Xie Jiang flopped onto the couch with a loud sigh, stretching lazily. She turned to Aunt He, who approached her, and said with delight, "Xu Hengyan should be back in the capital in a few days. He'll surely be captivated by the walnuts I've worked so hard to make."
Xie Jiang was very pleased with her creation, which had taken considerable effort and meticulous craftsmanship.
Just as she was contemplating how to ask for the walnut she had personally polished, she heard her own words, and the gentle smile on He Zhifei's lips instantly faded.
So, this walnut already had a destination.
Aunt He smiled and said, "The young master has crafted it so exquisitely and with such care, I'm sure Young Master Xu will be able to feel it." How dare Xu Hengyan not love it! She'd break his legs to see if he loved it then!
As she spoke, she placed the walnut on a small table and began massaging Xie Jiang's hands, which were imprinted with marks from holding tools for two hours.
"You should soak them in rose dew later."
Aunt He wished she could meticulously care for every strand of her young master's hair. She didn't know how much virtue she had accumulated in this cruel world to beg heaven for such a divinely gifted treasure as her young master. Not caring for him meticulously would be a sin deserving of heavenly wrath!
Yet, her young master had no self-awareness, treating herself like an ordinary mortal. If she didn't fuss over her, her young master would become utterly unkempt!
Xie Jiang said, "Is it that much trouble? A good rub should be enough."
Listen to that! Just listen!
She didn't value herself at all!
Aunt He glared at her, "What's good about it! Soaking in rose dew takes no effort. You just lie back, we're here for you..."
Xie Jiang obediently fell silent.
Listening to the conversation between the mistress and her servant, He Zhifei secretly shook her head. An uninformed person would think her hands were broken.
But she soon remembered that she was, in fact, a young girl of seventeen or eighteen, the pampered darling of the Duke of Dingguo's mansion, and no amount of spoiling would be excessive.
"Young Master Xu is still in Ninghe, yet you're already thinking of him. Why don't you think of Young Master Yi? You've been resting at home for three days, and Young Master Yi hasn't visited. Don't you plan to appease him first?"
Xie Jiang lazily expressed her disdain, "If he doesn't come, he doesn't come. Let him calm down and reflect properly. Is it proper to lose your temper like that all the time!"
Just as Aunt He was about to say something, Yan'er knocked on the door from outside and announced, "Young Master Yi is here."
Xie Jiang leaped off the couch with a whoosh, no longer needing Aunt He to massage her hands. She excitedly rushed towards the door.
"Oh, young master, slow down, slow down! You haven't put on your shoes yet, shoes, shoes, shoes! Didn't you say you wanted him to calm down and reflect, and if he doesn't come, he doesn't come..."
Just as she was about to reach the door, Xie Jiang suddenly stopped, turned, and ran back to the window. She grabbed the walnut from the table and said, "Yi Yan Geng will be so moved when he sees the walnut I made for him!"
Aunt He reminded her, "Wasn't it made for Young Master Xu?"
Xie Jiang ran out of the study without looking back, as if she had instantly lost her memory, "Who is Young Master Xu? What Young Master Xu? There's only my boundless affection for Yi Yan Geng."
Aunt He hurried after her, muttering, "Run slower, little ancestor! Who was it that was so stubborn just now?"
The study door opened and closed.
All that remained before He Zhifei was the flickering candlelight, stirred by the night breeze.
And scattered by the window and on the couch were the walnuts, which had briefly belonged to Xu Hengyan, but now belonged to Yi Yan Geng – an ocean of affection.
If Yi Yan Geng knew that the walnut was originally made for Xu Hengyan, what would he think?
He Zhifei felt that Yi Yan Geng's mood wouldn't be too bad.
Regardless of who she intended it for, it had ultimately become his.
Tian Kang Tai, holding a lantern at the front, accompanied Yi Yan Geng towards Fuyun Xuan when a dark shadow suddenly darted out from the side.
Yi Yan Geng hadn't even considered a second possibility, raising his hand to catch the person steadily. "You're so reckless late at night, aren't you afraid of getting hurt?"
Xie Jiang clung to his shoulder, "My feet were too eager to see you, I couldn't control them."
Sweet words habitually slipped out. She wondered how she had cultivated such a miraculous skill.
But Yi Yan Geng couldn't help but wonder, were some of these words sincere?
He didn't ask for too much; a little sincerity would be enough.
The joy with which she ran towards him was also undeniable.
"I was too busy with affairs these past few days and couldn't get away. By the time I finished, it was already late, and I was afraid of disturbing your dreams, so I didn't come over," Yi Yan Geng explained instinctively, not intentionally ignoring her.
He was certainly angry about her spending time with noble scions in their debauchery, but he also knew he couldn't expect her to change these bad habits overnight.
"It's already very late today, but I haven't seen you for several days, so I still came." He couldn't control his feet, nor his heart.
"Why are you still awake so late today? You usually stay up this late?" Yi Yan Geng frowned disapprovingly.
Xie Jiang smiled, raised her hand, and showed him her fist, shaking it gently. "I was making this. You arrived just as I finished, so it's destined to be yours."
After saying that, she opened her palm.
Tian Kang Tai dutifully held the lantern closer.
Yi Yan Geng looked at her palm, "Walnut?"
Knowing it couldn't be that simple, he took the walnut from her hand and, at her signal, slowly opened it.
A miniature underwater world was revealed before his eyes.
Such exquisite and ingenious craftsmanship, even for the well-traveled Yi Yan Geng, brought him a moment of surprise.
"You made this yourself."
Yi Yan Geng had no doubt; he was certain it was from her hands.
The fish and crabs were exceptionally charming. Even if a master craftsman's skill far surpassed hers, this unique, charming style could only come from her.
"You stayed up so late just to make this?"
"Do you like it?"
Her thoughtfulness alone made every corner of his heart feel incredibly warm and comfortable.
Yi Yan Geng didn't speak, but he carefully closed the walnut and held it gently in his palm.
He took her hand with his other hand, gently stroking it as they continued walking towards Fuyun Xuan, asking, "Why did you think of filling the walnut with these?"
Xie Jiang, too lazy to walk, leaped into his arms. "I thought of it when I was eating walnuts with Da Chui."
Yi Yan Geng supported her with one arm, his gaze slowly sliding from her close-up eyes down to her lips.
"Are the walnuts tasty?"
"They're alright."
"Let me try..."
Suddenly, there was no movement from behind them. Or rather, there was movement, but it was different.
Tian Kang Tai wisely walked a few steps ahead before stopping, standing by the roadside like a wooden post, silently holding the lantern.
Aunt He and Yan'er ran over from the adjacent Green Courtyard and saw the "indecent" scene of the two clinging to each other.
Aunt He was used to it. She pulled Yan'er and turned to leave, carrying a pair of shoes and socks.
If her feet weren't needed, why would she need shoes and socks?
After walking a few steps, she realized they were going in the wrong direction. Given their clingy behavior, they would definitely not return to the Green Courtyard.
Aunt He turned and led Yan'er back to Fuyun Xuan.
However, they had already prepared the bed there. Did it make sense for them to return to Fuyun Xuan now?
They should find a warm place to stay.