Chapter 104: Chapter 65: Pei Yunmeng’s Suspicions_3

"What did she wear?" Duan Xiaoyan blinked in confusion. "A dress, quite pretty, Doctor Lu is good looking, she looks good in anything."

Pei Yunmeng glanced at him.

Duan Xiaoyan felt bewildered. "Did I say something wrong?"

"The first time I saw her, at Baoxiang Tower, she wore coarse cloth. The second time, at Wan’en Temple, she changed into a white silk dress. Today, the fabric she’s wearing has been exchanged for cloud-patterned gauze," he observed.

"Brother, you actually remember so clearly." Duan Xiaoyan dismissed it. "That’s perfectly normal. Doctor Lu is from out of town, came to Shengjing, learning to dress like the women of Shengjing, everyone has the desire for beauty, even Zhizi has several flower dresses."

Pei Yunmeng handed him the bamboo tube brought from the medical hall and turned to untie the horse’s reins. "Coarse cloth is three hundred wen a bolt, silk is five hundred, and for cloud-patterned gauze, at least a string of coins a bolt. In less than half a year, Doctor Lu’s expenditure on fabric has increased by quite a bit."

Holding the bamboo tube, Duan Xiaoyan looked lost. "What does that signify?"

With the reins untied, Pei Yunmeng mounted his horse. "It signifies that if Lu Tong entered the Palace Front Office with you, then by now, she would be your immediate superior."

He urged his horse with a "giddy-up" and rode off, leaving Duan Xiaoyan standing there in a daze. When he finally snapped to his senses, he cursed in frustration, "Brother, you insulted me!"

...

Renxin Medical Hall.

It was not until evening that Du Changqing led Xia Rongrong and her maid back.

The day’s outing had yielded much, and Du Changqing brought back local products that filled nearly half of the courtyard. Seemingly exhausted, Du Changqing did not talk much with Lu Tong and called for Ah Cheng to head home.

Yin Zheng locked up the medical hall, Lu Tong lit the lamp, and Xia Rongrong had Xiang Cao come over, handing Yin Zheng a small paper package.

Yin Zheng looked puzzled. "What’s this...?"

Xiang Cao smiled. "It’s White Jade Frost Cake that Miss Xia and the young master bought today while out. They thought of Doctor Lu’s sweet tooth and brought some especially for Doctor Lu."

After thanking her, Yin Zheng took the paper package back to Lu Tong’s room, where Lu Tong had just come in from outside, carrying a medical kit.

"It’s cake from next door Miss Xia," said Yin Zheng.

Lu Tong replied, "Put it on the table."

Yin Zheng placed the cakes on the table, turned to close the doors and windows, and trimmed the lamp wick, brightening the room.

Lu Tong put away the medical kit and then bent down to lift a small box from under the bed, next proceeded to open a desk drawer, taking out a light gold-colored purse.

The purse, made of silk satin, featured two ducks playing in the water among intertwining waterweeds, life-like in detail and exquisiteness. Hidden along the edge of the purse was a line of small characters, someone’s name—Duan Xiaoyan.

This was Duan Xiaoyan’s purse.

Yin Zheng approached with a lantern and placed it on the desk, looking at the purse and softly asked Lu Tong, "Miss, why didn’t you return the purse to Young Master Duan when he came to the medical hall today?"

That day at the entrance to the Fan Mansion, when Duan Xiaoyan left in a hurry, Lu Tong and Yin Zheng, upon leaving, noticed a purse dropped on the ground.

The purse was still open, with Duan Xiaoyan’s name embroidered on it—most likely he had not secured it properly after paying at the tea stall, and it had fallen out during his walk.

Lu Tong picked up the purse and kept it, assuming she would return it when Duan Xiaoyan came by today, yet Lu Tong said nothing.

In the quiet of the long night, Lu Tong’s fingertips caressed the protruding embroidery of the name on the purse and suddenly asked, "Why was Duan Xiaoyan at the entrance of the Fan Mansion?"

Yin Zheng startled and instinctively replied, "...Wasn’t he just passing by on official duty?"

"If he was only passing by on official duty, why was he dressed in plain clothes? There were only three or four people drinking tea at the tea stall, and after seeing you and me, when Duan Xiaoyan left, those people also left, which indicates they were together."

"When Duan Xiaoyan asked me why I was there that day, I only told him I was performing acupuncture for someone. Yet today, Pei Yunmeng outright stated that I was treating Mrs. Zhao, clearly aware of my every move."

"And you, you called out to Duan Xiaoyan that day, but he took a moment to respond, finally turning around as if he didn’t want to be discovered by us. Why is that?"

Yin Zheng listened with growing alarm. "You mean..."

"He’s been surveilling me," said Lu Tong calmly. "We’re being watched."

Outside the window, plum branches cast shadows on the latticed frames through the gauze curtains, framing a picture within the windowsill.

Yin Zheng’s lips turned pale. "But why would they be watching Miss?"

Lu Tong looked down contemplatively. "Since the time at Wan’en Temple, Pei Yunmeng has harbored suspicions about me. All his probing has been for Ke Chengxing’s death. As the case is closed, they can’t find evidence, so they have to start with me."

Hearing this, Yin Zheng grew even more anxious. "They are officials, we can’t fight them. What do you plan to do now, Miss?"

Lu Tong picked up the purse from the table, gazing intently at the two ducks frolicking in the water and smiled faintly.

"No matter, let him keep watching."

She opened the box, placed the purse inside, and then bent down to slide the box back under the bed.

All signs were erased.

"For us, this may well be a blessing," she said.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read