The night was hazy. The youth’s face flickered bright and dark in the swaying lamplight. Though he should have been familiar by now, at this moment he suddenly seemed strange.

Lin Hao turned her head and followed Lin Shi back to their room.

Lin Shi shook her head. “Earlier I thought that criminal was also a pitiful person, but now I don’t think so anymore. Taking revenge for a grievance is one thing, but what does killing two innocent people amount to?”

Of course, Marchioness Wuning wouldn’t tell outsiders that her daughter had deliberately scalded a kitchen maid’s face, only saying it was an accidental burn. But listeners weren’t stupid—anyone who understood Tang Wei’s temperament could figure out the truth with a little thought.

If it had been unintentional, with enough silver given as compensation, how could there be such an extreme method of revenge?

Lin Chan deeply agreed. “Mother is right.”

“You should both rest early. Tomorrow we’ll leave early. The criminal has already killed with bloodshot eyes—we should avoid him if we can.”

Lin Shi was confident she wouldn’t fear encountering the criminal herself, but there was always the unexpected. With two daughters in tow, she didn’t want even the slightest risk.

Just like Marchioness Wuning—she had brought quite a few maids and elderly servants to offer incense, yet her daughter still had an incident happen just like that.

“Yes.” Lin Chan nodded in agreement.

Lin Shi looked toward Lin Hao and discovered her daughter was spacing out again.

“Ah Hao?” She pushed Lin Hao.

“Mother?”

Lin Shi reached out and covered Lin Hao’s forehead, worried. “Could you have been scared out of your soul?”

Lin Hao laughed with a snort. “Mother, where has your mind wandered to?”

“Then why have you been spacing out ever since seeing the corpse?”

“This is the first time I’ve seen someone who died violently. That person’s face keeps appearing in my mind.”

Lin Shi thought about it and agreed. Although one of Second Miss Tang’s maids had been killed, they hadn’t seen the corpse. That man just now had been carried right before their eyes.

“Mother, I’m going back to my room to rest.” Lin Hao stood up, her expression already appearing normal.

Only then did Lin Shi feel relieved. “Go ahead.”

Lin Hao and Lin Chan walked out of Lin Shi’s room together.

“Second Sister, why don’t you sleep with me tonight?”

Lin Hao smiled and shook her head. “No need. I’m truly not afraid.”

“Really not necessary?”

“Really, truly. Besides, there’s still Baozhu. Elder Sister, go sleep quickly. Didn’t Mother say we need to rise early tomorrow?”

Returning to her room, Lin Hao lay down on the bed. In her mind appeared alternately the middle-aged man’s pale and terrifying face, and Prince Jing’s Heir’s handsome and gentle face.

To others, that middle-aged man was an innocent, unlucky passerby who died tragically. But she knew his identity.

He was Fang Chengji—the Fang Chengji who in her previous life had been highly valued by the Crown Prince and led to Prince Jing’s mansion’s destruction.

Even without Prince Jing’s Heir appearing, she would have found it strange for Fang Chengji to die near Qinglu Mountain as an unnamed male corpse, let alone with Prince Jing’s Heir appearing here.

Had Prince Jing’s Heir killed Fang Chengji… that Prince Jing’s Heir who seemed so gentle and sickly?

Lin Hao tossed and turned like a pancake being flipped.

She wanted to go find Prince Jing’s Heir and ask clearly. Immediately.

Lin Hao sat up.

This commotion startled Baozhu, who was resting in the outer room.

“Miss, what’s wrong?” Baozhu shuffled over in her shoes.

“I want to go out for a walk.”

“At this hour?” Baozhu instinctively glanced at the window.

The tightly closed window showed only a mass of darkness.

“It’s quite late and certainly very cold. This servant will get your cloak.” Baozhu quickly went to fetch the cloak.

The corner of Lin Hao’s lips curved.

What she liked about Baozhu was precisely this—she didn’t ask questions endlessly.

Baozhu brought an apricot-colored cloak and tied it properly for Lin Hao, then accompanied her out the door.

