Sitting beside the firewood pile, Jiang Li said, “Let me do it.”

The venison needed to be carved for roasting. Kong Liu asked, “Second Miss Jiang, do you need this subordinate to help carve it? Just tell me what you want, and I’ll do the cutting.”

“No need.” Before her words even finished, everyone saw Jiang Li pick up the silver dagger that had been placed to the side and carve off a large chunk of venison. Her movements were practiced, not at all like this was her first time doing such a thing. Seeing the astonished gazes cast by those around her, Jiang Li paused for a moment, then smiled and said, “In the past when I was at Qingcheng Mountain, Tong’er and I would often do this, so this isn’t the first time. Jiang Li appreciates Official Kong’s kind intentions.”

As she threaded the carved venison onto bamboo skewers, she repeated the process, carving off another chunk, and explained to everyone, “Actually, the most important thing about roasting venison is doing it yourself—the appeal lies in that sense of carefree pleasure. As for what shape the meat is carved into, how it’s threaded onto the bamboo skewers, or how it’s roasted—none of that matters. As long as you roast it yourself, when you finally eat it, you won’t find it lacking. After all, it’s not such a difficult task.”

Old General Ji had already been eager to try his hand. Hearing Jiang Li say this, he immediately rolled up his sleeves, grabbed a dagger, and with a swift motion carved off a large chunk of venison. Being someone who had served as a military commander, he understood instantly—even his first attempt looked quite proper.

Wenren Yao and Kong Liu joined in the fun, each finding their own daggers to roast meat themselves. Ji Heng leaned to one side, watching Jiang Li, and suddenly said, “You deliberately said that to lighten the burden on yourself, didn’t you?”

Jiang Li replied with surprise, “Was I that obvious?”

“Not obvious,” Ji Heng also smiled. “Unless someone’s a fool, they could all see through it.”

But even if they were fools, everyone would probably be happy to play the fool. Roasting venison was all about the fun of doing it yourself. Moreover, when everyone was roasting, those remaining would naturally want to follow suit. Before long, everyone held a bamboo skewer in hand, sitting by the frame turning their meat.

Ji Heng was the same. Even seated on the ground, he didn’t appear crude. Among this group of people, Lu Ji had the bearing of a distinguished scholar, Kong Liu resembled a rough-and-tumble wanderer of the rivers and lakes. Old General Ji was vigorous despite his age, Situ Jiuyue was beautiful and mysterious, and even Wenren Yao—when he wasn’t speaking—cut the figure of an elegant young gentleman. As for Ji Heng in his red robes, the bamboo mat beneath him was completely covered by his garments. He sat lazily, his movements casual yet naturally carrying an air of graceful charm.

It was as if a group of people from all corners of the world had gathered together for their own reasons, appreciating each other’s company, drinking wine and sharing joy—quite an interesting scene.

Haitang couldn’t eat these things. The scars on her face hadn’t healed yet, so she had to be more careful with her food. But she kept staring blankly at Jiang Li’s movements.

Jiang Li slowly turned her bamboo skewer. She wasn’t as impatient as Old General Ji, nor as cautious as Lu Ji—she was both casual and composed, yet serious about the task at hand. A daughter of the Chief Minister, she didn’t feel there was anything improper about this. Instead, with a gentle smile on her face, the firelight made her eyes especially bright.

That demeanor, those movements, and that smile—they all gradually overlapped in Haitang’s mind with another person. She suddenly asked, “Where did Second Miss Jiang learn to roast venison?”

Jiang Li glanced at her and smiled, “When I was young, I was sent to a nunnery for a period of time. The nunnery didn’t permit eating meat, but being mischievous as a child, I would buy venison from hunters with my maid and secretly roast it to eat. I suppose the hunters must have taught me.”

“Was the beggar’s chicken the same?” Haitang asked.

Jiang Li replied, “That’s right.”

“What’s this about?” Lu Ji asked casually. “Does Miss Haitang think something is amiss?”

“No.” Haitang shook her head blankly, then her gaze became dejected again. “Our young miss also loved roasting venison a long time ago.”

“Madam Shen, Xue Fangfei?” Lu Ji asked.

This form of address seemed to make Haitang uncomfortable. She frowned, then nodded, but emphasized once more, “Our young miss.”

“Isn’t Madam Shen the talented woman of Yanjing City who excelled in both beauty and arts?” Wenren Yao asked. “Setting aside matters of character, back when she was on good terms with the teachers of Mingyi Hall, I was fortunate enough to catch a glimpse of her once—she was extremely gentle and graceful. Roasting venison—I doubt she could do such a thing. Scholar Shen’s household is the most particular about rules. How should I put it?” He thought for a moment. “Although one shouldn’t speak ill of others behind their backs, Scholar Shen’s mother is so strict about rules that it’s almost pedantic and harsh.”

