The room was filled with mist.
Ji Yuluo, having sweated profusely and taken her medicine, called for a maid to prepare a bath. Her health had always been well-maintained, and it had been a long time since she caught a cold. The sudden chill made her feel unusually weary. She leaned lightly against the edge of the bathtub, staring motionlessly at the oil lamp on the low table.
Her mind was clearer now. Thinking over Huo Xian’s words, she finally understood.
Qin Wei hadn’t committed any crime, and Huo Xian couldn’t interrogate him. Even though the Jinyiwei were known for arresting people without reason, they could have easily pinned a charge on him. However, when it came to matters involving Zhao Yong, it was clear that Huo Xian couldn’t investigate openly.
He had to remain hidden.
To the people in the capital, she and Huo Xian were seen as one entity. If he wanted her to investigate without using his influence, the only option was to do it secretly. Without alarming anyone, the only starting point was inanimate objects—most likely the audit books from those years.
Stealing was her forte.
With this realization, Ji Yuluo relaxed her body and leaned back in the bathtub, exhaling slowly while staring at the interlocking beams above. She frowned slightly. When it came to Huo Xian, she always felt like she was missing something.
The answer lay with him, but she couldn’t grasp it. The more she pondered, the more his face lingered in her mind.
She had to admit, he was indeed exceptionally good-looking.
The Cuixue Tower had hidden posts in various places. Some, like pharmacies, were inconspicuous, while others, such as brothels set up for gathering intelligence, were more blatant. Ji Yuluo owned one of these establishments. Given the local preference for attractive young men, the place was filled with minor officials.
During her idle periods, she personally selected these men.
None of them, however, looked like Huo Xian. Handsome but not seductive, he exuded an aura of wickedness that, after many twists and turns, emerged as charm in his eyes. Yet, this charm was not endearing.
She found his smile even less endearing.
The bathwater gradually cooled. Biwu came in with a towel, urging, “Miss, the water’s getting cold. You should get out now, or you might catch another cold.”
Ji Yuluo set aside her thoughts, acknowledged with a soft “mm,” and got out of the water, allowing Biwu to assist her in dressing. As she focused on the present, she noticed that the young maid before her had grown much thinner, her lips pale, and her eyelids swollen, as if deeply saddened.
Biwu sensed her gaze and instinctively looked up, only to quickly avert her eyes the moment their eyes met, bowing her head to tie Ji Yuluo’s belt.
After a moment of silence, Ji Yuluo asked, “If you have any questions, you may ask.”
Biwu’s hands trembled slightly as she tied the belt. Her eyes reddened instantly. She slowly looked at Ji Yuluo, studying her mistress’s face seriously for the first time. They had grown up together, and Biwu was the most familiar with Ji Yuluo. Since leaving the Jingxi Hall, there had been many clues she could have followed, but she chose to ignore them.
Until recently, when too many strange things had happened…
She had so many questions, but in the end, she shook her head and said, “This servant remains your servant, and my duty is to serve you well.”
Some things didn’t need to be said outright. Ji Yuluo looked at her for a long time and then smiled in satisfaction. “Very well.”
After the bath, she felt more awake instead of sleepy, her mind occupied with what Huo Xian had mentioned. However, Huo Xian was not in the room.
Having spent these days at Huo’s residence, she had learned his routines. If he wasn’t in the room, he must be in the study.
Outside the window, the air was damp and misty with rain. Unable to sleep, Ji Yuluo decided to change her clothes and head towards the study with an umbrella.
Sure enough, light shone through the paper window.
Just then, Nanyue pushed the door open and stepped out. He held a small black box in his hand and seemed surprised to see Ji Yuluo. He quickly composed himself, though his face remained stern. He said, “The master has already gone to bed. If you have anything to discuss, please wait until tomorrow.”
But the window was still lit.
Ji Yuluo couldn’t count how many times Nanyue had blocked her at the door. She assumed Nanyue was hostile and deliberately making things difficult for her. Just then, she heard a low moan from inside, a man’s moan, like a sound that had slipped out unintentionally and then quickly disappeared.
She instinctively squinted at the lattice door just as it was hurriedly pulled open by Sheng Lanxin.
Once again, Sheng Lanxin. It seemed that every time she visited the study, Sheng Lanxin was there.
Sheng Lanxin looked surprised to see Ji Yuluo outside the door.
Before she could greet her, Nanyue quickly ascended the steps and asked, “What’s the matter, Yiniang?”
Sheng Lanxin lowered her voice, “Bring a bucket of water.”
Nanyue hurriedly gave the order.
Sheng Lanxin then looked at Ji Yuluo, hesitated, and said, “If you have something urgent, I can relay the message for you.”
Ji Yuluo straightened her umbrella and stared thoughtfully at her before looking away, glancing at the half-open door. She said calmly, “No need. It’s cold and rainy tonight. Yiniang should go back inside.”
With that, she turned and left.
Sheng Lanxin stood in the corridor for a moment before closing the door.
Inside, Huo Xian sat cross-legged on a couch, his left hand covering his right wrist. His eyes were closed, his lips tightly pressed together, and his face pale. Sweat slid down his nose, and several black lines on his neck seemed to be slowly writhing, like countless insects crawling.
The medicine was taking effect, and the pain was nearly overwhelming him.
Sheng Lanxin’s eyes were red as she said, “His medicine always arrives just at the point when you’re in unbearable pain. It’s simply—”
The veins on Huo Xian’s forehead throbbed, and his bloodless lips twitched, “It’s to remind me. He wants me to know that my life is in his hands. Only he can save me.”
—
Huo Xian’s plan was indeed almost exactly as Ji Yuluo had guessed. She had thought the ledger would be locked in the Ministry of Revenue’s courtyard, but it was actually at Qin Wei’s home.
On the seventh day of rest. The next morning, Huo Xian was sitting in the secondary dining room, leisurely eating porridge with side dishes. He said, “Qin Wei has a habit of keeping records. For every account he handles, to be safe, he makes a duplicate copy.”
While he was talking, Ji Yuluo glanced at him several times. Huo Xian couldn’t help but pause, “What is it? Do I look particularly handsome today?”
Ji Yuluo looked away, then boldly looked at him again, “So, you want me to steal his duplicate ledger?”
She was no longer feverish, but not fully recovered, and still spoke with a nasal tone, her usual coolness softened. Listening to her, Huo Xian said, “Tonight is the coming-of-age ceremony for Qin Wei’s legitimate second son. Qin Wei dotes on this son and will host a grand banquet. At that time, there will be fewer people in the rear courtyard. We will go then.”
Ji Yuluo noticed that he said “we,” and after a moment of realization, she hesitated, “Do you have an invitation?”
Her skepticism was evident. Since Qin Wei was Huo Cong’s uncle and had familial ties with the Marquis of Xuanping, it was unlikely that he would invite Huo Xian.
“No,” Huo Xian said frankly, “An uninvited guest is still a guest.”
“…”
To disrupt the most cherished son’s coming-of-age ceremony at such a time was a clear indication of why he was not well-liked. Ji Yuluo lowered her head, picking out the chopped red dates one by one from her bowl, a task she had been doing for quite a while.
The person across from her was almost finished eating, but she hadn’t even started.
So slow.
Huo Xian couldn’t stand it any longer. He reached out, took her bowl, and poured the top layer of porridge with the red date pieces into his own bowl. Then he handed the rest back to her, “Hurry up and eat. After you finish, have Nanny Liu help you try on a few outfits for tonight’s banquet.”
Ji Yuluo stared at his bowl, silent for a moment.
