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墨書 Inktalez
In an unremarkable tavern.
Mei Shuang ordered a pot of good tea and began to seriously select dishes.
Yun Kong sat quietly across from Mei Shuang. In this season, her eyes were so deep that it was evident this woman was intent on concealing her gender.
At this moment, Mei Shuang's porcelain-white face was flushed pink from her earlier running, with fine beads of sweat still glistening on her nose. A few damp strands of hair clung to her forehead, making her look even more charming and delightful.
Even the waiter, who came to take the order, couldn't help but stare at Mei Shuang, smiling as he said, "Hehe, this young man is truly handsome, just like someone stepped out of a painting. If you were a woman, you'd surely be a beauty..."
Mei Shuang looked herself over and found nothing amiss. Realizing the waiter was joking, she gave him a small coin and smiled, "The food better be as good as your words..."
When Mei Shuang smiled, it was like spring blooming. The waiter was momentarily stunned before coming back to his senses, hurriedly agreeing with "Sure, sure," as he rushed back to the kitchen.
Ah, this man’s good looks are indeed captivating.
As she placed her order, Mei Shuang quickly reviewed her previous encounters with Yun Kong in her mind.
The first time they met by chance, she helped him, but he left without a word;
The second time was at Dazhao Temple while praying for the Empress Dowager. The eerie statue in the main hall had terrified her to the point of nearly falling when Yun Kong caught her and whispered "Be careful" in her ear, making her suddenly alert. She understood the deeper meaning behind that "be careful." Did Yun Kong know who she was all along and warned her intentionally? What was she supposed to be careful about? At that time, she was wearing a mask and aside from the Emperor and Zhao Prince, no one knew her whereabouts. How could he possibly know? But if he didn’t know who she was at all, that didn’t make sense either.
With these thoughts swirling in her mind as she glanced at Yun Kong, she felt his dark pupils were even deeper than before...
A series of questions spun in Mei Shuang's mind without resolution, leaving her only to encourage Yun Kong to drink more tea to cool off.
While various thoughts swirled in Mei Shuang's head, Yun Kong was also pondering how she managed to come out of the palace. Why did she leave? And why was she disguised as a man here? It was clear that this woman was extraordinary; if she hadn’t escaped on her own, it would have been nearly impossible for her to break free from someone else's control...
Two people sat across from each other, leisurely sipping tea, each harboring their own thoughts.
In the awkward atmosphere, Mei Shuang did not forget about Yun Kong's abrupt departure and took the initiative to break the silence. "Why did you leave without saying goodbye? Is your senior brother okay?"
"I still have to thank you; I just didn't want to disturb you too much," Yun Kong explained, gazing intently at Mei Shuang.
"Oh," Mei Shuang said, lowering her eyes to the tea cup in front of her. "It was just a small effort."
Yet inside, she pondered whether to ask Yun Kong about Dazhao Temple. Ultimately, she swallowed her words. Being out alone made her feel quite vulnerable.
Although the other person appeared harmless, it was difficult to discern whether they were friend or foe at this moment, so it was better not to bring it up.
The food arrived, and the two began to eat.
After a few bites, Mei Shuang asked again, "What brings you here? Are you alone?"
"Yes, I left Dazhao Temple..." Yun Kong replied.
"You left Dazhao Temple? Why?"
Mei Shuang asked curiously. When she looked up, she happened to meet Yun Kong's gaze fixed on her, his thoughtful expression causing her to pause for a moment.
In that instant, a flash of realization struck Mei Shuang's mind.
—Dazhao Temple, the black-clad intruders who broke in through the window, abducting the dying Queen Meiru. And facing the stunned Mei Shuang was that person whose eyes were revealed beneath a black veil. Yes, there was no doubt about it; it must be the same person.
I said that gaze looked so familiar, as if I had seen it somewhere before.
It turned out to be him!
Indeed, he was the one who misled the people in the Palace that night and risked his life to rescue Mei Ru.
He was actually with the missing Queen Meiru!
In shock, Mei Shuang broke out in a cold sweat. Her hand trembled, and she lost grip of her chopsticks, causing her food to fall to the floor.
Yun Kong noticed the sudden change in Mei Shuang's expression and asked, "What's wrong?"
"Ah, I... I have a stomach ache..." Mei Shuang hurriedly covered her chest, but inside she was filled with dread. Since he had seen her that night and was clearly one of Mei Ru's people, he should know her true identity. Moreover, since he was with Mei Ru, wasn't he her sworn enemy?
In an instant, as Mei Shuang felt dizzy, she secretly regretted being careless!
Just now she thought he was an acquaintance, but now encountering him was like walking into a trap. She had let her guard down too much.
Seeing Mei Shuang clutching her chest in pain, the waiter in the restaurant rushed over in surprise, saying, "Hey, what's going on? I assure you, my food is definitely fine! Don't blame me!"
Yun Kong was also startled by Mei Shuang's pale face and quickly asked, "Are you okay?"
Mei Shuang glanced at the puzzled diners nearby and then at Yun Kong. With a pained expression, she waved her hand and said, "I must have eaten something bad. Sorry, I'll be right back."
With that, she stumbled toward the back room.
After arriving at the back hall, she straightened her back and quickly climbed onto the wall in the courtyard to survey the terrain.
