The moonlight was faint overhead.
The young master and the little lady walked side by side in the quiet courtyard, speaking in hushed tones.
"Why did you come alone tonight? Didn't I tell you to wait five days?"
"Five days have passed."
Yan Seventh Young Master silently counted in his head, "Today is exactly the fifth day. I was planning to come see you tomorrow night."
"How are you counting?" Ying Xiaoman asked puzzled, "Counting from the day you brought cherries, tonight is already the sixth night."
"If you started counting from that night... Alright, it is indeed the sixth day. We had a small discrepancy in how we calculated the days."
Yan Seventh Young Master glanced at the leather pouch hanging from the little lady's waist, "Did you come to scout things out tonight by climbing over the wall?"
"Mm-hmm."
In truth, she had prepared much more for tonight, far beyond just scouting.
Ying Xiaoman stopped and opened her cloth bag, proudly displaying a heavy iron door bolt in the lantern light, then skillfully tied it up and slung the bag back over her shoulder.
"I'm in luck tonight - the time, place and people are all favorable for taking action in one fell swoop. Seventh Young Master, how do I get to Fengsong Courtyard where that dog official lives?"
"..."
As the spring breeze blew across their clothes and faces, Yan Seventh Young Master felt a chill on the top of his head.
"Yan Rongshi... that dog official, isn't home tonight."
"Ah, how unfortunate."
Ying Xiaoman thought for a moment, then perked up again, "Is Yan An who works in the front courtyard here? Can you point him out to me, I have urgent business with him."
It was Yan Seventh Young Master's turn to be startled, "What do you need him for?"
That was a long story.
Ying Xiaoman rummaged in her leather bag for a while, taking out a carefully preserved chicken blood stone seal, and showed it to Seventh Young Master.
"I ran into your brother Eighth Young Master Yan at the Ministry of Justice today. He gave me this seal and told me to find Yan An who works in the front courtyard."
"Yan An is his confidant. We'll work together from the inside and outside - he'll find me a suitable identity to get me into Yan Rongshi's Fengsong Courtyard, then I'll take out the door bolt and wait inside for that dog official—"
Seventh Young Master listened intently, his almond-shaped eyes narrowing slightly.
"Yan An, huh. He is here."
It took half an hour before Yan An was brought in.
Ying Xiaoman had been led by Yan Seventh Young Master to a quiet small courtyard where it was just the two of them. After closing the doors, Sui Miao went to fetch Yan An from the outer courtyard.
Though small, the courtyard had a meandering stream of flowing water, a tiny octagonal pavilion, and a small lotus pond. The brocade carp pond was no more than three feet wide, with an exquisitely built stone arch bridge spanning across it.
Yan Seventh Young Master led Ying Xiaoman onto the stone arch bridge, guiding her to look down at the swaying tails of the brocade carp under the bridge arch and the pink lotus buds just peeking out of the water's surface.
"This was my mother's favorite courtyard when she was alive," Yan Seventh Young Master reminisced.
"During her convalescence when she couldn't walk far, she often stood on this bridge watching the lotus and fish. Sometimes when I had free time, I would come keep her company for a while. Mother gave names to each fish in this pond."
Ying Xiaoman peered down at the bridge, listening as Seventh Young Master pointed out the leisurely swimming fish.
"This one with a bright red body and just a few star-like white spots on its tail is called Awl Star. This red and black mottled one is the fattest and greediest, Mother called it Glutton..."
The courtyard was exquisite but not large, and they had toured every corner within two quarters of an hour. A trusted servant passed in a plate of fresh fruit and a pot of warm tea from outside the door. The two sat facing each other in the octagonal pavilion, with Ying Xiaoman savoring the tea and fruit with relish.
"Why hasn't Yan An come yet?"
She had eaten half a plate of fresh fruit, wiped her fingers clean, and looked up at the moon now directly overhead, "Can they not find him in the outer courtyard?"
Yan Seventh Young Master held his teacup leisurely, "Yan An is at home. Perhaps Sui Miao is delayed chatting with him?"
