’t have Ita’s tea.

He was not good at making conversation.

And this Chief Clerk Zhu was strange — eyes darting everywhere, like a thief with ill intentions.

“How many people are in this medical hall?” Chief Clerk Zhu asked.

Fangke had no desire to answer, and glanced at Mu Xia.

Mu Xia put on his business smile. “In reply to Chief Clerk Zhu — apart from Doctor Fang, there is myself, one apprentice, two servants, and Doctor Fang’s younger sister. Six people in total.”

Chief Clerk Zhu nodded, cast another look around, and said, “Doctor Fang is truly opening a medical hall here.”

There it was again!

Fangke sighed. “Yes.”

“…Are you aware that opening a medical hall in Cheng County is… not profitable?”

Mu Xia cast a rather surprised glance at Fangke.

What did this man mean by that?

Fangke rolled his eyes inwardly. What business was it of his — it wasn’t his money being spent anyway.

“My Doctor Fang possesses extraordinary medical skill, and is renowned even in the Eastern Capital as a divine physician.” Hua Yitang strode in, clasped his hands in a bow toward Chief Clerk Zhu, and said, “How can this official be so certain that our medical hall cannot turn a profit?”

Chief Clerk Zhu was left momentarily stunned by Hua Yitang’s dazzling appearance. “And this is…?”

“My name is Mu Tang — I am Doctor Fang’s servant.” Hua Yitang smiled warmly. “May I ask how this official is addressed?”

For reasons he couldn’t quite explain, the sight of this servant’s smile made Chief Clerk Zhu feel deeply uncomfortable in his seat. He hastily rose and returned the bow. “I am the newly appointed Chief Clerk of Cheng County, surnamed Zhu, my given name is—”

“Zhu Da Chang?!” a sharp shout rang out from the doorway.

Chief Clerk Zhu flew into a rage at once — from childhood to adulthood, the nickname he hated most was “Pig Intestines.” Who had swallowed a leopard’s gall and dared to call him by that name on his own turf? They were plainly courting death— but then — heavens above!

Chief Clerk Zhu crashed to the floor in a heap, eyes bulging from their sockets, body shaking all over, staring as the greatest nightmare of his entire life appeared without warning in the doorway. She walked in with eyes shining, swept aside her robes, crouched down, tilted her head to look at him, and broke into a grin. “Sure enough it’s you — Zhu Dachang!”

Long brows sharp as blades, phoenix eyes slightly upturned — none of an ordinary woman’s softness, only a warrior’s vigorous spirit. And at her waist, that broadsword: two feet long, three fingers wide. Zhu Dachang remembered it far too clearly. When that blade left its sheath, it was as if a ghostly eye blazed across heaven and earth — lightning and thunder, the sky splitting and the ground cracking apart.

“Lin — Lin Lin Lin Lin Sui’an!” Zhu Dachang shrieked. “You — you you you you, how are you here?!” Suddenly his scalp tingled as clarity crashed over him. “No, wait — I remember you went to the Hua Family in Yangdu, so that means—” he snapped his neck around and stared at that absurdly handsome servant boy. “So — so so so so you are Hua — Hua Hua Hua Family’s Fourth Young Master, Hua Yitang?!”

“Oh my, oh my~” Hua Yitang narrowed his eyes. “I didn’t think we’d be exposed so quickly.”

Jin Ruo: “Hey hey hey, I already paid the shop’s rent — first month plus three months’ deposit!”

“It’s all right,” Lin Sui’an smiled. “Chief Clerk Zhu here is an acquaintance. Let me have a proper chat with him.”

Hua Yitang planted his hands on his hips. “Ita — close the door!”

Ita delivered one kick that sent the dumbstruck Li Nili stumbling into the room.

“Who could have imagined — it’s only been a year apart, and Chief Clerk Zhu has already become the Chief Clerk of Cheng County.” Lin Sui’an smiled. “You must have earned a fine reputation in Nanpu County to receive a promotion.”

