Dai Li couldn't help but smile. "That sounds excellent. However, I’ve heard plenty of such promises before—flowery words that end up delivering nothing but stale fish and rotten shrimp."
The fishmonger wasn’t the least bit offended. Wealthy patrons always had high standards; those who complained were the real buyers. "How about this? The day after tomorrow, at the hour of the Goat, I’ll bring a crate of seafood for inspection. Would that suit you?"
The round trip, plus the time needed to collect goods at the docks, meant even working nonstop, the earliest he could return was the hour of the Goat the day after tomorrow.
That timing aligned perfectly with Dai Li’s plans.
"Good." She paid a portion of the deposit. "I’ll send someone to collect the goods no later than the end of the hour of the Monkey."
Dai Li had once told Qin Shaozong that her main purpose for leaving the estate was to inquire with a broker, hoping to find traces of her son. This was the official reason—one she had to uphold.
Brokers weren’t like fishmongers. The latter needed to sell their goods fresh and fast to fetch a good price, while the former operated more leisurely. Even as evening approached, brokers could still be found in the market.
Dai Li sought out an experienced broker and carefully described her needs, only for the man to shake his head. "I don’t have a child like that in my hands."
Noticing her fine attire—gold hairpins adorning her coiled hair, a dark blue ruqun dress with subtle shimmering patterns, clearly made of high-quality fabric—he could tell she was no ordinary woman. Her fair, delicate skin only confirmed it.
"I’ll ask my associates. Perhaps one of them has what you’re looking for." The old broker made a silent resolution. Even if none had such a child, it wasn’t impossible to procure one matching her description.
Dai Li stood there for a long while before turning away without a word.
The setting sun melted into gold, the evening clouds merging like jade.
As dusk fell, the Jiang family carriage rolled home under the fading light, this trip outside having been quite fruitful.
Yun Rong, upon returning, leaned on her maidservant’s arm and retreated straight to her chambers, too exhausted to move. Even her beloved grandson came seeking her, only to be gently dismissed.
Just as she was about to drift off, the door opened. Jiang Chonghai stepped inside. "Where did you and Madam Dai go today? Did she mention anything unusual in passing?"
The mere mention of "Madam Dai" made Yun Rong’s head throb. "We covered countless places—she toured all three markets in the north, west, and east. That woman has the stamina of a soldier’s wife. I didn’t hear her say anything noteworthy, but I’ll have Tao Xiang come later to confirm."
Jiang Chonghai stroked his beard but said nothing.
After all, womenfolk knew little. Any useful information would be a pleasant surprise, but he wasn’t disappointed by its absence.
"Ah, from the way she spoke, she intends to go out again the next two days. I’m utterly spent—could our daughters-in-law accompany her tomorrow?" Yun Rong complained.
"Nonsense! Absolutely not!" Jiang Chonghai’s first reaction was to scold her. "In rank, I’m beneath Qin Shaozong. Sending our daughters-in-law as escorts would be improper—as if I’m slighting him. We cannot afford missteps at this critical juncture."
Yun Rong felt indignant but lacked the energy to argue.
Seeing her pallor, Jiang Chonghai softened his tone. "You’ll continue accompanying her. If you grow too weary, rest at a teahouse and let the maids keep a close eye on her afterward."
Yun Rong had no choice but to nod.
After parting ways with Yun Rong, Dai Li returned to her pavilion.
Today’s plans had gone smoothly, and learning that the Hutuo River was nearby felt like heaven’s favor. Barring unforeseen circumstances, she would leave Nankang Commandery the day after tomorrow.
Her good mood lasted until she pushed open her door.
The brilliant hues of sunset spilled into the room as the door swung open, casting a warm glow across the floor. But as the light stretched inward, it halted abruptly upon reaching the hem of a man’s black robes.
The man inside lifted his head. His expression was calm, but his eyes were deep—bottomless like an abyss. "You’ve returned, my lady."
For some reason, Dai Li’s spine prickled with unease.
Something felt off.
She stood frozen for a breath before stepping inside as if nothing were amiss, her tone laced with sarcasm. "Oh my, what brings such a busy man here?"
But Qin Shaozong didn’t look at her. Instead, he addressed the two maids trailing behind her. "Leave us. I wish to speak privately with my wife."
Dai Li: "..."
The maids hesitated before retreating.
