The moon hung high in the sky.
All was silent, the streets pitch black without light, only a faint glow reflecting from above as every household was deep in slumber.
Ying Xiaoman felt like a fish swimming through the Yangtze River, her cheeks warm, fingertips hot.
The palm holding her hand was equally heated.
Thump, thump, in the increasingly intense heartbeats, the sensation where their fingers intertwined became more vivid, her whole body starting to warm slightly.
Ying Xiaoman curled her fingers and spoke with feigned calmness, trying to shift her attention away from her burning fingertips.
"By the way, Seventh Young Master, how old are you?"
"Twenty-four, my birthday is on the fifteenth of the first lunar month." The young man beside her lowered his head slightly to look at her, "Why did you suddenly think to ask?"
"My mother insists that Zhi call you Seventh Uncle." Ying Xiaoman casually did the math.
This time her attention was truly diverted, and she felt a bit dazed.
"Zhi is four, you're twenty-four, that's a twenty-year difference... Can she really call you uncle?"
Yan Seventh Young Master laughed, steadily holding her hand as he continued the conversation, "It's fine for Zhi to call me Seventh Uncle. What about you, will you follow Zhi and call me uncle too?"
Ying Xiaoman immediately scoffed, "Who's your niece?"
The two decided on the spot that Zhi would call him Seventh Brother from now on. Even in front of her adoptive mother, she'd call him Seventh Brother!
As they talked, the pair had already walked past the intersection of the long street and were about to turn into the lush Seven Scholars Lane.
"It's indeed late tonight, will your mother be waiting up for you?"
"I told Mother in advance not to wait up, and I only left after seeing her go to bed. She doesn't know I'm coming back so late... Ah!"
Ying Xiaoman suddenly remembered that while her mother had gone to bed, not knowing when she'd return, the two guards outside certainly weren't asleep! If Seventh Young Master escorted her back, the two guards would surely see everything clearly.
"By the way, Seventh Young Master, are you and Eleventh Young Master very close?"
"We've known each other since childhood, been through life and death together, and can entrust our backs to each other. Why do you ask?"
"Brother Hu and Brother Wang, who guard the door, have spoken on Eleventh Young Master's behalf three or four times, wanting to visit me. If they see us together tonight, oh, they'll surely speak up for Eleventh Young Master again," Ying Xiaoman said worriedly.
Yan Seventh Young Master's steps faltered slightly, "I've been busy sorting out family affairs lately and neglected this matter. No worries, tomorrow I'll send two skilled guards from my household to replace them."
"Can they be replaced? Brother Hu and Brother Wang are people sent by Eleventh Young Master."
Yan Seventh Young Master calmly said, "We indeed have a relationship where we've been through life and death together and can entrust our backs to each other. I took a hit for Eleventh Young Master this time, so there's nothing to be said. But friendship is friendship... one can't entrust people to a friend too. You needn't worry about this, I'll arrange new guards for the Ying family."
Their home was just ahead, less than a dozen steps away, yet both unconsciously slowed their pace, arms linked, inching forward slowly.
Seventh Young Master actually had quite a few questions he wanted to ask in private.
"I heard from your mother that your birthday falls on the Small Full solar term?"
"I suppose? I was actually adopted. On the day of Small Full in May, my father brought me home from the mountains, and since then my birthday has always been celebrated on the day of the Small Full solar term."
"So you were adopted?" Yan Seventh Young Master looked surprised, "Seeing how much your mother dotes on you, I wouldn't have guessed you weren't her biological child. They're truly rare, good people."
"Indeed. My parents are the best parents in the world."
"Have you ever tried to find your birth parents?"
Ying Xiaoman immediately recalled the Zhang family from the neighboring village causing a scene at the funeral hall back home, and couldn't help but show a look of disgust. "My birth mother only left me a piece of swaddling cloth, not even writing down my date of birth. They abandoned me in the mountains, so I only recognize my adoptive parents as my true parents."
As she spoke, her attention wavered, and her pinky finger unconsciously curled, like a little hook, lightly scraping across Seventh Young Master's palm.
