After the previous customer left, Xia Xiuyan adjusted his clothing and sat down. Qiu Xinran feigned surprise: “Did the young master forget something?” Xia Xiuyan glanced at her: “Just inquiring about some matters.”
So he was treating her place as an information bureau? Qiu Xinran sighed inwardly but maintained a pleasant exterior: “If this humble one knows, I’ll naturally speak freely.”
Xia Xiuyan said leisurely: “Do you know the rule that officials of our dynasty are forbidden from engaging in commerce?”
Qiu Xinran froze, then forced out a smile: “This humble one doesn’t understand the young master’s meaning.”
The person seated across from her stared fixedly at her, his gaze making her back grow cold. Suddenly she saw him reach out. Qiu Xinran started in alarm, instinctively leaning back, but unexpectedly he grabbed her wrist with one hand while the other approached and with a light tug removed the veil from her face.
Qiu Xinran was stunned. Her mouth slightly open, she stared at him dumbfounded. Even if beaten to death, she never would have imagined he’d do such a thing—what difference was there between this and a scoundrel’s behavior!
Xia Xiuyan still gripped her wrist, smiling slightly at her: “Does Bureau Director Qiu understand now?”
He possessed the appearance of a frivolous heartbreaker—his phoenix eyes slightly upturned, carrying a hint of amusement that made it easy to forgive his impertinence, as if he were naturally born without care or conscience.
“What are you doing?” Qiu Xinran’s eyes widened. He could now see her expression clearly. She bit her lip, pressing out a rouge-like color, her brows slightly furrowed while her cheeks flushed—whether from embarrassment or anger was unclear, creating an indescribably vivid countenance.
Xia Xiuyan was momentarily distracted. She struggled against the wrist he held, hurriedly replacing the veil, glaring at him furiously.
“Why are you angry?” Xia Xiuyan recovered, saying coolly: “You disguised yourself as a fortune-teller and swindled a jade pendant from me. Now that I’ve exposed you, shouldn’t I be the angry one?”
Qiu Xinran was exasperated: “When did I swindle you? That jade pendant was clearly payment for the information you asked me about.”
“Then give the jade pendant back.” Xia Xiuyan unhurriedly extended his hand toward her. Seeing her eyes bulge wide, he chuckled softly: “A Bureau Director setting up a fortune-telling stall here—you think you’re in the right?”
Qiu Xinran paused, turning away unhappily: “Using your status to pressure me is really pointless.”
“What would be interesting?” Xia Xiuyan adjusted his sleeve cuffs. “Would it be interesting if the Ministry of Rites caught you setting up a stall here?” Qiu Xinran’s thoughts stirred. Before she could speak, she suddenly noticed a Daoist approaching from a distance. She couldn’t help turning to check the sun’s position: “Daoist Zhang has returned?”
“This humble Daoist agreed to meet you at the hour of the Monkey—naturally I keep my word.” He glanced at Xia Xiuyan seated before the stall. “Would you like to extend the arrangement for another reading?”
“No need, this gentleman isn’t here for a divination.” Qiu Xinran smiled as she retrieved copper coins from her sleeve and handed them over. “We agreed earlier on ten coins per hour—here are twenty. Would Daoist Zhang care to count them?”
The Daoist accepted them, sighing admiringly: “Fellow Daoist is truly exceptional—you actually earned twenty coins in two hours.”
This Daoist surnamed Zhang originally read fortunes for people at the Eastern Market in the city. He’d hoped to set up his stall by the river on Shangsi Festival to earn some silver, but unexpectedly encountered the drowning incident. When officials came to stand guard, the riverside foot traffic decreased dramatically. Just as he was disheartened and preparing to pack up, this young woman suddenly appeared wanting to rent his stall. If not for this incident, earning twenty coins in an afternoon asking fees might not be difficult, but today’s circumstances made it impossible—it was more profitable to rent to her instead.
The Daoist counted the copper coins and kindly asked: “After deducting these twenty coins, have you saved enough to hire a carriage home, fellow Daoist?”
“Just enough,” Qiu Xinran thanked him with a smile. “Many thanks to you today, Daoist.”
“Not at all.” Daoist Zhang stroked his beard. “Among Daoists, we help each other—no thanks necessary.”
