Gu Ling instinctively became vigilant. Frowning at the male voice outside the door, he asked, "Is this the Cheng Lang you were talking about?"
"Yeah," Meng Ruyi replied, then motioned for Jing Zhe to open the door.
Gu Ling frowned even more tightly and stared intently at the door.
The door opened. A handsome young man in a blue gown stood at the door. Seeing the three people inside, he flashed a gentle smile and stepped forward. "Miss Meng, Young Master Song, and this is..."
"I'm Gu Ling," Gu Ling said, then looked straight at him. "I've heard Ruyi and Brother Song mention you. What's the matter?"
Surprised that Gu Ling spoke first, Song Huaizhi glanced at him with a half - smile. Then he looked at Cheng Lang and said, "It's okay. You can speak."
Cheng Lang seemed to let out a sigh of relief and apologized to Gu Ling with a smile.
Gu Ling was so angry that he almost fell backward. He felt like an outsider and his anger flared up.
"Take a seat first," Meng Ruyi said, pointing to the seat beside Gu Ling.
Gu Ling: ...
"Thank you for your concern, Miss Meng," Cheng Lang said. He was slow to sense the tension in the air. He just wondered why Gu Ling kept staring at him. But thinking about what he wanted to say, he hesitated for a moment.
"Miss Meng, Young Master Song," he glanced at them, looking a bit embarrassed. His eyes dimmed slightly. "I heard about that incident. As a doctor, I wonder if I could lend you a hand?"
Meng Ruyi was a bit surprised. She didn't expect him to say that, so she lowered her head and pondered.
Song Huaizhi didn't trust him much. Hearing this, he just frowned and didn't give an immediate answer.
Seeing their expressions, Cheng Lang's hope gradually faded. He lowered his head and sat there. The disappointment on his handsome face was hard to hide.
Gu Ling didn't know what kind of person he was, but since he offered to go to those places, Gu Ling couldn't help but think more highly of him. His discomfort also lessened.
Meng Ruyi remained silent.
Cheng Lang's medical skills must be good. Having grown up following his master, he must have accumulated a lot of experience.
Epidemics were likely to break out after the flood. Even if there were no epidemics, there would still be many injured people. There was a great shortage of doctors.
But...
If they agreed to let him go, they would surely have to send someone to protect him. Moreover, Cheng Lang now knew too much. Meng Ruyi originally planned to keep him in the academy until the matter was completed.
Now it seemed like a dilemma.
They didn't trust the man in front of them, but letting him go there might reduce many losses.
Seeing Meng Ruyi frown, Cheng Lang's eyes showed more regret. "I'm just a doctor, but I can vaguely understand your difficulties, Miss Meng. Moreover, this is the capital. We have to be more cautious. One wrong move might lead to disaster."
"It's a pity that my medical skills have no place to be used."
Meng Ruyi had been watching him, closely observing his expression.
In her past life, he was an indirect cause of her death. But this time, he was just an unknown doctor who had just come to the capital.
Looking at him, Meng Ruyi seemed to sense something, so her expression became even more hesitant.
Song Huaizhi remained silent, waiting for Meng Ruyi's answer.
"Sorry, I've put Miss Meng in a difficult position," Cheng Lang said with regret. But he knew that this matter was related to the most noble people in the capital. If he went there, it was not as simple as just setting off. He was now on the same boat as Meng Ruyi and the others, so he couldn't act rashly.
"Go back first," Meng Ruyi looked into his eyes, calm. "I'll think about it and give you an answer later."
Cheng Lang was stunned. He didn't expect there to be a turn of events. So he quickly stood up and bowed. "Thank you, Miss Meng."
After watching Cheng Lang leave, Song Huaizhi glanced at Gu Ling, who seemed eager for something. Then he said, "If Yu Yu really wants him to go, don't worry. I'll send someone to follow him. If there's anything wrong, we'll kill him immediately."
Gu Ling, who was about to speak: "???"
Meng Ruyi, who was suddenly speechless: "..."
Right, she suddenly remembered that in the original story, Brother Song was a villain. Now his actions were much milder than in the book.
"I... I'll think about it," Meng Ruyi said. It was a good idea, although it did seem a bit inhumane.
But Song Huaizhi was right. If Cheng Lang betrayed them, the losses would be incalculable. It was a good idea to kill him if they found out about his betrayal.
So... just do it like this?
She looked up at Song Huaizhi. "Can Brother Song guarantee that he won't find any loopholes?"
"Yes," Song Huaizhi nodded. "Let Li Ergou go. He's good at martial arts."
Meng Ruyi almost forgot about Li Ergou, who was now serving beside Song Huaizhi. The fact that Song Huaizhi had brought him to the capital meant that Li Ergou must be reliable.
However, Cheng Lang might not necessarily betray them. It was just a precaution.
It seemed that they had to send him there earlier.
"I'll send someone to tell him later. Let him set off tomorrow morning," Meng Ruyi said.
"Okay."
Only then did Meng Ruyi notice Gu Ling, who was gaping in disbelief. "What's wrong?" she asked.
Gu Ling was taken aback, then shook his head. "It's okay."
He just didn't expect that the two people in front of him were discussing killing someone without hiding it from him.
It was an honor, but a rather heavy one.
Gu Ling managed to chat with them for a few more words before returning to the room arranged for him by Song Huaizhi.
...
The next day, Cheng Lang set off very early.
The morning light had not yet broken through the night. It was still a bit dark. The bushes on both sides of the road were covered with dewdrops, bringing a bit of coolness.
Taking advantage of the early hour, a few people quietly slipped out of the academy through the back door to see Cheng Lang off.
When Cheng Lang saw Meng Ruyi and Song Huaizhi, he was a bit shocked. Then a faint smile appeared on his face. "Thank you both for seeing me off. I'm extremely grateful."
Just as he was about to mount his horse, Cheng Lang bit his lips and said to them, "Sorry, Miss Meng, Young Master Song. When I first contacted you two, I did have some calculating thoughts. I wanted to use you to get close to Young Master Tang and come to the capital."
"I didn't expect things to turn out like this."
Saying this, Cheng Lang's smile looked a bit shy. "I'll do my best on this trip. I hope you two take care."
After saying that, he clumsily mounted his horse. He smiled at them and then rode away.
Cheng Lang's back seemed to be gilded with a pale halo by the morning light, looking a bit aloof from the world.
Watching him leave, Meng Ruyi felt complicated.
Cheng Lang was related to her death, but she couldn't bring herself to hate him. The Cheng Lang in front of her was no longer the one in the book. Although he had some small schemes, his heart was kind. Moreover, he was now willing to go there on his own initiative.
"Let's go," Meng Ruyi said, watching him disappear from her sight. She took a deep breath, as if trying to expel all the depression in her heart.