Fu Tingyun left the courtyard outside the study with a heavy heart.

The hall was filled with laughter and cheerful voices.

Everyone was gathered around A Sen, listening to him animatedly recount his experiences in the market: “…When the shopkeeper saw Miss Fu’s gaze fall on a shimmering bolt of satin, he immediately scurried over and said, ‘This is patterned fabric from Hangzhou, the same kind used for tributes by the Jiangnan weavers.’ Miss Fu just nodded slightly.” As he spoke, he imitated Fu Tingyun’s posture—back perfectly straight, chin slightly raised, giving an almost imperceptible nod. “Then she stared at the satin for a moment and slowly said, ‘Is that so? The material is decent, but unfortunately, the pattern is from two years ago.” He could barely contain his laughter. “The shopkeeper was speechless for quite a while. Miss Fu then touched a piece of fabric with velvet-like texture next to it, had someone unfold it to look, and then had them put it back. The shopkeeper couldn’t help but say, ‘This is twill cloth from Jiading.’ Miss Fu replied, ‘I want to make a fur coat, so Zhangzhou velvet would be better.’ Hearing this, the shopkeeper’s face turned bright red. When Miss Fu mentioned she wanted to make several cotton undergarments, he immediately brought out a piece of white fabric like fine silk, saying, ‘This is Songjiang triple-shuttle cloth, perfect for undergarments.'” He blinked his eyes. “Guess what Miss Fu said?” Without waiting for anyone to speak, he continued, “Miss Fu said, ‘Though Songjiang triple-shuttle cloth is good, the price is too high. Better to use Wuqing grand ring cotton. Although its reputation may not be as renowned as triple-shuttle cloth, when worn, it’s not necessarily inferior.’ He laughed heartily. “You weren’t there to see it—the shopkeeper was completely dumbfounded. When Miss Fu asked him, ‘How many wen per bolt for this triple-shuttle cloth?’, he stupidly replied, ‘Two thousand one hundred wen.’ Miss Fu had bought me a pair of Songjiang triple-shuttle cloth socks at the shop next door for just five hundred and eighty wen… Miss Fu then bought Master Nine twelve undergarments, and the shopkeeper’s face turned green!”

Everyone burst into laughter.

Sharp-eyed Madam Lu noticed Fu Tingyun and hurried to greet her: “Miss Fu, where is Master Nine?” As she spoke, she looked behind Fu Tingyun, and seeing no one, showed a hint of disappointment.

Lanterns had already been lit under the eaves and in the hall. It was well past dinnertime, and they had been running errands all day, so they were starving.

“They’re still talking,” Fu Tingyun smiled apologetically. “We’ll have to wait a bit longer.”

“Listen to what you’re saying, Miss,” Madam Lu quickly smiled. “Of course, we should wait for Master Nine to join us for dinner. We’re also curious to know where Master Yang, Master Jin, and the others have been assigned!”

They continued talking as they entered the hall.

San Fu and Shi Zhu came forward to greet Fu Tingyun, awkwardly expressing their gratitude: “…They fit perfectly, as if they were measured. The colors are good, and the fabric is good too. We’ve never worn such fine things before!”

“I wasn’t sure of your preferences, so I just bought two pieces each,” Fu Tingyun smiled with restraint, though she felt quite proud inside.

Of course they fit well!

When she was learning needlework, being able to tailor clothes by sight was a mark of mastery. For this reason, her maids and old women servants had worn many new clothes.

Thinking of this, a faint bitterness rose in her heart.

Without the strict teachings at home, would she have received such admiring glances today?

No matter what, that place was still her home!

Light footsteps came from the corridor.

Fu Tingyun turned to see Zhao Ling, Yang Yucheng, and Jin Yuanbao walking over one after another.

“Master Nine!” A Sen called out loudly, running over to greet Zhao Ling. “Come quickly and see what Miss Fu bought for you. Besides clothes, there’s also arrow-throwing, cuju ball, liubo board games, dominoes…”

“Oh, you bought these things too,” Zhao Ling responded to A Sen, but his eyes were fixed on Fu Tingyun. His expression was serene, yet somehow profound and distant, appearing unfathomable.

