Chapter 10

Jiang Chu Ting had no way to deal with him, so he could only turn around, close the door, and walk back to the bed, lying on the outer side, deliberately leaving space between them.

Lin Zhi seemed to find him strange and asked, “Why are you lying so close to the edge? Aren’t you afraid of falling off?”

“No.” Jiang Chu Ting waved his hand to extinguish the candle, lying flat without looking at him, and said lightly, “Go to sleep.”

In the darkness, Lin Zhi quietly moved closer and asked, “Chu Ran, are you going to sleep without letting your hair down?”

Jiang Chu Ting raised his hand to remove the wooden hairpin holding his hair, holding it in his hand. He didn’t speak again, and Lin Zhi also fell silent, resting his head against Jiang Chu Ting’s side, clutching his clothes, and slowly fell asleep.

Even in sleep, he didn’t let go, as if afraid Jiang Chu Ting would run away.

Jiang Chu Ting listened to his even and gentle breathing, lying still, feeling inexplicably complicated.

That night, Jiang Chu Ting dreamed again, but unlike before, he dreamed of the times he spent with Zi Que. Although fragmented and scattered, there was laughter and happiness, as if he was reliving those past moments.

When he woke up, the sky was just beginning to lighten. He raised his hand to look at the wooden hairpin in his hand, and the melancholy in his heart lingered.

Lin Zhi was still asleep beside him.

Jiang Chu Ting quietly watched his sleeping face. According to the plan, he should return to Nine Heavens today; Xiao Jiu was still waiting for him. If he left Lin Zhi and slipped away quietly, it wasn’t impossible, but…

Lin Zhi mumbled in his sleep, “Chu Ran…”

Jiang Chu Ting’s heart softened, and he sighed softly, deciding to stay another day. Before leaving, he had specifically asked his third senior brother to look after Xiao Jiu, so nothing would go wrong.

Jiang Chu Ting had intended to get up when he woke, but seeing Lin Zhi’s hand still clutching his clothes, he abandoned the idea and lay quietly, resting with his eyes closed.

As the morning light filtered through the half-open window, Lin Zhi’s eyelashes fluttered, and he finally woke up. The first thing he did upon opening his eyes was to check if the person beside him was still there.

Seeing Jiang Chu Ting, his previously sleepy face suddenly broke into a smile, and he lazily said, “Morning, Chu Ran.”

The bright and cheerful smile was like a ray of sunshine, and Jiang Chu Ting replied softly, “Morning.”

The two got up, washed, changed clothes, and had breakfast together. Lin Zhi, as usual, didn’t sit in the empty space but insisted on sitting close to Jiang Chu Ting, as if eating while squeezed together made the food taste better.

In the morning, Jiang Chu Ting planned to go out, but Lin Zhi stopped him and asked, “Are you planning to go to Changhuan Garden?”

“Yes.” Bao Qi had an incident, and it was less likely for the mastermind to target people from Changhuan Garden again, but just in case, he planned to find Nong Yu and ask her to inform him if she encountered any suspicious people or events in the future.

“I knew it.” Lin Zhi smiled and pulled him back to sit down. “But you don’t need to go.”

Jiang Chu Ting looked at him, puzzled. “Why?”

Lin Zhi sat beside him, looked him in the eye, and said, “I’ve already arranged people in Changhuan Garden and several other brothels. Every five days, they’ll report to me what they’ve seen and heard, whether there’s anything unusual. If you want to know anything, just ask.”

Jiang Chu Ting had indeed seen him talking to his subordinates outside for quite a while, and it turned out to be for this.

Lin Zhi analyzed, “If there’s really a conspiracy behind this, they definitely won’t concentrate in one place. After some time, I’ll start with other brothels and continue to arrange people. If our guess is correct, it won’t take long to find useful clues.”

If there were enough manpower, this was indeed a comprehensive approach, much faster than him investigating alone. Jiang Chu Ting’s eyes brightened, and he nodded approvingly, “You’ve put a lot of thought into this.”

Lin Zhi wasn’t just thoughtful; he had put his heart into it, but of course, he wouldn’t say that.

“It’s nothing. With the two of us investigating, we can prevent more people from getting hurt.” Lin Zhi took a sip of tea, then looked up and asked, “Chu Ran, when do you plan to leave?”

“Tomorrow.”

“Then how should I contact you if I find any news?”

Jiang Chu Ting thought for a moment and said, “How about writing a letter and having someone deliver it to…”

Before he could finish, Lin Zhi interrupted, “That’s probably not a good idea. Some things can’t be explained clearly in a letter. And if you have other questions, wouldn’t that make the messenger run their legs off?”

“This…” This matter was something he had dragged Lin Zhi into. Lin Zhi had already done enough by providing manpower and resources, and having his people run back and forth with messages wasn’t ideal. After thinking it over, it seemed more appropriate for him to handle it personally.

But if he did that, he would inevitably have to continue meeting with Lin Zhi…

Lin Zhi looked at him with a smile, not rushing him.

Jiang Chu Ting pondered for a moment and finally said, “Then I’ll come to find you every ten days.”

“Ten days is too long. I’m impulsive, and without a way to contact you, if I miss the best time to follow a lead or alert the enemy, all our efforts would be wasted. Besides, the black-clad men we encountered last night were highly skilled, and who knows if there are others…” Lin Zhi glanced at him and stopped, not continuing.

