The captain Song Xian was not an incompetent man.

Since the assassination attempt on the Lantern Festival, Ning Yi had been paying some attention to him. Although it felt like waiting for a rabbit to run into a tree, with little chance of success, and his current position didn't afford him much detailed information, he could still gather some basic details if he put his mind to it.

As Lu Agui had previously told him, this man was flamboyant, vindictive, and ruthless, but he was by no means an incompetent fool. Compared to Chen Yong, the commander of the Wu Lie Army, Song Xian, who had once been involved in the Jianghu (江湖, the martial arts world), was perhaps more like a standard soldier. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been entrusted with the command of the Wu Lie Army's personal guard.

The imperial court emphasized civil affairs over military matters, and the Wu Lie Army was a garrison force stationed in the prosperous Jiangning area. Their overall combat strength wasn't strong. The only units worth mentioning were a few formations centered around the personal guard. Song Xian's position in the Wu Lie Army could be described as second only to one. Since the assassination attempt on the Lantern Festival, he had become more vigilant, always accompanied by many personal guards whenever he went out. Now, in this gathering, Ning Yi could only hang back at a distance, paying attention to the surroundings. Fortunately, there were many people, and it was unlikely that anyone would notice he was tailing them.

If he could follow like this, so could others. If someone else was also targeting Song Xian, they might be mixed in with the crowd at this moment. He secretly watched for such situations, but there were indeed many people. He hadn't even gotten a clear look at the assassin's face on the Lantern Festival night, so he couldn't get any useful information at this time. Song Xian led about ten men, strolling around. He didn't seem very enthusiastic about the performances. When he reached the stage by the river, he parted the crowd and went to sit in the front row, reserved for dignitaries. He chatted with one of them, while his personal guards stood guard around him.

Ning Yi stood on the outer edge of the crowd, looking around. Then he began to recall the events of the Lantern Festival, some details, and speculated on the woman's style. He then tried to put himself in her shoes, thinking about what methods he would use if he wanted to take out Song Xian. As he was halfway through these thoughts, someone suddenly tapped his shoulder with a folding fan from behind.

"Hey, brother, so what if you're tall? You're blocking my view standing here. What do you say we should do?"

Ning Yi was of average height and didn't consider himself tall. The voice behind him was also strange. After hearing it, he realized who it was and turned back with a smile. The person holding the folding fan and provoking him was wearing a black robe and was only an inch or two shorter than him, but much thinner. Looking up, it was Nie Yunzhu's delicate and deliberately serious face. Seen up close, she was dressed as a man, but didn't have much of a male demeanor. Instead, she looked rather endearing.

"Brother's reasons are so sufficient, it's obviously my fault. Seeing how fierce and domineering you are, do I need to pay you some protection money?"

Nie Yunzhu tried hard to keep a straight face and held out her hand, "Easy to say! Hand over all the flowers you have on you, and this great master will spare you this time. Otherwise, be careful I beat your head into a pig's head!"

She often set up stalls after coming here, and had actually learned some such words from the marketplace. Now that she was exuding such an imposing aura, Ning Yi sighed, took out the flower and ticket he received upon entry and placed them in her hand. Nie Yunzhu then burst out laughing, "Is that Neon Skirt girl on stage singing so well? You were listening so intently just now?"

"Neon Skirt?" Ning Yi turned his head to look, and then realized that she was referring to the singing girl on stage. "Heh, I was thinking about some things. When did you get here?"

"I was wandering around and accidentally saw you. I've been standing behind you for a long time."

The two walked together towards the flower recording area not far away. Nie Yunzhu also took out a flower from her bosom and put it into the large box next to Ning Yi's flower. Then, she handed the receipt to the recorder, "Two flowers for Miss Yuan Jin'er of the Jin Feng House."

"Miss Yuan Jin'er hasn't come on stage yet."

"Also for her."

She said, and the recorder marked it down. Ning Yi laughed, "Did you come to cheer for Miss Jin'er?"

"Jin'er and I used to have a good relationship." Nie Yunzhu lowered her head, thought for a moment, and then said, "Actually, I also helped with her songs and dances this time."

The two met every morning and chatted about everything, but he hadn't heard her mention this before. Ning Yi felt a little puzzled, "Didn't you say you didn't want to go near that place anymore?"

"Mama wanted Jin'er to continue to get the top four positions, and told me that if I helped a little, she would also help us with publicity in the future. I thought about it and agreed. Now I'm talking business with Mama, which is different from before, so I'm not so afraid of it anymore. Mama is still good in this respect." Nie Yunzhu paused, and then said as she walked with Ning Yi to the side, "Actually, I shouldn't have agreed. Jin'er has some reputation now. If it gets bigger, it's hard to say whether this reputation is good or bad. Jin'er's personality is also… Cough, let's not talk about this..."

She shook her head and smiled, "By the way, will Li Heng go to see Jin'er's performance later?"

"The top four courtesans, and you helped, of course I can't miss it."

