Ling Ai looked up from her book, and upon seeing her, waved her over.

During her days at the Shi Mansion, Ling Ai only ever smiled from the heart when she saw Yan Qing.

The Shi Mansion currently had no mistress. Er Yitai managed the household, and she was also very kind toward Ling Ai — frequently sending servants to check on her comfort, ensuring there was no lack in her clothing, food, or daily needs.

Aside from being married to a man she did not love, Ling Ai had not suffered any grievances at the Shi Mansion. Even the servants who encountered her were all respectful and deferential.

“What are you reading?” Yan Qing sat down across from her and glanced at the book in her hands.

“Chinese medicine.” Ling Ai said. “How come you have time to come by today? Haven’t you gone to the hospital?”

“Gu Zhen is there today, so he told me to come home and rest.”

“It’s Shi Ting who can’t bear to see you work so hard, isn’t it.” Ling Ai giggled. “You rush around every day — it really does worry him terribly.”

“He worries for nothing.” Yan Qing said with her mouth, but her eyes were full of smiles.

She picked up a book from the table at random and flipped through it. “Has Shi Guang come back these past few days?”

At the mention of Shi Guang, the smile in Ling Ai’s eyes visibly dimmed — but by now, she could speak of him with composure. After all, this man was her husband in name.

“He hasn’t come back.”

Yan Qing said, “You two are still sleeping in separate rooms?”

“Mm.” Ling Ai nodded. “Except for the wedding night, he has never come to my courtyard again. I heard from Yan Zhu that whenever he does come back, he sleeps at Qiu Cao’s place.”

Qiu Cao continued to hold a secure place in Shi Guang’s favor — not because of any particular captivating beauty on her part, but because she offered him absolute submission and flattery. Undoubtedly, Shi Guang preferred women like that.

“I heard Qiu Cao is pregnant.” Ling Ai spoke of this woman with complete composure. “The other day Yan Zhu went over there and saw her vomiting. She asked around and found out that it had been this way for some time — the smell of cooking oil alone was enough to make her retch constantly.”

“What do you make of that?”

Ling Ai smiled. “Shi Guang and I are nothing more than a married couple in name only. He has a concubine, and his concubine is now with child — none of this has anything to do with me.”

“That’s all well and good to say, but you are the Second Young Mistress. In other people’s eyes, everything that concerns Shi Guang is your concern. This concubine of his is pregnant — how she eats during the pregnancy, whether she sees the doctor regularly — others won’t talk about Qiu Cao. They’ll talk about the Second Young Mistress.”

“You mean I should be taking good care of this Qiu Cao?” In Ling Ai’s understanding of relationships, a husband and wife ought to be just that — one husband, one wife. The notion of three wives and four concubines had never been something her moral compass could accept. Furthermore, since the village elder had always cherished his wife and set that example for her from childhood, she had a deep aversion to men who kept multiple women. “You mean I should take good care of this Qiu Cao?”

“Foolish girl — not asking you to care for her yourself, but to have someone reliable keep an eye on her.” Yan Qing, knowing that Ling Ai did not understand the hidden undercurrents of a great household, said, “You don’t have anyone trustworthy around you, so I found a maid for you. She’s from Mother’s courtyard — her name is Lu’er. This girl is young but very sharp. Most importantly, her family all work in my apothecary shop, and they are honest and reliable people. With Lu’er by your side, she won’t harbor any divided loyalties. Mother has already sent her to your courtyard. You were lacking a maid to begin with, and having someone of your own is always better than facing things alone.”

Ling Ai, hearing this, felt her nose tingle. “You and Second Aunt think of everything for my sake — I don’t know how to thank you both.”

“I don’t need your gratitude.” Yan Qing harrumphed and then turned serious again. “Have Lu’er keep a close watch on Qiu Cao’s side — especially when it comes to food. In the inner courtyards of these great households, a woman giving birth is like walking through the gates of hell. It’s not just difficult labor that poses a danger. Even before the birth, there’s no telling how many people may have their eyes on the situation.”

“But there aren’t many people left in the inner courtyard. Who would wish harm on Qiu Cao?”

“That Yan Zhu in your household.” Yan Qing said. “From the first time I laid eyes on her, I knew she was looking for an opportunity to move up. But Shi Guang gave her no opening — Shi Guang is not a lecherous man; having one concubine is enough for him. So for Yan Zhu to become a concubine herself, Qiu Cao is her greatest obstacle.”

“You mean Yan Zhu will move against Qiu Cao.”

“Whether or not she goes after Qiu Cao is not the main concern. What I fear is that she’ll frame someone else and pin the blame on you in the end.”

Yan Qing’s words gave Ling Ai a jolt of alarm.

All she wanted was to pass her days quietly at the Shi Mansion — reading every day, practicing calligraphy, living an ordinary life like that for the rest of her days.

She did not love Shi Guang, and Shi Guang did not love her. Their marriage was nothing more than a surface arrangement. So they left each other in peace, each going their own way — which was entirely unlike what she had imagined beforehand.

But she wished to keep to herself, while others would not allow her to remain a bystander. Beneath the murky waters, someone was always scheming to drag her in.

If Yan Qing had not said this today, she would still have thought she could remain an outsider.

