The smile froze on Zhao Huanxi’s face. After a short while, he twisted his body away and said, “I’m not going!”

“Don’t misunderstand. I’m asking you to go to the Imperial Academy not because I want you to excel in your studies or achieve any official rank. I just hope you can take this opportunity to make a few more friends. Do you know why Zhao Huanxu invited Duan Jun to see horses today?”

Zhao Huanxi turned around and looked at Xu Nian’an.

“You see, your Si Jiefu said you’re not good at composing poetry and that you wouldn’t enjoy the poetry gathering. So, Duan Jun suggested taking you for a stroll in the garden instead. It’s like last time when Zhao Huanxu insisted on taking you to compose poetry, and I helped you out of it. He wants to take you away from a place where you feel embarrassed; it’s a kind gesture. When Zhao Huanxu suddenly used his horse to attract Duan Jun and prevent him from going to the garden with you, it was to cut off the possibility of you and Duan Jun becoming friends after getting to know each other. Every time there are guests in the house, he’s there. Why would he sacrifice precious study time to do this? It’s to prevent you from making friends among the families associated with the Zhao family. In this situation, if you don’t take the initiative to step out, how will you break this deadlock?” Xu Nian’an asked him.

“But why would he do this?” Zhao Huanxi asked, feeling distressed.

“Because he knows that even if you’re not successful in academics or martial arts, as long as you have influential friends by your side, you can still accomplish things. Conversely, even if you’re well-read and skilled in martial arts, but you’re alone, you won’t achieve much. Compared to making friends, studying is secondary. There’s a lifetime’s worth of books to read, and even if you don’t achieve official rank, as long as you apply what you’ve learned, it’s not wasted. True and sincere friends who support and help each other are a lifelong treasure. Missing out on that would be a pity,” Xu Nian’an advised.

Zhao Huanxi seemed somewhat moved, but after a while, he lowered his head and remained silent.

“Are you so averse to going to the Imperial Academy because you have some unpleasant memories there?” Xu Nian’an asked him.

Zhao Huanxi replied, “Most of the students at the Imperial Academy are from noble families like mine. They form cliques and often bully others. They are very annoying.”

“How do they bully others?”

“They… they always talk about their romantic escapades with maidservants or courtesans, and then they tease me, saying I look like a girl, and they try to drag me along to participate in their antics. I get angry, and then they laugh at me for being thin-skinned and unable to take a joke, I hated them for that. When I tell my mother about it, she scolds them but then scolds me too, and nothing changes. During that time, going to the Imperial Academy every day became a source of distress for me, but I couldn’t skip it without reason. Later, I fell seriously ill. After recovering, my mother wanted me to go to the Imperial Academy, but I deliberately caught a cold and got sick again shortly after going. After a few times, my mother became worried about my health and finally agreed with me that I shouldn’t go anymore.” Zhao Huanxi murmured with his head down.

“If it’s just that, then you don’t need to worry. This time, I’ll help you come up with a plan to ensure they can’t bully you,” Xu Nian’an said.

“They are so shameless, how can you deal with them?” Zhao Huanxi obviously didn’t hold much hope in Xu Nian’an’s words.

Xu Nian’an remained calm and said, “Didn’t I tell you last time that when dealing with people, you should think about where their weaknesses lie? When you go to the Imperial Academy, don’t focus solely on your studies; instead, pay attention to what those people are saying. By listening and observing more, you’ll discover many secrets. For example, if someone boasts to their friends but always makes excuses not to visit a brothel or a pleasure house when invited, it’s likely that their family is strict. If this person is unmarried, you can warn him that you’ll inform his parents if he continues such behaviour. If the person is already married, they are probably afraid of their in-laws, and you can use this to your advantage. If someone fears nothing in heaven or on earth and is a complete rogue, then there is no need to waste words with him, simply tell him to get lost!”

Zhao Huanxi widened his dark, bright eyes, looking incredulous, as if he had never considered such a way to deal with the situation.

“Is this… effective?” he asked uncertainly.

“You’ll know if you try,” Xu Nian’an said.