"Heh, Jin'er actually told me that she wants to meet you. After all, you are the most mysterious first talent in Jiangning. I will point her out to you from the stage then… By the way, didn't you say that a little maid would come with you? I was wondering who it was just now."

"She's eating something and waiting in the Wen Mo Building. I came down halfway." Ning Yi thought about it, "It's almost time to go over."

Nie Yunzhu smiled, "Let's go over together. I'm going to Jin'er's place, which is also on the way."

Chatting casually, the two walked through the crowd and turned back towards the Wen Mo Building. Ning Yi looked back in the direction of Song Xian, thinking that the previous fleeting glance might have been an illusion.

At the same moment, under the eaves of a small building not far away, which the two had not noticed, Gu Yanzhen was standing there quietly, watching them walk away.

*****************

Following Nie Yunzhu from when he saw her in the crowd took a long time. Although Gu Yanzhen was puzzled by who Nie Yunzhu, who had always been indifferent, was looking for, he certainly didn't expect to see what happened later.

The entire time, he saw Nie Yunzhu walking through the crowd aimlessly. She hadn't made an appointment with anyone, but she was obviously looking for someone. In such a venue, she wasn't watching the performances, but leisurely looking for someone she hadn't made an appointment with among the three thousand people. This was really strange. Gu Yanzhen had never seen her have such a side in the past few years.

Back then, Yunzhu was different from most courtesans. She liked quiet and had extraordinary accomplishments in zither music, dance, poetry, and singing, but she wasn't ostentatious. Compared to ordinary prostitutes, she had a scholarly air about her. It wasn't fake, but real. This was a truly leisurely woman, and everyone felt a sense of serenity when they were with her. Gu Yanzhen didn't know when he felt this unique feeling, but anyway, he felt that he could understand her unique thoughts, because they were the same kind of people.

After returning from Tokyo, he met Nie Yunzhu again that morning. Later, he learned that she had redeemed herself for him, but no longer interacted with the previous people. Although he was a little disappointed at first, after thinking about it carefully, he felt that she should have such an outstanding character, with a confident and proud part hidden under the peaceful appearance. He liked this kind of character, and felt that the two had been in love in the past, so he pursued her, until he was slapped in the face, and his mood changed afterward.

For the past two months, he had been looking for the man behind Nie Yunzhu. Although he appeared nonchalant on the surface, he had broken with Li Pin because of it. Because Li Pin was really not to be underestimated, he could see what was in his heart and would never reveal anything, no matter what he said. He was also slightly flustered because of this and said a few harsh words. Actually, after occasionally inquiring for two months, even he himself was not clear about what he would do after finding the man behind her.

Later, he concluded that this person might be an old man of fame and prestige. If this was the case, then there was nothing he could do. Until recently, he saw some of Nie Yunzhu's performances.

Dressed as a man, Nie Yunzhu's temperament was still very similar, a suave image of a young master. Then she found the person she was looking for in the crowd. First, she peeked several times from a distance, then walked behind the person, seemingly wanting to say hello, but was hesitating, waiting for the person to turn around and notice her. During this period, Gu Yanzhen saw Nie Yunzhu's expression from the side, sometimes struggling, sometimes unhappy, sometimes revealing a smile, sometimes raising her hand to hit him, but stopping again, frowning and slightly annoyed by the person's daze in front of her. With the changes in expression, her male temperament had already disappeared, occasionally sighing, occasionally spreading her hands with a helpless little girl's expression... He had never seen these expressions appear on her face before. In the past, during her performances at Jin Feng House, he had seen her frown that was incompatible with the surrounding environment, and had seen her reserved and scholarly smile, but the expressions at this moment...

The man never turned his head, and didn't see the woman's complex cuteness behind him, until Nie Yunzhu finally helplessly raised her folding fan and hit the person on the shoulder, changing into a deliberately serious smile. Then the two talked and laughed all the way to the registration table to offer flowers - that offering of flowers was only a mere two flowers - and then until they left... Gu Yanzhen found it difficult to explain what he felt in his heart. He just watched all this with a blank expression. After a long time, he punched the pillar of the building next to him.

Then he laughed out loud with a "ha".

*******************

Ning Yi and Nie Yunzhu separated below the Wen Mo Building. Above, Xiao Chan was looking out the window, and then waved to him vigorously.

"Master, who is the black-clothed young master you were walking with?"

When he went upstairs, Su Wending and others had already left. Li Pin and Xiao Chan were still waiting for him. Xiao Chan asked curiously. Ning Yi smiled, "A guy dressed as a woman, I teased her because she looked pretty."

"Master is so bad!" Xiao Chan put a snack in her mouth, smiling brightly, obviously not believing these words. Soon after, the three walked down the Wen Mo Building and went into the crowd to continue watching the following performances.

From time to time, he could see the figures of Song Xian and Chen Yong, followed by the Wu Lie Army's personal guards. Ning Yi kept a watchful eye, waiting for possible changes to happen…