Chapter 426: Chapter 156: His Wooden Pagoda_3
As she approached, the lights grew brighter, and the solemnity slowly faded away. The young man’s eyes were tender as a gentle breeze, playfully stirring a stream of spring water.
Pei Yunshu smiled at him and said, "We were just talking about you, and here you return. It’s not your day off today, so why have you come back so late? You’ve even missed dinner."
Pei Yunmeng replied with little concern, "I had official business," and then glanced at Lu Tong, the corner of his lips curving slightly, "Doctor Lu is also here."
His tone was somewhat distant.
Lu Tong remained silent.
He smiled again, "What were you saying about me just now?" and bent down to play with Treasure Bead, who was held in the arms of the nurse.
Treasure Bead grabbed his finger, trying to stuff it into his mouth, which Pei Yunmeng prevented.
Pei Yunshu said, "It’s nothing much. You’ve come back at just the right time. Miss Lu is about to return to West Street, and it’s dangerous for a young lady to walk alone at night. Since you’re back, you can escort her."
"No need," said Lu Tong.
As soon as she spoke, both Pei Yunshu and Pei Yunmeng looked at her simultaneously.
With composure, Lu Tong said, "I have something to discuss with Lord Pei."
Pei Yunshu paused for a moment.
Pei Yunmeng turned his head, his dark eyes quietly fixed on her.
After a while, he stood up, released his teasing hand from Treasure Bead, and said to Lu Tong, "Go to the study and wait for me."
"I’ll change my clothes and come."
Lu Tong replied, "Alright."
Fangzi led Lu Tong to Pei Yunmeng’s study and, upon leaving, Pei Yunmeng also went to change his clothes. Only Pei Yunshu and the maids were left standing in the hall.
Pei Yunshu stepped back a few places and sat down in a chair. Suddenly recalling something, she asked the old maid beside her, "Did Ah Ying just say that he asked Doctor Lu to wait for him in the study?"
The old maid affirmed with a "Yes."
"Strange..."
Pei Yunshu blinked in confusion.
Pei Yunmeng rarely liked having people in his room; even Pei Yunshu herself had seldom entered his study, fearing it contained official documents that shouldn’t be mishandled.
Observing Lu Tong’s formal estrangement with her own brother, it contrasted with a lack of close friendship. Yet Pei Yunmeng had so readily allowed Lu Tong into his residence and even into the study, a place others could not enter?
Not to mention the plate of lotus seed pastries, could there be something between them...
Something else she didn’t know about?
...
While Pei Yunshu was pondering in her heart, Lu Tong was unaware of it at the moment.
The residence of Pei Yunmeng was right next to that of Pei Yunshu, only a wall apart, and took only a few steps to reach.
However, this abode seemed much quieter than Pei Yunshu’s.
Perhaps it was because there were no baby cries to enliven Pei Yunmeng’s side, or perhaps because the residence had few inhabitants and was maintained too immaculately, it even exhibited a certain sternness, making one feel a layer of tranquil solitude upon entering.
Fangzi led Lu Tong across the step porch, around the courtyard, and stopped in front of Pei Yunmeng’s study: "Miss Lu, please enter. The Princely Heir will be here shortly."
Having said that, she bowed her head and left.
Lu Tong pushed open the door and walked in.
This study was very simple.
Near the window stood a desk, and to the east in the room was a side table with a lamp, incense burner, and writing materials. A bookshelf nearby displayed some curios and a pot of daffodils.
The room was elegant and unconstrained, much plainer than the opulent splendor of Qi Yutai’s Board of Rites Office, almost too much so. It contrasted sharply with Pei Yunmeng’s usually extravagant appearance, exuding a chill.
Lu Tong walked a few steps into the room and saw a very small round table in the deepest part with a stack of objects on it. She approached for a closer look—
It turned out to be a small tower.
All made from wooden beads, each the size of a fingertip, not quite square but smooth enough, they were piled one on top of the other to form a tower, towering and impressive. At first glance, it looked like a deliberately arranged bonsai.
Lu Tong saw that the topmost piece of wood seemed to have been skewed by the wind or something, half of it hanging off the tip of the tower, teetering as if it were about to collapse the next moment. After a thought, she reached out her hand to push the piece of wood atop the tower back in—
"Don’t move."
"Whoosh!"
A sudden loud noise.
The cry from the young man and the collapse of the wooden tower occurred almost simultaneously.
