These were new small pastries made by the kitchen maid in the mansion, with a sweet taste. He loved them very much and thought he might see Li Ruantang tonight.

He just wanted to bring them for her to try.

Meng Jun finished preparing and turned around the screening partition. Hu Youning seemed to come back to his senses and hurriedly put on the outer garment.

His expression was strange, but he still crouched down and followed the young man in front.

On the largest two-story painted boat by the shore, the upper floor had a window half-open facing the lake. The bright candlelight from the gauze lamps looked like dazzling stars falling from the night sky when viewed from afar.

The performer’s song was melodious and lingering, and one could vaguely see shadows rising and falling with the music on the window shutters. Li Ruantang still sat in the center, holding a cup filled with fine wine, occasionally taking small sips. Qingping had been sent up early by Qin Rong. He bit his nervous lips, and had just knelt beside Li Ruantang’s leg when his chin was gently lifted.

“It’s you.” She smiled slightly, but her low voice was cold. Qingping shuddered violently, hurriedly forcing a smile and carefully accompanying her, “My lady, I… I missed you, missed you so much I couldn’t eat or sleep. Tonight I also beg for your pity.”

The usual polite phrases were spoken haltingly. Fortunately, the sound of the pipa started, covering his panicked voice. From the outside, it looked like an affectionate gaze.

Qin Rong curled her lips, waved her arm, and most of the guards originally stationed on the painted boat withdrew.

For the past few days, she had always sent people up to the boat and then found an excuse to leave. Almost all the painted boats in this area knew about this and also knew that Li Ruantang didn’t like having too many guards on board.

Tonight, Fang Zhi was to sneak onto the boat.

Qin Rong sat back in her carriage with her hands behind her back. Her eyes leisurely watched the two-story painted boat slowly drifting towards the center of the lake.

A servant in gray-blue was carrying a food box, sending items up to the second floor one by one.

Meng Jun and Hu Youning had mixed in early on, and now the two were hiding in an empty room. The “Shepherd Boy Herding Cattle” painting hanging on the wall was gently removed, revealing a small hole.

The young master peered through first, then beckoned to Hu Youning, “Aning, come and see.”

The walls of the painted boat were thin, and Hu Youning only needed to get a bit closer to hear the sounds from next door clearly. He looked through the peephole in confusion.

Squeak—, the door opened and closed.

Qingping, dressed in light gauze, was embraced and carried in. His eyes were hazy, his lips moist and shiny. The woman buried in his neck kept moving downward.

The sound made Hu Youning’s back stiffen.

“It can’t be.” He suddenly backed away, shaking his head, “Sister Fang and he are just putting on an act. Which woman isn’t a bit flirtatious?”

Although he said this, his eyes kept involuntarily looking towards the peephole.

On the clothes scattered all over the floor, there lay the pouch he was most familiar with.

The needlework on it, he had spent many nights toiling over, making and unmaking, remaking again and again, before he dared to give it to his beloved.

But now, it was carelessly thrown on the ground.

Hu Youning’s heart tightened. He stared blankly at the woman who had told him she was busy recently and forbidden him from disturbing her.

The fingers that had once given him pleasure were now diligently pleasing a male courtesan.

Their lips and teeth met, drawing out endless enchantment.

Fang Zhi, aroused, was about to carry the person to the bed when she was suddenly pushed away by the blushing Qingping in her arms. “This won’t do, I can’t leave the lady for too long. Yet every time you come, you always have to make a fuss all night before you’re satisfied.”

“What, don’t you like it?” Fang Zhi pulled him back into her arms, chuckling as she stripped off the thin gauze, “Or is it that you’ve climbed to a higher branch these past few days and forgotten about your old flame?”

“Pah, you have the nerve to say that about me.” Tiny beads of sweat appeared on Qingping’s nose tip. He hooked onto Fang Zhi as she covered him, deliberately sounding jealous, “Although I’m on the painted boat, I’ve also heard that you’ve found a new lover at the academy recently, is that true or not?”

