The next morning, the Zou residence was in an absolute uproar. Even the high compound walls could not contain the shrill voice of the mistress of the house, Zhao Ximei.
"A pack of useless fools! All these people, and you couldn't even catch two powdered and painted thieves!"
The head guard had a dull, wooden face, but his words were surprisingly firm. "Madam, you are mistaken. Last night, my brothers and I kept this garden as watertight as an iron barrel. Not even an insect could have flown out, yet those two simply vanished into thin air."
"Exactly, exactly," the other guards chimed in, nodding frequently to show their leader spoke the truth.
The implication was clear: they were washing their hands of any negligence. Upon hearing this, Zhao Ximei didn't flare up further. Instead, she sat down on a stone garden stool, sipping tea as she asked, "You speak with such certainty. Then let me ask you: what color clothes were the two thieves wearing last night?"
"Black."
"White."
"Patterned."
Zhao Ximei let out a cold laugh. The guards began to mutter and blame one another.
"How could it be black? I clearly saw someone run out of the main chambers dressed in bright white."
"White? No way! I saw them run from behind the rockery—one had a red veil, the other a green one."
"Nonsense! I saw one in white and one with a red veil..."
"Enough!" Zhao Ximei slammed her teacup onto the ground. The steaming tea splashing across the floor mirrored her current mood. "I see you all have eyes and noses, so why is it that as soon as you open your mouths, you sound like you're blind?!"
The guards looked at each other. Seeing that their leader remained silent, they didn't dare say more, mindful of who paid their wages.
In a compound as large as the Zou residence, the news of the intruders might not have reached everyone, but with this commotion, the concubines and servants were surely all aware by now.
Seeing the situation, Li Guizhen, the elderly nanny following Zhao Ximei, took the opportunity to intervene. "I heard the thief dropped a handkerchief with embroidery on it? If we investigate that, we'll find out where they came from."
The head guard seemed to have been waiting for this prompt. He presented a forest-green handkerchief to Zhao Ximei.
It was made of ordinary green silk, with a white jade hairpin flower embroidered in the corner.
"Actually... I sent someone to inquire early this morning. This handkerchief belongs to a girl named A-yun from Wangchen Pavilion."
At the mention of Wangchen Pavilion, Zhao Ximei’s face twisted. But the guard’s next words were truly chilling.
"But that Miss A-yun passed away from an illness two years ago. This handkerchief was something she gave to a lover back then. After she died, the lover secretly returned it to sever their ties completely."
Zhao Ximei’s brow relaxed, but her face went pale. She dropped the handkerchief as if it had burned her.
The entire courtyard fell silent.
After a long while, Zhao Ximei said with disgust, "Burn this thing."
Someone stepped forward to comply, but just as they were about to strike a light, she suddenly changed her mind.
"Wait."
***
By midday, rumors had spread throughout the Zou residence. Just how many romantic debts had Master Zou incurred? They said the late A-yun was involved with him, and that ghosts had come knocking last night. Some even whispered that a deer from the marshes had turned into a spirit to steal Master Zou’s soul.
When Hao Bai arrived at the guest wing for the consultation, Zhao Ximei’s complexion could be described as "sallow as golden paper."
"The physician is here? Please, first prescribe me two doses of a decoction to calm the nerves."
Hao Bai was in no hurry to write a prescription. Instead, he mysteriously closed the door behind him.
For a moment, only the half-dead Master Zou and the two of them remained in the room.
Zhao Ximei looked up, her brow furrowing slightly. "What is the meaning of this, Physician?"
Hao Bai said softly, "To answer Madam: the medicinal primer may have been found."
Zhao Ximei froze for a second, followed by a surge of wild joy. Her heavy investment in seeking a doctor hadn't been in vain; it seemed these wretched days were finally coming to an end.
"However..." Hao Bai’s brow knit together, his expression one of hesitation. Seeing this, Zhao Ximei grew anxious.
"Have you truly found the Buddha Bone Sarira? Why the hesitation? Is there some other difficulty?"
