After several heavy snowstorms, the festive atmosphere in the streets grew increasingly rich day by day.

Since that day, Wen Yu had barely seen Xiao Li again. Though the two lived under the same roof, he left early and returned late every day, occasionally not coming home at night at all.

As long as Wen Yu woke a bit later in the morning and returned to her room earlier at night, she could basically avoid him completely.

Xiao Huiniang simply assumed the two were busy with their own affairs and didn’t notice anything amiss between them.

After lying in the medical clinic for a few days, once Hou Xiao’an’s superficial wounds had healed, he could no longer stay put and kept wanting to continue following Xiao Li around.

Xiao Li stuffed him back home, and with Xiao Huiniang watching over him, he finally settled down somewhat.

It was also from Hou Xiao’an’s mouth that Wen Yu learned that when Xiao Li went to the gambling house that day, he had actually cracked open the head of that man called Wang Qing.

The other party was still lying in bed to this day. The gambling house owner originally had both him and Xiao Li working under him, but now that he was injured so badly, all the work of watching the establishment, collecting debts, and handling some of the owner’s shady business fell entirely onto Xiao Li’s shoulders.

She was quite surprised in her heart. She had originally thought that after encountering such a situation, he would teach Wang Qing a lesson and then wait for the gambling house owner to make things right for him. Who would have thought he would directly cripple the other blade in the gambling house owner’s hand, forcing the owner to use only him for the time being.

Though this method was effective, it was too openly aggressive and would only make the gambling house owner increasingly wary of him. Without Wang Qing, there would inevitably be a Li Qing or Liu Qing raised up to continue challenging him.

Wen Yu didn’t know what he had been thinking at the time, but with things having turned out this way, she now understood why he had been so busy lately.

If he were smart, he would know to seize this opportunity to suppress those under Wang Qing who could be suppressed, and win over all those who could be won over, firmly controlling the entire gambling house from top to bottom in his own hands.

This way, whether it was after Wang Qing recovered from his injuries and returned to the gambling house, or if the gambling house owner deliberately tried to support new people, they wouldn’t be able to shake his position in the short term.

Thinking back to what he had said to her that day about how the gambling house owner could no longer use Wang Qing, Wen Yu figured this was probably exactly what Xiao Li had planned.

Though the method was somewhat extreme, since he dared to do it this way, he was at least someone with courage and determination.

“…Third Brother has already been promoted by Second Brother to his original position. Once my injuries heal and I return to the gambling house, I’ll be able to manage quite a few people myself!” Hou Xiao’an said to Wen Yu with animated excitement.

But Wen Yu was completely immersed in her own thoughts and gave no reaction at all.

Hou Xiao’an couldn’t help but wave his hand in front of her eyes: “Sister A’Yu? Sister A’Yu?”

Wen Yu came back to herself and looked at him: “What?”

Hou Xiao’an said: “What was Sister A’Yu thinking about so intently? You didn’t even respond when I called you.”

Wen Yu made a few stitches on her embroidery frame and said: “Auntie said the embroidered handkerchiefs are selling well at the cloth merchant’s. A manager from an embroidery house took notice of the thread colors used in the embroidery and wants me to draw some embroidery patterns for the ready-made clothes at the embroidery house. They’re offering quite a bit of payment, so I’m thinking about the embroidery pattern color schemes.”

Her embroidered handkerchief business with Xiao Huiniang had taken an unexpected turn. Originally, the few embroiderers who had agreed to embroider handkerchiefs all resigned one after another after the ruffians spread word that Xiao Huiniang had been the top courtesan at Zuihong Tower, afraid of what people would say.

When Xiao Huiniang was about to slowly embroider by herself, several widowed women came to the door, saying they were willing to take on this work, but instead of coming daily to embroider, they would take the fabric and embroidery patterns home to embroider according to the designs, then deliver a batch of finished embroidered handkerchiefs every few days. This way they could avoid gossip from the neighbors.

After Xiao Huiniang and Wen Yu discussed it together, they agreed on the spot.

This first batch of handkerchiefs given to the cloth merchant sold extremely well. When Xiao Huiniang returned from the market that day, she was so happy her mouth never closed.

When Hou Xiao’an heard it was related to earning silver, he immediately didn’t dare prattle on to Wen Yu anymore and quickly said: “Then you think slowly, I won’t disturb you.”

He collapsed his entire body onto the reclining chair that Xiao Li slept on at night, but because lying on it wasn’t very comfortable, he tossed and turned like a pancake being flipped, finally couldn’t help but mutter: “How does Second Brother sleep on this at night? It’s so hard and uncomfortable…”

Hearing this, Wen Yu’s hand paused in its stitching.

