Ming Huashang finished her late-night snack, then suddenly said to Zhao Cai, “Zhao Cai, bring me all my sachets.”

Zhao Cai was puzzled — it was already this late and they weren’t going out, so why did her young miss want to look at sachets? But since Ming Huashang asked, Zhao Cai thought nothing more of it and quickly rummaged through the trunks and boxes, producing the sachets.

“My lady, they’re all here.”

Ming Huashang sorted through them, frowning. “Is this all there is?”

Zhao Cai asked carefully, “My lady, what kind would you like? This servant will have them make another one.”

A sachet was a personal article and was not convenient to buy from outside; each branch of the household made their own. Ming Huashang was not good with a needle, so her sachets and scent pouches were embroidered by the maids beside her.

The maids of the Duke of Zhenguo’s household were accustomed to attending banquets and social gatherings; their sachets were made in a dainty and refined style, and they took great care never to use garish red or yellow. Ming Huashang searched through the lot but could not find a red sachet that matched General Han’s requirement.

General Han had been quite clear that the assessment was not his responsibility. Ming Huashang did not know her contact, and the contact might not have seen her either; both parties relied entirely on the red sachet to identify each other. If the red was too faint or too refined and the other party didn’t notice it, what then?

This was connected to her lifelong free meal ticket — Ming Huashang dared not be careless. She told Zhao Cai, “Zhao Cai, make me a scarlet red sachet. No decoration needed — just make it big enough and red enough.”

“Ah?” Zhao Cai was taken aback. What kind of request was that? A sachet was a lady’s calling card — making it scarlet red was far too vulgar, wasn’t it?

Zhao Cai found that their young miss’s taste was becoming more and more blunt, and said carefully, “My lady, isn’t red a bit too conspicuous?”

“Conspicuous is exactly what I want.” Ming Huashang was very satisfied with her own plan and said, “Go quickly and make the sachet — it must be finished within four days!”

Zhao Cai had no choice but to accept the order and carry it out. In just two days, the new sachet was ready.

Just as Ming Huashang had instructed — scarlet red with not a trace of concealment. Hanging it at one’s waist, it was impossible not to catch the eye.

The maids took turns remarking that this sachet might be a bit too vivid. Ming Huashang paid no attention and happily switched to wearing it, carrying it wherever she went.

Ming Huashang had some taste, plain as it was; she knew perfectly well that the sachet was very festive but not particularly refined. But if she suddenly appeared with such a large red sachet on the appointed day, it would be far too conspicuous. The only way was to pretend she liked it very much and wear it every day — once everyone grew accustomed to it, no one would pay any attention.

Ming Huashang suffered through a few mild remarks, paid them no mind, and in the blink of an eye, the appointed day arrived.

That morning, after paying her respects to the household elders, Ming Huashang returned to her room, yawned twice, and said, “I didn’t sleep well last night and need to make it up properly. Wait outside and don’t disturb me — if anyone comes by, just say I’m resting. Whatever it is can wait until I’m awake.”

Sleeping in the middle of the day was not good for one’s reputation — who would want to be labeled as lazy? But Ming Huashang cared nothing for it, and her four maids accepted this perfectly well; they even thoughtfully lowered the bed curtains, lit incense, and quietly closed the door on their way out.

Ming Huashang lay under the covers making a show of resting. Once the others had left, she slipped quietly out of bed, changed into an inconspicuous hufu outfit, and climbed out through the rear window.

She had scoped out the route beforehand. Ming Huashang moved through the Duke of Zhenguo’s estate with practiced ease, not alerting a single person, and quickly reached the back gate.

The day before, she had already learned that at this hour, the kitchen’s purchasing party would be returning. She waited in a corner and after only a short while, the back gate became busy. Ming Huashang peered and poked her head around, waited for the right moment, and tossed a handful of soybeans onto the ground.

A young manservant striding briskly toward the kitchen with two chickens in hand suddenly slipped. He instinctively struggled to keep his balance, involuntarily loosening his grip on the chickens’ wings. Both chickens regained their freedom and flapped up with great commotion, sending feathers swirling through the air all at once.

