Mo Lingya’s sword-like brows twitched slightly as his cold gaze swept over. “What are you looking at?”

Yin Yin realized that Mo Lingya really liked asking her that question. “Nothing. Just thinking how small the world is.”

Mo Lingya’s lips moved slightly, but he ignored her. Yin Yin followed his gaze, then smiled knowingly. “So you’re here to see Yanyan? A man should know when to hold on and when to let go.”

“If you say one more word, I’ll cut your tongue out.”

Mo Lingya’s threat proved effective. Yin Yin remained silent for the next half an hour.

……

Gu Chenyan sat by the incense table. In front of her was a celadon incense burner decorated with lotus patterns, quietly burning charcoal inside.

She placed a fragrant pill into the burner, then lightly fanned it with a round fan. Soon, a subtle aroma wafted out from the burner, gradually permeating the entire room.

Yin Yin didn’t know how to describe the scent. But somehow, it stirred a warmth in her heart so intense it made her want to cry. It was like the first ray of sunlight piercing through morning clouds, or a seed that had waited a long time finally breaking through the soil. Like a surging sea, yet also like an endless sky.

It was the breath of life.

For the first time, Yin Yin felt the meaning of the word ‘life’. Beyond breath and heartbeat, something else was telling her, ‘I’m alive, right here’.

“Ah, this scent is like the forest after a fresh rain……”

“No, I think it’s more like the sea breeze……”

“The poetic nature of this incense…… It can no longer be measured by mere craftsmanship……”

“Sigh, even my own ‘Hidden Orchid’ can’t compare……”

Murmurs of admiration filled the crowd, all praising the incense Gu Chenyan had crafted.

“This is the incense pill I created. It’s called ‘Rebirth’.”

Whispers arose again among the onlookers. Yin Yin noticed Madam Yin nodding with satisfaction.

“Hmph.” Mo Lingya snorted beside her. “At least all that effort I spent searching for that agarwood wasn’t wasted.”

His words startled Yin Yin. “You’re the one who found the agarwood?”

“Who else do you think could’ve done it? Yanyan on her own?” His tone was full of disdain, making Yin Yin itch to punch him in the face with a meteor punch.

But thinking of the consequences, she held back.

“Musk and agarwood are so valuable precisely because they grow in extremely harsh environments and are very rare.”

Yin Yin stared at Mo Lingya as if he were a rare animal. “You don’t seem like someone who’s so eager to help others.”

Mo Lingya’s gaze darkened as he looked at Gu Chenyan. “I just want to see what she can stir up.”

Tch, keep being a tsundere^[1]presenting as unfriendly and blunt, but warm and tender inside. You’ll be stuck with your right hand for the rest of your life.  ╮(╯_╰)╭

Fortunately, Mo Lingya didn’t seem to notice what Yin Yin was thinking, otherwise, he wouldn’t have turned and left so briskly.

Qing Shancha stared at the wisps of smoke rising from the incense burner before Gu Chenyan, seemingly lost in thought.

Rebirth?

She had meant to sneer inwardly, but when a cold tear slid from the corner of her eye, even she was stunned.

If you can’t break out of your cocoon, then all that awaits you is hell.

She wiped her tear away and fixed her gaze on the person seated by the incense table.

Yin Yin was still offering her congratulations to Gu Chenyan when a sharp scream suddenly came from the side.

“What’s happening?”

Everyone’s attention snapped to the source of the scream, only to see that the incense burner in front of Qingmei was unexpectedly on fire. The charcoal inside it had started burning fiercely, glowing with a strange bluish flame.

Though the fire wasn’t large, Qingmei was already terrified, her face pale as she fell to the ground. Someone tried to help her up, but she pushed them away in a panic. Her eyes fixated on the flames, wide with overwhelming fear.

Like a madwoman, she shoved through the crowd and ran out of the hall.

Gu Chenyan frowned slightly at the sight of her fleeing figure. “Such a small fire, and she’s that frightened?”

Yin Yin also frowned, looking around the hall. But she didn’t see Qing Shancha anywhere.

The contest was forced to pause because of this sudden incident. Yin Yin returned with Madam Yin to Bafang Inn. The incense burner fire didn’t seem to have left much of an impression on Madam Yin, and she kept chatting about the incense entries she liked best, full of enthusiasm. Yin Yin, not wanting to ruin her mood, listened patiently and chimed in here and there. Before she knew it, night had fallen.

She sent Li Li to inform Ling Long, then decided to stay at the inn and share a room with Madam Yin.

……

In the middle of the night, when Yin Yin was half-asleep, a loud thud jolted her awake. It sounded like a heavy rock smashing into the ground. At first, she felt annoyed at being disturbed, but a gut-wrenching scream from the next room instantly cleared all traces of sleep.

