Lord Ge left Lord Qiu’s residence and went directly to the Surveillance Office. Lord Qiu, meanwhile, continued to handle the administrative affairs of Qianzhong Circuit.
Leveraging the incident with Sheng Xuan, the Provincial Administration Commission had a valid reason to thoroughly investigate Qianzhong Circuit. Coupled with the elite death warriors previously imprisoned, if anyone confessed, the Provincial Administration Commission could follow the clues. For the past few days, Qianzhong Circuit was in a state of extreme tension, with every bush and tree seeming like an enemy.
As night fell, Qianzhong Prefecture, already under curfew, became completely silent. Apart from the occasional passing of patrolling soldiers, no outsiders were seen on the streets.
“Who’s there?” He Nuan, sleeping in the outer room, suddenly opened his eyes. His right hand already grasped the soft sword hidden beneath his pillow. Wearing only a single layer of clothing, he leaped from the bed.
Almost simultaneously, the two Imperial Guards guarding the courtyard emerged from the shadows. Upon seeing the tall, slender figure standing in the courtyard, they were slightly startled before kneeling on one knee to pay their respects, “My Lord.”
“Retire,” his deep voice sounded even colder in the desolate autumn night.
Yin Wuyan, clad in a black brocade robe, still bore traces of fatigue in his brows, and the dust clinging to his attire indicated his arduous journey.
The two men withdrew as ordered. He Nuan had already pushed open the door and emerged from the outer room, also bowing respectfully, “Seventh Master, the young lady is already asleep.”
It was nearing the hour of Yin (3-5 AM). Zhan Feiyu had not slept well in the government office these past few days, but tonight, after returning to the separate residence, she slept soundly.
Yin Wuyan did not speak. His slender figure bypassed He Nuan and walked directly into the house. His steps were swift yet utterly silent. Not only was Zhan Feiyu sleeping like a log, but even an ordinary martial artist would not have detected Yin Wuyan’s footsteps.
He Nuan did not enter the room but continued to stand guard in the courtyard. After a while, seeing someone approaching from outside the courtyard, He Sheng, who had received the message, also hurried over.
He Nuan walked towards the courtyard gate, “Brother.”
“Seventh Master came alone?” He Sheng lowered his voice, glancing towards the dark house.
“I didn’t see Chongguang and the others.” He Nuan was certain that only Seventh Master had entered the Qiu family’s separate residence. Chongguang and the others might be in Qianzhong Prefecture, but they had not come here.
If Yin Wuyan hadn’t deliberately revealed his presence just now, neither the Imperial Guards secretly guarding the premises nor He Nuan sleeping in the outer room would have been able to detect his arrival so quickly.
He Sheng thought of the hundred and two items that had vanished into thin air. If it wasn’t the Old Master’s doing, it could have been the Imperial Guards. However, He Sheng’s duty was to protect Zhan Feiyu, and he could not pry into the secrets of the Imperial Guards unless they voluntarily disclosed them.
The bedroom was shrouded in darkness, with only faint moonlight filtering through the window. However, for Yin Wuyan, such darkness was insignificant. He navigated around tables and furniture, accurately reaching the bedside.
The young girl slept soundly, curled to her right, her hands tightly clutching the soft pillow. Yin Wuyan’s originally cold and stern face showed a hint of helplessness. In this posture, she truly resembled an immature young girl.
Not old, but quite audacious! The thought of Zhan Feiyu daring to brazenly steal those items from Sheng Xuan made Yin Wuyan want to wake up the little girl who was sleeping soundly. Had she not considered what would happen if she were exposed?
As his well-defined hand touched Zhan Feiyu’s delicate and soft cheek, Yin Wuyan’s gaze deepened. His fingertip gently caressed it for a moment, but ultimately, he couldn’t bear to wake her.
…
The next day, Zhan Feiyu, unusually, indulged in a bit of laziness and did not wake up early. She slept until she naturally awoke. “A Nuan, just a simple hairstyle today.”
Having slept soundly, Zhan Feiyu was refreshed. She playfully made faces at herself in the bronze mirror, completely oblivious to He Nuan’s unusual demeanor.
The young lady was wearing a light yellow, narrow-sleeved short shirt with a straight collar and a large opening, paired with a pure white skirt decorated with scattered flowers and edged with silver. He Nuan withdrew his gaze, his movements in styling her hair not pausing.
Her jet-black long hair was divided into sections, coiled into a bun on top of her head, allowed to hang naturally on both sides, and then tied at the ends, falling onto her shoulders. He Nuan then took a pair of jade green floral hairpins from the dressing table and inserted them on either side of her bun. The ends of her hair were adorned with a hairband featuring beads of the same jade green, giving her an elegant yet lively appearance.