Jiang Li was startled. This was the first time she had heard such an assessment of Madam Shen from an outsider. When she had been a daughter-in-law of the Shen family, although she had felt dissatisfied with Madam Shen in her heart, she had assumed that all mothers-in-law in the world were like that. Or perhaps the rules in Yanjing and Tongxiang were simply different. Wenren Yao’s words surprised her, yet she agreed with them in her heart.

“Our young miss was forced into all that,” Haitang couldn’t help saying. “Back then, before she was married, our young miss would often go into the forest with the young master to roast venison. Her temperament wasn’t as quiet as it became after coming to Yanjing City…” She abruptly stopped speaking, probably realizing what kind of reputation Xue Fangfei had in Yanjing City now, and knowing she couldn’t continue speaking this way, so she fell silent.

Fortunately, the people in this courtyard probably weren’t very interested in Xue Fangfei’s affairs, so they quickly changed the subject. What made Jiang Li grateful was that although they weren’t interested in Xue Fangfei, they didn’t seem to show expressions of disgust either. Even Situ Jiuyue, who had always been somewhat sharp-tongued in her speech, merely displayed an indifferent attitude.

“But Second Miss Jiang really knows quite a lot,” Wenren Yao praised sincerely. “The noble ladies of Yanjing City are mostly all the same. Although they’re born beautiful, after looking at them for a while, one finds them dull. Moreover, they’re bound by too many rules—this isn’t allowed, that isn’t allowed. Second Miss Jiang is much more straightforward, which makes one admire her.”

Jiang Li thought to herself that it wasn’t that she was straightforward—rather, she simply had no right to refuse. She too would like to say “this isn’t allowed” and “that isn’t allowed,” but when asking favors of others, everything had to be “allowed.”

The venison began to sizzle with oil as it roasted. Everyone sprinkled some coarse salt on it, and in an instant, the fragrance immediately spread. Wenren Yao exclaimed, “So fragrant, so fragrant!”

Jiang Li glanced at his meat and said, “Young Master Wenren’s is ready to eat.”

Wenren Yao eagerly snatched up his bamboo skewer and took a bite. The venison was scalding hot, burning him so that he kept gasping, unable to speak. Yet he also found the taste extremely delicious—clearly only salt had been sprinkled on it, yet he felt the fragrance lingering on his lips and teeth. Having lived for so many years, this was the first time he had tasted such deliciousness.

After swallowing down this chunk of meat whole, Wenren Yao licked his lips. Old General Ji quickly asked, “How is it? How is it?”

“Excellent!” Wenren Yao only said one word before immediately burying his head to eat the rest of his venison.

With this, everyone got a taste for it, knowing that at worst the venison wouldn’t be hard to eat. They all began eating their own portions. For a time, the courtyard was filled with the overflowing aroma. The hidden guards concealed within all had their stomachs growl in unison.

Zhao Ke and Wen Ji exchanged glances, both seeing the gloom in each other’s eyes. Although they were shadow guards, they never lacked silver, and sometimes lived even more affluently than official young masters. Following their master, they had seen plenty of the world’s good things. They weren’t people prone to gluttony—so why did they feel so hungry tonight? Why did that seemingly ordinary venison appear so tempting…

Never mind, after tonight passed, they would find a time to secretly roast meat too!

The venison in Ji Heng’s hands was also roasted. The chunk he had carved wasn’t particularly large, but it wasn’t particularly small either. But aside from Jiang Li, the fact that Ji Heng could cook was indeed true. Because others roasting meat for the first time would always fail to control the heat properly—it would either be too rare or too overdone. The reason Wenren Yao and the others found it delicious was partly because they had roasted it themselves, which factored into it. But Ji Heng’s roasted meat being delicious was genuinely delicious.

The roasted meat displayed a golden hue, steaming hot and fragrant. His posture was also elegant, unhurriedly bringing the meat to his mouth and gently taking a bite—watching him eat was also a pleasure.

“Second Miss Jiang, why aren’t you eating?” Seeing her only staring at Ji Heng without eating the roasted meat in her hand, Wenren Yao asked, “What’s this? Do you want to eat what’s in Ah Heng’s hand?”

Ji Heng glanced over coolly. Jiang Li quickly said, “That’s not it.” She picked up the venison in her hand and took a bite.