Zhu Dachang gave a dry laugh. “To be honest with the two of you — my ancestral home is in Cheng County. The previous Chief Clerk of Cheng County was my uncle. It was more of a transfer by family connection than a true promotion.”

Hua Yitang smiled pleasantly and refilled Zhu Dachang’s cup. “We’d love to hear more.”

Zhu Dachang let out a long, melancholy sigh. “Cheng County has a tradition passed down through a hundred years — the County Magistrate, Chief Clerk, and County Warden must be drawn in turns from sons of the two great clans, Zhu and Qiu. The Qiu County Magistrate is still in his post, and the Household Warden also belongs to the Qiu clan. The Zhu family has declined considerably over the past decade. When I returned to Cheng County, my uncle was already gravely ill, and he passed away within a few days. He had never married and had no sons, only me as his closest nephew. And at present I am the only one in the family who holds an official position, so—”

Lin Sui’an: “So you are the Zhu and Qiu families’ bargaining chip for maintaining balance?”

“You could put it that way.” Zhu Dachang said. “Originally the Judicial Warden post also belonged to a Zhu family son, but for some unknown reason he died suddenly two years ago — a suspicious death. After that, the Ministry of Personnel sent three successive county wardens, and all of them died unexplained deaths as well.”

Hua Yitang: “Why did Chief Clerk Zhu warn us so many times that opening a medical hall in Cheng County isn’t profitable?”

Zhu Dachang looked around. Seeing that all the doors and windows were tightly shut, he lowered his voice. “After I returned, I discovered that when the county’s residents fall ill, they don’t go to a medical hall — they go to Longshen Temple to pray for talisman water. They say the talisman water at Longshen Temple can cure all ailments and even extend one’s lifespan.”

Lin Sui’an raised an eyebrow. Oh, is that so?

Hua Yitang: “Was it always this way before?”

Zhu Dachang shook his head. “There used to be several medical halls in the county. This all started a year ago, after the new Temple Master, Xuanming Shanren, took over. The man has some real ability — a hundred deities protect his person, he possesses the divine eye and can command wind and rain, so his talisman water is particularly efficacious.”

Everyone: “…”

Jin Ruo: “Hey hey hey, these tricks for deceiving people are older than the hills — can’t you come up with something fresher?”

“No, no, no — I fear you all still don’t quite understand.” Zhu Dachang said. “I myself didn’t believe it at first, but two months ago I came down with a wind-chill ailment, running a high fever that wouldn’t break. There were no medical halls in the county, so in desperation, Li Nili had no choice but to carry me to Longshen Temple to pray for talisman water.”

Lin Sui’an: “Carry you?”

Li Nili: “The talisman water cannot be taken from Longshen Temple. The patient must go in person to pray at the temple, and drink it on the spot in front of the resident Taoist priests. Otherwise your heart isn’t sincere, and it won’t work.”

Hua Yitang: “Did it work?”

“Ha — did it ever!” Zhu Dachang slapped his thigh. “I drank it once, rested in the temple for one hour, and I was completely well. And my whole person was full of vigor — lively as a dragon and spry as a tiger, sharp as could be!”

The group exchanged glances.

Hua Yitang: “I, Hua, am truly ignorant of the world — who would have thought that such miraculous talisman water actually exists under heaven.”

Lin Sui’an: “If I hadn’t already known Chief Clerk Zhu from before, I’d almost think Longshen Temple sent you here as a plant.”

Zhu Dachang smiled bitterly. “Even I feel like I sound like a plant.”

Fangke: “What does this talisman water look like?”

Zhu Dachang thought for a moment. “Nothing particularly special — just clear water, with a slightly astringent taste when you drink it.”

Li Nili added, “It comes in a small gourd flask, and they say it mustn’t be exposed to light. It’s quite expensive too.”

Hua Yitang’s eyes flashed. “It costs money?”

“Of course it costs money.” Li Nili held up his index finger and thumb to indicate a length of about two inches. “A porcelain gourd flask this small costs three strings of coins.”

