Wang Jiugui felt he must be dreaming. He pinched his thigh hard and immediately cried out in pain with an "ouch."
It didn't seem like a dream.
But if it wasn't a dream, how could he explain everything happening be his eyes?
In mere moments, all his lackeys lay scattered across the ground, while the perpetrator stood upon the stone steps, dusting off her clothes. Sensing Wang Jiugui's gaze, she looked over, her eyes bright and clear, making his entire body shiver.
He had never seen Hé Yan like this before.
This wasn't how Hé Yan was supposed to be. Hé Yan was beautiful but sharp-tongued, vain, and opportunistic. Such women were countless in Shuo Capital, most with aspirations higher than heaven but fate thinner than paper. The fortunate ones might become concubines in wealthy households, while the unlucky ones would marry ordinary men and live their entire lives in bitter resentment. He Sui had raised her like a young lady—Hé Yan had never handled any sharp objects in her life; those hands were only for playing the zither or painting, certainly not for fighting.
Yet just now, Wang Jiugui had witnessed those hands form into fists and knock down a strong man with a single punch. He still remembered when Hé Yan grabbed his arm—before he could even register the numbness, pain shot through his arm, making him howl. Those weren't fingers—they were sharper than axes.
This woman was terrifying. What medicine had she taken to become so formidable overnight? How could she single-handedly defeat over a dozen of his men?
Wang Jiugui felt like weeping.
Before he could decide how to beg for mercy, he saw the young lady walking toward him.
"Holy Miss, spare me!" All rationality vanished as Wang Jiugui blurted out, "I was blind not to recognize your greatness. Please be magnanimous and let me go!"
"Don't send me such gifts in the future," Hé Yan said gently. "I don't like them."
"Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes." Wang Jiugui repeated "yes" several times, and fearing Hé Yan wouldn't believe him, added, "Tell me what you like, and I'll purchase it for you... is that alright?"
"That won't be necessary. I don't accept unearned favors," Hé Yan smiled. "We're all neighbors—don't make such jokes again."
"Yes, yes, yes." Wang Jiugui was grateful to tears.
"However, there's something else I want to ask you," she said.
Moments later, Hé Yan left the scene of devastation behind, walking away lightly, leaving behind a chorus of groans. She walked briskly, unaware that after she departed, on one of the floors of Zui Yu Lou, someone released their fan, letting the silk screen conceal the mess below.
"When did the women of the capital become so fierce and valiant?" This was a light voice, full of amusement and mockery. "Could this be why you, Uncle, have been reluctant to get engaged and marry?"
His words received no response.
The speaker persisted, "Uncle, shall we inquire about which family that young lady belongs to? If she's suitable, why not recruit her as your female guard? At night, she could even warm your bed..."
With a "bang," someone's fingertips lightly tapped the table, and the tea lid covering the half-full cup flew precisely into his mouth, rendering him speechless.
"Mmph, mmph—" The person struggled indignantly.
"If you waste one more word, I'll throw you down from here," a lazy and indifferent voice interrupted the other's protests.
The room fell silent.
The zither's "Flowing Light" melody flowed slowly through the elegant chamber, concealing the spring scenery outside. Tea continued to be drunk, and someone muttered "stingy" under their breath, quickly drowned out by the music.
He Yunsheng breathed a sigh of relief when Hé Yan returned unharmed.
"Are you alright? Where are Wang Jiugui and the others?" He Yunsheng asked, not seeing Wang Jiugui.
"I reasoned with them and appealed to their emotions, so they left. They said they'll come to apologize another day and won't do such things again," Hé Yan said. "Don't worry about them, let's continue selling cakes."
He Yunsheng looked at her suspiciously.
If Wang Jiugui were truly that reasonable, he wouldn't be Wang Jiugui. But Hé Yan seemed unwilling to elaborate, and she appeared unharmed. Being a young man, He Yunsheng soon dismissed the matter from his mind.
That night, after dinner, as He Yunsheng was about to retire to bed, Hé Yan stopped him.
"What is it?"
"Do you have any clean clothes?" Hé Yan asked.
He Yunsheng looked uncomprehending.
"I want to see if your clothes need mending," Hé Yan said. "I can help with the sewing at night."
He Yunsheng's expression nearly cracked.
Since birth, this was the first time Hé Yan had offered to mend his clothes. For a moment, an unfamiliar feeling of warmth surged in the young man's heart, but... he hesitantly asked, "Have you ever handled needle and thread?"
He seemed to recall that Hé Yan couldn't do needlework—Qing Mei did all the sewing.
"You underestimate me. Of course." Of course not.
Hé Yan pushed him: "Hurry and bring them, bring everything you can."
He Yunsheng obediently brought a pile of clothes, and Hé Yan carried them into her room. He Yunsheng still hesitated, "Why not let Qing Mei do it?"
"How could Qing Mei's work compare to mine? Go to sleep now, you need to wake up early tomorrow," Hé Yan said.
After sending the young man away, Hé Yan returned to her room and sorted through the clothes, finally selecting a chestnut-colored round-necked narrow-sleeved long robe. He Sui must have given all his resources to his daughter—He Yunsheng didn't possess a single decent piece of clothing, just cotton clothes and horse pants. This single long robe was probably someone's hand-me-down, washed until the color had faded.
Fortunately, she and He Yunsheng were approximately the same height, so it fit reasonably well. After arranging her hair in a male topknot, casually breaking off a tree branch from outside to secure it, darkening her skin tone, and thickening her eyebrows, Hé Yan looked in the mirror—quite the young gentleman.
In her previous life, she had mastered the art of disguising herself as a man—during those years, no one had discovered anything amiss. In this life, dressing as a man felt just as natural. It was regrettable—she had hoped to present as a refined young master, but in these clothes, she resembled more a young lord from a declining family, barely presentable.
She paced around the room, feeling confident in her disguise, before quietly opening the door. She went to the courtyard, nimbly jumped over the wall, and arrived on the street.
The capital had no curfew during this season, and it was at its most bustling and prosperous. Hé Yan walked toward the brightly illuminated areas, where melodious songs and dances drifted from the boats along the shore, vendors called out loudly on both sides, and spring was in full bloom—a magnificent night scene of prosperity.
She hadn't been able to venture out like this for many years. Not since He Rufei returned to the He family, since she married into the Xu family, since she lost her sight.
These lively, prosperous, beautiful things had seemed so distant from her, but tonight, along with the night breeze from the lake, they were regained. She was free.
Leaving that He family behind, everything started anew, and she felt grateful to heaven.
Not far from Zui Yu Lou in the capital, outside Ming House, flower-like beautiful young ladies were smilingly receiving guests.
This wasn't a brothel, but Le Tong Manor—the capital's largest and most famous gambling house.
Hé Yan stopped before Le Tong Manor.
Previous/Next
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
