Chapter 87 Testing the Waters Yesterday he wasn't even a decent person, but today he's like he's been eaten...

The cool, deep scent was like an invisible black cat, which reached out its paw and lightly scratched at Le Jin's nose, startling her into a cold sweat.

She immediately rolled out of bed and looked around warily, as if everything in the room was a trap, a cave from a book of strange tales, a ghost trapped in a pot of flowers, and a monstrous demon locked in a mirror.

Seeing that no one was inside, Le Jin listened intently. The others had either followed Yuan Fang out or stayed outside, leaving her alone. It was so quiet that there wasn't even a sound of wind, only the patter of rain outside the window.

Outside the window!

Le Jin jumped off the bed, grabbed a piece of clothing from the headboard and draped it over herself. She quietly approached the half-person-high window and sniffed the air through the crack.

The strong sandalwood scent wafted and swayed with the autumn wind outside, wafting through the window cracks to her mouth and nose. Like deep lake water, it stole Le Jin's breath, almost choking her, and startled her so much that she jumped several steps away from the window.

Meng Shutai is outside!

Le Jin felt dizzy for a moment. The lattice window in front of her seemed to be spinning, like a vortex trying to suck her in.

No, what if she's overreacting? He's critically ill right now, do you think the Meng family would let him run around like that? If something happens to the eldest son, do they even care about their heads?

Le Jin gradually calmed down and her rationality returned. They were now complete strangers; whether he lived or died was none of her business. Even if there had been a misunderstanding last time, hadn't he admitted that he had "mistaken her for someone else"?

She doesn't need to be afraid of him, nor does she need to be startled by the mere smell of his scent.

Whose fragrance is this? Where did it come from? What business is it of hers? Why should she care? Thinking this, Le Jin slowly moved towards the bedside. She didn't care about the storm outside; she would sleep peacefully.

She pulled back the covers, and just as she kicked off one shoe, she heard a heavy thud outside the door, as if someone had bumped into it…

There are people outside.

Le Jin gasped softly, her hands crumpling the blanket in her grip. Was the person outside Meng Shutai or someone else? The sandalwood incense that had wafted over earlier was probably from that madman… but what if, what if it was just a maid or servant? How pitiful it would be to be lying outside in the cold wind and rain.

It would be better to open a small crack first, peek through the crack, and then take action.

Le Jin tightened her long, floor-length coat and tiptoed behind the door.

The people who went out first didn't lock the door, so Le Jin carefully pried it open a crack and peered out with one eye.

Silvery autumn rain fell in curtains from the eaves, shimmering intermittently like glass. To the left of the door stood a pot of orchids, their elegant branches stretching diagonally towards the door. To the right—

A pale hand appeared out of nowhere and gripped the door frame.

"ah!"

Le Jin yelled and slammed the door shut, but the withered hand with distinct knuckles got stuck in the doorway, leaving a red mark, and didn't pull back, not even letting out a muffled groan from its owner.

They resisted silently and stubbornly.

Le Jin stared at the hand, her brows furrowing. The door couldn't be closed; further resistance would only give this madman something to hold up.

Let's remain unchanged amidst all changes.

Amidst a flurry of thoughts, Yue Jin opened the door, feigning surprise:

"What are you doing here, Young Master Meng? Where are your companions?"

Meng Shutai leaned against the right door, her hair no longer disheveled but half-tied up with a red gold hairpin inlaid with red and blue gemstones. Her long hair was smooth and draped behind her, with a few strands fluttering around her forehead and ears. The light blue under her eyes was also covered with a layer of jasmine powder. Her eyebrows and eyes were lowered in a daze, and she was exquisitely charming.

She had changed out of her pale white clothes and into a gorgeous gown with a dark base and interspersed with crimson and blue. It not only echoed the gemstones in her hairpins but also had a strange and alluring beauty, like a mountain ghost. Her waist was tightly bound by a magnificent red agate waist chain, making her look delicate and fragile.

Le Jin swallowed hard, inwardly marveling. Yesterday he was barely recognizable, and today he's like a withered tree that's been reborn after consuming hundreds of virgins?!

She had a feeling that Meng Shutai had come prepared, so she quickly called for someone to send him away.

"Hey! Is anyone there? Where are the Meng family members? Why is your eldest son here all alone?"

