As Wei Yun fell, he quickly supported himself with his palms on the ground, so he wouldn’t press down on her.
But his nose still brushed against her lips.
Just that gentle touch, especially the soft sensation, carrying a hint of the familiar aroma of Sichuan mountain mist tea, momentarily dazed him.
Before he could speak upon hearing Wei Bo’s shout from outside, Wei Bo and Wei Jing had already kicked open the room door and stood on the threshold, staring at them, both inhaling sharply with their eyes wide open.
Wei Bo even rubbed his eyes several times, thinking he was hallucinating.
The atmosphere was a bit eerie, until Sheng Yueqi slowly made his way between Wei Bo and Wei Jing, peeked inside, then raised an eyebrow and clicked her tongue, “Sir, you’ve fallen from your horse…”
His tone was light and teasing.
Wei Yun, holding the stunned Xie Tao’s shoulders, glanced at the three at the doorway, and gritted his teeth, “Everyone, out.”
Wei Bo and Wei Jing shivered simultaneously, quickly turned around as if to leave, then paused, turned back, each grabbed a door, pulled it closed, and left.
After closing the door, Wei Bo and Wei Jing walked to the courtyard, and again, almost simultaneously, glanced back at the study room door.
Wei Bo wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.
So did Wei Jing.
It seemed as if suddenly many strange phenomena had their explanations.
For example, the master suddenly liking sweets, the often-extra fresh flower in the study, and sometimes the faint female voice Wei Bo hears outside the door?
Wei Yun has always been indifferent to women, and his household doesn’t even keep a single maid.
Wei Bo often worries that if his master remains this way for his entire life, then he probably won’t ever get married.
Who would have thought that the master, not liking the noble ladies or distinguished daughters from other families, secretly kept a young girl in the courtyard?!
How could this possibly seem like something the master would do?!
Wei Bo feels he might need to reevaluate his master…
So, the master likes to engage in such matters?!
At this moment, inside the study, Wei Yun and Xie Tao are sitting at the table, both feeling a bit awkward.
He occasionally reaches out to touch the tip of his nose.
And she covers her mouth with her hand.
The extremely light touch that just happened seems to linger on his nose tip and on the edge of her lips, tickling slightly.
For a moment, both of their hearts were pounding.
Wei Yun had originally planned to arrange a proper identity for Xie Tao in a while, allowing her to appear rightfully, but he hadn’t expected such an incident today.
It seems this matter cannot wait any longer.
Wei Yun raises his eyes to look at the girl sitting on a stool, wearing his brocade robe, hugging a bunch of cloth, her eyelashes fluttering like crow feathers. He seems to ponder for a moment before calling out to the door:
“Wei Bo.”
Standing on the steps, Wei Bo doesn’t hear clearly, but Wei Jing, with his excellent martial skills and hearing, hears it clearly.
He elbows the old man beside him, “Wei Bo, the master is calling you…”
Wei Jing still seems a bit shocked.
Sitting in the pavilion, Sheng Yueqi watches their reactions, laughs, and uncorks his wine jug again, pouring another mouthful of wine.
He came here today just to watch this drama unfold.
At that moment, Wei Bo quickly turns around, runs up the stairs, and gets close to the door, saying, “Master, your servant is here.”
“Go…buy some clothes for women.”
Wei Yun opens the door, saying this to the old man who is bowing and no longer dares to look inside.
Upon hearing this, Wei Bo’s ears move, he suddenly looks up, salutes Wei Yun, “Your servant will go now!”
Saying this, he turns around and hurries out of the courtyard.
Despite being over sixty, he runs quite fast, disappearing in an instant.
“…”
Wei Yun had never before realized that Wei Bo was such an unsteady old man.
When he looked up, he saw Wei Jing still foolishly standing under the stairs, and in the pavilion opposite, Sheng Yueqi was drinking wine.
Wei Yun turned around and walked back.
