Chapter 178: Medicine City, splitting up (2/2)

Long Feiye didn’t stop him, but asked, “How do you plan on getting the Herbal Tea Tree sapling from the Mu family?”

Gu Qishao was very blunt with his reply. “Steal it.”

Han Yunxi nearly spat out her soup. Stealing the Mu family’s treasure? So this guy had brought them along to act as thieves!

“If Poison lass has any other ideas, I’m happy to oblige without stealing,” Gu Qishao grinned. Han Yunxi rolled her eyes and kept eating.

Long Feiye was rather curious by contrast. “Why steal it? Are there no other ways?”

“A few days ago, the Mu family stole that sapling from someone else. It’s impossible for them to sell it, so I can only steal it!” Gu Qishao said as a matter of course.

“Do you know where it is?” Long Feiye asked again.

“I just know it’s in the Mu estate. As to where they’ve put it, I’m really clueless. That’s why I wanted to ask Gu Qi Sha for help. He’s an old man with unparalleled skills in tracking down medicine,” Gu Qishao smiled. His words were an obvious reminder to Long Feiye that the task wasn’t so simple. But Long Feiye didn’t react much beyond nodding his head and eating.

Gu Qishao was quite excited after the meal. “Your Highness Duke of Qin, shall we move tonight?”

Long Feiye rejected the idea. “Since the item’s at the Mu estate, news must have leaked out by now. We’ll split up and and work separately to gather information. It won’t be too late to move then.”

No one noticed the flash of coldness that flitted past Gu Qishao’s features before he gave an especially devious smile. “Fine, that’s no problem.”

That night, Long Feiye and Gu Qishao went their separate ways, while Han Yunxi was left in the rooms. She wasn’t someone content to sit at home, so after the men left, she went downstairs. She asked the innkeeper about the medicine market before excitedly leaving the building. Stealing saplings had nothing to do with her anyways, she only came to walk around Medicine City.

Unexpectedly, Long Feiye hadn’t gone to gather any information at all. He was sitting at a teahouse right across from the inn, waiting elegantly while he drank his tea, when he saw Han Yunxi walk out the door. Unhappiness flitted past his eyes. It was late night and she was unfamiliar with the roads, but this woman was still going out by herself. Even though she’s unarmed and defenseless, she still has the guts?

He was about to chase after her when Chu Xifeng hastened to remind him, “Your Highness, the Wang family’s been waiting for you for a long time. It’s time you went over.”

Long Feiye stilled his steps to speak in an icy tone. “You go, keep a close eye on her.”

“Yes,” Chu Xifeng obeyed, before asking another question. “Master, regarding Gu Qishao…”

“Don’t bother with him for now,” Long Feiye finished before vanishing in a flash.

—

Right at this moment, Gu Qishao was lying on the rooftop of the Mu estate and basking in the moonlight. Next to him sat a youthful girl with a clear and clever disposition, her shimmering eyes radiant even in the dark. This girl was none other than the Mu Clan’s most favored Ninth Young Miss, Mu Linger[1], who nudged Gu Qishao.

“Qi gege[2], when will that thief you mentioned show up? My father set nets and snares for him long ago.”

“In one or two days. There’s no rush…no rush.”

Gu Qishao was relaxed and carefree as he reclined lazily on the roof. His attractive face seemed even more bewitching beneath the moonlight. He seemed to have recalled something just then, because he abruptly laughed. “Linger, that thief isn’t anyone ordinary. If you take a fancy to him, you should keep him as your husband.”

Mu Linger looked askance at him unhappily. “Definitely not. I only want Qi gege!” Immediately afterwards, her face turned red, but Gu Qishao brushed it aside with a smile.

“Too late, too late! Your Qi gege already has someone else in his heart.”

-o-

[1] Mu Linger (沐灵儿) – Mu is a surname that means to “wash one’s hair,” Ling is “quick, clever, sharp; spritely, fairy,” Er is diminutive that means “youngster, child,”

[2] gege (哥哥) – literally ‘older brother,’ also used as an affectionate address to refer to slightly older males that the speaker knows well, even if there is no familial relation.