A Lonesome Fragrance Waiting to be Appreciated 1

40

Although she'd already finished planning ages ago, it took around fifteen minutes for her to get ready.

Pingting looked outside. Chu Moran hadn't come back yet. Armed with a sleeping gas bomb, she quietly left the room.

The insects had long gone into hibernation for it already was a winter's night. A curved moon hung in the sky, emitting a cold, pale light.

She huffed while walking towards the underground dungeon.

Due to her keen observation for the last few days, she noticed that breaking through the security was relatively easy. While Pingting walked, she saw a couple of maids, who waved and then scurried off.

Around the artificial mountain and bamboo she went, arriving at the entrance of the underground dungeon.

The warden had seen someone approaching in the distance but he was surprised to see that it was Pingting. He greeted her with a smile.

"Why has Miss Yangfeng decide to pay us a visit? Wow, it sure is cold today."

"I lost a hairpin, just have to look for it"

"A hairpin?" The warden hesitated, "Couldn't you have left it in your room?"

"I've looked, but it's not in there. I think it's more likely that I lost it in the dungeon." Pingting lowered her voice, "I only got it from Duke this morning and I've only used it once. How am I supposed to explain to Duke tomorrow morning? Please, please help me look for it"

"That's..." The warden looked undecided. "This dungeon is an important place, it is usually prohibited to enter."

"Didn't I go in this morning?"

The warden's mouth tightened into a thin line but he pretended to be cheerful. "Miss, aren't you bending my values here? If Duke asks..."

Pingting took her argument no further, instead pretended to be elegant. "Then could you please go in and have a look for me? Look carefully on the ground and on the stage. I'll wait here." She immediately started coughing, pretending to be sick from the cold.

The north wind was piercing. Even the warden had been cold, but now hearing Pingting's cough unnerved him. "Miss, please go back. When I find it, I shall personally deliver it to you."

"No, no, waiting is better. Cough, cough, cough...cough...I...cough...my chest feels humid, my forehead feels like it's on fire, but I don't feel cold."

Her words made a startling impact on the dungeon keeper.

The dungeon keeper knew that the Duke adored this girl. For her sickness, he had chosen the famous doctor, Chen Guangzhi, to look after her. It was very likely that she would be his future, official wife, their Duchess. If she got sick outside his dungeon, then...

After weighing his options, the dungeon head said, through gritted teeth, "On other thoughts, you can come in. It's slightly warmer in there. It'll be more convincing if you look for it yourself too, Miss."

He opened the big dungeon door, let Pingting in and gingerly closed the door behind her.

At the other end of the once pitch-black room, there lay Dongzhuo.

He didn't feel cold. The dried blood that covered his body felt like a thousand infernos. It clung to his body, even the slightest movement could tear open his wounds.

He rested again the wall, trying to save as much strength as possible.

Creak...

The sound of the dungeon door carefully being opened broke the silence. A ray of light entered.

Dongzhuo's eyes flickered in response.

"Dongzhuo?" Pingting appeared at the door, holding a flaming torch.

Dongzhuo's mouth twitched into a smile, forcing a hint of his usual mischievous demeanour. "I was waiting for you."

He stood up, his wounds on his legs threatened to give in.

Pingting's face flashed towards him, smiling, and the chains rattled.

After his binds had been taken off, Dongzhuo asked, "What happened to the people outside?"

"Down." Pingting rolled her crystal black eyes. "I didn't even use the sleeping gas bomb."

"You mean the formula that almost forced the entire Residence of Jing-An to sleep?"

Pingting lifted the corners of her mouth smugly. "Follow me."

They left the dungeon, the warden and his three guards lay on the ground outside. Both of them had been to too many wars and they efficiently changed into the residential guards' clothes without a word. Pingting knew the place too well and led the way to the stables.

The sky had yet to brighten and the stable boy was still fast asleep.

Dongzhuo chose two of the best horses. One for Pingting, the other for himself.