Shuiyue Pavilion is located in the northwest corner of the Shang Family’s estate, appearing from the outside as a rather ordinary courtyard. Standing at the entrance to the courtyard, a re four or five steps away from the fire pit, Shang Xinlei remains in shadow, deliberately hiding herself, afraid of being seen.
With no one guarding the vicinity, any First-Turn ssenger could use their agility to scale the walls and escape the Shang Family; the so-called confinent is just a formality. Yet no one escapes—whether herself or anyone residing within—they are tightly bound by the web of society, unable to break free.
When every action and word could implicate your loved ones and affect everything you care about, how could you act recklessly without regard for anyone else? Everyone understands that taking the bigger picture into account involves tolerance, retreat, and grievance, but when you are in the midst of the bigger picture, filled with all your mories and keepsakes from the past, how could you not tread carefully?
Draw the saber to break the web of dust, facing death as returning ho... But not everyone can be like Jiang Shi, appearing without attachnts, departing without reluctance.
"Miss."
A maid brings two servants to the doorway, "Shall I take them in for you, Miss?"
"No need." Shang Xinlei reaches out to pick up the four food boxes, each heavy in weight, but to a Second-Turn ssenger, it’s nothing worth ntioning, "You may go back; don’t linger around here."
The servants naturally hurry to leave, while the maid looks at Shang Xinlei with concern, "Shouldn’t Hualian be by your side to attend to you?"
Shang Xinlei shakes her head, expressing no further indication. The maid tries to persevere, but upon receiving a glance from Shang Xinlei, her body stiffens, standing frozen, watching Shang Xinlei carry the food boxes into Shuiyue Pavilion.
Once the door to Shuiyue Pavilion is closed, the maid seems to escape from drowning, leaning against the wall while taking deep breaths, her face filled with fear. She can’t comprehend why she feels such terror when the Fourth Miss has always been kind and cheerful, never condescending to the servants, genuinely caring for the Fourth Miss like a sister. But just now the Fourth Miss...
She seed as heartless as the master.
...
...
"Xiaoyu!"
Qian Gongyu, who is lying on the bed with legs raised reading a book, jumps up imdiately, stepping on the wooden floor without her shoes, inhaling deeply through her nose, almost drooling: "Slls so good!"
"Of course." Shang Xinlei opens the food boxes, imdiately releasing a wave of steam that fills the room with the aroma of delectable dishes: "Jinyu Lion’s Head, Garlic Shrimp Balls, Stead Prawn, Pan-Fried Stuffed Peppers, Garlic Ribs, Soy Sauce Bass... How is it?"
"I’ve had four als here, and every al is full of dishes I love?" Qian Gongyu groans, "These annoying wealthy families, can they eat so well every day?"
"Yes indeed, isn’t your family the sa?" Shang Xinlei feigns surprise, "How could you eat with fewer than six dishes at a al! Even our family’s servants wouldn’t be shortchanged on their als!"
"My family mostly serves three dishes at most, and they have to be split across two als." Qian Gongyu looks distressed: "Sotis I have to hunt in the mountains to have so at..."
"Then eat more, since my family is so wealthy that eating nine als a day wouldn’t make a dent."
Seeing Shang Xinlei bring out two sets of bowls and chopsticks, Qian Gongyu asks curiously: "Didn’t you say tonight is the family gathering? Haven’t you had enough?"
"Who wants to eat with that group of people? Seeing them, I lose my appetite," Shang Xinlei says calmly, "I prefer dining with you. You eat like a pig; watching you eat is truly appetizing."
"I see... Wait a minute, you called a pig!"
"I didn’t call you a pig, I was praising you! Pigs are so lovely, so clean, and so white; why shouldn’t it be a complint? Don’t be so narrow-minded!"
Qian Gongyu doubts herself, unable to retort, she just picks up the dishes into her bowl and turns to face away from Shang Xinlei to eat. Shang Xinlei giggles, sits next to her, and pokes her waist: "I’m sorry."
"I’m sorry." "I’m sorry." "I’m sorry."
With each apology, Shang Xinlei pokes once, and Qian Gongyu cannot escape, glaring at her: "Stop poking, it’s ticklish!"
"Is it my imagination, or does it feel like there’s more flesh on your waist?"
"Impossible!"
"Have you been exercising these days?"
"...No."
"So you just eat and sleep, and sleep and eat, like a pig?"
"I do read books! I’m reading the ’ssenger Manual,’ and I’ve finished two volus already!"
"Why do you sound so proud? It’s just a romantic adventure novel..." Shang Xinlei reached out and pinched the flesh on Qian Gongyu’s waist, looking stern: "If you keep on not exercising and eating like this every day, you’ll really turn into a pig soon. How about this, I’ll find you an advanced footwork textbook, you practice daily, maybe you’ll pick it up."
"No need, once I get back to Baiyun, I can go hiking and swimming every day, I’ll lose weight quickly." Qian Gongyu imdiately refused: "Besides, the advanced footwork textbook... that’s a major legacy of the Shang Family, right? How can you let see it?"
