After much fuss and commotion, the eyebrow painting was finally complete.

He Yan snatched the eyebrow pigment from his hands, saying, “Alright, alright, you can leave now!”

Xiao Jue raised an eyebrow: “Don’t you want to look in the mirror?”

“I’ll check everything together after I’m dressed!” He Yan felt her face would keep burning as long as he sat there, so it was better to send him out. When she pushed open the door while shoving him out, she was startled to find Cui Jiao and Hong Qiao standing outside. He Yan asked, “Why are you two here?”

Cui Jiao responded nervously, “We servants brought some refreshments over, but when we saw Young Master drawing Young Mistress’s eyebrows… we didn’t dare interrupt.”

He Yan: “…”

Xiao Jue showed no sign of discomfort and simply said, “Take your time changing. I’ll go find Manager Lin.”

The two maids followed He Yan back into the room. Hong Qiao, following behind He Yan, said admiringly, “Young Master treats Young Mistress so well.”

He Yan: “What?”

“He even personally drew Young Mistress’s eyebrows.” Perhaps because their fear of He Yan had somewhat diminished, the two young maids grew bolder. Cui Jiao said, “Even among loving couples we’ve served, we rarely see such devotion.”

Well, this false image of a heavenly couple had accidentally become a reality. He Yan smiled and asked, “Do you know how to do makeup and hair?”

This was challenging for her. While she could manage basic women’s hairstyles, she only knew the simplest ones. It probably wouldn’t suit her position as a “merchant’s wife.”

“I know makeup, and Hong Qiao has skilled hands – she creates the most beautiful hairstyles,” Cui Jiao said. “What hairstyle would Mistress like today? Should the makeup be subtle or striking?”

He Yan looked completely bewildered. “I’m attending a banquet, so anything appropriate for the occasion will do.” She pointed to the box Xiao Jue had brought, “All my clothes for today are in there. Just pick something suitable for me.”

Cui Jiao walked to the box and lifted out the “Tear Silk” piece, exclaiming, “What beautiful fabric! Mistress, is this what merfolk wear?”

He Yan: “…Merfolk don’t wear clothes.” Strange – was “merfolk” written somewhere on the garment? How could everyone else see it except her?

He Yan said, “I won’t wear that one today. Please pick something else.” One hundred Gold Taels – such an expensive piece should be saved for the most important occasions.

After all, one’s appearance comes from their parents. How one looks depends entirely on what they were born with. No amount of decoration could change that fundamentally. However… having not presented as a woman for so long, her usually calm heart felt somewhat uneasy.

She hoped she wouldn’t embarrass herself too badly.

In the adjacent room, Lin Shuanghe was half-reclining on the couch, drinking tea.

Xiao Jue sat at the table, cleaning the Late Fragrance Zither. As Lin Shuanghe watched, he recalled He Yan’s clumsy zither playing when he had taught her.

Xiao Jue was also a cultured person, skilled in zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting. But how could He Yan, as a young lady, produce such awful sounds from the zither? If they went to the Cui family tonight and He Yan, as “Wen Yuyan,” was asked to demonstrate her skills, that would be quite entertaining.

However… with Xiao Jue present, any crisis should be averted.

“You keep looking at me,” Second Young Master Xiao was remarkably perceptive. “Is something wrong?”

“No, nothing,” Lin Shuanghe fanned himself. “Why are you so suspicious? I was just wondering how charming and lovely my Sister He would look in women’s clothing.”

Xiao Jue paused in his zither cleaning and slowly asked, “Is there something wrong with your eyes?”

“Don’t you think so?”

“Not at all.”

Lin Shuanghe became displeased, “You may question my medical skills, but you can’t question my judgment of young ladies. The moment I first saw Sister He, I could tell she was naturally beautiful. In Liangzhou Military Command, she had to disguise herself as plain and dusty to conceal her identity. But those features, if dressed as a woman – stunning! Besides, you’re just being stubborn. You like her too, don’t you?”

Xiao Jue smiled coldly: “Which eye of yours saw that I like her?”

