“I know you’re furious, but I don’t think they dare to hurt Yinghua recklessly again. They tried to hurt him as soon as he came here. It seemed that they took such a hasty action because they thought the servants that we arranged to take care of him haven’t got the hang of the situation. They are afraid that once we are on guard, they wouldn’t be able to find another chance to hurt him.”

Lin Mengya tried to comfort Long Tianyu sensibly. Her gentle voice and careful analysis gradually smoothed out Long Tianyu’s frustration.

“She is always so careful and considerate, and so understanding to me,” Long Tianyu thought to himself.

Even a subtle thought of his could not escape her gentle and lovely eyes.

“Thank you so much. If it weren’t for you, I’m afraid that Yinghua would—”

Lin Mengya didn’t know what had happened to Long Tianyu, but she knew that he was not just worrying about Yinghua, judging from the frosty look in his eyes when Yinghua was choked and fell to the ground.

She believed that Concubine Xian burned her bridges not just for her own grace.

She did so mainly because she wanted to protect her son so that he could grow up safely.

Even Yinghua was rendered in such a situation. What about Concubine De, who could stand up to the empress as an equal back then?

Lin Mengya felt heart-breaking.

She held Long Tianyu’s big hand tightly with her small hands, as if she was hoping that she could give him some power by doing so.

Her tender action comforted Long Tianyu, who gradually calmed down from his chaotic thoughts.

He held her in his arms and didn’t want her to worry too much.

He gently pushed her little head into his embrace, and his handsome face became as calm as usual.

“I’m sorry to have made you worry. You’re right. They must have been pushed into a corner that they took such a desperate action. The empress had to be very worried. She knew she couldn’t stop me from going to the Yun State, and Concubine Xian went against her openly in the palace with my father’s secret support. Probably, she is having a hard time now.”

On hearing Long Tianyu’s words, Lin Mengya finally felt relieved.

The corners of her lips curled into a smile as she realized that Long Tianyu became as calm as he used to be.

She grabbed his wrist once again and quietly felt his pulse for a while, seeming to be lost in thought.

“How is it?” Long Tianyu asked in a casual tone.

He waited for Lin Mengya’s answer attentively, and there was no anxiety between his eyebrows.

He knew that there were some things that couldn’t be rushed.

He had been taking medicine since he returned to the Jin State from the Nation of Lintian. Coupled with the plan Zuo Qiuchen and Lin Mengya jointly made to help him recover, he was almost fully recovered.

However, the thought that the Immortal Powder hadn’t been completely removed from his body made him anxious.

“Much better than I thought. I’ll try my best to help you recover fully before we arrive in the Yun State. By the way, has Mr. Baili recovered?”

She straightened her back in his arms and lifted her head. Her eyes were on the same level as his.

She didn’t have much confidence in completely curing Long Tianyu.

She couldn’t do the acupuncture herself for she couldn’t complete movements that required high skills with her right hand, which, though, was in a good condition. The acupuncture must be accurate, so she needed to find an expert to help her.

Without timely treatment, Long Tianyu’s illness would go worse.

It seemed to Lin Mengya that she had to find another solution.

“Baili Rui?” Long Tianyu frowned slightly as he replied, “He is much better now. Do you want to visit him?”

Lin Mengya nodded immediately. No matter what happened to her teacher, he was always an elder that she thought she should respect.

Though back then, he pestered her into becoming his student, he cared for her very much.

Lin Mengya had never forgotten him even when she was in the Nation of Lintian.

When she was in the Pavilion of Herbs, she specially collected many herbs that she thought were useful to him, hoping that she could surprise him when she came back.

The dungeon looked the same as before. Several guards who were carrying some lanterns led the way in the front.

Each stone room of the dungeon was enclosed that no sound, loud or low, could be heard from outside.

Walking behind Long Tianyu, Lin Mengya observed each door of the stone rooms.

She had never asked Long Tianyu who was locked up here.

However, she believed that such a secret and large-scale dungeon were not built only for prisoners.

She understood that Long Tianyu had to have his reasons not to explain the purpose of this dungeon, so she never asked him despite her curiosity.

The stone room where Baili Rui lived was right in front of her.

The guards stopped at the door tacitly and lined up in a row, making way for Lin Mengya and Long Tianyu behind them.

Lin Mengya took a few steps forward and pushed open the door of the stone room gently.

Full of the fragrance of medicine, the room was clean and tidy.

A man was reading a book attentively in the light, his back straight.

Lin Mengya walked to him quietly and saw the side of his face. He seemed much thinner but more vigorous.