This small restaurant was located in a remote area, surrounded by residential houses. The narrow alleys crisscrossed like a spider web, providing ample hiding spots.
Determined, Mei Shuang took out a few pieces of silver and tossed them to a worker in the back hall before running out.
After a long time without seeing Mei Shuang come out, Yun Kong grew worried. When he asked the worker, he was told that she had left long ago.
Yun Kong immediately understood and cursed under his breath before turning to leave.
Mei Shuang wandered alone with her bundle on the narrow street, watching the sun set in the west. People who had been out working were gradually returning home, and wisps of smoke began to rise in the distance. The clear and innocent laughter of children playing in the alleys made Mei Shuang feel a pang of envy.
She decided to find a place to sit down and rest while watching the group of young children play hide-and-seek.
Sigh, she had never experienced such carefree days since arriving in the Great Qin Empire. Even when she tried to sleep, she hated not being able to keep one eye open. There was no choice; thrilling events always followed one after another.
For instance, just earlier, even though she found Yun Kong mysterious, she never expected that this monk from Dazhao Temple was actually someone from Queen Meiru's side. The first time she took it upon herself to shelter them, it displeased Nangong Nuo, yet she had argued her case strongly. It seemed she was wrong; her vigilance was too weak. Perhaps Yun Kong had deliberately approached her but refrained from acting due to the presence of others.
Now, with Queen Meiru outside the palace and having encountered Yun Kong, how far could she be from that Mei Ru who would love nothing more than to peel her skin off?
Although her intuition told her that Yun Kong meant no harm, one could not judge whether a person was good or bad just by their appearance.
In the distance, Yun Kong stood behind a haystack, quietly watching Mei Shuang sitting cross-legged on the ground with her chin resting on one hand, lost in thought as she gazed at the playful children.
In the glow of the setting sun, her figure appeared small and frail. Her slightly squinted eyes held a look of confusion, reminiscent of a lost child, which inexplicably stirred something within Yun Kong's heart.
She just recognized herself and used a trick to escape, so it seems she is already on guard. I can't confront her directly, but I also can't let her leave again.
Yun Kong looked at the sky; it seemed that waiting until dark was the only option.
Mei Shuang was lost in thought when suddenly a pat on her shoulder startled her. Instinctively turning around, she was surprised to see, "Lin Tian'er?"
Lin Tian'er stood behind her with a grin, pleased to have startled Mei Shuang. She pointed at the small bundle on Mei Shuang's shoulder and asked, "Lin Shoutong, where are you off to?"
Only then did Mei Shuang remember that Lin Tian'er had been out these days. Judging by her appearance, she looked weary from travel, probably just back and unaware of Mei Shuang's departure.
"Oh, I just came out for a stroll," Mei Shuang glanced around and changed the subject. "What about you?"
"I just came from Fourth Uncle's residence after delivering something. As soon as I stepped out, I saw you here daydreaming... This place is quite far from my home; how did you end up here?"
Clearly, the astute Lin Tian'er found Mei Shuang's explanation somewhat suspicious.
"Uh, well..." Mei Shuang thought for a moment and decided to tell the truth. "I was supposed to go to Jiangnan; I just said my goodbyes today..."
Upon hearing this, Lin Tian'er felt it was a pity. She had heard that this fair-skinned Lin Shoutong wasn't particularly well-versed in literature but got along well with her brother.
After some thought, she boldly declared, "It's getting late. Since you've been so dedicated in taking care of my brother, let me treat you to dinner tonight. You can leave tomorrow."
Mei Shuang quickly waved her hands in refusal. "That won't do! I've already said my goodbyes; how can I impose again? I'm sorry, but I must take my leave!"
Seeing Mei Shuang's flustered expression, Lin Tian'er became even more puzzled. She wondered why Lin Shoutong would suddenly decide to leave when everything seemed fine at home. Did Lin Shoutong steal something or have some unspeakable issue that made her so anxious to go? No, she needed to get to the bottom of this.
"Lin Tian'er" stopped "Mei Shuang," saying, "Why are you in such a hurry? It's getting dark; even if you go to Jiangnan, you'll have to stay overnight before setting off tomorrow, right? Come on, it's on me; you don't have to spend any money..."
"Mei Shuang" forced a smile and replied, "I really can't go back! I—"
Before she could finish her sentence, a familiar voice interrupted, "Sister, why are you still here? Father sent me to find you—ah? 'Lin Shoutong'?"
Seeing "Mei Shuang," "Lin Yuan," who had come to pick up "Lin Tian'er," was both surprised and delighted. After feeling down for an entire afternoon, he didn't expect to run into "Mei Shuang" here, and his eyes lit up.
However, "Mei Shuang," startled, turned and ran away.
"Lin Yuan" was not about to let this opportunity slip by. When "Mei Shuang" had run earlier, he had wanted to chase after her but was scolded by Lin Yuanwai. Now that this rare chance had come, how could he let it go?
With his long legs, "Lin Yuan" caught up with "Mei Shuang" before she could get far.
Breathless, "Mei Shuang" could only look up at the sky and sigh deeply; she simply couldn't bear the intense gaze in "Lin Yuan's" eyes. It seemed that today she couldn't avoid one thing after another.
She steeled herself and was about to talk to "Lin Yuan."
Unexpectedly, this "Lin Yuan" was quite bold; he stepped forward and hugged her directly.
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