Jin Ruo, Mu Xia, and Ita simultaneously went “Whoa~”

Hua Yitang looked toward Lin Sui’an: It seems this Longshen Temple is the key.

Lin Sui’an pretended to drink her tea, avoiding Hua Yitang’s gaze.

Hua Yitang started slightly.

Zhu Dachang carefully observed the expressions of the two, then probed cautiously, “When does County Warden Hua plan to report for duty at the county office?”

Hua Yitang lowered his eyes for a moment, then drew a pocket-sized little fan from his sleeve — one couldn’t imagine how it fit through such a narrow opening — and flapped it back and forth. “Ah, well — I, Hua, am a pampered idler, accustomed to leisure. I normally can’t rouse myself until the sun is fully overhead. Being suddenly asked to show up at the county office on time every day is genuinely something I struggle to adapt to. With Chief Clerk Zhu holding down the fort in Cheng County, I believe all will be perfectly well without me. Might I trouble Chief Clerk Zhu to allow me a few days first to enjoy the local scenery, loosen my joints, and ease myself into the rhythm of things?”

Zhu Dachang had spent enough years navigating officialdom that he could hear what lay beneath Hua Yitang’s words without difficulty. He agreed readily. “County Warden Hua, please feel completely at ease!”

“As for my identity—”

“County Warden Hua, please go and enjoy yourself. As far as I’m concerned, I have never met any of you.”

“In that case — are there any other good places to enjoy in Cheng County, besides Longshen Temple?”

A double meaning! Hua Family’s Fourth Young Master was asking whether there were any other abnormal situations in Cheng County.

Zhu Dachang smiled ingratiatingly while silently turning things over in his mind.

This Hua Family Fourth Young Master, though only holding the low rank of County Warden of the ninth grade lower, had an illustrious background and was a genuine first-class imperial examination graduate. Coming to Cheng County, it was nine chances out of ten that he was just going through the motions — gilding himself with grassroots experience at the base level, and once he’d served his time, he’d soar skyward and have nothing more to do with Cheng County.

But he, Zhu Dachang, was no imperial examination graduate. He was merely an official who had entered service through family connections, a man of no great ability, likely to rise no higher than Chief Clerk in his entire life. His ancestral home was in Cheng County. His clan was in Cheng County. His parents were in Cheng County. His roots were here. Naturally he would take great care to leave himself a decent path forward.

“Having been away from home for many years, I have only been serving as Chief Clerk of Cheng County for less than four months, and have not yet had the opportunity to revisit old haunts. I truly cannot make any suggestions for County Warden Hua. What a pity, what a pity.” Zhu Dachang bowed his head and stamped his foot, making great efforts to appear thoroughly regretful.

Lin Sui’an set down her teacup, thought for a moment, and said, “What about Longshen Lake?”

As she had expected, this question sent Zhu Dachang leaping half a foot into the air. He cried out over and over, “Absolutely not! Absolutely not! Longshen Lake is a sacred ground of Cheng County — it must not be disturbed! Except on the day of the Dragon God Festival, one must never approach within three li of Longshen Lake. To offend the Dragon God’s might is to invite divine retribution!”

“Did the Longshen Temple Master say that too?” Hua Yitang asked.

“This is a rule that has stood in Cheng County for over a thousand years — it must never be broken!” Zhu Dachang said gravely. “All of you must take this to heart!”

By the time Zhu Dachang departed, the hour of You had already passed. Mu Xia hastily prepared dinner. The back courtyard had not yet been tidied, so conditions were simple — they made do in the front hall for the time being.

Of course, “making do” by Mu Xia’s standards meant eight dishes, two soups, three varieties of staple foods, four plates of after-dinner pastries, and two plates of freshly carved fruit. Jin Ruo ate until his belly was round as a drum and kept belching contentedly — thoroughly satisfied.

Ita dug out the tea kettle but inexplicably didn’t brew tea. Instead, he boiled a kettle of plain hot water, then placed crushed tea dust in everyone’s cups and carefully poured the hot water over them, watching the tea leaves transform. One hand rummaged endlessly through his spice chest — which was torture enough to make Lin Sui’an’s hands itch with impatience. She hastily grabbed a cup and fled, terrified that Ita had concocted yet another horrifying loose-leaf steeping recipe.