She was an official’s young lady. Already sitting on the ground to roast venison was quite unconventional—holding roasted meat and biting into it like this was probably even more unreasonable. But when Jiang Li did it, it seemed entirely natural. She wasn’t like Situ Jiuyue, who carried the distinctive dust-covered scent of someone from the martial world, making anything she did seem understandable. Everything Jiang Li did initially made people think it shouldn’t be done by her, but after she did it, people would come to believe that she should indeed be the one to do it.

The young lady sat on the ground, her blue-green robes especially pure and ethereal. She held the roasted meat, her smile gentle, carrying a carefree and joyful air that made people exceptionally comfortable.

“How can you only eat meat without drinking wine?” Kong Liu said. “We should have a drink!”

“Have a drink!” Wenren Yao cheered.

Jiang Li: “…”

It wasn’t that her alcohol tolerance was poor—it was just that after what happened before, she had refused to drink wine ever since. Seeing her hesitant expression, Lu Ji said, “Does Second Miss Jiang not hold her liquor well? If you don’t handle alcohol well, you can drink fruit wine. What’s in the porcelain pot is fruit dew—it won’t make you drunk.”

“You can’t drink?” Old General Ji’s eyes immediately revealed disappointment, as if Jiang Li had done something regrettable.

“I get drunk,” Jiang Li said.

“Then don’t drink—just watch us drink,” Situ Jiuyue said, then hoisted a wine jar from the ground.

Jiang Li used a small porcelain cup to drink fruit dew, while the others used large bowls to receive wine from the jar. But ultimately, they all raised their cups together.

“Happy New Year, may all your wishes come true!” Kong Liu said in his rough, gruff voice. Being an uncultured man, these few words were already the most refined phrases he could think of after racking his brains. There were no more.

Jiang Li raised her cup, clinking it against everyone’s wine bowls with a crisp sound. Some wine splashed out, and she could smell the clear, sharp wine fragrance.

The fruit dew contained no alcohol, only a sweet flavor. Jiang Li set down her cup. What she found surprising was that she had originally thought someone as elegant as Ji Heng would also use a small wine cup, but unexpectedly he too picked up a wine bowl and drained it in one gulp.

Unlike Kong Liu’s crude boldness, when Ji Heng raised his wine bowl, it was like a beauty wielding a sword—there was a kind of unrestrained freedom that made him appear even more captivating. Jiang Li pondered thoughtfully. Generally speaking, one could discern a person’s temperament from their behavior. But everything Ji Heng said and did was always contradictory. The deeper one’s understanding, the more one discovered they didn’t understand him at all.

“I see everyone’s quite happy. Ah Heng,” Old General Ji suddenly said, “why don’t you sing something?”

Ji Heng’s smile immediately faded. Jiang Li could clearly feel that the young man sitting beside her seemed to stiffen momentarily.

Wenren Yao, oblivious to this, happily said, “Sing something, sing something!”

“Sing… what?” Jiang Li couldn’t help asking. The moment the words left her mouth, Ji Heng glanced at her coolly. Jiang Li immediately sensed she had said something wrong, though she didn’t understand exactly what. She could only cover it up by picking up her wine cup and lowering her head to drink the fruit dew.

“Our Ah Heng knows how to perform opera,” Old General Ji said proudly. “In all of Yanjing City now, even the best singers aren’t half as good as Ah Heng!”

Jiang Li: “…” She suspected she had heard wrong, but Old General Ji’s voice was so resonant that mishearing would be difficult. So she wondered if the wine they had drunk earlier was particularly strong, causing Old General Ji to get drunk from one bowl and start talking nonsense. But Old General Ji’s expression was composed, not at all like someone drunk on wine. So Jiang Li could only suspect that she herself was drunk. Could fruit dew make one drunk too? There clearly wasn’t any taste of alcohol in it.

Jiang Li stared blankly at the wine cup in her hand, lost in thought.

“He spent a period of time with my master,” Wenren Yao said, noticing Jiang Li’s confusion and enthusiastically explaining to her. “My master’s favorite thing was listening to opera. Ah Heng was still young back then, so Master taught him to sing opera. But normally we’ve never heard Ah Heng sing opera—only once,” Wenren Yao said, as if still savoring the memory. “One time when Ah Heng was young, he got drunk and started singing at a banquet. Second Miss Jiang, with Ah Heng’s looks and that voice of his, just imagine—if he were to sing opera, what person in this world wouldn’t be captivated?”

Jiang Li asked, “You all listened to the whole thing?”

