At the fourth watch of the night, just before dawn. The crescent moon in the sky moved eastward.
The oil lamp was relit, illuminating the inner chamber.
There was a basin of water in the room.
Yan Seventh Young Master found a clean cloth, soaked it in the basin and wrung it out. In the soft yellow lamplight, he carefully wiped Ying Xiaoman's face clean.
"What a pretty young lady, crying until you look like a little flower cat," Seventh Young Master coaxed her gently. "Don't cry anymore, give me a smile. Though a teary-eyed flower cat is lovely too, a smiling one is even lovelier."
Ying Xiaoman broke into a smile through her tears, but quickly put on a stern face, warning him in mock anger, "Don't make fun of me."
Yan Seventh Young Master continued to soothe her, "An angry little flower cat is the loveliest of all."
By the time her face was finally clean, Ying Xiaoman's eyes had curved into crescent moons. She was no longer a flower cat, nor pretending to be fierce.
She tilted her head, leaning against her husband's warm chest, listening to the strong heartbeat within.
Their current position was quite improper - in the deep of night, the two of them nestled behind the hanging curtains. The summer night was hot, and their close bodies even hotter, soon becoming slick with sweat.
It wasn't clear who initiated it, but their sweaty noses and tips touched. In the dark, enclosed space, their senses seemed heightened. Their breaths intertwined as skin tentatively explored skin like skimming dragonflies. Clothes rustled softly as Yan Seventh Young Master's breath drew closer, his soft hot lips pressing a kiss.
Ying Xiaoman clearly hadn't been drinking, but she felt intoxicated all the same.
She fell dizzily onto the bedding, not just sweating from the heat, but with her long lashes wet from kisses. She called out "Seventh Young Master," but her voice sounded strangely drunken, the muffled end of her words cut off.
The night breeze blew through the half-open window into the room, stirring the hanging gauze curtains. With a soft hiss, the small oil lamp by the bed, ignored by all, was extinguished by the wind.
As darkness fell in the room, Sui Miao waiting outside was on the verge of anxious collapse.
"Young Master!" Sui Miao led a group of guards pounding on the door. "Young Master, are you truly alright? Say something!"
Another loud bang.
The gate of the East Courtyard was pushed open from outside, and a large group of armored elite guards swarmed in, surrounding the Eleventh Young Master who had been roused from sleep, rushing over in the night to protect his friend.
Eleventh Young Master's expression was complex as he stood outside the door questioning Sui Miao, "What's the situation inside?"
Sui Miao's face was covered in nervous sweat. "Miss Ying snuck into the room. I don't know if she's left yet. My Young Master... the Young Master isn't responding!"
Eleventh Young Master's expression grew grave. He had used himself as bait, yet failed to lure out Ying Xiaoman. Instead, she had found her way to the East Courtyard. As for Seventh Young Master... the situation looked dire.
"Imperial Guards, heed my command!" Eleventh Young Master's face was cold as he stared intently at the tightly closed door. "Seventh Young Master, are you well? I'll count to three, and if you don't respond, we'll have to break down the door! One—Two—"
As he spoke, he made hand signals instructing his subordinates to split into two groups - one to block the door, the other to go around to the open window.
Before he could count "Three," footsteps suddenly sounded from the dark, quiet room.
Yan Seventh Young Master's figure appeared at the open window, leaning half his body out to face Eleventh Young Master standing at attention in the courtyard.
"I'm fine. Thank you for coming over tonight. You can dismiss the men you brought."
The row of elite imperial guards crouched under the window, ready to spring into action to rescue him, all wore bewildered expressions.
Eleventh Young Master was greatly surprised and looked suspiciously at Sui Miao who had reported the situation. "Are you alone in there? No one else? I heard—"
"Xiaoman came by at the third watch; after I persuaded her, she left," Yan Seventh Young Master said casually, standing by the window.
Eleventh Young Master was silent for a moment, then said, "If she could be persuaded by you, it seems there are still feelings between you. The worst scenario we imagined didn't come to pass. That's good." He turned to leave.
After walking a few steps, he turned back to ask, "She didn't come to the study to find me, but came to the East Courtyard for you. Does this mean—she knows everything now?"
But Yan Seventh Young Master didn't answer directly, only raising his hand to gesture for Sui Miao to see Eleventh Young Master out.
