The arrow startled many passersby.
They looked around, avoiding it in fear that another arrow might follow.
Jin Anzai reacted extremely quickly, his eyes flashing coldly as he instinctively drew his sword.
His gaze locked onto the southeast direction of West Street, ready to act.
“You find a place to hide first.”
Lin Ting grabbed his arm.
“Wait.”
Jin Anzai looked at Lin Ting in confusion.
Wasn’t she the one most afraid of death?
Not only did she fail to hide as she usually would, but she was also stopping him from taking action.
Lin Ting didn’t have time to explain in detail and quickly said, “The one who shot the arrow is a Jinyiwei.”
Hearing it was the Jinyiwei, Jin Anzai sheathed his sword.
He had thought those hunting him had discovered his whereabouts and come after him.
Since it wasn’t them, there was still room to maneuver.
The moment Lin Ting saw Duan Ling, she understood why he was on West Street.
He must still be investigating the arrow attack on the day of the courtesan parade, trying to determine the exact shooting location and the shooter.
But in broad daylight, with so many people on the street, was this really the right time to verify it?
Then again, the Jinyiwei reported directly to the emperor, and their style of handling affairs was indeed swift, unrestrained, and audacious.
Still, how did this arrow just happen to land so close to her foot?
Could it be that Duan Ling did it on purpose?
Standing by the window to test his arrow, did he see her passing by and suddenly decide to take the opportunity to kill her?
That didn’t seem right.
With Duan Ling’s personality, if he wanted to kill her, he wouldn’t use such an ostentatious method.
So was this just a coincidence, or was it truly unintentional?
Just as Lin Ting was lost in a fog of thoughts, Duan Ling had unknowingly appeared before her.
He bent down, effortlessly pulling out the iron arrow deeply embedded in the bluestone pavement and handed it to the accompanying Jinyiwei.
Duan Ling glanced first at the young man beside Lin Ting before apologizing to her.
“Sorry, I missed.”
Even though Lin Ting was dressed as a man today, her features were still recognizable.
Anyone who had seen her before would recognize her at a glance without a mask.
Not to mention someone like Duan Ling, who often had to identify criminals in disguise and personally conduct arrests.
Lin Ting wanted to shoot an arrow at Duan Ling in return and then apologize to him, but she chose to act magnanimously instead.
“It’s fine, you didn’t hit me anyway. Lord Duan is investigating that incident from the other day?”
“I am.”
Perhaps realizing he shouldn’t reveal Jinyiwei affairs, Duan Ling didn’t say more.
Instead, he stated that to make up for startling her, he would send some restorative tonics to the Lin residence.
He glanced at the radish cake that had fallen to the ground, some pieces broken in half.
Lin Ting was momentarily stunned.
Tonic medicine?
She hated taking medicine the most—tonics included.
Besides, if they were sent to the Lin residence, there was no guarantee they would even reach her.
Someone might just take them and use them as a favor to someone else.
Just as she was about to refuse, a vision of shining silver taels seemed to flash before her eyes.
She immediately changed her words.
“Can I get cash instead?”
“Cash?”
Duan Ling was taken aback.
“I mean, you give me the silver you’d use to buy the tonic, and I’ll buy it myself. No need to trouble you.”
Lin Ting was afraid Duan Ling would refuse, so she explained quickly, barely stopping to breathe.
This had nothing to do with not wanting to trouble him—she was clearly eyeing the silver instead.
Jin Anzai rolled his eyes, thankful for the mask covering his face so others wouldn’t see.
To his surprise, Duan Ling agreed and took out a 500-tael banknote from his waist, handing it to Lin Ting.
Five hundred taels…
How many commissions would the bookstore have to take before earning this much?
Should he shoot another arrow at her?
One that wouldn’t hit, of course.
Lin Ting blinked in disbelief, feeling as if she were dreaming.
Seeing the note’s value, she was overjoyed, barely restraining herself from jumping up.
It took all her strength to suppress the wild grin threatening to spread across her face.
“This is too much, I can’t possibly accept it…” she said, while stuffing the banknote into her pocket.
Duan Ling observed her every move and spoke in a neutral tone.
“I startled Miss Lin Qi, so this is only right.”
Lin Ting smiled, discreetly touching the banknote in her pocket, her heart warm with excitement.
She wasn’t sure if it was just her imagination, but Duan Ling seemed even more handsome today.
Jin Anzai silently took a few steps away from Lin Ting, trying to act as if he didn’t know her.
Duan Ling then turned his gaze to Jin Anzai.
His sharp eyes briefly scanned the mask Jin Anzai wore and stopped at the black iron sword in his hand.
“And this is…?”
“He’s my friend,” Lin Ting quickly responded, already guessing what Duan Ling wanted to ask.
After the arrow incident, West Street soon returned to normal.
The commoners, seeing that nothing else had happened, no longer paid much attention—though they did choose to walk around the Jinyiwei to avoid them.
Looking around, street performers entertained passersby with dazzling tricks, vendors bustled about, and children played.
The mix of sounds blended into a lively melody.
It was noisy all around, and Duan Ling seemed not to have heard clearly.
“He is Miss Lin Qi’s friend?”
Lin Ting didn’t want others knowing too much about Jin Anzai’s background.
She had a feeling it would be bad for him.
After all, she had rescued him from a mass grave and knew nothing about his true identity—nor did she want to ask.
She smiled and said, “Yes, he’s my friend. His name is Jin Anzai.”
Duan Ling, you can’t fool me, you’re probably feeling jealous inside.