Don't Ask Where People Go After Time Travel

Chapter 1758 Scruples
"Sister?" Murong Qing's voice suddenly rang out, pulling Fang Zilan back to reality. She stood by the door, momentarily dazed, almost thinking she had misheard.

However, the person sitting upright in the main hall of the inn, with a face as pale as paper and eyebrows and eyes that seemed to be exquisitely sculpted, was none other than Murong Qing.

Why would someone who should be at the inn be here? Fang Zilan suppressed her doubts and subconsciously looked up at the window; the sky was already faintly turning white.

"You..." Fang Zilan opened her mouth, but ultimately didn't ask "Why are you here?" Instead, she asked, "Have you been up all night?"

"Princess Consort, the Prince has been searching for you all night long, and he hasn't slept a wink." Meng Tingyang strode over, but Fang Zilan didn't turn around to look at him. She just stared intently at Murong Qing for a while before saying, "The Prince is indeed very capable. He was able to find the inn where I was staying."

"I did use some methods," Murong Qing nodded generously. "Fortunately, it's not too late."

"What do you mean it's not too late?" Fang Zilan was stunned. Murong Qing stood up and walked towards her, but he was swaying unsteadily.

Meng Tingyang wanted to step forward, but was stopped by a look from Murong Qing. Seeing this, Fang Zilan sighed, "Speak, what does the young master want with me?"

"Can't I come to you if there's nothing wrong?" Murong Qing stood in front of Fang Zilan. He was not as tall as her and had to tilt his head slightly to meet her eyes, but he still looked at her with almost obsessive eyes.

"Your Highness, if you have nothing else, I'll go and rest." Fang Zilan stretched her limbs. "After all, I've had a long night and am really exhausted."

She made no attempt to conceal anything, and Murong Qing did not press her for details, simply saying, "I do have something to say."

Fang Zilan remained silent, waiting for Murong Qing to continue, but she saw a hesitant look on his face as he stammered, "I want to take you somewhere."

Fang Zilan remained silent, while Murong Qing seemed somewhat uneasy. "It won't take up too much of your time. I just feel that since we're already here, we'll regret it if we don't go."

These words sounded more like something a boy his age would say. Fang Zilan thought to herself, but didn't respond for a long time.

"You...are you willing?" Murong Qing couldn't help but ask, but instead of receiving an answer from Fang Zilan, he was met with a burst of laughter. "Young Master, so you waited all night just to ask this one question?"

A-Wan laughed so hard she almost fell over, showing no mercy. Murong Qing coughed lightly, her ears turning red, "I didn't..."

"What do you mean, 'not'?" Before A-Wan could say anything more, Fang Zilan grabbed her by the back of her collar and pulled her away. "Why are you here too?"

“If your cousin can’t be cured, I’ll find someone else who can, don’t you think?” A-Wan said confidently. Fang Zilan’s expression hardened. “What do you mean by ‘can’t be cured’?”

“Under such severe torture, his hands and feet are crippled and incurable.” Awan thought for a moment and added, “In addition, he was soaked in the water for too long and caught a chill, leaving him with a chronic condition. From now on, he can only stay in bed and be kept alive with herbal medicine…”

"Enough." Fang Zilan bit her lip tightly, her face ashen. Fang Lihui, such a dashing and debonair young nobleman, had fallen to the point of being crippled in both hands and feet at such a young age, destined to spend the rest of his life relying on medicinal soup…

"It's a miracle he survived," Awan comforted him. "Fortunately, the Fang family is wealthy; they can certainly afford to support Young Master Fang..."

"Can you afford to support them?" Fang Zilan interrupted Awan's words, and said in a deep voice, "The Fang family doesn't support idlers. Those old guys will probably kick us when we're down." "You don't need to worry. With Master Fang and the Second Miss around, I don't think those people from the Fang family can cause any trouble." Awan said, tugging at Fang Zilan's sleeve, "But you are the one who is more troublesome."

Fang Zilan glanced down at the hand that was trying to slip into her sleeve, and finally relented, "If you want to take my pulse, just say so. Why are you doing this sneakily?"

Awan quickly grabbed Fang Zilan's wrist. "Let's find a quiet place so I can take your pulse properly."

When Awan saw Fang Zilan, she waved and said, "Lord Fang, come and see this chrysanthemum."

Fang Zilan leaned closer and examined them for a while before saying, "Aren't these the chrysanthemums from Xiguan City that we grow in our yard?"

“Yes,” Awan added, “to be precise, it’s those chrysanthemums that you killed.”

Fang Zilan coughed lightly, "It's all the gardener's fault for not taking good care of them, what does it have to do with me?"

A mischievous smile flashed across Awan's face. Xiao Xuan'er, standing to the side, shook her head with a smile and whispered in Fang Zilan's ear, "Lord Fang, I just saw Miss Fang the Second."

Upon hearing this, Fang Zilan was taken aback. Ever since Pei Xiaozhe caused a scene at the Prime Minister's residence, Fang Zitong had been claiming illness and staying home for several months. It was quite a surprise that she was able to be invited to the flower festival.

However, rumors were spreading throughout the capital that the two brothers, Pei Jinqing and Pei Xiaozhe, were locked in a stalemate over Fang Zitong, and gossip was rampant. But with Prime Minister Fang Chongzheng and Empress Fang Ziqin keeping things in check, they were still somewhat restrained; otherwise, perhaps the most offensive things could have been said.

Fang Zilan knew that Pei Jinqing wouldn't let this go easily, so she had Xiao Xuan'er keep a close eye on the Pei residence. However, apart from two or three attempts to target the Prime Minister's academy, nothing happened. And those two or three attempts were all thwarted by Fang Chongzheng.

The Pei and Fang families are at loggerheads. Fang Zitong is at the flower festival today; if Pei Jinqing or Pei Xiaozhe were also there…

Xiao Xuan'er seemed to know what Fang Zilan was thinking, and said softly, "The Pei family has come with the younger brother of Duke Jin, Lord Pei Poming, and his wife."

Fang Zilan breathed a sigh of relief. She had heard of Pei Poming before. He was Pei Jinqing's younger half-brother. He was not very capable and only held a sinecure thanks to Pei Jinqing's protection. He spent his days either teasing cats and dogs or visiting prostitutes. He did not have a good reputation in the capital.

However, the Pei family had few male heirs. By Pei Jinqing's generation, there were only him, Pei Poming, and his cousin Pei Xiaozhe from a collateral branch of the family. There were no other male descendants. Therefore, Old Madam Pei treated this son who was not her own very well, protecting him in every way and turning a blind eye to anything that went too far.

I heard that Pei Poming has twenty or thirty concubines besides his wife, yet he still has no children. It seems that Pei's lineage is indeed rather shallow.

"Lord Fang, Miss Fang the Second has arrived." Xiao Xuan'er's voice pulled Fang Zilan back to reality. She looked up and her eyes met Fang Zitong's.

Fang Zilan pursed her lips, feeling inexplicably awkward. Ignoring her seemed too deliberate, but if she were to greet her… she clearly remembered Fang Zitong's hostility at the Prime Minister's residence last time…

Just as Fang Zilan hesitated, Fang Zitong walked up to her and bowed, saying, "Greetings, Lord Fang."