"It's past the fourth watch. There's a morning court session today. We can discuss in detail after court."
Eleventh Young Master startled slightly, as if noticing something, his gaze darting toward the room interior. "Are you truly alright?"
"I'm fine," Yan Seventh Young Master said languidly. "You know, there are feelings between her and me."
Eleventh Young Master looked like he wanted to say more but held back. He cast another deep look at the dark room interior before turning to leave with the large group of imperial guards.
Yan Seventh Young Master turned back into the dark room and relit the small oil lamp by the bed.
The hanging gauze curtains stirred, and from inside two slender fingertips like spring onions peeked out, parting the curtains slightly. A round, bright eye peered through the gap.
The exploring fingertips were immediately grasped. Yan Seventh Young Master stood by the curtain, squeezing the fingers reassuringly. "They've all left."
The curtain fell back into place as the two nestled together again in the quiet room. Ying Xiaoman leaned against her husband's shoulder, bringing his fingers to her mouth to gnaw on them gently with her sharp little canine teeth.
She had heard clearly the brief conversation in the courtyard just now. The deep, forceful voice speaking in the yard was clearly that of her enemy.
So, her infiltration of the East Courtyard tonight had been discovered, and Yan Rongshi had rushed over intending to rescue Seventh Young Master?
Weren't Seventh Young Master and Yan Rongshi supposed to be mortal enemies? Had they put aside their deep grudges from the past and become good brothers again?
Something didn't seem quite right...
The complexity of the great families in the Capital City exceeded her imagination, leaving her feeling overwhelmed once again by the tangled mess.
But after tonight's experience of sneaking into the East Courtyard for revenge only to nearly harm Seventh Young Master by mistake, Ying Xiaoman was greatly shaken. At the same time, she suddenly saw clearly into her own heart that had been conflicted for many days.
Seventh Young Master was Seventh Young Master, and her enemy was her enemy.
She wanted to kill her enemy to avenge her father's household, but she also absolutely did not want to be separated from Seventh Young Master.
There had to be a way.
If she couldn't think of one now, she'd just have to keep thinking.
As she was lost in thought, those long fingers with slight calluses, now wet from her nibbling, didn't rush to pull away. They slowly caressed her lips. "What are you thinking about?"
Ying Xiaoman was so preoccupied with her current worries that she was distracted by the roving hand.
She turned her head slightly, but unable to avoid it, she let him continue.
Her voice was muffled, tinged with a hint of distress, "Everything in the Capital City is so complicated. It's troublesome."
"Don't worry," Yan Seventh Young Master said softly. "There's nothing in this world worth troubling you."
Ying Xiaoman's attention was finally drawn. Yan Seventh Young Master slowly leaned in under her gaze until their noses touched, his fingertips still pressing against the soft corner of her lips, rubbing gently.
The fingers caressing her lips applied a bit more pressure, slightly painful yet ticklish. Seventh Young Master said softly, "Open your mouth."
Ying Xiaoman's heart pounded, but she didn't pull away. Her soft lips indeed parted slightly.
The two shared a long kiss in the dim lamplight.
The oil lamp went out at some point.
In the darkness, they could hear each other's rapid heartbeats. She clutched Seventh Young Master's hand, and before she knew it, she had fallen back onto the soft bedding again.
"Why are you so well-behaved today?" Yan Seventh Young Master whispered in her ear.
Ying Xiaoman: ...? "If Xiaoman is too well-behaved, does that mean you're encouraging me to misbehave?"
"...No misbehaving allowed."
Seventh Young Master laughed silently. Though invisible in the dark, she could feel it. His breath tickled her earlobe.
Ying Xiaoman simply closed her mouth, catching his fingertip between her sharp teeth and gnawing gently.
"You're the well-behaved one," she mumbled around his finger in rebuttal. "Your whole family is well-behaved."
"Alright, alright, let go." Yan Seventh Young Master coaxed her gently, changing his tune. "Our Xiaoman, sneaking in at night, so valiant and heroic, truly a woman warrior."
Ying Xiaoman was very pleased to hear this. She released his now wet finger and rubbed it soothingly.
"Seventh Young Master."
"Hm?"
"There is one thing that's really troubling me. The more I think about it, the more troubled I am. I want to discuss it with you face to face."
"Tell me."
Turning it over repeatedly in her mind had made it a troublesome matter. But if she asked directly and heard the response, it would be much simpler.