Zhao Huanxi didn’t immediately agree but said, “Let me think about it.”

Xu Nian’an didn’t expect that her words could persuade him to agree to go to school immediately, so she changed the subject and said, “You’ve been wronged today. Tomorrow, I’ll cover for you, so you can go see Pang Guniang.”

Zhao Huanxi didn’t react immediately. “See Pang Guniang?”

“Well, it’s been quite some time since you last saw each other. Don’t you miss her?” Xu Nian’an looked at him with a teasing gaze.

Zhao Huanxi became flustered. “I… “ He realized he hadn’t really thought about her.

“Come on, I won’t tease you. Why are you so flustered? Your face is all red,” Xu Nian’an laughed as she turned away to tidy up her things.

Zhao Huanxi looked at her graceful back, feeling somewhat upset.

✦

At the hour of the Xu (between 7.00 pm to 9.00 pm), the room was dimly lit.

Zhao Huanxi had his back to Xu Nian’an, facing the window and watching the shadows of the trees cast on the window. After a while, he turned over to face the bed. Xu Nian’an was also facing away from him, having not moved since getting into bed.

“Dong Jiejie,” he called softly, “are you asleep?”

“Almost,” Xu Nian’an replied with closed eyes, her voice sounding sleepy.

Zhao Huanxi couldn’t help but smile and said, “Dong Jiejie, maybe I shouldn’t go see her tomorrow after all.”

Xu Nian’an opened her eyes and asked, “Why?”

“My mother is in a bad mood. If she finds out tomorrow that I went to see Pang Guniang, she might take it out on you and Pang Guniang. Since it’s nothing urgent, I won’t go see her for now,” Zhao Huanxi said.

Xu Nian’an turned to face him, and in the dim light, he could see her eyes gleaming faintly.

“Could it be that you don’t like her anymore?”

Zhao Huanxi blushed and instinctively denied, “No.”

“Then why wouldn’t you want to go see her?”

“I… I’m worried…”

“If you truly don’t want to see her now, then don’t. It’s between you two, and there’s no reason for me to force you to see her. Don’t toss and turn anymore, go to sleep,” Xu Nian’an said, starting to turn away again.

“Dong Jiejie!” Zhao Huanxi suddenly reached out and grabbed her blanket.

Xu Nian’an stopped turning over.

“I can’t sleep. Can you talk with me for a while?” Zhao Huanxi’s voice softened, sounding like a hum coming from his nose.

After spending these days with him, Xu Nian’an had already understood that when he made that sound, he was actually being coquettish.

“What do you want to talk about?” she asked.

Zhao Huanxi’s eyes twinkled as he asked, “Dong Jiejie, do you have someone you like?”

“Not yet. Why do you ask?” Xu Nian’an replied.

For some reason, Zhao Huanxi felt a secret joy in his heart when he heard her answer. “Nothing, just… asking.”

“Since you can’t sleep, how about I tell you a story?” Xu Nian’an suggested.

Zhao Huanxi’s eyes lit up, and he said with great interest, “Sure, Sure.”

Xu Nian’an began her story.

“Once upon a time, there was a famous courtesan named Wei Xuezhen in Su-Hang prefecture. She had a difficult life but was naturally beautiful and talented in many ways. Sold to a brothel at a young age, she was used to seeing the ugly side of men in the pleasure quarters and had no intention of entrusting her life to any man.

“But one day, she met a man who captured her heart. He was a merchant who offered to buy her freedom and marry her openly. She fell for it.

“That man did not break his promise. He truly bought her freedom, married her, and became her husband. In the early days of their marriage, when their love was blossoming, they made vows, saying ‘tying the knot as husband and wife, loving each other deeply without any suspicion’ and ‘Holding the hand of my beloved, we will grow old together’.”

Zhao Huanxi’s eyes were sparkling: It’s a love story.

“But good times don’t last long. What respectable man would be willing to marry a courtesan as his main wife? He soon found a new love. When the new love and the old love were vying for favour and feeling jealous, he didn’t hesitate to degrade Wei Xuezhen by using her background.