For some reason, Fu Tingyun’s heart began to race uncontrollably.

“Yes!” She tried to appear calm and composed. “Sometimes, playing liubo or dominoes with superiors or colleagues can help everyone become familiar with each other quickly.”

Jin Yuanbao’s eyes flickered slightly as he listened.

Old Master Lu, who was following behind A Sen, chuckled a couple of times and said: “I didn’t realize Miss Fu knew about such things?”

It wasn’t clear whether this was praise or a subtle criticism.

Fu Tingyun, not wanting Zhao Ling to misunderstand, smiled and said: “I’ve noticed that even the old women in our household, once they’re in charge, would invite their subordinates to drink, play word games, and play liubo. I imagine it’s the same outside.”

Everyone laughed.

Madam Lu sought Zhao Ling’s opinion: “…Should we set the dinner now, or wait a while longer?”

“Let’s set it now!” Zhao Ling said, and Madam Lu and the others went to prepare.

As this was a men’s banquet, Fu Tingyun naturally would have to excuse herself.

But Zhao Ling instructed Zheng Third: “One table inside, one table outside!” Then, as if explaining something, he smiled and said, “Today is a good day. Let’s all celebrate together.” Then he announced loudly: “I went to the Regional Commander’s office today. We have all been assigned to Zhuanglang Guard.”

San Fu and the others cheered.

“Really? Really?” A Sen was especially jubilant. “We can all go to Zhuanglang Guard together?”

Zhao Ling smiled and made an affirmative sound, then said: “Although it’s somewhat far, we’ve all been enlisted in the military. Compared to Suzhou Guard or Ganzhou Guard, it’s not that distant.”

Shi Zhu chuckled: “As long as I can join the military register, I’d be fine even if sent to Suzhou Guard or Ganzhou Guard!”

“Do you want to go to Suzhou Guard or Ganzhou Guard?” Zhao Ling widened his eyes. “Had I known this earlier, I should have asked Lord Wu to send you there!”

Everyone froze, and after a moment, sparse laughter rippled through.

Zhao Ling looked embarrassed.

Fu Tingyun couldn’t help but cover her mouth and laugh.

It was rare for Zhao Ling to make a joke, but apparently, no one was used to it…

Fortunately, Zheng Third quickly brought tables over. San Fu, Shi Zhu, and the others helped set one table on the east side and one in the hall. Fu Tingyun and the other women sat on the east side, while Zhao Ling and the men sat in the hall. Zheng Third Mistress and Lu Wei served the dishes, and Old Master Lu brought a jar of strong liquor: “Let’s drink this today!”

Yang Yucheng smiled: “This must be your treasure, isn’t it?”

Old Master Lu just smiled, but there was a glint of moisture in the corner of his eyes: “Beyond the frontier, one must drink such liquor!”

He was from Liangzhou.

Everyone knew Old Master Lu was thinking of his homeland.

Jin Yuanbao poured drinks for everyone: “Today, we won’t stop until we’re drunk.”

“Excellent!” Yang Yucheng laughed heartily. “But this liquor doesn’t seem enough!”

Old Master Lu said loudly: “I’m just afraid you’ll drink until you don’t know north from south!” He abandoned his usual modesty and showed some boldness.

“Why would I need to find north?” Yang Yucheng was unconcerned. “I just need to recognize the door to my room.” Then he called out, “Bring larger bowls!”

The crowd in the hall laughed non-stop, and the atmosphere became lively again.

Fu Tingyun lowered her head.

Such a scene might never appear in her life again.

Zhao Ling’s gaze traveled far beyond the crowd, landing on the beaded curtain of the eastern room.

Jin Yuanbao, who was pouring wine, glanced at Zhao Ling. His wrist trembled, and he nearly spilled the wine, causing Yang Yucheng to cry out.