“Both my eyes saw it. Xiao Huaijin, if you truly disliked her, why play the hero at the Embroidery House today? You couldn’t stand seeing others bully Sister He, could you!” Lin Shuanghe sighed again and continued, “But I don’t blame you. I think Sister He, when interacting with other women, can be quite obtuse. She couldn’t even recognize such obvious jealousy. Tonight at the Cui family, you know how these wealthy households are – lots of people with loose tongues. If anyone causes trouble, you must protect Sister He well.”

“How is that my concern?”

“She’s your wife now, Young Master Qiao. Besides, if anyone in the Cui family gives Sister He trouble, it’s most likely because of the situations you create. Your face might be good for seducing beauties, but our Sister He will suffer for it. You know she’s not skilled in social niceties, unlike you. So take good care of her, ah, take good care.”

He continued rambling endlessly.

After what seemed like forever, as the sky began to darken, Lin Shuanghe finished his pot of tea and stretched, sitting up on the couch. He looked out the window: “It’s been so long – is my Sister He ready yet?”

Xiao Jue had long finished cleaning the zither and was resting against the table with his eyes closed. Hearing this, he opened his eyes and said flatly, “Let’s just go call her.”

It was getting late, and Cui Yuezhi’s people would arrive soon.

“Alright.” Lin Shuanghe stood up. Outside the door, Chi Wu and Fei Nu were standing guard. As they looked toward He Yan’s room, Lin Shuanghe cleared his throat and knocked on the door: “Young Mistress, Young Mistress, are you ready?”

There was a flurry of activity inside, and Hong Qiao’s urgent voice could be heard: “Wait! Mistress, you forgot your hairpin!”

Then came Cui Jiao’s reminder: “The earrings! You haven’t put on the earrings!”

There was a clattering sound of something falling, leaving those outside speechless.

Xiao Jue raised an eyebrow slightly. Chi Wu whispered to Fei Nu: “Have you ever seen a man wear rouge and powder? Just thinking about it is frightening.”

Fei Nu: “…Watch your words.”

After all the chaos, the door creaked open. Cui Jiao and Hong Qiao wiped the sweat from their brows and said, “It’s done.”

The person behind the door stepped out.

The same face, transformed from youth to maiden, was completely different.

This was a sixteen or seventeen-year-old young lady, slender and delicate. A pear-green phoenix-tail silk dress cinched her waist extremely thin, covered by a matching cloud-pattern jacket. Her hair was styled in a deer-horn bun, with a jade ornamental hairpin inserted at an angle. Two wisps of hair fell before her ears, making them appear even more delicate, adorned with white jade earrings that trembled slightly.

Her skin was fair, with a light layer of powder making it even more smooth and lustrous. Her eyes were exceptionally bright, always containing a hint of a smile. Her eyebrows were like new moons, her beautiful eyes sparkled, and her lips were touched with crimson, altogether enchanting.

The young lady’s figure was petite and lovely, bright and beautiful, but a slight trace of heroic spirit in her brow and eyes tempered that charm somewhat, making her appear straightforward and spirited, captivating hearts. As a married woman, she might seem somewhat young, but as a maiden, she was fresh and vivid, unique enough to make anyone want to look at her again and again.

Those outside the door were stunned, speechless for a long while.

He Yan felt somewhat uncertain and lightly coughed with her hand at her lips, “Um… does it not suit me? I’m not used to wearing these things…”

“Beautiful!” Lin Shuanghe was the first to applaud, “Young Mistress, with just this light makeup you look like a celestial beauty! When the door first opened, I thought which immortal had descended to earth. Only when you spoke did I realize it was you!”

He Yan: “…”

Lin Shuanghe’s skill at flattery matched that of the clothing shop assistant at the Embroidery House – just close your eyes and praise away. It didn’t matter whether the listener could accept it or not.

She looked at Xiao Jue; this gentleman would be more realistic. His words, balanced against Lin Shuanghe’s, would probably reveal the truth. So He Yan asked Xiao Jue: “How do I look?”

Xiao Jue’s gaze swept over her coolly and lightly: “Passable.”

He Yan felt relieved and said, “Has Uncle Cui’s… have the people from Elder Uncle’s house arrived? If they have, we should go!”

“They’re already waiting downstairs,” Chi Wu said. “The luggage has all been loaded onto the carriage. During your stay in Jiyang, Young Master and Young Mistress will be staying at the Cui residence.”

