“I’m about to leave,” Fu Tingyun handed the package to Ah Sen. “Master Nine has taken care of me throughout our journey, and I have no way to repay you. I’ve made a winter garment for Master Nine, and I hope you won’t refuse it.” Then she smiled at Ah Sen, “I didn’t have time to make yours, but in two or three days, when I finish it, I’ll have someone bring it from Willow Lane.”

The summer morning still retained some of the night’s coolness in the air, giving refreshing relief to those who would soon feel as if they were in a furnace during daytime. People couldn’t help but take deep breaths, wanting to savor the long-missed coolness.

Because he was leaving Zhao Ling, Ah Sen felt somewhat gloomy. He took the package and responded with a simple “Mm.”

Zhao Ling stood there quietly, his mind in some confusion.

Why had she thought of making him winter clothes?

Winter was still far away.

When his mother was alive, she did the same.

Making winter clothes in summer, making spring clothes in autumn… There were always new clothes waiting for him in the wardrobe.

That serene warmth was something he hadn’t felt for many years.

Zhao Ling looked at Fu Tingyun, his black eyes appearing even more profound and distant.

Fu Tingyun’s heart trembled, and she awkwardly lowered her gaze.

His gaze was so cold, as if he had returned to how he was before.

Was it because she had rushed to make him a winter garment?

Her heart was filled with indescribable bitterness.

Yes, she had no familial relationship with him, so what right did she have to make winter clothes for him?

That was a wife’s duty.

He must be despising her in his heart but couldn’t say it out loud…

She felt her tears were about to fall.

She blinked hard, locking the moisture in her eyes.

Why should she care what he thought?

He had saved her from danger, shown remarkable nobility, and she respected him like a father or brother—straightforward and upright. Why should she be so fearful?

There was nothing she couldn’t say to others!

Thinking this way, she suddenly felt mentally refreshed. She straightened her back, and the words hidden in her heart became restless, unable to be held back any longer.

“Master Nine, I have a few more words I’d like to say to you!” She looked up at him, her clear gaze pure and flawless, no longer showing the confusion from earlier.

For some reason, Zhao Ling suddenly felt a bit lost.

“What is it?” His voice was so gentle that even he found it strange. “Miss Fu, please go ahead.”

“I asked Zheng San the other day,” Fu Tingyun’s smile was open and composed, gentle yet dignified. Combined with her beautiful face, her bearing was perfect, like a blooming peony whose splendor couldn’t be hidden even by coarse clothing. This was a Miss Fu that Zhao Ling wasn’t familiar with. “I heard that the Feng family built their fortune on salt trading and are among the few great merchants in Shaanxi and even the entire Northwest. I don’t know what grudge Master Nine has with the Feng family, but since you have that card from Master Sixteen, why not find a way to make good use of it? Perhaps this could be an opportunity for Master Nine.”

“Oh?” Zhao Ling looked at her, his gaze intense, as if trying to understand her completely.

Fu Tingyun, confident in her uprightness, allowed him to examine her.

“With the current chaos in Shaanxi, not to mention Qingyang and Gongchang Prefectures, and Longxi being under Qingyang’s jurisdiction, I fear the fish-scale registers and yellow registers have been lost. Even if they haven’t been lost, they’re likely incomplete.” She spoke slowly, her gentleness carrying a calm certainty. “Master Nine travels the jianghu with these brothers of yours, but someday you’ll want to return home with honor. Why not take this opportunity to join the military and seek a position? With Master Nine’s martial skills and strategy, in three to five years, even if you can’t become a Commander of a Thousand or a Hundred, surely you could become a Standard Bearer or Minor Standard Bearer. By then, with some silver, you could transfer to civilian status. From then on, you’d be free as a fish in the ocean or a bird in the sky. Wouldn’t that be carefree and happy? Why bother to contend with the Feng family in a life-or-death struggle, wasting such good prospects?” After speaking, she pondered briefly, then continued, “Master Nine’s great kindness to me is something I can never repay in this lifetime. I still have some valuable items from my mother that I’ve kept for emergencies. As for the two thousand taels in banknotes, as a mere woman who rarely leaves home, it’s of no use to me. Why not let Master Nine take it? Though it’s not much, in a military camp, it could at least help with socializing with colleagues and currying favor with superiors.” As she spoke, she thought of the gold pieces Master Nine had spent and took out the two thousand taels in banknotes from the lining of her sleeve, handing them to Zhao Ling. “Please, Master Nine, accept this.”

Zhao Ling lowered his head.

Between her jade-like, fair, and rounded fingers were several pieces of white paper stamped with bright red seals.

His heart was in a tangle.

She was giving him banknotes!

And telling him to take advantage of the current chaotic situation to establish a new household registration, use Master Sixteen’s card to enter a military camp and obtain an official position, legitimizing his background…

Who was Zhao Ling? Even the Feng family had to deal with him cautiously, avoiding his sharp edge. Did he lack those two thousand taels? And becoming a Commander of a Thousand or a Hundred? Military positions were hereditary; after centuries, the system had become intricate and complex. How could one easily obtain an official position? Moreover, military registrations were controlled by the Ministry of War, while civilian registrations were under the Ministry of Revenue. Without the intervention of a high provincial official, converting from military to civilian status was harder than ascending to heaven!

Errors everywhere, assumptions made by someone unfamiliar with official matters.

Yet Zhao Ling couldn’t bring himself to voice any of these objections.

She was just a delicate young lady from a sheltered home, with good intentions. How could he nitpick with her?

Thinking this way, those words that had seemed somewhat laughable to him suddenly didn’t seem so amusing anymore.

