A certain courtyard in the alley.
Ji Li had a sullen face as he leaned over the table, writing swiftly with his brush.
After finishing the last stroke, he tossed both the brush and the book into the neighboring yard.
Ever since eting Little Yin Hu, his streak of bad luck hadn’t ceased. If it wasn’t falling into a dry well, it was getting slamd into a wall. And then ca the sha of the moonlit naked escapade... The once-proud Commander Guard, now burdened by so much black history.
It infuriated him to no end!
He decided to draw a divination for himself using copper coins.
"South of the city, flowers bloom, an old friend arrives. Hmm."
Ji Li raised an eyebrow, grabbed the coins, and cast another lot. After deciphering the symbols on the table, a aningful smile spread across his face.
"Ah, it’s the Si Snake—one of the most vicious and cold-blooded among the Twelve Guards. If mory serves right, the Si Snake and Li Haiya have had no small amount of grievances in the past."
"Indeed, debts of the father are paid by the son. Big Yin Hu’s debts shall be settled by Little Yin Hu. Fair, fair!"
Ji Li grabbed the straw hat from the table, put it on his head, picked up the Feng Shui Compass and a folding fan, and stepped out of the courtyard with one in each hand.
Nanny Wan had just returned from buying groceries. Seeing him, she asked, "Young Master Ji, are you heading out?"
Ji Li replied with a grin, "Going to fetch an old friend and bring them ho as a guest."
...
On the tenth of April, Yu Li’s first ten-day leave arrived. The Marquis of Anyuan was unavailable, Xie Yan had entered the Hanlin Academy, so Yu Li went to visit Xie Yan’s direct superior, Compiler Kong.
The Yu Family also accompanied him, sending the steward of the Marquis Mansion to the Imperial College to fetch Yu Li, though they naturally couldn’t find him.
ng Qianqian also went to the Imperial College, bringing along so pastries made by Lady Du for Yu Li and Young Master Lin.
The mont Yu Li heard it was his cousin, he rushed to the gate, taking Young Master Lin along with him.
But when Young Master Lin laid his eyes on the figure standing beside ng Qianqian, his expression turned as if he’d seen a ghost. His jaw dropped, "Lin Xiaoru! You—you—you—left the house?!"
Lin Xiaoru replied, "Yes."
Young Master Lin clutched his head, looking her over before glancing at the jar she was holding. "Is that... for ?"
"For you and Young Master Yu." Lin Xiaoru handed the jar to him.
On the verge of tears, Young Master Lin exclaid, "So my dear sister thinks so highly of ..."
Lin Xiaoru deadpanned, "I’m just helping Miss ng carry it."
Young Master Lin stamred, "Huh?"
Lin Xiaoru clarified, "Miss ng invited to go to the workshop. The Imperial College is near both our hos, so we arranged to et here."
The light in Young Master Lin’s eyes dimd. "I got excited for nothing."
"This is my cousin."
"This is my sister."
ng Qianqian introduced the two to each other.
Though Yu Li had been to the Lin Family residence before, he had never t Lin Xiaoru.
Yu Li greeted her with a bow. "Miss Lin."
Lin Xiaoru returned the courtesy. "Young Master Yu."
ng Qianqian inquired after Yu Li’s experiences at the Imperial College, peppering him with detailed questions like a nagging elder.
Upon hearing that all was well with Yu Li, ng Qianqian was relieved and sincerely expressed her gratitude to Young Master Lin, thanking him for looking after Yu Li.
Young Master Lin rubbed his head with a sheepish smile. "Friends ought to do such things."
ng Xiaojiu thanked him! ng Xiaojiu actually thanked him!
Lin Xiaoru teased, "Brother, your face is turning red."
Young Master Lin flew off the handle, embarrassing brat! Would keeping quiet and not exposing your brother kill you?!
ng Qianqian had brought three jars in total, handing the other two to them as well before she and Lin Xiaoru climbed into a carriage heading for the workshop.
Lin Xiaoru remarked that the workshop in Capital City had many fascinating finds, though it was a bit ssy and chaotic, and so unreasonable folks occasionally showed up.
This didn’t faze ng Qianqian at all.
Because her fists were very persuasive.
Young Master Lin, carrying two of the three jars, walked toward the Imperial College. "Yu Li, now that you’ve enrolled in the Imperial College, what’s your biggest goal?"
