Lu Tong entered the room, bent down to set the overturned stool upright, and said, "Why make such a fuss? Just make some rat poison."
Lin Danqing was taken aback, "What?"
"It’s hard to catch a rat in the gutter, so why dirty your hands? Better to mix some tasty rat poison into the bait."
"I’m not afraid of him stealing, I’m afraid he won’t steal."
Lin Danqing paused for a moment, then clapped her hands: "You’re right!"
"Everyone says rats are cunning, but they’re not easy to catch. It’s better to spread some rat poison and get it done." She hopped off the table, leaned the bamboo pole against the corner of the wall, "I’m off to make the poison, today I must poison that little bastard to death."
There were no ice blocks in the Medical Officer Institute’s room, not as cool as Cui Min’s Quiet Room. Lu Tong sat down by the window, resting her forehead in her hand, seemingly a bit weary.
Lin Danqing glanced at her: "It’s really hot in the room, you should rest a while, have some water."
Lu Tong responded with an "Hmm."
Lin Danqing darted out the door, and the room returned to silence.
Lu Tong’s face remained buried in her palms.
After a while, a low laughter seeped through her fingers.
As if encountering something extremely amusing, she shook with laughter.
It took her a long time to lift her head.
Her eyes still twinkled with lingering mirth, the woman’s gaze frighteningly bright.
It turned out that even a clever rat can be laughable when it does something foolish.
She had been worrying about how to get close to the thieving rat, but she hadn’t expected him to deliver himself right to her doorstep.
This was truly...
Too good.
...
The evening breeze began to rise.
In the courtyard, large roses bloomed in clusters, with the gardener tending to the branches.
Pei Yunshu, holding Treasure Bead, was sitting in the courtyard, enjoying the cool air.
When Pei Yunmeng arrived, he overheard Fangzi instructing the gardener near the flower beds: "Make sure the soil below is kept neat; there have been rats in the mansion recently."
He smiled, "How come there are rats?"
Seeing him arrive, Pei Yunshu was pleased and said, "It’s the heat, we did have some a few days ago, but Qiong Ying found a cat to keep, and it’s been much better these past few days."
Pei Yunmeng nodded, took Treasure Bead into his arms, and as the child recognized him, she laughed "giggle giggle" and stretched out her hands to hug his neck.
"Have you eaten yet?" Pei Yunshu had Qiong Ying bring some pastries for him, while fanning herself, "You never eat properly after your duty rotations, I think you’ve lost some weight."
"If those words spread to the Imperial City, others might think my sister is criticizing the Palace Front Office for skimping on food." Pei Yunmeng was unconcerned.
Pei Yunshu glared at him, watching as Fangzi brought a bowl of Osmanthus Soup and a plate of Guifei Hong in front of Pei Yunmeng, and then she chuckled, "Anyway, the pastry chef you found this time is quite good."
A few days earlier, Pei Yunmeng had invited a pastry chef from outside.
The chef had originally worked at Qinghe Street’s Food Dingxuan making cakes. Pei Yunshu wasn’t really fond of sweet cakes and thought it unnecessary to waste money, but Pei Yunmeng said that since Treasure Bead would grow up and young girls always like sweets, he decided to keep him.
Although Pei Yunshu herself didn’t have much of a sweet tooth, she had to admit that the chef’s skills were indeed very good.
"When you have time, you should also send a basket of pastries to Doctor Lu," she said. "Last time she visited, I noticed she really liked sweets."
Pei Yunmeng just smiled, saying neither yes nor no.
His casual demeanor was infuriating, and Pei Yunshu swatted at him, "Don’t think I don’t know, I heard about the affair at Huangmao Hill. The rumors even reached me. Tell me, what exactly is your relationship with Doctor Lu?"
Pei Yunmeng was busy tickling Treasure Bead with a ribbon and laughed, "Just friends."
"Don’t be so evasive," Pei Yunshu glared at him, "I know what you’re like. There’s something off here. Friends don’t act like this."
He sighed with a tone of resignation: "A clear and innocent relationship, yet you make it sound unspeakable."
"Bastard!" Pei Yunshu feigned a strike at him, but he dodged it by picking up Treasure Bead and spinning around.
"I can’t be bothered talking with you," Pei Yunshu pointed at him, "On the seventh day of next month, it’s my birthday, no matter what, you have to invite Doctor Lu for me."
"Sister," Pei Yunmeng frowned, "the seventh is also Qixi."
"Of course I know it’s Qixi!" Pei Yunshu took a sip of Osmanthus Soup, frustratedly saying, "You don’t understand a thing."
On Qixi, lovers meet.
Her brother might be stubbornly denying it, but in the Imperial City, there were plenty of passionate young men, and the competition was fierce.
Although Pei Yunmeng was good-looking, it’s said that overly fervent women scare potential suitors away.
Moreover, Lu Tong had a fiancé, though whether that was true was unknown.
She simply wanted to help her brother seize an opportunity.
It was exasperating to no end!
"Such a fool."
She shook her head, looking at the young man who was making Treasure Bead laugh by putting her atop the flower trellis, and sighed deeply.
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