“Of course,” Wenren Yao answered quite naturally.

These people were actually still alive. Jiang Li thought to herself that this showed Ji Heng truly considered these people his own. Otherwise, with anyone else, Jiang Li could almost imagine that Ji Heng would definitely kill them without hesitation to silence them.

Because his gaze right now looked like he wanted to kill someone.

Ji Heng noticed Jiang Li’s gaze and turned his head. Under his stare, Jiang Li felt somewhat numb, then saw this young man suddenly smile with curved lips. When he smiled, it was like spring flowers blooming all over the mountains and fields, making one feel dizzy and disoriented. Yet amidst this dizziness, his voice carried a coolness as he slowly said, “You want to hear it too?”

Jiang Li shuddered. “No.”

What a joke—she wasn’t Wenren Yao. She didn’t want to die; she wanted to live.

Hearing this, Wenren Yao acted as if things weren’t chaotic enough and said, “Second Miss Jiang, you’re missing out on something significant. You really should listen carefully to Ah Heng’s voice. After hearing it, you definitely won’t regret it. But it’s been almost twenty years since I last heard him sing.” After speaking, he let out a deep sigh. “It really is quite nostalgic.”

Twenty years ago? Ji Heng would have been just a four or five-year-old little boy. In Jiang Li’s mind, there immediately appeared an exquisitely featured, delicately carved little young master. She imagined that at that time, Ji Heng probably also wore red robes. But compared to the one before her eyes, he would have been much smaller. Not only that, when he sang, it would have been both childlike and moving—just imagining it seemed beautiful.

Beautiful people always lifted one’s spirits.

Ji Heng smiled faintly, opened his fan, and unhurriedly waved it. “Have you said enough?”

On that fan, the lush peonies seemed to bloom instantly, yet at this moment they appeared sinister and filled with killing intent—whether it was because fanning oneself in winter made things feel especially cold, no one could say. Even the smile on Wenren Yao’s face froze.

Wenren Yao shuddered, as if suddenly completely sobered from his wine, and said, “Ah? What did I just say? I don’t remember. I must be drunk. My head feels so dizzy…”

Jiang Li: “…”

But with Wenren Yao pretending to be drunk and no longer courting death by pursuing this topic, no one else dared to actively touch this sore spot. Only Old General Ji would dare, but Old General Ji wasn’t truly that interested in singing or listening to opera, and soon began discussing other matters with Lu Ji.

Jiang Li’s lips curved in a smile, and at this moment, her smile was somewhat genuine. Psychologically, thinking that a moody, deeply scheming homicidal maniac had such a tender period in his childhood made Ji Heng seem less frightening, even somewhat endearing.

Of course, once tonight passed and daylight came, Ji Heng as the Duke of Su would still be as ruthless and merciless as before—this was beyond any doubt.

“You seem quite happy?” Ji Heng’s voice came from beside her. Jiang Li looked back at him. As long as opera singing wasn’t mentioned, Ji Heng returned to his smiling demeanor. She smiled and said, “It feels very lively—there’s nothing to be unhappy about.”

Ji Heng smiled faintly, neither confirming nor denying, merely toying with the folding fan in his hand. Jiang Li thought for a moment and asked, “Does the Duke particularly like this fan?”

“Something that preserves one’s life is naturally precious,” Ji Heng replied.

Jiang Li deeply agreed. She had personally witnessed the power of this fan. But setting aside the fact that it was a lethal weapon, just the magnificence of this fan alone meant it was undoubtedly worth a fortune. If an ordinary family obtained this fan, they would probably pass it down as a family heirloom to their descendants.

Ji Heng asked, “What about you? Don’t you have any precious possessions?”

He said “possessions,” not “people.” Jiang Li paused, then said, “No. As for ordinary things, my family doesn’t lack them. As for weapons, I don’t have anything as special as the Duke’s.” After a pause, she added, “Actually, that’s not quite right—I should still have a precious possession.”

She pulled out the jade pendant hanging around her neck from inside her collar.

The jade pendant was carved with a plump calico cat. This had been personally carved for her by Xue Huaiyuan. After marrying into the Shen family, she had pawned it to smooth over official connections for Shen Yurun. Later, after she became Jiang Li and returned to Yanjing City, she had Tong’er find a way to redeem this jade pendant from the pawnshop.

“This is my precious possession,” she said.

Ji Heng glanced at the jade pendant and said with sudden realization, “I’ve seen this before.”

“Yes.” Ji Heng had even picked it up once.

“It looks quite ordinary,” Ji Heng remarked.

