The fair and handsome beauty looked at her pitifully, wanting to play the victim with her. That resentful, clinging gaze made Ruyi’s heart flutter.

She couldn’t help but lift the carriage curtain and lean over to peck him once.

This was much more obedient—yielding to her and lowering his head was far more useful than stiff threats.

Turning to get off the carriage, Ruyi brought Fuman along, wiping the corner of her mouth with her thumb as they walked.

Most women in the world liked brave, fearless men who could hold up the sky, but she preferred the sweet and gentle type. Her taste was truly strange—she didn’t know when she had developed it.

There was always a blank section in her memory, shrouded in gray, misty fog.

She wasn’t one to force things. If she couldn’t remember, she wouldn’t think about it. She just smiled and said to Fuman: “Watch carefully in a moment—I’ll teach you how to swindle money from people.”

Fuman:?

Inexplicably, she quite wanted to learn.

The two chatted and laughed as they passed through the corridor. The yellow jade hairpin with a magpie on a branch in Ruyi’s hair somehow came loose and suddenly slipped down with her black hair.

Her heart tightened, and she quickly turned to rescue that precious hairpin. But someone behind her moved even faster, reaching out to catch the magpie on the hairpin head perfectly.

The waterfall-like black hair fell between them. Ruyi narrowed her eyes as the sweet scent of locust flowers immediately filled her nostrils.

Wind brushed past the red sword tassel. The person across from her made a sound with his armor, and his pale eyes met hers directly.

His face was like polished jade, his eyes like bright stars. He stared at her in a daze, the shallow mole at the corner of his eye trembling slightly.

A flash of surprise crossed Ruyi’s eyes.

It was him.

No wonder she had found that voice familiar earlier. A hundred years of love in the Ten Thousand Demons Cave—reincarnation had changed his memories, but hadn’t changed his voice and appearance.

She broke into a bright smile and habitually beckoned to him: “Come here.”

Though this was their first meeting, though men and women should maintain propriety, Wei Zijue didn’t know what had come over him. Hearing her speak, he seemed bewitched, stupidly holding the jade hairpin and taking a step forward.

Ruyi smiled and generously turned her back to him: “I can’t arrange hair buns. Help me pin this on.”

Fuman stood there in a daze.

The master didn’t know how enchanting she looked, saying those words—her slender waist couldn’t be grasped in one hand, her eyes gleamed at the corners, her neck elegantly tilted to one side, like a merciful goddess lowering her head to mortals.

Who could resist such a summons? That general clearly couldn’t. He moved closer in a daze, clumsily gathering her black hair. His rough fingers trembled somewhat, and he failed several times to secure the hairpin.

She even clicked her tongue, took the hairpin from his hand with her slender fingers, arranged it in two or three moves, then turned to glare at him.

The inexperienced young general’s face suddenly flushed red as he looked at her helplessly: “But, but you can arrange it?”

She didn’t answer, just raised her chin. The line of her tilted jaw was clean and beautiful, flashing in the light as she pulled her companion toward the bridal chamber.

Wei Zijue stood stunned in place, unable to move for quite a while.

“Master, do you like him?” Fuman came to her senses and asked Ruyi.

Ruyi smiled lazily: “Probably.”

After all, during those long years, he seemed to be the only one by her side. Ah Jue had fallen into reincarnation to save her back then. She had promised him she would fulfill one wish of his in the mortal world, no matter how difficult.

She had known she would encounter him on this trip, but hadn’t expected to meet him so early.

Ruyi belatedly realized—when she first thought Shen Qiyuan was handsome, it was because Shen Qiyuan resembled Ah Jue by seventy to eighty percent. Especially that teardrop mole at the corner of the eye—even its position was identical.

No wonder the little Nature God hadn’t wanted her to linger at the marquis’ manor today. He probably knew she would encounter an old acquaintance.

With a brilliant smile, she arrived before Wen Zhenxue.

Wen Zhenxue held today’s menu and put on the airs of a mistress when she saw her enter: “Eight thousand taels for the banquet, yet you only put one white immortal fish per table to fool me?”

Ruyi exchanged a glance with Fuman, then leisurely sat down beside the tea table: “The banquets at our Huixian Restaurant aren’t something ordinary families can afford. Last month, when Princess Jinghong hosted guests, she ordered the same dishes—just five tables cost a thousand taels. I only charged eight thousand for these fifty tables because I took pity on the Marquis Manor’s current destitute state.”

She emphasized the words “destitute state” with full theatrical intent.

Wen Zhenxue was indeed stung. She could bear being laughed at by anyone except Liu Ruyi, kicking her when she was down.

With a cold laugh, she took out a stack of banknotes: “No matter how destitute the marquis’ manor is, it’s still more respectable than a merchant’s daughter like you. Just my dignity and nobility alone are things you couldn’t pile up with silver.”

Ruyi nonchalantly played with her fingernails: “Enough. We all know each other’s background—what are you putting on airs for with me? Just say you have no money, and I can give you a discount.”

“Are you blind? What is this if not money?” Wen Zhenxue waved the banknotes in her hand. “And it’s all given to me by the marquis.”

As long as it was given by He Zeyou, every single note must bear Liu Ruyi’s sweat and toil.

Even Fuman was getting angry listening from the side, but Ruyi remained unmoved: “Noble families pay accounts readily and wouldn’t need me to make a personal trip. You, on the other hand, want to show off whatever you lack. Look at all the jewelry on this table of yours—together they’re not worth this single hairpin in my hair.”

As she spoke, she reached up to stroke the yellow jade hairpin, her posture charming and imposing.

Wen Zhenxue clenched her fists in anger.

She wasn’t angry about anything else, just that Liu Ruyi looked more radiant each day. She had originally wanted to humiliate and shame her, but no matter what she said, Liu Ruyi remained unperturbed while she got angry first.

Counting the banknotes, Wen Zhenxue viciously scattered the eight thousand taels on the floor: “Here’s payment for your account. Remember to thank me and the marquis later!”

Banknotes flew throughout half the room. Ruyi sat on her stool but didn’t even lift an eyelid: “The marquis manor is used to running up tabs, and I’m used to it too. The Huixian Restaurant staff are guarding every entrance. When the guests disperse later, I’ll have them collect from each person individually—twenty taels each, and we’ll be even.”

“What nonsense are you spouting?” Wen Zhenxue imagined that scene and couldn’t maintain her composure. “Didn’t I give you the banknotes?”

With a flip of her slender hand, Ruyi looked puzzled: “My hands are empty. When did you give them to me?”

“On the floor.”

“By high family rules, what’s thrown on the floor is reward money.” She smiled. “Does reward money count as settling accounts?”

Wen Zhenxue was alarmed, thinking this was bad news. She wanted to order a maid to pick them up, but felt such behavior was petty. With Liu Ruyi watching her, she couldn’t bring herself to lose face.

Ruyi didn’t mind at all. She produced a broom from somewhere and swept the banknotes into a dustpan that Fuman brought over in just a few movements.

By the time Wen Zhenxue came to her senses and regretted it, Fuman had already carried away the dustpan.

The account statement in her hand didn’t even have Liu Ruyi’s private seal—wouldn’t she have to settle the account again?!