“Wei Xuezhen was strong-willed. When she realized she had entrusted herself to the wrong person and didn’t want to live in disgrace, she hanged herself with a rope. The merchant sent her off hastily, as it wasn’t the first time he had lost a wife.”

Zhao Huanxi clenched his fists in frustration: So it’s a tragic story.

“However, on the night of her funeral, the merchant had a dream. He slept on the outside of the bed facing outward, just like you. In his dream, he saw his hair on the pillow suddenly come to life, winding its way over the edge of the bed and flowing under the bed, exerting such force that it made his scalp ache.

“He reached out to grab his hair, trying to pull it back, but found that he couldn’t pull it. Then he reached under the bed to see what was pulling his hair. As soon as his hand went down, it was grabbed by a cold little hand.”

Zhao Huanxi froze: It’s… It is actually a ghost story…

“The merchant was so scared that he stiffened and couldn’t move on the bed. At this moment, a dishevelled face slowly emerged from under the bed, with a pale face, blood-red eyes, and a tongue that hung down to its chest as soon as it opened its mouth.

“She said: ‘Fujun～, you～ promised～ tying～ the～ knot～ as～ husband～ and～ wife～ with～ me～, loving～ each～ other～ deeply～ without～ any～ suspicion～. You～ promised～ to～ hold～ my hand～ and～ grow～ old～ with～ me～. You～ cannot～ break～ your～ promise～ ah～’”

the author relly used '～' after every word lmaoo

In the last paragraph, Xu Nian’an spoke with great emotion. Her eerie tone and voice made Zhao Huanxi, who was beside her, grip the edge of the bed tightly, even holding his breath.

“No, no more?” His heart was pounding. Seeing Xu Nian’an stop speaking, he nervously swallowed and asked.

“I’ve finished the story. Are you sleepy yet? Or should I tell you another one?” Xu Nian’an said considerately.

“No need, I’m going to sleep.” Zhao Huanxi quickly turned over, facing away from Xu Nian’an, and tightly closed his eyes.

The room fell silent for a moment, but Zhao Huanxi’s heart couldn’t calm down for a long time. A bug outside the window suddenly chirped, frightening him. He opened his eyes abruptly, subconsciously glanced at the edge of the bed, and then looked at his own hair near the pillow.

After tucking his hair under the pillow, he glanced at the edge of the bed again. The furniture and decorations outside the edge of the bed were all dark in the dim light, and staring at them for too long made them seem like they were moving.

He grabbed the edge of the blanket with both hands and slowly pulled it up, covering his face until it was completely hidden under the blanket.

It was in the middle of the Sixth Month, and even a thin blanket would make the person under the blanket feel a bit hot at night, let alone when Zhao Huanxi wrapped himself tightly from head to toe.

After a while, he felt hot and stuck one leg out of the blanket. His foot accidentally touched the cold, hard edge of the bed, startling him so much that he quickly pulled his leg back under the blanket, as if it had been burned.

He squirmed in the blanket like a pupa in a cocoon, his ten fingers grabbing the edge of the blanket and pulling it down slightly. He peeked out from under the blanket with a pair of eyes, rolling them around the room before finally turning his head to look at Xu Nian’an beside him, and asked, “Dong Jiejie, are you asleep?”

“En… almost,” Xu Nian’an replied vaguely.

“Dong Jiejie, you must find it inconvenient to have to climb over me every morning to greet my mother, right? How about I give you the outer side (of the bed)?” Zhao Huanxi asked tentatively.

Xu Nian’an turned to look at him. “Is that okay?”

“Of course it is.” Zhao Huanxi sat up as if afraid she might change her mind, holding his blanket. “Let’s change tonight. I’ll get up earlier tomorrow to have breakfast with you so you don’t have to wait for me with an empty stomach.”

“All right.” Xu Nian’an swapped positions with him. After lying down, she thanked him, “Sanlang, you are really thoughtful and considerate. Thank you.”

“It’s nothing, don’t mention it.” Taking advantage of the darkness, Zhao Huanxi replied, his voice thick with embarrassment.