Click. The door shut softly, sealing the room in silence. The stillness felt like creeping vines, tangling around her legs and rooting her in place.
"Sit," he said.
Dai Li lowered her eyes and obediently took a seat across from him. "Does my lord have urgent matters to discuss?"
Instead of answering, Qin Shaozong gestured to the tea set on the table. "Can you brew tea?"
Dai Li: "I know the basics."
In this era, tea cultivation and consumption had become widespread. Tea culture was not only regarded as refined but was also praised by physicians for its medicinal benefits—"bitter tea, long consumed, sharpens the mind."
From nobles to commoners, every household kept tea. The quality, quantity, and accompanying utensils, however, depended entirely on one’s wealth.
Dai Li eyed the fruit tray and teacups on the table, feeling slightly overwhelmed. Her claim of knowing "the basics" wasn’t modesty. Unlike the modern method of simply steeping leaves in hot water, tea in this era involved additional ingredients—dried melon, fruit pulp, mint, salt, tangerine peel, and more.
The sequence and proportions eluded her.
Under the weight of his gaze, she decided not to overthink it. The order didn’t matter—as long as it became tea. She’d already warned him.
"Though you need not return to your former residence, your sudden disappearance would surely alarm your old servants. They might even report it to the authorities." Qin Shaozong’s voice was as flat as the unheated water before them.
Dai Li’s hand, scooping dried melon, froze mid-motion. A small piece slipped from the ladle and clattered onto the table.
For a moment, the table no longer felt like wood but the thin membrane of her own nerves—how could such a tiny sound nearly unseat her?
No, it wasn’t the melon. It was the danger lurking in his words.
A large, well-defined hand suddenly entered her periphery. His nails were neatly trimmed, but a pale scar ran from his knuckle to his index finger. Against his darker skin, it stood out like a wolf’s fang.
Qin Shaozong picked up the fallen melon slice. "We cannot afford any mishaps now. To prevent your old servants from alerting officials, I’ll need you to write them a letter. I’ll have it delivered to ease their concerns."
Dai Li slowly raised her eyes to meet those brown orbs. "You needn’t worry about them raising an alarm—how could a few mute women report anything to the authorities? As for written messages, those are useless too; they’re illiterate and can’t read. There were two capable, literate guards at my humble abode before, but after my son was abducted, one succumbed to a sudden illness, perhaps out of guilt, while the other left a letter saying he was going to seek reinforcements from his master."
Qin Shaozong merely smiled. "No matter. We should still go. Leave a letter informing that Qin Huali of your whereabouts, so he won’t disturb you in the future."
If she had only been worried before, now Dai Li suspected this man had likely sent someone to the fabricated address she had once told him about—ten li west of the city.
He was suspicious.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t keep circling back to this topic.
A chill ran down Dai Li’s spine as countless thoughts flashed through her mind. Just then, Qin Shaozong set down the slice of melon and reached out as if to take her hand.
The memory of last night surfaced—this man was far too perceptive. If he noticed her palms were damp again...
Dai Li abruptly placed the small wooden spoon down and rose from her seat.
Qin Shaozong’s outstretched hand paused as he watched her step around the low table and kneel beside him.
The act of kneeling required adjusting her skirts and bracing her hands against her thighs—a movement she used to discreetly wipe away the faint sweat on her palms. "My lord, have you been unable to locate my former residence?"
Qin Shaozong’s gaze had been lingering on her hands—pale, slender fingers with delicate pink tips, like tender willow catkins in spring or fine mutton-fat jade carvings.
But at her words, he averted his eyes, arching a brow with amusement. "What makes you say that, madam?"
Dai Li adopted a serious tone. "From my dealings with nobility, they are all cautious and meticulous, thinking three steps ahead. And men of your stature are rarely idle—you don’t strike me as someone with time to spare. You wouldn’t bring up my old home without reason. Thus, I dare to guess you sent men to search for it, but your soldiers found nothing, barred by some illusionary barrier, leaving you... perplexed."
As long as he still had use for her, no matter how deep his suspicions ran, he wouldn’t act rashly.
Dai Li was certain of that.
Qin Shaozong took the hand resting on her knee and enveloped it in his own, scoffing. "An illusionary barrier?"
Dai Li’s heart skipped a beat.