Hua Yitang reclined against the armrest, eyes half-lidded. “What do you all make of Longshen Temple’s talisman water?”

Fangke also had his eyes half-closed, both hands cradling his teacup, looking as though he might doze off at any moment. “There is no medicine in the world that can cure all ailments. Either there’s something wrong with the talisman water, or there’s something wrong with what ailed Chief Clerk Zhu.”

Jin Ruo: “That talisman water is a gold mine — I’m genuinely envious just hearing about it!”

Ita picked up two peppercorns, tossed them into the tea, and stirred. “Definitely not good.”

Mu Xia: “We’d be best off seeing the actual thing.”

Hua Yitang: “How about someone pretends to be sick, and we go to the temple to pray for some to taste?”

Except for Lin Sui’an, the rest turned their dead-fish eyes on Hua Yitang in unison.

What kind of terrible idea was this? The talisman water already sounded suspicious — if it was poisonous, wouldn’t they be walking into danger themselves, inventing illness where there was none, and courting death for no reason?

Hua Yitang cleared his throat dryly. “The day after tomorrow is the first day of the fourth month. All county residents will be going to Longshen Temple to present offerings. We can go meet this Xuanming Shanren face to face.”

Everyone nodded in agreement, faces serious.

Hua Yitang: “In that case—”

Lin Sui’an: “Meeting adjourned. Done for the night.”

“Hm?”

Everyone scattered in cheerful haste, scrambling toward the soft warm bedding of their own rooms. Lin Sui’an ran the fastest.

Only Mu Xia, ever dutiful, remained in place.

Hua Yitang was quiet for a moment. “Mu Xia — is she avoiding me a little?”

Mu Xia considered. “Did Fourth Young Master offend Lin Niangzi today?”

“…When would I ever dare.”

“Then why?”

Hua Yitang said nothing.

Mu Xia shook his head, gathering the bowls and chopsticks while muttering to himself, “As the saying goes, there’s no overnight grudge between partners — fights at the table are over by the time you’re back at it…” he shuffled off.

Hua Yitang sat quietly for a while, then abruptly rose, and strode quickly toward the rear residence.

Lin Sui’an was certainly not avoiding Hua Yitang. She was simply a little tired.

Seeing Zhu Dachang today had made her think of the Nanpu County case, of Su Chengxian, Luo Shichuan, Luo Kou, and Meng Man. Naturally, and inevitably, she thought of the world she had come from before her crossing, and of the man who was called her father.

Ita had carefully tidied the guest room. The bed was made with fresh new bedding, the wardrobe at the bedside had been wiped to a shine, the window was open a crack — the light patter of rain could be heard from outside, and the room was dim, lit only by a small oil lamp on the head of the bed.

Lin Sui’an sat on the edge of the bed, breathing deeply — very deeply — feeling a faint tightness in her chest. It must be the weather. There was too much rain here, and it made a person grow melancholy, stirred up things one shouldn’t think about. She’d be fine after a night’s sleep.

She flopped softly back onto the bed, her face buried in the blanket. She breathed in the scent of new cotton — warm as sunlight, warm as the temperature Hua Yitang had left on the handle of the umbrella, warm like Hua Yitang—

Lin Sui’an bolted upright. The tightness in her chest grew worse. A long-absent agitation stirred in her blood — this was deeply abnormal. After leaving Guangdu, there had been no intense fighting, and thus no opportunity to generate the kind of negative energy that would trigger symptoms like these. Why would she be experiencing this turbulence of spirit—

Then, all of a sudden, Lin Sui’an’s heart gave a thud. She quickly calculated how long it had been since Qian Jing’s last maintenance. The agitation in her heart gradually weakened.

Sure enough — it had been six days since the last maintenance. Qian Jing needed her drink.