The so-called textbook is a course material written by ssengers with skills based on their own experience and techniques; the more advanced a family’s textbook is, the more precious it becos, because it can have many ssengers verifying each other’s work, even innovating and improving nonstop over generations. Families like the Jie Family, Shang Family, Chen Family, and Zhou Family of the Violet Ribbon Family, almost all of their elite children rely on their own understanding of advanced techniques, relying on the generation after generation of textbooks.
Footwork is a cultivation technique that nearly all ssengers have to learn, and the advanced footwork textbook of the Shang Family is probably more valuable than the advanced footwork secret manuals from a Secret Realm. After all, secret manuals can only be used by one person, whereas textbooks give countless family mbers the hope of a second career switch!
"I’ve now mastered the Secret Blood Wheel, so it’s easy for to exchange a footwork textbook from the family. At that ti, if you don’t say anything and I don’t say anything, who would know you’ve seen it?" Shang Xinlei reached out with chopsticks to take Qian Gongyu’s peeled shrimp at: "Why, are you afraid of being laughed at if you can’t learn it?"
"Also," Shang Xinlei took out a Basic Saber Mastery Secret Manual, which she had bid for from the trading board today: "I noticed your martial arts are mainly claw, palm blade, and finger sword; mastering the Basic Saber Technique will greatly benefit you and help you understand the secret technique. Don’t refuse, I’ve already bought it; do you want to return it and lose face? People might think the dignified Fourth Miss of the Shang Family can’t even afford to give a gift."
The Basic Saber Technique Secret Manual is quite rare in Jiangnan, only produced by two or three Secret Realms, and all are family realms, requiring both connections and patience to purchase. In comparison, spending a little more money to bid for the manual from the trading board is more cost-effective; no wonder people praise the trading board.
At this point, Qian Gongyu had no choice but to reach out for the saber technique manual, though she was trembling as if she was holding a death sentence notice, making Shang Xinlei both angry and amused: "What are you afraid of?"
"It’s not fear, you’re so good to , I just..." Qian Gongyu tightened her buttocks: "I, I may like sleeping with Jiang Shi, but I still want to find my ideal husband..."
Shang Xinlei burst into laughter and asked: "So what kind of ideal husband are you looking for?"
"Handso, powerful, fragrant, cool, who really values . Oh, and best if he joins the Qian Family!"
"Aside from the last point, I feel like you’re describing Jiang Shi. But it’s not impossible, since you are already ranked 30th on the Hidden Dragon Ranking, who knows?"
"I only ntioned basic requirents, not describing Jiang Shi..." Qian Gongyu waved her hands repeatedly, suddenly realizing: "Wait, I’m on the Hidden Dragon Ranking!?"
"Yes, because you’ve had a second career change and you’re under thirty, getting on the Hidden Dragon Ranking is only natural." Shang Xinlei poked her chopsticks into the lion head atball, taking a big bite: "Our generation is quite diocre, all those ranked after you have transitioned only thanks to secret manuals."
The so-called Hidden Dragon Ranking is a list by the Liang Court selecting young ssengers under thirty; being on it not only boosts fa but greatly increases family points, very attractive to small esteed families like Qian Gongyu’s.
"So I’m famous now?" Qian Gongyu was very excited: "Will people recognize when I go out now?"
"The average person might not, but many from esteed families might." Shang Xinlei spread her hands: "It’s not actually because of the Hidden Dragon Ranking, but because you’re Jiang Shi’s... master?"
Qian Gongyu sighed, full of lancholy: "Jiang Shi hasn’t even sent a letter; I wonder if she still considers her master."
"I bet you’d really dare to respond..."
"What’s wrong, even if Jiang Shi was in front of , she’d still have to call young miss!"
"Yes, yes." Shang Xinlei said: "By the way, I’m already ranked third on the Hidden Dragon Ranking. I’ll soon be undergoing my third career change and then you can rank up one more place, what do you think?"
"Great!" Qian Gongyu stuck out her tongue, making a funny face.
Laughter filled Shuiyue Pavilion with Shang Xinlei eating voraciously, seemingly reverting to the energetic and naughty Fourth Miss again. As Qian Gongyu peeled another shrimp, Shang Xinlei unexpectedly snatched it, but Qian Gongyu quickly counterattacked, and with swift offense and defense, ended up finishing the shrimp at herself.
"Speaking of which, the Mansu Forest Land adventure will end in a few days, then there will be ten big treasure chests distributed, wonder what we’ll get." Shang Xinlei said, biting on her chopsticks: "Since the four of us put in great effort, we can claim forty percent of the total shares of these treasure chests, ten percent each. Yes, Jiang Shi’s share counts as yours, if she ever returns, you can give it back to her."
"You’re even giving a share," Qian Gongyu said, sowhat surprised: "I thought..."
"With and Eldest Miss Jie here, what’s yours won’t be short a bit." Shang Xinlei said seriously.
"I know." Qian Gongyu nodded: "Xinlei, you wouldn’t harm . So..."
She took a big head shrimp and started peeling it, asking:
"Will I never be able to leave the Shang Family?"
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