He pinched her fingertips, his tone mocking. "Are you about to say next, madam, that some rogue Daoist from the mountains set up this ‘barrier,’ making your home impossible to find?"
Dai Li: "..."
An atheist.
Why did she have to encounter such a rare breed in this era?
The light friction against the inside of her wrist sent tingles crawling along her nerves, mingling with the fading heat of the sunset outside, stirring an unbearable restlessness.
Pretending not to catch his implication, Dai Li continued, "Huali didn’t want me interacting much with the outside world, so he built our home outside the city. But since we still needed supplies, complete seclusion wasn’t feasible, so we settled ten li beyond the prefecture. For the first two years, hunters often came knocking. After too many visits, Huali grew weary of it and invited a certain Zhengyangzi—who claimed to have received teachings from the Donghua Emperor—to our home."
She stole a glance but saw no skepticism, curiosity, or even reverence for Daoists on his face. His attention remained fixed on her hand, as though it fascinated him more than her tale.
She pressed on, "Strangely enough, after Zhengyangzi placed a few stones around the house and the southeastern corner, everything changed. Unless guided by someone familiar, ordinary people couldn’t find the path to our home. From then on, we were left undisturbed. Had my son not been abducted during an outing, I might never have left those woods..."
When he still showed no reaction, Dai Li played her final card. "If you’re truly curious, perhaps I could personally take you there another day."
At last, the man beside her lifted his gaze. The last rays of sunlight from the window gilded his sharp features, casting a brilliant glow over his deep-set eyes. The unconnected tail of his left brow resembled an unsheathed blade, exuding an oppressive weight. "Tomorrow, I’ll have Yan San accompany you."
He had agreed to the visit—but he wouldn’t be going himself.
Dai Li frowned delicately. "Tomorrow won’t do. I’ve made plans with the prefect’s wife for the next two days—we’re visiting several places, and I’ve already shown great enthusiasm for it. How about the day after? I haven’t finalized my schedule with her then."
Qin Shaozong neither agreed nor refused. Instead, he asked abruptly, "You had no identity pass before. How did you enter the city?"
The pass was essential for entry and exit through the gates.
Dai Li lowered her voice. "I paid a traveling vendor I often worked with to arrange for me to join a merchant group, posing as a servant to enter the city."
Qin Shaozong: "What’s the vendor’s name? Where does he live?"
Dai Li shook her head. "I only know his surname is Wang. The rest, I’m unaware of. The guards handled all dealings with vendors before."
"And if you couldn’t find your son after entering the city, how did you plan to leave?" Qin Shaozong pressed.
Dai Li peeked at him again. "If I couldn’t find him, I didn’t intend to leave. I’d find a well-off household to stay with temporarily."
Qin Shaozong’s fingers stilled around hers. Seeing her cautious expression and the way she kept stealing glances, he let out a soft scoff. "Quite the scheme, madam. Serving one master is as good as another—so long as they’re valuable, correct?"
"You asked, so I answered truthfully, without a shred of deceit. But that was all in the past. Now that I have a noble lord like you, why would I settle for less?" Yet his expression remained cold and unreadable.
Dai Li untied the small bamboo token at her waist and placed it in Qin Shaozong’s palm. "Those who’ve been servants understand the importance of an identity pass. I admit my motives weren’t pure before, but what’s done is done—let the past scatter like sand in the wind. Since this token has been shown to the prefect’s wife often, it’s likely no longer needed. Could you spare a moment to safeguard it for me?"
As she spoke, her gaze lingered on the token, her reluctance plain.
His large, well-defined hand slowly closed over it, the engraved details vanishing beneath his grip like ink dissolving in dark water.
"That night, you already searched me and know this is the only pass I have. You must keep it safe," Dai Li murmured wistfully.
Qin Shaozong only said, "Rest assured. It won’t be lost."
"My lord, there’s another matter I must report." Dai Li straightened. "Today, while out, I visited Ruixiang Silk Shop, a teahouse, the Moonlight Residence, and other places—spending quite a sum."
Qin Shaozong once again noticed that furtive gaze observing him and couldn’t help but chuckle. "If the money’s spent, then it’s spent. Is it really worth worrying over, my dear wife? Or was that Qin Huali of yours such a miserly old goat that he’d only rattle his coin pouch just to tease your ears with the jingling sound?"
Dai Li’s lips twitched.
This man really…