When Zhan Feiyu emerged from the inner chamber and entered the adjoining small flower hall for breakfast, she saw Yin Wuyan seated beside the table.
“Big Brother?” Her voice, filled with excitement and joy, even took on a childish lilt. Zhan Feiyu let out a cry and ran over, her hands holding up her skirt.
She stopped directly in front of Yin Wuyan, grinning, “Big Brother, why are you here?”
Unlike her quiet slumber the previous night, the young girl’s eyes, as beautiful as a painting, were filled with joy. Yin Wuyan raised his hand and stroked Zhan Feiyu’s head. Seeing her affectionately rub against his palm, a hint of warmth appeared in Yin Wuyan’s cold phoenix eyes, though his voice remained icy, “What do you think?”
“I…” Before Zhan Feiyu could utter a single word, she remembered what she had done earlier. Her expression instantly shifted from joy to guilt. Her long, thick eyelashes blinked, and her gaze flickered left and right, betraying her guilt.
He withdrew his hand and sat upright in his chair. His narrow phoenix eyes fixed on Zhan Feiyu, as if waiting to see how she would explain herself.
After a long pause.
Knowing she was in the wrong, Zhan Feiyu looked up again, her face a picture of misery. She patted her stomach pitifully, her childish voice drawn out, “Big Brother, I’m hungry!”
Yin Wuyan’s stern and cold expression remained unchanged. However, the imposing and killing aura that could make Chongguang and He Sheng tremble had no effect on Zhan Feiyu.
“The sky is big, and eating is the most important thing. Big Brother, let’s have breakfast first.” With a shameless grin, Zhan Feiyu pretended not to see Yin Wuyan’s cold face. Her soft little hands directly grasped Yin Wuyan’s and pulled him towards the table, “The autumn air is cold, and breakfast will get cold quickly.”
Grateful for the rule of Confucius that one should not speak while eating or sleeping, Zhan Feiyu, temporarily escaping trouble, ate her breakfast with focus and concentration, though she secretly glanced sideways from time to time.
Yin Wuyan had arrived at the separate residence near the hour of Yin the previous night. After washing up and resting, he had woken up half an hour ago. He had only slept for an hour last night, but at this moment, his face showed no sign of fatigue.
As for Zhan Feiyu’s furtive actions, Yin Wuyan pretended not to notice. He slowly ate his breakfast, waiting for the young girl to fabricate a reason within the next fifteen minutes.
Half an hour later, in the study.
Zhan Feiyu looked at He Nuan, her personal maid, leaving her with a sense of utter despair. He Nuan even thoughtfully closed the study door behind her.
Sticking your neck out or pulling it back in, it’s all the same! Zhan Feiyu bolstered her courage and then, with a determined and spirited stride, walked towards the desk.
Yin Wuyan was reviewing Zhan Feiyu’s recent coursework. The completed assignments were sent to the capital every three days for Scholar Gu to review. Currently, the stack on the desk was her drafts. Although the handwriting was slightly messy, the spirit was already evident.
At first glance, Zhan Feiyu’s calligraphy appeared to be the neat and proper official script, elegant and beautiful, refined and harmonious. However, Yin Wuyan discerned traces of cursive script within the strokes, with a slightly wild flair that was nonetheless suppressed.
Considering Zhan Feiyu’s audacity in stealing those items one by one in full view of everyone, and that He Nuan and the others were guarding not far from the carriage, Yin Wuyan put down the draft papers, his icy gaze falling upon the young girl standing before him. Truly, if you don’t discipline her for three days, she’ll climb onto the roof and lift the tiles!
“Big Brother, I was wrong!”
Almost instantly, Zhan Feiyu stood at attention and admitted her mistake. Her speed and keen senses amazed He Sheng and He Nuan, who were guarding outside the study. The young lady was only this “honest and obedient” in front of Seventh Master.
Yin Wuyan had also maintained a stern expression during breakfast, but Zhan Feiyu had not been particularly afraid then. However, at this moment, her sharp senses detected that something was amiss.
“Persistent in your mistakes?” As Yin Wuyan spoke, Zhan Feiyu immediately shook her head like a rattle drum.
“No, I promise there will never be a next time!” her resolute little voice rang out, Zhan Feiyu earnestly maintaining her attitude of admitting fault.
Yin Wuyan looked at Zhan Feiyu, who stood with her back straight, and his cold voice sounded again, “Brave enough to admit mistakes…”
Just as Zhan Feiyu was about to nod, she heard the words “resolutely refuse to change” at the end. Instantly, she wilted.
Her dark eyes widened, and Zhan Feiyu’s expression was as sincere as it could be, “Big Brother, I was wrong.”