After tending horses for a few days, Lu Shi finally figured out the Tang family’s main members—the master and servants consisted only of Lord Tang and his daughter.

There were many servants, but two were most important.

One was named Tang Jin—the Tang family’s head steward and also Tang Qiling’s trusted confidant.

The other was named Lin Bi, a girl who had just turned fifteen.

Lin Bi had been personally trained by the late Lady Tang and was responsible for the inner residence.

One managed the inside, one the outside—together they kept the Tang household running smoothly.

The reason he and Lord Tang had this fateful connection was that father and daughter had been escorting Lady Tang’s coffin back to their hometown. On their return journey to the capital, they were intercepted halfway by the abbot of Jing’an Temple.

Lu Shi was deliberating one thing: should he thank Lord Tang face to face?

For the grace of saving his life and taking him in, by rights he should.

But if he eagerly approached, wouldn’t Lord Tang think he had ulterior motives?

After much thought, Lu Shi didn’t approach.

He wasn’t the talkative type. Taking good care of the horses and not being lazy at work was better than saying ten thousand words of thanks.

One day, a date-red pony appeared in the stables.

San Pang instructed him.

“This horse was specially obtained from the Western Regions by the Crown Prince and given to our Miss. It just arrived at the residence and might not be acclimated. This month, you’ll live in the stables and watch over it carefully.”

Lu Shi nodded, thinking to himself—as long as I can avoid your old man’s snoring, forget one month, I’d be willing to sleep in the stables for a year.

That night, Lu Shi was huddled under his blanket reading when he suddenly heard movement in the distance. He quickly blew out the oil lamp.

In the stillness.

Someone carrying a lantern walked in, illuminating the horses one by one. Upon reaching the date-red horse, that person sighed softly.

“What should I do with you?”

Lu Shi was startled—it was that tender voice from Jing’an Temple.

“Should I return you? He meant well. But if I don’t return you, this gift is too valuable. Ai, I’m so troubled my brain hurts. How about… I fatten you up and eat you.”

Lu Shi’s brow furrowed.

According to San Pang, this horse was worth five hundred gold. Fatten it up and eat it?

This Tang family miss had quite the appetite.

“Before eating you, I’ll give you a name first. What should I call you? Forget it, I won’t waste effort on this. I’ll just call you Brain.”

After a while, she sighed softly again.

“Brain, look at the current situation—you really shouldn’t have come to our Hua nation. You should have stayed free and easy in the west. Our Hua nation’s waters run deep—be careful you don’t drown.”

After saying this, she stood quietly for a while before leaving with her lantern.

Lu Shi slowly emerged from the stables.

Under the moon’s luminous light, the girl walked away step by step. The night wind blew off her cloak, and a cascade of black hair tumbled down.

So the Tang family’s young miss was still just a child.

Just as Lu Shi’s lips curved upward, suddenly, his eyes filled with roiling clouds.

How could a child say things like “deep waters” and “drowning”?

How could a child see through the first, second, and third aspects of Jing’an Temple…

…

Three days later, goose-feather snow drifted from the sky.

That night, the girl came again.

He still blew out the oil lamp and hid in the shadows.

The girl stroked “Brain” for a while, then began sighing.

“Today a matchmaker came to propose marriage for Father. They say that family’s young lady is virtuous and has even read a few books.

But I don’t want Father to marry her. Once she enters the door, Father will forget Mother. But Lin Bi says a young lady without a legitimate mother’s guidance can’t marry into a good family.

That’s foolish talk. Anyone who listens is a fool. Without Mother, I still have Father.

Besides, why must I marry? Those people haven’t even studied as well as I have!

Brain, you must be good and not get sick. I’ll come see you again in a few days.”

The footsteps faded. Lu Shi emerged.

He thought to himself that Miss Tang was quite selfish too. The Tang family didn’t even have an heir. Why shouldn’t she let her father remarry?

In this world, which powerful man didn’t have three wives and four concubines, sons and grandsons all around?

When the snow melted, the girl came again, sighing deeply once more.

“Brain, I’m really afraid of New Year’s. Once it’s New Year’s, we have to visit this house today, feast at that house tomorrow. I don’t like listening to what those matrons say.

‘Have you heard? Duke Chen took another beautiful concubine, not even twenty yet. Such sin—Duke Chen is nearly sixty.’

‘Marquis Liu had a big fat son the other day, less than five catties—heard it was premature, nearly killed both mother and child.’

‘Did Miss Wang and Young Master Zhao make a match? No? Who looked down on whom…’

I also don’t like listening to what the young ladies say.

‘Where did you have your clothes tailored?’

‘Where did you buy your hairpin?’

‘Oh, this bracelet is so beautiful—how much silver?’

‘We women can’t read too many books. Reading too much makes us obsessed…’ Ptui! I should incite Father to spend New Year’s at the estate for a few days, get away from all this…”

Lu Shi in the shadows suppressed his laughter.

Did this young miss have no one to talk to?

Running here for no reason to talk to a beast, even mimicking this person and that—she really was obsessed!

“Brain, I’m leaving. I’ll come see you another day. Oh, I forgot to tell you some good news—your former master is taking a secondary consort… Men… Ai!”

The Crown Prince taking a secondary consort?

Why was she sighing?

Before he could figure it out, he suddenly heard her cry out in alarm.

Lu Shi was just about to rush out when he quickly pulled his foot back, only poking his head out bit by bit.

The girl awkwardly scrambled up from the ground, turned around to look at the ground, her face full of chagrin.

“How is it so slippery? How will I explain this to Lin Bi? I’m going to get scolded.”

In the clear cold moonlight, the girl slowly raised her head. Her skin was like snow, her dark eyes bright and clear, her curved brows slightly furrowed, her small lips pouting as if sulking.

Lu Shi wanted to look away but couldn’t.

Having been a philanderer for four years, he had encountered and seen too many women—charming, seductive, delicate, cute, coquettish…

In this girl’s not-yet-fully-developed features, what captured the heart most were her brows and eyes.

From brow bone to the lower edge of the eye socket, down to her long slender lashes—like ripples spreading outward, layer upon layer, without a trace of sorrow or bitterness.

Such brows and eyes must have been nurtured by the most abundant, most precious sustenance.

Lu Shi felt somewhat dazed. After the footsteps faded away, he lay on the bed, staring blankly into the darkness.

How many lifetimes of merit must a person accumulate to be reborn into such a good position in this life? Aside from losing her legitimate mother early, what about this girl was incomplete?

Lu Shi stretched out his hand, looking at a palm full of calluses.

Between people, the division into nine grades and six classes was actually determined from the moment they left the womb. No matter how many times you shout “Why?” at heaven, it’s all futile.

Good fate is good fate. Base fate is base fate.

Lu Shi walked to the back of the stables. Behind were piled heaps of straw. He carried bundle after bundle, bringing them to the front of the stables, spreading them out bit by bit.

Half a shichen later, a path made of straw extended all the way to the back garden’s archway entrance.

The heavenly maiden must not fall—even more, she must not be scolded. She shouldn’t even furrow her brow—

Lu Shi said this to himself in his heart.