However, the more Yue Jin looked outside, the more something seemed amiss. There should have been servants and maids waiting outside, but there wasn't a single person there!

Meng Shutai coughed lightly, his voice soft, containing a hint of barely concealed grievance.

"I originally wanted to go back to Zhenyuan, but I fell ill and lost my way. I don't know which way to go, so I ended up here... Miss Qingsi, can you accompany me back?"

...How could you get lost in your own home? At the very least, there's Qisheng (a gaming platform), but did Qisheng switch companies and you're not using it anymore?

Le Jin suppressed the urge to roll her eyes and looked troubled: "But, Xuan Shengzi specifically instructed me to watch over the house. If there is even the slightest problem with his treasured books and scriptures, I will be beaten to death!"

Le Jin opened her eyes wide and silently apologized to Yuan Fang a thousand times.

"Besides, I'm new here and don't know the way to the Meng residence. How about I find someone else to accompany you back, sir?"

Just as Le Jin was about to step out the door to pull the person over, Meng Shutai suddenly coughed violently, his voice piercingly painful, and he looked as if he were about to collapse, leaning against the door.

"My lord, you..."

Meng Shutai's eyes were filled with tears. "Miss Qingsi, please help me inside to rest for a while. I... I'm a little..."

He was about to collapse as he spoke. Le Jin couldn't see anyone around her, so she could only grit her teeth, stomp her foot, and accept her bad luck as she helped him inside.

"Please sit down, sir. Let me pour you a glass of water to soothe your throat."

Meng Shutai sat on the bedding she had laid out the night before, his gaze lingering on the pillows and blankets where no one had slept for a while before turning away when Le Jin brought him tea.

Thank you.

He sipped his tea and suddenly asked, "Every year in the manor, people offer osmanthus from Qingzhou, so why isn't there any in this room? Was it an oversight by the servants?"

Le Jin's brow twitched. Just as she was about to speak, she looked up and saw Meng Shutai's pair of bright, obsidian-like eyes staring steadily at her, as if he wouldn't miss a single expression or gesture, looking from her skin into her bones.

She took a deep breath without making a sound and replied, "There was some yesterday. But Xuan Shengzi doesn't like strong fragrances, so he had it sent out."

"And what about you?"

"ah?"

Le Jin was momentarily stunned, and Meng Shutai asked with a slight smile, "Do you like it?"

The heart is like a thin-skinned drum, and this seemingly casual question was like a heavy hammer blow, instantly shattering Le Jin's heart.

She knew that the bottle of osmanthus flowers hadn't appeared out of nowhere!

"I... I am a poor man with little knowledge. I am content with just having enough to eat and wear. How could I possibly know anything about liking or disliking things like fragrances or powders?"

Le Jin smiled insincerely and lifted the robe, revealing that the inner garment beneath it was practically soaked with cold sweat.

Fortunately, Meng Shutai didn't mention that damned Qingzhou Gui again, and smiled as he took another sip of tea.

It was a small, round-mouthed, short cup that couldn't hold much tea. But he carefully held the cup with both hands, sipping it slowly, as if the tea she poured was the finest dew.

"Where are you from, young lady?"

Le Jin's lips twitched: Are you checking my household registration?

“My family grew up in the countryside of Chenji Mountain, and our ancestors have been like that for generations.”

This isn't a lie. She's currently following Yuanfang, and her home is in Chenji Mountain. She's a country girl, and her ancestors for generations have been farmers who made a living from the land. She hasn't told a single lie; believe it or not.

Meng Shutai showed no contempt whatsoever; on the contrary, he seemed quite interested: "Then why are you by Xuan Shengzi's side?"

“I met him by chance in the mountains last year, and he took me in. It was just a coincidence.”

He nodded with a smile. "I see. So Xuan Shengzi also gave you the name 'Qing Si'?"

"Um."

"What are those two characters? Miss Qing Si, could you write them down?"

Le Jin's face darkened instantly. So this was where they were waiting for me...

She had written countless wishes for Meng Shutai before, and he could recognize her handwriting.

Le Jin despised Meng Shutai's petty scheme, but she readily agreed and went to the desk to pick up a pen and dip it in ink.

She didn't waste this year. Although she hadn't been learning to write for long, her calligraphy was no longer the messy, scraggly handwriting she used to have.

