"Sir, you must be mistaken."
Chun Jingshu lowered her head. "Judging by your attire, sir, you are from out of town, while I have spent almost all my time in this small town and rarely ventured out. How could I have met you before? We were not acquainted in the past."
The bright moonlight reflected off her neck, pale as a scallion, shimmering softly.
"Truly?"
"Absolutely true. Sir, with your distinguished bearing and extraordinary presence, if I had ever seen you before, I certainly would not have forgotten."
As Chun Jingshu spoke these words, a bitter taste welled up in her mouth.
She—remembered him more than just well.
She had never stopped thinking of him.
But there had never been an answer.
Gu Yujing gave Chun Jingshu a long, searching look.
The woman's lashes trembled, yet her expression remained calm and composed.
He took a long stride and left the medical clinic.
Chun Jingshu closed the door, leaned her back against it, and slid down weakly until she sat on the floor.
She had already resolved to cast him out of her heart—so why did she have to see him again?
Back then, she had fled without even saying goodbye.
These twenty-one days.
She would treat them as her final farewell to him.
Gu Yujing walked out of the medical clinic, and Songyan came running over from the mouth of the alley.
"Master, I have found an inn."
Songyan led the way, and they soon arrived at the inn.
A row of red lanterns hung at the entrance, and a ginkgo tree stood in the courtyard. The plaque above read "Pavilion of Stars."
Gu Yujing looked up. The night sky was dotted with stars—fitting, indeed.
As soon as he stepped through the gate, the innkeeper hurried over to greet him.
"Sir, are you looking for lodging?"
Seeing Gu Yujing's extraordinary bearing, the innkeeper spoke with great courtesy, a fawning smile on his face.
Gu Yujing gave a slight nod.
"Innkeeper, we will take over the entire inn," Songyan said.
His master preferred quiet and needed a peaceful place.
"This, this—I'm afraid that won't be possible."
The innkeeper looked somewhat embarrassed. "Sir, you may not be aware. The fireworks festival of Jixi Town is about to take place, and some visitors have already arrived early to secure lodging for watching the display."
"Then how many rooms remain?"
"Only one last room."
The innkeeper clasped his hands in a gesture of apology. "If you don't believe me, sir, you may inquire at other inns. However, to my knowledge, the other establishments should not have many spare rooms at present either."
Songyan looked toward Gu Yujing.
This inn was the largest in Jixi Town.
What the innkeeper said was the truth.
"In that case, we will stay here for now."
"Very well! Qing'er, prepare some tea," the innkeeper called out toward the inner room, then led the two men upstairs.
Qing'er was the innkeeper's daughter. She followed briskly behind them, carrying a tea tray.
She poured tea into the cups, and when she handed it over, she caught sight of Gu Yujing's face—and froze.
How could there be a man this handsome?
"Let me take it."
Songyan took the cup from her, accustomed to this reaction.
Every woman who laid eyes on his master would fall into a daze.
"My master prefers quiet. There is no need to disturb him from now on. If anything is needed, I will inform you in advance."
After Songyan spoke, the innkeeper nodded hurriedly and led his daughter away.
"Father, who is that guest?"
"Judging by his fine attire, his family must be extraordinary. You've traveled far and wide with your father for so many years—how is it you still wear such a foolish look on your face? Come now, off to work."
Qing'er blushed and said nothing. Her heart was pounding furiously as she followed her father to the back hall.
Songyan attended to Gu Yujing as he changed his clothes, then hesitated before speaking. "Master, are we truly going to stay here for more than twenty days?"
"Yes."
Gu Yujing acknowledged with a single word.
Earlier, he had consulted several physicians, but none had been able to cure him.
Yet after her treatment tonight, his hand had actually improved somewhat compared to before.
This woman truly had the potential to cure his ailment.
Even if she was from Yage, as long as she was properly monitored, she wouldn't dare pull any tricks right under his nose.
"What about the water transport matter?"
"Temporarily sheathe our blades. All existing leads on the water transport point to Tongzhou. This town has thriving water transport and numerous docks—it serves well as a breakthrough point."
Songyan suddenly understood. As expected of his master—to have thought of such an ingenious approach.
He had known that his always-particular master would stay in this town for a reason; he must have come up with some new scheme to stir things up.
He poured a fresh cup of tea and handed it to Gu Yujing.
Gu Yujing reclined on the small couch, remaining silent for a long while.
A long time passed.
Songyan thought Gu Yujing had fallen asleep.
