The second floor of the He Family Eatery hadn’t opened its windows for several days in a row. The eye-catching yellow banner hadn’t been hung out for a long while, which actually drew some neighbors and locals to poke their heads in and ask: Has that female Daoist on the second floor moved away?
He Baojin stood behind the counter doing accounts, telling people with a cheerful smile, “The Daoist has taken on some business recently—she’s been out these past few days helping people assess feng shui!”
“Previously when Member Wang from the east of the city invited her to his residence to divine fortunes, she wouldn’t go. How is it she’s willing to go this time?”
Someone nearby said sourly, “Naturally the silver offered was sufficient—otherwise how could they move her?”
“How much silver must that be?” Another person clicked their tongue. “Last time I heard Shopkeeper Qian spent five hundred taels of silver to request one hexagram, and when leaving still looked grateful and indebted.”
“Five hundred taels for one hexagram—that’s incredible. If I’d known it was like this, I would have become a Daoist too and divined fortunes for people!”
“Pull the other one—if you divined fortunes, even giving silver away wouldn’t get anyone to pay attention…”
A burst of lively laughter came from downstairs. In a flash, the topic had run off elsewhere.
He Xiu’er was hiding on the second floor being lazy. Listening to the joking sounds from downstairs, she closed the door in annoyance, muttering under her breath, “These people just love wagging their tongues…” Seeing her not speaking, He Xiu’er couldn’t help drawing closer to ask, “Has the Daoist truly been assessing feng shui for people these past few days?”
“I have.”
“Then—have you found a good one?”
Qiu Xinran sat by the window, took a sip of tea, and smiled. “I’ve looked at several places, but the master of the house still needs to approve.”
Early in the morning, Xia Xiuyan sat in the courtyard basking in the sun. Gao Yang came out from the room carrying a tea cup. When he returned to the courtyard after brewing tea, he caught sight of a furtive figure outside the moon gate, craning their neck to look inside.
Gao Yang walked closer two steps carrying the tea tray. Hearing the sound, the other person suddenly turned around. Seeing it was him, they couldn’t help breathing a sigh of relief and patted their chest, looking exactly like someone with a guilty conscience. “You scared me to death.”
Gao Yang said with amusement, “Are ghosts chasing you outside?”
He Zhong gave a chuckle. “Don’t mention it—this early morning I truly did see a ghost. Guess who’s come outside?”
Ever since Xia Xiuyan returned to the capital, countless court officials had come to the official residence to visit him. Everyone wanted to curry some favor with the Marquis of Dingbei, which annoyed him to no end. Later he simply had He Zhong turn them all away—he would see no one.
Gao Yang recalled there were no particularly special visitors these past two days and shook his head with an uninterested air. He Zhong quickly stopped him. “How can you be so indifferent? That female Daoist who fell in the water at the palace a few days ago has come!”
Hearing this, Gao Yang was indeed startled. “You’re talking about Daoist Qiu?”
“What her surname is, I don’t know.” He Zhong was unconcerned. “In any case, it’s that Daoist who originally caused our Marquis to go to the border while ill. When I opened the door this morning, I saw her standing outside. You say we haven’t actively gone looking for trouble with her, yet she’s delivered herself to the door!”
Gao Yang had seen her appear at Yishan Ward that day. Though he’d guessed she would come, he couldn’t guess she’d come this quickly. “Where is she now?”
“Just waiting in the gate room,” He Zhong said with smug satisfaction. “But the Marquis isn’t someone she can see just because she wants to. I told her the Marquis is receiving distinguished guests and it’s inconvenient to see visitors. I plan to make her wait a few shichen first before driving her away.”
Seeing his self-satisfied clever appearance, Gao Yang reminded him, “I think you’d better report this matter to the Marquis.”
“Why?” He Zhong frowned. “The Marquis has long told the outside world he’s closed to visitors and sees no one, no matter who comes. Much less her?”
“This Daoist Qiu has recently been handling affairs for the Marquis. If you block her from seeing him, I’m afraid you’ll delay the Marquis’s proper business.”
“Why would the Marquis perfectly well go looking for her to handle business?” He Zhong looked suspicious, but since these words came from Gao Yang, they were most likely true. Thinking of this, he pursed his lips and said unwillingly, “Fine then, I’ll have her wait outside for another half shichen or so before letting her in. Will that do?”
