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I seized every opportunity that wouldn’t seem abrupt to get closer to Young Master Mu. For instance, I would observe what was lacking, collect some clean clothes, and pass messages to Nie Qiuyuan and the others.
In reality, this was merely my ideal; Nie Qiuyuan never gave me the chance to relay any messages.
However, I still managed to find a few opportunities to interact with Young Master Mu.
I tried my best to draw him out in conversation.
An American former intelligence advisor once wrote a book titled "Thinking Like a Spy," which taught some techniques on how federal agents approach their targets. The key is to find a "hook" that connects you to the target. This "hook" could be a mutual acquaintance or a certain event, but it must allow you to penetrate his heart, making him feel the need to get close to you.
For spies, the target might be easy to identify, but finding the hook can be quite challenging. I had seen cases where a female spy's target had been designated months in advance, yet he was nearly impossible to approach. He was reclusive, rarely went out, had no social interactions, and never approached strangers. The female spy exerted great effort and finally obtained an important piece of information: the target's son was applying to study in the United States.
So she used this information as a starting point, arranging a meeting with the target under the guise of a private foundation that promised scholarships for international students, thus piquing his interest. Once they met once, they became familiar over time, and her goal was gradually achieved.
Moreover, I had also learned questioning techniques. When you want to extract information from someone, relying solely on rounds of aggressive questioning may not yield good results; sometimes strategic guidance is necessary.
Strategic guidance involves asking questions in a friendly manner that won’t raise suspicion. This way, the other party might unconsciously reveal information that direct inquiries would never uncover. We gather bits of information without the other person realizing it and eventually piece together the truth of the matter.
Therefore, when conversing with seemingly random individuals, one should always remain alert. Under clever guidance, many seemingly trivial pieces of information shared during casual banter can reveal much more than expected when analyzed as a whole. You might not even realize you’ve been led astray.
However, in practice, I found my skills were rather lacking.
"Has Young Master Mu's injury healed?" I asked with an appearance like a delicate willow swaying in the wind, charmingly placing down the washed clothes. "My siblings have recently faced some changes at home; Liuying has also been ill for quite some time. Now we understand the importance of health."
My main goal was to find out if I had the fortune of clinging onto a powerful ally. I decided to start from the low pressure I sensed in Young Master Mu’s mood when we first met.
Young Master Mu seemed gentle and composed; he rarely spoke more than half a sentence, simply saying, "Thank you for your concern, Miss. It wasn't a big deal; I've recovered long ago."
"Liuying has just experienced the pain of losing a loved one; thankfully, there is still an elder brother around to prevent her from going mad. If there are any shortcomings on our part, I hope you will forgive us. Does your family have any brothers?" I chatted casually.
I thought that if this person were of royal blood, there should be some change in his expression when mentioning the loss of family or brothers. After all, the Xuanwu Gate Incident had just occurred, and the emotions of the Tang royal family should be steeped in the brutal bloodshed of fratricide.
However, Young Master Mu showed no reaction at all. He simply replied lightly, "Of course, I have brothers," and smoothly shifted the topic.
For some reason, I felt that he had a better grasp of the situation than I did. His gentle, smiling eyes seemed to peel away my skin and see through to my very soul. There was something slightly terrifying about Young Master Mu that made him hard to read.
"Firefly Girl," Young Master Mu said casually, "It's quite hot today. When I left home, I brought some excellent tea. Why not invite your brother and the others to come over and enjoy some tea together?"
If Young Master Mu were from the Li Clan, he would likely be a Longxi person. Yet what he took out from his bag was Rock Tea from Fujian.
Luo Dachun was usually flamboyant and owned several sets of tea utensils. This time, following Young Master Mu's suggestion, he chose a set that was rustic and unrefined. Young Master Mu skillfully boiled water and washed the tea leaves before brewing it.
Could he possibly be running a tea shop? I felt a bit disappointed, thinking that the plot development wasn't explosive enough. Typically, the female protagonists in these stories are always connected to royalty. But if Young Master Mu were indeed of royal descent, how could he have such a good temperament? It seemed I needed to rein in my professional instincts; otherwise, I'd end up being overly suspicious and inevitably suffer from neurosis.
Young Master Mu handed out teacups to everyone. He only invited Nie Qiuyuan and Luo Dachun because I was already in the room and it would be awkward to ask me to leave. He didn’t call for Han Meilan, which made me quite happy.
I tried to sip gracefully; the tea had a faint floral aroma and tasted slightly sweet. By the second infusion, the flavor became more intense with a bright sensation. Overall, it was quite enjoyable.
I didn't know much about tea; I could only tell if it was good or bad. However, Luo Dachun sighed softly, "What a unique flavor! The first infusion has an orchid fragrance—fresh and sweet—while the second infusion tastes like longan honey—pure and rich. This is truly good tea; it seems to contain some hidden craftsmanship!"
Young Master Mu clapped in appreciation, saying, "Master Luo of Shentong Hall has great taste. This tea is called 'Unaware of Spring,' a top-quality Rock Tea with very limited production and few who understand its value. Today, having found a kindred spirit is this tea's fortune."
"What is the origin of this name 'Unaware of Spring'? I hope Brother Zilong can enlighten me," Luo Dachun asked politely, clearly genuinely interested.
"This tea," Young Master Mu said as he took a gentle sip and appeared thoughtful, "grows very slowly. Other teas seize the opportunity before Qingming and Guyu festivals for early fame and profit. But this one? By the time it sprouts, those prime times have passed—it's as if it has forgotten spring's existence altogether. Yet because of this 'clumsiness,' it possesses more flavor than other teas."
"This tea is best enjoyed slowly during quiet moments; even after ten infusions, its lingering fragrance remains strong." As he spoke, Young Master Mu continued brewing without pause. His fingers were pale and slender but with prominent knuckles—strong hands that didn't resemble those of a typical idle young master.
Luo Dachun was captivated by this tea and remarked with a hint of envy, "No wonder you chose this rough tea set; just this humble intention of not vying for spring makes one admire it."
"Not much to argue about," Young Master Mu slightly lowered his eyelids, his serene and handsome profile resembling that of Nie Qiuyuan sitting beside him even more. "Whether or not there is something to dispute, I truly cannot say, but patience is certainly abundant. Perhaps its spring is different from others. No need to conform, just stay true to oneself, Unaware of Spring, right? Spring resides in my heart."
I was never one for the artsy crowd, and listening to them made me increasingly impatient. I simply noticed that Young Master Mu's gaze would occasionally dart towards Nie Qiuyuan, who sat quietly, saying nothing, a polite smile on his face as he slowly savored his tea.
Nie Qiuyuan's long hair cascaded down along the curve of his shoulders, and his image appeared profound and powerful due to his tranquility and reticence. Looking at him like this made me unable to help but wonder what the taste of the tea in his hand was like. Would it be the same as what I was tasting?
Gazing at him made one feel utterly mundane.
The peaceful and pleasant afternoon did not last long. Just as Unaware of Spring was about to reach the fourth brew, someone suddenly burst in, stumbling and panicking, not even bothering to knock on the door, shouting in a frenzy:
"Young Master! It's bad! There's been a murder!"
A murder!
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