So she asked straightforwardly.
"I really don't understand the affairs of your great families. You stopped me from killing Yan Rongshi last time, and tonight he rushed over to save you. Have you become good brothers again? Next time I find a chance to kill him, is it alright as long as I avoid you?"
Yan Seventh Young Master paused for a moment before answering, chuckling in the darkness.
"With this question asked directly to my face, I'm not sure how best to respond..."
The situation was snowballing, growing larger and more unstable, bound to come crashing down one day, burying everyone.
He got up to light the lamp.
After pondering for a moment, he spoke, "Do you remember, Xiaoman? I once told you by your doorstep that if there was a life-or-death matter, I might have no choice but to deceive you. But once I uncovered the truth, I would tell you everything honestly."
Ying Xiaoman remembered. That was when they had just moved to Seven Scholars Lane.
"Do you still believe what I said that day, after all this time and everything that's happened?"
In the dim lamplight, Ying Xiaoman looked up at him, her eyes bright and clear. "Tell me honestly. I want to believe you."
Her resolute answer came without hesitation. Yan Seventh Young Master's gaze lifted in the lamplight, meeting hers for a moment, revealing a touched expression.
"Alright, let me first tell you about the old matters I've been investigating recently. Regarding the so-called blood feud between the Yan and Ying families."
Yan Seventh Young Master reached out, feeling around for a moment before retrieving the heavy bundle thrown in the corner of the bed, weighing the iron door bolt inside.
"Events from twenty or thirty years ago are dusty old affairs. The people involved are no longer in this world, and the clues are incomplete, making it difficult to trace the full picture. I've been investigating several major cases handled during my grandfather's time in office. Indeed, quite a few political enemies were demoted and exiled. But in our dynasty, which is lenient towards scholars and officials, cases severe enough to implicate an official's entire family must have involved treason or other unforgivable crimes against the state."
"The most serious case at the imperial court implicated many officials in the capital, and several official families were punished entirely. This might be related to the revenge your adoptive father sought. Coincidentally, this old case from back then also involved treason and collusion with the enemy regarding the weapons warehouse of the Ministry of War."
As Ying Xiaoman listened, her eyes widened in shock, and she blurted out, "That must be wrong! My father would never betray the country!"
"Everything is still under investigation, and we haven't yet uncovered your adoptive father's identity in the Capital City. But Xiaoman, I'm saying if, if your adoptive father's master was involved in that major case back then, and the entire family was punished, causing the feud between our families."
Given the gravity of the situation, Yan Seventh Young Master chose his words carefully, speaking slowly:
"Suppose, tracing back to the origin, the 'blood feud' between our families was merely my grandfather enforcing the law. In that case, this revenge would be baseless and unnecessary. Xiaoman, what would you think about that?"
Ying Xiaoman asked in confusion, "If it was just enforcing the law, why did my father tell me to focus only on the Yan family for revenge, out of all the officials who judged the case? My father's exact words on his deathbed were that the Yan family's civil officials were insidiously evil! Full of schemes, backstabbing people, and destroying his master's entire family!"
These frank words left Seventh Young Master at a loss for words.
"We'd need to consider your father's usual temperament and past experiences. Perhaps we could deduce his thoughts before his death..."
Suddenly, a furious knocking like a storm erupted outside the door.
Sui Miao called out loudly, "Young Master, it's a quarter to four! If we don't set out soon, you'll be late for the court assembly!"
"Young Master, it's a quarter to four! —"
There was no response from inside, so the voice outside continued like a crowing rooster, relentlessly interrupting the conversation inside.
Ying Xiaoman endured listening to it three times, but by the fourth time, she couldn't help but chuckle. She gave the young master beside her a push, "How can you still tolerate this? I can't take it anymore."
Yan Seventh Young Master squeezed her hand, "He's usually not this noisy. I suppose he's still uneasy, suspecting you haven't left."
In the time it took to exchange these words, the shouting outside had reached its fifth repetition.
"There's still much to discuss. We'll talk in detail when we have time."
The door opened from the inside, and Yan Seventh Young Master stepped out holding Ying Xiaoman's hand. Facing Sui Miao's suddenly silent and complex expression, he casually instructed:
"It is indeed getting late. Prepare my court robes, I'll get dressed and leave."
Officials usually rode horses to court.