“It is quite ordinary, but somehow it feels very special. Sometimes the preciousness of things doesn’t lie in their monetary value, does it?” Jiang Li answered with a smile, carefully tucking the jade pendant back inside her collar. For her, this jade pendant was precious not only because it embodied Xue Huaiyuan’s fatherly love for her, but also because this jade pendant constantly reminded her of her name.

She was Ah Li, and also Ah Li. She was Jiang Li, and also Xue Fangfei.

She must not forget who she was.

Ji Heng shrugged his shoulders, picked up his wine bowl and took a sip. He looked quite refined and noble, yet the wine bowl emptied. His alcohol tolerance seemed quite good. Jiang Li thought to herself that this made sense—someone in Ji Heng’s position who couldn’t hold his liquor well, who would get drunk after one cup, would probably have died a thousand times over by now.

She concealed her thoughts, also picking up the porcelain cup before her and taking a small sip. How sweet it was.

The firelight in the courtyard radiated warmth. In a strange place, it seemed possible to be a stranger—the noise and liveliness would disguise some unnatural things, so she didn’t need to make gestures that necessarily resembled those of Second Miss Jiang. Even if she used Xue Fangfei’s original temperament, no one would notice.

This belated New Year’s Eve dinner—after everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, aside from Jiang Li, everyone was sprawled about in various states of disarray.

Old General Ji was the first to return to his room to sleep. In fact, he had been snoring thunderously halfway through drinking. It was Lu Ji and Kong Liu who had helped support him back to his room. Haitang also returned to her room early. After all, she wasn’t very familiar with the people of the Duke’s Manor, her temperament was not as cheerful as before, and she needed to rest early to heal the scars from the poisonous spider, so she didn’t stay long.

When Wenren Yao got drunk, he started clamoring to gamble with people. Situ Jiuyue made him sniff some medicine, and with a loud thud he collapsed. Situ Jiuyue left in a carefree manner, and the shadow guards of the Duke’s Manor had no choice but to carry Wenren Yao back.

In an instant, only Ji Heng and Jiang Li remained in the courtyard.

Having only Ji Heng and Jiang Li remaining wasn’t particularly unusual, except that Wen Ji said, “The master instructed earlier that he has matters to discuss with the young lady. This subordinate will wait outside.” Then he left the courtyard together with Zhao Ke.

Ji Heng’s subordinates were all very loyal, and the servants of the Duke’s Manor were obviously the type who listened well to their master’s orders. When told to wait outside, in an instant the vast courtyard was empty of people. Jiang Li suspected there wasn’t even a single bird or insect—among living creatures, aside from the two of them, there were probably only those delicate and alluring poisonous flowers in the flower beds.

The banquet was cleared away, leaving only Ji Heng and Jiang Li at the table. The bonfire hadn’t burned out completely—it was smaller than before, but the courtyard was also much quieter than earlier. Therefore, rather than becoming dim, there was a kind of warmth that comes after quietness.

Jiang Li asked, “Duke?”

Ji Heng supported his chin with one hand, resting his cheek as he looked at her, but didn’t respond for a long time. Jiang Li leaned closer to look, only to discover with astonishment that Ji Heng’s eyes were slightly closed—he wasn’t looking at her at all.

“Duke?” Jiang Li called out hesitantly again. Ji Heng still didn’t move.

Could he be drunk? She couldn’t help but look at the several wine jars at Ji Heng’s feet that had long been emptied. No matter how good one’s alcohol tolerance, drinking this much would surely bring on some intoxication. Earlier, the men who had been drinking had long since given out, only Ji Heng had maintained a clear demeanor and composed bearing. She had been marveling at how Ji Heng truly could drink a thousand cups without getting drunk—she hadn’t expected that now he would finally show a reaction.

However, to determine whether this person was truly drunk or playing a prank, Jiang Li leaned in a bit closer to look.

The young man’s skin was already fair to begin with, so delicate that even women would be jealous seeing it—who knew how it had been cultivated. At this moment it had taken on a layer of light crimson color, making him even more captivating. The four words “face like peach blossoms” could not fully describe it. Those eyes that were usually so flirtatious were now slightly closed, so one couldn’t see the playful expression within them. His lashes hung down long and gently, showing a tenderness he had never displayed before. His nose bridge was high and straight, his lips a touch of brilliant color, and the teardrop mole at the corner of his eye was more bewitching than peach blossoms. Such a man sitting before her eyes was gentle like a youth yet confusing like a mature man. Even though Jiang Li had lived two lives, she couldn’t help but stare somewhat transfixed.