The lights everywhere had already been extinguished. The entire Qinglu Temple was shrouded in silent darkness. Because two people had died in succession and the murderer hadn’t been caught, this silence carried an added feeling of sinister terror.

Fortunately, the stars above cast down cold, clear light, allowing one to barely make out the path beneath their feet.

Lin Hao walked lightly to the vicinity of Qi Shuo’s room, but that impulse dissipated.

In the dead of night, running over to knock on a young man’s door was truly improper.

Realizing this, Lin Hao felt somewhat strange.

She shouldn’t be such a shameless person—why did she always do things out of line when encountering Prince Jing’s Heir? And without feeling they were out of line.

Lin Hao decided to come ask first thing tomorrow morning. Just as she turned around, she heard a slight door-opening sound from behind.

She immediately turned back to see a youth in moon-white robes pushing the door open and emerging, pleasing to the eye like a clear wind and bright moon.

In that instant, Lin Hao felt somewhat confused. It was truly difficult to connect the youth before her eyes with the suspicion in her heart.

The youth walked closer step by step, yet she forgot to react.

“Second Miss Lin.” Qi Shuo stopped before Lin Hao and called out with a smile.

Lin Hao’s gaze shifted as she regained her composure.

“The Heir also hasn’t slept?”

Qi Shuo nodded. “Mm. I guessed Second Miss Lin might come looking for me.”

Lin Hao fell silent. Since that was the case, she wouldn’t stand on ceremony.

“There are some words I wanted to say to the Heir.”

“How about we talk over there?” Qi Shuo raised his hand and pointed.

Lin Hao was startled.

Prince Jing’s Heir was pointing at the rooftop.

Meeting Lin Hao’s astonished gaze, Qi Shuo smiled. “Second Miss Lin, please extend your hand.”

Lin Hao extended her hand, curious about what he intended to do.

Her wrist was suddenly grasped. Immediately after, her body felt light, and when she came back to her senses, she had already landed on the rooftop.

Standing on the rooftop, the sky full of stars seemed closer, yet looking at the youth before her, he felt even more unfamiliar.

Lin Hao’s shock was within Qi Shuo’s expectations.

He brought his fist to his lips and coughed lightly.

This cough brought Lin Hao back to her senses. Finally, she felt this was the Prince Jing’s Heir she knew.

No, no, no—something still wasn’t right. How could Prince Jing’s Heir bring her up to the rooftop so effortlessly?

“Second Miss Lin, shall we sit and talk? Standing makes us easy to notice and also easy to slip and fall.”

Lin Hao sat down and looked quietly at Qi Shuo.

“I know martial arts.” The youth honestly admitted.

Lin Hao smiled slightly. “One certainly couldn’t tell normally.”

Qi Shuo coughed twice. “People who know martial arts can still fall ill.”

Lin Hao fell silent.

That explanation was quite perfect.

After a moment of silence, Lin Hao asked directly, “That person… was it the Heir who killed him?”

Qi Shuo looked at her without changing expression. After a slight pause, he asked in return, “Is Second Miss Lin referring to Fang Chengji?”

Lin Hao’s gaze flickered slightly. “So it was the Heir after all.”

Qi Shuo’s frankness made her regard him more highly, yet for a moment she couldn’t connect his actions with her usual impression of him.

Because she had mentioned a dream, he had eliminated someone who might bring danger—this couldn’t be called anything but ruthless.

Borrowing Second Miss Tang’s maid’s murder, using the same method to kill, then smoothly pushing suspicion onto the unfindable murderer, even misleading the constables’ direction in pursuing Ah Hu—this couldn’t be called anything but cunning.

Lin Hao thought she could have a clear view of anyone, yet at this moment her view of Prince Jing’s Heir became blurred.

What kind of person exactly was Prince Jing’s Heir?

Killing someone just because of a dream, and not even his own dream—wasn’t that a bit frightening?

She raised her hand to cover her eyes, for the first time regretting that she couldn’t hear people’s inner voices.

“Second Miss Lin… do you no longer wish to see me?”