Since Qiao Huanqing and his wife Wen Yuyan were here to reconnect with family, it wouldn’t make sense for them to stay at an inn once they reached Jiyang.

After everyone finished gathering things from the room, they went down to the carriages.

Two carriages were waiting below – one for Xiao Jue and He Yan, another for the servants and manager. Cui Yuezhi seemed to treat this nephew quite well, having arranged everything thoroughly.

He Yan and Xiao Jue boarded their carriage, sitting opposite each other. While Xiao Jue appeared unconcerned, He Yan felt somewhat uncomfortable. She fidgeted with her dress hem and repeatedly adjusted her hair until Xiao Jue couldn’t stand it anymore. His gaze fell on her as he spoke: “Can you stop fidgeting?”

“Oh.” He Yan responded and stopped moving, but her mind was still in chaos.

“Nervous?” he asked.

“Young… Young Master,” He Yan leaned closer, asking seriously: “I have a question.”

“Speak.”

“Do I look convincingly female? Will I be exposed at Elder Uncle Cui’s house?”

He Yan had moved very close. Perhaps because she had bathed, a faint, feminine fragrance emanated from her. Those bright eyes stared directly at him, and her face was small, seemingly only the size of a palm. This puzzled expression, on her boyish appearance, would have seemed somewhat rough, but with her current appearance, only looked charming.

Xiao Jue raised his eyes slightly and calmly said: “You’ve been pretending to be a man for so long your brain has broken?” He paused, “You were originally a woman.”

“I know I was originally a woman,” He Yan explained, “but I’ve grown so accustomed to acting as a man in Liangzhou Military Command that some behaviors have become habitual. If anything seems inappropriate, Governor, you must remind me.”

“Don’t worry,” he tugged at the corner of his mouth: “No one would mistake that face for a man’s.”

He Yan said: “But you didn’t realize I was a woman back in Liangzhou either.”

Xiao Jue didn’t respond to her.

After a while, He Yan realized something and looked at him, “Did you mean earlier that I don’t look like a man at all, that I look particularly feminine and beautiful?”

Xiao Jue sneered, “A true woman would never ask such a presumptuous question.”

“So am I a woman or not?”

“No.”

…

After about the time it takes to burn three incense sticks, the carriage stopped. The Cui family’s driver called from outside, “Young Master Qiao, Young Mistress Qiao, we’ve arrived.”

Cui Jiao and Hong Qiao descended first, then helped He Yan down. As a young mistress, she naturally needed to be attended to in public.

He Yan stood examining the entrance of the Cui residence.

The mansions in Jiyang were built differently from those in Shuojing in the north. Shuojing mansions typically had vermillion-lacquered gates, appearing grand and dignified. Due to its proximity to water, Jiyang mansions were mostly black and white, elegant and lively, with water deity carvings at the entrance, showing exotic charm.

The servants here wore gauze clothing, cool and light. An elderly servant with graying hair, wearing a red-colored robe, came forward smiling, “This must be Young Master Qiao, and this must be Young Mistress Qiao. This old servant is Zhong Fu, the Cui household’s butler. Today, the Master has gone to the Prince’s mansion and is dining with the Princess. He likely won’t return until late tonight. Following the Master’s orders, this old servant will first settle Young Master and Young Mistress. Please rest well tonight, and tomorrow Master will host a proper feast to welcome everyone.”

He’s not here? He Yan was surprised, then felt relieved. It was better this way – she could first familiarize herself with the Cui residence’s layout, making it easier to handle future situations. Besides, she wasn’t yet used to acting as Xiao Jue’s “wife,” so having an extra night to adjust was beneficial.

She immediately smiled and said, “That’s fine.”

The old butler felt relieved. When Master Cui had planned to welcome his nephew back, he had specifically inquired about Qiao Huanqing and Wen Yuyan’s temperaments and habits, given the years of separation. He had heard that Qiao Huanqing was a pleasure-seeking young master, and his newly wedded wife was even more arrogant and domineering. However, seeing them today, those rumors seemed unfounded.