The chickens squawked and ran in all directions, and everyone panicked. The servants guarding the back gate forgot all about watching the door and rushed to help catch the chickens.

After quite some bustle, the two chickens were finally brought to justice. The gatekeeper wiped his sweat, looked around, saw no one lurking in the corners, and settled back to his post to rest and drink water.

By that point, Ming Huashang had already gotten quite far. She glanced back — no one had come chasing after her — and walked out onto the street with easy relief.

Ha — even if she strolled right out through the front gate of the Duke of Zhenguo’s estate, who would recognize her?

She set off with her gaze facing front, oblivious to all, and had barely taken two steps when a familiar, cool voice came from behind her: “Second Lady?”

Ming Huashang’s knees went slightly weak. She held her head high and kept walking, pretending she hadn’t heard — while actually quickening her pace. But that pleasant voice quickly shifted from uncertainty to certainty and said evenly, “Second Lady.”

Ming Huashang sighed inwardly. How true it was that one should never celebrate prematurely — and here she was, facing immediate retribution. Had she just left quickly once she was out, how could she have run into this?

She turned around, switching to an expression of pure innocence, and even widened her eyes in happy surprise when she saw Ming Huazhang: “Second Elder Brother, what are you doing here?”

Ming Huazhang said nothing for a moment and looked at her. Shouldn’t he be the one asking that? He glanced behind her and quietly asked, “What are you going out for?”

Borrowing ten times her courage would not have allowed her to say she was going to meet one of the Empress’s agents. She smiled bashfully: “Going to the South Market to buy cosmetics.”

“Why are you alone? Where are your maids?”

Ming Huashang kept her smile in place and said with wide-eyed innocence, “I accidentally left something behind and sent her back to get it. I’m waiting for her here.”

Ming Huazhang’s eyes were clear and calm, reflecting Ming Huashang’s image cleanly: “Oh. What did you leave behind?”

“A snack.”

“Then why are you walking outward?”

“I’m going to look at the food over there.”

Ming Huashang answered without a moment’s hesitation, delivering each reply perfectly. When she was done, she secretly gave herself a thumbs up — her mind had never been this quick before!

Ming Huashang had assumed this outing was surely ruined. With such a clumsy lie, how could Ming Huazhang possibly believe her? Her second elder brother would definitely send her back to the residence — she could only hope he wouldn’t alert the Old Madam, or today’s appointment would truly be impossible to keep.

But to her surprise, Ming Huazhang gave her a light once-over and, without pressing further, said, “It’s too dangerous for you to be out alone. If you want to go somewhere, let me accompany you.”

Ming Huashang was startled. She hedged and stalled, thinking quickly: “No need. Second Elder Brother, you must have things to attend to — go ahead. The maids have taken this long and still haven’t come out; I’ll go in and look for them.”

Ming Huazhang saw through Ming Huashang’s tricks perfectly well. She had gone to great effort to slip out, and sending her back just like that would certainly make her unhappy — but letting her go out alone was too dangerous. So Ming Huazhang simply said, “It’s fine. It’s on the way — I’ll accompany you.”

With things said to that point, if Ming Huashang refused again, she would give herself away. She thought: the appointed time was still a while off, and she could at worst figure something out once they reached the South Market. She broke into a smile, cheerfully linked her arm through Ming Huazhang’s, and said, “All right — thank you, Second Elder Brother.”

Ming Huazhang was not particularly accustomed to being this close to someone, but seeing Ming Huashang’s smile — as though she were entirely absorbed in the joy of being allowed out for a stroll — he couldn’t bring himself to push her away. He gave a faint sigh and said, “In the future, if you want to go out, come and find me — don’t wander off on your own.”

Ming Huashang blinked her big eyes at him, gave a soft acknowledgment, and — partly as a tease, partly as flattery — leaned in toward him with a grin: “Second Elder Brother is the best. Thank you, Second Elder Brother.”

