"HOW STRANGE," said Feng Xiao. "This isn't your house, and you didn't invent those words or their pronunciation. We're in a public space, but I'm not even allowed to speak? Is there no law in this land?"
Feng Xiao kept his gaze fixed on the young man as he shoved the meat into Cui Buqu's bowl. Cui Buqu slid the bowl away, but it was like the chopsticks had eyes—they perfectly followed his movements and dipped into his bowl with unerring accuracy.
Cui Buqu glared at the meat in his bowl as if he could see traces of saliva from Feng Xiao's chopsticks on it. Never mind the food; he didn't even want to touch the bowl anymore.
But it seemed Feng Xiao wasn't done. He pushed a plate of fried beans toward Cui Buqu. "Are the meat dishes not to your taste? That's fine too. There're still beans. Here, I'll peel them for you—white and tender! Hurry up and try one. Or shall I feed you?"
Cui Buqu watched him in silence. Feng Xiao's hands were beautiful, peeling beans with the same grace as plucking flowers. In the blink of an eye, a pile of peeled beans appeared before Cui Buqu, each one neatly arranged.
Pei Jingzhe was speechless.
"Eat," said Feng Xiao.
Cui Buqu knew Feng Xiao was doing this on purpose, but still couldn't help his lips twitching. He turned his head to look out the window, pointedly ignoring Feng Xiao.
Someone else lost their temper instead.
"You!" Su Xing's face was flushed with anger. He rose from his seat to march over, but the girl next to him grabbed his sleeve.
"Let it go, Cousin!" she whispered, looking deeply embarrassed. "That man there is Abbot Cui; this person must be his friend."
"He's the one who started it. I'm gonna give that guy a piece of my mind!" Incensed, Su Xing roared at Feng Xiao. "You look like a gentleman, but you speak like a boor! Where are your manners?!"
The girl bowed to Cui Buqu. "Has Abbot Cui been well?"
Cui Buqu evidently knew her too. "May the blessings of the gods be upon you, little Lu-niangzi.9 Is your mother well?"
"Yes, all thanks to Abbot Cui's prescription." The girl smiled. "Her heart palpitations have been greatly alleviated."
Cui Buqu nodded. "The prescriptions of this humble Daoist can only alleviate the symptoms for a time; they cannot cure her affliction. The Lu family should look for some skilled physicians for her."
"As you say, Abbot Cui," the girl said gently.
Su Xing turned his attention to them. "So it was Daoist Master Cui who helped treat my aunt. Her health has indeed improved a lot recently. This Su thanks you deeply." He cupped his hands and bowed to Cui Buqu, then said, "Forgive me for my bluntness—the Daoist master's friend here is far too rude. Considering your reputation, it would be best if you didn't associate with such a person."
"You're mistaken," said Cui Buqu frostily. "He's not my friend; I hardly know him."
Su Xing eyed Feng Xiao doubtfully, his skepticism written clear on his face.
Feng Xiao smiled. "Why are you looking at me like that? Though my looks are peerless throughout the land and my charm a rare treasure few have enjoyed, all of it is quite out of your league."
Cui Buqu was speechless again.
Su Xing's complexion cycled from green to white, then from white to green, as though he'd come down with food poisoning. But with Cui Buqu and Lady Lu watching, even if he wanted to rip into Feng Xiao, he couldn't. Finally, he turned and stalked sullenly away.
Feng Xiao watched the couple leave. His frivolous smile vanished, replaced with a look of deep thought. "That Su Xing is a bit odd. Is that why you introduced him to me?"
"Since Lu Ti has no sons, he's raised Su Xing as his son-in-law ever since he took the boy in. Su Xing devotes himself to his studies, but his academic talents are average at best. However, he's shown promise as a businessman. Lu Ti was pleased to see it; he's already given Su Xing two shops to manage."
"That's still odd," said Feng Xiao. "If his skill is in managing businesses, you'd expect him to know how to handle prickly customers. Why did he lose his temper just because I mimicked him?"
Cui Buqu sniped, "Perhaps Feng-langjun's face simply enrages whoever looks at it. No matter where you go, everyone finds you disagreeable."
Feng Xiao smiled. "How can that be? Just now, Lady Lu was gazing at me with such awe and admiration."
Cui Buqu had met narcissists before, but this was the first time he'd encountered such an extreme example. He stared at Feng Xiao in disbelief. "Does Feng-langjun often look in the mirror to admire his own reflection?"
Not often, always, Pei Jingzhe observed silently.
Feng Xiao raised an eyebrow. "Did I not speak the truth?"
Cui Buqu snorted coldly. He couldn't be bothered to keep arguing. "The natural conclusion is that he acts differently before Lady Lu than his customers."
"Lady Lu likes his fiery temper, so he flares up in front of her. Lu Ti likes clever people, so he plays the bright and studious youth for him. Most interesting!" said Feng Xiao. "Ququ, you've figured out practically everyone during your two-month stay in Liugong City. Even the women of the Lu family haven't escaped your eyes! Those who know you know you're a Daoist, but those who don't might think you're planning something shady!"
Cui Buqu chuckled, his smile bright and fake. "But haven't I still fallen into the demonic clutches of the Jiejian Bureau's Feng-erlang?"
"Now you're incorrect," said Feng Xiao. "The Jiejian Bureau was established by decree of the emperor, with equal authority to the Ministry of Justice. All this about 'demonic clutches'—aren't you criticizing His Majesty? Rest assured, I won't forget this."
Worry not. I've got a longer memory than you, Cui Buqu thought. He coughed feebly twice, trying to conserve his strength.
When the three had finished their meal, they walked together to Linlang Pavilion's Liugong City branch.
***
Unbeknownst to Feng Xiao and Pei Jingzhe, soon after they left, a man and woman entered the private second-floor room.
The woman spoke first: "The lord chief's complexion looked very poor just now. Has he fallen ill again?"
She had a voice as cold as snow and ice, yet her face was extraordinarily beautiful. The contradiction existed in perfect harmony—like a soaring swan, or an orchid in bloom. Even without an observer to appreciate it, her beauty illuminated heaven and earth.
The man beside her didn't answer. He walked over to the table where Cui Buqu and the others had been eating. After leaning down to look for a while, he suddenly swept aside the beans on the table.
The woman came around the table to join him. "What did the lord chief leave us?"
"Cold plum blossom fragrance," the man said quietly.
The woman frowned.
"The lord chief wants us to find a perfume with the fragrance of cold plum blossom?"
The man said shortly, "Khotan. Homicide case." He treasured words like gold and spoke as little as possible.
Luckily, the woman had worked alongside him for many years; she could extract a complete thought from these few syllables. "The cold plum blossom fragrance has something to do with the Khotanese homicide case," she said. "But if the connection was obvious, the Jiejian Bureau would have found it already, and the lord chief wouldn't have left a clue for us. Either way, we should head to a perfume shop and ask some questions."