"Hmph!" Lu Wuxie returned to his room in the evening. The moment he sat down on the stool, his expression was one of seriousness that Lin Jin had never seen before.
Was His Highness throwing a tantrum?
Lin Jin walked to his side and asked, "Master, what happened?"
Lu Wuxie propped himself up on the table and said, "Lin Jin, when did you get back?"
"To answer Master, I returned after the silver shop closed," Lin Jin replied truthfully.
Lu Wuxie nodded, then casually took something from his embrace and placed it on the table.
Lin Jin opened it and found a small bag of malt candy and a sweet biscuit with a sweet potato flavor.
"Master..."
"I'm giving them to you."
Lin Jin took a piece of malt candy and put it in his mouth. As for the sweet potato-flavored biscuit, he knew his master liked it, so he didn't dare to touch it.
"Is it sweet?" Lu Wuxie asked.
Lin Jin nodded.
"But why does it taste sour to me?" Lu Wuxie asked again.
Lin Jin was a bit bewildered. Ever since his master got to know Zhong Li, his demeanor had become much more refined. After they separated, he had done some outrageous things, like fighting with the Sixth Prince.
But ever since he decided to pursue Miss Zhong again, he had become spirited once more. Why was he now like he was when he first separated from Miss Zhong, as if he had been frost-bitten?
"Did something unhappy happen to Master?" Lin Jin boldly asked.
Lu Wuxie thought for a moment, then suddenly asked a strange question, "Lin Jin, is it too late for me to start learning medicine now?"
"When did Master become interested in medicine?" Lin Jin asked.
"I'm just asking you, what do you think, me learning medicine?" Lu Wuxie didn't answer Lin Jin's question, but was persistent about his reply.
Lin Jin's mouth twitched a few times, and he said, "Master, forget it. I remember your bandaging skills are not as good as mine, so don't go messing with other patients."
As soon as he finished speaking, he felt a sharp, knife-like gaze directed at him from across the room.
Lin Jin looked up timidly and broke out in a cold sweat. Without another word, he cupped his hands and quickly exited the room.
It was past the hour of You when Zhong Li returned to her residence.
To prevent anyone from monitoring her, she had Tuo Bai park his carriage in the alley next door and walked back to her room alone.
The moment she pushed the door open, the room was pitch black. To get a clear view of the room, she groped her way to the table and took out a fire starter from her embrace. As soon as she lit the oil lamp, she almost fell to the ground, startled by a figure sitting in front of her.
"You're back?" Lu Wuxie's voice carried a hint of a mumble.
Zhong Li rolled her eyes at him and said, "Why are you sitting here without lighting a lamp? It's quite frightening."
Lu Wuxie remained silent, just staring at her. He had seen everything from her enthusiastically waving goodbye to Tuo Bai in the opposite alley to her going upstairs. Light a lamp? What lamp? He had no mood to consider such things; let him remain in the complete darkness.
"What, unhappy?" Zhong Li pulled over a chair and sat opposite him, asking.
Lu Wuxie didn't reply, but poured a cup of clear tea and placed it in front of her.
Zhong Li looked at the hot tea, picked it up, and took a sip. Her eyebrows rose; this tea was freshly brewed.
With this thought, she looked up at Lu Wuxie, then at the window, and she had a general idea.
"I also forgot to tell you, when we go to Qin Guan Street tomorrow, I plan to have Tuo Bai be our driver. He is from Beidi, and his family used to fight with the army as military doctors. Now he's in business, but the ancestral teachings remain. His skills are about the same as Lin Jin's. I think having him with us will provide some security," Zhong Li said.
"Hmm." Lu Wuxie also poured himself a cup of tea and responded with a mumble.
Zhong Li licked her slightly dry lips, "Also, I visited Tuo Bai's pharmacy and discussed some of the difficult and complex diseases discovered in Beidi and Nanyue at the moment. We've made some progress, and then..."
"Li'er!" Before Zhong Li could finish speaking, Lu Wuxie's chest heaved rapidly, and he softly interrupted her.
Zhong Li bit her lip, waiting for him to continue.
"I know I've hidden many things from you before, but as I said when I came, as long as you're willing, I won't do this anymore. However, I can't guarantee that our relationship will be free of impurities. After all... inherently, just being with me, you can't avoid scheming and mutual benefits. But I truly like you. I've lived two lives, and you are an accident, but I don't find you annoying at all, in fact..." Lu Wuxie paused here and let out a light burp.
Zhong Li smelled the alcohol scent permeating the air and then looked down at the wine jar he had secretly hidden under the bed. She couldn't help but roll her eyes. She hadn't known before that this dignified heir of the Prince Xian's manor, a rake, would resort to drinking to drown his sorrows and bolster his courage when heartbroken.
"Tuo Bai and I are not..."
"I know. Tuo Bai comes from a family of physicians, and you share common interests. He's not bad-looking either, and his background is clean, unlike the complex and changing political struggles of my dynasty. And as you said, his martial arts are comparable to Lin Jin's. Any woman would like him. But... since you accepted my gifts and haven't discarded them, I think I still have a chance," Lu Wuxie said, not forgetting to quietly add, "Besides, Lin Jin can't beat me."
"How does His Highness know I didn't throw away the box you gave me?" Zhong Li asked upon hearing his words.
"I checked the trash bin..."
Hearing this, Zhong Li leaned forward and glanced at her bedroom. She felt both annoyed and amused. She knew that Lu Wuxie, in order to hide his true self in this life, had become unrestrained and his actions were somewhat domineering and dissolute. However, she truly hadn't expected him to be so childish as to rummage through that.
"Your Highness!" Zhong Li saw his sulky expression, suppressed the smile on her face, and said, "I know what I'm about to say might make you angry, but I hope you'll listen to me finish."
Lu Wuxie didn't look at Zhong Li, pretending to be sulky, and let out a weak grunt.
Zhong Li sighed and said, "My discussion with Tuo Bai about medicine is true. But the reason I came back so late later is because... I found out something."
As she spoke, she took something out of her embrace and placed it in front of Lu Wuxie.
Lu Wuxie merely glanced at it casually. By the time he reacted, all his drunkenness had vanished.
"A judge's brush? Where did you get it?" he asked.
Zhong Li didn't answer, but gave him a look that suggested he figure it out himself.
"Tuo Bai?" Lu Wuxie asked.
Zhong Li nodded, "Yes, Tuo Bai. When we were talking about the plague caused by the drought in Lingshan before, he told me about something that happened eleven years ago. Do you know what I heard?"
Lu Wuxie shook his head. He felt as if he could barely breathe now. If his guess was correct, this matter involved his mother.
"The Tuo family is a family of physicians and also has extensive research in Buddhist principles. If they have free time, they basically visit Lingshan Temple every year. Eleven years ago, he was fortunate enough to accompany his elders to Lingshan Temple. It was the Zhongyuan Festival at the time, and while on the mountain, their carriage encountered an assassination."