When Yan An was led into the quiet small courtyard by Sui Miao, his face was ashen and he was drenched in sweat. From far away, he prostrated himself on the ground in a deep bow and didn't get up.
Yan An wasn't actually very old, looking to be only in his early twenties, but in the lantern light his complexion appeared extremely haggard.
From his prostrate position, Ying Xiaoman could see at a glance that Yan An's back was soaked through with sweat.
"Are you unwell?" she asked with concern.
Yan An kept his head down and didn't dare speak. Sui Miao gave him a moderate kick from behind, "Answer the Little Lady's question."
"N-not feeling well," Yan An said dryly.
"No wonder you're so late." Ying Xiaoman squatted in front of him, handing him a cloth to wipe his sweat.
"It's not hot tonight, yet you're sweating so much. Are you sick somewhere? Remember to see a doctor."
Sui Miao kicked him again from behind. Yan An forced a smile uglier than crying, "Thank you for your concern, Little Lady. What did you want to ask me? I'll tell you everything I know, holding nothing back."
Ying Xiaoman immediately told him, "Eighth Young Master Yan told me to find you. We'll work together from inside and outside to kill Yan Rongshi."
Yan An would arrange a suitable identity for her and lead her into Yan Rongshi's Fengsong Courtyard, where she would wait in the courtyard for the dog official to walk into her trap.
"Once I'm in Fengsong Courtyard, how I take my revenge and escape from the Yan family is my own business, you don't need to worry about it."
Ying Xiaoman urged while biting into fresh fruit, "Quickly think of how to arrange it. It's getting late, if we settle this soon I can get home earlier."
The cold sweat that Yan An had just wiped from his forehead poured out again like a waterfall. Thud - his knees went weak and he fell prostrate towards the direction of the pavilion where Seventh Young Master sat. His teeth chattered as he stammered, "N-no, I don't dare in front of..."
"It's fine," Seventh Young Master said nonchalantly, brushing some dust off his robes.
"The Little Lady Ying and I are on the same side. Little Lady Ying wants to find the dog official Yan Rongshi for revenge, how to work together from inside and outside, how to sneak into his Fengsong Courtyard, how to take revenge and escape - you can discuss it directly, no need to avoid me. If there's any way I can help, just say so."
To Ying Xiaoman's ears, these words sounded reasonable and considerate as always. She smiled at Seventh Young Master across the stone bridge, not understanding why Yan An had started banging his head on the ground, wailing frantically:
"Eighth Young Master is deliberately trying to drive me to my death! Wuwuwu I don't want to live anymore..."
Yan An's head-banging was fierce. When Ying Xiaoman turned in surprise at the frantic thumping sounds, Yan An's eyes had already rolled back in his head.
Sui Miao yanked him up from the ground like lightning, examined him briefly, then frowned and reported back to Seventh Young Master, "Young Master, he's knocked himself unconscious."
Whether it was real or fake fainting, in any case, no matter how Sui Miao pinched his philtrum or slapped his face, Yan An refused to wake up.
Ying Xiaoman stared wide-eyed at the suddenly convulsing Yan An before her, unable to process what had happened for a long while.
When she walked back to sit in the pavilion, Seventh Young Master had just finished peeling the bright yellow skin off some loquats, placing them one by one on a snow-white porcelain plate and handing it to her to calm her nerves.
Ying Xiaoman ate three loquats in one go. Only then did her frantically beating heart gradually slow down.
What a weirdo!
She felt she had misplaced her trust in Eighth Young Master Yan and shouldn't have come tonight.
Eighth Young Master Yan always spoke in riddles - she should have known his trusted subordinate would naturally be just as crazy as his master, acting so erratically.
Ying Xiaoman looked up at the moon that had long since risen overhead, sighing in frustration, "I've wasted an entire evening. I hope Mother isn't waiting up, otherwise she'll surely scold me for coming home so late."
She had originally planned to scout out the dog official Yan Rongshi's Fengsong Courtyard tonight.
But Eighth Young Master Yan's confidant Yan An had suddenly gone mad, so it seemed she couldn't count on him tonight.
She went over and crouched in front of Yan An, gently pressing her slender fingers against the artery in his neck.
