“Sir, it has been a very long time since you last visited our manor. Our master has truly missed you terribly.”

Long Yan had successfully brought Feng Jiu’er to the manor and let out a genuine, heartfelt sigh of relief.

Feng Jiu was simply too busy. During this period, he had often gone to find her, but she was never at Tianji Hall. The people at Tianji Hall only said she had gone out, without saying clearly where.

Their master had been on the verge of making a scene!

Long Yan said helplessly, “Our master… has not eaten since last night.”

“What happened? Were the dishes the cook prepared not to Grandfather’s taste?” Feng Jiu’er was a little worried.

The old man was so advanced in years — going without food for extended periods would be hard on his stomach.

As for calling him “Grandfather” — every time she came, she had to call it again and again, so by now it had become perfectly natural.

“The cook has already tried all sorts of different dishes, changing the spread over and over. It’s that the master is in a bad mood and unwilling to eat.”

Long Yan was truly at his wit’s end with the old master. One could not say anything even slightly harsh to him — only coax and reason. But their master’s temperament had grown more and more like a child’s, and reasoning with him proved utterly useless.

Feng Jiu’er followed Long Yan into the side hall of the Camellia Courtyard, and upon raising her eyes, she saw that Lan Yue was also present.

The old master sat to one side, clearly throwing a tantrum — even the Lan Yue Manor Master was powerless against him.

On the table was a spread of fine dishes, all top-grade delicacies, still steaming.

Feng Jiu’er walked in. The old master did not turn around, supposing it was only Long Yan and servants coming again. He let out a disgruntled sound and said irritably, “I’m telling you, I don’t like any of these dishes, not one bit. All of you get out — every one of you — I don’t want to see any of you.”

“Grandfather, I’ve only just arrived and you’re already sending me away — isn’t that a bit too cruel? I haven’t even managed to get a cup of tea yet.”

Feng Jiu’er walked in with a smile on her face.

Lan Yue’s brows shifted slightly, his gaze falling on her. This girl really called him “Grandfather” with not the slightest hint of awkwardness or distance.

“Jiu’er, is it Jiu’er who’s come?” The old manor master spun around abruptly, and seeing that it truly was his Jiu’er walking in, he instantly leaped down from the chair and made to go to her.

But perhaps because he had gone without food and drink for so long, when he climbed down from the chair his head grew heavy, and his whole body nearly pitched forward to the ground.

Feng Jiu’er was startled and moved toward him together with Long Yan to steady him.

Lan Yue, sitting to the side, extended one large hand and caught the old manor master, steadying him — and could not resist admonishing him at the same time: “A man your age, jumping around so — don’t you know it’s unseemly?”

“I’m going to see my granddaughter — why should I care about seemliness?” The old manor master shot him a look and muttered his complaints: “We’re all family here. What’s all this talk about seemly and unseemly? So formal about everything — really!”

Seeing Jiu’er walk up to him, he immediately seized her hand and refused to let go for anything.

“Jiu’er, you haven’t come to see Grandfather in such a very, very, very long time. Grandfather has missed you to pieces!”

Warmth welled up in Feng Jiu’er’s heart. Though the old man’s spirits were not always the best, and his temperament was odd — childlike, almost — the feeling he held for her was genuine. She could sense it.

“I have been a bit busy lately, so I didn’t get around to coming to see Grandfather. Don’t be upset, Grandfather — haven’t I come now?”

She glanced at Lan Yue and said lightly, “Uncle, it’s been a long time.”

Lan Yue felt a slight discomfort. That word — “Uncle” — was like a resonance that broke through to somewhere deep inside him.

He had once had a little niece too. Only, for various reasons over all these years, he had never met her…

“Uncle, won’t you join us?” Feng Jiu’er and the old manor master had long since settled at the dining table and were at that moment looking at this uncle who always wore the lower half of his face hidden behind a mask.

Feng Jiu’er had by now read the situation clearly enough — the old manor master was not suffering from any loss of appetite at all. He had simply used that as a pretext to see her.

It was a touch childish, perhaps, but the old manor master’s feelings toward her — Jiu’er held them in her heart.

Lan Yue had originally come only to keep the old manor master company for the midday meal, but with Feng Jiu here, he still was not accustomed to dining with someone he did not know well.

Lan Yue stood and made to leave, but the old manor master was displeased. “On the rare occasion the whole family is together, why go anywhere? Long Yan, you come too — let us all eat together.”

Long Yan of course was happy to defer, and then looked at Lan Yue, saying quietly, “Manor Master, since the master is finally willing to eat, why not…”

Lan Yue glanced back at the dining table. The thin lips that were perpetually pressed together never seemed to hold much warmth.

He truly was unaccustomed to sitting with strangers. Over all these years, although the manor was his, nearly all outward affairs had been handled by Long Yan.

Lan Yue was a person who greatly disliked exposing himself to the eyes of others. He was reclusive, disinclined to speak, and reluctant to see people.

This was surely not unrelated to the ruined face he carried.

“Uncle, join us.” Jiu’er lifted her smiling face, innocent and clear.

Lan Yue hesitated, then at last walked over and sat down to one side.

Feng Jiu’er’s gaze, however, fell on his face — just staring at him like that, openly and unflinchingly — until Lan Yue’s brow furrowed with a hint of displeasure.

Long Yan gave a light cough. To keep the atmosphere from growing too awkward, he said, “Sir…”

“She’s the Young Miss.” The old manor master shot him a look.

Long Yan coughed again and said, “Young Miss, how have you been keeping lately?”

“You want to ask why I’ve been going to the palace so frequently, don’t you?” Feng Jiu’er curved her brows and smiled.

Long Yan’s face flushed slightly. He hadn’t expected that having sent someone to ask around, she had actually found out about it.

In truth, he had only had someone watch from a distance, keeping an eye on what was happening at Tianji Hall lately.

Feng Jiu’s frequent visits to the palace were a little surprising, though it was true that when they had gone to carry out the assassination, they had encountered her in the palace — so her acquaintance with Emperor Qiwen was clearly no shallow one.

They did, after all, have a secret that was in Feng Jiu’s hands. The Manor Master having him keep watch on Feng Jiu was perfectly understandable.

Lan Yue’s expression remained unchanged as he picked up his chopsticks and began to eat.

The old manor master kept piling food into Feng Jiu’er’s bowl without pause, as though simply having Jiu’er beside him was all he needed — he paid no mind to what they were talking about.

No matter what Jiu’er said, he loved to listen. His Jiu’er was the girl with the most pleasing voice in all the world.

Long Yan was too embarrassed to say another word. Feng Jiu’er smiled at him reassuringly: “Don’t worry — I honestly have no real acquaintance with the Emperor. I only go to the palace to treat someone’s illness.”

Who exactly she was treating — that, she could not say. And she trusted that Long Yan would not ask.

Long Yan smiled and nodded. Being seen through was indeed a little uncomfortable, but seeing that Feng Jiu was not upset about it, he felt at ease.

“Miss Jiu’er, please — try some of our manor’s cook’s handiwork.”

But something stirred faintly in Lan Yue’s heart, as though something had quietly drifted across the tip of it.

Jiu’er… Feng Jiu… Feng Jiu’er. This girl’s name…