The bells on the corners of the bed clashed urgently, jingling non-stop.

Fang Zhi took a breath, her expression quite disdainful, “What lover? He’s just a frivolous country bumpkin who offered himself up. I couldn’t very well reject him and hurt his pride, could I?”

“Hmph, I don’t believe you.” Qingping turned to his side, swaying like a fish, “You must be trying to make me happy. Who doesn’t know how picky you are? If you hadn’t taken a liking to that man, you wouldn’t…”

The rest of his words were replaced by a few muffled moans, “After all, he’s still a man from a proper family. You must have thoughts of marrying him.”

“My little darling, why would I lie to you about this?” Fang Zhi curled her lips, “What I have with him is just a casual fling, nothing serious. Moreover, he’s so forward, who knows if other women at the academy haven’t already taken advantage of him. Marry him?”

The corner bells rang more densely and urgently.

Hu Youning stood frozen in place, feeling a bone-deep chill. He had suspected something was amiss when such a noble and upright woman suddenly became so attentive to him.

But her eyes were so gentle, and her words so sweet. Even before the Mountain Goddess, she had sworn a solemn oath that she would marry no one but him.

How could it be, how could she suddenly seem like a different person tonight?

He hesitantly took half a step back, glancing at Meng Jun who was keeping watch at the door. In his ears, there was still the familiar voice, teasing, “My little darling, don’t say I didn’t warn you, Lady Li loves peanuts the most.”

“Pea… peanuts?”

“You know she’s been guarding the border for years, where resources are scarce. Though cheap, peanuts are delicious. Now that she’s back in the capital, eating so many delicacies, she must not eat peanuts often.”

“If you cater to her taste and bring some peanuts, reminisce about the hard times with her, and then use your skills, what woman could resist?”

Qingping was slightly stunned, “The food on this boat doesn’t pass through my hands. Forget peanuts, we male courtesans aren’t even allowed to sneak a scallion.”

“Oh, why are you in such a hurry?” Fang Zhi sat up, holding him, and gently wiped the sweat from his temples, “If I can give you this idea, I must have made preparations.”

She picked up the light gauze and wrapped it around Qingping, pointing at the oilpaper package that had been placed on the table earlier, “Look, I specially ordered a box of peanut crisp from Wuxin Zhai in your name. When you go back, if Lady Li asks why you were delayed for so long, you’ll have an explanation.”

Qingping turned the idea over in his mind, and Fang Zhi continued, “When you rise to great heights, don’t forget about your old flame.”

“Look at you, if I forgot about our feelings, why would I let you take advantage for nothing?” Qingping wiped off the filth on his body, picked up the oilpaper package, and slowly walked towards the door.

Next door, it had completely quieted down.

On the wall, the “Shepherd Boy Herding Cattle” painting had long been returned to its original position.

Hu Youning tightly clenched his sleeves. He looked at Meng Jun, who approached with a worried face, “Is this the show Young Master Meng called me to watch?”

“Aning, after all, you didn’t have anything serious with her.” The young man patted his stiff shoulder, “Some things can still be remedied, you should end it as soon as possible. I heard Tangtang say that she has arranged several young guards with clean backgrounds and steady personalities in the Hu family……”

That clear voice was still softly talking about future days. Hu Youning’s eyes were rimmed with red as he suddenly pushed Meng Jun to the ground, “Young Master Meng, no need to pretend anymore!”

“This was a trap you set on purpose, wasn’t it?” Hu Youning smiled lightly. He understood Fang Zhi’s words clearly, and his naturally smiling eyes were full of understanding, “You invited me here with the purpose of separating me and Sister Fang, because you’re afraid, afraid that Sister Fang would obstruct Lady Li’s path.”

