<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Snow drifted beneath the eaves, leaving a thin white layer across the stone steps.
Xie Zheng stood beneath the corridor with his arms folded against a pillar, half-lowered eyes hiding whatever thoughts occupied him. The lantern overhead cast warm light across the ground, drawing dark shadows beneath his long lashes.
He had seen many beautiful women before.
At banquets hosted by Wei Yan, he had even watched Western Region dancers perform barefoot.
He no longer remembered what those dancers\u2019 feet looked like. The only thing left in his memory was the golden anklet bells hanging at their ankles, chiming softly as they danced like a silent invitation.
Yet when he saw Fan Changyu\u2019s bare feet earlier, for some reason, he suddenly thought of those golden bells.
The thought itself felt absurd.
And immediately afterward came a wave of self-loathing, as though he had somehow offended her merely by having such thoughts.
Xie Zheng rubbed irritably at his brow.
Since childhood he had lived under another\u2019s roof. In order to carry on his father\u2019s legacy, he spent his days studying military strategy and practicing martial arts. Added to that, Wei Yan had raised both him and Wei Xuan under extremely strict discipline. To prevent them from indulging in romantic affairs, even the servants attending them had all been male pages\u2014never maids.
After entering the battlefield, he devoted himself entirely to killing enemies and surviving wars. He had never once thought about such things.
Wei Xuan, on the other hand, seemed determined to rebel against every rule Wei Yan imposed. He frequented brothels and kept mistresses outside, earning countless punishments from Wei Yan because of it.
Back then, Wei Xuan had mocked him for being an obedient dog, asking whether he even knew what the \u201cland of tenderness\u201d between men and women felt like.
At the time, Xie Zheng had shared the same opinion as Wei Yan. He merely thought Wei Xuan lacked ambition and would never amount to much.
Though he hated admitting it, he truly had been deeply influenced by Wei Yan in the past.
Wei Yan believed a ruler had to master control over his own desires. Lust between men and women, in his eyes, was merely the lowest and most vulgar of impulses.
After returning from the battlefield, Xie Zheng occasionally attended unavoidable banquets out of courtesy. Watching soft-bodied dancers sway gracefully before applauding nobles only filled him with contempt.
Like Wei Yan, he looked down on the decadence of the capital\u2019s aristocracy. He believed such drunken luxury only softened a man\u2019s bones.
If he were ever to marry, he would choose a proper noblewoman capable of supporting the Xie family name\u2014not someone fragile like his own mother.
Blades on the battlefield had no eyes.
One day he might die there just like his father had.
He did not need a woman to die for love after he was gone. He only needed a wife capable of holding up the Xie household in his absence.
That was how every noble son in the capital chose a wife.
And yet these past few days\u2026
What exactly had happened to him?
Fan Changyu\u2019s figure surfaced in his mind again without warning.
The way she slaughtered pigs. The way she fought people. The way she gritted her teeth and endured hardship.
She was good.
Better than many noble daughters, even\u2014stronger, more resilient.
But the environment she grew up in had been too simple. She could never navigate the scheming monsters hidden within noble households\u2026
In the end, she could never become the matriarch of the Xie family.
Only after realizing what he was thinking did Xie Zheng suddenly freeze.
The old steward woman making nighttime rounds through the courtyard noticed him standing beneath the corridor and asked, \u201cYoung man, why aren\u2019t you back inside resting?\u201d
Xie Zheng gathered his thoughts and replied, \u201cI was actually about to look for you. Is it possible for me to squeeze into a room with one of the Yixiang Tower workers for the night?\u201d
The old woman looked puzzled.
\u201cYou\u2019re Madam Fan\u2019s husband. Why aren\u2019t you sleeping in the same room?\u201d
Xie Zheng found an excuse.
\u201cShe\u2019s with her younger sister. It\u2019s inconvenient.\u201d
The old woman inwardly thought Changning was barely more than a child, but considering the girl was still a young lady, she nodded.
\u201cThis old woman failed to think things through. The workers\u2019 rooms are all shared two to a room, so there aren\u2019t any spare rooms left. But there\u2019s one worker whose snoring is so loud nobody can sleep beside him. If you don\u2019t mind, you can spend the night in his room.\u201d
Xie Zheng only replied that he did not mind.
The steward woman led him there.
Before they even reached the door, thunderous snores already shook the hallway.
Xie Zheng fell silent for a moment.
