The night was as dark as ink, so thick it couldn’t be dissolved.
Suddenly, a breeze swept through, dispersing the layers of clouds. The bright moon erged, casting a cold, eerie glow, its silvery light pouring down like an inverted Milky Way.
The lanterns under the corridor flickered in the wind, casting swaying shadows on the ground.
Shen Zhiyi glanced at the small section of tile Yu Tingwan had removed.
Inside, she could only see Ying Zhi sitting.
The light inside wasn’t very bright; Ying Zhi sat still, his expression calm.
There was no struggle at all.
From the mont he decided to co, he was ready for sacrifice.
There must be sacrifice to gain, he was open-minded.
How could he be hesitant?
But.
He looked around.
This place wasn’t big.
The furnishings were old.
After Liang Rui moved in, he didn’t specifically change the furniture.
Indeed.
Liang was a barbarian land, even the princes were quite rough.
These days, Emperor Ying and Ying Yin had secretly sent people to find Liang Rui.
He was also using this to spy on Liang Rui’s capabilities.
Daring to co to Da Jin and settle under the emperor’s feet, he must have backup plans, it was impossible he ca alone.
After his whereabouts were revealed, he did not evacuate early but instead lay low here. Even in these days, Emperor Ying and Ying Yin gained nothing.
How could Ying Zhi know that Wei Zhao and Gu Fuju were covering up?
He just knew that Liang Rui was indeed an excellent ally!
The residents of Qingyun Lane were ordinary folk.
He could vaguely hear the crying of a child next door, loud enough to shake the heavens and the earth.
In contrast, the sharp scolding seed much weaker.
The woman next door chased with a broom, and the nearby residents all rushed over to diate.
"Zhaozhu’s mom, don’t scare the kid."
"That’s right, he’s crying so miserably, poor thing."
"Causing such a fuss at night, none of us can rest. My daughter-in-law slipped last ti, almost miscarried, she’s been bedridden, this scared her badly."
Hearing this, the woman quickly bent down to apologize.
"Sorry, sorry."
"It’s just that this brat is so infuriating."
Saying this, she wiped the tears off her face, and couldn’t help but curse at Zhaozhu, who was darting around like a monkey.
"You little brat have the nerve to cry? Your father works hard as a laborer at the dock, earning just a few pennies a day. He worked regardless of rain or shine, and in the end, collapsed from exhaustion and fell into the water. By the ti they pulled him out, he was more dead than alive. The head of the boat gang gave so money, and he just wanted to leave it for us mother and son, he wouldn’t even spend it on dicine to save his life. That’s why he’s gone."
"As a woman, I don’t know much, but I can only live off what I have, counting copper coins day by day, and you! You’re supposed to be the pillar of this family! And yet you squandered it all at the gambling den?"
Each word was filled with despair.
The neighbors, upon hearing this, couldn’t help but criticize Zhaozhu.
"You foolish boy!"
"No wonder your mother is so angry, get down and apologize."
The noise was overwhelming.
Ying Zhi was annoyed listening to it.
All just common people.
Fighting over a few pennies and airing their dirty laundry, not afraid of losing face.
Luckily, with the noise over there, the people talking on the rooftop weren’t heard by him.
Shen Zhiyi: "Are we early?"
Yu Tingwan nodded: "Liang Rui hasn’t returned yet."
However, his n brought Ying Zhi in and then went to look for him.
Shen Zhiyi was going to sit by Yu Tingwan, but she glanced at the eaves, which were still quite dirty.
She raised her hand to touch, and a layer of dust stuck to her hand.
Before she could react, Yu Tingwan pulled out a handkerchief for her to sit on.
"Just got married, and Heir Xiao still doesn’t know how to take care of people."
Xiao Huaian ???
Every ti Yu Tingwan called her Heir Xiao, it seed like he would suffer.
Yu Tingwan patted Shen Zhiyi’s hand: "But it’s all trivial matters, don’t bla him."
Xiao Huaian: ???
Shen’s father’s official position wasn’t high, but Shen Zhiyi had her aunt to rely on, and was a noble lady with a prominent reputation in Shangjing, living a life of luxury.
Though the family back ho was in turmoil, she appeared noble, yet she had endured hardships.
