Chapter 160: Chen Mu

From the entrance of the city to the Imperial City, the damaged stone bricks on the road had begun to be repaired, and the frequency of sweeping and cleaning had increased. Soon, the common people of the capital knew of the momentous occasion of Yu Liu's visit.

For the commoners who labored hard day after day, this was a fresh piece of news significant enough to be discussed for a long time.

Lin Hao cared nothing for Yu Liu's visit; her mind was focused on finding the owner of those eyes.

Changchun Street was extraordinarily lively in the spring, with passing pedestrians dressed in bright-colored clothing and the air filled with an intoxicating floral fragrance.

Lin Hao walked slowly down the street. Despite wearing soft and lightweight embroidered shoes, her footsteps felt somewhat heavy.

Since her rebirth, she had always avoided coming here.

In her nightmare-like memories, this place was too cold, as if it were always that snowy day, her blood overflowing across the snow, and her frozen body left here forever.

This was a place that would give her nightmares.

But in the end, she had to come and see.

It was on this very street that she had encountered that person that night.

At the time, she thought he was a pursuer from Emperor Ping Le's faction, yet he had taken a blade for her. In that moment, she thought he had come specifically to save her. But after recalling that moment countless times since her rebirth, she had other suspicions.

They should have merely been a chance encounter.

He must have been injured at the time, also on the run, just like her. When she fell into his arms, she smelled a thick scent of blood—not something that could be caused by a fresh wound.

It was highly likely he had already suffered a severe external injury; it was just that the circumstances at the time did not allow her to think much, causing her to overlook his staggering footsteps.

Why was he injured, and which faction was capable of hunting him down on the streets of the capital?

What puzzled her most was why he had blocked the blade for her. Was it purely an act of kindness from a man facing death?

Who... was he?

Lin Hao did not understand; even though she hadn't seen his face, why was it that whenever she thought of him, her heart felt as if it were entangled in silk threads, experiencing a fine, dense ache?

She knew that if she failed to find this person, it would eventually become a knot in her heart.

Changchun Street was not particularly wide, with various small shops lining both sides, mostly frequented by ordinary citizens. However, passing through an alley led to a decent, wide main street, which had recently been a focus of major renovations by the government.

Lin Hao knew very well that even if she came here, it was impossible to encounter that person, but this was, after all, the place where they met. What if there were clues?

The bluestone path was cold, hard, and long, as if it would never reach an end. Lin Hao looked around, and suddenly her footsteps froze. Her entire being felt as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over her, leaving her paralyzed on the spot.

Her sudden pallor startled Bao Zhu: "Miss, what's wrong?"

Lin Hao regained her senses, controlling her trembling fingertips, and said with as much calm as she could muster, "It's nothing. Don't speak, just follow me."

She walked forward, appearing no different from her previous casual stroll, but in reality, her peripheral vision was constantly chasing a single person.

It was a thin man in his thirties. His features were not outstanding, but combined, they gave off a cold and fierce impression.

It was the person who had led the pursuit to kill her in her past life!

This was also the reason for the sudden change in Lin Hao's expression.

Encountering the person who had hunted her on the same street made it impossible for her not to be horrified.

After observing for a while, Lin Hao determined that the man's appearance here had nothing to do with her.

She found it somewhat laughable.

Things had long since changed; the appearance of this person naturally had nothing to do with her. What remained unchanged was that she knew his identity.

The man was someone Emperor Ping Le trusted deeply, named Chen Mu. Unlike her teacher, who later changed his mind to help Emperor Ping Le reclaim the throne, Chen Mu had always been the Emperor's most steadfast supporter, possessing ruthless methods and acting aggressively.

His appearance in the capital was clearly not simple.

Lin Hao watched him enter a teahouse. After a moment of hesitation, she led Bao Zhu inside.

The teahouse was divided into two floors. There were many people drinking tea in the main hall, but that man went straight to the second floor.

"Are there any private rooms left?" Lin Hao asked the waiter.

"You've come at a good time, Miss. There happens to be one room left upstairs."

"Please lead the way."

"This way upstairs, Miss," the waiter said enthusiastically, hurrying up the stairs.

As Lin Hao stepped onto the stairs, she saw the man walking toward a private room turn back to glance at them.

Her heart tightened, but her expression remained composed.

People of Chen Mu's status, who lived in the shadows, were far more acute and cautious than ordinary people; she had to be careful, and then careful again.

Fortunately, the private room the waiter led Lin Hao into was right next door.

After dismissing the waiter with a few copper coins, Lin Hao pointed at the wall.

Understanding her intent, Bao Zhu immediately took out a pair of bamboo tubes from her cloth bag: "Miss, here."

This pair of bamboo tubes, connected by a fine thread, had once played a great role in helping Chen Yi see the true face of the Marquis of Pingjia's heir; now, it was time for them to be useful again.

Bao Zhu didn't even ask why her mistress wanted to eavesdrop on the neighbors; instead, she smartly moved to the doorway to watch for anyone suddenly entering.

Lin Hao pressed one bamboo tube against the wall and held the other to her ear, listening intently.

There were voices from the next room; clearly, someone had been there before Chen Mu entered.

"You don't approve? Why doesn't he approve? If such a good opportunity isn't seized, when will things ever be accomplished?"

The voice was cold and heavy. Although her memory was blurred, Lin Hao could still distinguish that the speaker was Chen Mu.

After a brief silence, another voice rang out: "The Master says that this will cause Da Qi and Yu Liu to join forces against Da Zhou."

Lin Hao's eyes narrowed.

It was Du Qing!

A cold laugh rang out: "So what? Has your Master forgotten who his true master is?"

"The Master has not forgotten. But once Yu Liu and Da Qi join forces, it is the common people who will suffer."

"When the Master was in trouble, I didn't see the common people seeking justice for him."

Another silence followed, then Du Qing said, "In short, the Master does not approve of you doing this. I will not provide any assistance on my end."

"Hmph, do you think I won't succeed without your assistance?"

Next came the sound of a chair being pulled out.

Lin Hao hurriedly put away the bamboo tubes and walked quietly to the door.

The door was slightly ajar. Through the narrow crack, she saw Chen Mu walking past quickly.

What terrified Lin Hao was that as Chen Mu passed, he even cast a glance toward this private room.

In that instant, she even thought she had been discovered; her heart raced wildly before finally calming down.

After waiting a while longer and seeing no sign of Du Qing coming out, Lin Hao returned to her seat, unhurriedly drank two cups of tea, and ate a piece of pastry before letting Bao Zhu go downstairs to settle the bill.

Walking out of the teahouse, Lin Hao scanned her surroundings with her peripheral vision, but Chen Mu was nowhere to be seen.

She felt a momentary regret for not being able to follow him in time, but she knew that given his alertness, if she had followed him into the teahouse and then followed him out, she likely would have been detected on the spot.

When it came to stalking, she was far less skilled than Du Qing.

Right, did Du Qing follow her this time?

A sudden intuition flashed through Lin Hao's mind. She turned around abruptly, only to see Du Qing walking behind her at a moderate distance. His walking posture visibly stiffened for a moment.

In that instant, Lin Hao felt a sense of irony: Du Qing's skills at stalking had regressed as well.

(End of Chapter)