As a young master of the Chief Secretary’s mansion, Sang Shisi had originally been on the path to becoming a distinguished scholar.

Sometimes in life, it takes just one or two crucial steps to veer onto a different path. A young tree sprouting new branches, if nurtured well, can grow into strong limbs. But if frost-bitten, bug-eaten, pecked by birds, or broken by mischievous children, it loses all hope of proper development.

At fourteen, after seeing his betrothed who could lift Lake Tai stones, Sang Shisi’s growth went completely askew. Not satisfied with crying to Yang Jingyuan, he went home and wept before the Lady Chief Secretary. Neither tantrums nor threats of hunger strikes could persuade Chief Secretary Sang to break off the engagement with the Niu family. Only then did Sang Shisi realize that if he wanted to end the engagement, he’d have to do it himself.

His solution was simple and crude: transform himself into a complete wastrel obsessed with women.

He had thought Deputy Commander Niu would break off the engagement for his daughter’s sake. But Deputy Commander Niu was as stubborn as his namesake ox. He refused to accept the notion of his daughter being rejected. Instead, he directly advised his bitter daughter, Seventh Miss Niu: “If he doesn’t behave after marriage, my daughter with your divine strength can beat him into submission.”

This attitude directly led to Sang Shisi’s failed attempt to break the engagement, forcing him to helplessly change his strategy—to enjoy life’s pleasures while he still could before marriage.

Later, when the Lady Chief Secretary visited the Niu family and witnessed Seventh Miss Niu’s divine strength firsthand, she immediately empathized with her son’s distress. With such a daughter-in-law, how could she maintain any authority as a mother-in-law?

The two families had been connected for years, and the Lady Chief Secretary worried that if the Sang family suddenly broke off the engagement, Seventh Miss Niu might split their front gate for firewood. She became increasingly sympathetic to her son, allowing Sang Shisi to stray further down his wayward path.

In truth, Sang Shisi’s transformation into an idle playboy had its reasons. His situation paralleled Yang Jingyuan’s, who had become a wastrel to avoid causing his birth mother difficulty and prevent his stepmother’s suspicions. This shared circumstance had drawn them to each other among all the young dandies, becoming close friends.

In Sang Shisi’s eyes, Yang Jingyuan’s actions today were undoubtedly a betrayal: stabbing a brother in the back for his gain.

Informing, betraying, turning coat, the cannon fodder staging an uprising—perfectly stealing the male lead’s thunder.

After all that effort, it had come to nothing. Sang Shisi laughed uncharitably.

Yang Jingyuan leaned against the ginkgo tree, gazing skyward, clutching a bunch of bright red dogwood in his hand.

Sang Shisi put his hand on Yang’s shoulder, also looking up: “What are you looking at?”

Yang Jingyuan brushed his hand away and said irritably, “Looking at a fool.”

“A fool?” An odd expression crossed Sang Shisi’s face as he pointed meaningfully at his nose. “Aren’t I indeed the fool! To think I didn’t notice my brother had feelings for Second Miss Ji.”

“Who has feelings for her?” Yang Jingyuan denied it immediately, turning to leave. “Aren’t you going? Your concubines have waited long enough—they’ll say you don’t care for them again.”

“Look at that, embarrassed because I hit the mark?” Sang Shisi pursued him with a grin, tilting his head to study him.

Yang Jingyuan simply stopped and let him look.

The two men faced each other like fighting roosters before a duel, watching to see who would lose patience first.

Yang Jingyuan had learned martial arts with his master on Mount Qingcheng. Sang Shisi had never practiced the Taoist art of maintaining composure.

After a moment of staring, while Yang Jingyuan remained expressionless, Sang Shisi cracked: “How boring! You’re not a young lady—there’s nothing worth looking at. My stomach’s playing the empty fortress strategy. Let’s eat.”

Just as Yang Jingyuan began to relax, Sang Shisi jumped beside him with a sweet smile: “Third Brother, I remember during the Mid-Autumn Festival at Huanhua Creek, you were the first to throw a stone in the river, deliberately waiting for Second Miss Ji to look at you. Am I remembering correctly?”

“I thought she looked familiar and threw the stone to get a better look. What of it?”

“Later, when we all helped Zhou Qilang chase her, you were the first to find her, weren’t you?”

“Brother’s eyesight is sharp—we martial artists have keen vision. What’s wrong with finding her first?”

“I heard Young Master Zhu had good luck today and won a sugar qilin?”

“Huh, I’ve spun Sugar Painter Zhang’s gambling wheel countless times. Today I won two. Didn’t you eat one of them?”

Sang Shisi pressed shamelessly: “What about the other one?”

Yang Jingyuan answered casually: “Gave it to Young Master Zhu as compensation.”

“Why did you need to compensate him?”

“Because…” Yang Jingyuan swallowed his words just in time, his upturned brows knotting together, his handsome face filled with anger. “Sang Zhan, are you ever going to stop?”