Though he had prejudices against Qiu Xinran in his heart, he wasn’t someone who couldn’t distinguish priorities. Gao Yang didn’t say anything more, just let him go, and lifted his foot to carry the tea tray into the courtyard.
Xia Xiuyan sat under a tree in the courtyard, holding a scroll in his hand. As Gao Yang approached, he suddenly heard him ask without raising his head, “What is He Zhong doing outside?”
The man dividing the tea paused in his movements for a moment and reported in a low voice, “It’s nothing important.” Seeing he didn’t ask further, Gao Yang set down the tea tray and went to the side to trim flowers and trees. The spring scenery was perfect. He held scissors and cut down a section of dead branch, looking at the newly bloomed apricot blossoms in the courtyard as if somewhat distracted.
While Qiu Xinran waited outside for someone, in three or two sentences she’d already become familiar with the gate room family. Just then the gate room family’s wife came to bring him food. Hearing Qiu Xinran hadn’t eaten yet, she insisted on stuffing a vegetable bun her family had made into her hands.
He Zhong passed by here several times front and back. Helplessly, the gate room keeper here was someone left by the court—he couldn’t directly go up and boss the person around, so each time he passed by, he could only display his presence with an expression where his eyes weren’t eyes and his nose wasn’t a nose. But when it came to passive-aggressive behavior, Qiu Xinran had witnessed Xia Xiuyan’s prowess since age thirteen and didn’t take it seriously.
That vegetable bun was made quite well—it smelled fragrant. Qiu Xinran was just preparing to lower her head and take a bite when she suddenly heard the sound of a horse snorting outside. Turning her head to look, she saw a carriage stopped outside the door. Two young ladies descended from it, both wearing face veils, but judging by their eyes and brows alone, one could see they were beauties.
He Zhong heard the commotion and walked to the entrance hall. Seeing the two, he seemed slightly surprised. “How has Lady Lan come?” Ever since Qiu Xinran had known this Vice General He, this was the first time she’d heard him call someone in such a soft and gentle voice—it truly didn’t accord with his usual manner. Looking again at his expression watching the arrivals, even his dark-skinned face showed some shyness. She couldn’t help finding it interesting and became curious about this Lady Lan.
She saw this Lady Lan walk into the entrance hall and bow to him, then turn sideways, step back half a step, and introduce to him, “This is Mei Que. I’ve brought her today to meet the Marquis.”
Qiu Xinran was startled. She hadn’t expected that the person she’d run to Fangchi Garden unable to see would today coincidentally be encountered here at Xia Xiuyan’s place. She saw standing behind her a woman of seventeen or eighteen with delicate features, wearing a water-green jacket, like a newly budding flower on a branch in spring. But there was a trace of pride in her expression. The scrutinizing gazes of others in the room seemed to displease her. The woman frowned and coldly turned her face away, also like a mountain sparrow easily startled on a branch—before anyone could approach, she would spread her wings and fly away.
Lan Hui glanced at her consolingly and said to He Zhong, “I don’t know if the Marquis is available at this time?”
“He is available.” He Zhong moved aside. “The Marquis is in the courtyard. Please follow me, both of you.”
Qiu Xinran coughed. Though she’d seen before that He Zhong was making things difficult for her, now bringing the later-arriving guests in right in front of her face to embarrass her was another matter. “Didn’t Vice General He just say the Marquis was temporarily too busy to see me?”
As soon as she spoke, Lan Hui also turned her head to look over. She’d noticed Qiu Xinran as soon as she entered the room. Hearing her voice, she felt it was familiar but couldn’t recall where she’d heard it for a moment.
He Zhong gave a light snort. “Lady Lan Hui coming today was arranged long ago. Did you send a visiting card before coming?”
Indeed she hadn’t.
Qiu Xinran thought for a moment, then clasped her hands to him. “Since that’s the case, I’ll send someone to deliver a visiting card later and come to pay my respects then.” Having said this, she turned to leave.
He Zhong hadn’t expected her to leave just like that, so decisively. Thinking of what Gao Yang had said earlier, that she’d recently been handling affairs for the Marquis… his expression stiffened and he quickly stopped her. “Ahem… why are you in such a rush?”