Yu Li replied, "To study hard, aim for the top of the gold-ranked list in three years, and give my cousin a strong backing."
"Mhm mhm... huh?"
The first part made sense—after all, anyone who ca to the Imperial College had aspirations to make a na for themselves. But... backing his cousin? Where did that co from?
"Are you joking?"
"I’m not joking. My cousin’s situation is rather unique; you wouldn’t understand."
With the ng Family’s history of distant marriages and second marriages, Yu Li felt that he had to rise to the occasion. Otherwise, if ever his cousin faced hardships in her marital ho, there would be no one to support her.
Young Master Lin’s expression was indescribable.
Do you even realize what you’re saying?
The one who doesn’t understand here is you. She’s ng Xiaojiu!
Young Master Lin comnted, "The na ’ng Xiaojiu’ alone carries weight in Capital City. If she stumbles, even General Zhang would march his border troops to level the entire street!"
Yu Li asked, "Who’s ng Xiaojiu?"
Young Master Lin stared at him, his innocent yet clueless gaze clear as a daybreak sky. "You really don’t know, do you...?"
In the carriage.
Lin Xiaoru spoke to ng Qianqian, "Miss ng, thank you for helping find the missing volu of the Feng Shui Book. I’m quite fond of it and thought I’d never get the complete set in this lifeti."
ng Qianqian smiled. "It was just a small favor."
After all, it simply involved drawing a Moonlit Night Naked Picture for Ji Li.
Lin Xiaoru ran her fingers gently through the pages of the book. "The ink seems fresh, as if it was just finished recently."
ng Qianqian choked and coughed. "Ahem! It was copied by the clerks at the bookstore—they copied many books that day."
Lin Xiaoru flipped the pages lightly. "They copied it so well it’s indistinguishable from the original."
...
The wedding date was drawing closer, and Nanny Li grew busier by the day. Though the preparations were kept low-key, everything that needed to be arranged still had to be handled. The red double-happiness characters were pasted up, red lanterns were hung, and the courtyard’s roses and peonies were all set out one by one.
Bao Shu had tried several tis to wreck the flowers in a fit of temper but managed to hold herself back each ti.
For soone who once couldn’t hold in the urge to pee, suppressing her emotions was truly a remarkable feat.
Nanny Li was directing Little Wu to take down the last Eight-sided Exquisite Lantern.
"Leave that one up."
ng Qianqian spoke.
Nanny Li frowned. "Miss, this lantern is too old—it should be replaced with a new one."
ng Qianqian glanced at the Eight-sided Exquisite Lantern swaying gently beneath the corridor, identical to the one Yin Hu had drawn in the mountain cave, except it lacked the lines of poetry she had written on it.
Tan’er chid in, "Elder Sister really likes that lantern. She stares at it every day for a long ti!"
Nanny Li thought for a mont. "If the young lady likes it, let’s keep it. I’ll take it down to give it a good cleaning and hang it back up again."
ng Qianqian nodded.
They had prepared quite a few new items recently, and it was fortunate they lived in an alley full of supposedly haunted houses. Otherwise, word would have spread by now.
ng Qianqian personally delivered invitations to Grandmother Feng and Master Lei the carpenter, inviting them as guests from her family’s side to attend her wedding banquet at the Governor Mansion.
Grandmother Feng accepted gladly.
Master Lei, however, dismissed her brusquely with, "I have to leave town for a few days—not sure if I can make it back in ti."
ng Qianqian had planned to give Ji Li an invitation too, but since he hadn’t returned after leaving, she decided to leave the invitation on his desk.
As for her wedding gown, it was still missing, which made Nanny Li a bit anxious. "It’s not done yet? What if it’s not ready by the wedding day...?"
ng Qianqian remained calm. "Nanny, don’t worry. The person recomnded by Steward Cen won’t make any mistakes."
Nanny Li said, "That may be true... but what if the asurents are off and it needs alterations? That’ll take ti too. We can’t have the gown arriving on the wedding day itself!"
ng Qianqian smiled. "Don’t we have a backup set?"
"That’s not the sa!"
Nanny Li stood up abruptly. "I’ll go to the Governor Mansion and ask Steward Cen!"
On the fourteenth of April, after a month of seclusion, Yun Xiyao finally stitched the last thread.
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