“Let this old servant first show Young Master and Young Mistress to your rooms.” Zhong Fu’s gaze fell on Lin Shuanghe: “This gentleman is…” He assumed he was Qiao Huanqing’s friend or brother, and was considering which room to arrange for him.

Lin Shuanghe smiled slightly, “What a coincidence, we’re in the same line of work. My surname is Lin, and I’m Young Master Qiao’s manager.”

Zhong Fu: “…”

“Don’t be discouraged,” Lin Shuanghe consoled him, “Though the Central Plains breeds exceptional people, I belong to the particularly good-looking category. Not all household managers can be born with looks like mine.”

Zhong Fu smiled awkwardly.

There were two rooms in total, close to each other. One room was for Lin Shuanghe, Chi Wu, and Fei Nu, while the other was for He Yan, Xiao Jue, and the two maids. Both rooms were in the same courtyard and were very spacious, divided into inner and outer chambers. The maids would sleep on the side couch behind the screen in the outer chamber, while the inner chamber had a study, tea room, and bedroom.

He Yan had lived in Liangzhou Military Command for a long time, but even Xiao Jue’s residence there was far inferior to this place. As expected of Commander Cui’s home, the grandeur was impressive.

Zhong Fu led Lin Shuanghe and the others to the adjacent room, while personally escorting Xiao Jue to the main chamber, respectfully asking, “Does Young Master find the room satisfactory?”

Xiao Jue glanced around, “It’s adequate.”

Just adequate? He Yan thought to herself. Xiao Jue played the role of a wealthy young master perfectly, though perhaps it wasn’t an act – after all, Second Young Master Xiao had always been particular, and having seen finer things, naturally found these ordinary.

Zhong Fu couldn’t hide his surprise. His master sincerely hoped this nephew would return home and stay in Jiyang, but knowing Qiao Huanqing now possessed immense wealth, feared he might look down on Jiyang. They had renovated these rooms half a month in advance and moved in many precious antiques, hoping to impress Qiao Huanqing and show that the Cui family was no less than the Qiao family.

However, it seemed the Young Master wasn’t impressed by these things.

Still hopeful, he continued, “There’s ambergris in the incense burner. If Young Master enjoys…”

“You may leave now,” Xiao Jue said coolly, “Have some food sent up. My wife might be hungry and needs to freshen up and eat. We’ll call if we need anything.”

He Yan was startled by his use of “wife,” but hearing him mention food, she realized she was indeed quite hungry, having barely eaten all day.

Seeing this, Zhong Fu hurriedly agreed and withdrew, mentally noting that while Young Master Qiao was proud and particular, not easily pleased, he was extremely considerate of his wife. If they wanted them to stay, they could work through the wife.

After Zhong Fu left, He Yan asked Cui Jiao and Hong Qiao to fetch water. She had already bathed at the inn when changing clothes, but Xiao Jue hadn’t.

“Young Master, please bathe first. We can eat together when the food arrives,” He Yan lay on the couch, rubbing her shoulders, “Sitting in the carriage all day has exhausted me.”

Seeing her manner, Xiao Jue’s mouth twitched, “Young Mistress Qiao, mind your posture.”

He Yan immediately sat up straight.

He went behind the screen in the inner chamber’s tea room to bathe.

Cui Jiao and Hong Qiao were sent away, the two young girls looking uncertainly at He Yan, “Young Master won’t let us attend him.”

Like He Yan, Xiao Jue truly disliked having others present while bathing and changing. He Yan waved her hand, “It’s fine, he’s just shy. I’ll go. You must be hungry too. Fei Nu and the others are next door. Go eat with them, and after eating, rest a while on the couch in the outer chamber.”

“But…” Hong Qiao hesitated, “Doesn’t Young Mistress need our service?”

He Yan waved dismissively, “No need. We prefer to do things for each other as husband and wife. Go enjoy yourselves.”

Being young girls, they were delighted to hear this. They blushed, thanked He Yan, and happily went to find Fei Nu and the others. The room suddenly held just two people.

He Yan stood up from the couch and walked around examining the inner chamber. Earlier she had only seen the outer chamber and briefly glanced at the inner one, but looking carefully now, she discovered how exquisitely it was decorated.

