Zhao Huanxi was unilaterally taken to “practice” with Guogong Yé to the small drill field of Dunyi Hall. After enduring it for a while, he finally got permission from the Lao Yézi and fled back to Shenhui Courtyard, feeling sore all over.

He entered the courtyard and happened to see Mingli coming out of the room carrying a basin of water. He asked, “Where’s Nian’an?”

Mingli replied, “Nainai is drunk and has already gone to sleep.”

Zhao Huanxi: “?”

He entered the room and walked to the bed, peeking ahead. His gaze couldn’t move away.

Xu Nian’an lay on the bed, her small face flushed, her long black hair spread out like ink on the pillow. One hand was raised and placed on the pillow, while the other was pulling the blanket towards her side. Her waist was slender, and above it was a full and exquisite curve. Although covered by a thin undergarment, it was still quite a shock to Zhao Huanxi.

He stood dumbfounded by the bed, staring at the beautiful scene of the sleeping beauty before him. It took him a while to come to his senses. Adam’s apple on his fair and slender neck rolled uncontrollably up and down, and his body instinctively stirred with a vague and half-understood desire. He turned his head and hurried to the table to drink a cup of cold tea.

After a while, he wasn’t sleepy at all, so he thought about practicing calligraphy in the study after bathing. Unexpectedly, when he came out of the bath, he saw Xu Nian’an tossing and turning on the pillow, softly calling for Yisu.

He walked closer and saw that her eyes were still closed. Not knowing if she was dreaming or awake, he asked her, “Why are you calling for Yisu?”

“I’m thirsty… I want water…” Xu Nian’an murmured drowsily.

Zhao Huanxi poured a glass of water from the table, then helped her up and fed her the water. As he fed her, he looked down at her with lowered eyes.

The person in his arms had a small, red face, with closed eyes and long lashes hanging down. She drank the water from his hand in small sips, looking like a little pet that needed to be fed, incredibly cute.

Xu Nian’an, not fully awake, was being fed water. After drinking a few sips, she choked and coughed. When she coughed, she opened her eyes and saw Zhao Huanxi.

“Your mother is really pitiful, you should be more angry!” She lifted one hand and pinched Zhao Huanxi’s cheek, shaking it twice before closing her eyes and tilting her head, falling asleep again.

Zhao Huanxi: “…..”

He gently set her down, then turned around to put the tea cup back on the table. He rubbed the cheek that she had pinched.

“It’s hot…” came a murmured voice from behind. Zhao Huanxi turned around and saw Xu Nian’an turning over to face the bed, completely kicking the blanket aside. He hurried over, pulled up the blanket to cover her, but as soon as he covered her, Xu Nian’an frowned and pulled it all off again.

Seeing her face so red, as if she was really hot, Zhao Huanxi went to the table, picked up a handheld fan, and sat on the edge of the bed, fanning her.

A gentle breeze blew over in waves, and Xu Nian’an instantly felt much more comfortable, calming down.

Zhao Huanxi patiently fanned her for a while, but when he saw that she remained still, he stopped and pulled a corner of the blanket to cover her belly. Since childhood, the nursemaid had told him that even on the hottest days, one must not leave the belly uncovered, or else it could lead to stomach issues.

As soon as he covered her, she frowned. Afraid she might pull the blanket off again, he quickly lifted the fan and continued fanning her.

After fanning for a while, he started to feel drowsy. It had been a tiring day for him, having woken up so early in the morning, chatting with Qian Ming and the others at noon without resting, and then being beaten by Zufu in the evening. Once he relaxed, his whole body ached, feeling both exhausted and sleepy.

After three consecutive yawns, he gave up the idea of going to the study to practice calligraphy. He climbed onto the bed from the foot, propped his head with one hand, lay on his side on the bed, and continued to fan Xu Nian’an with one hand. After a while, he began to sway from side to side, unable to support himself, and eventually fell asleep without knowing when.

✦

Xu Nian’an was awakened by Songyun’s knocking on the door. As the end of the Yin hour (3-5 a.m.) approached, Songyun came to call Zhao Huanxi to get up and practice martial arts.

In that split second when her consciousness returned, she still felt a bit uncomfortable. This was the first time in her life that she had gotten drunk.

She opened her eyes and was startled by the face that was too close in front of her. Subconsciously, she moved her head back, only then realizing it was Zhao Huanxi.

He was still asleep, with his long, elegant eyebrows and two rows of dense, black eyelashes peacefully closed. His fair skin and rosy lips made his face look youthful. Perhaps due to the martial arts practice these past few days, he seemed to have lost some weight, with a slightly pointed jawline.