“Don’t be afraid.” Yan Qing took her hand and said gently, “As long as I am still here, I won’t let anyone have the chance to hurt you.”

“Yan Qing.” Ling Ai let out a soft sigh. “I can’t always rely on you for protection. I need to learn to distinguish, to think, and to prepare for what’s ahead myself.”

She tightened the grip on the hand that held hers. “My world before was carefree and untroubled. Father loved me, the people around me let me have my way, and all conflict was kept far from me. It wasn’t until Father’s accident that I understood — I cannot always be that naive child. I have my own responsibilities to shoulder. I cannot live forever under someone else’s protection.”

“What I always say still stands — whatever you decide to do, I will be on your side.”

Ling Ai nodded firmly. “It is precisely because you are here that I can be so fearless. Without you, I don’t think I could last a single day in this place.”

“Tomorrow there’s a New Year’s Eve market. I’ve already made plans with Yi Ran — would you like to come along and enjoy the excitement?”

“Yes.” Ling Ai agreed happily. “I’ve been in Shun Cheng this long and have never been to an evening market.”

“Didn’t you buy New Year’s goods during the holidays?”

“I was always at Father’s side. We don’t celebrate the Spring Festival — our people celebrate the Lunar New Year.” Ling Ai said with great longing in her voice. “The Spring Festival here is so lively. I’ve always just watched from the sidelines. Oh, by the way — will there be street food at the evening market?”

Yan Qing tapped her on the forehead, feigning reproach. “All you ever think about is eating.”

Ling Ai laughed and dodged away. “Oh, right — those forensic medicine books you gave me last time, I’ve finished reading them. There were some parts I didn’t understand, and I wrote them all down.”

Yan Qing said, “Bring them here and I’ll explain them to you.”

“Before, I could only attend two of your lessons a week. Now it’s much more convenient — one-on-one teaching from a renowned instructor, and no tuition fees at that.” Ling Ai made a playful face and stuck out her tongue, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

Only in these moments did she give a smile that was truly from the heart, lending a few glimmers of light to what was otherwise a shadowed life.

When the day of the evening market arrived, the three good friends set out together. For warmth, all three had put on thick cloaks and wound scarves around their necks. Even bundled up like little clumsy bears, nothing could dampen the mood for sightseeing.

“Over there, over there.” Qiao Yi Ran was the most excited of all, grabbing the hands of the other two and pulling them toward a stall where a performer was doing acrobatic stunts.

These folk artists each had remarkable skills, and from time to time drew bursts of applause from the gathering crowd.

After the performance ended, the owner went around with a money can collecting gratuities from the audience. Qiao Yi Ran and Ling Ai both contributed in turn. When it came to Yan Qing, she reached into her pocket — only to find it completely empty.

Whenever she went out, it was always Mu Rong and Jing Zhi who carried the money. Tonight neither of them had come, and she had simply forgotten to bring any.

With the money can held out before her and the owner beaming hopefully in her direction, Yan Qing was about to turn to her friends for help when a hand reached in beside her — and a bright silver coin dropped into the can.

The owner’s eyes lit up, and he offered repeated, effusive thanks.

Yan Qing turned and saw Shi Ting standing behind her. He was wearing a black overcoat, his head uncovered, his long narrow eyes smiling warmly as they looked at her.

Shi Ting had mentioned earlier that he was worried and would come to the evening market to accompany her — but she had not been able to spot him anywhere until now. It turned out that when she needed him, he was simply there.

This man was always like this — appearing unexpectedly, yet always bringing a pleasant surprise.

“You gave so much?” Yan Qing laughed and raised a mild complaint.

“I didn’t have any smaller change on me,” Shi Ting said. “Carry on and enjoy yourselves.”

He knew that his presence would make Qiao Yi Ran and Ling Ai uncomfortable. He carried too strong a presence — his air too imposing for most people to easily adjust to. And now, as Young Marshal, second only to the Marshal himself, even the friends of his wife would feel a certain awe in his presence, however well they knew him.

“Got it.” Yan Qing blinked, then pulled Qiao Yi Ran and Ling Ai along to keep exploring.

Qiao Yi Ran, familiar with the area, quickly led the two of them to a tea pavilion.

“Let’s watch the peep-box show here — I haven’t seen this particular one before.” Qiao Yi Ran said with bright enthusiasm.

It was Yan Qing’s first time seeing a peep-box show. In the modern era where film and television had proliferated everywhere, these things could only be called antiques.

The peep-box device looked like a large wooden cabinet with several small holes cut into it, each fitted with a magnifying lens. To watch, one had to press one’s eye up to the hole and peer through. As the operators worked in coordinated sequence, images appeared and changed one after another inside, forming a brief and vivid little story.

Just as the three of them were deep in the viewing, a chorus of screams suddenly broke out behind them.

Ling Ai was the first to hear the cries. She quickly pulled her gaze away from the peep-box machine and looked back.

There, on the street behind them, a car had come charging out of nowhere. The evening market roads were not permitted for motor vehicles — yet this car drove on recklessly, horn blaring, plowing straight ahead without any regard for the people around it.

The crowd at the market scattered to both sides in panic. A mother holding her child’s hand stood there in frantic distress, crying out, “My child! My child!”