He made a valid point. If he avoided seeing him and went against his original intention, it would be better not to continue the investigation. Jiang Chu Ting changed his decision, “Then I’ll come every ten days.” Half a month was too long, five days too short, and probably not enough to find anything, so ten days was just right. He also reminded, “If you find anything, don’t act on your own. Wait for me to come before doing anything.” He had originally wanted to keep his distance from this child, but the way things were developing was increasingly contrary to his intentions.

Lin Zhi had wanted to say five days, as even five days felt long to him, but he ultimately didn’t argue further, “Alright, ten days.” Another ten days. He hadn’t forgotten how he endured the last ten days.

With that settled, Jiang Chu Ting suddenly thought of something and asked Lin Zhi, “Anyang isn’t close to here. Are you planning to stay here for a while and not go home? Or?”

“I had originally planned to return home after you promised to visit the Lin family when you had time. But now, there’s no need to go back. I’ll stay wherever I can wait for you.”

Jiang Chu Ting had only said it casually, not really intending to visit him. Seeing how seriously he took it, he couldn’t help but feel a bit guilty, “And your mother…”

“I made a deal with my mother. She won’t interfere in my affairs for a year, as long as I return home to get married after having my fun outside.” Lin Zhi smiled, his eyes fixed on Jiang Chu Ting’s face, “Just to see if I’ll meet my destined one, someone who shares mutual feelings.”

So that’s how it was. Jiang Chu Ting nodded in understanding, smiling at him, “You will definitely meet them.”

He almost sounded genuinely blessing him. Lin Zhi studied him for a moment, then suddenly leaned closer and asked seriously, “What about you, Chu Ran? Have you ever met someone you shared mutual feelings with?”

Caught off guard, Jiang Chu Ting was momentarily stunned, “I… have.” He admitted it instinctively, without deliberately deceiving him.

Lin Zhi’s eyes darkened, his expression suddenly turning quite displeased, though his lips still curved as he pressed on, “Really? Are you still together?”

Jiang Chu Ting’s voice softened, “We’ve been apart for a long time.”

Hearing this, Lin Zhi restrained the deep emotions in his eyes and didn’t ask further, only gazing at him with certainty, “Chu Ran, you will definitely find someone better in the future.”

Recalling his previous sarcastic remark, “Doesn’t seem like much, how did my father get so infatuated with you,” the contrast in evaluation was like night and day. Jiang Chu Ting’s lips twitched, suddenly finding it somewhat amusing. But of course, he couldn’t bring himself to laugh.

After lunch, Lin Zhi took Jiang Chu Ting to a quiet residence in the city. The place wasn’t large, but it was elegant and tasteful. Jiang Chu Ting liked it very much.

As they strolled and chatted, Lin Zhi said to him, “In the future, when you come to find me, come to this Lovesickness Cottage.”

Jiang Chu Ting nodded, his attention caught by the name of the cottage, and he couldn’t help but ask, “Lovesickness Cottage? Why is it called that?”

Lin Zhi turned to look at him and said, “Perhaps the owner of this place once experienced the pain of lovesickness here, so they poured their emotions into it.”

Jiang Chu Ting suddenly felt a bit uncomfortable being stared at so directly, so he averted his gaze, pretending to admire the surrounding scenery, “Maybe you’re right.”

“But now, I’m the owner of this place.” Lin Zhi looked at his profile and asked with a smile, “Chu Ran, do you like this name? If you do, I won’t change it.”

Jiang Chu Ting said, “The name is quite nice.”

“Then I won’t change it.” Lin Zhi’s tone slowed, his originally clear voice lowered significantly, “I just wonder if, living here in the future, I’ll also experience the pain of lovesickness like the previous owner.”

Jiang Chu Ting couldn’t help but glance at him. So young, yet with such sentiments? Could it be that he already had a girl he liked? But even if he brought it up, Jiang Chu Ting certainly wouldn’t pry.

Lin Zhi smiled at him, and he returned the smile.

Jiang Chu Ting stayed another night, planning to leave early the next morning.

Lin Zhi knew very well that with his temperament, he would never let this matter go. So he wasn’t worried that he wouldn’t come in ten days.

But knowing was one thing; not being able to let go was another. There was no choice but to leave it at that for now.

Lin Zhi escorted him for a while, but eventually, Jiang Chu Ting wouldn’t let him go any further.

Before parting, Jiang Chu Ting reminded him, “Remember to change the dressing on your arm regularly and keep it dry.”

Lin Zhi’s eyes curved, revealing his canine teeth, smiling with a childlike innocence, “Got it, I remember. You must come then.”

“I will.” Jiang Chu Ting stood still for a moment, feeling there was nothing more to say, then turned and left.

After his figure disappeared, Lin Zhi’s eyes flickered, and he opened his right hand, revealing a small medicine bottle. Inside was a fragrance called “Thousand Miles Fragrance.” Once applied to the skin, the scent wouldn’t dissipate for twelve hours, allowing hunting dogs to track the scent. He had originally intended to use it on him to find out his identity and why he was always so mysterious. But after thinking it over, he decided not to use it. It felt like using too many tricks on him would desecrate him.

He would just wait at Lovesickness Cottage. For this person, waiting was the long-term strategy.