…

The curved moon hung in the azure night sky, casting a misty silver glow.

Zhao Ling stood in the courtyard, letting out a long breath, as if trying to expel the alcohol from his chest.

The eaves blocked the moonlight. The lower half of the blue stone walls of the side rooms was exposed to the moonlight, while the upper half of the window lattices remained in shadow.

Jin Yuanbao stepped out of the side room door and happened to see Zhao Ling standing there.

He couldn’t help but smile: “Master Nine, today everyone toasted you, but you merely touched the wine to your lips.”

Zhao Ling turned his head.

The colorful silk threads on Jin Yuanbao’s bat-head shoes were clearly visible in the moonlight, but his face was hidden in the shadow of the eaves and couldn’t be seen clearly.

“My internal injuries haven’t healed,” Zhao Ling said slowly. “It’s better to drink less!”

Jin Yuanbao snorted as if he had heard something particularly funny, then abruptly fell silent as if remembering something.

Zhao Ling turned his head away and said lightly: “You did it deliberately today, didn’t you?”

Jin Yuanbao played dumb: “What did I do deliberately? I didn’t force you to drink today!”

Zhao Ling smiled faintly, more hazy than the moonlight: “When did you discover Miss Fu was outside the study?”

Jin Yuanbao remained silent for a long while.

Zhao Ling waited quietly.

Jin Yuanbao sighed helplessly and said: “When Yucheng said I was cold-hearted and ruthless… You usually forbid attacks between companions, but today, you reacted even more slowly than I did. I jumped up in anger before you finally reprimanded Yucheng!”

“Is that so?” Zhao Ling was somewhat surprised.

Jin Yuanbao hesitated, then took a few steps forward.

His plain, unadorned face appeared in the moonlight, adding a serene quality to his gentle eyes.

“Since you… Why didn’t you just tell her directly?” He seemed somewhat confused. “Making her hear half and guess half, I fear she will only feel more anxious and unsettled in her heart…”

Zhao Ling remained silent.

Just when Jin Yuanbao thought he wouldn’t answer, Zhao Ling said softly: “Perhaps it’s because I’m also very hesitant!”

Jin Yuanbao didn’t understand.

Zhao Ling chuckled lightly: “At this moment, I both hope she can go to Zhangye, yet also fear her going to Zhangye.”

Jin Yuanbao began to understand.

If Miss Fu chose to go to Zhangye, it would naturally mean mutual affection. But if she went to Zhangye, Master Nine feared she might not adapt to life beyond the frontier.

Was this mixture of desire and fear good or bad?

Looking at Zhao Ling’s angular face, Jin Yuanbao felt a vague uneasiness in his heart.

Zhao Ling had been agonizing over this for days. Jin Yuanbao was his brother who had been through life and death with him. Since he had noticed his mood, some words naturally came out: “Zhangye is too desolate. I don’t want her to wither away there. Her living well is enough for me!” But in his heart, he felt secretly guilty: It was wrong of me to test her like this.

Finally setting aside the trouble that had been tormenting him, Zhao Ling let out a long breath of relief.

Each immersed in their thoughts, neither of them noticed a long shadow standing quietly in the corridor.

“Zhangye is too desolate. I don’t want her to wither away there!” Fu Tingyun, who had only heard this one sentence, repeated it silently in her heart, thinking of Zhao Ling’s unyielding tone and his gentle sigh. She felt somewhat entranced.

If she hadn’t been unable to sleep and mustered the courage to find Zhao Ling for clarity, would she ever have known of his compassion for her?

No, she should have known long ago.

When he saved her.

When he disregarded his safety to send her to Weinan.

When he encountered Feng Laosi, and hid her in the water vat.

When he was injured, but silently pushed her westward without a word of complaint.

…

Some things could wait.

But some things couldn’t wait a moment longer.

This matter began with her, so let her resolve it!

Just as Zhao Ling had done for her.

No shirking, no avoidance, no complaints… Things would eventually be resolved.

In that instant, her heart became as light and free as willow catkins dancing in the air.