The madam seemed to remember something and immediately looked at Mao Linye.

“That’s right, that’s right, Da Qiao did call for someone just now.” Then she turned to look at Qiao Mu.

“You couldn’t find anyone, so you put the token down?”

“Mm.” Qiao Mu nodded and spread both arms open. “The token really isn’t on me. If you don’t believe it, you can search me.”

“Something’s wrong, something’s terribly wrong!” A servant boy came running out from the brothel’s front entrance.

Seeing that Mao Linye hadn’t yet left, the boy paused for a moment, then went to the madam and leaned in close to her ear.

Whatever the madam heard made her face darken. “Have someone seal off every exit at once. Come, follow me upstairs.”

“Yes.” The servant boy nodded.

The madam took two steps back, then, remembering something, turned to Mao Linye and bowed respectfully. “Boss, an outsider has slipped in.”

“They found a servant boy passed out in a corner of the back courtyard, his clothes in disarray.”

“Boss, since there’s trouble at the medicine factory, you should go on ahead — I’ll handle matters here at the establishment.”

During the day, there were usually fewer people outside the brothel than at night, and since it was past the midday meal hour, no one else was coming in — only the occasional passerby.

“Very well!” Mao Linye nodded, withdrawing his gaze to look at Feng Jiu’er. “Are you sure you want to come along?”

“May I?” Feng Jiu’er’s eyes lit up at once.

“Of course.” Mao Linye’s response was doting.

Feng Jiu’er turned to look at Qiao Mu and said, “Big brother, the boss says he’ll take me along.”

The girl’s words seemed to be asking for Qiao Mu’s opinion.

“Fine. Have your second brother go with you. I’ll stay behind and accompany the madam to retrieve the token.”

“You come along. The rest of you need not follow,” Mao Linye said, dropping the words as he led Feng Jiu’er away.

The “rest of you” most likely referred to Gong Xinyue, so Gong Xinyue didn’t move.

“All right!” Qiao Mu nodded without hesitation and followed.

Those who were meant to leave all boarded carriages or mounted horses and departed; those who stayed behind hurried back inside.

With Jian Yi around, it should be fine for Xinyue to remain.

Inside the carriage, only Feng Jiu’er and Mao Linye rode together. At first, Feng Jiu’er really was a little nervous.

Mao Linye’s breathing was very steady — clearly a man of considerable martial skill.

Most importantly, she didn’t want any contact with this man. She already had someone of her own.

Fortunately, Feng Jiu’er’s worries did not come to pass.

The moment Mao Linye boarded the carriage, he closed his eyes to rest, paying her no attention at all.

After roughly two quarter-hours, the carriage finally came to a stop.

Feng Jiu’er’s hands, which had been gripping the blanket on either side of her legs, relaxed, and as she raised her eyes, they met Mao Linye’s gaze.

She immediately pressed her lips together, gripped the blanket tightly again, and shrank back, not daring to say a word.

“Boss, we’ve arrived at the medicine factory,” a man’s voice called from outside.

Mao Linye withdrew his gaze and looked up.

Someone lifted the carriage curtain from outside. “Boss, please.”

Mao Linye stood and stepped out.

Feng Jiu’er stood as well and followed him out.

The moment she stepped down from the carriage, Feng Jiu’er saw a large building ahead of her.

She looked around and realized they had entered a large courtyard, and the building the carriage faced was enormous.

The building was very wide, a long row with countless doors, each one numbered above.

Feng Jiu’er didn’t know what the final number was, but the doors nearby were marked twenty, twenty-one, twenty-two.

So this building had at least forty rooms, and each one appeared quite spacious in width — without going inside, there was no telling how deep they went.

When Mao Linye turned back, what met his eyes was Feng Jiu’er’s astonished gaze.

He curved his lips slightly, seeming rather pleased with himself.

“This is my medicine factory. If you like, you can go take a look inside.”

Feng Jiu’er’s eyes brightened, her face full of flattered surprise.

“Boss, thank you, but I don’t understand medicine. I’ll just follow you.”

Many of the room doors stood open, with people going in and coming out.

But what she wanted to know, perhaps only following him would let her see.

Mao Linye didn’t refuse. He simply glanced back at Qiao Mu. “You, stay here.”

“Fine.” Qiao Mu nodded in acknowledgment.

Having come this far, all she could do was adapt to whatever came.

The man who had rushed over earlier glanced at Feng Jiu’er and frowned.

“Go in,” Mao Linye said, turning and stepping forward.

The man knew the boss genuinely intended to bring the woman inside, and said nothing more.

“Yes.” The man nodded and immediately turned to lead the way.

Feng Jiu’er followed behind Mao Linye, with two tall, sword-bearing men trailing behind her. Together, several people walked through the entrance of a room.

Feng Jiu’er noticed that the room’s door was numbered twenty.

But soon, she found that they seemed to be walking through a maze.

When they entered through door number twenty, nothing seemed amiss — inside was simply laid out like an ordinary pharmacy.

Inside, people were still sorting medicinal herbs.

Yet unexpectedly, the man leading the way flipped some hidden switch, and a door concealed within a cabinet opened. The man led everyone through it.

The second room they entered was piled high on all sides with dried herbs, with people seated on low stools sorting through medicine.

This scene was also familiar to Feng Jiu’er.

After passing through another hidden door, the group walked into yet another room.

The rooms that followed varied in size, some even completely empty, with nothing and no one inside.

In total, they passed through six doors, then a hidden passage, and after lifting a curtain, the space ahead suddenly opened up.

As she stepped through the curtain, Feng Jiu’er seemed to instinctively grab hold of Mao Linye’s robe.

Mao Linye, as if used to it, didn’t turn back or even pause in his stride.

Once past the curtain, Feng Jiu’er’s nose twitched, and her brow furrowed slightly.

She looked around but saw nothing unusual — it was simply a room like a private lounge, though doors led off in several directions.

The person ahead came to a stop, and Feng Jiu’er stopped as well.

“Xiaoxiao, stay here and wait for me,” Mao Linye said, his voice warm and gentle.

Feng Jiu’er looked up at him, withdrew the small hand gripping his robe, and clasped her ten fingers together at her abdomen.

She nodded slightly and uttered a single word: “Mm.”

Mao Linye gently ruffled her hair, then turned and walked off to one side.

Soon, they opened a door and went inside, leaving only the two men who had followed behind standing guard at the door.

Feng Jiu’er stood in place, her dark, glistening eyes occasionally sweeping the surroundings, her small feet tilted slightly inward, looking timid and uncertain.

Suddenly, a woman emerged from the room Mao Linye had just entered.

She carried tea and pastries in her hands, a faint smile on her lips, and walked toward Feng Jiu’er.

“You’re Xiaoxiao?” the woman asked, her gaze provocative.

Feng Jiu’er looked at her, her fan-like lashes blinking rapidly a few times, and nodded.

“I am. And you are…?”