She also didn’t know how that man slept on this reclining chair.

The low couch that Xiao Huiniang had the carpenter make wouldn’t be delivered until after the New Year.

If that ruffian came home during this period, he would still only be able to sleep on this reclining chair.

That day when he saw her cook the rice like that, his words had been rather caustic. Feeling embarrassed, Wen Yu had deliberately avoided him in daily life and hadn’t spoken to him in several days.

But to be fair, he had never truly been stingy with her regarding food and lodging.

Thinking of this, and recalling the words she had spoken in her embarrassment at the time, declaring she would repay him for food and clothing, Wen Yu felt somewhat ashamed.

When Xiao Huiniang had first softened her heart to take her in, it had been an act of charity. Though that ruffian couldn’t be called kind to her, he had never made things difficult for her, and had even continued to this day to give up his room and sleep on the reclining chair.

Yet she had shamelessly spoken of the mother and son’s kindness as if it were a transaction.

The more Wen Yu thought about it, the heavier her guilt became. After considering for a moment, she asked: “Xiao’an, do you have any other brothers?”

Hou Xiao’an was startled and asked: “What’s wrong?”

Wen Yu said: “From the silver earned selling embroidered handkerchiefs, Auntie forcibly stuffed some into my hands. I noticed your Second Brother rests here at night with a rather thin blanket covering him, so I wanted to buy him a thicker one. It’s just that I need to rush this fan embroidery and can’t spare the time to buy it myself…”

Hou Xiao’an brightened up immediately upon hearing this and said: “Why would you need other brothers? I can go buy it!”

Wen Yu was somewhat hesitant: “Your injuries…”

Hou Xiao’an quickly patted his chest forcefully: “I’m going to do great things with Second Brother—a little injury like this healed long ago! Second Brother confined me here because he doesn’t want me following along to collect debts. How could I not even manage to run a simple errand!”

Xiao Huiniang was busy in the kitchen and hadn’t heard the earlier part of their conversation. Coming over now to get something and hearing this, she smiled and said: “A’Yu, if you need to buy something, just let Xiao’an go. He’s a restless monkey—being cooped up here all morning, he’s long since been unable to sit still.”

Hou Xiao’an quickly nodded: “Exactly, exactly!”

Wen Yu smiled gently and took out some money to give him: “Then I’ll trouble Xiao’an. With the remaining money, also buy me a box of rouge—it doesn’t need to be good quality, just pick the cheapest one.”

Hou Xiao’an let out an “Ah,” his gaze falling on the veil Wen Yu was wearing. Her features from the bridge of her nose down were completely covered, leaving only a pair of eyes like autumn waters and a clear moon, holding a hint of a shallow smile as she looked at him.

Hou Xiao’an’s face suddenly flushed red, and he hastily stammered out an agreement.

He thought to himself that if it weren’t for those rashes on her face, Sister A’Yu would surely be extremely beautiful, but even with the rashes, wanting to use rouge was perfectly natural—after all, which young woman didn’t love beauty?

Holding a string of coins, he bounded down the steps in a few leaps and headed outside.

Wen Yu had no idea what Hou Xiao’an was thinking. She had discovered this morning when she woke up that the rash marks on her face had completely healed. Worried that showing her true face would attract trouble, she covered it with a veil even at home.

When Xiao Huiniang asked about it, she said she seemed to have caught a cold and had some coughing, and covered her face for fear of passing it on to her.

Xiao Huiniang fussed over her for a long while, telling her to add more layers of clothing and not to overwork herself with embroidery.

Wen Yu’s heart felt warm and comforted. Though she had spent only a short time with the Xiao family, Xiao Huiniang treated her with an intimacy no less than the wet nurses who had been by her side in the past.

She could only sigh at the turmoil in the realm. If these were peaceful times and trusted people found her, how could money and silk be enough to repay this kindness? No matter what, she would have to help the mother and son remove their lowly status and find a good position for her son at the yamen.

Now she could only wait until after her royal father made a comeback to do these things for them.

Currently, the more troublesome matter was still the issue of her appearance.

It wasn’t that Wen Yu hadn’t considered using cat fur to make herself allergic again, but leaving aside how much she would suffer, the Xiao family didn’t even keep cats. Even if occasionally a wild cat walked across the courtyard wall, it was too timid and not easy to come into contact with.

Moreover, her current circumstances were fairly stable—she hadn’t yet reached the point where she needed to continue using such methods to harm herself for self-preservation.

So after thinking it over, she decided to buy a box of rouge and dot red rash-like marks on her hands and face every day. This way she wouldn’t need to cover her face, which would instead draw attention.

