As expected, Liu Luowei saw Cheng Yuan’s eyes turn toward her, sharp and piercing. She couldn’t help but deepen her smile, proceeding methodically to recount how she had uncovered his secret: “Last time, when I offered to send a cook to you, sir, you declined. I secretly admired you for it, thinking you were different—upright and self-restrained, indifferent to both food and desire. So instead, I sent you the jade flowers. The eunuch who delivered them to Shi’an Garden returned and said that all the servants in your garden were deaf and mute. My curiosity got the better of me, and as it happened, one of my cooks had fallen ill and damaged her voice. I sent her to apply for a position at Shi’an Garden. You, sir, did not forget to have her hearing tested. Fortunately, this cook had remarkable composure and actually passed the test, entering your garden.”
Cheng Yuan sneered, “Anyone cultivated by you, madam, must be exceptionally reliable. What’s a little composure? If you needed it, she could fall ill and ruin her voice at any time.”
Liu Luowei did not refute him and continued, “It wasn’t long before she learned that you had bought Shi’an Garden originally to hide a beauty—a fairy-like woman locked away in the upstairs room of the garden. This beauty had no appetite for food or drink, but by chance, the meals prepared by my cook happened to please her. Thus, she had more opportunities to deliver meals upstairs. On a few occasions, she overheard conversations between you and that woman… You addressed her as Madam Ju.”
Cheng Yuan’s expression remained unchanged. “She is a dancer I purchased. Because I admired the elegance of Madam Ju from years past, I call her by that name.”
Liu Luowei gave a light laugh. “This Madam Ju repeatedly asked you about a young woman named Zhenzhen. Your responses clearly referred to Director Wu. That makes it even more interesting… I looked into Wu Zhenzhen’s background and learned she is from Pujiang, and her mother’s name is Wu Qiuniang. Then I had someone investigate your movements in recent years and questioned the eunuchs who accompanied you on your travels. I discovered you had once gone to Pujiang and brought back a woman named Wu Qiuniang. However, as soon as this Wu Qiuniang arrived in Lin’an, you publicly claimed she had fallen ill and died. I discreetly asked The Emperor about Madam Ju’s whereabouts. He said Madam Ju had requested to leave the palace years ago and lived in the garden bestowed upon her by the late emperor, but she disappeared soon after and was never heard from again. I then inquired with people from the Immortal Music Academy. They said the people Madam Ju was close to before leaving the palace were Official Liu and Imperial Physician Zhang Yunqiao. And after Madam Ju left the palace, these two also vanished. So I had someone check Zhang Yunqiao’s medical records from that time at the Imperial Academy of Medicine and found that Madam Ju had frequently received treatment from him before leaving the palace…”
Liu Luowei stared at Cheng Yuan’s increasingly darkening expression and slowed her pace, stating the conclusion she had deduced: “If my guess is correct, Madam Ju likely developed feelings for Physician Zhang and eloped with him after leaving the palace… Perhaps Official Liu as well? It wouldn’t be surprising if the two of them, like the legendary sisters Ehuang and Nüying, shared a husband… And Wu Zhenzhen is the daughter of Madam Ju and Physician Zhang.”
Cheng Yuan’s expression remained unchanged, but he clenched his fist hidden beneath his long sleeve.
Liu Luowei, still smiling, walked to his side and whispered, “Tell me, if Empress Dowager were to learn of this, how many reasons would she have, how many charges could she list, and how many punishments would she devise for Madam Ju? Just the crime of betraying the late emperor by eloping and bearing a child would be enough to have her bones ground to dust, wouldn’t it?”
“She never betrayed the late emperor!” Cheng Yuan finally couldn’t restrain himself, glaring at her angrily. “She never had a child. Wu Zhenzhen is the daughter of Zhang Yunqiao and Official Liu.”Liu Luowei was momentarily taken aback, then smiled gently, saying softly, "That's right. It's so much better when we are honest with each other, holding nothing back. As long as you and I support one another and survive together in the palace, I will protect Madam Ju as I would protect myself."
Cheng Yuan knew he had fallen into her trap. He closed his eyes, adjusting his breath, and after a moment, looked at Liu Luowei again with a sigh. "What is it that you truly want, my lady?"