"Gather information on that physician from the medical hall. Report to me before the hour of Si tomorrow."
"Yes."
Songyan snapped to attention.
There wasn't much time left before the hour of Si.
He immediately dispatched the Hidden Guards to act.
The next day.
Gu Yujing leisurely finished his morning meal.
The moment the hour of Si arrived.
Songyan reported the intelligence brought by the Hidden Guards to Gu Yujing.
"Master, Physician Chun has been in Jixi Town for three years. Every five days she returns to Meishan to gather herbs. She wasn't lying."
"So what?"
Gu Yujing tapped his fingers on the table. "A soldier is trained for a thousand days to be used for one moment. A skilled spy often blends into everyday life. Investigate more thoroughly."
Songyan thought it over—what his master said made perfect sense.
"Physician Chun has an excellent reputation in Jixi Town. Everyone she has treated speaks highly of her. There was a child with a persistent high fever whose parents were frantic enough to bang their heads against the wall—one dose of Physician Chun's medicine brought the fever down.
There was a woman with a malpositioned fetus who suffered a postpartum hemorrhage—Physician Chun saved her with silver needles, pulling the mother back from the jaws of death…"
Songyan rattled off all the intelligence he had gathered without pause.
"All praise? Is there not a single dispute?"
Gu Yujing made no comment, opening a document. "You cannot simply echo what others say. You must form your own views and judgments. Strengthen surveillance on the medical hall—start with the details of daily life."
Songyan felt that his master seemed to be paying unusually close attention to Physician Chun's affairs.
But then, thinking again, it made sense—if not for Physician Chun's incomplete detoxification the first time, his master wouldn't have needed to stay here this long.
With that thought, Physician Chun indeed warranted a thorough investigation.
"Master, speaking of details in daily life, there is one more discovery."
Songyan leaned closer to Gu Yujing. "After we left last night, a man secretly entered the medical hall and stayed for a full hour before leaving."
Gu Yujing's hand tightened slightly, for reasons unknown.
She had been in such a hurry to send him away last night—was it because she had to meet another man?
What a deeply scheming woman.
"Master, if Physician Chun truly has ties to Yage, could this man have come to make contact? What did they discuss during that hour in the medical hall?" Songyan tilted his head in thought.
"Making contact?"
Gu Yujing coughed upon hearing that word.
"Yes. It couldn't be a patient, could it? Who goes to see a doctor in the middle of the night?"
Songyan continued, "It doesn't seem like they're lovers either. I heard from the Hidden Guards that Physician Chun was quite courteous to the man. She saw him to the door of the clinic, and there was nothing overly intimate between them. On closer consideration, they seem more like colleagues."
Gu Yujing was momentarily stunned.
Why was his first reaction that they were meeting in secret?
Ever since he had seen Chun Jingshu yesterday, he couldn't help but think of that woman involuntarily.
Clearly, the two of them were nothing alike.
He was startled by his own absurd thoughts.
"Then keep a close watch on that lead," he said.
He furrowed his brow—he couldn't let himself be led astray by such strange feelings.
Gu Yujing changed into a long robe. Just as he finished fastening his sash, Qing'er knocked on the door.
"Master, autumn still brings mosquitoes, so I've brought some insect-repelling sachets to hang up for you."
Gu Yujing nodded, his mind still occupied with Songyan's words.
After Qing'er hung the sachets, she glanced at Gu Yujing and left, closing the door behind her.
Songyan poured tea. As Gu Yujing took the cup, he caught sight of the bed curtain and froze mid-motion.
Songyan followed Gu Yujing's gaze. Hanging on the bed curtain was an insect-repelling sachet.
And the red cord used to hang it was woven in the same pattern as the one his master had worn before.
"Master, rest assured. We still have people stationed at Yage. They will surely find that red cord you treasure."
Songyan had been by Gu Yujing's side for years and could guess a thing or two about his thoughts.
"Treasure?"
Gu Yujing let out a scoff and set his teacup down heavily on the table.
That woman was nothing but a liar.
She had claimed the weave was her own original creation, that wearing it would bring good fortune, and that there was only one such red cord in the world.
Yet here in Jixi Town alone, he had already seen two red cords woven in the same pattern.
She must have bought the cord from some street vendor and used it to fool him.
At the time, it was only because she looked so pitiful with those dark circles under her eyes that he hadn't thrown the cord away.
That wild black girl from the countryside—what right did she have to deceive him?
He was the young heir of a marquis's household. What kind of woman couldn't he have?
Why would he treasure her?