The candlelight flickered and jumped.

Mo Zi thought to herself that a handsome man like Xiao San acting like sticky candy was indeed hard to resist—no wonder Qiu Sanniang couldn’t hold onto her heart. Thinking further, could Xiao San be calculating on feelings developing over time? That wouldn’t be good. Could Qiu Sanniang have encountered a man even better at calculating than herself?

“Bai He makes excellent dishes. Second Brother will soon go patrol the nearby naval camps. I thought he wouldn’t eat anything good for over a month, so I pulled him along to freeload. Sanniang, you don’t mind us adding chopsticks, do you?” Xiao San smiled warmly.

At this moment, Mo Zi felt wind rising behind her. Her neck turned cold as a tall shadow entered her peripheral vision.

“I naturally don’t mind. Second Uncle has already come uninvited three or four times—why suddenly being polite with me?” Looking at Xiao Wei, Qiu Sanniang’s tone still wasn’t good.

Mo Zi later traced it to the root—this was probably called having a guilty conscience. Since they hadn’t met under proper and aboveboard circumstances, whenever the two sides met, it was hidden daggers and secret arrows, a contest of pinching and blocking each other.

Xiao Yong’s brow furrowed then relaxed. Seeing Mo Zi, he found a good topic to change to. “Hey, you girl, haven’t seen you for half a month, and you’re in a blue scholar’s robe again. Don’t tell me you snuck out to play?”

Mo Zi said nothing, only looking at Qiu Sanniang.

Qiu Sanniang seemed casual. “She didn’t sneak out—I gave permission, having her help me handle some business.” When someone treats her sincerely, she treats them sincerely in return.

Xiao San was stunned for a moment and opened his mouth—

“What business would a woman go out to handle?” The voice came from his second brother’s mouth instead.

Qiu Sanniang snorted and slightly parted her lips—

“Second Uncle’s words are truly strange. Our Madam is a noble lady with a dowry and property. Those around her are all maids. If she doesn’t let maids handle business, should Madam go handle it herself? What’s wrong with being female? Aren’t the flowers embroidered on your clothes done by women? Aren’t the soles of your shoes stitched by women? Aren’t the winter cotton clothes for your soldiers sewn stitch by stitch by women? Since you can wear them, step on them, and use them, yet won’t let women go out—what’s the reasoning behind that?” This voice naturally belonged to Mo Zi.

Xiao Sanlang saw Mo Zi with both hands hanging at her sides, head slightly lowered, face not raised and eyes not looking up. Her speaking manner clearly seemed very respectful, each word seemingly flowing through one ear and out the other, yet it was precisely like a waterfall from high ground, crashing into his chest and striking hard against his bones.

This woman—he knew she was extraordinary. Because whenever he conversed with her, he could always gain insights from between her words. That he could discover a woman as independent and forthright as Qiu Sanniang could be said to be largely due to this maid. But only now did he truly experience what “each word weighing a thousand pounds” meant.

Before he married Qiu Sanniang, although he wasn’t as male-chauvinist as his second brother, he had never believed women’s talents could compare with great men. Their talents might provide pleasure or delight the heart, but they were merely trickling streams, dependent on great rivers for existence. Then he married Qiu Sanniang—his third wife whose skills in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting were in no way inferior to his own. Confined within one inner courtyard, she sighed sorrowfully. What competing for favor, what fighting—in her completely uncaring, even disgusted gaze, even thinking about such things seemed extremely boring.

Because of Qiu Sanniang, he opened his Jingquan Pavilion. Because of Qiu Sanniang, he spoke secrets hidden for so long. Because of Qiu Sanniang, when he met a maid like Mo Zi who dared speak directly, he no longer felt offended but rather found it wonderfully interesting.

So it turns out, women too could be so splendid! They weren’t grass, weren’t flowers, but trees—growing strong, so independent, stretching toward the sky.

“Second Brother, don’t bring out that male chauvinism of yours here.” Xiao San smiled cheerfully. Though seemingly smoothing things over, he firmly stood on his wife’s side. “If you anger this group of female generals, your stomach will be the one to suffer.”

Xiao Er’s eyes widened as his head swiveled to stare at his younger brother, as if facing a stranger. When had he ever seen Xiao San so directly speak up for women? Should he find an opportunity to tell his brother the truth, let him understand his wife’s colorful past? And his wife’s most capable maid who smuggled a dangerous person and shouted at him on a broken boat to get into the water.

He lowered his eyelids. After just a moment’s consideration, he recovered his cold composure. Hearing from Mother that Sanlang and Qiu Sanniang’s relationship seemed good, he probably was deliberately saying nice things to make her happy—why should he bother with it? Besides, he still had some matters to ask that Mo Zi girl about—better not make things tense here.

The evening meal was set in the garden pavilion.

Green gauze curtains were lowered all around to block the wind, and incense to repel mosquitoes was lit. On the incense stand sat a phoenix-tail zither—when the green gauze lightly swept past, it emitted low murmurs.

Qiu Sanniang had few servants and maids here, so the senior maids personally handled serving dishes and pouring wine.

After two rounds of wine, Xiao San pulled Qiu Sanniang, wanting her to play the zither.

Mo Zi had already changed into women’s clothing and stood outside the pavilion, occasionally adding oil or incense. Since taking over Hongyu Cove, she no longer did such work, but tonight with three masters here and Xiao Yi never appearing, Bai He had pulled her over to help. The work wasn’t heavy, just boring.

Listening to Qiu Sanniang’s zither, it was clear and ethereal. Suddenly, Xiao San’s light humming joined in. It was actually “High Mountains and Flowing Water,” so refreshingly cool on this summer night. These two—regardless of where their feelings might go, at this moment they were already lost in themselves, intoxicated in the zither sound and song.

