The two maidservants dared not delay and quickly left the room.
With a creak, the door closed. Dai Li, lying on the bed, stiffened. The darkness before her eyes gradually dissipated after a few breaths, and through the thin peony-patterned bed curtain, she caught sight of a faint candlelight flickering.
The glow illuminated a tall, imposing figure beside her. His shadow stretched long under the lamplight, merging seamlessly into the surrounding darkness as if transforming into a towering, oppressive mountain.
At this point, pretending to sleep was futile—remaining on the bed would only invite greater danger. Dai Li sat up.
She had slept in her clothes, so rising was quick. Her delicate fingers lifted a corner of the bed curtain, hooking it onto the jade fastener. Turning properly, she swung her legs onto the footstool beside the bed, intending to step down—only to glance down and see a pair of black boots at the very edge of her vision.
Her gaze traveled upward: first, the silver-edged wide sleeves hanging at his sides, then the dark blue sash at his waist.
Dai Li paused. He stood less than half a step from the footstool. If she continued rising, she would practically be throwing herself into his arms.
Advancing was impossible; retreating…
Qin Shaozong stood before the bed, his gaze descending upon her. She wore a peach-red round-collared dress, her fair skin and crimson robes illuminated by the dim lamplight, accentuating the striking beauty of her features. In the silence of the night, she resembled a midnight epiphyllum in full bloom.
She had removed her embroidered socks before sleeping, leaving her slender ankles and delicate feet bare, the nails painted with rouge. Even in the dim light, the skin of her feet gleamed with a pearl-like luster, standing out starkly against the dark footstool.
Suddenly, those bare feet slipped like fish back beneath her skirt. When she looked up again, she had already shifted to sit cross-legged at the edge of the bed, leaving a space beside her.
Dai Li feigned nonchalance, patting the empty spot. "Come, sit. Let me tell you about my outing today with Lady Yun Rong."
Whether it was the sluggishness of a drunken mind or his thoughts being elsewhere, he did not move immediately after she spoke.
Dai Li’s heart trembled. "Are you unwell from the wine? Should I have Tao Xiang prepare a kudzu root soup for you?"
As she spoke, she quickly stood, intending to slip past him—only for his hand to suddenly seize her arm.
"No need." His voice was as deep and heavy as ever.
Qin Shaozong pulled her back onto the bed, pressing her down to sit before taking the spot beside her. "Speak. What happened between you and her today? And after you left the banquet?"
He still hadn’t released her, merely shifting his grip from her arm to slide downward, finally settling over her wrist.
His palm felt like scorching sandpaper against her skin—searing hot and rough, sending her heart racing. She pressed her lips together tightly before beginning to recount the day’s events.
Dai Li knew Yan San had accompanied her outside the manor today and would likely report everything to Qin Shaozong. Thus, her account had to match his word for word.
She spoke truthfully of the day’s affairs, carefully omitting any mention of the message exchanged in the carriage.
After laying out everything she "knew," she cautiously added, "On our way back today, Yun Rong and I agreed to go out again tomorrow. Given how unpleasant things were between us at the banquet tonight, it would be entirely in character for someone as willful as me to take my anger out on your soldiers. Could you instruct them not to accompany me tomorrow?"
The air grew still. Dai Li felt sweat gathering in her palms. What she planned to do could not afford witnesses—especially not his men. With his shrewd mind, he would quickly deduce she had ulterior motives.
The large hand over her wrist suddenly turned, his fingers sliding beneath her palm as if to lift and toy with it. But halfway through the motion, Qin Shaozong paused, his tone unreadable. "Why so nervous?"
Dai Li had always known his sharp perception was why she’d been discovered hiding behind the carriage that day. Yet she hadn’t expected even alcohol to dull it. For a moment, she was at a loss for words.
The atmosphere grew heavy.
"Seems you truly are nervous. Something you can’t tell me? Planning to go somewhere tomorrow? Or secretly discuss something with Yun Rong? I’d wager the former—after all, Yun Rong has been visiting you often lately. If you wanted to speak privately, you could do so within the manor." Qin Shaozong turned her hand over, exposing her palm to the candlelight.
The two sat side by side on the bed, the unhindered glow casting a faint sheen over Dai Li’s palm.
Unmistakably, a thin layer of sweat had gathered there.
Qin Shaozong slowly dragged his thumb across her palm, wiping away the nearly imperceptible moisture. "What is my lady hesitating over?"
"My lord sees all. Truly, nothing escapes you." Dai Li lowered her eyes, her thick lashes casting shadows over her cheeks. "Our visit to the ruined temple in the eastern city today reminded me of my son, still missing. I thought to seek out a broker tomorrow to inquire if there’s any news of him."
Brokers—middlemen who dealt in livestock and servants.
She stole a glance at him, continuing only when she saw no anger on his face. "You once promised to help me find him, and by rights, I shouldn’t act on my own. But the thought of him wandering alone out there is like a knife to my heart. I can’t eat or sleep unless I do something to ease this torment."
What kind of lie was hardest to detect?
One woven with truth.
Her desperation to find her son was real. Her intention to visit a broker tomorrow was real. These could not be faked.
As for the rest… that was another matter.