When they traveled south from Guangdu to Cheng County, Mu Xia had loaded two large wagons, nearly half a wagon of which was ten-year Manbi wine — taking up quite a bit of space. Because of the Manbi wine, Hua Yitang had tearfully sacrificed three large trunks of clothing.

Thirty jugs of Manbi wine were stacked in neat rows along the base of the wall, each jug bearing a strip of red paper inscribed with the words “Special Reserve” — sent from the Hua Family wine cellars in the Eastern Capital by fast horse to Guangdu City.

Mu Xia had said that Bai Rong had reached a cooperative agreement with the Hua Family, and the first project Hua Family proposed under the partnership was to build a new Manbi distillery in Guangdu City, so that Qian Jing’s Manbi wine could be directly supplied from Guangdu in the future.

Lin Sui’an lifted a jug of Manbi wine and sat beside the tea table. She carefully poured a cup and gently bathed Qian Jing in it. The blade rippled with intoxicating waves, spreading outward in layer upon layer before gradually subsiding. Qian Jing’s color seemed purer than before — and stranger. When the hilt was turned, the blade’s color flickered and shifted, filling the entire room with an eerie green light like ghostly flames.

At that very moment, a shadow flickered past the window — with what appeared to be long horns sprouting from its head and a long tail trailing behind, drifting past in Qian Jing’s green light. Lin Sui’an was startled, her first instinct screaming dragon. She grabbed Qian Jing, flung open the door panel, and shouted, “Don’t you dare run—holy heavens!”

Hua Yitang stood frozen in the doorway, both hands holding a folding stool high above his head, a rolled scroll clenched between his teeth. The scroll’s binding had come undone, its pages fluttering in the wind — so the “horns” had been the stool legs, and the “great tail” had been the shadow of the scroll.

Lin Sui’an: “…What on earth are you doing out here in the dead of night?”

Hua Yitang, scroll still between his teeth: “Mmph mmph mmph!”

“Do you want to come in and say that?”

“Mmph mmph!”

Lin Sui’an rolled her eyes, stepped aside to let Hua Yitang in, then pulled the door shut behind her — thought about it, and left one panel open.

Hua Yitang set the folding stool beside the tea table. The stool’s legs were tall, the tea table’s legs were short, and the stool stood a full head taller than the table. Set side by side they looked thoroughly mismatched.

“It really doesn’t go well together,” Hua Yitang plopped down beside the tea table, slowly tidying the scroll, murmuring to himself. “As I thought, they need to be a matched set.”

Lin Sui’an sat across from him. “You actually brought the folding stool all the way from Guangdu?”

Hua Yitang didn’t even look up. “You liked it.”

Thump! Lin Sui’an’s heart skipped a beat and she realized, with some alarm, that her chest had gone tight again.

How could that be — hadn’t Qian Jing just been given her drink?

Hua Yitang seemed entirely unaware of Lin Sui’an’s odd state. He finished tidying the scroll, drew out his small set of four writing implements from behind him, and looked up to ask, “What kind of folding stool would you like?”

Hua Yitang’s eyes were beautiful — long, dense lashes like little fans, pupils like black jade washed in clear water. When those eyes looked over at her, they seemed to hold within them a sparkling, brilliant depth of feeling.

Lin Sui’an’s heart went thump again. The tightness in her chest deepened.

“Wh — what?”

“I think this stool’s design is flawed. The four legs are at the wrong angle — it’s unstable and tips easily. The seat is too narrow and digs into one uncomfortably. And this backrest here — one careless moment and it jabs you right in the tailbone. Not at all suitable.” Hua Yitang smoothed out the dragon-scaled pages of the scroll — and it was only then that Lin Sui’an noticed all the pages inside were completely blank. “So I want to have several new ones made, and I came to ask your opinion.”

Lin Sui’an’s throat felt a little tight. “Why?”

Hua Yitang frowned. “Why what?”

“Was it you who suggested to the Hua Family head that they build a Manbi distillery in Guangdu?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Guangdu City is the second largest port in the Tang Kingdom. Building a distillery there means no more shipping Manbi wine all the way from the Eastern Capital — it saves an enormous sum in labor and transport costs. By any calculation, it’s a significant gain.”