Rumor had it that Ji Heng’s biological father Ji Minghan was famously known as the cold-faced general and handsome man, while his biological mother Yu Hongye’s beauty had earned her the title of “enchantress”—clearly both were rare beauties in the world. When beauty combined with beauty, they could probably only produce such a flawless man.

Jiang Li couldn’t help thinking it was a pity she had never seen these two people. She wondered what kind of elegance they must have possessed—looking at Ji Heng like this, even rumors probably couldn’t describe half of this couple’s magnificence.

She sat quietly waiting for a while longer, wanting to wait for Ji Heng to wake up, but after waiting for a long time, there was still no sign of Ji Heng waking. Jiang Li wanted to get up to find Wen Ji and Zhao Ke, but in such a large courtyard, if she were to leave, it would mean leaving Ji Heng alone here.

For some reason, Jiang Li felt somewhat uneasy about this. Although in others’ eyes, Ji Heng was an all-powerful figure that no one could deal with, the longer she knew Ji Heng and the deeper her understanding, despite his contradictions, he still ultimately bore some shadows of an ordinary person. In this world, no one was an omnipotent god.

Ji Heng had many enemies—this was something Jiang Li had known all along. Who knew if there were others lurking in the darkness right now? A drunk Ji Heng asleep—if someone wanted his life, it should also be as easy as turning over one’s hand. Because she had died once, Jiang Li treasured life exceptionally, and she believed Ji Heng was the same. No matter what Ji Heng’s purpose was or what he wanted to do, as long as he died, everything would end abruptly and strangely—there would be no “afterward.”

Jiang Li wanted to take out her whistle, only to discover she had left it at the manor. With no other choice, she could only continue watching over Ji Heng, not knowing when he would wake. She turned her head to look at Ji Heng again. Ji Heng in his sleep was like a fragile beauty. Involuntarily, her heart softened, and she untied her own cloak and draped it over Ji Heng.

Sleeping outside made one susceptible to catching cold, she convinced herself. Ji Heng had helped her many times—this small matter wasn’t worth fussing over.

Sitting quietly beside him, it was as if even time became tranquil. Clearly sitting beside her was a dangerous person, but because the other party was drunk and unaware of anything, without the pointed testing or the mutually guarded pandering to each other, just sitting together like this so genuinely for a while was quite rare.

From outside came the faint sound of the night watchman striking the bell. Jiang Li’s heart stirred—New Year’s Eve had passed, and a new year had arrived.

She couldn’t help glancing at Ji Heng. Ji Heng was completely unaware. Jiang Li thought to herself that she never would have imagined that her first New Year as Second Miss Jiang would be spent with this person. If this had been in the past, she definitely wouldn’t have believed such a thing could happen. Yet in just half a year’s time, everything had changed as dramatically as seas becoming mulberry fields. People she had originally trusted had turned their blades on her, while people she had nothing to do with or even avoided now sat together with her to see in the new year.

This was perhaps the mysterious wonder of fate!

She said softly and gently, “Happy New Year, Duke.”

The young man still kept his eyes closed, yet the corners of his mouth seemed to lift slightly—or perhaps it was an illusion, a trick of the eye. Jiang Li raised her eyes to look at the sky. The light snow had stopped, and the last bit of bonfire in the courtyard burned out, the embers showing no trace of the former liveliness.

No matter what, the past had passed.

Wen Ji walked in from outside and saw Jiang Li sitting beside Ji Heng. He paused slightly and said, “Second Miss Jiang?”

“Mm?” Jiang Li stood up. “Your timing is perfect—the Duke seems to be drunk.”

“Drunk?” Wen Ji frowned. “Why didn’t the young lady come out to call this subordinate?”

“I was afraid that if I left, leaving the Duke alone here would be dangerous,” Jiang Li explained.

Wen Ji was rendered speechless, probably finding Jiang Li’s words truly difficult to understand. Seeing him like this, Jiang Li also guessed what he was thinking in his heart, so she said, “He’s drunk after all. I know he’s very formidable, but ultimately he’s still flesh and blood. The Duke’s Manor has made quite a few enemies. If someone took this opportunity to come take his life, I’m not saying they would succeed, but if they injured him that wouldn’t be good either. Although I don’t know martial arts, I can still shout. If something truly went wrong, I would naturally call for help. I just thought he would wake quickly—I didn’t expect he seemed to be deeply drunk.” Jiang Li smiled slightly. “Since that’s the case, tonight’s discussion probably can’t happen. No matter—I’ll go back first. Another day when there’s an opportunity I’ll visit again, or you can have Zhao Ke pass along a message.”