Hearing his proper name, Sang Shisi knew Yang Jingyuan was truly annoyed. He sighed languidly: “Third Brother, we’re the same age—you’re only one month older, so I’ll accept you calling yourself ‘brother.’ But when it comes to matters between men and women, you really can’t compare to your younger brother.”

He already had three concubines in his household. He was familiar with courtesans from the entertainment districts. He had dallied with famous courtesans. He was a regular at brothels. He had flirted with countless young ladies on the streets.

Yang Jingyuan practiced Taoist martial arts which emphasized preserving one’s vital essence. When the group of young dandies visited courtesans, he would just join in the revelry and jokes. To this day, he remained completely inexperienced. In terms of experience with women, Yang Jingyuan calling Sang Shisi “master” wouldn’t be an exaggeration.

Seeing Yang Jingyuan fall silent, Sang Shisi felt both annoyed and amused, somewhat sympathetic to his friend who had finally awakened to matters of the heart: “Liking Second Miss Ji isn’t such a big deal. Do you think I would compete with you for her? If you had told me earlier, I could have helped plan something. How could we have let her slip away?”

I hadn’t even had the chance to say anything before you arranged to play the hero yourself. Who has such thick skin like you? Yang Jingyuan grumbled internally. Thinking of how Ji Yingying looked at him like he was garbage, he grew frustrated again: “I just saw she had a fiery temper, easy to provoke. I was just playing with her. Who would like her? She’s like a chili pepper, not even as handsome as me, with such common manners…”

Seeing Sang Shisi’s body shaking with suppressed laughter, wearing an expression that seemed to ask ‘How long are you going to keep denying it,’ Yang Jingyuan couldn’t continue. With a long stride, he left the temple, abandoning Sang Shisi: “I have matters to attend to. I’ll go first.”

Not giving Sang Shisi a chance to tease and question him further, he mounted his white horse and fled.

“Won’t admit it? Won’t admit you couldn’t bear to throw away the dogwood that fell from her hair? If you won’t tell me, don’t think I can’t find out!” Sang Shisi, grinning, headed with his attendant toward Sugar Painter Zhang’s still-open stall. From far away, he started shouting, “Old Zhang! I heard someone won a qilin at your stall today?!”

——%&——

Milky-white rice-washing water poured down through dark hair as Xiang’er persistently combed it through to the ends.

Ling’er massaged the hair, washing while praising: “Miss’s hair is truly beautiful.”

Ji Yingying leaned against the bath barrel, resting with her eyes closed.

After leaving Qingyang Temple and parting with Young Master Zhu, Ji Yaoting made Sang Shisi into a negative example. His point was that wealthy official’s sons kept concubines because they had money. Sang Shisi wasn’t even married yet and had a group of concubines. In contrast, families of modest means, where each additional concubine meant another mouth to feed, rarely took concubines or kept maids. With fewer women in the household fighting for favor, the primary wife’s life was more peaceful and comfortable.

Ji Yingying could only respond: “Brother, I have no desire to attach myself to Sang Shisi.”

Ji Yaoting knew his words were just a lead-in: “Then what about Third Young Master Yang?”

He made fools of us! That chrysanthemum must have been picked by him. Those concubines were probably summoned by his message too. He’s rotten to the core! Having witnessed the wastrel behavior of both men, Ji Yingying feared her brother and Young Master Zhu might lose their tempers and beat them again. That’s why she had covered up the matter. Even a wastrel like Yang Jingyuan was better in her brother’s eyes than Second Young Master Zhao? She felt both angry and hurt.

After washing her hair, Ji Yingying lay by the window. The two maids dried her hair with cloth. She gazed toward the Zhao family’s Teng Garden. The dark towers loomed in the night shadows, without a trace of lamplight. Without thinking, she knew Zhao Xiuyuan must still be in the weaving room working on the brocade. She sighed, hoping time would pass quickly until the day of the brocade competition when they could meet again.

The Ji family compound was small, and noisy voices carried from the main courtyard. Who could be visiting so late? Ji Yingying sent Ling’er to investigate.

Ling’er quickly ran to the connecting courtyard door, standing at the edge to peek. Through the partially open door, she saw an elegantly dressed lady step down from a sedan chair by the second gate’s screen wall. She had only one maid with her. Old Woman Li carried a lantern, leading them to the main hall.

Such an unfamiliar lady. Ling’er hurried to the second gate to ask the rough-working woman who guarded it.

“It’s too late for the young master to receive visitors, so they reported to the madam. I heard she’s from Chang’an. That’s all I know.”

Ling’er thanked her and hurried back to report to Ji Yingying.

“From Chang’an?” Ji Yingying was also puzzled. “If she wanted to request our dye house to dye silk, there’s no need to come so urgently at night.”

Ling’er said: “The second gate is already locked. It seems the madam will have the guest stay in the main courtyard. Miss needn’t worry. We’ll know tomorrow. Your hair is dry now, better rest early.”

Ji Yingying waited a while longer, but Madam Ji didn’t call for her. Full of questions, she tidied up and went to sleep.