Chapter 457: Chapter 167 Qi Huaying
The twilight deepened.
When Lu Tong returned to the Medical Officer Institute, the lights in the lodging house had already been extinguished.
The Qingfeng carriage had dropped her off at the entrance to the Medical Officer Institute, and it wasn’t until the driver saw Lu Tong enter the gate that he left. Chang Jin seemed to have already returned to the lodging house to sleep, and there wasn’t a soul in the yard.
It was only after she had walked around the long corridor that Lu Tong reached the entrance of her room; there she saw Lin Danqing holding a lantern in one hand and an empty washbasin in the other, coming in from outside. Upon seeing Lu Tong, she cleared her throat and casually said, "I just came back from washing clothes." Then she pushed the door open and went in ahead.
Lu Tong watched her retreating figure, understanding in her heart.
Lin Danqing’s clothes were usually sent home during the monthly rest days to be washed by the servants in her residence. During the long time they shared a room, this was the first time Lu Tong saw her washing clothes at night. The excuse wasn’t found with much effort.
Besides, the basin was so dry that not a drop of water was left.
With the lamp lit inside the room, Lu Tong followed in and closed the door.
Perhaps because of the rash words she had spoken during last night’s drinking, Lin Danqing behaved less naturally than usual; upon closer inspection, she also seemed somewhat embarrassed.
She, too, seemed to realize this suffocating embarrassment and sat down at the table, pulling out a handful of pine nuts from the drawer and offering them to Lu Tong, asking, "Want some?"
Lu Tong shook her head, placed her medicine box back on the table, and stood up to make the bed.
Left with no other option, Lin Danqing began to eat the pine nuts herself. She had only eaten a few when she suddenly asked, "Did you go with Marshal Pei today?"
Lu Tong paused in the midst of making the bed.
Turning around, she asked, "You saw that?"
"I wasn’t eavesdropping!" Lin Danqing hurriedly explained, "When I came out of the medicine bureau, I saw you talking to Doctor Ji at a glance. You know I’m most afraid of Doctor Ji. I originally intended to wait until he left before joining you, but who knew Marshal Pei would suddenly appear, and then he took you away."
"I swear, I didn’t hear a word of what you two were saying. I still have that much sense."
Lu Tong was silent for a moment before continuing to make the bed, saying, "Vice Envoy Xiao from the Palace Front Office suddenly had a headache, and I was summoned to make a diagnosis."
Lin Danqing cracked open a pine nut and said, "If Vice Envoy Xiao had a headache, someone could have simply sent a note; why would Marshal Pei have to make the trip himself? I don’t think that’s the reason."
Lu Tong smoothed out the last wrinkle on the quilt and sat down at the edge of the bed, looking at Lin Danqing, "What do you mean?"
"Exactly what you’re thinking," Lin Danqing continued cracking the pine nuts, discarding the shells onto a coarse cloth and tossing the nuts onto a plate typically used for dipping vinegar, and sighed, "Younger Sister Lu, I’m actually very good at reading people. When I accompanied my family to banquets at other people’s residences, I could tell at a glance that the relationship between the eldest young master and his stepmother was not ordinary—all while no one else noticed. Half a year later, it all came out."
"I feel like these eyes of mine are naturally good at spotting discrepancies."
Lu Tong looked at her, "So what discrepancy did you spot?"
Seemingly interested, Lin Danqing sat cross-legged on the chair, continuously cracking pine nuts with her hands, "Your relationship with Marshal Pei is not ordinary."
"Why do you think that?"
"When Envoy Cui wanted you to diagnose Jin Xianrong, he spoke up for you. I originally thought he was just repaying you for saving his sister’s niece, but it always seemed odd."
"What’s odd about it?"
She sighed maturely, "Those of us serving inside the Palace are afraid of two things: being indebted to someone and having entanglements with others that can’t be clarified. Younger Sister Lu, you offended Envoy Cui as soon as you entered the Medical Officer Institute, and you might offend others in the future. If he wanted to repay you, he could have done so in a more open and straightforward manner, instead of signaling to others that you have a private relationship."
"He’s a smart man. Knowing that it isn’t worth it yet still doing so, that’s quite intriguing."
After a moment of silence, Lu Tong said, "You’re not suggesting he has ulterior motives for me, are you?"
"I didn’t say that," Lin Danqing said with a chuckle, "but at the very least, you must be special. Are you two very close?"
Close?
Lin Danqing’s question took Lu Tong by surprise.
Was she and Pei Yunmeng very close?
It didn’t seem like too close a relationship. They had once faced each other with blades drawn, and to this day, they still had not let down their guards against each other.
Yet it seemed they were somewhat closer than ordinary people. Pei Yunmeng knew about her past and enemies, and she knew about the scars and secrets behind Pei Yunmeng’s back. She could be more frank with him than with anyone else.
Lin Danqing’s voice reached her ears, "But Younger Sister Lu, as a friend, I still have to give you some advice. Although Marshal Pei comes from an extraordinary background and is one of the most handsome men in Shengjing, he’s a hot potato. When dealing with him on a daily basis, remember to keep some distance. Otherwise, if you offend others, you might end up suffering yourself."