The two rose from the fortune-telling stall and walked side by side toward the Drunken Spring Tower. After this interruption, the second half of Qiu Xinran’s anger couldn’t be vented. Xia Xiuyan asked abruptly: “Where’s Warden Yuan staying?”
“After the incident at the river, Yuan Zhou returned first.” Only after answering did Qiu Xinran belatedly ask: “How did you know Yuan Zhou came too?”
Xia Xiuyan looked down at her: “Why doesn’t Bureau Director Qiu divine it?”
The two walked to the Drunken Spring Tower, where the Princess’s residence carriage had already arrived to fetch him. Qiu Xinran watched him board the carriage, but then Xia Xiuyan lifted the curtain again, looking down from his elevated position: “Want a ride?”
Qiu Xinran’s eyes lit up: “This—” She was probably about to politely decline when the person inside had already dropped the curtain, his voice coming lazily through the window: “Decide quickly whether you want to come up.”
Hiring a carriage wasn’t cheap—why make life difficult over money? Qiu Xinran repeated this twice in her mind before quickly jumping aboard.
From outside, the carriage appeared ordinary, but once inside she discovered its refinements. The carriage had been perfumed with incense. Inside was a small couch with a small table bearing some refreshments and tea. As Qiu Xinran sat down, she touched the cushions beside her—filled with some stuffing that was both smooth and soft.
Xia Xiuyan was a contradictory person. Since childhood, the Princess’s residence upbringing had cultivated him as an imperial relative accustomed to fine clothing and food, but several years in the Qizhou military camp had also taught him not to particularly care about such details of clothing, food, and shelter.
There was still some distance before reaching the residence. Xia Xiuyan casually opened a book to read. Qiu Xinran picked up a pastry and took a bite, discovering it was peach blossom pastry from Guixiang Tower at twenty taels of silver per box. She couldn’t help asking curiously: “Does General Xia send you silver on schedule each month?”
“I don’t lack for silver.”
Qiu Xinran was speechless, feeling she’d truly brought this humiliation upon herself. However, after she remained silent for a while, Xia Xiuyan conversely asked casually: “Which court family’s daughter was that miss who came to you for a reading earlier? She was quite generous.”
Thinking of today’s earnings, Qiu Xinran secretly squeezed the money pouch hanging at her waist, growing happy again: “She’s Minister Han’s daughter—truly an innocent and lovely young lady.”
“So you knew her identity from the start?” Xia Xiuyan’s gaze moved from the page. Alarm bells rang in Qiu Xinran’s mind. Meeting those eyes with their barely suppressed amusement, she realized he’d tricked her into revealing this. But at this point she could only maintain composure: “I merely happened to divine it.”
Xia Xiuyan returned his gaze to the book in his hands, saying sarcastically: “You could even divine that the one in her heart is a hereditary noble’s son in poor health with one deceased parent—truly divinely prescient.”
Qiu Xinran said awkwardly: “I only followed what the divination slip said—the Heir must not overthink it.”
“What would I overthink?” Xia Xiuyan said coolly. “Didn’t you also say this person shares no romantic connection with her?”
Qiu Xinran closed her mouth, but heard him continue: “However, I’m quite curious—if this hereditary noble son’s romantic connection isn’t there, then with whom does it lie?”
Qiu Xinran said seriously: “That would require meeting that young master in person to know.” After she finished, the person seated across from her seemed to scoff lightly, not continuing to make things difficult for her.
Though Xia Xiuyan said nothing, Qiu Xinran couldn’t contain herself. Her eyes rolled around in a circle before she asked, seemingly casual: “When did the Heir recognize me today?”
Xia Xiuyan didn’t look up: “When you were spouting nonsense at me.”
Qiu Xinran choked slightly but couldn’t help asking: “Did the Heir believe that nonsense?”
The person seated across glanced at the shoes on her feet—the originally yellow surface was stained with gray, and upon closer inspection, one could see a spot of dark red blood on the embroidered shoe.
“Do you still remember what I told you at the traveling palace?”
Qiu Xinran didn’t grasp why he suddenly brought this up, but still thought carefully before tentatively answering: “The Heir told me that those who think themselves clever die quickly.”
