This was a face full of heroic spirit.

Two sword-like eyebrows, thick and black, arched high. Her nose was delicate and upturned, her chin tilted slightly upward.

The woman’s hair was styled in a married woman’s coiffure, with a small widow’s peak visible in the center of her forehead.

Xie Zhifei, standing in the rain, hurried down the steps and walked right up to the woman, staring at her face without blinking.

Suddenly, a subtle and strange feeling arose in his heart.

This feeling was odd, unsettling, and inexplicable.

The moment Tang Mingyue raised her head, she actually saw a handsome, tall man standing beneath the lanterns. In the blink of an eye, that person was right before her.

Up close, he was even more striking.

Not only was he good-looking, but his bearing was outstanding.

Tang Mingyue couldn’t help smiling at him. “You must be Third Master of the Xie household. I heard Uncle Xue mention you—he praised you as a rarely seen gentleman of noble family.”

Inside the gate, Zhu Qing heard these words and couldn’t help glancing at Tang Mingyue.

This Miss Tang truly had a sweet tongue. Her surface skills were impeccable.

That fellow surnamed Xue couldn’t squeeze out three words in a row, much less praise his master. Dreaming!

Eh!

Why isn’t Master moving?

At this moment, everyone noticed that Third Master Xie was staring at the woman like a lecher, completely motionless.

Zhu Qing: “…” What is Master looking at?

Xie Xiaohua: “…” This woman isn’t as pretty as Miss Yan!

Dan Eryi: “…” See? Now he knows my wife is the most beautiful in the world.

If it were anyone else staring at her like this, Tang Mingyue would have been angry long ago. But this particular person…

Perhaps because his appearance was so fine, Tang Mingyue not only wasn’t angry, but actually felt a sense of familiarity from those eyes.

“Third Master’s status is distinguished. Don’t stand in the rain.”

“Oh!”

Xie Zhifei responded through his nose, but his gaze didn’t shift in the slightest. His feet merely took half a step back.

“Let’s go inside, go inside.”

Dan Eryi pushed the umbrella down, blocking Xie Zhifei’s line of sight.

My wife is beautiful, but you can’t stare at her like that. Do you think I, her husband, don’t exist?

A few drops of rain from the umbrella’s surface splashed onto Xie Zhifei’s face.

He snapped back to attention, but didn’t hurry to follow. Instead, he stared at Tang Mingyue’s retreating back for quite a while before taking a step.

Xie Xiaohua walked beside him holding an umbrella, asking softly, “Master, what are you looking at?”

“Nothing.”

Xie Zhifei answered casually, then suddenly quickened his pace a few steps to catch up with Tang Mingyue. “How old is Miss Tang this year?”

“Third Master, please use an umbrella. Be careful not to fall ill.”

Tang Mingyue glanced at Xue Zhao behind her. Without a word, Xue Zhao passed the umbrella over.

Xie Zhifei took it. “If I remember correctly, you should be seventeen.”

Tang Mingyue smiled. “Exactly seventeen.”

“Which day is your birth date?”

“I say, Third Master Xie.”

Dan Eryi shifted his feet, moving between the two. “Why do you need to know my wife’s birth date?”

Tang Mingyue tugged at her man’s sleeve.

Dan Eryi could tolerate anything else, but someone coveting his wife he could not. With an aggrieved expression he said, “There’s no reason to ask someone’s birth date and eight characters upon first meeting. It’s not proper.”

It truly wasn’t proper.

Tang Mingyue also found it strange. Could he possibly…

Impossible, impossible.

Third Master was not only talented and handsome, his family background was resoundingly excellent—he was the ideal husband in countless boudoir maidens’ hearts.

While Tang Mingyue was pondering these thoughts, Third Master Xie spoke.

“I apologize, Miss Tang. I was too abrupt.”

He stopped walking. “Xie Xiaohua.”

“Master?”

“Miss Tang is my guest. Take good care of her for me.”

Xie Zhifei shoved the umbrella into Xue Zhao’s arms. “Miss Tang, I still have some matters at hand. I’ll come find you later.”

Tang Mingyue watched him stride into the night, getting soaked by rain, and reproachfully pushed her husband’s hand.

“It’s all your fault, talking nonsense.”

“I didn’t say anything wrong.”

“You did.”

“Where?”

“You shouldn’t have used that tone with him.”

“My tone was fine.”

“How was it fine?”

“It was fine everywhere.”

“Ptui!”

“Mingyue.”

“Don’t call me.”

“Yueyue.”

“Stay away from me.”

“Alright, alright, I was wrong. Don’t be angry, be careful about the baby. I’ll watch myself next time. But… really, no one asks about birth dates upon first meeting…”

“Dan Eryi.”

“Fine, I’ll shut up. Wife, watch your step…”

…

Xie Zhifei walked urgently and quickly, as if a fierce ghost were chasing him from behind.

Zhu Qing thought his master was acting very abnormally and didn’t dare let him go alone, hurrying to follow.

Who knew that halfway down the path, Xie Zhifei suddenly stopped and spun around sharply.

Zhu Qing nearly couldn’t brake in time.

“Master?”

“Zhu Qing.”

Xie Zhifei paused. “Do you remember what you looked like as a child?”

This question came out of nowhere. Zhu Qing couldn’t help but freeze.

“Do you look the same now as when you were small?”

“Ah?”

“Is there anyone who looks exactly like you did as a child?”

“What?”

Xie Zhifei’s temple throbbed. “Forget it. What’s the point of talking to a blockhead like you?”

Zhu Qing: “…” What is Master asking about?

Back in the courtyard, the food on the table had already gone cold, and he had no desire to eat anymore.

Hot water had been prepared in the bathing room. Xie Zhifei stripped off his clothes in a few quick motions and plunked himself down into the water.

Steam slowly rose, making everything before his eyes hazy.

Nine years.

He’d been Third Master Xie for a full nine years—such a long period of time. But no matter how long, he still remembered what he looked like before as Zheng Huaizuo.

Also full of heroic spirit;

Also two sword-like eyebrows, thick and black, arched high;

Also a widow’s peak on the forehead.

“Father, they say I don’t look anything like my little sister.”

“Where don’t you look alike?”

“I’m male—how can I have a widow’s peak? Little sister is female—why doesn’t she have one?”

A knuckle rapped his head.

“What does a child like you understand? Some twins look alike, some don’t. You look like me, your little sister looks like your mother.”

“No wonder my little sister is prettier than me.”

Another knuckle rapped his head.

“Are you saying your father is ugly?”

“Father said it himself.”

“You little brat, get back here.”

He ran faster than a rabbit.

Running and running, he realized something wasn’t right—Mother had a widow’s peak! The one who looked like Mother should be him!

Ai-ya, never mind. They were all family anyway.

“How strange. Why is there a face that looks so much like my old self? It’s like seeing a grown-up version of myself.”

Xie Zhifei suddenly sank into the wooden tub, submerging his head underwater.

Coincidence.

It must be a coincidence.

“Master.”

Zhu Qing’s voice sounded from outside.

Xie Zhifei shot up from the water, shaking his wet hair. “Come in and talk.”

Zhu Qing entered and leaned close to Third Master’s ear, whispering, “A beggar boy just brought word—the Lu residence has hung mourning banners at the gate.”

Xie Zhifei’s heart skipped a beat. “Who passed away?”