39th Break: Mood 

The next day.

Lin Ze's face is extremely dark that Lin Rui almost ran away after he saw his second brother. But, it is disrespectful to not greet Lin Ze now that he has seen him.

"S – second brother… g – good morning…" Lin Rui spoke in a small voice as he cautiously approached Lin Ze.

Lin Ze looked at him and his expression softened. "Good morning. Are you going to your morning classes?" he asked.

"Yes." Lin Rui answered.

"Then, study well." Lin Ze said and left even without eating breakfast.

Lin Rui wanted to ask him why he is in a bad mood, but Lin Ze has already left. He could only sigh as he took his lunch box from the servant.

"Rui-er." Madam Lin called.

Lin Rui turned and his eyes brightened when he saw their mother. "Mother! Good morning." He greeted and bowed.

"Going to class now?" Madam Lin asked.

"Yes." Lin Rui nodded.

"Then, listen well to your teacher." Madam Lin said and smiled. "Off you go now." She said.

Lin Rui nodded and immediately left. Madam Lin smiled, watching her third son leave, before she resumed walking with her maidservants behind her. In fact, she has seen Lin Ze before Lin Ze left, but she still felt awkward from their last conversation about Jin Peng. So, she decided to talk with her second son another time.

Madam Lin sighed before she returned back to her room.

…

Huichen.

"Meng Xing?!" Lin Ze, who was marching towards Huichen with a dark face, exclaimed when he saw Meng Xing alighted a carriage. His dark expression, which scared the people he passed by on his way to Huichen, instantly turned from gloomy to sunny when he saw Meng Xing.

Meng Xing turned and saw Lin Ze, whose smile is extremely duplicitous. "… Officer Lin." He muttered and nodded at Lin Ze, who is currently wearing his officer's uniform.

"How are you? I didn't see you here yesterday." Lin Ze said as he walked behind Meng Xing, following the other as they entered Huichen.

The servant, who heard Lin Ze's upbeat voice, almost rolled his eyes. "Welcome, guests." he said and respectfully bowed.

Meng Xing, who knows that the people in Huichen including the servants hate Lin Ze, almost laughed. "En, good morning." He greeted back to the servant before they went inside.

"You are here today for… your missing 'friend', or the poison in your body?" Lin Ze asked.

Meng Xing, who already agreed to being friends with Lin Ze, answered. "Both." He spoke as he sat inside a pavilion where the guests could wait.

"Your missing 'friend'…" Lin Ze muttered.

Meng Xing looked at him.

"I didn't see her in the Yang family's inn." Lin Ze said and smiled apologetically.

"You went to the Yang family's inn?" Meng Xing asked, acting surprised.

"En." Lin Ze nodded. "Unfortunately, I didn't see her anywhere." He said and sighed, feeling disappointed. All he saw was that Ah Yu, and Ah Yu's comrade who was sneaking around the Yang family's inn.

"I see…" Meng Xing muttered. It is expected for Lin Ze to not find his 'friend', since his 'friend' might not exist in this world. "Why are you here in Huichen today?" he asked.

Lin Ze started when he recalled something. His face sank again. He wanted to ask Meng Xing why Meng Xing wasn't in 'his' house last night, according to the address that Qiu Yi gave him, but Lin Ze knows that Meng Xing can't find out why he knows that he wasn't in 'his' house last night, nor even why he knows where Meng Xing lives.

This puts Lin Ze in a dilemma. Meanwhile, Meng Xing who saw Lin Ze's stifled expression almost laughed, but fortunately he held it back. How can Lin Ze ask him directly, when Lin Ze obtained 'his' address behind his back? Isn't this just revealing to him that Lin Ze investigated him again? Thus, their recently built friendship will sink again!

Meng Xing turned away and smiled under his veil.

"Sir Meng, Officer Lin, good morning." A servant carrying a tray of snacks greeted and respectfully bowed before placing down the tray on the table. "Who wants to go first?" he asked as he looked at them.

Lin Ze was about to answer to let Meng Xing go first, but Meng Xing spoke first.

"Let Officer Lin go fist." Meng Xing said and smiled.

"Meng Xing – " Lin Ze looked at him.

"Officer Lin's business is more important than mine. Officer Lin is a public servant." Meng Xing said.

Lin Ze frowned. In fact, what he is investigating is a personal business which would only indirectly affect the public, not directly.

"Also, I like Huichen's snacks and drinks, so I will eat first." Meng Xing said.

Lin Ze sighed in defeat. "Then, I will go first." He said and left, picking up a pastry and ate it on the way. Mn. This is really delicious. He thought and smiled as he licked his fingers. His mood now became better.

Meanwhile, the servant that is leading him wanted to roll his eyes, really. But, fortunately he held it back.

Meng Xing's smile disappeared after Lin Ze left. "Qiu Si." He called.

Qiu Si, who was hiding not far away, heard their boss call him. "Boss." He greeted and knelt.

Meng Xing waved his hand. He already told them not to kneel before him. Just a bow is enough. But they still insisted to kneel, which makes him feel helpless. "What happened last night?" he asked.

Qiu Si rose and placed his hands behind him to report. "Answering to boss, there was a figure sneaking around the Yang family's inn which is Ah Yu's comrade that arrived and Lin Ze killed him before Lin Ze went to find Ah Yu." He spoke. "Lin Ze acted like Ah Yu's comrade to have Ah Yu spit out his crimes before Lin Ze immobilized him." he told Meng Xing.

"What did Ah Yu say?" Meng Xing asked.

"From his words, he requested for help from the Writhing Snake Gang due to his identity discovered." Qiu Si answered.

Meng Xing nodded in understanding. "About the interrogation?" he asked.

"Ah Yu said that the thing that everyone was looking for is a crystal bottle." Qiu Si said. "When day, it is like any other crystal bottles. But, at night, it would turn blue." He told him.

Meng Xing frowned. "Anything else?" he asked.

"He didn't say anything about its content." Qiu Si answered.