Liu Luowei did not answer immediately. After a brief silence, she gently placed a hand on her abdomen, her gaze drifting toward the deep courtyard beyond the door. With a faint smile, she said, "I am with child again. The imperial physician says, judging by the pulse, it is very likely to be a prince."
The moment the name "Luo Wei" was uttered, the increasingly intimate atmosphere between Zhenzhen and Lin Hong over the past few months was instantly shattered. That day, neither of them said much more. Zhenzhen expressed the Emperor and Empress's concern for Lin Hong, and Lin Hong politely thanked her. After watching Lin Hong drink the medicinal broth, Zhenzhen urged him to rest more and then hurriedly departed. Lin Hong did not try to keep her, only watching her leave with a somewhat melancholy gaze.
Although the Emperor had instructed Lin Hong to rest for a few days and suspend all duties, Lin Hong appeared at the Great Celebration Hall the following day, still leading the eunuchs in refining the display plates. As the hour approached dusk, seeing that the eunuchs had nearly completed their tasks, Lin Hong dismissed them to rest, while he remained in the eastern corridor, studying the pine tree and occasionally adjusting its branches.
Shortly after, Zhenzhen entered carrying a bowl of chicken broth with Plum Blossom Soup Noodles, saying that The Emperor had sent her to deliver it and urged Lin Hong to eat properly. Lin Hong thanked her, washed his hands, and took a taste of the soup noodles. Recognizing it as the method he had taught Zhenzhen, he smiled knowingly. "You've improved greatly since your time at the Woodcutter Inquiry Post."
Zhenzhen smiled faintly. "Still, it cannot compare to what you make, Teacher."
Lin Hong suddenly recalled that snowy night years ago when he had rescued Zhenzhen and brought her to his room, later preparing this Plum Blossom Soup Noodles for her to eat upon waking. She must have remembered it all this time, practicing it countless times over the past two years to achieve a form, color, and flavor so close to his own.
His heart trembled slightly, and his gaze toward her softened further.
Zhenzhen urged him to continue eating while she sat quietly waiting. The corridor fell into silence, broken only by the occasional soft clink of a spoon against the bowl.
To ease the awkwardness, Zhenzhen looked around and soon picked up a thin cross-section of a pine branch, examining it closely.
It was a piece Lin Hong had sawed off while adjusting the branch length. Seeing Zhenzhen trace her finger over the growth rings, Lin Hong said, "These rings, one light and one dark, represent a year of the tree's growth. Count them and see how many years this tree has lived."
Zhenzhen counted carefully from the center outward, then looked up with a smile. "Eighteen. It's the same age as me."
Lin Hong smiled without speaking.
Now intrigued, Zhenzhen continued searching around, saying, "Let me see if I can find one that matches your age, Teacher."
After examining several pieces and finding none that matched Lin Hong's age, Zhenzhen grew somewhat disheartened. Lin Hong sifted through the wood pieces beside him, selected one, and handed it to Zhenzhen. She counted the rings and her eyes lit up with delight. "Twenty-three. Exactly your age, Teacher."
Zhenzhen examined the wood piece and noticed it was not as perfect as hers, with many fractures and signs of insect damage. She sighed, "This tree seems to have endured many hardships, leaving so many marks on its rings."Lin Hong said, "Tree rings record the tree's life experiences—droughts, floods, lightning strikes, insect damage—all leave their marks."
Zhenzhen noticed the largest insect damage mark appeared outside the fifth ring, forming a sizable hollow. She remarked, "This tree must have suffered greatly when it was five or six years old."
Upon hearing this, Lin Hong was startled and set down his spoon.
Noticing his unusual expression, Zhenzhen called out with concern, "Teacher Lin..."
Lin Hong lowered his gaze and told her, "At that time... my father passed away."
"Oh... I'm sorry..." Zhenzhen immediately felt a pang of regret, realizing her unintentional words had stirred up unpleasant memories for Teacher Lin.
Lin Hong offered her a slight smile to show he didn't mind. After a moment, he said to her, "This is a past I can't bear to revisit. Whenever I recall my childhood, I always force myself to skip over that period. So, that year has left a hollow in my memories, much like the insect damage."
