Chapter 161: Staring Intently

Lin Hao’s feelings toward Du Qing were extremely complicated.

On one hand, Du Qing had once raised a blade against her, and during the time she spent following her teacher, Du Qing had played the role of her supervisor. Furthermore, when her teacher died at the hands of Emperor Ping Le, it was Du Qing’s assistance that helped her escape that place.

She was wary of him and guarded against him, yet she also hoped he would live well, leading a different kind of life just as she had.

However, right now, Lin Hao mostly felt a headache coming on.

Du Qing must have seen Chen Mu and her enter one after the other through the window of the elegant room, which had made him suspicious of her.

Of course, there were others who had walked into the teahouse at that time, but who could blame him when she had once entangled with her teacher and had even been tracked by Du Qing? In such a sensitive encounter, running into a familiar face made it perfectly normal to be noticed.

It wasn't just Lin Hao who had a headache; Du Qing did as well.

Although he had regained his composure in an instant, he was still deeply vexed by his recent lapse in conduct.

Had his skills in tracking people regressed?

No, that wasn't right. Both times he had encountered this situation, he had been tracking this young girl.

Using the passing pedestrians as cover, Du Qing’s gaze fell upon that slender silhouette.

The second Miss Lin of the General’s Manor—he had investigated her once. She was clearly just a high-born lady with an ordinary upbringing; her only distinction was that she had once been mute, but had suddenly gained the ability to speak last year.

Could it be that those who had once been mute were exceptionally sensitive?

Du Qing became increasingly cautious as he followed behind Lin Hao.

The previous time he had followed her was merely out of prudence, but this time, he truly began to doubt. A young girl appearing before her teacher, and then appearing behind Chen Mu—such a coincidence was enough to trigger his vigilance.

Then, he followed Lin Hao through countless powder shops and garment workshops, nearly walking his legs lame.

As he dragged his exhausted body back to his lodgings, Du Qing was filled with confusion.

Logically, he felt this young girl definitely had problems! Emotionally, he didn't believe a girl who could wander around so aimlessly could be a problem!

Lin Hao was also somewhat tired. Noticing that Du Qing was no longer following, she entered a teahouse not far from her home and instructed Bao Zhu to go and invite the Prince Jing's Heir.

It didn't take long for Qi Shuo to arrive.

Glancing at Lin Hao’s flushed cheeks, Qi Shuo asked, "Did you walk a lot today?"

"I visited quite a few places." Lin Hao rubbed her teacup, momentarily unsure of where to begin.

Qi Shuo waited patiently.

To him, even if they only met without speaking, it was still a good thing.

Lin Hao took a sip of tea and spoke, "Today... I accidentally overheard a very strange conversation."

"A strange conversation?" Qi Shuo played along, a look of seriousness appearing in his eyes.

Based on his understanding of Ah Hao, whatever she had heard was definitely unusual.

"Mhm." Lin Hao swirled the teacup in her hand as she spoke. "I heard one person say they wanted to seize an opportunity to do something, and another person disagreed, saying that doing so would cause Yu Liu and Great Qi to join forces. I suspect it has something to do with the upcoming visit from Yu Liu."

Qi Shuo was genuinely surprised. "Did they not say what the specific matter was?"

"No."

"And the identities of those two—"

"I'm not sure." Lin Hao could not explicitly repeat the dialogue between the two.

Qi Shuo gripped the teapot, falling into deep thought. "When the Master met with trouble, I didn't see the common people protesting on his behalf—combined with the claim that their actions would lead Yu Liu and Great Qi to join forces, that phrase makes me think of one person: the missing Emperor Ping Le."

Lin Hao was startled.

Naturally, she wasn't startled by the fact that Emperor Ping Le had surfaced, but by Qi Shuo's perceptiveness.

As expected, the more calm and low-profile a person is, the more meticulous their thoughts are.

How could such a person be interested in her?

Catching a glimpse of that handsome, clean face, Lin Hao hurriedly took a large gulp of tea.

What was she thinking at such a serious moment!

Qi Shuo was momentarily stunned by Lin Hao's reaction.

He took a sip of tea, savoring it carefully, and said uncertainly, "The tea in this shop seems to taste a bit better than before."

Lin Hao: "..."

"How did you think of Emperor Ping Le?" Lin Hao pulled the topic back.

"Analyzing their conversation, they are clearly people of Great Zhou, and the way they mentioned the common people was from a high-and-mighty perspective. My first reaction was the missing Emperor Ping Le. However, this is just my guess; it could also be another faction."

"Let's just assume it's Emperor Ping Le. What do you think they intend to do?" This was also the purpose of Lin Hao seeking out Qi Shuo.

Two heads are better than one, and the only person she trusted and was suitable to consult with was the Prince Jing's Heir.

"They likely intend to sow discord between Yu Liu and Great Zhou during the visit. It is difficult to guess the specific actions based solely on such vague words. If you want to be certain, you will have to keep a quiet eye on those two. Did they mention any information regarding their identities during their talk, or can you describe their appearances?"

Lin Hao hesitated for a moment before saying, "The person who was against it is the same person who tracked me before."

Qi Shuo's eyes flickered slightly.

Then he knew far too much.

"But the key is the other person." Lin Hao poured a cup of tea for Qi Shuo. "Regarding the person who tracked me, Heir, please do not alert the enemy for the time being."

Qi Shuo lowered his eyes, his light gaze falling upon the slender, fair hand holding the teapot.

Was she afraid of alerting the enemy, or was she considering that person?

He felt it was the latter, but in view of the fact that Ah Hao had proactively poured tea for him, he would treat it as the former.

"Mhm." He nodded slightly.

Lin Hao breathed a secret sigh of relief and described Chen Mu's appearance, sighing, "The capital is so large; it probably won't be easy to find this person."

"The matter these two are discussing is significant. Even if they parted on bad terms, the possibility of them meeting again is very high. Keep a close watch on the person who tracked you, and you should be able to follow the clues to find the other."

Lin Hao was not optimistic. "They seemed to have failed in their discussion; they might not necessarily meet again. It can only be left to luck."

Qi Shuo smiled. "Our luck should be quite good."

Lin Hao was momentarily dazed by that smile. "Oh, yes, quite good."

Qi Shuo fell silent for a moment before asking, "Where did you overhear these words?"

"In a teahouse, purely by coincidence."

Qi Shuo tactfully did not ask further. "If there is any progress, I will tell you."

After returning to the manor, Qi Shuo immediately instructed Xuan Yi: "Keep a close eye on the person who appeared at the abandoned house, and watch anyone who comes into contact with him."

"Understood, my Lord."

Perhaps luck was on their side, for within two days, Xuan Yi had a discovery.

"My Lord, that person went to a small tavern and met with a thin man. That thin man was extremely vigilant; it took me an entire day of tracking to follow him to his place of residence."

"Take me to see."

Qi Shuo went to Chen Mu's place of residence and found it was located in an inconspicuous area of residential houses behind Changchun Street. There were many communal courtyards there where all sorts of people mingled, making it a place where strangers were not easily noticed.

"Focus on this thin man and see what his movements are."

Two more days passed before Xuan Yi reported: "There are seven or eight people living with the thin man, and they take him as their leader. During the day, they appear to wander aimlessly through Jinxiu Street, but over the past few days, they have been successively transporting many items to their residence."

(End of Chapter)