Hao Bai sighed, his performance of mingled lament and regret executed to perfection. "Does Madam believe in the doctrine of karma?"
Zhao Ximei’s expression soured immediately. How could she not know of the rumors flying around lately? She believed outsiders were simply jealous of her family’s prosperity and were kicking them while they were down. As for the gossiping servants, she had already decided to replace them all. But now, even the physician she had hired was using this talk of spirits and retribution to unsettle her. It was truly hard to swallow.
"Are you trying to stall me with talk of ghosts and gods?"
Hao Bai didn't seem to mind her displeasure at all. Instead, he looked at her with total sincerity. "How can karma be equated with ghosts and gods? That every cause has an effect is the simplest truth in this world. Master Zou’s illness is the 'effect'; we must look carefully for the 'cause'."
Dissatisfaction remained on Zhao Ximei’s face, but her resolve was wavering. "Things are done by people. I don't believe in fate. My husband's illness must be linked to someone."
Seeing this, Hao Bai didn't rush to convince her. He simply softened his tone. "Madam will make her own judgment. I am but a physician doing what I can. I speak these words now only because I hope Madam can see the matter clearly. I have no other intentions."
With that, he drew a small wooden box from his sleeve. When the box opened, a long, oval bead sat within. It was lustrous and translucent, appearing as if it carried its own sacred light.
Zhao Ximei stared at the rare treasure, but her mind involuntarily drifted back to that forest-green handkerchief.
***
After the long-lasting rain finally ceased, the sun finally emerged over Muerhe. The streets and alleys became much more crowded and lively as people hurried out to stretch their limbs and chase away the musty smell of dampness.
The cleaning work at Wangchen Pavilion began as usual. There was an extraordinary amount of work today. Early in the morning, Manager Zhou was shouting at the servants to bring out the bedsheets and curtains from every room to dry. Various fabrics and gauzes fluttered between the tiered balconies, making it look like a festive celebration.
In a side room in the back courtyard of Wangchen Pavilion, the only bed was occupied by Bolao. Xiao Nanhui was sprawled out on a soft daybed, dead to the world.
She hadn't had a decent night's sleep since leaving Que City.
First, she had been terrified that Xiao Zhun would discover her absence and send pursuers, forcing her to drag Bolao through the night. After entering Huozhou, she had been on edge all day, suspecting everyone she saw. Yesterday had been a grueling ordeal, ending with her scaling walls and being chased. Though Wangchen Pavilion was hardly a peaceful sanctuary, it was at least a place where she could sleep in peace. She had fallen into a slumber that lasted until the sun was high in the sky.
A rapid knocking at the door startled Xiao Nanhui out of her haze.
She flexed her fingers, feeling as though every joint in her body was stiff. She shot a glare back at the bed; the culprit, Bolao, had one eye open and was looking at her with an air of utter fearlessness.
The knocking sounded again, more urgent than before.
She took a sip of the overnight tea on the table. Feeling mostly awake, she padded softly to the door.
A shadow was cast upon the carved wooden door—small and thin.
Xiao Nanhui pulled the door open, coming face-to-face with Jin Dou'er, who was about to knock again.
A thin layer of sweat covered Jin Dou'er’s face, and he carried a massive wooden basin piled high with miscellaneous clothes. He was clearly busy beyond belief. He froze upon seeing Xiao Nanhui’s disheveled hair, seemingly unsure of how to address her. After a stuttering start, he managed, "Um... there's a gentleman outside who says he wants to see you. He's waiting in the front hall."
As he spoke, Bolao’s messy head popped up over Xiao Nanhui’s shoulder, giving Jin Dou'er a fright. "I-I have work to do, I won't disturb you further." With that, he lowered his head and hurried away.
Xiao Nanhui blinked, staring at the retreating figure. She looked down at herself, thought for a moment, and then a realization hit her.
This Jin Dou'er seemed to be a boy.
Bolao yawned, using the dregs of the tea on the table to smooth down his sticking-up hair. "Why are you standing there like an idiot? Didn't he say someone's looking for you?"
