Winter days are short, and the sky darkened soon after sunset.
At this time, the Qin residence was bustling with guests. Most of the attendees were from prominent families, all dressed to the nines. It was, after all, the coming-of-age ceremony for Qin San, and many young nobles of similar age were present. They laughed and chatted at the entrance, handing over their invitations to the smiling servants who then politely directed them inside.
Everything was proceeding smoothly and perfectly until Huo Xian’s carriage arrived. The atmosphere seemed to suddenly stiffen, and even those who had already entered couldn’t help but stop and watch.
“Why is he here? Could it be that Master Qin invited him?”
“That would make sense. Assistant Minister Qin is Young Master Huo’s uncle, which technically makes him half an uncle to the commander.”
“You’re mistaken. The Marquis of Xuanping publicly severed ties with him. How could the Qin family be related to him now? There’s no way Qin Wei would invite him; it would be an insult to the Marquis. He must be here with ill intentions!”
“And the lady beside him is the eldest daughter of Master Ji, isn’t she? I just saw Master Ji a moment ago.”
“You have to admit, they make quite the pair.”
Small groups of people gathered, whispering amongst themselves.
It was particularly challenging for the servant who had to rush to fetch Qin Wei.
Huo Xian smiled at Qin Wei, whose face immediately went stiff, as if he had seen a plague god. Fortunately, being accustomed to such situations, he didn’t let the guests see the commotion. He smiled and invited everyone in, including Huo Xian.
Qin Wei remained polite and asked, “What brings you here, Lord Huo?”
Huo Xian smiled, “I wouldn’t call it an honorific visit. My wife was feeling quite bored. As you know, she has been recuperating in a temple for the past few years and has seldom ventured out since returning to the capital. She doesn’t know many people here, so with such a grand banquet, I thought I’d bring her to see the world.”
Although this explanation hadn’t been pre-arranged, Ji Yuluo quickly understood and adopted a shy expression, saying apologetically, “I didn’t know my husband didn’t have an invitation from the Qin family. I apologize for the inconvenience, Master Qin.”
Qin Wei’s face grew even stiffer.
He had heard recently that the two were inseparable, with Huo Xian even bringing her to the commander’s office. No wonder he treated his son’s coming-of-age ceremony as a mere casual outing!
Previously, Qin Wei had asked Ji Chongwang about this matter. Ji Chongwang claimed that their apparent affection was a facade, a ploy by Huo Xian to drag his nominal father-in-law into his schemes. But now, it seemed otherwise.
Qin Wei went off angrily to seek an explanation from Ji Chongwang.
The banquet was set in the eastern main hall. Having frequented the Qin residence with his two older brothers in his youth, Huo Xian was familiar with the layout and needed no guide to find his way. On the way to the hall, he casually described the Qin residence’s layout to Ji Yuluo.
Ji Yuluo kept her eyes forward, responding occasionally. Just as they were about to enter the garden, Huo Xian suddenly took her hand and led her towards the seats.
Countless eyes turned towards her.
Among them was the gaze of Ji Chongwang.
His face, as always, was stern, with his brows furrowed in disapproval. But today was different from the past. Ji Yuluo glanced at him briefly before indifferently looking away.
Ji Chongwang was momentarily taken aback, unable to ponder deeply as the ancient bell rang, prompting him to look away hurriedly.
Qin San’s coming-of-age ceremony had begun.
The youth, having just reached the age of adulthood, proceeded gracefully according to the rites, stepping in from outside the courtyard. His heavy ceremonial robes were draped over him, and the main guest, who was to perform the crowning, emerged from behind the curtain and stood in the center… It was none other than the Marquis of Xuanping.
Ji Yuluo instinctively glanced at Huo Xian.
She had heard that the Marquis of Xuanping and a few other involved officials had only been released two days ago. Originally, it wouldn’t have happened so quickly, but thanks to the commotion caused by her use of gunpowder, some courtiers had seized the opportunity to pressure the emperor into releasing them, forcing the Jinyiwei to let them go.
Ji Yuluo scrutinized the Marquis of Xuanping.
This middle-aged man was tall and imposing, with deep-set features. Huo Xian bore a striking resemblance to him, especially in their austere demeanor, though one had a righteous air while the other seemed more sinister.
His legs seemed to have some difficulty, as he walked with a slight limp, and his cheeks were gaunt, suggesting he had suffered greatly in prison.
Yet, when he faced Qin San, he was affectionate, his expression softening as he placed the crown on him.
The capping ceremony was the most important ritual in a young man’s life.
