cold clothes

Yin Jiu's teasing tone made Leng Yi blush slightly.

“Juyi Private Room…this is it.” Following the long table, Yin Jiu found the private room that Liang Shuyun had reserved. He turned to Leng Yi and winked, “Put poison in there and Liang Shuyun will be poisoned.”

Upon hearing this, Leng Yi frantically turned her head around: "Won't we be discovered if we're so blatant? Hey, why is there no one here?" Only then did Leng Yi realize that something was wrong. She hadn't seen a single person since she entered the kitchen, as if everyone had vanished into thin air.

"Today is the day Fengxianglou pays its monthly wages. The servants have all gone to the accounting office to check their accounts and collect their pay," Yin Jiu explained to her.

"Oh—so you just got paid and came here." Leng Yi suddenly realized, no wonder Yin Jiu was out of the herbal medicine shop today, it turned out it was payday.

"..." Yin Jiu watched her fall silent, then nodded in confirmation of Leng Yi's idea.

The overworked office worker, Leng Yi, couldn't help but sigh, "It's so nice to get paid! I've been working at Fengxianglou for months and haven't earned a single penny! How much is Yin Jiu's monthly salary? To be honest, I have no concept of currency..."

"Don't get sidetracked, we're here to poison them." Yin Jiu, both amused and exasperated, pulled a package from her clothes and opened it to reveal green powder inside.

Leng Yi stared wide-eyed as Yin Jiu sprinkled the powder into the soup and stirred it until it was completely dissolved. Then she asked nervously, "Will this powder cause blood to flow from all seven orifices if I eat it? Liang Shuyun died in front of me, so I must be a prime suspect, right? Won't I be arrested by the soldiers and executed in the autumn?"

Yin Jiu glanced at her and retorted, "Only now are you starting to worry about your life? Weren't you very brave yesterday?"

Leng Yi stuck out her tongue.

"Actually, I put in a laxative, which I specially prepared to ensure he would have diarrhea for three days straight."

"Huh?" Leng Yi stared blankly, then wanted to jump up and hit Yin Jiu with a hammer: "Are you kidding me?"

Yin Jiu didn't understand why Leng Yi was angry: "Wouldn't it be better to make him wish he were dead?"

Leng Yi was so angry that she almost turned around and left: "I knew I couldn't rely on you. You're such a childish kid."

"I'll be eleven in two months!" Yin Jiu protested when Leng Yi called him childish.

"Eleven years old is still a childish brat." Leng Yi, whose soul was that of a mature woman in her twenties, scoffed.

"How old are you? Are you older than me?" Yin Jiu asked.

"Don't tell you!"

Yin Jiu frowned in annoyance and said, "I'm taller than you, so I must be older than you."

"Pfft, comparing this? Childish, what a child!" Leng Yi scoffed mercilessly. In her eyes, Yin Jiu was just an innocent boy. She didn't know Yin Jiu's past, but after spending time with him, she could appreciate his childlike nature and gentle kindness. Although she complained about Yin Jiu's childishness, she was actually grateful that Yin Jiu had once again lifted her spirits. His previously dark and stubborn side had dissipated, allowing her to face the upcoming events with a calmer mind.

"Let's go out quickly, someone's probably coming back soon." Leng Yi hurriedly pulled Yin Jiu away.

Yin Jiu didn't feel nervous at all, as if poisoning the guests' food didn't need to be done secretly at all, and the servants' room was indeed empty as if no one was there.

Leng Yi led Yin Jiu outside the servants' quarters. After glancing at the sky, where dusk was falling, the sun was setting, and the moon was rising, and the wind was getting cooler, she told Yin Jiu to hurry back to the herbal medicine hall.

"It's getting dark and cold outside. You're not feeling well, so you should go back quickly."

A hint of surprise flashed in Yin Jiu's eyes, which quickly turned into a smile. Her dark eyes curved into crescent moons as she said, whether with relief or sarcasm, "I didn't expect you to notice that I am frail and sickly. Miss Ningbi is truly meticulous."

"That sounds so sarcastic..."

Yin Jiu smiled and left. Leng Yi watched his retreating figure and suddenly felt that Yin Jiu's figure was taller than she remembered, like an adult. Why did she have this feeling? Was it his walking posture...?

As luck would have it, just as Yin Jiu left, the maids and nannies returned in a line. Some complained that the courtesan Yun Qiu had lost something in the servants' quarters and had all the servants questioned. They were only released after a thorough search of the entire quarters failed to find it, which had disrupted their work. Unfortunately, Leng Yi didn't hear any of this.

The servants quickly got to their tasks. Leng Yi touched the small knife hidden at her waist, imagining for the umpteenth time that she would draw it and slash forward. After that, she followed the others to prepare to serve the guests. They would rush to the guests' aid as soon as they called.

-

Liang Shuyun was in a very good mood today. As the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works, he had just taken over several major construction projects and was about to make a lot of money. His old rival could only be jealous. Just thinking about his old rival's expression made him feel extremely happy.

His mood was heightened whenever he was happy. He had some little-known fetishes, taking pleasure in torturing and raping women. After raping and killing his first woman, he deeply felt this pleasure, that despairing feeling, like adding bruises and red marks to a woman's white body as if painting on a blank sheet of paper, all of which gave him unparalleled pleasure. However, he hid it well, only torturing and killing unregistered women he had bought in his purchased villa, so he was able to maintain his reputation for elegance and purity.

The only exception was that he killed Yunmei, a prostitute at Fengxianglou. From the first moment he saw Yunmei, he could tell that she was the daughter of a servant who had escaped from his mansion five years ago, and she looked almost exactly like her mother.

He would never forget what his mother looked like, for she was the inspiration that brought him endless joy. He imagined that night when he rode on her back, galloping freely, with her husband's bleeding body beside him. The valiant woman's cries sounded painful and desperate, and he loved them dearly.

His mother had fallen into his hands, and now his daughter too. He was ecstatic; he loved the feeling of his prey struggling desperately, yet unable to escape. As he pinned Yunmei down, he told her about her mother's tears and screams, watching with satisfaction as layers of tears and hatred piled up in her eyes. Yunmei was more beautiful than her mother, more capable of suppressing her emotions; that resilient and unyielding demeanor only fueled his desire to ravage her. He truly wanted to take Yunmei home and enjoy her every night, but unfortunately, he was in a bad mood that day and went too far. What a pity.

He even paid Mrs. Hu a considerable sum to keep quiet, but it stung for quite some time. However, it led him to discover a new, stunning beauty, a little girl with beautiful blue eyes. The intense resentment in those shimmering blue eyes was like that of a fierce wolf in a dark forest, yet tears flowed like a spring... If Mrs. Hu hadn't been hiding her, he would have taken her home on the spot.

To his utter surprise, the girl had gone blind, and Hu's mother had clearly abandoned her. He felt deep regret; why hadn't she blinded herself? However, he had the opportunity to mutilate the rest of her body.