The old woman pushed open the door. Even the loud creaking of the hinges failed to wake the sleeping worker.
After lighting the oil lamp, she pointed toward an empty single bed nearby.
\u201cYou can sleep here tonight.\u201d
After thanking her, Xie Zheng removed his outer robe and lay down with one arm beneath his head.
He already had little desire to sleep, and with the worker across from him snoring like thunder, even closing his eyes became impossible.
After enduring it for a quarter hour, Xie Zheng finally rose from bed, walked to the worker\u2019s bedside, and chopped the back of the man\u2019s neck with one hand.
The worker instantly passed out cold.
The snoring stopped immediately.
Xie Zheng returned to bed, yet still could not sleep.
Before this, he had never thought about any future involving Fan Changyu.
But tonight, after suddenly considering marriage, his heart felt inexplicably restless.
He knew Fan Changyu was unsuitable as the Xie family\u2019s matriarch.
Yet when he imagined returning to the capital and marrying some perfectly composed noble daughter capable of managing the Xie household with flawless etiquette, he instinctively felt resistant.
It was as though he had discovered a wild blade of grass thriving stubbornly in the wilderness.
He liked it.
But if he uprooted that wild grass and brought it home to stand among exotic flowers and precious plants, everyone else would only laugh at it.
Wild grass only flourished freely in its own field.
Once transplanted into a luxurious porcelain pot and carefully cultivated, it would no longer be wild grass at all.
He lifted one arm to cover his eyes, lips pressed tightly together in the darkness.
\u2014
Before dawn the next morning, Fan Changyu got up.
Changning still slept soundly. After quietly dressing herself, she slipped out the door and asked the steward woman to keep an eye on Changning before hurrying off to Yixiang Tower.
The Yixiang Tower in the county city was laid out similarly to the one in Lin\u2019an Town, only far grander.
The serving boys hadn\u2019t arrived yet, but the kitchen staff were already bustling around.
The pig heads to be braised had long since been cleaned and prepared. Fan Changyu didn\u2019t even need to light the fires herself\u2014she only needed to prepare the braising spices.
Yu Qianqian personally discussed the banquet sequence with several head chefs: which dishes to serve first, which later, and what should appear as the grand finale.
Though Fan Changyu was an outsider to such matters, even she could tell how meticulous the arrangements were.
Some dishes lost their flavor if left waiting too long.
But if too many lavish dishes were served back-to-back, the kitchen would fall behind and leave guests waiting too long between courses, which would embarrass the host family.
Ordinary people might not care if dishes came late at a banquet.
But wealthy and powerful families hosting such events cared deeply about face.
If the dishes were delayed, not only would the hosts complain to Yixiang Tower, the restaurant\u2019s reputation would suffer too.
After finishing instructions for the chefs, Yu Qianqian noticed Fan Changyu sitting beside the stove warming herself and squeezed in beside her without any airs.
\u201cIt\u2019s only the second day of the new year, and I\u2019ve already dragged you here to help. I really appreciate it.\u201d
Fan Changyu replied honestly, \u201cShopkeeper Yu seems far busier than me.\u201d
Yu Qianqian laughed.
\u201cThere\u2019s no easy money in this world. If we handle today\u2019s banquet well, Yixiang Tower\u2019s reputation in the county will truly be established.\u201d
After Yixiang Tower first opened in the county city, it had been sabotaged by Wang Ji. Business had remained lukewarm ever since. Many wealthy locals still mocked the restaurant over the \u201clost auspicious omen\u201d from opening day.
Yu Qianqian had spent heavily gifting wealthy madams all sorts of rare novelties before finally securing today\u2019s banquet order.
Suddenly remembering something, she asked, \u201cBy the way, does your braised meat shop have a logo or trademark design?\u201d
Fan Changyu looked blank.
\u201cWhat\u2019s that?\u201d
Yu Qianqian smacked her forehead.
\u201cMy fault\u2014I\u2019ve been too busy and forgot to tell you earlier. Something like Wang Ji Braised Meat\u2019s custom signboard.\u201d
Fan Changyu shook her head.
Yu Qianqian said, \u201cYour braised meat here in my restaurant is competing directly against Wang Ji from Drunken Immortal Tower. Even if you don\u2019t have a proper emblem yet, at least get a nice banner written up.\u201d
Fan Changyu looked confused.