Xu Nian’an turned over, facing away from the bed, and fell asleep with a smile on her face, in a very good mood.

✦

In the backyard of the Wu Family, in Zhao Jiaxian’s courtyard.

“Guniang, don’t read anymore. It’s late, and you are still pregnant. You should sleep early.” Nanny Xian walked to the lamp and reached out as if to take the book from Zhao Jiaxian’s hand.

“Nanny, I’ll just read a little longer. I’ve already sent Dongxiang to call Fujun. He promised to come here after having dinner there.” Zhao Jiaxian said.

“He promised to have dinner with you here… The Wu family is so rude. Allowing a concubine to ride over the head of the main wife. I should go back and tell Taitai (Yin Furen) everything!” Nanny Xian muttered indignantly, her triangular eyes drooping.

“Don’t, there are enough people in my family for my mother to worry about,” Zhao Jiaxian interrupted, then glanced towards the door with a look of resentment. “Besides, which man doesn’t have three wives and four concubines? It’s not a big deal. If it weren’t for…”

‘If it weren’t for that shameless bit*h’s belly being bigger than mine.’ In her heart, Nanny Xian completed Zhao Jiaxian’s sentence.

At this moment, Dongxiang returned and reported to Zhao Jiaxian, “Guniang, Gu Yé has gone out.”

Zhao Jiaxian stood up straight. “He went out so late? Where did he go?”

Dongxiang pouted. “The Meixiang Courtyard won’t tell. So Nubi asked around and found out that it seemed like Gu Yé was invited by a friend and left after he had dinner at Meixiang Courtyard.”

Zhao Jiaxian felt sad and couldn’t help but start crying again.

After returning from her parents’ house, she was so disturbed by the affairs at Meixiang Courtyard that she didn’t even have a chance to say a complete sentence to Wu Cheng. If this continues, how could he be willing to let the child born at Meixiang Courtyard be raised under her care?

What if this pregnancy doesn’t result in a son? Would her mother’s tragedy really repeat itself with her?

In Meixiang Courtyard, Zheng Man’er stirred the bird’s nest in her bowl with a spoon, instructing her maid, Qin’er, “Tell the kitchen to reduce the portion of the late-night snack tomorrow. My mother said that during pregnancy, one should not eat too well, or it will be difficult to give birth later.”

Qin’er acknowledged.

Sè’er entered from outside, smiling, and leaned close to Zheng Man’er’s ear, whispering something to her.

Zheng Man’er smiled, her fox-like eyes narrowed into slits, and said, “Cry and complain all you want. It’s only through such pondering and worry that she’ll have better days ahead.”

Qin’er worried, “Xiaojie, is it appropriate to do this? After all, San Shao Nainai is the legitimate daughter of Jing Guogong Residence.”

“What do you understand?” Zheng Man’er threw the spoon into the bowl, making a crisp sound. She looked at Qin’er askew and said, “Don’t think I don’t know that it’s my mother who keeps telling you to watch me and advise me to be obedient to the main wife. Ha, she was obedient to the main wife, and what was the result? As soon as father died, she was driven out of the mansion. It’s a good thing father had removed her name from the family register while he was alive; otherwise, she might have been sold off. This is the benefit of being obedient to the main wife!”

“Compared to that, I admire those who are not obedient to the main wife. Look at your San Shao Nainai’s maiden family; isn’t there a ready example? What’s the use of being obedient to the main wife? Can she give you the man or share the family property with you? If I have the time, I might as well keep the man close to me and be a concubine who is not the main wife but is better than the main wife. What’s the point of being obedient?” She placed her hand on her round belly and said triumphantly, “Both Lao Taitai feel sorry for Cheng Lang (Wu Cheng), and they care about the seed of the Wu family in my belly. As long as I give birth to a boy, I will be the second Du Yiniang of the Zhao Family.”

⟡ Aewoo’s Ramble ⟡

Zheng Man'er's servants' name; 瑟(sè) and 琴(qín) are instrument-related things!