“What happened?” Madam Yin had clearly been awakened too and sat up in bed.

Yin Yin shook her head. “I don’t know.”

She remembered— wasn’t that room next door occupied by Qingmei?

The inn workers, startled by the noise, came rushing to investigate.

When Yin Yin and Madam Yin stepped outside, wrapped in outer robes, the hallway was already crowded. Everyone looked pale and frightened, which made Yin Yin even more curious about what had happened.

As she tried to make her way in, a strong smell of blood hit her nose.

“Help! Someone’s dead!” A staff member finally cried out, then bolted downstairs in panic. The guests crowding outside Qingmei’s room seemed to realize the gravity of the situation and quickly retreated to their own rooms.

Frowning deeply, Yin Yin told Madam Yin to return to their room, then walked alone into Qingmei’s quarters.

Silver moonlight poured through the window, casting a stark, pale glow over the floor.

A man lay lifelessly on his back, soaked in blood. Yin Yin had never seen him before, and even if she had, she wouldn’t have recognized him now. His face had been slashed to ribbons, deep enough to expose bone. Some wounds had already begun to dry, turning a dark, ghastly red. His eyes were bulging, as if he’d seen something terrifying just before death.

A wave of nausea surged in Yin Yin’s chest.

She had seen death on TV plenty of times, but this was the first time in real life.

And it was horrifying.

She bent down, bracing herself against the doorframe, taking deep breaths. But the scent of blood in the air only made her want to vomit even more.

Forcing herself to endure the discomfort, she looked up slightly at Qingmei, who sat slumped at the bedside, her face ashen.

“Are you alright?”

Qingmei didn’t respond. She just stared blankly at the man on the floor, motionless.

“Qingmei?” Yin Yin tried calling again, but still no response. It was clear the other party had been frightened out of her wits.

Yin Yin had no choice. She straightened up and stepped forward to help her. But the moment she moved, Qingmei sprang to her feet like she’d been shocked, then bolted out of the room like a gust of wind.

Yin Yin paused, glanced at the corpse again, and decided she had to leave quickly.

Because those who lingered at crime scenes either got framed or ended up dead.

She staggered back to her room while leaning against the wall, but sleep was out of the question. At dawn, before the sky even brightened, someone knocked at the door.

With dark circles under her eyes, Yin Yin dragged herself to open it. She found Ling Long standing outside.

“Ling Long? Why are you here?”

Ling Long frowned instinctively at the sight of her disheveled appearance. She had only let Yin Yin go for a short while, and something like this had already happened. “I heard there was a murder. Are you alright?”

“Yeah, I—” Yin Yin had barely spoken when another wave of people came upstairs— uniformed and armed with curved blades. If they weren’t the capital’s constables, then who?

Clearly woken early and in a foul mood, the constables looked fierce. The inn’s attendant nervously led the way. “M-my lords, it’s right here……”

“Out of the way.” Barked the lead constable, scanning the room. “Where’s the guest staying here?”

“I-I don’t know……”

“You don’t know?!”

The attendant was so terrified his hair stood on end. “Th-there was a young lady staying here, but now…… she’s vanished.”

The constable’s gaze moved past him and landed on Yin Yin standing in the doorway. He gripped his blade and stepped toward her. Ling Long instinctively placed himself between them.

He studied Ling Long for a moment. “You’re staying next door? Do you know where the guest in this room went?”

Yin Yin peeked from behind Ling Long, about to speak, but Ling Long pushed her back and replied, “No idea.”

“Head Constable Xu!” Another officer burst from Qingmei’s room, face pale.

“What is it?” Head Constable Xu turned toward him.

“The dead man seems to be the Zhu Family’s third son, Zhu Wuwen!”

“What?!” Head Constable Xu’s expression changed instantly. The Zhu family was a powerful household in the capital, and Zhu Wuwen was their treasured youngest son. Now, he had been murdered……

Head Constable Xu felt a headache coming on.

Ling Long’s eyes flickered. He immediately shoved Yin Yin back into the room and followed her in, closing the door behind them.

Madam Yin had already been awakened by the noise. Truthfully, she hadn’t slept at all.

Outside, Head Constable Xu was still giving orders. At the table, Yin Yin couldn’t help asking, “Who is Zhu Wuwen, anyway?”

He sounded like someone important.

“The Zhu family is a tea merchant clan. They’re immensely wealthy and have deep connections in the capital. Their tea is of the highest quality. Even the palace uses their supply, and they even send it as diplomatic gifts. Their influence runs deep. I doubt they’ll let this go easily.”

Yin Yin frowned, thinking it over. “But…… what does this have to do with Qingmei? Zhu Wuwen must’ve been killed first, then dumped into Qingmei’s room. Why would the murderer do that?”

Ling Long’s eyes dropped slightly, his lashes trembling. “Maybe, it was a warning.”