Fu Tingyun saw his gaze fall on the banknotes in her hand, and her thoughts had already shifted several times.

No man would accept gifts from a woman, especially a man like Master Nine, who appeared calm but was inherently proud.

“Master Nine!” After a brief thought, she had a measure. “You must accept these banknotes.” She tried to make her voice sound heavy and helpless. “An ordinary man commits no crime, but possession of a precious jade brings misfortune. As a lone woman, if others don’t know about it, that’s fine, but if anyone discovers I have two thousand taels in banknotes, it will only attract those with ill intentions, putting my life at risk. It’s better to temporarily lend it to Master Nine. In the future, when there’s an opportunity, Master Nine can help me invest in some fields for rent, giving me something to rely on.”

Zhao Ling smiled faintly.

She was afraid of hurting his pride, wasn’t she?

His dignity had always come from his martial prowess and strategy. Others either exhausted themselves trying to defeat him or were afraid at the mere sight of him. No one had ever treated him like a fragile porcelain, being so careful. She had done him a favor, yet worried he might be displeased.

Thinking of this, something like a spring welled up in his heart.

He couldn’t help but take the banknotes, telling himself: Just consider it to put her mind at ease!

“Alright! When the time comes, I’ll invest in fields for you, so you’ll have private money for yourself.” Zhao Ling smiled at Fu Tingyun.

Fu Tingyun let out a long breath, feeling as relieved as if a heavy stone had been lifted from her heart.

“Then it’s settled.” She smiled, pressing her lips together. Her smile was bright, with a touch of the craftiness he was familiar with, making him feel at ease. “I’m leaving now. If Master Nine is free, feel free to visit Willow Lane.” She said politely, then as if remembering something, her expression turned serious. “Master Nine, commoners don’t fight officials. With Manager Mo, you should be careful.”

Zhao Ling nodded. Only after Fu Tingyun’s figure, surrounded by the Zheng San couple and Ah Sen, disappeared from the small courtyard, did he slowly return to his wing room.

…

Past Guangren Temple was Willow Lane.

Upon entering Willow Lane, the hustle and bustle of Guangren Temple was left outside, with only faint sounds coming through, emphasizing the tranquility of Willow Lane.

Zhao Ling’s residence was located in the middle of Willow Lane, with just two courtyards. A small red-lacquered door led to a courtyard with an old locust tree thick enough to require two people to encircle it on each side. The north-facing main building had three rooms, with two wing rooms on each side. Behind was another courtyard with a grape trellis, beneath which were stone tables and stools. There were also three main rooms and two wing rooms on each side. A few steps behind the rooms grew several bamboo stalks, visible from the windows.

Fu Tingyun immediately fell in love with the place.

Zhao Ling’s “relatives'” surname was Lü. They appeared kind and were very pleased with her arrival. Madam Lü even personally helped Zheng Sanniang arrange the rooms, her enthusiasm mixed with a measure of careful solicitude.

Fu Tingyun glanced at Ah Sen, who was sitting nearby, devouring pastries: “What relation is this ‘Aunt Lü’ to Master Nine?”

Since Master Nine had arranged for Miss Fu to stay here, he naturally treated her like family.

Ah Sen put down his pastry. Seeing that Madam Lü was holding Linchun and chatting with Zheng Sanniang, who was helping Fu Tingyun spread a bamboo mat, and that there was no one else in the hall, he whispered, “Master saved them, and they help Master watch over this house. To outsiders, they’re just relatives, and the property deed is in Master Lü’s name.”

Fu Tingyun was shocked.

She knew there was something unusual about Zhao Ling’s “relatives,” but she had thought he had simply bribed a family to help with the pretense. She didn’t expect that he was supporting the people here.

This was no simple matter.

With so much effort invested, could this be his lair?

Fu Tingyun looked around.

The furnishings were simple, not unlike any other family living in a two-courtyard residence. The only distinctive feature was the uniform black lacquered furniture, neat and dignified, subtly exuding an air of wealth.

Ah Sen seemed somewhat proud: “Brother Yu Cheng and the others know Master has another residence elsewhere, but they don’t know where. Only I have been here twice, and that was three years ago.”

Three years ago… Zhao Ling appeared to be just over twenty…

Fu Tingyun asked in surprise, “How old is Master Nine?”

“Master Nine is twelve years older than me,” Ah Sen said proudly. “We were both born in the Year of the Rat.”

That meant he was twenty-one this year.

He had arranged all this when he was just eighteen.

Fu Tingyun once again showed a surprised expression.

Seeing this, Ah Sen looked even more pleased: “This residence was purchased five years ago.”

Five years ago, he was sixteen…

At that time, he was only a year older than she is now.

Fu Tingyun felt humbled.

Meanwhile, Madam Lü approached with Linchun in her arms, her face full of smiles: “Miss, what would you like to eat? I can send Old Cao to buy it from the street!”

Old Cao was the elderly gatekeeper.

“No need, no need.” Even though it was a pretense, she couldn’t let others become suspicious due to her casualness… As this thought crossed her mind, she thought of Mo Yi.

Since he was Master Sixteen’s man, claiming to be under orders to take care of them but monitoring them, he had no reason not to investigate when she moved to stay with “relatives”… Despite this, he still allowed her to move to her “relatives'” home… Was it because he hadn’t discovered anything unusual about this residence? Or even if he had, he was confident he could keep watch over them?

As she thought about this, her heart began to race.

To be confident in watching them, he would first need to have people monitoring this residence day and night… Zhao Ling had said he might not be Master Sixteen’s man. Then who was he? Where did he get the manpower to monitor this residence?

This wasn’t something one or two people could accomplish.