When Lin Ting saw the arrow, her first reaction was to let go of Jin Anzai’s hand and dodge.
She might not excel at many things, but when it came to evading, she was the best, even surpassing Jin Anzai in this regard.
Just as Lin Ting was about to dodge, she was surprised to find that the arrow had missed its mark, landing behind her at an angle.
Even if she hadn’t moved, it wouldn’t have hit her.
On the city gate, two figures stood with bows drawn.
The one in red was unmistakably Duan Ling, and it was he who had shot the arrow at her.
Duan Ling had missed?
Lin Ting remembered Duan Xinning saying that her second brother was the best archer in the Great Yan, never missing his target.
He had even defeated a foreign envoy who was skilled in mounted archery, earning the emperor’s favor.
Though puzzled, she didn’t stop, running even faster and occasionally glancing back at the city gate to ensure no more arrows were coming her way.
Jin Anzai grabbed Lin Ting’s hand again, trying to get her to run ahead of him.
Miss Song was also safe, doing her best to keep up with them.
In life-or-death situations, people often tap into previously unknown reserves of strength.
She was unharmed because the Prince of Liang’s arrow had missed even more widely, failing to hit anyone.
The Prince of Liang refused to admit his poor archery skills.
Glancing at Duan Ling and seeing that he too had missed, he felt somewhat better:
“Commander Duan also missed? But it’s not our fault; the rain today is too heavy. Let’s try again.”
A servant brought more arrows to their side.
Duan Ling didn’t respond to the prince.
He calmly drew a second arrow, his gaze fixed in the distance, then landing on Lin Ting’s hand, tightly held by Jin Anzai.
His eyelashes flickered slightly, and he shot the arrow again.
The arrow pierced through the rain, drawing a beautiful arc in the air.
This arrow wasn’t entirely off target, passing through the gap just above their clasped hands.
Yet it wasn’t precise either, failing to harm anyone, not even grazing their hands.
Every time Duan Ling prepared to shoot, he couldn’t help but recall the image of Lin Ting running toward him, causing his hand to shift slightly.
Duan Ling paused for a moment, tightening his grip on the bow, but didn’t reach for another arrow.
Meanwhile, the Prince of Liang failed to shoot a second arrow, his hands trembling as he lost his grip.
Furious, he threw the arrow aside, too preoccupied to wonder why Duan Ling had missed again, and ordered the city gates opened to capture them.
The soldiers obeyed, but as soon as the gates opened, a mournful sound of a xun flute echoed through the air.
Suddenly, a flock of eagles appeared out of nowhere.
Before the soldiers could react, the eagles’ sharp claws tore at their faces, clothes, and arms.
Only then did they draw their swords to fend off the birds.
Several eagles attacked the Prince of Liang relentlessly.
Despite his efforts to shield himself, he collapsed in pain, curling up and crying out,
“Someone save me! Get these things away! It hurts!”
Duan Ling ignored the scene, setting down his bow and calmly descending the city gate.
The one who had summoned the eagles was Jin Anzai.
After calmly playing a few notes on the xun, he quickly mounted a horse with Lin Ting and the others, disappearing into the distance.
The pouring rain soon washed away the hoofprints, leaving no trace.
Once they safely reached the dock, the Song siblings, as an apology, gave Jin Anzai an extra five hundred taels of silver.
Jin Anzai accepted the silver with a grim expression:
“You broke the rules. We won’t have any more opportunities to work together. Don’t let me see you again, or I won’t be so polite.”
Lin Ting also gave the Song siblings a cold look.
Their plan had been well-prepared, but because of their recklessness, the Prince of Liang had discovered them, complicating matters.
Miss Song, aware of her brother’s grave mistake, remained silent until they boarded the boat and left.
After seeing the siblings off, Lin Ting carried her bag to a rundown temple to change out of her skirt.
As she changed, she couldn’t help but think about Duan Ling’s missed shots.
If she hadn’t miscounted, he had shot two arrows, both of which had missed.
Was it because of the heavy rain that Duan Ling had missed so many times?
After changing, Jin Anzai entered the temple from outside, opening his bag to give her a solution to remove her disguise:
“For the next month, the bookstore won’t be taking any business.”
“Alright.”
Lin Ting had no objections.
It was best to lay low for a while.
She had already gathered three thousand taels, and this time she had earned a few hundred more.
Even if she left the Lin family now, she wouldn’t have to worry about food or clothing, living a comfortable life.
Jin Anzai watched as the solution slowly dissolved the yellowish fake skin on Lin Ting’s face, revealing her flawless, fair complexion and striking features.
Suddenly, he asked, “Are you close with Duan Ling?”
The solution mixed with the fake skin, making Lin Ting’s face sticky.
She took out a handkerchief to wipe it off: “We’re not close. Why do you ask?”
The temple’s roof had several holes, and rain dripped in through the cracks.
Jin Anzai looked up at the drifting rain, catching a few drops in his hand and feeling the coolness.
He then turned and sat in a corner, removing his own disguise:
“I thought you two were close.”
Lin Ting wondered if Jin Anzai had lost his mind.
She also caught some rainwater to wash her face:
“Why do you think we’re close?”
He thought for a moment: “You two seem close.”
She stared at him in shock, standing up:
“We seem close? Jin Anzai, are you blind? If you knew what I’ve done to him in the past, you wouldn’t think so.”