His tightly closed eyelids twitched nervously, but he stubbornly refused to open them.
This fellow was indeed faking unconsciousness.
Ying Xiaoman grew annoyed. Eighth Young Master Yan had misplaced his trust in Yan An, who was clearly not a loyal servant! She changed angles and pressed down hard on his windpipe.
"Cough cough cough..." Unable to bear it any longer, Yan An began coughing violently, forced to wake up awkwardly from his feigned unconsciousness.
"Fine, I won't ask you to arrange an identity for me. I'll find my own way to sneak into the dog official's Fengsong Courtyard. But Eighth Young Master Yan said you have the key to his private vault, and I can come to you if I need to borrow money from his private funds. Is that right?"
"Hmm?" Yan Seventh Young Master paused in peeling loquats, raising his eyelids to glance over.
Yan An's eyelids twitched violently as he sobbed dramatically, still saying the same thing: "Eighth Young Master, you're deliberately trying to drive me to my death. Wuwuwu I don't want to live anymore..."
Sui Miao kicked him from behind, and Yan An changed his tune, choking out, "H-how much does the Little Lady need?"
"I need to buy a good set of night-walking clothes, makeup and accessories for disguise. And clothes to change into afterwards - I might have to jump into the Bian River, so I'll need a set of black water-resistant clothes too."
Ying Xiaoman calculated carefully, then held out her hand matter-of-factly, "Five strings of cash!"
Yan An took out the key with lifeless eyes.
For a mere five taels of silver, she had exposed Eighth Young Master's secretly accumulated private savings in front of the family head.
"Little Lady, you might as well ask for more. It would make me feel better..."
Ying Xiaoman: ?
Did he think she had asked for too little?
The confidant of Eighth Young Master Yan was truly mad!
Sui Miao dragged Yan An out to fetch money from Eighth Young Master Yan's private vault.
Ying Xiaoman sat back in the pavilion, chatting casually with Yan Seventh Young Master while eating and waiting.
They had finished a plate of sweet loquats in the porcelain dish. When there was only one golden loquat left, they both reached for it at the same time. Their fingertips unexpectedly collided, causing Ying Xiaoman's heart to flutter. The touched fingertip felt as if it had been electrified, and she instantly withdrew her hand, curling it inside her sleeve.
Seventh Young Master's long fingers also curled slightly as he gazed intently at her profile.
Their eyes met in midair, causing Ying Xiaoman's heart to skip a beat. They both slightly averted their gaze at the same time.
"Seeing how much you enjoy them, I was planning to peel it for you anyway." Seventh Young Master pushed the last loquat, along with the porcelain plate, towards her.
Ying Xiaoman rubbed her fingertips and began peeling the loquat.
The sweet fragrance of the loquat filled her nostrils. She focused on the task at hand, and her rapidly beating heart gradually calmed down.
As she peeled the loquat, Ying Xiaoman discussed, "Eighth Young Master Yan's confidant can't be relied upon at all. Seventh Young Master, I think your confidant Sui Miao is very clever and capable. Why don't we have Sui Miao arrange a false identity for me and take me to Fengsong Courtyard? I'll wait inside for that dog official to walk into the trap, and after I kill him, I'll leave with Sui Miao... Oh, is that Sui Miao returning?"
Sui Miao had indeed just returned.
Carrying a large stack of paper notes found in Eighth Young Master Yan's private vault, he was about to step into the small courtyard when he suddenly overheard a few deadly sentences.
Sui Miao's heart pounded violently, and he immediately leaped sideways, rushing out of the door at top speed.
Creak—
The half-opened door closed again.
Yan Seventh Young Master used a small silver knife to cut the loquat, and they shared it between them.
"The wind blew the door open. Sui Miao hasn't returned."
Ying Xiaoman poked her head out to look around the pavilion. There was indeed no one by the courtyard gate. She continued eating the loquat with disappointment.
"You're a member of the Yan family and the dog official's brother. We can't have you arrange a false identity for me; the risk is too great. After I succeed in my revenge, I'll use a grappling hook to climb over the wall and escape. What if you get blamed by your family? No, you should just give advice about the revenge plan, but don't get involved."
