Her hand slapped once, right over her heart. Her five fingers slowly clenched, gathering the blue-patterned satin vest into a ball.

So this was how a heart could beat. Like tempering iron—when the hammer strikes, sparks fly everywhere, that scorching, beautiful, yet timid feeling.

That ink-black silhouette in her eyes had always seemed lonely, aloof, and solitary. Yet from when had she wanted to catch up and stand shoulder to shoulder with him?

She didn’t know.

She only knew she seemed to like him a little. Not the appreciation between friends who used each other, not sympathy for his unfortunate childhood until now, not the mischief of “you’re unlucky and I’m unlucky so let’s huddle together,” but—a woman’s attraction to a man?

Was it?

Or was it an illusion?

After all, he was always the one whose words and actions were ambiguous. Once, twice, three times she could remain unmoved, but it was hard to guarantee that one time wouldn’t successfully stir her awareness as a woman. Moreover, today’s weather was truly fine—not a cloud for ten thousand li. Furthermore, if she came to like him, would she grow many white hairs? He would say half and she would have to guess half. Though she herself was no better, often saying half and leaving half with him, always feeling that speaking too directly with such a clever person would be very boring.

The right hand slapping her heart clenched tightly into a fist. Her breathing changed from rapid to deep and prolonged. He looked like this to enchant all living beings, and she was one of those beings—then let him enchant her this once.

“Mo Zi, who is this person?” Yuan Cheng’s ambiguous behavior toward Mo Zi just now had left Bai He dumbstruck, throwing her own troubles to the ninth heaven. Her nature of caring for others was activated again, and she hurried over with concern. “He’s so intimate with you—could it be he doesn’t know you’re a woman? If that’s the case, you must be careful. I’ve heard that some nobles have a taste for beautiful young men—he might have taken a fancy to you.”

Mo Zi was dressed as a man today because the invitation she received at Hongyu, though also a blank sheet with gold petals, was addressed to Brother Mo.

“Mo Zi?” What are you spacing out about? Bai He reached out and pushed her.

“Uh—” Mo Zi withdrew her gaze from Yuan Cheng’s retreating figure, lowered her eyes, then raised them again, revealing her customary smile. “Don’t speculate wildly. He—is my sworn elder brother and knows I’m a young lady. He likes to tease people. His personality is rather gloomy, his essence quite dark, which is why he dresses all in black, as if afraid others won’t know his heart is black.”

Bai He listened in confusion. “Mo Zi, if he’s your sworn elder brother, why are you describing him so badly? But also, I saw his actions were quite frivolous. Knowing you’re a young lady, yet not understanding propriety…”

Mo Zi didn’t listen carefully to what followed, lost again in her own thoughts. Liking him was nothing special—spending time together would naturally develop feelings, especially since he was such an exceptional person. Even if she had some wicked thoughts, he wouldn’t actually respond to them. It wasn’t about status, but rather she felt she had nothing to attract him and had missed the opportunity to pledge herself in gratitude. She only knew how to deal with wood, mixing among a large group of shipwrights and boatmen, without any semblance of being a young lady. Wei Qing and Min Song laughed at her daily, saying she’d never marry. She had this awareness too. Moreover, most importantly, would this man who was currently gentle as jade turn against her in the future like that person? Their relationship was based on mutual use anyway—more legitimately than that person who constantly claimed he wanted to be an idle prince, he could demand she violate her principles.

So let it be like this. Keep this suddenly occurring flutter in her heart, not telling him, even if one day she might truly like him very much. As long as she didn’t say it, she wouldn’t lose it. Being satisfied with their current interaction, like friends—self-deceptively speaking, like kindred spirits. When the world became chaotic in the future and he told her to follow him, then she would follow. Working as his manager—though she herself struggled to make money, her ability to help others make money was unique under heaven, guaranteeing him a worry-free life.

Besides, her heart had only moved that tiny bit. It was fine, fine—just slap it away with her hand.

“Is Brother Mo rooted to the spot because he wants to guard the door for your second brother?” The figure had stopped long ago, waiting for someone, yet that someone was currently panicking over her wildly pounding heart.

Upon hearing Yuan Cheng’s voice, Mo Zi couldn’t help but look over. The moment their eyes met, her heart acted up again. Well—after an earthquake there are aftershocks, after a cramp there are recurring spasms, and heartbeats followed the same principle. As long as she was calm and composed enough, she would absolutely appear fine on the surface. Right, what she had was probably called instant infatuation. Infatuation was shallow, hypothetical in nature, disconnected from reality.

“Let’s go! Who says I’m not going?!” She closed her eyes fiercely, and when she opened them, her expression was quite fierce and menacing.

Yuan Cheng saw her deliberately fierce appearance and smiled without quite smiling.

Mo Zi took two steps forward, realized she’d forgotten Bai He, and turned back before she could restrain her expression. “Bai He, look around more later. If you take a fancy to anyone, tell me and I’ll make inquiries for you!”

Bai He had never seen Mo Zi with such fierce, grinding-teeth intensity. She didn’t register her words at all, just stared at her blankly, thinking she seemed like two completely different people inside and outside.

Mo Zi assumed Bai He was shy and couldn’t apply too much pressure, lest things become awkward once and she refuse to go out in the future. So she said no more.

“That person is—?” Yuan Cheng asked as Mo Zi approached.

“She’s called Bai He, my sister.” It was better to speak normally like this. She secretly breathed a sigh of relief for her gradually normalizing heartbeat. “The mooncakes you love eating are made by her.”