Dai Li sighed softly. "I didn’t tell you because I feared displeasing you."
He had promised to help, and she had previously acted as though she trusted him completely. For her to now seek answers on her own could only be interpreted as distrust—hence her secrecy.
Then Qin Shaozong dropped a bombshell. "This afternoon, my men reported no boy matching your son’s description in the local markets."
Dai Li froze.
"Y-you’re certain?" Her voice trembled when she finally spoke.
Qin Shaozong pinched her delicate fingertips. "Every boy of similar age and height was questioned. None had lost their memories to illness or injury. If your son was taken nearby, he can’t have gone far. We’ll expand the search from Nan’an Commandery outward, investigate every trafficker in the surrounding regions. Once we find a lead, tracking him down will be a matter of time."
Dai Li barely heard the rest. Her mind was consumed by one thought: Zhou Zhou wasn’t in Nan’an Commandery.
Did that mean he wasn’t even in the same region as her? If he wasn’t in Nan’an, she needed to return home.
To Hangzhou.
She had to go back to Hangzhou!
A firm rub against her wrist snapped her back to the present. Dai Li instinctively looked up, meeting the man’s gaze.
Perhaps due to the dim light, his brown eyes appeared darker than usual—nearly black, like an unfathomable sea. Ripples stirred across its surface as a colossal beast emerged from the depths: first the towering fin, then the gaping maw lined with fangs, ready to swallow her whole.
Time seemed to snap backward abruptly, as if pulled by an invisible hand, and Dai Li felt herself transported back to the banquet from not long ago.
She had stood at the lower end of the hall, while he sat at the head. Back then, he had looked at her with the same undisguised intensity—only now, it was even more brazen than before.
Dai Li instinctively shifted slightly to the side, trying to put distance between them.
Yet that small movement shattered an already precarious balance. The man’s large hand, which had been gripping her wrist, suddenly released—but not entirely. Instead, it slid around her waist, pulling her flush against him before securing her firmly at the small of her back. With just the strength of his arm, he hauled her onto his lap.
To Dai Li, the scene unfolded absurdly fast—a mere two breaths’ time.
The solid heat beneath her was impossible to ignore, especially as the prominent swell of his body pressed snugly between her thighs. The thin fabric of their clothing did little to conceal the growing tension, the heat between them spreading silently, intertwining until it sparked an uncontrollable tremor.
"Today is the fourth day," he murmured, his fingers trailing forward to toy with the sash at her waist, tugging it lightly.
"It’s only the third full day," Dai Li corrected softly, making no move to stop his hand. Instead, she asked in a gentle tone, "My lord, do you know how long a woman’s monthly courses typically last?"
His movements froze.
The man’s expression was unreadable, most of his face cast in shadow, but his dark brown eyes grew heavy.
For the first time, Dai Li didn’t find him intimidating.
He truly didn’t know!
Seizing the opportunity, Dai Li lied without hesitation. "Seven days. Any healthy woman’s courses last a full seven days."
The moment the number left her lips, she caught the faint twitch of a vein at his temple. A rare bloom of satisfaction unfurled in her chest.
But the next instant, her heart lurched as she felt his arm tighten around her, pressing her even closer against him.
Dai Li was no naive maiden—she knew well that pleasure could be found without crossing the final line. Quickly, she lifted a hand to brace against his chest and whispered, "We can’t be certain the maids outside have truly left. At the banquet, I treated you with cold indifference, yet here I am, welcoming you into my chambers and enduring my discomfort to indulge in such acts—hardly fitting for a woman of my notoriously willful temperament. My lord, patience is the companion of wisdom."
She remained composed, certain of her victory.
These past days had taught her one thing clearly: he was a man ruled by reason, not desire.
Just as she predicted, the leviathan of his hunger sank back into the depths. He inhaled deeply before slowly releasing her. "A few more days… I can wait."
In his low, rough voice, Dai Li heard the promise of a storm four days from now. She lowered her lashes, veiling the calculations swirling behind her eyes.
The warm afternoon sunlight filtered through the trees, casting dappled patterns of gold on the ground.
Dai Li strolled through the rear garden, admiring the blossoms. The vibrant hues of flowers and willows stretched before her, a sight that lifted her spirits—and her mood soared even higher when Yun Rong arrived.
With no outsiders present and only Jiang Mansion’s maids trailing behind, Yun Rong saw no need for discretion. "Little sister, I’ve brought what you asked for. It wasn’t easy—Zhuo Jili worked through the night to finish it. But since it was my husband’s direct order, he’d have burned the midnight oil to the last drop if that’s what it took to deliver perfection."
Then, remembering Dai Li’s blunt nature, she hastily added, "You must remember this favor, sister. If I ever need your help in the future, don’t turn me away."
Dai Li accepted the two small bamboo tokens, running her fingers over them lovingly. The engraved details matched the hidden pass she possessed—down to the official seal.
These were government-issued identity permits, granting unimpeded travel.
"If you ever face difficulties, Sister Yun, come to me. And if I can’t help, I’ll make Qin Changgeng handle it for you," Dai Li promised, feeding her empty assurances.
Yun Rong beamed with delight.
Laughter and cheer flowed between them—a mutually satisfying exchange.