“Aning, what nonsense are you talking about?!” Meng Jun got up and patted the dirt off his clothes, “This has nothing to do with Tangtang. That Fang Zhi is not a good person. She’s blinded by greed and would never marry a man who brings her no benefit.”

No benefit?

Hu Youning suddenly raised his eyebrows. He might be of low status, but in this world, not only power brings benefits. For example, the peanut crisp that Fang Zhi offered to Lady Li. As long as he didn’t say anything, he could help Fang Zhi deceive everyone.

No, Meng Jun was also in this room just now!

Hu Youning seemed possessed as he approached the young master who was peeking outside, step by step. Those naturally smiling eyes were now cold and sinister.

Why do some people have everything from birth – looks, status – while he could only huddle in a small mountain village? If it weren’t for Meng Jun……

Hu Youning’s eyes were blood-red as he slowly curled his lips into an enigmatic smile. As long as there was no Meng Jun, no Li Ruantang, he would still be the original Hu Youning, not feeling inferior every time he saw them.

He quietly pulled out a rope he had prepared earlier from his sleeve. Regardless of what Meng Jun had heard, or even if he had heard nothing, for Sister Fang’s sake, for his own sake, this person couldn’t be allowed to live!

The shadow at the door suddenly approached, yet no footsteps could be heard.

The young master instinctively turned his head, only to be startled by Hu Youning’s fierce expression. Before the raised rope could come down, Meng Jun nimbly dodged towards the door, shouting, “Aning, what are you doing?!”

“What am I doing?” Hu Youning sneered, “For Li Ruantang’s sake, you could recklessly search Changshan Gou at night. What, did you think you were the only one capable of such devotion in this world?”

“Young Master Meng, when it comes to love, I’m no less than you. For Sister Fang’s great cause, I can naturally disregard everything too. What she wants, I will absolutely not allow anyone to destroy even a bit!”

He stepped forward, and seeing his frenzied appearance, the young master was shocked and hurriedly opened the door to run out.

However, Meng Jun didn’t dare to go to the second floor. Li Ruantang had been ‘fishing’ these days, and he didn’t want to become an accident that would cause her to fail.

The young master bit his lip and ran quickly towards the stern. Along the way, because Qin Rong had withdrawn quite a few people, apart from the sound of water and the lanterns swaying in the wind, he didn’t encounter anyone else.

He ran in front, with Hu Youning chasing desperately behind.

Just as he turned to the stern, the bright lanterns here had already been extinguished. On the pitch-black deck, in the moonlight, a black burlap sack could vaguely be seen.

The maid who was tying stones to it turned her head alertly, a flash of silver in her hand as she stabbed towards Meng Jun with a knife.

“How unlucky,” she muttered. In a flash, the young master suddenly bent down and rolled past her, the raised silver blade gleaming ominously.

The stern was usually cluttered with some miscellaneous goods, which were now chaotically knocked about by Meng Jun, making a clattering noise.

The maid was startled, her killing intent growing stronger. Before she could turn around, Hu Youning suddenly appeared, having caught up.

His expression was fierce, which actually startled the maid.

“Another troublemaker.” She spat heavily on the ground. Before Hu Youning could react, her short knife went straight for his heart.

Whoosh—

In the night sky, a pebble precisely hit the maid’s wrist. Before she could frown, several figures in black silently approached, their long swords instantly at her throat.

The situation suddenly reversed. Hu Youning, having narrowly escaped death, finally came to his senses. He glared hatefully at Meng Jun, who was being protected by Weidan. Before he could make a move, another long sword pointed directly at his heart.

Weidan coldly ordered her subordinates to tie up the maid first, then glanced at Hu Youning standing in front of her.

“Young Master, how should we deal with this person?”

Hu Youning’s face stiffened. He snorted, “You think you can disregard human life just because you have more people? Let me tell you, Meng Jun, I’ve already left a note for Sister Fang. If she can’t find me later, she’ll naturally know it was your doing!”