Feng Linyuan raised his hand...
Just then, a flurry of hasty footsteps came from outside.
"Something's wrong! Something's wrong!"
The man immediately turned around and walked out of the study. "What's going on?"
"Captain Mo, there you are! Something's happened to the young lady!"
"Something happened to the young lady?" The man called "Captain Mo" suddenly raised his voice, clearly extremely nervous. Without caring about the study, he ran off with the messenger.
It was not until the sound outside the door completely faded away that Bai Zheng let out a long sigh of relief.
At this moment, in the cramped space, the two people standing close to each other suddenly felt a bit awkward.
Standing face to face, they were already very close. Bai Zheng's hasty tug just now had made them seem to be embracing. Bai Zheng's whole body was now completely in Feng Linyuan's embrace.
Feng Linyuan turned his head, and his chin just rested on top of Bai Zheng's head. The tip of his nose caught a faint fragrance from the woman's hair in front of him.
Feng Linyuan's heart skipped a couple of beats.
Bai Zheng awkwardly turned her face away and pushed Feng Linyuan away. Stuttering, she said, "Zheng Yan must have already discovered Feng Jingyang's matter. We don't have much time. Let's go and look for it quickly."
Without looking at him, she ran out as if escaping.
Watching Bai Zheng's hasty and flustered back, Feng Linyuan smiled faintly. There was a touch of softness like starlight in his usually deep eyes.
At this time, the marquis's mansion's villa was no longer filled with servants and maids as before. There were hardly any people around, making it look very quiet.
"It seems that Zheng Yan has really made a big fuss. My cousin never fails to disappoint me," Bai Zheng said with a sigh as she found no one on the way.
Feng Linyuan smiled slightly. "Your cousin is truly a rare one."
Bai Zheng looked at him playfully. "If the marquis likes her, why don't you marry her? It would be a good thing for me to get rid of a nuisance."
Feng Linyuan raised his eyebrows and glanced at Bai Zheng with a smile. "The third young lady knows that this marquis only has eyes for you."
"Come on," Bai Zheng pouted. "I'm not as good-looking as my cousin. Why do you have to set your heart on me?"
"This marquis just likes those who are not overly good-looking," Feng Linyuan said seriously.
"What do you mean!" Bai Zheng got angry again.
"Here we are," Feng Linyuan suddenly lifted his head and pointed forward with his chin.
Bai Zheng composed herself and followed Feng Linyuan's gaze. There was a tall rockery in front of them, and a corner of a pond could be seen beside it.
She walked past the rockery, and her vision suddenly widened.
It was actually a quite large lake.
The lake water was as clear and green as jade, with a layer of just-melting floating ice on it. It reflected the strange and exquisite rocks around and the large patches of fragrant wintersweet in full bloom. The light yellow, rose-red, and pure white colors were vivid and eye-catching.
Bai Zheng stared intently. In the middle of the lake stood a mansion surrounded by white silk curtains. There were no corridors or wooden bridges leading to it. It stood alone on the blue waves. She wondered how the people in the mansion got in and out.
"This must be the place..." Bai Zheng instinctively felt that this mansion should be the villa they were looking for. Just as she was calculating how to get there, her body suddenly felt light.
Feng Linyuan put his arm around Bai Zheng's waist and tapped his toes on the water. He soared across the lake like a wild goose.
By the time Bai Zheng realized what was happening, they were already in front of the mansion in the middle of the lake.
"Didn't scare Miss Bai, did I?" Feng Linyuan asked gently.
"No, no," Bai Zheng came to her senses and said excitedly. "It was quite fun. Next time when the marquis is free, could you take me for a few more flights?"
"..."
Feng Linyuan turned around and walked in.
The mansion was not big, and the layout inside was very simple.
Stepping through the threshold, there was a redwood square table right in front of the door. On the wall behind the table were two portraits, one of the former marquis and the other of the former marquis's wife.
There was a room on each side of the mansion, and there was also an open small pavilion at the back.
Feng Linyuan and Bai Zheng glanced at each other and silently separated, each walking into a room.
Bai Zheng searched thoroughly, looking under the pillow, under the bed, and in the wooden cabinets. But she found nothing.
Feng Linyuan walked in and asked, "How about it?"
"I've searched everywhere except the floor. There's nothing," Bai Zheng replied briefly.
Feng Linyuan looked around the room, then squatted down. He hooked his index finger and middle finger and started to tap the blue bricks on the floor carefully. Soon, he stopped in front of a blue brick that looked ordinary but made a more ethereal sound when tapped.
Bai Zheng became very suspicious and also squatted down to stare at the brick.
Feng Linyuan's fingers brushed along each side of the blue brick. Finally, after pressing all around it, he stopped at a corner.
"You'd better step back. Be careful of what's inside," Feng Linyuan said to her.
Bai Zheng knew that she had no way to protect herself in front of mechanisms. Hearing this, she didn't hesitate and quickly stepped aside.
Only then did Feng Linyuan press hard on the brick. With a "click," one side of the brick lifted up.
There was a small square hole sunken inside, and there was a wooden box in the hole.
Bai Zheng said in surprise, "The bone-penetrating herb?"
There was also a glimmer of hope in Feng Linyuan's eyes. He looked at the lock on the wooden box, then scanned the surroundings. He rummaged through the small bamboo basket on the bedside and found some needles and thread.
He skillfully inserted the needle into the keyhole of the wooden box and fiddled with it for a while. Then, with a "click," the lock was opened.
"I didn't expect the marquis to be so good at such sneaky things," Bai Zheng said, raising her eyebrows slightly as she watched Feng Linyuan's smooth unlocking movements.
"This marquis used to outwit his father when he was young. Naturally, I've become quite proficient," Feng Linyuan smiled.
Looking at the gentle Feng Linyuan in front of her, Bai Zheng suddenly had a picture in her mind of a bright and gorgeous young man, running wild on his horse under his father's protection.
"Miss Bai, step back a bit more," Feng Linyuan reminded.
Bai Zheng pulled herself back to reality. It was time to open the box.
After searching this mansion in the middle of the lake for a long time, they had only found this secretly hidden wooden box. It was their only hope at the moment.
Bai Zheng craned her neck and clearly saw Feng Linyuan's well-defined hand slowly lift the lid of the wooden box.
The wooden box was opened. Inside, there was a stack of silk satin covered with black writing. Obviously, they were all family letters.
"This..." Bai Zheng frowned.
She walked forward reluctantly and rummaged through the box again. Sure enough, there was only the family letters and nothing else.
Bai Zheng and Feng Linyuan glanced at each other. They could both see deep disappointment and helplessness in each other's eyes.
A cold wind of early spring blew into the room through the cracks in the window. Feng Linyuan couldn't help but cough violently. His body trembled with the cough.
Seeing Feng Linyuan still holding the box tightly in his hand while coughing so hard, Bai Zheng quickly snatched the box and put it on the edge of the bed. She gently patted his back.
"You're coughing so badly. Do you have any medicine with you?" Bai Zheng asked anxiously.