"Let's not talk about the past anymore. Now that I've settled in the capital with my mother, and you've successfully returned home, life will only get better from here on out."
Yan Seventh Young Master gripped her slender fingers a bit tighter in his palm.
Come to think of it, there was one thing he never had the chance to ask. Since the Ying family had been living in the rural areas of Jingzhou and had never been to the capital before, how did they end up with a blood feud against the Yan family who had long resided in the capital?
From what Xiaoman said, it seemed her mother was also aware of her coming to the capital for revenge.
If the root of the problem wasn't resolved, with the Ying family and Yan family being enemies, how could he propose marriage...
"My mother and I have never been to the capital, but my father has," Ying Xiaoman said matter-of-factly. "My father only settled in our rural area after his leg became lame. I heard he lived in the capital for over a decade when he was young. Oh right, he had a master's household in the capital."
This was the first time Yan Seventh Young Master had heard the term "master's household."
His gaze deepened slightly, revealing some deep thought.
Was it Ying Xiaoman's adoptive father who had a feud with the Yan family, or was it her adoptive father's master's household...
Just then, Sui Miao, who was leading the way with a lantern, halted his steps.
"Young Master," he called out, "There's someone outside the Ying family's gate."
Ying Xiaoman immediately tensed up, "Is my mother not asleep? Has she come out to wait for me? Seventh Young Master, you should hurry back. I can go back by myself."
"It's not Madam Ying," Sui Miao's expression was complex, "It looks like... Eleventh Young Master."
The two walking side by side under the moonlight both froze. Ying Xiaoman wrinkled her nose, once again showing a look of disgust.
For the sake of Seventh Young Master beside her, she suggested, "You and Eleventh Young Master are good friends, it wouldn't be good to confront him face to face. You should go back first. I'll go and scold this persistent fellow away."
But Seventh Young Master had a different idea.
His peach blossom eyes narrowed slightly under the moonlight, "Since he's come at night... there are benefits to facing him directly. Let's go, we'll make things clear tonight."
"That's not good," Ying Xiaoman was somewhat surprised.
"Some matters require the strategy of 'delay,' going back and forth until the issue resolves itself; but some matters can't be delayed. For instance, weeds in a field need to be pulled out as early as possible. Do you trust me?"
These words were whispered close to her ear, and Ying Xiaoman's eartip seemed to grow slightly warm, "Of course I trust you. What should we do?"
"Just this," Yan Seventh Young Master rolled up his wide sleeves, and in the moonlight, he extended their joined hands, openly holding the young lady beside him as they walked forward, instructing Sui Miao who was ahead.
"Continue forward with the lantern, pretend you haven't noticed anyone, and only bow when we reach the gate."
Sui Miao's expression stiffened as he held the bright lantern, deliberately walking heavily as he turned into the entrance of Seven Scholars Lane.
Ying Xiaoman was a bit nervous, walking even slower, occasionally glancing towards her family's gate. Yan Seventh Young Master spoke casually, "Don't look at your gate, don't worry. First of all, Eleventh Young Master is a friend, not an enemy; secondly, with me here, you don't need to deal with Eleventh Young Master yourself. Now, just talk about anything."
"Talk about anything?" Ying Xiaoman's palm was sweaty.
The young master beside her reassuringly squeezed her fingers, "Didn't you mention last time that you were planning to open a butcher shop for a living after moving? Have you been keeping an eye out for any shops for sale nearby recently?"
Bringing up business matters, Ying Xiaoman's attention immediately shifted.
"I've looked at several shops for sale here and there, but none were suitable for a butcher shop. One was near a tea house, another was too secluded deep in a quiet alley, and there was one near West Gate Inner Street in a good location, but the asking price was extravagant!" The young girl's crisp voice dispersed along the long alley in the night breeze. Occasionally, the young master's clear voice would follow up with a question, "How much were they asking?"
"A non-negotiable price of eighty thousand copper coins for the transfer! The broker even said I was getting a bargain. He said if it were anyone else, hearing that an unmarried young lady wanted to take over a butcher shop, they wouldn't even name a price."
Her clear voice carried a hint of grievance, "Asking for eighty thousand copper coins upfront and still saying I'm getting a bargain. Why don't they just rob me?"