Seventh Young Master carefully pondered her words several times, sensing a hint of sweetness between the lines:
"Xiaoman is considerate of my feelings, all expressed in these few sentences."
Ying Xiaoman smiled at him and sincerely thanked him, "You covered for me tonight, I should be the one thanking you."
After they finished sharing the last loquat, Yan Seventh Young Master wiped his hands clean with a fine cloth.
"How about this: although I can't arrange a false identity for you, I can take you for a walk around Fengsong Courtyard. You can familiarize yourself with the area."
"Is that alright?" Ying Xiaoman was pleasantly surprised but also somewhat worried. "We won't accidentally run into the dog official, will we?"
"We won't," Seventh Young Master calmly led the way. "The dog official won't be at Fengsong Courtyard tonight."
Perhaps due to the absence of half the Yan family members, the journey was spacious and quiet. Ying Xiaoman followed Seventh Young Master all the way to Fengsong Courtyard, encountering not a single person except for Sui Miao following behind them.
Fengsong Courtyard occupied an extremely vast area. The lights were bright, their shadows flickering through the gaps in the doors, casting onto the outside.
"Such a large courtyard..."
"Fengsong Courtyard is where we receive outside guests. It has front and back courtyards, two separate study rooms for internal and external use, five or six guest rooms for visitors to stay in, as well as a small kitchen, side rooms, and several back rooms, all connected by covered corridors."
"Fengsong Courtyard regularly has thirty to forty servants on duty. If you're not familiar with the layout inside, it won't be easy to sneak in and hide, or to escape afterward," Seventh Young Master explained.
Ying Xiaoman's eyes widened in shock.
The scale of the Yan family estate exceeded her imagination.
The dog official's residence was much larger than Yan Second Young Master's inner courtyard...
"So we need to proceed with caution. Your revenge plan still needs refinement; there's no rush." Seventh Young Master reminded her as he led her out.
They exited through the west side door, which led directly to the part of Changle Alley close to the main street, the most convenient way back to Seven Scholars Lane.
Once again, they didn't encounter anyone else on their way out. Only Sui Miao, with a extremely complicated expression, held a lantern to light the way ahead.
The two chatted casually as they walked.
Ying Xiaoman briefly recounted how she had unexpectedly met Eighth Young Master that morning. Seventh Young Master listened in astonishment.
This little lady really did as she said, carrying meat buns to test the dogs at the Ministry of Justice...
"The dogs at the Ministry of Justice like to eat meat buns. But as long as someone scolds them, they'll give up the meat buns and continue pursuing."
Ying Xiaoman concluded, "So, after the deed is done, we still need to be wary of the dogs."
The phrase "after the deed is done" sounded rather ominous...
Yan Seventh Young Master silently raised his hand to press his brow, "Let's add this to the revenge plan..."
"Mm!" Ying Xiaoman seriously noted it down, then counted the days.
"According to your calculation, tomorrow should be the sixth day. I'll wait for you to come find me, and we can discuss a better revenge plan together."
Slender fingers with distinct knuckles were suddenly hooked by a warm, soft fingertip.
Seventh Young Master was slightly startled and looked down.
The little lady beside him had extended her slender hand from her narrow sleeve. In the moonlight, Ying Xiaoman's eyes sparkled brightly as she expectantly hooked his hand, making a pinky promise gesture, swaying back and forth.
"Will you come tomorrow night?"
At that moment, Yan Seventh Young Master envisioned a fish waiting to be killed on a chopping board...
But the bait was too sweet. Whether a sharp, thin knife or an iron door bolt from his old home awaited him ahead... this fish would recklessly bite the hook.
His long index finger quickly hooked back.
The playful fingertip, like a swimming fish, hooked again, and the young master's warm, strong finger immediately hooked back.
Ying Xiaoman held back her laughter and was about to hook again when Yan Seventh Young Master grabbed the young lady's soft and nimble hand, firmly grasping it in his palm.
"I'll come," Seventh Young Master sighed silently. "Even if I have to climb mountains of knives or wade through seas of fire, I'll come."