Bored to death! Back when she was working, securing a three-day leave felt as impossible as ascending to the heavens. There were always endless cases demanding her attention; she longed desperately to spend three whole days and nights at home sleeping, no matter how daunting the workload. Now, things had changed—she could sleep as much as she wanted, yet her body was restless, plagued by an unbearable itch, as if swarmed by a thousand tiny insects. She even found herself nostalgic for the days when she barely got six hours of sleep. Seven days had passed since returning to the palace. Nothing had happened—or if anything had, she was oblivious to it. Yan Hongtian hadn't come to trouble her, and Lou Xiyan left early and returned late every day. Within the residence, she was free to do as she pleased—except leave. But what could she do? Books on forensic examination were nearly nonexistent, and poetry, literature, and history held no appeal for her. Thus, her daily pastime was simply staring vacantly at the vast lake before her.
"Hey, do you usually spend your days just zoning out at home?"
The clear, expansive water was undeniably soothing, but forgive her mundanity—no matter how beautiful the scenery, one would inevitably grow weary of it. Lou Xiwu, who had been idly propping her chin for a long while, finally snapped back to reality and retorted softly, "You're the one spacing out!"
Alright, if not zoning out, then she was probably daydreaming.
Zhuo Qing chuckled softly, relieved to have someone to talk to and unwilling to scare her off. "Then what do you usually do?"
She was genuinely curious—what did they do all day at home?
Lou Xiwu lazily rested her chin again, answering, "Practice calligraphy and piano, play chess, paint—there's plenty to occupy oneself."
"Oh wow," Zhuo Qing praised involuntarily, "I wouldn't have guessed—you're quite the talented lady!"
Indeed, being a lady of privilege was no easy feat! Her kind compliment, however, was met with Lou Xiwu's low growl of protest:
"Don't go too far—I know I'm no prodigy like you, skilled in all arts, but there's no need to mock others!"
Zhuo Qing was taken aback, then smiled wryly; she truly had no intention of mockery—she couldn't perform any of those talents herself. Shrugging innocently, she replied, "I lost my memory; I remember nothing. All those talents you mentioned—I've forgotten them all. Far inferior to you, no right to ridicule."
"I…" Seeing her frank self-deprecation, Lou Xiwu felt a touch embarrassed.
"I didn't mean to be harsh."
She understood how much effort it took to master such skills; to lose them so easily was pitiful enough without adding insult. Honestly, she preferred Lou Xiwu's fiery spirit. Zhuo Qing quickly changed the subject.
"No worries, no worries—let's talk about something else."
Looking at her, Lou Xiwu cooperated with a question, "About what?"
"I heard you're quite close with the Emperor?"
Bored anyway, she figured she might as well find out.
Lou Xiwu smiled shyly, answering, "Not really close—when I was little, my brother and I accompanied my aunt in the palace, so we often saw the Emperor."
"The last time I visited, I thought he seemed fierce."
Zhuo Qing ventured a complaint.
Nodding repeatedly, Lou Xiwu sympathized, "I think so too—his temper is terrible; when he loses it, it's terrifying. But he seldom scolds my brother."
"Why? Because your brother and he are cousins?"
She noticed Yan Hongtian seemed unusually tolerant toward Lou Xiyan.
Pouting, Lou Xiwu replied proudly, "No way. He's harsh with all his real brothers—it's because my brother is smart and capable."
Ugh! She'd hoped for some juicy inside scoop, but clearly, Lou Xiwu only had praise for her brother.
Thinking further, Zhuo Qing asked about another person: "Do you know General Su Ling?"
"Him?" Lou Xiwu frowned, her face clouded with disdain. "I don't know him well—only heard he's cold, arrogant, and self-righteous."
"How so?"
Cold and arrogant, she could see; self-righteous, not so much.
Lou Xiwu lowered her voice mysteriously, humming, "In his eyes, women are nothing but trouble and superfluous. More disturbingly, there isn't a single woman in his household."
"What? Impossible!"
Such a large general's household without a woman? Zhuo Qing was incredulous. "Surely there are maids? Doesn't he have a mother, sisters, wife, concubines?"
Lou Xiwu answered firmly, "None."
Gossip, the timeless social glue—no matter the era, it bonded people.
Having just been loud and brash with Zhuo Qing, Lou Xiwu now leaned in, whispering, "His father died in battle years ago; his mother later passed from illness. He has three brothers—none married. No servants, no nurses—only men. He's nearly thirty, which is why the Emperor bestowed your sister to him!"
