By this time, the few passersby in the alley had already left, and the alley was now empty.

Qingqiu tugged at Jingzhe, who was lost in thought, to remind him.

However, Jing Zhe had no intention of leaving at this time.

"Third sister, let's wait a while before we leave."

"Wait a while before leaving?"

Qingqiu frowned: "Aren't you afraid that if we wait a little longer, Madam Feng will be back? Or do you still want to see her?"

Qingqiu had already heard some of the rumors about Madam Feng, and she couldn't stand such a flirtatious woman.

Adding to the fact that she had just seduced her own man, Qingqiu found it even more unbearable, especially since there were so many obscene things hidden on her bed. Qingqiu didn't want to mention her at all now, and she always felt that Jing Zhe was staying here for some ulterior motive. Even if he didn't want to, she would feel disgusted just by looking at Madam Feng.

So when Qingqiu heard that Jing Zhe didn't want to leave, her face immediately fell, clearly showing that she was unhappy.

"Third sister, what are you thinking? Looking at her countless times is not as good as looking at my baby once. My baby is here, how could I possibly want to see her again?"

"..."

A thousand words are not as effective as Jing Zhe's "baby". Although Qing Qiu always asked Jing Zhe to call her Third Sister, it was because she did not want outsiders to know about their relationship. However, in private or in bed, Jing Zhe had used all kinds of intimate terms such as "baby", "darling" and "wife".

Moreover, every time Jing Zhe calls out this, Qing Qiu's heart and body soften completely, and no matter how angry she was before, she stops being angry after hearing this.

And at this time, it is the same.

Qingqiu pouted and said, "If you don't want to see her, then what are you doing staying here?"

Jing Zhe said seriously, "Third Sister, this morning at Peach Blossom Temple, when I first saw Feng Mubai and Prefect Xu, I felt that their appearances were very similar, especially their facial contours, which were as if they were carved from the same mold. Did you feel the same way, Third Sister?"

Qingqiu nodded after listening: "Not to mention you and me, everyone in Jiangling City who has seen them would think the same way. There were rumors before that Feng Mubai was actually Prefect Xu and Madam Feng... But rumors are just rumors. Master Feng never said anything, so the rumors eventually faded away."

After hearing Qingqiu's explanation, Jing Zhe became even more interested.

"Then we should definitely keep an eye on it! I have a feeling that Prefect Xu and Madam Feng have a special relationship. Let's secretly listen to what they're saying. Maybe we can hear some key information that will make things clearer about the acquisition of the restaurant!"

As he spoke, Jing Zhe took Qing Qiu's hand and left the window, preparing to go upstairs along the other side of the stairs.

Qingqiu was somewhat reluctant: "Zhe'er, is this really a good idea? What if someone finds out..."

It's a bit embarrassing...

Qingqiu didn't even dare to say it out loud. She was a respectable martial artist, and it was a bit difficult for her to pry open a window, especially with Magistrate Xu and Madam Feng. Qingqiu didn't have a good impression of either of them, and it would be so embarrassing if something bad happened.

Jing Zhe replied, "What's wrong with it? Anyway, only heaven, earth, you, and I know. With our current levels of cultivation, you're not worried about being discovered, are you?"

"..."

Looking at Jing Zhe's confident expression, Qing Qiu was speechless.

Good heavens, after practicing martial arts for so many years, she uses her most prized skill—climbing through windows—what's there to be proud of?

However, she couldn't resist Jing Zhe's insistence, and he took her hand, leading her quietly up the stairs.

...

The two people were on the second floor, above which were the third and fourth floors, which were said to be inns.

The second floor is where Madam Feng has her secret trysts, so the two of them definitely wouldn't choose to meet there. As for whether it's the third or fourth floor, Jing Zhe doesn't know, so he plans to check each one one by one.

However, as soon as he reached the third floor, he noticed a large sign on the staircase connecting the third and fourth floors, with four neatly written characters: "No Trespassing."

Most people wouldn't go up if they saw this sign, and the sign is big enough to block more than half of the stairs, making it impossible to go up.

However, Jing Zhe looked excited. Wasn't this sign obviously telling people that he was hiding something?

It seems that three floors are enough for this Feng Family Restaurant. As for the fourth floor, it is the private place for Prefect Xu and Madam Feng to have their secret trysts. No wonder the waiter downstairs didn't say what the fourth floor was used for, and when I asked, the waiter just smiled and didn't explain.

That's quite a grand gesture!

Jing Zhe pulled Qing Qiu past the large sign and went straight up to the fourth floor. When they got to the fourth floor, the corridor was still quiet, so Jing Zhe soon heard footsteps coming from one of the rooms.

So she tiptoed over there. Although Qingqiu was reluctant, she had already come up, and she couldn't let things fall apart at this crucial moment, so she followed suit.

Just as the two of them pressed themselves against the door, suddenly, footsteps came from the stairwell they had just come up from.

Qingqiu was shocked and hurriedly looked at Jingzhe, as if to say, "Didn't you say you wouldn't run into anyone? How come another one has come up?"

Jing Zhe was also a little surprised. He had assumed that Prefect Xu and Madam Feng were upstairs, and no one would dare to come up... Could it be that Manager Lin went to the private room on the second floor and found him missing, so he came upstairs to look for him? But that shouldn't be possible...

However, he didn't have time to think about what was going on. He pulled Qingqiu to open the door to the next room, then slipped inside and closed the door behind them, the two of them blocking the entrance.

At this moment, Jing Zhe finally had time to take a look around. Just as he had expected, the room next door was empty. Although the furnishings were the same as those in the inn, the tables and chairs were covered with a layer of dust, indicating that no one usually stayed there.

At this moment, the footsteps grew closer and closer, coming up the stairs and then through the corridor.

When that figure passed by the door of Jing Zhe's room, Qing Qiu nervously gripped Jing Zhe's clothes. It was probably the first time she had done something so sneaky, so it was normal for her to be nervous.

Jing Zhe gently patted her twice, and Qingqiu's tense body relaxed a little.

Just then, the door next door opened.

"who?"

"It's me."

After a brief exchange, the door to the next room opened, and then Mrs. Feng exclaimed "Oh dear!" before the door closed again.

Jing Zhe became interested and moved from the doorway to the wall shared with the next room, then pressed his ear to listen.

————