After becoming pregnant, the cold-hearted nobles all went mad.

Wei Chengrui's face darkened and he released his grip. How could he have been so engrossed in such a useless thing?

Looking up again, he couldn't see the woman. Looking around, he realized that Shen Lingyi had already sat down at a tea stall.

It was still noon, and the sunlight shone on her gold-embroidered begonia brocade dress. Her earlobes were smooth, which made her fleshy skin look even more alluring. She waved to him, her tone casual.

"Young Master, going back so early is too boring. Why don't we sit down and have a chat?"

After the monthly exams, the academy will be on holiday and will not reopen until the spring after the New Year.

Therefore, these two excellent students from the academy were able to enjoy their time at the tea stall without having to read the teachings of sages or study the classics.

Wei Chengrui sat down with a sullen face, looking as if someone owed him millions of taels of silver. The waiter, who was about to ask them what kind of snacks they wanted, slunk away after serving the tea.

Shen Lingyi took a sip of tea. The Cloud Mist Spirit Tea emitted a wisp of fragrance, and the hot steam enveloped her cheeks. "Peony said you took the wine pot. Has Prince Wei found out anything?"

Peony wasn't with them at the moment, so Shen Lingyi sent her to buy almond cookies, and also some clothes and rouge to take back with her.

That way, I'll have something to show for it when I bring my things home later.

Her lips touched the rim of the cup. Wei Chengrui stared at it for a long time, then unconsciously picked it up himself, his eyes filled with a chilling aura: "Your elder sister is quite something."

"You even managed to get your hands on the Love Potion from the Western Regions. If it weren't for my tolerance to the drug and my amazing willpower, I would have blown up when I got back yesterday."

This is no joke; the medicines from the Western Regions are renowned, and even the Gu poison that Pei Heng was afflicted with came from there.

Wei Chengrui was given a particularly potent drug; an ordinary person who, if they abstain from sexual intercourse for even a short time after being given such a drug, would surely die from ruptured blood vessels.

As for why I think it was Shen Tingjiao, the answer is that Wei Chengrui and Shen Lingyi were dealing with her, and they were used to it.

Besides Shen Lingyi, he knew best what kind of person Shen Tingjiao was.

Shen Lingyi's fingertips rested on the cup, her nails slightly pink: "Even tracing the residual drugs in that wine pot yielded nothing?"

Wei Chengrui's eyes flashed with sarcasm: "Why do you think Western Region medicine is so popular?"

The woman in the inner quarters took a liking to it because its origin was untraceable; the Western Region merchants only came once or twice a year, sold their goods, and then left without a trace.

Where are we supposed to find someone?

However, it's not entirely without a solution.

"Unless..." Shen Lingyi stared straight at Wei Chengrui, resting her chin on her hand and nodding slightly.

A faint ripple spread across her eyes, like a pool of spring water being disturbed. Her delicate nose gleamed with a pearly luster, and her shifty gaze immediately revealed that she was plotting something wicked.

Yet, it's hard to refuse.

By midnight, there were hardly any people on the streets.

The suburbs, however, began to bustle with activity, decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers, and filled with the sounds of vendors hawking their wares.

Compared to the bustling atmosphere during the day, the noise at this moment was more eerie. Pedestrians walked in silence, and everyone wore a hideous, ghostly face.

When the cold wind blows, the willow branches sway wildly, looking like a procession of ghosts at night.

Shen Lingyi and Wei Chengrui changed their clothes and wore masks to blend in.

As they passed a stall, a hunched old woman grabbed Shen Lingyi's arm. "Young lady, come and see what I have. You and your lover are so in love, you need this love potion. I guarantee he will be devoted to you for all eternity."

Shen Lingyi paused in her steps: "Then do you know about the Soul-Sealing Gu?"

She thought of the Gu poison that Pei Heng had been afflicted with; it was the Soul-Destroying Gu.

It is said that Consort Wan's mother was a woman from the Western Regions who was skilled in Gu magic. She passed down this Gu technique to her. At that time, there was only Pei Heng and her two sons in the palace. The eldest prince died young.

Consort Wan hated Pei Heng, this prince who had risen to prominence, so she cast this curse on him.

Upon hearing this, the old woman's expression changed, and she turned to run away, abandoning everything on her stall.

Wei Chengrui sneered and grabbed the person back: "Where do you think you're going?"

The old woman pleaded repeatedly, "My lords, this Soul-Destroying Gu is no ordinary Gu... Only nobles can afford to use it. I'm just an ordinary person. If I offend those nobles, I'm afraid I'll lose my head."

Wei Chengrui's response was simple: he merely raised an eyebrow and forcefully pressed the person down with his hand, saying, "That's easy."

"If I cut your head off now, those powerful figures won't be able to chop it off, will they?"

Almost everyone in the capital was curious about what the Crown Prince Wei had experienced during his three years in the northern frontier, since he had at least maintained the so-called demeanor of a noble family before.

Nowadays, let alone observing etiquette, even respecting the elderly and caring for the young is nonexistent.

Succumbing to Wei Chengrui's pressure, the old woman reluctantly confessed.

After letting the person go, Wei Chengrui looked at Shen Lingyi with a scrutinizing and suspicious gaze: "Speaking of which, why did you ask this?"

What she just said didn't sound like anything good. When did Shen Lingyi come into contact with these things?

Shen Lingyi didn't want to reveal Pei Heng's condition, only saying, "I read something about it in a miscellaneous book I was reading, and I was just asking out of curiosity."

Wei Chengrui clearly didn't believe it, but he didn't ask anything.

Later, they actually found a Western Regions merchant selling medicine in the ghost market, but the merchant said that there were too many customers and he couldn't remember him.

Even if he were to identify the person, he would have to bring their personal belongings first. Everyone who came to buy goods from him would leave something behind so they could retrieve their goods.

Merchants have always been known for recognizing things, not people.

The merchants from the Western Regions showed them a pile of items, including swords and hairpins for women…

Shen Lingyi glanced at the jade, then picked up one of the jade buckles with her fingers. The jade buckle had a beautiful turquoise color and was exceptionally translucent.

This was a birthday gift that the Jiang family gave to Shen Tingjiao one year. She also had one, but Shen Lingyi's was made of agate.

Shen Lingyi's gaze shifted slowly as she said, "I know how to find it now."

It was very late when Shen Lingyi returned to the mansion.

Thinking that with Shaoyao helping to cover for them, and that their parents should already be asleep, they figured that as long as they didn't make too much of a commotion when they entered the mansion, it wouldn't be a problem.

Wei Chengrui followed behind her. Shen Lingyi considered kicking him out, but the young man scoffed, "It'll take you forever to find him by yourself."

"Your elder sister's room is watched like a dog by that old woman. You think you can barge in and find something with your pathetic skills?"

"It would be faster for me to help you, don't forget she offended me too."

The house was dark and deep, with only the main house emitting a warm glow. The high walls could not stop Wei Chengrui, who landed steadily with a single flip.

The moonlight shone on the crane pattern on the hem of the dress, making it seem as if it might take flight at any moment.

Just as Shen Lingyi was about to say a few words to him, a bright light flashed before her eyes, and a group of guards rushed out and surrounded them.

Leading the way were none other than the old lady and Shen Tingjiao.