The South Market was Luoyang’s most prosperous market, built in the image of Chang’an’s East and West markets. Inside one could find everything: seasonal vegetables, cosmetics and powders, gold and jade wares, and exotic rarities from the Western Regions. Ming Huashang had been to the South Market more than once, but always surrounded by maids and sisters. This was the first time she had walked through a crowd alongside a man.

The South Market was bustling and packed with people, the flow of passersby never ceasing. Ming Huashang was jostled twice, and her shoulder had begun to ache. Ming Huazhang noticed and, without any fuss, drew her to him, shielding her in front of him.

The people of the Duke of Zhenguo’s household knew they were siblings and wouldn’t think anything of it — but the street vendors didn’t. They simply assumed this was a young couple, and enthusiastically called out to attract their business.

Pressed into the crowd, Ming Huashang had Ming Huazhang’s firm chest at her back, and a faint, crisp scent of pine wood drifted in and out around her nose. Ming Huashang’s face flushed slightly, and she began to feel a trace of awkwardness at last.

Ming Huazhang thought of her as his own younger sister — he was simply looking after her, with no other intent. But Ming Huashang knew very well that they were not. She felt a little awkward, but the crowd around them was too thick; even if she wanted to quietly put some distance between herself and Ming Huazhang, she couldn’t manage it.

Fortunately, the cosmetics section arrived soon enough. Ming Huashang let out a quiet breath of relief, didn’t even bother reading the shop name, and walked into the first cosmetics shop she came across.

A female proprietor came forward warmly to welcome them. Her gaze swept over this excessively good-looking young man and woman, and she asked with knowing insight, “Are the two of you here to look at cosmetics?”

Ming Huashang had no intention of buying any cosmetics whatsoever — she was racking her brains for a way to send Ming Huazhang off — but she heard Ming Huazhang say earnestly, “I don’t know much about these things. Please bring out everything in your shop that would suit a young miss like her.”

The proprietor heard this was a generous customer and broke into a beaming smile: “Please wait a moment, both of you. This lady truly has good fortune — men willing to accompany ladies shopping for cosmetics are few and far between these days.”

Ming Huashang and Ming Huazhang both froze at the same moment. Ming Huashang’s face went crimson and she frantically waved her hand: “No, no — you’ve misunderstood, proprietress — this is my elder brother.”

“Ah?” The proprietress was startled too. Her gaze moved between the two of them — one cold and detached, the other warm and sweet; in looks and bearing they bore not the slightest resemblance to each other. They were siblings?

On impulse the proprietress blurted out: “Are you sure they’re from the same parents?”

Neither Ming Huashang nor Ming Huazhang answered immediately. The proprietress realized she had misspoken, slapped herself lightly on the cheek, and said quickly, “Look at my mouth — talking nonsense. Please don’t take it to heart, distinguished guests. I’ll get the cosmetics right away.”

After that little scene, the proprietress was also quite embarrassed and retrieved a row of cosmetics at great speed. Ming Huashang was so mortified she wanted her soul to leave her body, yet still had to put on a front and say in a bright and breezy tone: “Second Elder Brother, look — which of these two colors do you think is nicer?”

Ming Huazhang was deeply mortified inside, but with Ming Huashang looking so completely at ease and utterly trusting of her elder brother, he suppressed his feelings and maintained his composure of composed aloofness beside her, even — in order to counter any suspicion in the opposite direction — standing deliberately closer to her: “They both look nice on you.”

Ming Huazhang’s bearing was so perfectly gentlemanly that Ming Huashang felt as if her back had been scalded; she held herself rigid, trying her hardest to ignore the crisp pine scent behind her. “All right, then let’s buy both.”

Ming Huazhang silently paid. The proprietress went to wrap the items, and when she came back, she caught sight of these two siblings standing side by side in perfect chaste composure, and couldn’t help saying, “These two siblings have such a fine relationship.”

Ming Huashang gave the proprietress an awkward smile. She was just about to reach out and take the package when a slender hand reached over and took it first.