—

Xiao Li walked out of Fengqing Tower, his stomach churning violently. He leaned against the wall and vomited into the drainage ditch.

With Wang Qing down, to incorporate the useful people under him, the year-end banquet was the only opportunity for both sides to sit down and negotiate.

Today’s business was essentially settled.

During the feast he had barely touched his chopsticks, spending the entire time being force-fed alcohol. What he was vomiting up now was all liquor.

Zheng Hu came chasing out from behind, saying ruefully: “I should have been the one blocking drinks for you, Second Brother. Why did you keep blocking drinks for me the whole time? That pack of bastards was deliberately taking turns getting you drunk in rounds—no matter how high your tolerance, you can’t withstand drinking like that…”

Xiao Li propped himself against the wall with one hand and waved at him with the other, telling him not to say more.

His stomach was still uncomfortable, and he didn’t want to talk right now.

Fine snow particles fell on his hair, and with his eyes flushed a delicate red from the alcohol, his already striking appearance became even more beautiful by three parts, causing passing young women to frequently turn their heads to look at him.

He rummaged in his breast pocket, pulled out a handkerchief intending to wipe the corners of his mouth, but catching sight of the orchid embroidery pattern on it, his movement paused and he stuffed it back into his breast pocket.

It was the one Wen Yu had given him before. After washing it clean, he still hadn’t found an opportunity to return it.

Seeing this, Zheng Hu couldn’t help but ask: “What’s wrong?”

Xiao Li said: “A handkerchief from home—the fabric is good quality, don’t want to waste it.”

Since he said it was from home, Zheng Hu assumed it was from Xiao Huiniang. He turned and walked back into the building, saying: “Then Second Brother, wait a moment—I’ll go ask the server for a handkerchief for you, and get a bowl of hot soup too.”

Xiao Li didn’t respond, vomited twice more before his stomach felt somewhat better.

He leaned against the wall, letting the cold wind continue to sober him up, when he spotted a familiar figure across the way, holding a thick quilt and darting around between several rouge shops.

He frowned slightly and called out: “Xiao’an?”

From behind that mass of thick quilt a head popped out, and seeing him, called out happily: “Second Brother!”

Then came scampering over with quick little steps.

Xiao Li watched as his temple twitched, saying: “I thought I was drunk and seeing things, but it really is you, you little punk?”

He glanced at the quilt in Hou Xiao’an’s arms that he could barely hold onto, and asked: “What are you buying a quilt for?”

Hou Xiao’an said: “Sister A’Yu bought it for you.”

Xiao Li’s half-drunk eyes lifted, his intoxication clearing by three parts: “Bought it for me?”

Hou Xiao’an nodded: “Sister A’Yu said the blanket you sleep with is too thin, and told me to come buy a thicker one.”

Xiao Li stared at that quilt for quite a while before asking again: “Then what are you doing darting around the rouge shops?”

Hou Xiao’an said: “Sister A’Yu also asked me to help her buy a box of rouge. She said to pick the cheapest one, and after buying the quilt there really aren’t many coins left, so I’m comparing to see which shop is cheapest.”

“Rouge?”

Xiao Li frowned. In his impression, that woman didn’t seem like someone who would wear rouge.

Hou Xiao’an, thinking he felt that with rash marks on her face Wen Yu shouldn’t be using rouge, said: “Sister A’Yu is still a young woman after all, so… ‘A scholar dies for one who understands him; a woman adorns herself for one who appreciates her. To die beneath peonies, even as a ghost one would be romantic’—which young woman doesn’t want to be beautiful and pretty…”

Hearing him suddenly say “a woman adorns herself for one who appreciates her,” Xiao Li’s heart skipped a beat. Then hearing him say “to die beneath peonies,” his face darkened and he raised his hand to knock Hou Xiao’an on the head: “How many times have I told you—if you don’t know the meaning of poems, idioms and sayings, don’t use them randomly! And don’t mix them up and recite them wrong either!”

Hou Xiao’an was knocked so hard he grimaced, saying pitifully: “Doesn’t this poem mean that young women all like to look beautiful and pretty? They’d even be happy to be a beautiful ghost if they died next to pretty peony flowers!”

Xiao Li pinched the bridge of his nose, no longer hoping to correct his habit of misusing phrases. He only murmured in a low voice: “Can the cheapest rouge even be used…”

Hou Xiao’an didn’t hear clearly, covering his head with one hand and asking: “What did you say, Second Brother?”

Xiao Li didn’t respond. He pulled a money pouch from his breast pocket and tossed it to him. After thinking for a moment, he said: “Buy her the best quality one.”