The He Family Eatery in Anren Ward opened for business before dawn at the mao hour.

The couple typically rose at the yin hour. He Baojin would move the items prepared the night before from the back courtyard kitchen, steaming buns and steamed bread in bamboo steamers and cooking a large pot of congee. Chen Shi would bustle about in the kitchen with clanging sounds preparing the side dishes. By the chen hour, the eatery would basically be full of customers. Those not in a hurry to travel would sit in the shop, order a bowl of white congee with a few refreshing side dishes, and slurp down a large bowl. Those with urgent business and needing to travel would tuck away two steamed buns to serve as dry rations on the road.

Every morning, the small eatery was filled with the bustling atmosphere of daily life. Qiu Xinran woke each day to such sounds. Sometimes when she opened her eyes, she felt in a daze that she was still in the mountains, but the mountains didn’t have such noisy human voices.

When she rose to wash up, she again saw the exquisitely embroidered robe hanging behind the tea room screen. Standing before the clothing rack, she spaced out for a while, then after a moment sighed before going downstairs to prepare for her meal.

He Baojin had a seventeen-year-old daughter named Xiu’er, a lively and cheerful girl who was also very capable, spending all day helping the family in the back courtyard kitchen. Xiu’er also had an older brother three years her senior named Yong’er. Yong’er had an honest appearance and shy temperament, and worked waiting tables in the front. The family had originally been very polite and distant toward this landlady living upstairs, but as the days of living together lengthened, they’d developed some intimacy. Especially the siblings—they’d already come to regard her as the elder sister from the neighbor upstairs.

Xiu’er was helping serve congee in the main hall that morning. Seeing her come down, she happily brought over the breakfast already prepared for her. “Daoist, are you setting up your stall today?”

Qiu Xinran took a pair of chopsticks from the chopstick holder nearby and joked with her, “Why, are you going to patronize my business?”

“I can’t afford to pay the silver for you to divine my fortune.” Xiu’er stuck out her tongue.

Qiu Xinran then said, “Then when you’re ready to meet prospective matches, I’ll do a compatibility reading for you.” The young girl was thin-skinned—mentioning this immediately made her blush. She said stubbornly, “My brother hasn’t even married a wife yet—how could it be my turn? If anyone needs compatibility reading, please do one for my brother.”

“What nonsense are you spouting here?” He Yong walked over, frowning as he shooed her away. “Instead of helping, you’re here disturbing the Daoist’s meal.”

He Xiu’er made a face at him. “You’re the one trying to slack off but accusing me instead. Don’t think I don’t know you made plans with Wang Sheng and the others next door to go to Fangchi Garden tonight!”

He Yong was startled at her words and said in flustered confusion, “You… what nonsense are you saying!”

Seeing him like this, He Xiu’er couldn’t help covering her mouth and laughing. “Fine, fine, fine—I’m talking nonsense. But you better not let Mother find out, or she’ll break your legs!”

He Yong stepped forward to cover her mouth, but the little girl ducked and slipped away like smoke. When he came to his senses, he found the female Daoist sitting at the table staring at him curiously and asking, “What kind of place is Fangchi Garden?”

He Yong’s face flushed red. “Don’t listen to that little girl’s nonsense. Fangchi Garden is a music hall.”

Qiu Xinran still didn’t understand. “If your mother found out you were going to listen to music, she’d break your legs?”

He Yong felt his face burning even hotter. He looked around and stammered, “No, I… I’m not planning to go at all. Xiu’er is just making things up!”

Just going to listen to music shouldn’t be anything—Qiu Xinran still didn’t quite understand. But before she could ask further, someone suddenly entered the shop from outside and called out to her. Qiu Xinran turned her head and discovered it was a young man wearing a long robe with a lotus crown on his head. Recognizing who it was, her eyes lit up. “Yuan Zhou?”

Compared to seven years ago, Yuan Zhou hadn’t changed much, though he seemed more robust than before. Qiu Xinran led him upstairs for a tour. As Yuan Zhou climbed the wooden ladder, he asked, “Since you’ve returned, why are you living here?”