Ming Huashang looked back. Ming Huazhang’s eyes were clean and clear, like moonlight on a lake or sky after rain, as he said, “Let’s go.”

Ming Huashang nodded. The two walked out of the cosmetics shop — which was overwhelmingly fragrant — and simultaneously let out a breath of relief.

Ming Huazhang asked, “Where else do you want to go?”

Seeing the appointed hour drawing near, Ming Huashang grew anxious and said, “Nowhere else. Second Elder Brother, I’m sorry for keeping you so long. You go ahead and attend to your matters — I’ll head back first.”

Ming Huazhang said, “I’ll walk you back.”

“There’s no need.” Ming Huashang dared not let him walk her back. She forced a smile and said, “The ducal residence isn’t far from the South Market — I can walk back on my own. I would not presume to trouble Second Elder Brother.”

Ming Huazhang frowned slightly. “How is that any trouble?”

With time running out, Ming Huashang had no choice but to seize the package from Ming Huazhang’s hand and run: “It’s fine — I can manage on my own. I’ll go first — goodbye, Second Elder Brother.”

Ming Huashang didn’t look back once, and ran a long distance before she dared to stop. She was panting, glancing around — confirming that Ming Huazhang hadn’t caught up — and only then felt relief.

She dared not rest; she hurried to find the contact following that convoluted address.

Enshun Ward was right next to the South Market. She counted her way down, and sure enough found a pastry shop with a blue banner hanging inside a small alley.

She had finally found it. Ming Huashang inwardly felt rather put out — couldn’t General Han have just told her the shop’s name directly? Why all this unnecessary complexity? Then she paused, realizing it was not that General Han was foolish, but that this line of work was dangerous, and they had to use such circuitous and complicated methods to protect the people inside.

It was also at this moment that Ming Huashang understood: once she stepped through that door and spoke the contact code, some things could never be taken back.

She did not yet know what changes this step would bring to her fate. She only knew that there was an invisible pair of eyes watching her from behind — and she could not retreat.

Whatever lay on the path ahead.

Ming Huashang finally lifted her foot and stepped up to the counter. In the soft, melodious voice characteristic of a young girl, she asked with a smile, “Proprietor, how many portions of sheep liver pastries are left?”

A stout, plain-featured middle-aged man looked up and gave Ming Huashang a disinterested glance. “We make fresh ones as needed — as many portions as you want. How many would you like?”

Ming Huashang didn’t mind the proprietor’s indifference and smiled: “One portion.”

The proprietor tossed her a wooden tag, without looking up: “Find a place to sit and wait. We’ll bring it to you when it’s done.”

Ming Huashang thanked him. She noticed the back of the tag bore the characters “Heaven — Room Wu.” She quietly pocketed the tag and walked into the back of the shop.

The pastry shop appeared small from the outside, but the interior held a whole other world. Ming Huashang followed the numbered tag and quickly found Room Wu of the Heaven section.

The door was left slightly ajar. Ming Huashang took a breath, quietly steeling herself.

She had gotten through someone as wily as General Han — there was nothing to fear. She steadied herself, and lightly pushed open the door.

The door opened at the northwest corner, where a landscape painting served as a screen. Behind the screen, a figure could be vaguely seen pouring tea. His bearing was upright, his posture elegant; seen through the screen, his features were indistinct, only a sense that his face was extraordinarily pale, like white jade.

Ming Huashang was very surprised — this was a young person? She had assumed that everyone in the Xuan Xiaowei would be middle-aged, like General Han. She walked a few steps forward, and suddenly realized that the person behind the screen was wearing something very familiar.

Wasn’t that Ming Huazhang?

Ming Huashang immediately crouched down, deeply grateful she had not made a sound when opening the door. She crept across the floor like a crab, quietly inching her way toward the exit.

But just as she reached the doorway, the door was pushed open from outside by someone. Ming Huashang looked up, caught utterly off-guard, and locked eyes with the person — breathless.

The person at the door also froze for a moment, then smiled softly: “Second Little Sister, how did you come to be here?”