“Correct.” Xia Xiuyan showed an expression suggesting she was teachable, looking at her with remarkable kindness. “Today I’ll teach you another lesson: those who like meddling in others’ affairs also die very quickly.”
Qiu Xinran stood dazed for a moment, knowing he’d understood what she’d told him earlier, but whether he’d ultimately acted on it remained unclear. Forget it, forget it—in any case, the Dieyue people wanted to capture Xia Xiuyan, the mastermind found was the Zhang family—what did it have to do with her, an innocent person dragged into this affair?
She shook her head, feeling she’d indeed invited this awkwardness upon herself.
At the Princess’s residence entrance, Steward Liu had long been waiting outside. Seeing Xia Xiuyan descend from the carriage, he sighed with relief: “You’ve finally returned. Earlier Gao Yang hastily sent word for the residence to dispatch a carriage to the Drunken Spring Tower—I thought something had happened…”
Before he finished speaking, he saw someone lift the curtain from inside the carriage and poke their head out to greet him. Steward Liu froze, taking quite a while to recognize her, then smiled in amazement: “Oh my, this is Bureau Director Qiu?”
“Steward Liu doesn’t recognize me?”
“In this attire, Bureau Director, this old servant truly couldn’t recognize you.” Steward Liu asked with a smile: “How did the Bureau Director return with our Heir? Would you like to stay at the residence for dinner?”
At this hour, it was indeed nearly mealtime. Qiu Xinran licked her lips, missing Nanny Zhang’s cooking, feeling that except for the Heir before her, everything about this Princess’s residence was truly wonderful. Steward Liu seemed to see through her thoughts, chuckling as he turned to ask the person beside him: “The residence rarely has guests—what does the Heir think?”
Xia Xiuyan glanced at the two people watching him from both inside and outside the carriage, his lips curving slightly in a smile: “Bureau Director Qiu is busy with affairs—best not to delay her.” Having said this, he truly turned and entered the residence without looking back.
Steward Liu seemed somewhat regretful at failing to keep Qiu Xinran for dinner at the residence. Watching the carriage head toward the Imperial City, he reluctantly closed the residence gate before returning inside. Xia Xiuyan didn’t immediately return to his room but sat behind a screen in the front hall with the book he’d been reading halfway through in the carriage, waiting for dinner. He faintly heard Steward Liu return and speak with Nanny Zhang up front.
“…How did the Heir return with Bureau Director Qiu?”
“Probably met by chance outside.”
“Since they were already outside, why not keep her to share a meal?”
“Who knows what young people think nowadays. Perhaps since Bureau Director Qiu changed into women’s clothing today, if we invited her to the residence alone, the Heir would feel uncomfortable…”
“I’ve never seen Bureau Director Qiu wear a skirt.” The woman laughed. “She has such a pretty face—surely she looks good in a skirt too.”
The old man also laughed: “Indeed good-looking. I saw her standing together with our Heir—they looked quite well-matched.”
Seated in the back hall, Xia Xiuyan turned another page, his fist pressed against his lips as he coughed lightly once.
The front hall fell silent for a moment. After a while, Steward Liu came around from behind the screen, bowing with a smile to invite him to dinner: “The meal is ready. I was just about to invite you over—didn’t expect you were already sitting here.”
Xia Xiuyan casually set down the book, nodded slightly, and without saying anything walked to the front hall for dinner.
That night, Xia Xiuyan had a dream. In the dream, mist shrouded everything. Someone covered his eyes from behind. When he reached out to catch the other person, he saw a pair of smiling peach-blossom eyes behind a veil. He raised his hand to remove the veil. Those eyes that had been curved like crescent moons suddenly widened. He gripped her wrist, applying slight pressure. The young woman looked at him with shy annoyance, her eyes seeming to gather a pool of spring water. She bit her lip lightly, then as if making some decision, slowly leaned closer…
Xia Xiuyan’s spirit jolted as he suddenly opened his eyes. The night was stifling. Before sleeping, he’d left the window slightly ajar. The night breeze blew in, helping him regain some clarity. Recalling the dream just now, those peach-blossom eyes seemed still before him, making him unconsciously clench his fist as his heartbeat skipped. Lying back down, he tossed and turned, unable to sleep well.