Xiao Nanhui didn't answer. She already had a good idea of who was in the front hall.
***
Turning from the long corridor into the front hall, Xiao Nanhui spotted the two of them immediately.
Ding Weixiang was dressed in black—she wasn't sure if it was the same set from last night. This was clearly his first time in such a place; he stood ramrod straight, eyes fixed forward, ignoring his surroundings.
The man beside him was the exact opposite. He was looking around with curiosity, and Xiao Nanhui noticed that everyone in the pavilion was stealing glances at him.
It was no wonder. People in the "flowers and willows" districts always paid extra attention to beauty.
Zhongli Jing wore a light, white robe today. Amidst the fluttering colored fabrics, he looked exceptionally bright.
Because he was leaning slightly, the robe traced the curve of his spine. Aside from the string of Buddhist beads in his hand, he wore almost no ornamentation. Yet, despite such a plain outfit, he wore it in a way that was strangely stirring to the heart.
Sensing Xiao Nanhui’s arrival, he turned and offered a smile. On the second, third, and fourth floors, the heads peeking over the railings all let out a collective gasp.
This was the first time Xiao Nanhui had seen this man truly smile.
He had shown expressions resembling smiles before, but they were merely curves of the lips that never reached his eyes. Now it was different; those eyes, which always seemed to hold a hint of a smile, became vivid, as if a lifeless statue had suddenly come to life.
She was reminded of the Buddha statue in the main hall of Yongye Temple. Those who carved such statues always had a knack for making the observer feel the Buddha's gentle gaze, no matter the angle.
It was exactly like that now.
"Young Master Yao, did you sleep well last night?"
The "Buddha" spoke, and she couldn't help but shiver.
"How did you find this place? Weren't we supposed to meet at the teahouse?"
"I changed my mind," Zhongli Jing said with another smile. The people around them who were supposed to be working found themselves unable to do so; the entire building suddenly fell silent.
This man was definitely doing this on purpose.
Manager Zhou, who was supervising the work, sensed something was amiss. He stepped out from behind a ladder, his face lacking the pleasantness he showed guests at night. He waved his feather duster as he walked. "The moment I look away, you all start slacking. Do you think I've become easy to talk to lately?"
The men and women in the hall finally snapped out of it, lowering their heads and returning to their chores, back to the dust and the trivialities.
Satisfied, Manager Zhou tucked away his feather duster. He turned and saw the two people standing in the courtyard, and he too froze for a moment.
Seeing this, Xiao Nanhui hurried forward to explain. "Manager Zhou, these two are my friends. I'm taking them to my room to talk; they won't stay long."
Manager Zhou glanced at Zhongli Jing, a strange look on his face. He pulled Xiao Nanhui aside and whispered, "The one in white is also your friend?"
She nodded insincerely, half-expecting Manager Zhou to cause trouble. To her surprise, he showed a hint of irrepressible excitement. "Then talk to him. Ask if he's willing to work here in the pavilion. I can waive his fees for the first year. He only needs to hang his plaque and receive guests ten days a month. I'll give him a thirty-seventy split of the earnings."
As soon as the words left his mouth, Xiao Nanhui couldn't control the twitching of her facial muscles. After a long pause, she said tactfully, "Manager Zhou might not know, but my friend isn't exactly short on cash."
Who in their right mind would book an entire inn they barely stayed in for a whole year? That wasn't just "not short on cash"—that was having more money than one knew what to do with.
Manager Zhou was relentless. "So what if he has money? Who would turn down more? In my experience, with a face like that, he'd be earning gold by the bucketful." He paused, then added meaningfully, "If this works out, I'll give you a ten percent cut of the first year's silver."
Looking into Manager Zhou’s earnest, shining little eyes, she swallowed hard. "I'll do my best."
Manager Zhou nodded with satisfaction, ending the secret conversation. Before leaving, he pointedly winked and smiled at Zhongli Jing, the wrinkles on his face blooming like a flower.
***
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