Seventh Young Master chuckled softly, "It's probably because this shop is located near the Ministry of Justice office, so they're not worried about troublemakers from the neighborhood causing problems, which is why the owner is willing to transfer it to a young lady like you. It's rare for a young lady to run a butcher shop, and there might indeed be more idle troublemakers coming to cause disturbances if word gets out. It could easily lead to incidents. The owner has their own concerns."
"I see," Ying Xiaoman walked a few steps, shaking her head regretfully, "But eighty thousand copper coins is still too expensive."
"Then let's continue looking for a suitable shop along West Gate Inner Street near the government offices."
The two moved from discussing shop transfers to the Ministry of Justice office, and then casually chatted about the meat bun shop diagonally across from the Ministry of Justice office.
"The meat buns they sell are delicious and affordable. Twenty coins for a basket of four large meat-filled buns, the pricing is very fair."
"I know that meat bun shop. Among the hundred or so officials at the Ministry of Justice, many are long-time customers. Every morning around dawn, there's a line of officials in various uniforms queuing up to buy buns. They say because so many of their patrons are officials, the shop hasn't dared to raise prices for many years."
"Pfft... no wonder they're so cheap."
The warm light from the golden lanterns illuminated the surrounding area. The group continued walking several dozen steps deeper into the alley, arriving at the Ying family's door.
Sui Miao stood in front of the door holding a lantern, his expression complex. Brother Hu and Brother Wang, the two guards, stood outside with even more complicated expressions.
The two sides exchanged silent glances. The two guards came forward and bowed. "Seventh Young Master. Miss Ying."
Seventh Young Master exchanged a few words of warm greetings and encouragement, then stepped forward to push open the slightly ajar courtyard gate.
"It's late, you should rest soon. I'll come to your house tomorrow evening."
Though the farewell was brief, the two stood under the osmanthus tree in the small courtyard whispering for quite a while. Ying Xiaoman reluctantly saw him out the door.
After closing the courtyard gate, she tiptoed towards the east wing room.
Her cheeks were burning, her palms hot. She raised her hand to touch her flushed face.
As the excitement and elation subsided, she belatedly realized, "Huh? Where's Eleventh Young Master? I didn't see him."
*
The Ying family's gates were tightly shut. The quiet little alley was silent in the deep night.
A figure in a black cloak slowly emerged a dozen steps from the shadowy courtyard wall, revealing himself in the moonlight. Several personal guards led horses out from the shadows at the other end of Seven Scholars Lane.
Eleventh Young Master wasn't wearing his hood tonight, revealing a pair of narrow phoenix eyes, his gaze fixed on the tightly closed wooden door. Brother Hu and Brother Wang, the guards at the door, reported to their master in low voices.
"Miss Ying went out alone sometime after 9 PM."
"We offered to accompany her as guards, but she firmly refused. There have been several nights like this before."
"It seems Miss Ying had arranged to go out with Seventh Young Master. He brought her back around midnight, their hands linked..."
"Seventh Young Master has been coming every few days. Oh, and today Miss Ying was waiting for him since daytime, asking no less than ten times 'Has Seventh Young Master come?'"
Brother Wang dared not continue, bowing deeply, "After all, Seventh Young Master and Miss Ying knew each other first. Your Highness, there are plenty of fish in the sea..."
A soft sound came from inside, and Seventh Young Master happened to open the door and come out.
Eleventh Young Master's jaw tightened slightly.
However, Yan Seventh Young Master didn't seem surprised to see Eleventh Young Master standing outside taking in the night air. He nodded in acknowledgment, walked a few steps along the courtyard wall, and gestured for Eleventh Young Master to follow.
The two stood in the shadows at the entrance of the alley.
Eleventh Young Master spoke, "I saw her once by the river in the south of the city at the beginning of the month. That day I had a sudden urge to find you early in the morning to discuss business, but not knowing where you had gone to investigate a case, I waited for you on the Ministry of Justice's official boat. But someone passed on a message saying they had prepared a generous gift for me."