Qiu Xinran asked back, “What’s wrong with living here? You’re the one who helped me pick this location.” Apparently also recalling the past, Yuan Zhou smiled. “But if you’re living here yourself, why rent out most of the shop space?”

“It’s not very safe for me to live here alone.” Qiu Xinran was unconcerned. “Besides, Old He has excellent cooking skills—it’s convenient for me to live here.”

Since she put it this way, Yuan Zhou didn’t press further. The two made a circuit of the tea room and sat down by the window. Qiu Xinran poured him a cup of water and finally broached the main topic. “Did you come specially to see me today?”

Yuan Zhou picked up his cup and took a sip, then replied, “I’d originally gotten news and planned to send someone up the mountain to notify you, but I didn’t expect you’d already found out, so I came to check on you.”

“What news?”

Yuan Zhou was startled. “What, you didn’t come down from the mountain because you heard that person was also in Chang’an?”

Qiu Xinran was completely baffled. “Who?”

The two sat facing each other in bewilderment for a while in this noisy little eatery, then said in unison:

Qiu Xinran: “You couldn’t be talking about—”

Yuan Zhou: “The young lady Mei who left Chang’an with Yu Yin seven years ago.”

Qiu Xinran paused, suddenly understanding. “It’s her!” But Yuan Zhou looked over with a face full of suspicion. “Who were you about to say just now?”

The purple-robed female Daoist turned her face away and coughed as if to cover up. “No one. Have you found out her whereabouts?”

The young man’s gaze still held some suspicion as he looked at her, but ultimately didn’t pursue it deeply. “She’s at Fangchi Garden now.”

Fangchi Garden?

Qiu Xinran felt this place sounded familiar. After a moment, she recalled having just heard the He siblings mention it downstairs, and couldn’t help asking curiously, “I heard that’s a place to listen to music?”

“Ahem—” Asking this made Yuan Zhou’s expression somewhat embarrassed. He raised his fist to his lips and carefully considered before saying tactfully, “That is indeed a music hall, but you know times are hard—some girls there might also do other business on the side.”

Qiu Xinran was startled, clearly understanding his implication, and couldn’t help falling silent. Yuan Zhou glanced at her expression and added, “But don’t let your imagination run wild. Fangchi Garden has had a great reputation in Chang’an these past two years. The clientele ranges from cultured scholars below to high court officials above. Even young ladies from proper families who love listening to music invite musicians from there to their residences as guests, which shows it’s not some disreputable place.” Seeing her expression ease slightly, Yuan Zhou continued, “I heard that young lady Mei has also changed her name now—she’s called Mei Que and is an extremely popular entertainer in the garden.”

Calculating the years, she should be seventeen or eighteen now, at the prime of youth and beauty. Qiu Xinran asked, “What about Yu Yin?”

“He passed away last year. Mei Que entered Fangchi Garden around that time.”

“How did he suddenly pass away?”

“Apparently from illness, though I heard his circumstances weren’t good for the two years before his death. No one knows what happened.” Yuan Zhou looked at her. “Do you want to go see her?”

“Let’s go,” Qiu Xinran pondered for a moment. “I have concerns in my heart—perhaps seeing her will allow me to let them go.”

The two arranged to go to Fangchi Garden together after dusk. So when the sun set, Yuan Zhou hired a carriage and waited for her outside the He Family Eatery. Qiu Xinran specially changed into men’s clothing, which startled Yuan Zhou when she boarded the carriage.

“What’s wrong?” She couldn’t help looking down to adjust her sleeves, checking if anything was amiss.

“It’s nothing really…” Yuan Zhou laughed in spite of himself. “It’s just rather obviously a cover-up.”

Qiu Xinran was taller than average women, so by rights her stature should be suitable for dressing as a man. But at fourteen or fifteen she hadn’t fully matured, so male attire still gave her somewhat of an androgynous youthful air. Now in her early twenties, though one could see she’d bound her chest, it was still hard to conceal her female form. So not only could people see through her male disguise at a glance, it added several degrees of hesitant allure to her.