With Song Yun’s knocking and calling was heard again, Zhao Huanxi’s eyebrows furrowed slightly. He half-awakened and quickly fanned Xu Nian’an a few times with the handheld fan in his hand before fully waking up.

Xu Nian’an watching this movement: “…..”

Zhao Huanxi saw her get up, so he rolled over and lay flat. He stretched lazily while groaning in pain, then lingered in bed for another half hour before slowly getting up.

“How did you get a bruise under your chin?” After Zhao Huanxi finished washing up, Xu Nian’an noticed the bruise under his chin while helping him get dressed.

Zhao Huanxi thought to himself: Not just under my chin, I’m bruised all over. Yesterday, when he was bathing, he found bruises all over his body. And Zufu still said he didn’t use much force…

“I knocked it on Zufus arm,” he said dispiritedly.

Yes, he knocked it. At that time, he was tripped by Zufu and was about to fall face-first. Zufu used his arm to stop him, and his chin hit Zufu’s arm, resulting in the bruise on his chin… He felt like a block of tofu in front of **Zufu&&.

"Tofu" signifies someone who is soft, weak, or easily influenced, often used metaphorically to describe someone who lacks toughness or resilience.

“Dong Jiejie, when do you think I’ll be as formidable as Zufu?” he asked.

“If you want to be as formidable as Zufu, you’d have to do nothing else but practice martial arts from dawn to dusk every day. Even then, it would take ten or eight years of practice, and the level you can reach also depends on your talent,” Xu Nian’an replied.

Zhao Huanxi’s eyelids drooped, and he hung his head in discouragement.

“Zufu must have started practicing martial arts from the age of five or six, and with his good talent, combined with decades of training in the military, he has the strength and physique he has today. How do you think you can compare with him? Don’t think too much about it. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. Study well, practice some martial arts to strengthen your body, and be an upright and responsible person, and your mother and Zufu will be happy,” Xu Nian’an advised him.

“En!” Zhao Huanxi nodded and went to the small garden to practice martial arts with Master Qu and Zhao Huanrong.

At Jiaxiang House, Yin Furen listened to Qianhe describing the scene of her drinking with her daughter-in-law yesterday. She stared blankly out the window, as if lost in thought.

Suddenly, she came back to her senses, looking flustered and annoyed as she said to Qianhe, “Why didn’t you stop me?”

“Nubi did try to stop you, but you kept saying, ‘Fill it up quickly, it’s rare to be so happy today’, so Nubi couldn’t bear to do it.”

Yin Furen said weakly, “Then you just watched me… watched me… Ah?”

Nanny Su said beside her, “Furen, don’t worry. San Nainai was also drunk. If you don’t remember what was said at the time, she certainly won’t remember what she heard at the time.”

“She was also drunk?” Yin Furen’s eyes showed hope.

Qianhe nodded repeatedly. She imitated Xu Nian’an’s look at the time, swaying and supporting her chin, squinting and giggling, saying, “At that time, San Nainai looked like this, saying, ‘Yes, yes, everything you say is right’. If she wasn’t drunk, would she dare to agree with you like this?”

Yin Furen felt slightly relieved and muttered, “I wonder if it’s real drunkenness or she’s just faking it…”

Nanny Su hurriedly said, “San Nainai is so sensible, it must be real drunkenness without a doubt.”

Yin Furen: “…..”

Nanny Su realized she had said too much and hurriedly said, “Furen, Hu Gang returned last night.”

Yin Furen’s spirits lifted, excitedly asking, “He’s back so soon? Did he gain anything?”

Nanny Su said, “The harvest is great!” She briefly explained the general situation to Yin Furen, saying, “For the details, you can ask him after finished sorting things out.”

Yin Furen felt relieved and clasped her hands together, bowing to the sky, “Amitabha, my Xian Jie’er will finally no longer be bullied by that little b**ch!”

She quickly finished organizing the purchasing and cooking matters, pushing less urgent matters to the afternoon, and asked Nanny Su to call Hu Gang to come and report.

Before Hu Gang arrived, Xu Nian’an, who had sent Zhao Huanxi to school, arrived.

“Mother, last night Erxi drank too much and got drunk, doesn’t know if One behaved improperly in front of Mother. Asking for Mother’s forgiveness,” Xu Nian’an apologized as soon as she entered.

Yin Furen smiled. Her daughter-in-law was indeed very sensible.

“No, as soon as I saw you were drunk, I had the maidservant help you back to rest,” she said.

Xu Nian’an’s cheeks blushed just right as she said, “Thank you, Mother.”

“Have a seat. The person I sent to investigate Zheng Man’er has returned. They will come later to report. You can listen too,” Yin Furen said.