“She’s the one your employer released from the household a few days ago.” Yuan Cheng stated.

“Mm. Mm? You even know about that?” Mo Zi looked at him, her eyebrows both raised and furrowed. “Was it A’Yue and A’Hao?”

“If someone is willing to talk, I’ll casually listen. I’ve been idle lately.” Yuan Cheng walked into the Jin residence where the main gate stood open, glancing left and right. “Young Master Jin is wealthy enough to rival nations, yet there’s not a single servant to receive guests inside the gate. To be miserly to this extent—is he planning to take all his family fortune to the grave?”

Mo Zi rolled her eyes. “Don’t change the subject. I was wondering why you were so kind, freely giving me two people—turns out you planted informants.”

“If they were truly planted informants, I wouldn’t tell you.” He wasn’t that stupid.

“…” True. When Ye’er became her maid and first met that person, she pretended not to recognize him. Comparatively, Yuan Cheng was “honest.” “Forget it. Some people love to gossip, some love to listen to gossip. However, I thought those two would avoid speaking as much as possible, but turns out they’re selective. When beauty is before them, they confess everything.”

An awkward dry cough—it was A’Yue.

Mo Zi knew the two had good hearing and said it deliberately. Having complained, she no longer had any reservations in her heart. Actually, she seemed to have no secrets she couldn’t let Yuan Cheng know, and Yuan Cheng himself had warned to be wary of the two women, so what they passed on could only be gossip—harmless chatter.

“Beauty before them?” Yuan Cheng smiled gently and leaned forward.

This time Mo Zi was prepared and took a lateral step away, maintaining a safe distance.

“What does Third Brother mean by this?” Seeing her dodge, Yuan Cheng wasn’t angry. His eyes curved with amusement, his mood very good.

“Men and women should not touch.” When pushed to desperation, she would play the ancient—person.

Yuan Cheng formed a hollow fist and pressed it to his nose, laughing aloud. “Third Brother, I can understand your words as either: you’ve finally faced your female identity squarely, or you’ve finally faced my male identity squarely?”

She couldn’t out-argue him! Admitting this fact dealt her a blow.

“Where is everyone?” Unable to admit it, she had to speak of other things. “Never mind servants—even among guests there’s only us few, and for all this time, such a large place has been completely silent. Collective hibernation?”

Another vivid expression. Yuan Cheng heard it and beckoned. Huayi immediately came over from not far away.

“Have your people investigate inside. Best if they can find the master.” He instructed thus.

Huayi complied.

Mo Zi suddenly remembered and clasped her hands in congratulation. “Congratulations to Lord Yuan on your promotion, jumping two ranks at once.” Wasn’t Qiu Sanniang saying there was another person to congratulate? She was speaking of Yuan Cheng.

Yuan Cheng, along with Xiao Sanlang, had been promoted by the same decree to Secretariat Drafter in the Secretariat, fourth rank. Though not a court official, the Secretariat was the power institution closest to the emperor, truly reaching the emperor’s ears, already showing momentum surpassing the Department of State Affairs.

“Many thanks, I accept your auspicious words.” She told him to be a bigger official, so he humbly accepted the teaching.

“Others serve at one rank until they retire, yet you haven’t been at sixth rank for half a year and you’re already fourth rank. Please tell me, what’s the secret?” Learning from experience.

“Perhaps because I’m fluent in the Great Qiu language and Ying script, so I was temporarily transferred to help?” He couldn’t play the qin or paint. For calligraphy, he only wrote a beautiful hand of everyday small regular script. But he learned what others wouldn’t think of, like scripts and languages—essentials in diplomatic relations.

“You also know Ying script?” Mo Zi hadn’t expected this.

“When in Nande, I learned from an old medical official from a Great Qiu noble tribe.” Yuan Cheng asked her, “You do too?”

Mo Zi didn’t deny it. “However, you’re going to participate in the three-nation talks? When Nande sees you helping Great Zhou and speaking the Great Qiu language, won’t they immediately raise difficulties?”

“I don’t need to show my face. I’m only needed when issuing decrees or drafting agreements. As for Nande, I’m still a fugitive criminal under imperial warrant.” Yet his tone was relaxed and leisurely.

“Both a fugitive criminal from Nande and the son of a criminal minister in Great Zhou—only Great Qiu has no grudge against you. Otherwise, if you stood in the great hall, you’d immediately face denunciation from all three sides.” She’d seen people with pitiful backgrounds, but none more pitiful than his.

“I’ve repeatedly sent people to infiltrate Great Qiu to spy on military intelligence and steal secrets, pilfering quite a few good things. I think they probably wouldn’t like me very much either.” It wasn’t without grudges.

Mo Zi’s smile slipped, her tone becoming oily. “So you, the number one corrupt official, haven’t been completely idle doing nothing proper.”

“This counts as proper work?” Not calling him cunning and crafty?

“Intelligence gathering is the most important link in a nation’s defense system. Sometimes I think—could you be the only official in Nande who accepted bribes yet still accomplished some real achievements?” She was indeed military, but not a warmonger. Developing combat power during peacetime was for preparation. Preparation wasn’t for launching attacks, but for defending against others attacking.

“Not the only one.” However, rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns.

The Qianniu Guard returned from investigating at this time to report: “Reporting to Your Lordship, there’s no one in the residence.”

The wind wouldn’t stop, but the tree wished to be still—what ghost was Jin Yin playing at?