After thinking for a moment, Zhenzhen picked up the scissors from under the tree, cut a small piece from the wood slice corresponding to her own age, and pasted it over the insect damage mark on Lin Hong's slice. Then she said to him, "That year, Zhenzhen was born. So, from now on, let my tree rings fill this hollow... Whenever you think of that year, you can tell yourself: in this world, a girl named Zhenzhen came into being."
Lin Hong maintained his smile, gazing at the tree ring she had used to fill his hollow.
Zhenzhen cut another piece and pasted it over the next scar on Lin Hong's tree rings: "This year, Zhenzhen lived happily with her mother in Pujiang and met Pu Bo, a kind and good man, just like Teacher Lin."
She continued cutting and pasting, striving to match the curves of the cut tree rings with Lin Hong's: "This year, Zhenzhen started school. She thought the boys in her class were all annoying, always roughhousing, climbing walls, pulling her braids, and stealing bird eggs from trees. Little did she know that ten years later, she would meet a man like Teacher Lin."
"This year, Zhenzhen begged her mother to teach her how to cook, but her mother refused. So, she ran out, gathered a few male classmates, and together they went to the riverbank to build a fire and roast some fish. Though the fish turned out charred, she still ate them happily... Zhenzhen, just wait a little longer. In a few more years, Teacher Lin will teach you how to make truly delicious meals."
"This year, Zhenzhen's mother betrothed her to Yang Shenglin. Fortunately, Yang Shenglin liked women playing cuju, and Zhenzhen caught him in the act, leading to the cancellation of the engagement... Zhenzhen decided that when she returned to Pujiang someday, she would treat Yang Shenglin to a good meal to thank him for not marrying her..."
Lin Hong couldn't help but chuckle, but as he looked at Zhenzhen's earnest expression, an inexplicable pang of sorrow welled up in his heart.
"I mean it," Zhenzhen said, turning her head to look at him. "If I had married Yang Shenglin, I would never have met Teacher Lin. Then, I probably would never have understood the essence of culinary arts, nor truly comprehended... what love is."
As she spoke, her eyes glistened, and her voice began to tremble uncontrollably: "Teacher Lin, I like you. No matter who is in your heart, I still like you."
Having uttered these words locked deep within her heart, she felt as if a weight had been lifted. The tears welling in her eyes finally fell, and she shyly kept her gaze lowered, not daring to look at him, until she heard his voice again.
"Don't call me Teacher Lin anymore," Lin Hong gently suggested. "If you don't mind, you can call me Hong Ning... That's what my family calls me.""Hong... Hong Ning?" Zhenzhen whispered uncertainly.
"Yes, Zhenzhen." Lin Hong smiled and took her hand, drawing her into his embrace. He held her gently, savoring the peace she brought him, and whispered in her ear, "From now on, let us spend half our lives filling each other's rings of time."
They leaned against each other, sitting silently in the eastern corridor. For a moment, neither thought to avoid prying eyes, nor did they notice the first snow of winter quietly arriving, with scattered snowflakes drifting through the open lattice window.
Outside the corridor, Zhao Ai silently closed the window for them, then slowly sat down on the cold stone steps outside. He looked up desolately at the vast, gray sky, letting a few snowflakes fall into his eyes to ease the burning sensation brought by unshed tears.
He had gone to the Jiaming Hall to see his father but noticed Zhenzhen carrying a soup bowl toward the Daqing Hall. Guessing she intended to meet Lin Hong, he followed and, hidden outside the eastern corridor, witnessed this scene.
Upon hearing their final words, his initial anger and resentment gradually faded, replaced by a sense of helpless sorrow. He waved the back of his hand to signal the approaching eunuchs to withdraw, silently guarding the window he had just closed.
After what felt like an eternity, Zhenzhen emerged from inside and was startled to see Zhao Ai sitting silently on the stone steps. "Second Great King!"
Zhao Ai stood up, hesitated for a moment, then addressed her, "Head Chef Wu."
Zhenzhen immediately noticed the change in his address and realized he might have overheard her conversation with Lin Hong. Her face flushed instantly, but as she saw Lin Hong approaching upon hearing the voices, she decided to lift her head and face Zhao Ai directly, declaring her feelings: "I truly, truly like Teacher Lin."
Zhao Ai forced a smile and said gently, "I know."
Zhenzhen took a few steps back and, before Lin Hong could step out the door, turned and ran toward the Bureau of Palace Provisions.
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