Xu Nian’an sat down on the side and after a short while, a rough-looking man with a sturdy build arrived. He knelt down on one knee and saluted Yin Furen.

Yin Furen asked him to stand up and speak.

As soon as he spoke, Xu Nian’an was startled. Although she had thought Zheng Man’er might not come from a good family, she had never imagined that her past experiences would be so rich and colorful.

“After investigation, Xiaoren found that Zheng Man’er, originally named Zheng Liangdi, was the shu daughter of a wealthy Zheng family in Chaisang County, Wuchang Prefecture, Jiangzhou. After her father’s death, Zheng Liangdi and her mother were driven out by the legal wife and had no means of livelihood. They rented a small courtyard and secretly engaged in a skin and meat business. Later, she was taken as a concubine by a wealthy local merchant, but was discovered by the merchant’s wife and driven away. Unable to stay in Chaisang County, the mother and daughter followed the merchant’s caravan and eventually arrived in the capital.”

“After the mother and daughter arrived in the capital, Zheng Liangdi changed her name to Zheng Man’er and continued to engage in the skin and flesh business commonly known as hidden prostitution (prostitute who engage in prostitution in secret). How she got involved with Wu Gongzi, Xiaoren could not find out. However, Xiaoren brought back a man from Chaisang County who had once looked after Zheng Liangdi’s business. He can point out the location and shape of the birthmark on Zheng Liangdi’s body. Xiaoren has already arranged for him to stay in an inn, ready to obey Furen’s orders at any time.”

“I understand. You have done a great job with this task. Go and collect your reward,” Yin Furen said.

Hu Gang saluted and withdrew.

Yin Furen turned to Xu Nian’an and said, “This person is a servant’s son of my maiden family. When I married, their whole family came with me as the dowry. He is very reliable.”

Xu Nian’an nodded in understanding. Seeing Yin Furen looking eager, she asked, “Now that there is evidence, One wonders how Mom plans to proceed?”

Yin Furen said, “That Zheng Shi is also a pitiful person, but she absolutely should not have blocked the path of my Xian’er. Now that I have such a big handle in my hands, I naturally will not let her stay in the Wu Residence any longer.”

“Mother plans to send that witness directly to the Wu Residence?” Xu Nian’an asked.

Yin Furen was about to speak, but she realized something’s not right. If she were to directly send this witness to the Wu Residence, wouldn’t that be equivalent to directly slapping the face of the Wu family? How could the two families still interact in the future? Moreover, in this way, the best outcome would be to keep the child and expel the mother. Jiaxian would still have to raise Zheng Shi’s child, which was unacceptable to think about.

“We can’t send the person over directly. It’s best to find a way to make the Wu Family believe that the child in Zheng Shi’s belly is not Wu Cheng’s, and this matter should not be connected to our family…” Yin Furen frowned, pondering.

Xu Nian’an suggested: “Mother, Erxi knows some people who might be useful. If Mother allows it, why not let Erxi handle this matter?”

Yin Furen looked at her and said, “Your people? No. If this matter is connected to your Xu Family’s, wouldn’t it be the same as being connected to our family?”

Xu Nian’an explained, “It’s not someone from our Xu Family. My Si Meifu is in business and knows some people from the market. They can be easily persuaded with money to stage a play, without revealing their faces. It’s easy and safe.”

“That sounds feasible,” Yin Furen said, but then she realized something, “Your Si Meifu? When did your Si Mei get married?”

Xu Nian’an smiled, “Not yet. I was just about to tell Mother that my Si Mei is getting married in two months. I plan to go home to see how things are going, and also to take care of this matter.”

“You may go,” Yin Furen said after some thought, then added, “In the future, when you have nothing important, you can come home every half month without having to inform me. If there are important matters, you can return at any time.”

Xu Nian’an was taken aback and then bowed her head, “Thank you, Mother.”

On her way back to the Shenhui Courtyard, Xu Nian’an felt somewhat uneasy.

Before she got married, Xu Nian’an had imagined the best relationship with her mother-in-law would be to maintain a superficial harmony. However, to her surprise, Yin Furen treated her very well, so well that it made her feel ashamed. She had married into the family purely out of gratitude and with the intention of helping Guogong Yé to make his eldest legitimate grandson become better.

Pretending to be a couple with Zhao Huanxi and divorcing after three years wasn’t just a temporary measure to coax him into marrying her.

But since he treated her sincerely, how could she not reciprocate sincerely?

Let’s take it one step at a time. There is still plenty of time. Who knows, maybe Zhao Huanxi will broaden his horizons and fall in love with someone else during these three years?