Yunling froze, the word "you" stuck in her throat for a long time, and she looked like a clay figure.

Lu Yinghuai gently squeezed Yun Ling's wrist, pulling her back from her wandering thoughts, and said indulgently:

"They really are insulting me~"

"No."

"No? Why are you staring at me like that without saying a word? Your eyes are darting around like that, you must be cursing me."

It seems it's not a superpower. Yunling had just tested it with her own superpower and didn't find anything unusual. But this proves that the person is intelligent, which makes Yunling even more upset.

But to avoid letting this person see through her act, she had no choice but to quickly change the subject.

"So how exactly did you know that?"

“It’s simple. Given the generous nature of our host, Mr. Yun, if he were to host, he would definitely choose a good place. This would narrow down the search area. It was just a coincidence that I came to Dongji’er Lane and saw you being embraced by a young lady as soon as I entered Qingxin Garden.”

Seeing his smugness, Yunling couldn't help but pour cold water on him, laughing:

“You’re wrong. I’m a complete stranger in Bianjing. How would I know which places are good? They brought me here.”

"When I was leaving, your little maid reminded me that her mistress's identity this time was that of an official's future brother-in-law. She told me not to reveal anything even if I found her. With such power and influence, why wouldn't she go to a good place?"

"Besides, you've already made a fortune in the pleasure quarters of Pingcheng. How could you not be tempted by a brothel of similar size in Bianjing? Even if they didn't bring you, you would still come, wouldn't you?"

Yunling's face instantly fell. She grabbed Lu Yinghuai's wrists with both hands and pulled him towards the window.

"This is boring, I'm not playing anymore. Now that you've found me, you're something else. Go back, go back."

“If you kick me out, I’ll write a letter to my aunt.”

"I...I..."

Yunling snorted, whether out of anger or guilt, it was unclear.

"Just say it if you want. I'm a woman. What's wrong with me going to brothels? Honestly, this is ridiculous."

Lu Yinghuai leaned against the window and said jokingly:

“I told my aunt that you gambled on stones.”

"Damn it, do whatever you want, nobody cares if you go back or not."

Yunling hadn't written a letter since she wrote one in Shucheng, and now that she was in Bianjing, she should let Zhang know she was safe. So she focused all her attention on finding writing materials. She turned the wardrobe upside down and the dressing table upside down, leaving only the bedside table.

Yunling sat down on the edge of the bed and opened the cabinet. What came into view were sections of sausage casings. Curious, she picked them up to examine them.

"Hey, aren't these the things my grandma used to hold pork and sausages?"

She continued sifting downwards, grabbing more of the small pieces inside.

"Hey~ isn't this pig intestine? And isn't this fish maw? This..."

A bad thought suddenly flashed through Yunling's mind. These things appearing here... could it be...? And could they have already been used and then washed clean?

Yunling instinctively tossed everything back into the cabinet, then turned around to see Lu Yinghuai looking at her with a half-smile.

She's completely lost face!

Yunling couldn't bear to look, so she lay down and pulled the blanket over the young woman lying on the bed to keep her warm.

"I slept."

"Go to sleep."

Lu Yinghuai didn't leave. He found a stool, sat down, propped his head up with his hand, and slowly closed his eyes.

Yunling glanced at him and thought he was very strange. He had a three-courtyard house at home, but instead of sleeping there, he insisted on sitting here. He was just like Zhang Shi; her mother would always watch over her like that.

"Hey, I'm going to see the stones tomorrow, so I can't leave. You should go back to sleep first."

"Yes, yes, we'll go with you tomorrow when we're free."

Yunling wanted to retort, but suddenly felt that the man's tone was a bit off, so she sat up and asked:

Are you feeling unwell?

"I haven't eaten anything, and my stomach is a little acidic."

Yunling was truly impressed with him, and called him a "big idiot." She threw off the covers, got out of bed, walked to the door, opened it halfway, and called out:

"Hey, bring me a bowl of noodle soup, with a fried egg, no, two fried eggs, and a pot of hot tea. Hurry up."

"Okay, sir."

The servant acknowledged and ran quickly to the kitchen, his feet practically touching the floor. He urged the cooks to fry eggs, then placed a pot of hot tea on a tray before rushing to Yunling's door.

"Sir, the noodles are here."

Yunling fiddled with the copper coins, then stopped counting them and stuffed a small half-string of coins into the man's arms. She took the tray and waved for him to leave.

The servant, delighted with the reward, quickly slipped out of Yunling's sight.

After closing the door, Yunling placed the tray on the table, sat down next to Lu Yinghuai, and poured a cup of hot tea into the cup. The steam rising from the tea and the steam from the noodle soup slowly rose and gradually gathered together.

Yunling grabbed Lu Yinghuai's left hand and pressed it against the Neiguan acupoint on his wrist, complaining:

"You weakling with a bad stomach should eat on time. You won't listen to me no matter what I say, and you still have to come and join in the fun. Have some hot tea first, and then eat noodles when your stomach feels better."

Lu Yinghuai felt that his relationship with Yunling was like that of an old married couple. His mother often scolded his father like that and would also rub his stomach. The two would always make up in less than half a day after they quarreled, and their relationship had always been very good.

He and Yunling... never mind, let's get her first before worrying about anything else.

The steam from the teacup dissipated, and Yunling touched the cup, finding the temperature just right, before handing it to Lu Yinghuai. Lu Yinghuai took the cup, brought it to his lips, and took a sip, almost losing his tongue in the process.

Yunling laughed at his comical reaction to being burned, only realizing it later.

"Oh right, I forgot, men and women have different abilities to adapt to hot water."

Lu Yinghuai was surprised by Yun Ling's statement; it was the first time he had heard of such a thing.

"So, you think this temperature is suitable for you to drink?"

"It suits me perfectly. I have a cold stomach, and people with a cold stomach usually prefer hot water, even the water for bathing and soaking their feet has to be very hot."

Lu Yinghuai suddenly realized something, but at the same time, he thought about the water he was bathing in; it didn't seem very hot, and he couldn't stand water that was too hot. So, what about the two of them in the future…

"Hurry up and blow on it, take a couple of sips, the noodles are about to clump together."

"good."

Lu Yinghuai blew away the steam in his cup, took a couple of small sips, and then picked up his chopsticks. He scooped the noodles from the bottom of the bowl, put them down, then scooped them up again, put them down once more, and repeated this process twice before finally putting them in his mouth.

"So, you're really going to go find the stone tomorrow?"