She wrote the two characters "青兕" neatly and forcefully, unfolded the white paper, and handed it to Meng Shutai.

"Here, these are the two."

Meng Shutai's eyes swept over the neat yet well-structured handwriting, and his bright expectation turned into a gloomy ashes.

"Beautiful calligraphy."

His tone was dejected, not at all like he was praising someone, but Le Jin's heart almost soared as if it had grown wings, and a sense of almost vengeful pleasure spread throughout her body.

However, before she could even feel happy for a moment, Meng Shutai asked, "Does Miss Qingsi know the meaning of these two words?"

Um?

When Yuanfang named her, she was still reeling from the turmoil of her past and didn't care much about the name's meaning. She just thought the two characters were easy to recognize and write, so she agreed. Was there anything wrong with those two characters?

Le Jin shook her head. "I don't know."

Meng Shutai pointed to the two characters and said, "The 'si' refers to an auspicious beast resembling an ox. In ancient times, Laozi's mount was an ox. These two characters refer to a 'blue ox that carries people,' which is indeed a name that Xuan Shengzi would come up with."

A cow that carries people?!

Le Jin's eyes widened. She snatched the paper and looked at it incredulously. An ox for plowing the fields was fine, a good ox, but what about an ox for carrying people?!

Le Jin, the farm girl, suddenly felt a sense of regret and sorrow at being wasted, and gritted her teeth, hating Yuan Fang Sui: She would never carry anyone! She would rather be an ox than carry anyone!

Seeing that Le Jin was getting angry, Meng Shutai, whether out of genuine regret or to add fuel to the fire, said, "Although Xuan Shengzi has learned the Dao, he is still a member of the imperial family. It's normal for him not to take others seriously."

"If Miss Qing Si doesn't like this name, why don't you tell me your original name, and I'll just call you by it?"

A bucket of ice water was suddenly poured over her head, and Le Jinxin's anger vanished instantly. He was trying to trick her into revealing information!

Even if Yuanfang is unreliable, her intentions are always good. Meng Shutai, on the other hand, makes her words go in circles, as if afraid she won't fall for it.

Le Jin laughed and closed the paper in her hand. "The names I used before were all vulgar and might offend your ears, so I'll just call you Qing Si."

Upon hearing this, the smile on Meng Shutai's face finally crumbled, as if faint cracks were creeping up a jade vase.

"Is everything he gives you good?"

"ah?"

Le Jin thought she had misheard, but when Meng Shutai pointed at her clothes, the forced smile on her face could no longer be maintained, and her jade-like face became even colder.

"The clothes you are wearing are Xuan Shengzi's Taoist robes."

Le Jin froze for a moment, looked down, and sure enough! She wondered why her clothes seemed so long today!

She hurried into the warm pavilion and quickly changed into her own clothes, finally putting her mind at ease.

Before she could turn around, a crisp clinking sound of an agate waist chain came from behind her.

"You...slept here last night?"

Le Jin's face suddenly flushed red, as if she couldn't quite explain herself...

Meng Shutai glanced at the blush on her face, remaining silent but not looking away.

An invisible black mountain weighed down on Le Jin's head. She couldn't bear it any longer and had to find an excuse:

“Xuan Shengzi has always disliked outsiders entering his inner chambers. I don’t know when he will return. My lord, you should go back to your Zhenyuan.”

“Him…” Meng Shutai pondered for a moment, then suddenly chuckled.

"They probably won't be back for several days."

"What?!"

“It is not surprising that Consort Wen, Xuan Shengzi’s biological mother, was so eager to have her son that she kept him in the palace for three to five days.”

"But he didn't say anything when he left!"

This news was like a bolt from the blue; Le Jin's heart pounded, and she almost burst into tears.

What will she do if Yuanfang isn't around?

Meng Shutai tilted his head slightly, and the red and blue gemstones in his hairpin flashed one after the other, like heterochromatic eyes. He looked at Le Jin with a faint smile, his tone soft and slightly excited:

“He didn’t know before, because… this was my decision just now, and it will take some time to get it to Consort Wen’s palace.”

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Author's Note: Le Jin: The sky has fallen... [shrugs][shrugs][shrugs]

(Recently, the writing app has been acting up, and the copied text isn't the final version, so I often have to make changes or add paragraphs after publishing [sigh]. Please remember to check the chapters a few times to see if there's a "text update" message.)