Chapter 115: Halted Stalking

Lu Feng finished the last drop of warm tea in his porcelain cup, setting it down softly onto the saucer. He smoothed out the faint wrinkles on his robes before looking up at Su Rong with a calm, courteous smile.

"I should take my leave now, Big Sister Su," Lu Feng said smoothly, rising from his chair. "You have afternoon appointments to attend to, and I have taken up enough of your time."

Su Rong set her own cup down, looking at him with a mix of fondness and mild reluctance. "Must you head off so soon? Though, I suppose you are right." She let out a quiet, elegant sigh, standing up from the low table and adjusting her long crimson sleeves. "Fang Zhao’s reckless driving was not entirely without reason. I have several high-profile guests arriving at the pavilion shortly for a private assembly, and I still need to make the final preparations to receive them."

"Then I shall not delay you any further," Lu Feng replied with a warm nod.

Su Rong personally walked him to the heavy wooden door of her private chamber, unlocking the brass latch with a soft click. As they stepped out into the quiet upper corridor, she escorted him down the winding hallway toward the rear exit of the pavilion, ensuring they avoided the main reception hall where prying eyes and eager gossips still loitered.

"Remember your promise, Lu Feng," Su Rong said softly as they reached the shaded side archway leading to the street. A playful, brilliant smile illuminated her face. "The next private gathering or auction we have in Crimson Vale, you will be attending alongside me."

"I would not dare break a promise made to the Mistress of the Crimson Pavilion," Lu Feng chuckled lightly, offering a deep, respectful bow. "Until next time, Big Sister Su."

"Safe travels back to your estate," she murmured, watching him with a gentle gaze as he turned and stepped out into the bright afternoon sunlight.

Once Lu Feng cleared the stone archway, Su Rong turned on her heel and hurried back inside the pavilion, her demeanor instantly shifting from warm ease to the sharp, commanding presence required to host her impending high-society guests.

Stepping out onto the main thoroughfare, Lu Feng adjusted the sleeves of his robes and began strolling down the broad walkway lining the grand entrance of the Crimson Pavilion. The street was alive with activity—street vendors hawking roasted nuts, fine silk merchants displaying colorful rolls of fabric, and heavy trade wagons rumbling over the smooth paving stones.

He intended to flag down a hired horse-drawn carriage to take him back to his estate in the upper district, saving himself the unneeded walk after a full morning of errands.

As he waited near the curb, the loud, rhythmic clatter of heavy hooves drew his attention up the street. A grand, multi-horse team approached, pulling a massive, gilded carriage made of polished dark ironwood. The vehicle was intricately decorated with silver leafing, tinted glass windows, and silk curtains, radiating an unmistakable aura of extreme wealth and high status. ℯℯ𝑙.

Lu Feng watched with mild interest as the luxurious carriage swept past him, turning sharply into the main grand driveway of the Crimson Pavilion. The guards at the archway immediately bowed down to their knees, opening the gates wide to receive the distinguished arrival.

Lu Feng raised an eyebrow, mildly curious about who had arrived in such grand style, but before he could spare another thought to inspect the vehicle or perceive the spiritual signature of its passenger, his sharp senses picked up a familiar, subtle anomaly in the surrounding crowd.

The cold, monitoring presence had returned.

It was the very same stalker who had tailed him from the market district to Lin Laifu’s estate earlier that morning. The covert observer was positioned roughly thirty paces behind him, cleverly blended between a group of scholars examining a book stall and a merchant loading sacks of tea onto a wooden cart.

’Persistent,’ Lu Feng thought to himself, his expression remaining entirely calm and unbothered. ’He lost my track when Su Rong dragged me into her carriage, but he knew enough to lurk around the Crimson Pavilion until I reappeared.’

Since the stalker had made no hostile moves and was strictly maintaining a observation distance to map out his routines and destinations, Lu Feng saw no reason to force a confrontation on a crowded public street.

Revealing his awareness now would only cause the shadow behind the operative to change tactics or deploy someone more dangerous. Letting them believe they were successfully sneaking around was far more useful.

Just then, a neat, four-wheeled passenger carriage pulled up to the curb in front of him. The elderly driver tipped his cloth cap respectfully. "Heading somewhere in the upper district, young master?"

"Yes," Lu Feng said smoothly, stepping up to the wooden carriage door. "Take me to the residential district near the northern gates."

He climbed into the cabin and took a seat near the window, subtly keeping his perception extended outside as the driver snapped the reins and the carriage rolled forward into the flow of traffic. Lu Feng had half-expected the stalker to quickly hire a swift horse or hail a second carriage to keep up with his ride back to the estate.

However, as his carriage accelerated down the central avenue, Lu Feng sensed the mysterious aura falter.

Through the small side window of his carriage, Lu Feng caught a brief, fleeting glimpse of a hooded silhouette standing motionless near the stone pillar of a tea house. The figure did not give chase, nor did he make any movement to follow the vehicle. Having already confirmed Lu Feng’s safety, his high-status connections with both Lin Laifu and Su Rong, and his eventual destination, the stalker simply turned around.

Within the span of a single breath, the hooded figure slipped between two narrow buildings, his presence melting seamlessly into the thick, bustling crowd of Crimson Vale until his aura vanished completely.

Lu Feng leaned back against the wooden seat inside his quiet carriage, a thoughtful, calculating smile playing across his lips as the city scenery drifted past outside.

Someone was thoroughly checking his background, but for now, the shadows had retreated. Lu Feng closed his eyes, enjoying the steady, peaceful ride back to his estate.