“You can’t wear my clothes. You should change them later,” Wei Yun said as he sat down in front of Xie Tao.
Xie Tao nodded, her fingers still clutching the hem of her dress, “…Okay.”
In the time it took to drink two cups of tea, Wei Bo came into the yard with two young servants carrying a large chest.
“Sir, as per your instructions, this old servant has taken care of everything,” Wei Bo directed the two servants to place the chest on the carpeted floor of the study.
The two servants, who apparently had never seen any woman in the Imperial Advisor’s mansion before, were stunned to see a girl sitting next to Wei Yun.
Catching Wei Yun’s slightly cold glance, Wei Bo kicked each servant in the leg, saying, “Get out!”
The servants, already chilled by Wei Yun’s casual glance, hurriedly made their exit after being kicked by Wei Bo, hastily bowed, and left.
“Why did you bring this chest back?” Wei Yun asked, looking at the large black chest with an inexplicable expression.
“It’s because I was afraid the lady wouldn’t have enough to wear…” Wei Bo whispered.
As if remembering something, Wei Bo quickly added, “Don’t worry, sir. This old servant will make sure those two young servants keep their mouths shut and not reveal anything about the lady.”
Hiding a beauty in the golden house was something the sir always did, so it was clear he didn’t want it to be discovered. Wei Bo felt it was necessary to strictly discipline the servants in the mansion to be more cautious.
“There’s no need,” Wei Yun said, looking at Xie Tao’s eager look. He paused, then continued, “In the future, just say she is…”
He hadn’t yet considered what her identity should be.
At that moment, Sheng Yueqi, who had been sitting in the pavilion under the corridor, came over with his wine pot, leisurely saying, “In the future, she will be the nominal young lady of your Imperial Advisor’s mansion, from Yecheng.”
Yecheng? Nominal young lady?
Upon hearing Sheng Yueqi’s words, Wei Yun immediately seemed to think of something, “Are you saying…”
Sheng Yueqi nodded, “With an identity already in place, it’s perfect for you to utilize. Those who have looked into your background won’t find it strange.”
To conceal Wei Yun’s identity, Sheng Yueqi had created a new identity for him early on.
A person from Yecheng, whose family had fallen on hard times, parents deceased early, with only one distant relative by marriage.
And that so-called distant relative was merely placed there by Sheng Yueqi to ensure full proof, serving as a decoy for various probes.
After all, there needed to be living people who could attest to Wei Yun’s identity.
Conveniently, he had once sought to temper the character of a somewhat disobedient female subordinate, having her play the role of a frail young lady there for many years.
“Then it can be said that this distant niece has been frail all her life and never went out. And you, out of gratitude for the kindness of that distant relative during your earlier years of destitution, brought her granddaughter to the capital for treatment… Isn’t that a fine excuse?”
Sheng Yueqi spread his hands, smiling as he spoke.
Wei Yun listened, pondered for a moment, and felt there was some sense in it.
Indeed, it was a ready-made identity.
Thus, in the space of a few sentences, Xie Tao became the new distant niece at the Imperial Advisor’s residence.
Xie Tao: “…”
She changed into a carefully selected dress from Wei Bo’s chest, embroidered with silver pear blossom petals on moon-white fabric, adorned with tiny pearls at the collar and silver tassels hanging from the waist, especially exquisite.
Touching the silver-threaded pear blossom petals, Xie Tao sat next to a large brass mirror temporarily moved there by Wei Bo, just like that, looking at her reflection. But indeed, she had never worn such a beautiful dress before.
She turned back to look at Wei Yun standing there, joyfully asking him, “Wei Yun, do you think I look good in this dress?”
Wei Yun caught a glimpse of her bright, sparkling eyes, his lips slightly lifted, and he nodded gently.
“But Miss, this hair…” Wei Bo, who had been standing there all along, quietly looked up at Xie Tao and then pointed at her ponytail, his expression a bit strange.
??
Xie Tao touched her ponytail, then said, “I don’t know how to do it either…”
The hairstyles here are so complicated.
