As Lin Ting waited for him to return, she racked her brains for a reason to leave.
The waiter soon came back, making her even more anxious, but her mind was blank.
Her gaze drifted over to Duan Ling’s hand and she noticed another scratch.
“How did your hand get hurt again?”
Duan Ling lowered his hand, sleeve covering the scratch.
“I saw a pretty stone in the courtyard this morning and was delighted, so I picked it up—not realizing it would scratch my hand.”
This was half true, half false.
The “true” part was that he did see a pretty stone in the courtyard and wanted to hold it tight, but it cut him.
The “false” part was that he’d actually seen it late last night, not this morning.
“I’ll go buy you some medicine.”
Lin Ting walked out quickly, not giving Duan Ling a chance to refuse.
Leaving the restaurant, Lin Ting disguised herself as she had before, then bought two kinds of medicine separately.
When she returned to the Yajian, the waiter was still warming the wine, and Duan Ling was watching him use hot water for the task.
Lin Ting hadn’t expected to buy the Aphrodisiac so smoothly today—it felt like a dream.
Steadying herself, she took out the wound medicine and sat down beside Duan Ling.
“Give me your hand.”
He gave her his hand.
She applied the medicine for him, and just then, the waiter finished warming the wine, pouring them each a cup before bringing over the food.
“Please enjoy your meal, Masters.”
Duan Ling, however, just stared at his hand in a daze.
Lin Ting knocked on the table and pushed the bowls and chopsticks toward him.
“If you don’t eat soon, the food will get cold.”
By the time they finished lunch, it was just past noon.
Lin Ting had accomplished her goal of buying the Aphrodisiac, so whether they kept shopping wasn’t so important anymore.
Still, even though she had a reason for going to the pharmacy—to buy medicine for Duan Ling’s wound—returning immediately after would be a bit suspicious.
So Lin Ting continued strolling for another half a day, enjoying herself before finally taking the carriage home.
Back at the residence, Lin Ting wanted to visit Duan Xinning.
The reason she hadn’t agreed to let Duan Xinning into their courtyard yesterday was because she didn’t want her to see all the locks used to secure the doors.
Duan Xinning was still pregnant—if she were startled, it wouldn’t be good for her or the child.
At this moment, Lin Ting entered and pulled Duan Ling along toward Duan Xinning’s courtyard.
“I bought some pastries for Linguan.”
She had to bring him along since Duan Xinning’s courtyard was a bit far from theirs, more than a hundred paces away.
Duan Ling instructed the servants to bring the clothes and other pastries from the carriage back to their own courtyard, then said, “You can have a servant deliver them.”
Lin Ting didn’t stop, stepping onto the stone steps and around the corridor.
“I want to deliver them myself.”
He was silent for a moment then he agreed and said, “Alright.”
Taking the chance to chat with Duan Xinning, Lin Ting secretly hid the Aphrodisiac in her room.
Since they were chatting in the inner chamber and Duan Ling was waiting outside, he wouldn’t know.
And Duan Xinning didn’t notice either—she wasn’t watching Lin Ting’s every move.
When evening fell, Lin Ting and Duan Ling stayed in Duan Xinning’s courtyard for dinner.
As they were about to leave, Xia Zimo came looking for Duan Xinning.
Lin Ting asked Xia Zimo to pass a message to Jin Anazai, saying she would meet him in a few days as agreed.
After saying this, she left.
But as soon as Xia Zimo entered and exchanged a few words with Duan Xinning, they started arguing.
Lin Ting hadn’t even left the courtyard when she heard their voices and turned back.
“Young Master Xia, you know Linguan is pregnant, and you’re still arguing with her?”
Xia Zimo frowned deeply.
He took a few steps, calming himself.
“It’s not that I want to argue with Linguan. Ever since she got pregnant, she’s become more and more unreasonable.”
Duan Xinning buried her face in Zhilan’s shoulder, sobbing.
Hearing this, she snapped, “Get out! I don’t want to see you.”
Her temper had grown since becoming pregnant.
Hearing Duan Xinning cry, Xia Zimo immediately regretted the argument and softened his tone.
“It’s my fault, don’t cry.”
Lin Ting stood between them like a wall, blocking Xia Zimo from approaching Duan Xinning.
“If you were nauseous and uncomfortable all the time, unable to move easily, I don’t think you’d be in a good mood either. You say she’s unreasonable, but I think you’re the one being unreasonable.”
Duan Ling’s gaze drifted between them, finally settling on Lin Ting’s face.
Xia Zimo: “I…”
Lin Ting couldn’t be bothered to listen to his excuses, enunciating each word, “Please leave, Young Master Xia.”
She didn’t want to hit him in front of Duan Xinning.
Seeing that Duan Xinning really didn’t want to see him, Xia Zimo said no more, left the sour fruit he’d brought on the table, and walked out.
Lin Ting stayed with Duan Xinning a while longer before leaving herself.
Back in her room, the more Lin Ting thought about it, the angrier she got.