His hair, which used to be messy like withered grass, now was combed into a bun neatly behind his head.

The clothes he wore were clean and tidy. Lin Mengya could tell at one glance that they had been carefully washed.

She couldn’t help but smile secretly. “It looks like I will have to call Yunzhu Mrs. Baili soon.”

“Mr. Baili.”

Lin Mengya called out tentatively. The figure sitting under the lamp trembled all over on hearing her voice.

Then, he turned back with a look of disbelief.

There was barely suppressed excitement in his eyes. The book he was reading just now fell to the table with a bang.

“Mengya? Is it you? You’re back?”

Lin Mengya rarely saw her teacher so excited.

She quickly walked up to him and grabbed his hand.

“Yes, it’s me, Mr. Baili. How are you doing?”

Fortunately, the teacher recognized her.

Back then, it almost broke her heart when she saw him go insane.

Though she traveled to this space and still remembered her past, Baili Rui was still the elder among all that treated her well.

As the saying goes, a teacher for a day is a father for a lifetime.

In Lin Mengya’s heart, Baili Rui was her family just like Lin Muzhi.

“I’m doing good. Alas, I was so stupid that I fell into the trap. I heard that you went to the Nation of Lintian and the Pavilion of Herbs. How was your trip? Did those bastards make things hard for you?”

Though excited, Baili Rui subconsciously revealed his discursive side again.

Lin Mengya was on the verge of tears, but she managed to hold them back.

She forced a smile as she replied, “They didn’t dare to. They were scared out of their wits when they heard that I’m your disciple. They knew if they dared to bully me, you would skin them alive.”

Lin Mengya flattered him as a junior usually would do. Her naughty tone showed that she didn’t suffer any grievance.

Baili Rui was relieved on hearing her words. He looked at her with guilt in his eyes.

“It’s all my fault. If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have had to take a risk. Those bastards of the Pavilion of Herbs were so arrogant just because they were famous. A few years ago, I have dealt with them, and that was when I realized that they were just a group of hypocritical and ignorant fame-seekers. If they dare to lay a finger on you, I’ll go to their door and strike them hard with poison.”

Lin Mengya looked at her teacher and was amused after hearing those words.

It seemed that with time going by, he gradually put his arrogance away.

Now, to Lin Mengya, he was just a proud and lovely old man who loved her very much.

His love for her had never changed.

“Prince Yu, what are you doing here? Didn’t you see that I’m having a chat with my disciple?”

Another thing that had never changed was his disdain toward Long Tianyu.

“You’re mistaken, sir. I’m here because I wanted to help Ya’er bring some stuff to you. You’re her teacher and an elder of mine, so if you don’t want to see me here, I’ll leave.”

To Lin Mengya’s surprise, Long Tianyu didn’t lose his temper. Instead, he placed the brocade box in front of Baili Rui with both hands, smiling gently.

Then, he turned to look at Lin Mengya affectionately and said to her, “I’ll be waiting for you outside, and don’t come out too late.”

Lin Mengya nodded and gave Long Tianyu a sweet smile.

Long Tianyu nodded at Baili Rui before walking out of the stone room, leaving Baili Rui and Lin Mengya alone.

“Humph, this guy is getting more and more complacent. I can’t understand why you fell for him.”

Lin Mengya turned back and looked helplessly at Baili Rui, who was fuming.

It appeared to her that her teacher didn’t like Long Tianyu from the very beginning, and now, he seemed to dislike him even more because of her.

Was this like what people would usually say— every father would dislike his son-in-law increasingly?

“It couldn’t be. Father has seen Tianyu as well, and he even praised him for being a talent. Mr. Baili hates Tianyu probably because there was bad blood between them long ago.” Lin Mengya thought to herself.

“I’ve married him, Mr. Baili, so it’s too late for you to oppose our marriage. Let’s not talk about me. You’re glowing with happiness, Mr. Baili. Have you fallen in love again?”

Lin Mengya blinked her eyes mischievously as she spoke, disregarding the look of dignity on his face that he tried hard to keep.

As expected, Baili Rui blushed immediately upon hearing the words and tried to avoid Lin Mengya’s teasing eyes.

He coughed and put on a serious look once more, trying to evade the question.

“Ahem. It’s none of your business. Stop prying into my personal affairs, girl.”

“Well, he actually pretended to threaten me.”

Lin Mengya couldn’t help laughing inwardly, but she pretended to look displeased.

“No matter what, I set you up with Miss Yunzhu. How could you cast me away after you got her? You’re being too ungrateful, Mr. Baili.”