Only when all was quiet did Zhu Qing knock on Quiet Contemplation Residence’s door.

Yan Sanhe had been drowsily dozing on the bed when she heard she was being summoned. Her black eyes immediately shot out bright light.

Li Buyan fastened the bundle behind her back and carefully helped her up.

Tangyuan crouched down to help Yan Sanhe put on one shoe. The other foot, wrapped in thick gauze, didn’t need one.

“Tangyuan, sleep first. Don’t wait for us.”

“I’ll wait for Miss to return.”

Tangyuan pointed at the sewing basket. “I happen to have time to make Miss a few looser summer trousers so your foot can extend in and out more easily.”

“Don’t waste lamp oil—be careful with your eyes.”

After this instruction, Li Buyan picked up Yan Sanhe and left.

Exiting the courtyard, she said quietly, “The more I look, the more I find this girl thoughtful—even knows to defend you.”

Yan Sanhe nodded.

Tangyuan was quiet but arranged clothing, food, housing meticulously, requiring neither her nor Li Buyan to worry about anything.

She also endured idleness well. Even when free, she didn’t run outside or gossip with other Xie residence maids, cracking seeds and discussing family matters, preferring instead to stay in her room doing needlework.

Most admirable was that though her heart brimmed with questions, she never asked—only fulfilled a servant’s proper duties.

“From now on, we needn’t avoid her in our activities.”

Li Buyan chuckled softly. “Not avoiding is good—some matters she’ll learn of sooner or later anyway.”

The two chatted casually as they walked. Soon they reached Shi’an Courtyard, where Zhu Qing stood waiting at the gate with a lantern.

Entering the study, both Yan Sanhe and Li Buyan froze simultaneously.

The study contained a luohan bed with a small table in the middle. Xie Zhifei reclined at one end, while at the other…

At the other end sat a beautiful woman in purple gauze.

Willow-leaf brows, snake-waist figure, heavy bosom—trying not to glance that direction was difficult.

The woman was peeling lychees. Ten fingers like scallions, each fingertip painted bright red—more eye-catching than even that heavy bosom.

The woman peeled out a piece of fruit flesh. After her eyes rolled around, she leaned forward, bringing it to Xie Zhifei’s lips.

“Third Master, ah, open your mouth…”

Xie Zhifei signaled with his eyes for her to stop acting coquettish and behave herself.

“This is Yan Sanhe. She called you here for a matter. Yan Sanhe, this is Mei Niang. Ask her whatever you need directly.”

Miss Yan?

Yan Sanhe?

Finally meeting the real person.

Mei Niang tossed the fruit flesh onto a plate, rose and performed a delicate curtsy toward Yan Sanhe.

“Miss Yan, greetings.”

“Mei Niang need not be courteous.”

“Yan Sanhe, sit here.”

Pei Xiao pointed at a bamboo couch. “I tested it for you—very comfortable.”

Li Buyan carefully placed the person down. Pei Xiao brought over a small square footstool. “Prop your injured foot up—it’ll heal faster.”

“Many thanks!”

Yan Sanhe shifted her injured foot bit by bit.

Pei Xiao grinned foolishly. Our own husband and wife—why thank me?

Once Yan Sanhe sat comfortably, she spoke. “Mei Niang, you don’t mind if I discuss business right away?”

“Miss speaks of what matters.”

Mei Niang glanced flirtatiously at Xie Zhifei.

“If not for Miss seeking me, someone of my status would never dream of stepping through the Xie residence gates in this lifetime.”

Had Mei Niang not said this, Yan Sanhe wouldn’t have thought deeply about it.

Once she said it, combined with her outfit and mannerisms, Yan Sanhe’s eyes revealed some sympathy.

How many women in this world willingly degraded themselves?

All were forced by circumstances to smile from doorways.

Looking again at Xie Zhifei, Yan Sanhe somehow suddenly found his eyes not eyes, his nose not nose.

Being able to invite someone to his home—clearly they were familiar.

Being familiar with someone who smiled from doorways—clearly Third Master frequented such pleasure quarters.

Xie Zhifei saw Yan Sanhe show such an expression and knew this girl had likely misunderstood.

He didn’t explain further. “Zhu Qing, guard the courtyard gate. Don’t let anyone in.”

“Yes, Master!”

As the door closed, Li Buyan took items from the bundle one by one, placing them before Mei Niang.

“Mei Niang!”

Yan Sanhe said, “I’ve troubled you to make this trip today hoping you’ll help examine these items—when are they from?”

Mei Niang looked blankly toward Third Master. Third Master said nothing. Young Master Pei spoke up.

“Look carefully. If you discover something notable, Lord Pei will reward you handsomely.”

Only then did Mei Niang pick up the rouge box, turning it over and examining it from all angles.

The more she looked, the tighter her brow furrowed.

Yan Sanhe asked, “Something wrong?”

Mei Niang smiled. “Miss Yan, this rouge box isn’t a currently popular style. This design, this craftsmanship—it’s quite old. You can’t buy it on the market anymore.”

Yan Sanhe pressed, “Can you tell approximately how old?”

Mei Niang extended her fingers to calculate. “At least twenty-some years. Anyway, since I started using rouge, I’ve never seen this style.”

Twenty-some years?

That would be when Jingchen was around twenty.

She’d actually kept such an ancient box of rouge?

Why was that?

Yan Sanhe and Xie Zhifei’s gazes met. She asked again, “Mei Niang, from this rouge box, can you tell if it’s good or poor quality?”

Mei Niang weighed it in her hand. “Miss Yan, it’s quite heavy. The heavier the rouge box, the more expensive it is.”

Yan Sanhe clarified, “So this item wasn’t used by ordinary families?”

“Must be from high-ranking households.”

Mei Niang smiled charmingly. “Of course, popular courtesans in pleasure quarters could also afford them.”

At this, Young Master Pei’s eyes glared over fiercely.

Mei Niang raised her brows: Young Master Pei, what’s wrong?

Pei Xiao glared: Stop mentioning pleasure quarters and polluting the young lady’s ears.

Mei Niang saw Lord Pei’s expression, then recalled how attentive he’d been seeing Miss Yan—what was there not to understand?

Oh my, so she’s Young Master Pei’s sweetheart!

Yan Sanhe was completely oblivious to their eye-signal exchange. “Mei Niang, now examine this patchwork dress.”

Mei Niang examined it inch by inch, touching it repeatedly.

“This patchwork dress is also quite old, and the fabric is excellent. Miss Yan, look at these cuffs.”

She pointed at the peony flowers on the cuffs.

“Because patchwork dresses originated in the palace and initially became fashionable in high-ranking households, cuffs were embroidered with peonies, plums, orchids, bamboo, chrysanthemums—these auspicious flowers.”

“What about now?”

“Now common people also wear them. Sleeves no longer feature embroidered flowers.”

“Why?”

“Miss, look at this garment—pieced together from different colored fabric patches, already bright and colorful enough. Why need flowers for additional decoration?”

Yan Sanhe looked up, once more meeting Xie Zhifei’s gaze.

Both saw astonishment in each other’s eyes.

The rouge was from over twenty years ago, the clothing also from over twenty years ago—needless to think, the embroidered shoes were likely the same.

That Jingchen used such a set of clothing as burial garments clearly had significance.

So what was that significance?