He finished by pointing at the Ying family's small courtyard, "It was only when she was dragged to the riverside by an old woman that I realized she was the 'generous gift' prepared for me by the lower-ranking officials."
Eleventh Young Master spoke slowly, as if considering each word before uttering it, enunciating each syllable as he spoke at length:
"I prefer cleanliness and good looks, and all the palace servants attending to me are chosen for their pleasant appearances. Does that make me a lecher?"
"I am a royal prince of the Zhao family. How could I commit such a vulgar act as forcibly abducting a civilian girl, like that Yan Second Young Master?"
"Miss Ying has misunderstood somehow, and refuses to even meet me several times over."
Yan Seventh Young Master listened very patiently to his long speech, then chuckled.
"You've said so many long sentences in a row, it's clear you're feeling aggrieved. I asked you about this several times before, but you wouldn't say, only that you'd bring it up when you met Miss Ying in person."
Indeed, Eleventh Young Master was very frustrated, and launched into another long sentence.
"The few times I sent messages wanting to see her, it wasn't with any particular intention. It's just that, being misunderstood as a lecher by a young woman, I can't let it go."
Having said that, he took a deep breath, and said proudly with his hands behind his back: "Don't misunderstand, Seventh Young Master. You are like a brother to me, and even the most beautiful woman is no more than a bright piece of clothing to me. Since she's determined to be with you, how could I covet my brother's clothes? There are plenty of other flowers beyond these five steps."
Though his words were indifferent, his expression couldn't hide his frustration and disappointment.
His chest heaved a few times, then he put on his hood and rode away into the night.
Yan Seventh Young Master watched Eleventh Young Master leave, then walked back with a smile on his lips, staring for a long time at Brother Hu and Brother Wang guarding the door, until they were sweating profusely.
"What a fine phrase, 'there are plenty of fish in the sea.' Well advised."
Yan Seventh Young Master said leisurely, "Considering you two reported rather appropriately tonight, I won't hold your previous actions against you. There's no need for you to guard the Ying family anymore, go back with Eleventh Young Master."
Ying Xiaoman tiptoed towards the east wing room.
She planned to tell her mother in the morning that she had asked him in person tonight. Seventh Young Master was twenty-four this year, with his birthday on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. He was eight years older than her.
Her father and mother were five years apart, and they had lived a harmonious life together. An eight-year gap between herself and Seventh Young Master didn't sound too different, did it?
Ying Xiaoman smiled silently and sweetly in the dark night.
The wooden door of the wing room opened silently, and she fumbled to light the oil lamp, its light illuminating the room...
Illuminating her adoptive mother's bright eyes as she sat cross-legged on the kang bed.
"You're back?" Mother snorted.
Ying Xiaoman: "..."
"You've grown up and become wild. Going out until the middle of the night, even leaving your old mother at home. Where did you go play with Seventh Young Master?"
"..."
Caught red-handed this time, Ying Xiaoman knew she couldn't escape. She took a few quick steps to the kang, sat down shoulder to shoulder with her mother, and took her hand coaxingly.
"Mother, I didn't go out to play. I really went to the Yan family in Changle Alley next door to spy on our enemies' movements and prepare to avenge Father, look."
She showed the grappling hook hanging at her waist. "I climbed over the wall at the second watch, and just came out now. I've been snooping around the Yan family all night."
Mother didn't believe a word of it. She poked Ying Xiaoman's forehead, as the girl covered her head and cried out in pain.
"Still trying to fool me," Mother said.
"Just now you and Seventh Young Master were whispering endlessly in the courtyard, talking and laughing. Did you think I'm hard of hearing and couldn't hear, or that I wouldn't recognize Seventh Young Master's voice? And you insist you went out tonight to spy on our enemies. Did you happen to run into Seventh Young Master at our enemy's house?"
Ying Xiaoman's heart struggled for a moment before she said, "Mother, you truly have a discerning eye. Nothing can escape you."
Mother: ??
Mother raised her hand and gave her daughter's head another tap.
"You sneak out to play with Seventh Young Master and you can't just honestly admit it? You can even come up with an excuse like 'running into Seventh Young Master at our enemy's house.' Do you think your old mother is stupid?!"