“It wouldn’t be appropriate to go there in Daoist robes.” Qiu Xinran waved her hand. “This is fundamentally a matter of giving silver—everyone understands and doesn’t expose it, that’s all.”

She had a rather carefree heart. Hearing this, Yuan Zhou sat up straight and said seriously, “Let’s be clear first—I’m only accompanying you this time. Otherwise…”

“I understand,” Qiu Xinran had specially brought a folding fan in her hand today. She patted his shoulder consolingly. “This matter absolutely won’t reach Teacher’s ears, and tonight’s expenses are all on my account.”

Only then did Yuan Zhou relax a bit. He looked her over again. “That robe you’re wearing looks somewhat familiar.”

Qiu Xinran’s hand gripping the fan tightened, and she said unnaturally, “Since you said during the day that place only receives distinguished guests—”

“So you went to borrow this outfit?” Yuan Zhou guessed following her words. Seeing her hesitate without immediately responding, he assumed he’d guessed correctly and couldn’t help sighing. “Nowadays even ready-made clothing shops outside have such excellent craftsmanship? Looking at these patterns, they’re no inferior to what comes from the hands of the masters in the palace’s Garment Bureau. It can certainly fool people. I imagine borrowing this set must have cost you quite a bit of silver?”

“You’re quite right,” Qiu Xinran sighed. “I can’t afford to let anything happen to these clothes.”

When the two arrived at Fangchi Garden by carriage, it was just evening, with purple clouds filling the horizon. Jumping down from the carriage, Qiu Xinran had expected to see a resplendent and magnificent theater building, but unexpectedly before her eyes was an estate with a quiet and secluded environment, like some wealthy family’s residence. The garden gate stood wide open with the three characters “Fangchi Garden” written above. Carriages filled the outside, but none of the women who typically solicited customers outside ordinary pleasure houses were to be seen.

Qiu Xinran followed Yuan Zhou inside, her expression unable to conceal her curiosity. Yuan Zhou had spoken so confidently during the day, but now that they’d truly arrived at this place, he somehow felt uncomfortable all over, his expression full of unnaturalness.

Inside the garden, artificial mountains and clear springs were distributed throughout, pavilions and waterside gazebos scattered at varying heights, with the faint sound of laughter and conversation. A maid came forward to receive them. Qiu Xinran heard the sound of a zither from the distance and looked toward the sound, but trees blocked her view. “Do you know which courtyard Lady Mei Que is in?”

The maid was named Xiao Yu. Hearing the question, she understood and said, “Lady Mei Que is in Pindong Courtyard. She usually only receives distinguished guests.”

“What counts as a distinguished guest?”

Xiao Yu covered her mouth and smiled. “Those who spend a thousand in gold are distinguished.”

“A thousand in gold?” Yuan Zhou frowned. “Do people really spend that much silver to listen to music?”

“Naturally there are such people.” Xiao Yu didn’t mind his astonishment and still spoke amiably. “And quite a few at that. If several distinguished guests happen to come, no amount of silver in one evening would be surprising.”

Yuan Zhou was speechless. He glanced at the silent person beside him and probed, “What do you think?”

“Does anyone have an appointment with Lady Mei Que to keep them company tonight?”

“You two have come early. Pindong Courtyard doesn’t have any distinguished guests yet.”

Yuan Zhou saw the person beside him was silent and was startled with alarm. “You’re not really planning to spend that much silver just to see her, are you?” Before Qiu Xinran could speak, the maid added, “You two don’t know—Pindong Courtyard isn’t somewhere anyone can enter just with silver. First-time visitors also need an introduction from a distinguished personage.”

“What kind of person counts as distinguished?”

“High officials and nobles are distinguished.”

Qiu Xinran pointed at the young man beside her. “If I said this person holds a fourth-rank position at court, would you let us in?”