Chapter 235: Chapter 102 Accidental Encounter at Yuxian Tower_3
Nobles and high-ranking officials...
Lu Tong felt a stir in her heart and then smiled as she climbed up beside Yin Zheng to bid farewell to the Pimp and headed towards the other end.
After taking a few steps, Yin Zheng stopped and asked Lu Tong, "Miss, what do we do now?"
The implication in the man’s words suggested that Qi Yutai was very likely upstairs. However, at the moment, even offering Silver wouldn’t secure a spot upstairs; another path had to be found.
Lu Tong thought for a moment, "Find a place to hide, I’ll sneak up there."
Yin Zheng was shocked, "No!", then she continued, "He’s guarding the stairs, how could you blend in... But," her eyes lit up, "I will pretend to be drunk and lure him away, and you can take the chance to go upstairs. Could that work?"
Lu Tong frowned, "It’s too dangerous for you."
"Don’t worry," Yin Zheng patted her chest, "you haven’t forgotten where I came from, have you? I know best how to deal with them. This floor is still okay, but upstairs is even more dangerous. Are you sure you want to go?"
Lu Tong nodded.
She had no way to get close to Qi Yutai; all she needed was to be near him, just one opportunity, and she could make her move.
Today was an opportunity that comes once in a thousand years.
Yin Zheng turned and walked away before Lu Tong could grab her, and she saw Yin Zheng staggering back towards where the Pimp was previously, shouting, "You whore! How could you be so clueless, get me someone else!"
Sounds of cups and saucers hitting the floor followed, along with the Pimp’s cries of shock and his forced laughter. Yin Zheng, grabbing his clothes, refused to let go. It was unknown what else was said, but after a while, the Pimp led Yin Zheng downstairs.
The staircase was deserted.
Lu Tong took this opportunity to go up.
The staircases between the second and third floors were few and spiraled upwards. The Embroidery Pavilion of the Yuxian Tower was next to the hall, where one could hear the singing of performers downstairs. The opposite side faced the courtyard, where the sound of heavy rain washing the courtyard could be heard.
Lu Tong stopped at the entrance to the third floor.
This floor was very quiet.
There were no sounds of men and women teasing and playing, nor were there vibrant flower crowns hanging at the doors. This floor seemed cold and secluded, with dim lamps casting their glow on the long corridor. At first glance, it appeared serene, but upon closer inspection, a row of vermillion railings was carved with serpentine patterns, and a red gauze and golden lamp hung in front of the house. The heavier the rain, the more the lamps of the jade tower shimmered.
There was no one in the long corridor outside the door. The singer’s voice from downstairs was distant and clear in this silence. Lu Tong, dressed in her bright dance attire, trailed her long skirt across the floor of the corridor, making a rustling sound with the fabric.
Because there were no flower crowns hanging in front of the doors, it was unclear which of the rooms were occupied.
Lu Tong paused, her fingertips touching something in her sleeve, and suddenly her footsteps halted.
If she could just get close to Qi Yutai, she would find an opportunity to kill him.
A hint of dim light shone through the crack of a door, someone was in this room, yet there was no sound.
This was rather strange. The Pimp had said that the third floor was where dignitaries and nobles rested, but the entire corridor was without guards or servants. Without the light from the lamp, it would seem like an empty tower.
The pouring rain did not stop, falling from the eaves into the courtyard. Lu Tong hesitated for a moment, then pushed the door open.
There was no one in the room.
The floor was covered with a Coral Tapestry of gold silk brocade, soft and silent underfoot. On the table in front of the door, there was a gorgeous Pearl Lamp, its gold plating and paintings mostly of peonies, covered with sheer silk. The light from the Pearl Lamp was dim, casting the blossoming peonies on its shade in a misty aura. There was a zither placed not far away, and beyond that, a large fan-shaped screen of nanmu wood with grass pattern engraved on colored glass. What lay behind the screen was out of sight.
Lu Tong’s gaze fell on the blackwood inlaid with pearwood that sat on the table in the center of the room.
On the table were several cups with openwork dragon patterns carved from bluish-white jade, which were empty, and one wine pot, it was unclear if anyone had used it.
She looked towards the Coral Stool.
A cloak was casually draped over the stool.
Lu Tong approached and saw that the black cloak was very luxurious; clusters of clouds were outlined in silver thread pressing against the black brocade, shimmering in the silver candlelight.
This was not something an ordinary household could afford.
Standing in the room, she hesitated for a moment.
With no one in sight and no disturbance in the room, the plan she had originally envisioned was not feasible. She didn’t even know where Qi Yutai was.
On the table beside her was a Mandarin Duck Incense Burner, with incense still burning. If Lu Tong could confirm that Qi Yutai was in this room, she could tamper with the incense. If nothing happened today, if nothing happened tomorrow, then on the third day, there would be issues in the Grand Preceptor’s Mansion.
Just as she was deep in thought, a sudden voice from behind caught her off guard.
"What are you doing?"
Startled, Lu Tong’s hand loosened, and she swiftly turned around.
"Bang—"
A dull sound echoed as a furnace full of incense crashed to the floor, coating the Coral Tapestry in a layer of ash.
Under the Euphoria Bead Lamp, a young man stood in front of the screen, clad in black brocade with woven golden patterns, holding a silver blade. The exquisite glass screen behind him glowed with brilliance, yet it only made the person standing before the screen appear all the more alluring.
Lu Tong felt a jolt inside her.
Why was it him?