Huo Xian lowered his eyes to sip some tea, then looked up again, his expression composed.
At that moment, Ji Yuluo seemingly accidentally spilled tea on herself and called for a maid to lead her to the back courtyard to change her clothes. She executed this maneuver with practiced ease.
As she rose, Huo Xian suddenly grabbed her and said, “I’ll wait for you here. Don’t worry, search carefully.”
Ji Yuluo was momentarily stunned but nodded in agreement.
It was strange; she was accustomed to working alone, always the one giving orders and covering others, rarely having someone say they would wait for her.
The temporarily arranged seats were at the back, where no one noticed her quietly slipping into the rear courtyard.
Entering through the intricately carved flower gate, she saw the high walls around her densely crisscrossed with threads, with silver bells hanging from them. This arrangement was designed to deter thieves. Qin Wei was indeed cautious and conservative. No wonder Huo Xian chose to enter through the main gate tonight rather than having her climb over the wall.
However, compared to the Duke’s mansion and Huo’s residence, the security in the back courtyard of Qin’s residence was lax, without any dedicated guards, just like an ordinary family’s house. After all, few knew about Qin Wei’s ledger backups. Having worked diligently all his life, he probably never imagined someone would target him.
Avoiding the maids and servants, Ji Yuluo navigated through twists and turns until she reached the study.
The door was locked with the simplest type of lock, which she easily picked with a hairpin, then pushed the door open.
Qin Wei’s study was large, with three or four bookshelves neatly lined up on the side. Ji Yuluo turned one of the bookshelves around, revealing a hidden compartment behind it, filled with meticulously stacked ledgers.
Ji Yuluo smirked. The Jinyiwei really did know all the hidden corners.
But now came the headache-inducing task of searching through these three or four bookshelves, which held a total of dozens of layers of ledgers, a time-consuming endeavor.
She finally understood why Huo Xian had chosen tonight; with his beloved son’s coming-of-age ceremony, the banquet would last late into the night, and Qin Wei wouldn’t return early. Thinking of this, Ji Yuluo swiftly lit a candle and began carefully flipping through the ledgers.
Fortunately, Qin Wei was meticulous, with each ledger clearly categorized.
The candlelight beside her, Ji Yuluo sat cross-legged, the firelight casting a hazy golden glow on her face.
The noise from the front courtyard continued unabated, while the back courtyard remained peaceful. Time passed slowly, with Ji Yuluo initially alert to any sounds outside the door, then gradually settling into her task, until the sounds from the front courtyard quieted. The rustling of pages turning became more urgent, and she finally found the ledger just before the capping ceremony concluded.
Ji Yuluo was drenched in sweat. After restoring the bookshelf to its original state, just as she was about to leave, the window creaked, and the latch on the window was pried open slightly.
She immediately blew out the candle and hid in the dead corner of the bookshelf, clutching the ledger she had retrieved from the floor.
Anyone coming in through the window was unlikely to be from the Qin residence.
By the moonlight, Ji Yuluo saw the intruder dressed as a servant, with a high ponytail. His figure looked somewhat familiar. He sneaked over to the desk, unlike Ji Yuluo, who had gone straight to her target. He rummaged through the desk, opening almost every drawer.
Then he began feeling along the wall, apparently searching for a hidden compartment.
Unexpectedly, he actually found one.
Inside the hidden compartment was a small locked box. The “servant” diligently began picking the lock. The box contained a key and a seal, and he took out some wax to make an impression.
Ji Yuluo squatted in the corner, silently watching. She didn’t want to cause any trouble. The intruder’s objective was different from hers and didn’t interfere, so she decided to wait for him to finish and leave.
However, just as she made that decision, a piece of paper from her embrace fluttered down, making a very slight noise. The air seemed to pause for a moment, and the sound of the imprinting at the desk ceased.
The room was so quiet that even the sound of a pin dropping could be heard.
A fan flew out like a blade.
Ji Yuluo was forced to reveal herself as the “servant” attacked.
Not wanting to get entangled, she leaped out of the window, but the “servant” quickly pursued her, seemingly intent on silencing her.
Both of them tried to avoid attracting attention, so they fought carefully along a narrow path. However, since they were in the back courtyard, their struggle soon drew the attention of the servants. Someone shouted, “Who goes there!”
At that moment, Ji Yuluo had the “servant” pinned against a tree. He let out a light hiss and flung a handful of powder back at her before attempting to flee.