"No way."
Zhuo Qing was speechless—such a man?! Truly peculiar. What about Qingmo among all those men?
After grilling her on two men, Lou Xiwu finally caught on, smiling knowingly, teasing, "So, don't you feel lucky? Among your three sisters, you're the most fortunate to be with my brother."
Here it comes again. Blind worship wasn't healthy, but this time, she couldn't deny it—Lou Xiyan was indeed the most normal one!
As they chatted, a tall figure appeared by the lake, steadily approaching.
Lou Xiwu pouted, turning away in annoyance—he finally decided to come find her! Hmph!
Zhuo Qing cleared her throat, smiling, "I'm thirsty—going to get some water."
She had no interest in being a third wheel.
Just as Zhuo Qing rose, Jing Sa strode directly toward her, voice cold:
"Miss Qing, a guest awaits in the front hall."
"Looking for me? Who?"
Zhuo Qing blinked, glancing at the scowling, fiery-eyed woman beside her, and chuckled.
"Inspector Dan Yulan."
Him? What did he want? Something about the autopsy?
Bored anyway, she decided to see him and headed outside, Jing Sa following.
After only a few steps, Zhuo Qing halted, smiling:
"I'll go alone. Xiwu has stomach pain—please check on her."
Jing Sa's eyes flickered. Lou Xiwu, unable to hold back, spun around, shouting, "I don't have stomach pain!"
"You drink so much vinegar daily, of course it hurts!"
Zhuo Qing sauntered off, her teasing laughter fading into the distance, leaving Lou Xiwu awkwardly twisting her sleeves.
Zhuo Qing speculated about Dan Yulan's purpose—most likely related to the autopsy. His passion and persistence at the anatomy lab had made that clear; she had expected his return, just not so soon.
Strolling slowly toward the front hall, a graceful pale blue figure appeared nearby. The floral shadows and rockery intermittently obscured her face, but Zhuo Qing instantly recognized the slender silhouette and serene demeanor, softly calling, "Lou Xiyan."
Before long, Lou Xiyan approached with a faint smile.
"What are you doing at home? You've been leaving early and returning late these days."
Lou Xiyan didn't intend to answer but cleared his throat and said earnestly:
"Ling'er, don't you think addressing me by my full name all day is a bit improper?"
Improper? Zhuo Qing found it perfectly natural! Yet, seeing his solemn posture and hearing the chillingly tender "Ling'er," she decided to return the favor in kind. Pretending to ponder, she said,
"Then how should I address you… Chancellor Lou?"
"Too formal."
"Master Lou?"
"Too distant."
"Xi Xi?"
She rather liked this one personally!
Lou Xiyan maintained his elegant smile, though a twitch at the corner of his mouth betrayed him. Zhuo Qing was delighted and pressed on:
"Yan'er?"
Wasn't he fond of adding the "-er" suffix?
Lou Xiyan sighed inwardly. This ungrateful, petty woman—when had he ever addressed others so familiarly? And yet she complained?!
Seeing his exasperated expression, Zhuo Qing burst out laughing unabashedly. Lou Xiyan was unperturbed, only gently shaking his head, allowing her to tease his name.
That faint indulgence was like an early summer breeze—warm, stirring gentle ripples across the heart's lake.
Suppressing his smile, Zhuo Qing boldly asked,
"Xiyan, are you heading out?"
She knew well what he wished her to call him; in fact, it wasn't hard to say, and she secretly liked the name herself.
Lou Xiyan had anticipated her calling his name, yet hearing it so plainly and confidently stirred an inexplicable joy in his heart. Was it just one word—"Xiyan"? Apparently, he could no longer control his feelings. Since that was so, she refused to be the only one moved.
"Just returned from court to fetch something—heading out shortly."
After speaking, Lou Xiyan suddenly reached out, his fingertips brushing lightly across her neck, cool and tingling.
Though he hadn't truly touched her, Zhuo Qing stiffened inexplicably. He leaned slightly forward, every
breath warm against her cheek.
"Ling'er, come with me."
Her heart thumped violently.
Was this a summons?
"I…"
Words caught in her throat.
Lou Xiyan's smile deepened; the long-awaited moment had arrived, but the rest was left unwritten, hanging delicately in the spring breeze…