Duan Ling came up behind her, gently and slowly untying the silk sash in her hair and said, “It’s getting late. I’ll have someone bring your bathwater. After you bathe, rest early.”
Have someone bring bathwater?
Didn’t they have no servants in the courtyard now?
Lin Ting instantly forgot about Xia Zimo, tilting her head to look at Duan Ling.
“Have someone?”
Duan Ling held her silk sash.
“Mm, didn’t you say yesterday you wanted to keep a few servants in the courtyard to help out? I thought about it and decided you were right, so I called a few back.”
Lin Ting let out an “oh,” glancing at the door—he hadn’t locked it tonight, either.
Actually, Lin Ting had thought it through—if, after all these days of her compromising, Duan Ling still refused to trust her and kept confining her, she wouldn’t throw a tantrum, but she would beat him up and tie him up herself.
Of course, she wasn’t a match for Duan Ling, but it was enough that he wouldn’t fight back.
***
On the day she was to meet Jin Anazai, Lin Ting went early to Duan Xinning’s room to retrieve the Aphrodisiac, then arrived at Sui Zhang Restaurant half an hour ahead of time.
Duan Ling was there too, but not in the same Yajian—he waited for her downstairs.
Lin Ting had arrived too early—Jin Anazai and Xia Zimo hadn’t arrived yet, so she had to wait.
Soon, the door opened.
At the sound, she instinctively tightened her grip on the medicine and turned to the door.
Jin Anazai entered first.
After being bedridden for several days with serious injuries and taking so much medicine, he looked thinner than before.
Xia Zimo followed behind but didn’t come in, closing the door and standing guard outside, clearly intending to wait until they finished talking before entering.
Jin Anazai wasn’t wearing his mask today, revealing a face with a scar as long as a finger, but his complexion was still good, his eyes cold and clear.
“You finally agreed to see me. I thought you, this friend who puts romance before friendship, had already forgotten me.”
Lin Ting: “…..”
She stood up, looking Jin Anazai over to make sure he was alright, and joked, “If I forgot everyone, I’d never forget you. After all, you’re the one who gave me the Golden Apple.”
Jin Anazai replied sarcastically, “Oh? Not taking care of your sickly husband today?”
Lin Ting coughed a few times.
“He had a sudden attack that day. I didn’t mean to miss our meeting. Besides, it’s not like he gets sick every day.”
Jin Anazai walked over.
Without his martial arts, even walking felt unfamiliar to him now.
“How come you never mentioned Duan Ling being ill before?”
Lin Ting sat back down, eyes darting mischievously.
“You never asked.”
Jin Anazai raised an eyebrow, sitting across from her and casually asking, “What illness does he have?”
Lin Ting sipped her tea, face unchanged.
“That’s his private matter—not convenient to share.”
Jin Anazai didn’t press further, taking a sip of tea and putting the cup down.
“I came to see you today because I have something to give you.”
She was already thinking about how to slip Xia Zimo the medicine later and absentmindedly asked, “What?”
“The Treasury Key.”
Lin Ting’s eyes widened in shock, nearly dropping the medicine in her hand.
“Jin Anazai, what did you say you’re giving me?”
Jin Anazai looked at her with disdain.
“Haven’t seen you for a month and you’ve gone deaf? I said I’m giving you the Treasury Key—did you hear me this time?”
She stared at him, full of suspicion.
“Why are you giving me the Treasury Key?”
Jin Anazai took out a key and handed it to her.
“Didn’t you ask me before if I could take you to see the Treasury? Now I’m giving you the Treasury Key directly. If you want to go, just go.”
The Treasury Key had a small mechanism inside, which contained a map showing the location of the Treasury.
Lin Ting didn’t take the key and said, “I don’t want it. You keep it. Unless you take me there yourself, I don’t have time to go.”
“Really don’t want it?”
“Really,” she said firmly.
After a while, Jin Anazai put the key away, chatted with her about other things for a bit, then opened the door to let Xia Zimo in.
Xia Zimo entered and closed the door behind him.
“Miss Lin Qi.”
Because he’d made Duan Xinning cry in their argument a few days ago, he felt a bit awkward seeing Lin Ting.
Lin Ting wanted to ignore Xia Zimo, but still put on a polite act, picking up the teapot and pouring him a cup.
“Thank you, Young Master Xia, for protecting Jin Anazai these days. You waited outside for us so long—you must be thirsty. Have some tea.”
“You’re too kind.” Xia Zimo was a bit surprised, since she’d scolded and even hit him before.
He accepted the cup with both hands and drank.
Meanwhile, in the Yajian next door, Duan Ling crushed a teacup in his hand, porcelain shards cutting into his palm.
Lin Ting had no idea Duan Ling was in the next Yajian—she thought he was downstairs—and was focused entirely on the System notification: [Congratulations, Host. The final Mission is complete. You may now choose to erase the System.]
Without hesitation, she said, “Erase.”