Leaving in a hurry without much preparation, if it weren’t for Yu Tingwan providing a handkerchief, she would have just endured and sat down, knowing she’d have to bathe again upon returning.
Perhaps she was still not used to her new identity; she hadn’t even thought of Xiao Huaian for such matters.
But with Yu Tingwan’s ’unintentional’ ntion, Shen Zhiyi, feeling touched as she sat, couldn’t help but give Xiao Huaian a scornful look.
Shen Zhiyi: "Luckily I have you."
Yu Tingwan: "Yes."
Shen Zhiyi: "n aren’t reliable."
Yu Tingwan pointed to Wei Zhao: "That’s not true, it depends on the person."
Wei Zhao, pampered by these words, was pleased.
Xiao Huaian wasn’t feeling too great.
Shen Zhiyi: "Why didn’t you call to join the fun? I could’ve co too."
Yu Tingwan shared half of the food. She spoke casually, without any guilt.
Almost as if it wasn’t her who had ntioned going to play cards and cause trouble earlier.
"I figured you were tired from the day, so I didn’t want you to fuss."
Shen Zhiyi felt even more touched.
Her hands were warm.
Yu Tingwan touched them.
She frowned slightly, shrugged off her outer garnt, and draped it over her: "Look at how cold your hands are."
"Heir Xiao is still too young, how co he didn’t take care of you?"
Shen Zhiyi was silent for a mont, thinking she shouldn’t wrong Xiao Huaian.
"I should not be cold."
Yu Tingwan replied softly, looking serious.
"You are cold."
Shen Zhiyi really felt cold.
She wrapped Yu Tingwan’s coat tighter, just about to ask what she would do without it. Then she saw Wei Zhao covering Yu Tingwan with his own.
He did it naturally.
Yu Tingwan was not surprised, accepting it as a matter of course.
After Wei Zhao did all this, he didn’t even look at Xiao Huaian.
He spoke calmly.
"Learn from it."
"Does one need to be taught this?"
Xiao Huaian was about to laugh in exasperation.
So, Liang Rui hasn’t returned, the play hasn’t started, and you’re using as entertainnt?
"Indeed."
Yu Tingwan looked over with a mournful gaze: "Who in Shangjing doesn’t know that Heir Xiao is famous for his silver tongue, pleasing won? You should have plenty of experience, frequenting places of pleasure, even if just pretending, you’ve embraced won left and right for others to see."
These words weren’t exaggerated at all.
After all, they were true.
Goodness.
Every sentence was like thunder.
Xiao Huaian was dumbfounded.
Shen Zhiyi vaguely recalled when her engagent to Chu Liulang was still on, being ordered by elders to parade during the Qiqiao Festival, they encountered Xiao Huaian with a dazzlingly dressed woman by his side, a dress that scread brothel origins.
She kept pestering Xiao Huaian to buy this and that, her voice both coy and charming.
Xiao Huaian, genuinely indulgent, holding her, the folded fan pressed against the courtesan’s waist, looked quite intimate, but his hand never directly touched her.
——"Buy it."
——"What would you want that I can’t give? Beg a little, and my heart would shatter."
The courtesan rolled her eyes.
——"Would you redeem then?"
——"That’s not possible."
Truly heartless, too.
——"If it weren’t for Yingying being unwell, would I take you out? She’s the one I truly care for."
Yingying.
She was the Oiran.
It was well known that Xiao Huaian of the Marquis Zhongyong Mansion was deeply enamored with that Oiran, and if not for the Marquis and his wife stopping him, this notorious rake would have married her.
——"You’re neither as slender nor as tender as she is."
——"Don’t be mad, she’s not here, you’re who I like the most right now."
Words without sincerity.
Accompanied by his upturned eyes and the lascivious smile at the corner of his lips, he exhibited the role of a playboy vividly.
Yet it gradually dissipated upon spotting Shen Zhiyi not far away.
At the ti, Shen Zhiyi, accompanying Chu Liulang, approached to greet him. Chu Liulang, eager to associate with Xiao Huaian, said quite a few good things.
But Xiao Huaian paid him no mind.
Panic flashed in his eyes, and his hand was about to withdraw. But upon seeing the montary disdain on Shen Zhiyi’s face, Xiao Huaian froze in place.
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