“Cough—”
Ji Yuluo dodged and waved away the floating powder. The fleeing footsteps also halted, and when she turned around, the two of them briefly locked eyes in the dark before both turned to run. They didn’t stop until they had lost the pursuers and hid behind a rockery, where they spoke simultaneously:
“Shen Qingli.”
“Ji Yuluo?”
They stared at each other in silence for a moment.
Shen Qingli leaned against the rock, panting. “If I had known it was you, I wouldn’t have caused such a commotion.”
Ji Yuluo glanced at the wax impression he held and asked, “What are you doing here tonight? Still working for the same employer?”
She was referring to the casino incident.
Shen Qingli, having caught his breath, gave a sheepish smile. “You know our rules, granny. We can’t ask about each other’s tasks. If I revealed the employer’s business, I’d be breaking the rules.”
He shifted the topic. “And you? What were you looking at in that corner?”
Ji Yuluo replied coldly, “It’s none of your business either.”
Shen Qingli clicked his tongue. “Alright, alright. This isn’t the place to talk. I’m leaving. You shouldn’t stay here long either. I think that old Qin guy is coming back.”
With that, Shen Qingli quickly vanished into the night.
His earlier remark about “that old Qin guy” carried a tone of familiarity, as if he knew Qin Wei personally.
Someone was approaching, shouting nearby, “Stop!”
Ji Yuluo frowned. To avoid being implicated, she hurriedly left.
The capping ceremony finally concluded, and the guests gradually dispersed.
Huo Xian continued sipping his wine leisurely. Although he hadn’t caused any trouble tonight, just his presence had altered the atmosphere. No one dared to fully enjoy themselves, always wary of him. The Marquis of Xuanping didn’t smile either, but Huo Xian seemed oblivious, still slowly savoring his wine.
Qin San, who had come of age today, was also dismayed. He asked Huo Cong, “Why is he here?”
Huo Cong replied irritably, “Who knows? He knew your capping ceremony would make my father attend, yet he’s here to deliberately annoy us.”
Qin San sighed, feeling uncomfortable, and said to Huo Cong, “It’s late. Stay over at my place tonight.”
Huo Cong agreed.
Seeing Qin Wei walking and talking with a friend in the corridor, Huo Xian glanced toward the back courtyard before getting up and heading towards the secluded path.
At that moment, he heard light, hurried footsteps from around the corner. Huo Xian stopped in time, and the person turning the corner also halted abruptly.
A hand, shaped like a knife, swung towards him.
Huo Xian quickly caught the person’s wrist, and they both froze upon seeing each other.
Ji Yuluo, with her face smeared like a painted cat, exclaimed in surprise, “How did you get in here?”
Huo Xian wiped some of the white smudge off her face with his finger. “What happened?”
“It’s a long story. Let’s go.”
Just then, voices could be heard not far away.
It seemed the Qin family was returning to the back courtyard.
With nowhere to hide, Ji Yuluo instinctively tried to push Huo Xian into the nearby lake to hide, but he grabbed her sleeve.
“The water is cold,” he said calmly.
Ji Yuluo had thought he was here to back her up, but now he seemed to be faltering at a crucial moment. She retorted, “This is no time to—”
Huo Xian suddenly leaned down and whispered in her ear, “Miss Yuluo, try thinking differently. You don’t always have to put yourself through such hardships.”
Ji Yuluo was taken aback, feeling a tickling sensation as if someone had blown softly on her ear.
She was accustomed to being addressed as “Miss Yuluo,” but while others always said it earnestly, there was an inexplicable hint of teasing when it came from him.
Thinking differently, she glanced around. Where else could they hide?
As she pondered Huo Xian’s words, she felt a warm, soft touch and breath against her ear.
Expressionless, she stood numbly in place.
Without being taught, she understood Huo Xian’s meaning.
She usually relied on her agility, running away whenever something happened. But what he suggested was to brazenly… cause a scene.
Footsteps approached from both directions, and the dark path was illuminated by torches. The sounds abruptly stopped as the leading servant, holding a torch, stammered to a bewildered Qin Wei, “Master, we just saw a man and a woman acting suspiciously, and, and—”
They looked at the two people before them and suddenly fell silent.
Only then did Huo Xian slowly straighten up. Ji Yuluo felt a tingling in her ear, her earlobe tugged slightly as his lips left, like a pearl on an earring being pulled.
He positioned himself in front of Ji Yuluo, raising an eyebrow in surprise, but the others were clearly more shocked than he was.
Huo Cong was the first to react, pointing at him, “Huo Xian, have you no shame!”
