However, it could also be that this man was just being cautious.

“Then what does Young Master Meng want?” Wei Yunruo asked even more gently.

Meng Jun pursed his lips, secretly glancing around, “I want to ask you to help me find Li Ruantang.”

“She was in this Changshan Valley this morning.” Speaking of this, the young gentleman’s voice became somewhat choked, “She didn’t eat lunch, nor did she change her bandages.”

“We even made a pinky promise to return to the capital together.”

“Official Wei, can you please help me?”

With his strength alone, to find Li Ruantang in this vast Changshan Valley would take at least two or three days at the quickest.

The young gentleman wasn’t afraid of hardship, but he worried that Li Ruantang couldn’t hold on.

“Li Ruantang?” Wei Yunruo raised an eyebrow, asking in surprise, “Is the Young Lady still alive?”

“Official Wei!” Meng Jun’s expression immediately turned very unpleasant. Before he could say more, Wei Yunruo seemed to realize her slip of tongue and quickly apologized, “I mean, that day the Young Lady was already poisoned—”

“Poisoned?!” The young gentleman was shocked, his scalp tingling, “How could that be?”

Li Ruantang had just returned to the capital, she had obediently given up her military power to become an idle young lady, how could someone still harm her?

Wei Yunruo gave a meaningful look around, then lowered her head and said softly, “This is what Wei learned by chance when I sent people to investigate the origin of that mad bull after Young Master Meng fell off the cliff.”

“I heard that the poison Lady Li was afflicted with is extremely unique, but unfortunately, when Wei wanted to dig deeper, all traces had already vanished.”

The young gentleman listened in a daze, not noticing that Wei Yunruo was now only half a step away from him. His mind was full of images of Li Ruantang’s difficult-to-wake state during those few times.

This is bad, if she exhausts herself and faints somewhere…

Meng Jun dared not think further. He urgently pleaded with Wei Yunruo who was now at arm’s length.

Yet she still maintained a slow and gentle demeanor, “Don’t worry, Young Master Meng. The Young Lady has fortune on her side. I’ll send people right away.”

The young gentleman was already panicking and at a loss. As soon as she finished speaking, he followed the torches up the mountain with his small bundle on his back.

Wei Yunruo watched the frost-colored figure walk away, her eyes gradually turning cold.

She waved her hand, signaling Eighteen to come forward, and said with a curl of her lips, “Do not slack off.”

Eighteen bowed respectfully and responded, “This servant understands.”

That night of searching the mountain left Meng Jun exhausted. Although those maids didn’t seem very attentive, the firelight was always sufficient.

Now everyone had found a high spot to rest. The mountain peak wasn’t as earthy-smelling as the valley, and the faint scent of trees was refreshing. Before long, those maids had leaned against several large trees, found a place without standing water, and started snoring.

Wei Yunruo also had dark circles under her eyes. She sat with Meng Jun by the bonfire, where the dancing flames generated endless warmth. After warming up for a while, the young gentleman’s feet felt cozy.

He wrung out some water from his trouser legs and moved a little closer to the fire.

“Young Master Meng, I see there’s a cave over there. Why don’t I have someone light a fire in there for you? It’s easy to get scalded wearing wet clothes while warming by the fire.”

“Thank you, Official Wei.” Meng Jun shook his head, “I’ll be fine just warming up like this. After all, when dawn breaks, I’ll have to walk in the mud again. There’s really no need to trouble you further.”

“Why is Young Master so worried about Lady Li?” Wei Yunruo’s smile faded slightly, but she didn’t mention anything else, “I remember that before, Young Master was quite keen on avoiding suspicion with Lady Li.”

Meng Jun: “…”

Those words were not wrong, but that was all in the past.

Thinking of Li Ruantang’s features, the young gentleman’s ear tips suddenly turned red, and he lowered his head silently, “Because… she saved me.”

“So it’s the debt of saving a life, no wonder.”

Wei Yunruo nodded, took out a three-tiered food box from her side, and gently opened it. What met the eye were pastries shaped like peach blossoms, which even at a glance were clearly the work of a master.

She selected the most exquisite piece, placed it on a pre-cut piece of oiled paper, and handed it to Meng Jun, “I heard that Young Master has always been fond of fine food. I came in a hurry today and only managed to buy pastries from Wuxin Zhai. Please try some, Young Master.”

After searching for a whole night, the young gentleman’s stomach had long been growling with hunger. Now, smelling the sweet fragrance of the pastry, Meng Jun didn’t refuse. After thanking Wei Yunruo profusely, he took a small bite, and those beautiful phoenix eyes suddenly lit up.

Seeing this, Wei Yunruo’s face showed a sincere smile, “While bringing these pastries along the way, I was worried they might not suit Young Master’s taste.”

Now seeing the young gentleman’s eyes curved in a smile as he bit into the peach blossom pastry, Wei Yunruo felt a softness in her heart, “If Young Master likes them, there are more here.”

The peach blossom pastry was sweet and fragrant in his mouth. Before Meng Jun knew it, he had eaten the whole piece. He looked into the food box and asked embarrassedly, “Official Wei, may I have another piece?”

“Young Master is being too polite.” Wei Yunruo pushed the food box towards him and said, “I don’t like such sweet pastries, I bought them specially because I thought Young Master Meng had suffered at the bottom of the cliff.”

“Then… I’ll take two pieces.”

The young gentleman didn’t pay attention to Wei Yunruo’s words at all. He happily picked up two peach blossom pastries, wrapped them carefully in oiled paper, then opened his small bundle and placed them inside meticulously.

Although he had steamed buns in his bundle, they had become cold and hard after a night. These pastries were soft, and when he found her later, they could eat something sweet together.

He wondered if Li Ruantang could still hold on at this moment.

The young gentleman’s eyes, which had been bright just moments ago, instantly dimmed. He looked at the maids sleeping against the big trees around them, and after hesitating for a moment, said, “Official Wei, since I’m not tired now anyway, why don’t I continue searching this hilltop first, and then meet back here at noon? How about that?”

Wei Yunruo shook her head repeatedly upon hearing this.

“Young Master Meng is after all a man, and these mountains are dense. What if there’s danger? How about this, I’ll accompany Young Master for another search.”

She had finally found Meng Jun, and Wei Yunruo didn’t mind that his heart was all focused on Li Ruantang.

It was just a life-saving debt after all. When they were alone in the forest later, there would be plenty of opportunities to save him.