She needed to leave. Having delayed here too long, she could forget about resting tonight.

Wen Ji reminded her, “Your cloak…”

“Almost forgot.” Jiang Li retrieved her cloak from Ji Heng’s body, then smiled at Wen Ji again. “But although he’s deeply drunk, it’s still better not to sleep here. The wind and snow in Yanjing City is harsh—catching a chill is no small matter. You should take him back to his room afterward.”

Wen Ji said, “Zhao Ke will escort you.”

“Good,” Jiang Li said. “No need to see me out—I know the way out. Zhao Ke should be waiting outside. You stay here. Your master can’t do without someone by his side—it’s too dangerous.”

She fastened her cloak ties, casually picked up a lantern that had been placed on the table, and left the courtyard.

Wen Ji watched the young lady’s disappearing figure. The snowy ground was slippery, yet she walked very steadily, neither fast nor slow, looking very determined. Clearly a delicate young woman, yet for some reason, she always made people feel she possessed great strength.

Jiang Li’s figure disappeared, no longer visible. Wen Ji turned his head, intending to wake Ji Heng, only to see that the young man in red robes had opened his eyes at some unknown time.

His eyes were completely clear, without a trace of intoxication. Still in that posture of supporting his cheek with his hand, yet without the fragile helplessness of moments ago, as if everything had been a human illusion.

“Master,” Wen Ji said, his words containing no surprise, as if he had known all along that Ji Heng wasn’t drunk.

Perhaps so. After all, this lord of the Duke’s Manor never allowed himself to get drunk. No matter when or where, being drunk would give others an exploitable opportunity. From who knows what age—perhaps from when he learned the truth of everything—he had forever lived in sobriety, always like this at every moment.

“Let’s go.” Ji Heng stood up and turned to walk toward the room.

In his ears, the young lady’s words still echoed.

“I know he’s very formidable, but ultimately he’s still flesh and blood. The Duke’s Manor has made quite a few enemies. If someone took this opportunity to come take his life, I’m not saying they would succeed, but if they injured him that wouldn’t be good either. Although I don’t know martial arts, I can still shout. If something truly went wrong, I would naturally call for help.”

She was actually thinking of protecting him?

He didn’t know whether to call it precious kindness or foolish naivety. If something truly happened, how could she be given a chance to call for help? Naturally she would be killed along with him. But what was most surprising was probably that she thought he was flesh and blood, also the most ordinary one among all living beings.

People revered him, looked up to him, feared him, relied on him. Over time, even he himself no longer remembered that he was just a person.

Protecting him—aside from the shadow guards, over the decades, probably no one had ever said such a thing to him, including his relatives. What he needed was to grow and become strong—he didn’t need weakness.

But… Jiang Li spoke of all this as if it were utterly natural.

Ji Heng put away his fan, thinking no more of it.

On his body, there still seemed to linger the warmth from her cloak.

…

That night, it was ultimately Zhao Ke who escorted Jiang Li back to the Jiang family home. Just like when she had left, she still took the “back door,” and no one discovered her.

The next day, because Jiang Li had spent most of the previous night at the Duke’s Manor, she also woke up later. Tong’er even laughed and said, “Miss slept so long last night—it’s rare for you to sleep so well. Outside everywhere there’s the sound of firecrackers going off. This servant woke up when the rooster crowed three times this morning and couldn’t fall back asleep in bed, tossing and turning like a pancake.”

Baixue and Tong’er had no idea at all that Jiang Li hadn’t been at the manor last night at all, but had gone to the Duke’s Manor and even roasted venison with Old General Ji’s group.

However, if she told them this, it would truly be shocking to the world. Others might even think she was talking in her sleep. After all, being able to sneak out in the dead of night to the Duke’s Manor to drink wine and eat meat with a group of people she wasn’t really all that familiar with—this truly didn’t seem like something a young lady from a prominent family could do. In fact, not just young ladies from prominent families—even daughters from respectable families probably wouldn’t have such audacity.

Jiang Li shook her head. For some reason, she found it somewhat amusing. How strange—her current status was much higher than when she had been “Madam Shen.” By rights, the rules she should observe should be even more numerous. Yet in reality, she was more free than before. This showed that sometimes status wasn’t the reason for constraining one’s nature—people were.

This time she was quite glad of it.

Baixue said, “Miss, we should go pay respects to the Old Madam.”