Just then, there was suddenly another sound of horse hooves outside. A man and woman dismounted and walked into the entrance hall. The woman wore a red skirt and looked still young, only seventeen, eighteen, or nineteen, but a long whip was wrapped around her waist. Her dismounting movements were crisp and efficient—clearly she practiced martial arts. As for the man beside her, he wore a gray robe and long jacket, with half a silver mask on his face and an unsmiling expression.
Seeing the arrivals, Lan Hui’s eyes lit up and she involuntarily stepped forward half a step. Qiu Xinran heard He Zhong greet them: “Brother Rong has returned?”
That gray-robed man’s gaze passed over him to fall on the female Daoist to the side. His eyes beneath the mask moved slightly. He stared at her for a while, then after a long moment gave a muffled response.
The woman beside him, however, knitted her brows and asked He Zhong pointedly, “What’s going on so early this morning? How can just anyone come into the residence?” When she said this, her eyes were fixed on Lan Hui—even Qiu Xinran, who didn’t understand the circumstances, could tell who her words were aimed at.
Before Lan Hui could speak, Mei Que beside her first couldn’t restrain a cold laugh. “I thought the Marquis of Dingbei’s residence was some kind of place—it’s not as well-regulated as our garden.”
Hearing this, the red-robed woman immediately turned her spear toward her. “What do you mean by that?”
Lan Hui, seeing the two about to quarrel, quietly tugged at Mei Que’s sleeve, trying to smooth things over. “Enough, say less.” Mei Que turned her head away and gave a cold snort.
But the red-robed woman wouldn’t let it go. “You’re comparing this place to a music hall?”
Mei Que gave a scoffing laugh. “What can’t be compared? But I see some people here don’t even understand propriety as well as servants in the garden.” This insinuation made the red-robed woman opposite jump with anger. Qiu Xinran on the side, however, found it interesting to listen to. The person before her eyes had long since become a completely different person from that timid little girl at Zuichun Tower back then. She didn’t know if it was because Yu Yin had treated her too well, spoiling her into this sharp-tongued eloquence, or if life’s hardships had cultivated this character unwilling to suffer losses.
Lan Hui stopped her and explained gently, “Coming to the residence today is for proper business. Miss Gao, please don’t misunderstand.”
“Misunderstand what?” The woman opposite was quite angered by Mei Que’s few remarks and said irritably, “You say coming today is for proper business—so you’re also aware that previously coming here was all looking for trouble?”
Lan Hui was startled and showed some embarrassment. The masked man finally spoke to stop it. “A’Yue.” The red-robed woman bit her lip, her expression seeming even more aggrieved.
Mei Que gave a derisive laugh and said one sentence: “Heart higher than heaven, fate thinner than paper.” This remark was neither too light nor too heavy, just loud enough for the red-robed woman to hear. Sure enough, the other immediately reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, saying in exasperation, “What did you say? If you have the ability, say it louder!”
Lan Hui had a bit of a headache. Mei Que wanted to add fuel to the fire. “I don’t have the ability—not like some people who are also living under another’s roof yet lack any self-awareness, always putting on the airs of the lady of the house.”
The gray-robed man shot He Zhong a look. He Zhong finally showed some awareness and quickly withdrew from the entrance hall, running toward the back courtyard.
Qiu Xinran had just been saying she wanted to leave, but now she was in no hurry. She knew to avoid things by hiding far away, holding her vegetable bun in hand and taking a bite. The gate room keeper stood with her with hands tucked in, huddling in a corner. He heard her ask, “Who is that Miss A’Yue? She’s quite fierce.”
The gate room keeper said to her in a low voice, “She’s Master Gao Yang’s younger sister.”
Qiu Xinran blinked in surprise. “Gao Yang has a younger sister?”
“She also came not long ago,” the gate room keeper jutted his chin toward the crowd. “It was that Master Zhao who escorted her back.”
Gao Yang had stayed by Xia Xiuyan’s side since childhood and was his trusted confidant—no wonder Gao Yue dared to give Lan Hui no face at the Marquis of Dingbei’s official residence. However, she didn’t know who this Master Zhao was. From He Zhong’s tone just now, he seemed quite close to him.
Thinking this, Qiu Xinran couldn’t help looking toward that masked man. Just as she raised her head, he also happened to look over. Their gazes collided in midair. Over there the two women were quarreling in a jumble. Qiu Xinran swallowed the mouthful of vegetable bun in her mouth and quite innocently gave him a polite smile.
He was startled, then actually curved his lips in response.