“Light my way.”

A low voice came from overhead. Mo Zi looked up—Xiao Wei stood at her side, not glancing at her once.

“The wine isn’t finished, the food isn’t done, the gathering hasn’t dispersed, the night isn’t over, yet Second Uncle is leaving already?” Mo Zi looked at the pair inside the pavilion. If there were no past, no future, and the picture stopped right here, what a content and well-matched couple they would be!

“Not leaving—should I stay and be unwelcome? You talkative girl, I told you to hold the lamp, so just hold the lamp.” His sleeves flew up as Xiao Wei was already ten feet away.

Mo Zi heard his tone wasn’t as cold and hard as before, and smelled wine fragrance in the air. Right—this person also talked more when drinking. She said no more, lightly nodding to Hong Mei and Lu Ju coming from the opposite direction. Taking a glazed lamp, she caught up to Xiao Er and lit the way.

They walked half the road in silence, yet could still hear the endless zither music.

“Brother Mo.” Xiao Wei broke the silence. He had originally wanted to wait for Mo Zi to speak first, but she remained silent, holding the lamp as if completely focused on it.

Mo Zi’s steps paused. Without turning around, her voice carried a smile. “Second Uncle calls me Brother Mo—are you bringing up old matters?”

She didn’t see Xiao Er’s eyes gleaming with a breath of admiration, only heard his low, slightly cold voice.

“I do have a matter to consult about.”

Mo Zi turned around.

In the light of the glazed lamp, she smiled and raised her eyes. Looking at his face, she was like a blooming golden peony. He suddenly remembered this wasn’t the first time seeing her so radiant. As long as she wasn’t putting on that false obedience with lowered brows and submissive eyes, as long as her gaze was blazing and her words sharp, that small face always hidden in shadows would be stunningly beautiful.

That kind of beauty, like the moon emerging from clouds—each time its brilliance suddenly appeared, it carved itself a bit deeper into one’s bones, gradually becoming unforgettable.

At this moment, she was exactly the same as Brother Mo on the boat back then.

How could his eyes have been so poor?

“Since General Xiao is so polite, allow me to guess. Could it be you want to ask about the ship?” Her tone soared with the zither music, Mo Zi’s eyes full of golden light.

Xiao Wei would no longer question this woman’s intelligence. He nodded. “Indeed about the ship. The foot-pedaled oars, the walnut shape—I don’t know where you purchased that boat or who built it?”

“What use does General Xiao have in asking?” Xiao Er finally spoke up. Mo Zi was knowingly asking this time. By calling him General, she already understood clearly in her heart.

“You only need to answer me, no need to ask so much.” How could Xiao Wei possibly discuss national affairs with her?

Mo Zi bit her lip with white teeth, then released it. Her eyes narrowed then smiled. “Then I’ll answer the General—I don’t know.”

Xiao Wei found it somewhat unbelievable. His handsome face darkened and darkened, nearly sinking to the bottom of Black Dragon Pool. “You’re toying with me?” He asked her nicely, yet her expression was shifty.

“How does General Xiao mean that? You wanted an answer—I gave an answer. Setting aside whether it’s true or false, the word ‘toying’ is too heavy. You’re a dignified general, I’m just a maid—would I dare toy with you? However—” Her tone shifted, her bright eyes looked around charmingly. “The General so intolerant of others’ refusal and showing no respect in how you ask—what if I don’t answer? What if I lie? In terms of status, I’m Xiao San’s Madam’s maid, not your maid, General. Setting all that aside, you’re asking someone for help yet your attitude is so arrogant—how can you get an answer?”

Xiao Wei looked at her coldly. “So you did lie?”

The person—from when she first met him—was too proud. That naturally noble air, that favored son of heaven’s domineering feeling. If he didn’t provoke her, fine, but when he did provoke her and tried to overpower her every time, she found it very difficult not to reason with him.

Mo Zi’s expression of “what can you do to me” made Xiao Wei furrow his brow tightly. “You have tremendous audacity.”

Mo Zi laughed derisively. The second young master of the Xiao family only knew how to speak in official tones. After all, having achieved success at a young age and been high-spirited too early, he was accustomed to looking down on others, especially women.

“My audacity isn’t great. It’s the General who likes to think Mo Zi is audacious.” She shook her head. “I’ll tell you the truth—I cannot say. Just now I asked the General what use you had in asking. Actually, even without you saying, I know—it’s to use in naval warfare. Precisely because of this, I cannot tell you. I promised not to let such techniques become tools for killing. Though General Xiao’s patriotic heart is fervent, Mo Zi cannot help. I apologize.”

The person she promised was herself.

The one contradicting him was her. The one apologizing was also her. But with this combination of soft and hard approaches, he was once again blocked solid, unable to say a single word, yet believed every word she said.

“If you won’t tell me, can I not investigate? Are there no other methods?” After a moment of stalemate, Xiao Wei said.

“If you could investigate, why would you need to ask me?” It wasn’t that she looked down on him. “If the General wants to send people back to Jingyu Shoals to get that boat, I must tell you—that boat has already become planks. No need to waste manpower, resources, and lives.”

Xiao Wei had indeed had this thought. Hearing her say this, he was naturally shocked. “You dismantled it?”

“I dismantled it. I told you, that was the last smuggling run. If I didn’t dismantle it, should I leave it for those with ulterior motives?” Mo Zi’s lamp swayed in a circle in her hand. “Second Uncle, let’s go.”

When Xiao Wei heard her call him Second Uncle, this meant she didn’t want to continue talking. He hadn’t gotten clear answers and felt unwilling, but was completely helpless.

The lamp was golden yellow. The night was like thick ink, yet was cut open, extending into a pathway.