During the New Year period, paying morning respects to Old Madam Jiang daily was unavoidable. Perhaps Old Madam Jiang also hoped to take this opportunity to repair her relationship with Jiang Li. Each time she was quite loving toward Jiang Li—only this excessive affection made Jiang Li somewhat uncomfortable.

She said, “Alright.”

When she arrived at Wanfeng Hall, she saw Old Madam Jiang seated in the main hall. Jiang Bingji was being pulled along by his wet nurse, sitting on a stool eating peanut candy. Ever since Ji Shuran had left, Old Madam Jiang’s discipline of Jiang Bingji had become much stricter. Jiang Bingji was just a child after all—though Ji Shuran had been doting, he had still spent more time being raised by the Old Madam. Therefore, although he had been somewhat spoiled, he wasn’t beyond redemption like Jiang Youyao. During this period he had also become more well-behaved—at least he wasn’t as lawless as when Jiang Li had first arrived at the Jiang Manor.

When Old Madam Jiang saw Jiang Li arrive, she chatted with Jiang Li for a while as usual. Jiang Yuyan was also there, sitting awkwardly to one side, silent and rarely speaking. This was her temperament. Old Madam Jiang was used to it and treated her indifferently as well. Though not harsh, she wasn’t warm either.

Only Jiang Youyao had yet to arrive.

“Why hasn’t Third Girl come?” Old Madam Jiang asked.

The momo by her side looked outside and said, “Perhaps she woke late—the maids haven’t come to report either.”

Old Madam Jiang frowned and said, “More and more lacking in rules!” She probably thought Jiang Youyao was still sulking about the Ye family’s visit yesterday and was deliberately not coming to pay respects.

Jiang Li smiled faintly, unhurriedly drinking her tea. How Jiang Youyao was doing—she couldn’t care less. If Jiang Youyao didn’t rein in her former temperament, even if Jiang Li herself didn’t deal with her, sooner or later someone else would.

“You go take a look,” Old Madam Jiang said to Zhenzhu. “Come ‘escort’ her here for me.”

In Old Madam Jiang’s voice, there was already a trace of anger.

Jiang Yuyan became even more frightened, somewhat at a loss, as if wanting to leave yet not knowing what reason she should find. While she was hesitating, Jiang Jingrui and Jiang Jingyou also arrived. During the New Year period they didn’t need to study, enjoying rare freedom. Seeing Jiang Li, Jiang Jingrui brightened and said, “Hey, everyone’s here.”

Lu Shi glanced around and laughed, “Probably not everyone—where’s Youyao?”

She was just making casual conversation. Right now Yang Shi wasn’t present, Ji Shuran also wasn’t present—no one engaged with her. Lu Shi came to chat idly with Jiang Li, all trivial matters, simply talking for the sake of talking. Lu Shi also knew that right now Old Madam Jiang had intentions of making amends to Jiang Li. Being on good terms with Jiang Li would naturally make the Old Madam comfortable in her heart. If she could keep the Old Madam happy, how hard could life be?

While chatting intermittently like this, after a while, Zhenzhu returned. Jiang Li’s sharp eyes noticed that behind Zhenzhu there was no one else—she hadn’t “escorted” Jiang Youyao here.

Not only that, drawing closer, Jiang Li also discovered that Zhenzhu’s steps were hurried and her complexion panicked. She was a maid by the Old Madam’s side, rarely in such a flustered state. With such an expression, something had probably happened.

Sure enough, as soon as Zhenzhu entered Wanfeng Hall, she said, “Old Madam, something’s happened—Third Miss has disappeared!”

“What do you mean disappeared?” Old Madam Jiang frowned.

“Third Miss isn’t in the manor—she’s left!”

“What do you mean she’s left?” Lu Shi said dismissively. “She probably went out of the manor to play and just didn’t tell the gatekeepers. Why are you so panicked?”

Zhenzhu turned her head, as if only now seeing that Lu Shi was also present, her expression becoming even more difficult. Old Madam Jiang said, “Just speak your mind—no need to avoid anything. Everyone here is family.”

“Third Miss definitely didn’t sneak out of the manor to play,” Zhenzhu said. “This servant just went to look. In Third Miss’s room, all the valuable gold, silver, and fine objects are gone, along with the antiques on the shelves and her clothing. Moreover, Third Miss’s personal maids are still in the manor. If Third Miss had secretly left the manor, she couldn’t possibly not bring her maids with her!”

This was clearly the posture of leaving never to return.

With a “crack,” the teacup in Old Madam Jiang’s hand shattered. Lu Shi also gaped in astonishment.

Jiang Li thought to herself that this time something truly major had happened.