The next morning, Zhong Muyu and Lu Ziyuan arrived at the gate, where Su Zhirou was already waiting.
No matter what, she was still a concubine in the Prince's mansion, so she still had to observe these formalities.
Zhong Muyu noticed that she had lost a lot of weight. Although she had applied a thick layer of powder to her face, it still couldn't hide her extremely poor complexion and dark circles under her eyes.
Upon seeing them, Su Zhirou offered a gentle smile and bowed gracefully.
After the two left, Su Zhirou bowed again: "Respectfully seeing off Your Highness and Your Highness."
"Yes, thank you for looking after the house. I hope the Prince's mansion will still be peaceful when we return."
Lu Ziyuan replied to her, but his eyes were icy cold.
"Yes, Your Highness, I will do my best. Please be careful on your journey and take some rest."
Su Zhirou answered calmly, her face expressionless.
Zhong Muyu felt that the relationship between the two was somewhat subtle, especially Su Zhirou, who was always delicate and gentle. Now her body was indeed weak, but her aura was much colder than before.
After the carriage had gone, Zhong Muyu couldn't help but ask, "What you and Su Zhirou said at the door just now seemed to have a hidden meaning?"
“She knows exactly what she’s done these past few days.”
Zhong Muyu immediately understood: "So you also suspect her."
"If you can find out the information, how could I not? That Silver String was on duty at Tingzhi Courtyard and only had dealings with her maid. How could I not be suspicious? It's just that now there's no way to prove it."
"Yes, so there's absolutely nothing we can do about her."
"But you won't suffer this loss either."
Lu Ziyuan looked at her with a half-smile, as if he knew everything she had done.
"You know."
Zhong Muyu smiled helplessly. Anyway, if she left that kind of thing to Chengfeng, Lu Ziyuan would definitely find out. But she didn't care. If he knew, so be it. She wasn't planning to hide it anyway.
Lu Ziyuan said, "Of course, but I won't blame you. She brought it on herself. But you should be careful not to make a big fuss."
"Every wrong has its perpetrator, and every debt has its debtor. If she doesn't provoke me, I won't bother her either."
Zhong Muyu leaned back and lay down on the soft cushion.
Lu Ziyuan is so thoughtful; this carriage is not only spacious but also very comfortable.
...
At the Prince's residence, after seeing off Lu Ziyuan and Zhong Muyu, Su Zhirou felt she could finally catch her breath.
Previously, she knew someone was watching her from the shadows, so she was always extra careful with her every move. Now that a large number of people have left, the Prince's Mansion can relax a lot.
However, looking at herself in the bronze mirror, Su Zhirou felt as if her heart was being torn apart.
"Madam, the bird's nest soup is ready."
Lianye brought the bird's nest to her.
Su Zhirou took it, drank a few sips, and then put it down.
Lianye asked, "Is it because the bird's nest this time didn't suit your taste?"
"I've been taking it for so many days and it's not getting better, so I've lost my appetite."
"Don't worry, Madam, you'll get better."
"Hmph! You always say that, it's just to appease me!"
Su Zhirou's tone turned cold, and she suddenly got angry.
Lianye immediately lowered her head: "That's not what I meant."
"Forget it, I'm not in the mood to argue with you. Take some money, we're going out for a bit."
Lianye felt as if she had been granted a pardon and hurriedly went out.
Before long, Su Zhirou, wearing a bamboo hat, and Lianye went out in a carriage.
They said they were going out to buy jewelry, but when they got to a crowded place, Su Zhirou came down quietly.
Lianye was worried for her. She didn't expect Su Zhirou to go to that dark street again, and this time she was alone. If something happened to her, none of them would be able to escape.
Su Zhirou tried her best to avoid attracting attention and found the place that sold medicine again.
Upon seeing her, the medicine seller immediately asked her to sit down: "Honorable guest, have you come again to buy medicine?"
"Yes, I want an aphrodisiac."
"Aphrodisiacs are sold everywhere, why come to me?"
"I want that kind of incurable potion."
"oh?"
The medicine seller gave her a meaningful look.
Through the gauze curtain, the medicine seller couldn't see her expression, but he could sense that she was enduring pain.
Then the medicine seller said, "Your esteemed guest is as beautiful as a celestial being. You don't need that medicine to make men fall head over heels for you, do you?"
Su Zhirou was silent for a while: "Actually, I didn't just come here to buy the aphrodisiac."
She lifted the gauze curtain, revealing a haggard face. She wasn't ugly, but she certainly wasn't stunningly beautiful either.
"Do you have any medicine that can help me recover?"
The medicine seller smiled, seemingly understanding her situation.
“I’m really glad you can be so honest with me. In fact, that’s exactly what we’ve been waiting for.”
"What's the meaning?"
The medicine seller stood up and opened the back door: "The master has been waiting for you for a long time."
Su Zhirou stood up in confusion, and when she thought of the masked man from before, she realized the connection.
After following the medicine seller inside, there was a small room filled with various medicines. The medicine seller moved a vase, and a secret passage appeared from the ground.
The medicine seller carried an oil lamp, and the two of them passed through a dark and damp tunnel, finally arriving at a stone chamber.
The tunnel was very long and spacious, and there was more than one stone chamber inside. Su Zhirou alone would not have been able to get out, which shows that they really valued secrecy.
The medicine seller escorted her to the stone chamber and then waited outside.
By the candlelight, Su Zhirou saw a man standing there.
He was a tall, muscular man with striking eyebrows and bright eyes; his handsome face carried a touch of ruggedness and exoticism.
To be honest, Su Zhirou felt a momentary flutter in her heart, but when she looked into those cold and ruthless eyes, that momentary flutter suddenly shattered like ice.
"I have been waiting for you for a long time, Your Highness."
"It's you!"
Su Zhirou looked at him in surprise. The voice, the cold eyes, were exactly the same as the masked man from that night. She was sure she hadn't mistaken him for someone else.
The man chuckled with interest, “It seems the concubine has excellent observation skills, as she was able to recognize me. Then let me introduce myself. My name is Wu Zhao, and I am the true owner of this pharmacy.”
“Su Zhirou, I think you should have already inquired about my name, and even everything about me.”
Su Zhirou also introduced herself, as she didn't believe this man was just an ordinary underground trader.
Wu Zhao simply smiled and said, "I don't need any extra information, I only need benefits, and you will give me what I want."
What do you want?
Wu Zhao took out a wooden box.
"This is something that can restore your appearance. As for the aphrodisiac, I have something better, but you'll have to come back to get it next time. The price for these is three hundred taels."
Su Zhirou took a deep breath. It was really expensive. She had only brought five hundred taels with her when she went out today.
But that wasn't what puzzled her: "You just want money?"
"Do you want to trade information? Unfortunately, you can't give me the information I want right now, so money is more practical."
Su Zhirou thought for a moment, then said firmly, "Deal."
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