Jin Anzai raised an eyebrow:
“No need to get so worked up. But what did you do to him? Kiss him at the Prince of Liang’s residence?”
Lin Ting: “…”
He casually wrung the water from his clothes, recalling past events:
“When the Yellow Crane Tower on South Gate Street caught fire, you risked your life to save him. Isn’t that a sign of a close relationship?”
She argued,
“It was a matter of life and death. I couldn’t just watch him die in front of me. It has nothing to do with anything else. When we return to the capital, I’ll find you a doctor to treat your eyes.”
Jin Anzai said calmly,
“You should keep the doctor for yourself to treat your brain.”
“Hmph.”
He seemed to recall something else and asked,
“What do you think of Duan Ling?”
Lin Ting paused before answering:
“He’s a member of the Imperial Guards, ruthless and vengeful. I’ve seen him kill someone before. His martial arts skills are on par with yours. I’m warning you, don’t provoke him.”
Jin Anzai: “Is that all?”
She propped her chin on her hand:
“He’s quite good-looking, even more so than you.”
“Get lost.”
The next day, news of the Prince of Liang being attacked by eagles on the city gate and being powerless to resist spread far and wide, becoming a topic of conversation among the people.
While the Prince of Liang was fuming in his residence, Lin Ting was peacefully catching up on sleep in her room.
Though the previous day’s mission had been perilous, it was also exhausting, and she needed the rest.
So, Lin Ting slept comfortably for the entire day, undisturbed.
The servants in Tingling Courtyard cleaned her room quietly, careful not to wake her.
Lin Ting woke in the evening, roused by hunger.
She hadn’t eaten for nearly a day.
Seeing that Lin Ting was awake, Tao Zhu instructed the maids to prepare a meal.
The kitchen had pre-cooked dishes that only needed to be reheated, so it didn’t take long before the food was served.
When the dishes were brought in, Lin Ting immediately put aside her worries and dug in:
“This is delicious! The pig’s trotters are perfectly cooked- soft but not mushy. And this soup is so flavorful.”
Tao Zhu wiped the rice grains from the corner of Lin Ting’s mouth with a handkerchief:
“Miss Seven, eat slowly. No one’s going to take it from you. Don’t choke.”
Within fifteen minutes, Lin Ting had finished all the food and even eaten a lot of fruit.
With her stomach full, it was time to think about serious matters.
The task of kissing Duan Ling couldn’t be delayed any longer, or she’d end up in a cold coffin.
Lin Ting sat quietly at her desk, pondering for a long time.
She scribbled on a piece of paper before finally asking Tao Zhu to find out Duan Ling’s whereabouts for the next few days.
She needed to see him to kiss him.
Tao Zhu didn’t ask why, obediently carrying out the task.
Miss Seven wanted to know Duan Ling’s movements, surely because she wanted to spend more time with him, hoping he would fall for her over time, thus allowing her to carry out her plan to torment him.
Money makes the world go round, and within half a day, Tao Zhu had gathered the information she needed.
She hurried back to Tingling Courtyard to inform Lin Ting:
“Miss Seven, Miss Seven! There’s been unrest in Suzhou, and the emperor has sent Duan Ling to investigate. He’s leaving the capital tomorrow.”
The brush in Lin Ting’s hand clattered onto the table:
“What? Duan Ling is leaving the capital to investigate the unrest in Suzhou? How long will he be gone?”
Tao Zhu replied,
“I’ve heard it could be as short as a month or as long as three months.”
A month to three months?
By the time he returned, her corpse would be stiff.
Lin Ting’s mind was in turmoil as she picked up the brush and quickly wrote a letter:
“Send this letter to the Northern Administrative Office immediately, to be handed to Duan Ling.”
After a moment’s thought, she corrected herself:
“No, send it to the Duan residence.”
Since he was leaving the capital, he would likely be at home packing.
Lin Ting didn’t hide the letter from Tao Zhu, so the latter saw its contents.
The letter invited Duan Ling to meet Lin Ting at Nanshan Pavilion, as she had something important to discuss.
Tao Zhu placed the letter in an envelope:
“Miss Seven, do you want to see Duan Ling one last time before he leaves?”
Tao Zhu thought to herself that Miss Seven was truly resourceful, knowing that meeting before parting would deepen their bond.
She had chosen this moment to see him, making him think she was reluctant to let him go, ensuring he would remember her even after he left.
Over time, Duan Ling would become deeply attached to Miss Seven…
Lin Ting put on her outer garments, preparing to go to Nanshan Pavilion to wait for Duan Ling:
“Yes, I must see Duan Ling before he leaves the capital.”
Tao Zhu rushed out with the letter:
“Miss Seven, don’t worry. I won’t let you down. I’ll make sure this letter reaches Duan Ling’s hands, and you’ll see him today.”
She was like a gust of wind, disappearing from Lin Ting’s sight in an instant.
Lin Ting finished dressing and, without waiting for Tao Zhu to return, dashed out like a streak of smoke, arriving at Nanshan Pavilion in no time.
She went straight to the counter on the first floor and asked the manager if they had any wine that would get someone drunk immediately.
Nanshan Pavilion didn’t have any wine that could get someone drunk in one sip, and neither did the world, unless the person had a very low tolerance.
The manager tactfully asked Lin Ting about the drinker’s tolerance.
Duan Ling’s tolerance was better than hers, so Lin Ting answered honestly:
“Very good.”
“Is it a man or a woman?”