Today, however, Yan Seventh Young Master had specially prepared a carriage.
The carriage moved slowly, its wheels creating a rhythmic sound as they rolled over the bluestone ground of Changle Alley.
As they left Changle Alley and turned onto the main street, the carriage was instructed to stop by the roadside.
Ying Xiaoman gathered her smoke-gray floral long dress and jumped out of the carriage with a large cloth bundle on her back, waving goodbye to those inside.
The carriage curtain lifted halfway, revealing the tall figure of the young master sitting inside, watching the lively silhouette return to Seven Scholars Lane.
The carriage continued on, following the main street and turning onto the imperial road, heading straight north towards the imperial city.
Ying Xiaoman walked along the quiet alley towards her home.
Although she hadn't managed to kill her enemy as planned tonight, she had unexpectedly encountered Seventh Young Master and reconciled with him. She was extremely happy and content, humming a tune all the way home.
She pushed open the ajar door, took out the twenty-jin iron door bolt from her bundle, and leaned it back against the courtyard wall. Then she walked quickly into the house in the dark.
As she pulled back the thin quilt and lay on the kang bed, she vaguely felt she had forgotten something.
What had she forgotten?
In her drowsiness, she reluctantly reached out and pinched the bulging bundle on the kang.
The cowhide bag containing the grappling hook was there. The change of clothes was there. The four meat buns prepared to feed the dog were safely tucked in the bundle. The white magnolia silver earrings were still hanging on her ears.
She hadn't forgotten anything.
As she pondered this, her eyelids grew increasingly heavy.
In the dawn light turning the sky a fishy white, the exhausted young woman fell into a deep sleep with her head covered.
The morning star rose in the sky.
The dim sky gradually brightened, and the sun cast its first golden rays from the east.
Three hundred paces away from the west side alley entrance of Seven Scholars Lane, the lights in the Xu family pawnshop had been burning all night.
Yan Erlang sat inside the pawnshop, not having slept all night, his eyes bloodshot.
From time to time, he anxiously peered through the half-open door at the sparsely populated main street outside in the early morning.
"Why is there still no news? Did she fail to get in, or was she caught by the Yan family as soon as she entered? Wasn't she supposed to report to the contact waiting outside the courtyard wall, whether she succeeded or not?"
"The contact waited all night near the Yan family's house in Changle Alley, but there was no news," said one of his confidants, who had also stayed up all night. Their eyes were equally bloodshot as they spoke, "Perhaps she successfully infiltrated but couldn't find an opportunity to act, so she's still staying at the Yan family's house?"
"That's the only possibility. It seems she didn't find an opportunity last night."
A confidant asked in a low voice, "What exactly was the young lady supposed to do after infiltrating the Yan family through our Xingning Marquis Mansion's connections?"
Yan Erlang snorted with a laugh, "She wouldn't say. The Yan family has been established in the Capital City for many years and has collected quite a few rare and valuable items. Who knows what precious object she intends to steal."
"Go to sleep, Erlang. Since the young lady didn't succeed last night, who knows how many days it will take. We'll just wait for news from her."
"You don't understand," Yan Erlang lazily loosened his collar. "Am I waiting for her to get her hands on something? I'm waiting for her to fail! A young woman sneaking into a wealthy household to steal valuables – if she's caught red-handed, that's solid evidence of a crime. Either she'll flee and be hunted by the Shuntian Prefecture constables throughout the city, or she won't be able to escape and will be bound and charged on the spot. Either way..."
At this point, Yan Erlang felt a bit hot and swiftly opened his newly acquired ivory fan, fanning himself.
"Only I can confirm that she, Ying Xiaoman, is indeed Ying Xiaoman and not 'Qingping' as written on her identity contract. Only I can bail her out."
"Keep a close watch on the Yan family," Yan Erlang said, rubbing his red eyes and forcing himself to stay awake by drinking strong tea.
"The moment there's any commotion at the Yan family mansion, alert me immediately."
*
Meanwhile.
In the quiet courtyard of Seven Scholars Lane, sunlight flooded the yard, and the rich aroma of millet porridge simmering on the stove wafted through the air.
The young woman, whom others had stayed up all night worrying about, couldn't care less about these troublesome matters outside.
Ying Xiaoman turned over on her kang bed, hugging a soft buckwheat pillow freshly dried in the sun, and fell into a sweet dream, sound asleep.