Red oriole pottery adorned the cabinets, fragrant flowers bloomed, the four treasures of the study were laid out on the desk, a chess set sat on a small table, travel journals and story books filled the shelves, and under the tree by the window was a small pond where colorful fish swam leisurely. As the sunset fell, looking out the window revealed endless elegance. While Jiyang’s customs were passionate and unrestrained, with decorations typically following suit, this refined arrangement was done specifically for Qiao Huanqing.

He Yan felt somewhat moved – Cui Yuezhi truly had genuine affection for this nephew, but unfortunately, the real Qiao Huanqing was a coward who didn’t particularly want to meet this uncle.

She closed the window and turned to light the oil lamp. The lampstand was shaped like mandarin ducks at play, and a beauty lantern sat on the small table, casting shadowy light throughout the room.

Having heard that Qiao Huanqing and Wen Yuyan had been married less than three months, still newlyweds, Cui Yuezhi had thoughtfully had the bed chamber specially arranged – warm red gauze curtains, silk red bedding embroidered with the hundred sons thousand grandsons pattern. Even the candles were red, and the fruit plate held dried longan.

As He Yan looked around, she realized this bedroom was truly arranged like a bridal chamber. If she were to find a red veil to cover her head now and gather some people to make celebratory noise, it would be exactly like a wedding night.

She and Xiao Jue would sleep here tonight? She hadn’t considered this aspect before, but now thinking about it made her feel completely uncomfortable.

The lamplight slowly crept up the walls, and He Yan noticed what appeared to be some kind of pattern at the head of the bed. Being near water, wall paintings often depicted Jiyang locals worshiping water deities, which were quite lively and interesting. Assuming it was such a scene, He Yan kicked off her shoes, took up the beauty lantern, and climbed to the head of the bed to examine it closely.

After bathing, Xiao Jue put on his undergarments and a middle robe and walked out. The first thing he saw was He Yan holding up the lantern, carefully studying the wall… painting? She looked like someone examining a treasure map, completely serious.

He paused for a moment, watching her. Seeing that He Yan was too absorbed to notice his presence, he remained silent, then walked over to her side and bent to look where she was looking.

He Yan was lost in observation when suddenly a calm voice came from behind: “What are you looking at?”

“Cough, cough, cough—” She was so startled she nearly choked on her saliva. At the same time, Xiao Jue saw what was painted on the wall.

Intimate little figures… in various strange positions.

His face instantly turned cold with anger: “He… Yuyan!”

“Yes, yes, yes!” He Yan trembled in fear.

“What are you looking at!”

Though it was meant as an accusation, He Yan took it as a question, thinking Xiao Jue didn’t know what it was, and stammered in response: “Spring… spring pictures. Haven’t you seen them before?”

Xiao Jue’s expression darkened, nearly erupting: “That’s not what I’m asking!”

Since her rebirth, in all her time with Xiao Jue, He Yan had seen him angry before, but even when angry, he had always remained cold and distant. This was the first time she’d seen him express it so directly.

But why was he so angry? Was it because she hadn’t called him to look?

“I… you were bathing inside, I just happened to notice it. If you want to look first, you can… don’t be angry… there’s nothing special about these paintings anyway… the brushwork is too heavy, the figures are too ugly. If you like these, I can find you ones with much more refined lines…” He Yan answered tremulously, “I’ll find some for you.”

Xiao Jue was so angry he could almost spit blood. He sneered, “Oh really? You’ve seen many?”

“Not… not that many,” He Yan said, “Maybe… more than you?”

In her previous life as “He Rufei,” many brothers in the barracks secretly kept such treasure maps, and on boring nights would take them out to appreciate together. He Yan had been forced to view many, progressing from initial shame and anger to numbness, and finally to being able to critique them with an unchanged expression – all in just a few years.

Such shameless words, and she seemed quite proud? Truly doesn’t know what’s good for her, Xiao Jue thought coldly, suddenly pinning her against the wall, one hand braced beside her, his masculine body pressing close, bringing that familiar Moon Scale fragrance.

His gaze was sharp as lightning, yet carried a hint of ambiguous flirtation at the corners of his eyes and brows. His voice was hoarse and low, dark pupils staring straight at her as he said softly, “Then would you like to try?”