\u201cIsn\u2019t braised meat just sliced and served on plates? Does it matter whether there\u2019s a logo?\u201d
Yu Qianqian explained patiently:
\u201cYou probably saw the shops downstairs when you entered. Fang family tea and Li family wine are all sold there. I saved a stall for your braised meat too. Later, you should braise extra and sell it there directly. Everything you earn will be yours. But your brand has to become famous. Otherwise people will think my restaurant\u2019s braised meat has no pedigree and compare it unfavorably to Wang Ji.\u201d
As she stood up, she added, \u201cI\u2019ll send someone to find a scholar with good handwriting to make you a temporary banner.\u201d
Fan Changyu immediately thought of Xie Zheng.
\u201cMy husband can write! I\u2019ll go get him!\u201d
Yu Qianqian hesitated slightly.
\u201cHow good is his handwriting?\u201d
Fan Changyu answered without hesitation:
\u201cHis writing is extremely beautiful!\u201d
With how confidently she guaranteed it, and with countless matters still demanding her attention, Yu Qianqian finally nodded.
\u201cThen hurry and bring him over. If it doesn\u2019t work out, I\u2019ll still send for a scholar afterward.\u201d
The braised meat was already simmering in the pot, so all that remained was watching the fire.
Fan Changyu responded immediately and hurried off through the alley behind Yixiang Tower to find Xie Zheng.
\u2014
Xie Zheng had barely slept after thinking through the night.
Only near dawn had he finally drifted off for a shallow sleep.
Yet before long, he was awakened by the steward woman loudly calling for the snoring worker.
\u201cThat boy usually doesn\u2019t slack off,\u201d she muttered. \u201cWhy is he still sleeping this late today?\u201d
The worker woke looking dazed. Seeing daylight already outside, he hurriedly scrambled out of bed\u2014only to yelp in pain halfway up, rubbing the back of his neck.
\u201cI think I slept crooked. My neck hurts terribly.\u201d
The steward woman scolded him immediately.
\u201cThat\u2019s because you slept too much trying to avoid work!\u201d
The worker, already guilty about oversleeping, could only rub his sore neck while rushing through washing up before hurrying off to work.
By now the entire courtyard buzzed with workers moving about.
Xie Zheng no longer had any interest in trying to sleep.
A single sleepless night had already brought faint stubble to his jaw.
Just after washing up, Fan Changyu arrived.
Seeing the dark shadows beneath his eyes, she asked in surprise:
\u201cYou didn\u2019t stay awake the entire night, did you?\u201d
The steward woman happened to be passing through the courtyard at that moment. Hearing her question and seeing Xie Zheng\u2019s exhausted appearance, she chimed in sympathetically:
\u201cI already warned him that worker snores terribly loud. The poor young man must\u2019ve been kept awake all night.\u201d
Xie Zheng had not known how to answer Fan Changyu, so he simply nodded after hearing the old woman\u2019s explanation.
Fan Changyu immediately looked at him with sympathy.
After the steward woman left, she said, \u201cThen after we return home tonight, you should sleep properly. Right now I need your help with something.\u201d
Perhaps because he truly had not rested, Xie Zheng stared at her moving lips for a moment without even hearing what she said.
Instead, his thoughts drifted back to the dream he had during his brief sleep.
In the dream, they separated as agreed.
Then she turned around and married someone else.
She wore the same wedding clothes from the day they had married.
He could not see the other man\u2019s face, but her smile was dazzling and carefree\u2014as though she had truly married the man she wanted.
He couldn\u2019t quite describe the feeling it left in him.
He only knew he disliked it.
Looking at Fan Changyu now, his lips unconsciously pressed downward.
Fan Changyu noticed he hadn\u2019t responded at all and waved a hand before his eyes.
\u201cDid you even hear what I said?\u201d
Xie Zheng finally snapped back to reality and quickly hid his thoughts.
\u201cWhat did you say?\u201d
Fan Changyu eyed him suspiciously.
\u201cWhat were you thinking about just now?\u201d
\u201cNothing,\u201d he replied calmly. \u201cI just woke up. My mind\u2019s still sluggish.\u201d
Since she herself often became dazed after poor sleep, she accepted the excuse easily and returned to the main topic.
\u201cI need you to write some words for me.\u201d<\/p>","protected":false},"parent":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}}},"novel":[],"class_list":["post-3584","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/chapter\/3584","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/chapter"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3584"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/chapter\/3584\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3585,"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/chapter\/3584\/revisions\/3585"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3584"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"novel","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/novel?post=3584"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}