Naturally, Wei Yun didn’t know how either.
So he raised his eyes to look at the three people in front of him.
Sheng Yueqi raised his hand, “My lord, I think I can do it, I’ve done hair buns for the girls in the brothel before.”
Wei Jing, although he didn’t know why he raised his hand too, followed, “My lord, when I was young, I did my mother’s hair bun… That is, I only know one style, and it’s a woman’s bun.”
One had done it for girls in a brothel, the other for his mother in the past.
Wei Yun, expressionless, glanced at them, then turned to Wei Bo, “Wei Bo, you do it.”
Wei Bo was startled, his beard quivered, he pointed at himself, “Me?”
Wei Yun “hmm”ed, “What? Can’t do it?”
Wei Bo quickly shook his head.
“It’s not that I can’t do it. Back when my wife was alive, I used to comb her hair. I am more familiar with women’s hairstyles, but for young girls… I only know one style.”
“That will do,” Wei Yun lifted his chin, signaling Wei Bo to comb Xie Tao’s hair.
With no other choice, Wei Bo repeatedly agreed and went forward, picking up the comb to do Xie Tao’s hair.
“Thank you, Wei Bo!” Xie Tao said with a smile, looking at Wei Bo in the bronze mirror behind her.
“Miss, you’re too kind.”
Wei Bo also smiled sheepishly, his graying beard trembling slightly.
A girl like her had never appeared in this mansion before, let alone one as spirited and well-mannered.
Wei Bo thought to himself in secret,
So the master likes this type of girl, too.
After finishing the simple hairstyle, Wei Bo put down the comb and then said to Wei Yun, “Master, what do you think?”
Xie Tao also turned her head to look at him.
“It’s acceptable.”
The words he almost blurted out were swallowed back. Wei Yun’s face remained impassive, his voice calm as he stood with his hands behind his back.
“Tsk.”
Sheng Yueqi watched his expression and shook his head, a meaningful smile on his face.
“Everyone, leave,”
Wei Yun glanced at him before speaking.
Wei Bo and Wei Jing bowed quickly, ready to leave, but noticed Sheng Yueqi was still standing there without intending to move. They exchanged looks, as if reaching a silent agreement, and in unison said to Sheng Yueqi, “Young Master Sheng, please.”
“…”
Sheng Yueqi had something more to say to Wei Yun, but it was clear that Wei Bo and Wei Jing would not let him be a third wheel.
He had no choice but to leave with them.
The room was left with only Wei Yun and Xie Tao, falling into silence.
Wei Yun then took a closer look at the young girl in front of him.
Dressed in the clothing of the Great Zhou Dynasty, with her hair up in a bun, she seemed as if she belonged to this world.
Even without makeup, her face was still radiant and charming.
“Hairpin,” Wei Yun suddenly moved behind her, extending his hand.
Xie Tao lowered her gaze to his palm.
She placed the hairpin she had been holding into his hand.
Then, through the polished bronze mirror, she saw the young nobleman behind her insert the gold-threaded, lapis lazuli jade hairpin into her hair.
After a moment, he paused as if looking at her in the mirror.
It seemed something was missing.
Wei Yun stared at her for a moment, then his gaze fell on her fair and soft earlobe.
It seemed without much thought, he extended his finger, gently pinching her earlobe.
Then, he witnessed the girl’s earlobe gradually turning red.
The moment he pinched her earlobe, Xie Tao’s spine stiffened, her cheeks began to heat up, and her breathing became stagnant.
“You’re not wearing earrings.”
His cool voice seemed to be right by her ear, his breath very close.
She could almost smell the faint, cold fragrance on him.
“Fear, fear of pain…” Xie Tao stammered.
As soon as she finished speaking, she thought she heard his light laughter.
A low sound, clear and cold, enticing the heart.
Thus, at that moment,
Her earlobe, between his fingertips, had quietly turned thoroughly red.