“Just because of that?”

Hua Yitang grinned. “And incidentally, it benefits us as well — stockpiling wine for Qian Jing becomes much easier. Otherwise the shipping costs would come out of my monthly allowance, and over time even I’d start to feel the pinch.”

The constriction in Lin Sui’an’s chest loosened a little.

“And the stool?”

Hua Yitang scratched his forehead with the brush handle. “Don’t you find the sitting posture in our Tang Kingdom extraordinarily hard on the legs?”

“Especially when sitting in formal posture — after a while your feet go numb, your legs go numb, your backside goes numb, and your knees ache. Every time you stand up you need half the day to recover.”

“…That’s true.”

“At the New Year’s Eve banquet at Canlou Tower, I had been kneeling so long that when I stood up my leg cramped, and I nearly tumbled down the stairs and ruined my looks for good!”

“That’s true.”

“When I first saw this folding stool at the gambling house in Nanxiang, I was thunderstruck — it felt like a revelation from the heavens! If we could improve the stool’s design and pair it with a table of matching height, wouldn’t we never have to sit until our feet cramp again?”

Lin Sui’an nodded vigorously.

Hua Yitang leaned forward, gripping the brush tightly. “Tell me — what ideas do you have?”

Lin Sui’an recalled every chair and stool shape she could summon from memory, and solemnly offered advice drawn from her foreknowledge of the future. “First, the seat should be wider — ideally positioned so that when you sit down, the front edge falls right at the back of the knee. The height should match most people’s lower leg length…”

“The backrest should be taller — coming up to below the nape of the neck. There should be armrests on both sides — that is, places to rest your arms. The seat could be fitted with thick soft cushioning, and a lumbar pad at the lower back. A footrest underneath would be ideal too…”

“As for the table, you’d simply need to lengthen the legs. The right height would be where both arms can rest flat on the surface when seated…”

Hua Yitang held his lashes half-lowered, capturing all of Lin Sui’an’s strange and wonderful ideas one by one on paper — one sheet, two sheets… five, six… ten, fifteen… The smile hidden at the corner of his mouth grew deeper and deeper. When all was recorded, he looked at Lin Sui’an’s bright and shining eyes, and somehow managed not to laugh out loud.

She surely didn’t know what her own expression looked like right now.

“Excellent. Tomorrow I’ll have Mu Xia try making a few samples. I’ll go rest now.” Hua Yitang rolled up the scroll with clean efficiency, stepped toward the door, and shut the panel behind him with a click.

He had arrived in a whirlwind and departed without a trace — that was Hua Family’s Fourth Young Master’s style through and through.

Lin Sui’an stared at the dark door panel for a long while, then looked at the spot where Hua Yitang had just been sitting, pressed her palm to her chest, felt quietly for a moment — and smiled.

Her heart palpitations and tightness had vanished without medicine!

It must have been because Qian Jing hadn’t had her drink yet.

Outside the guest room, Hua Yitang stood with one hand holding the scroll, leaning against the outer wall. The smile at the corner of his mouth slowly faded to melancholy.

The night rain fell like a damp cloth pressing close around him, wrapping him tightly. The scroll’s binding hung still and unmoving, its trailing end fallen into the rain — the wind didn’t stir it.

As expected… the moment she noticed he had crossed that line, she would quietly slip away…

Side Story:

Mu Xia lifted a gap in the window and watched for a moment, then withdrew, shaking his head helplessly.

His Fourth Young Master was usually so clever. And Lin Niangzi was usually so sharp. How had things come to this…

One of them — clearly not foolish — was choosing to play the fool.

The other one — heavens above — might genuinely be the fool.

Mu Xia — fourteen years old in body, forty years old in spirit — Hua Family Fourth Young Master’s personal attendant — future General Manager of Hua Family — Xia, clenched his little fists tightly:

Mu Xia — your burden is heavy and the road is long!