The tall wooden tower instantly cracked, like an entire winter’s frozen waterfall being suddenly released, thunderously spilling and scattering all over the ground.
Lu Tong abruptly turned around.
Pei Yunmeng stood at the door, his gaze sweeping past the wooden tower that had just collapsed, his expression merciless as he opened his mouth, "Did you do that on purpose?"
Lu Tong: "..."
Indeed, this time it wasn’t intentional.
Lu Tong pursed her lips, "Sorry, I’ll build another one for you."
"No need."
Pei Yunmeng bent down, picked up a piece of wood that had rolled to the edge of his boot, and placed it on the table.
Lu Tong watched him, unsure if it was an illusion or Pei Yunmeng was simply in a bad mood, but she felt that today he seemed especially distant, as if he was deliberately keeping his distance.
However, whatever Pei Yunmeng’s mood was, or why he was like this, Lu Tong had no interest in knowing. This included why he was piling up a wooden tower in the study, looking mysterious, yet not hiding any secret documents inside.
Not even a piece of gold brick.
All smoke and mirrors.
Pei Yunmeng noticed her gaze, smiled, and without minding the mess on the ground, sat down at the table and asked Lu Tong, "What does Doctor Lu want from me?"
Lu Tong was silent, then sat down opposite him, momentarily at a loss for words.
He raised an eyebrow, "Is it that hard to say?"
It wasn’t actually hard to say.
But now, she truly had nothing to bargain with Pei Yunmeng.
Lu Tong said, "Lord Pei’s reach is vast, and you know secrets that even the Department of Imperial City in Shengjing cannot find out."
"What are you referring to?"
Lu Tong leaned in, staring into his eyes, "The Grand Preceptor Qi Qingzhi is fond of keeping birds, but five years ago, the Grand Preceptor’s Mansion ceased keeping them. Do you know what happened to the Qi Family five years ago? What did Qi Yutai do?"
She asked, "Why does he detest Light-vented Birds?"
The room suddenly fell silent.
In the distance, the night breeze caressed the flower-shaped windows, making the quiet night so still that one could almost hear a pin drop.
Lu Tong’s eyes moved from the table to the wooden blocks scattered all over the floor.
Qi Yutai’s mother suffered from mental illness, and it was possible that Qi Yutai, in his youth, had also shown signs of such an illness. Hence, for many years, the Grand Preceptor’s Mansion had been using the calming Spirit Rhinoceros Fragrance to nurse him and had never used any other fragrant pills.
Everything seemed to be stable.
But five years ago, the Grand Preceptor’s Mansion secretly summoned Cui Min to diagnose, and the murky prescription revealed a hint of abnormality.
The ingredients for calming the mind seemed to suggest that Qi Yutai was showing signs of relapse.
But what was the reason for his illness?
If it was merely time for an onset, why did Qi Yutai have a particular aversion to birds, especially the Light-vented Birds?
Light-vented Birds...
Just as Lu Tong had watched helplessly as Lady Yun poisoned her pet and forever after, whenever she saw a black puppy, she would feel a chill and shiver uncontrollably. Qi Yutai must also dislike seeing Light-vented Birds for some reason.
If she wanted to concoct a hard-to-trace poison for Qi Yutai, she needed to know who was the most crucial provocateur of it.
Yet, with the might of the Qi Family being overwhelming, secrets concerning Qi Yutai were always buried, with not a single trace to be found. Why Qi Yutai detested the Light-vented Birds, Lin Danqing didn’t know, Miao Liangfang didn’t know, even Lord Cao from the Kuaihuo Tower didn’t know...
But maybe Pei Yunmeng did.
To know the truth, she could only ask the person before her.
Gathering her thoughts, Lu Tong looked across the table.
The young man had changed out of the crimson brocade clothes he wore back to the mansion and was now dressed in a frost-colored snow patterned robe. The wide robe reflected a sense of chill under the lamplight.
The declining year presses the short daylight, hoarfrost and snow make clear the cold sky beyond the world’s edges. That layer of icy whiteness lent a sharpness to his beautiful eyebrows and eyes, and under the dim light, it was a stark difference to his usual warmth.
Pei Yunmeng looked at Lu Tong, his gaze serene.
The dim lamplight flickered in his dark pupils, and within that darkness also reflected the silhouette of Lu Tong.
After a moment, he lowered his eyelashes, "I know."
A thrill of elation surged through Lu Tong.
"But Doctor Lu," he spoke, his tone suddenly sharp, "why should I tell you?"