Chapter 107 -
[NOPE! NOT TODAY, BLOCK OF WOOD!] Yueqing’s inner mind shrieked at maximum volume, her thoughts blasting straight into his skull like a war horn. [I AM OUT OF HERE! ACCESS DENIED! OPERATION: HIDE IN MY ROOM FOR THE NEXT THREE TO FIVE BUSINESS DAYS IS A GO!]
Before Wenzhe could even finish his sentence, Yueqing picked up the front of her heavy robes and broke into a fast, awkward power-walk straight toward her courtyard.
"Madam! Please slow down! The stone is slippery!" two terrified maids squeaked, quickly bustling after her with umbrellas fluttering like panicked birds.
Yueqing ignored them completely, her red cheeks burning as she ducked under the covered walkways and vanished around the corner of the inner gates.
[If I see his face right now, my heart is going to explode from rage! Or sheer humiliation!]
Wenzhe stood alone in the main courtyard, watching her small figure disappear into the shadows of the estate. He let out a long, heavy sigh, shaking his head with a faint, hopeless smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
She really is completely hopeless, he thought to himself, resting a hand on his sword hilt as her chaotic thoughts slowly faded into the distance.
A short distance away near the secondary carriage, the atmosphere was entirely different.
Zi Han stepped down first, holding a deep navy-blue umbrella over the carriage door. He turned and offered his hand with steady grace to help Xi Lanyin step onto the dry walkway.
Lanyin placed her small hand in his, stepping down light as a feather. She smoothed out her lavender skirts and looked up at him, her dark eyes glittering softly in the warm, orange glow of the lantern light.
Zi Han held her gaze for a quiet moment, his thumb lightly brushing the back of her fingers before he gently released her hand. A faint, rare softness broke through his usually distant, studious expression.
"Thank you for being my escort to the governor’s banquet, Lady Lanyin," Zi Han murmured, his voice smooth and low against the quiet patter of the night mist. "The night would have been far less tolerable without your company."
Lanyin felt a tiny splash of warmth spread across her cheeks. She pressed her silk handkerchief to her lips, offering him a sweet, graceful bow.
"The pleasure was entirely mine, Scholar Zi Han," Lanyin replied softly, her voice dripping with quiet affection. "Please travel safely on the roads tonight. My brother’s guards will accompany your carriage to the Prime Minister’s manor."
"I shall look forward to our next meeting, Young Madame Xi is really something else." he said quietly as Lanyin smiled.
He bowed deeply, his eyes resting on her face for three long seconds before he finally turned, stepping into his own carriage.
DING!
[System Announcement: Zi Han Favorability +10!]
Far away in her bedroom, sitting on the edge of her bed with a cup of hot tea in hand, Yueqing froze as the system panel flashed blue in front of her eyes.
[WHAT?!] Yueqing choked on her tea, coughing violently as her maids panicked around her. [WHY IS ZI HAN GIVING OUT FAVORABILITY POINTS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT?! WHAT ARE THEY DOING OUT THERE?!]
After Zi Han’s carriage rolled out of the main gates and vanished into the foggy night, Lanyin gathered her lavender skirts and walked over to where her brother was still standing.
Wenzhe was leaning against one of the large stone pillars, watching the quiet courtyard with a thoughtful look on his face. As he heard her light footsteps approaching, he looked down at her. A fond, faint smile touched his lips, and he reached out, gently clasping her small hand in his warm palm.
"Did he get off safely?" Wenzhe asked softly.
"Yes, Brother," Lanyin replied, keeping her hand in his as they began walking together under the dry shelter of the covered walkway.
Wenzhe quieted down for a moment before throwing a sideways glance at her. His eyes sparkled with rare teasing. "Do you fancy the young scholar?"
Lanyin’s face instantly flushed a bright, rosy pink. She pulled her hand back and gave his broad arm a light, embarrassed swat. "Brother! Since when did you start asking those types of questions?!"
Wenzhe scoffed, shaking his head as his lips twitched upwards. "What do you mean? I don’t just ask for no reason. I still see you as a kid. Even now, you are still the exact same size as Anran to me."
"I am not!" Lanyin huffed, puffing out her cheeks in annoyance as she walked beside his long strides. "Anran is a child! Yes, I am small, but now I’m a woman! Soon I will be turning eighteen... mother is already thinking about my marriage."
Wenzhe’s smile faded slightly at the mention of their mother and marriage. He looked at his little sister, realizing with a quiet, protective pang in his chest that the little girl who used to follow him around the estate really was growing up.
"Mother can think all she wants," Wenzhe grunted, his tone turning instantly strict and defensive like a true older brother. "No scholar from the Prime Minister’s house is taking you anywhere unless he proves himself to me first."
Lanyin giggled softly behind her sleeve at his sudden shift in attitude. "You sound just like a giant bear protecting its cave, Brother. You should worry less about my marriage and more about your own wife! She ran to her room so fast earlier I thought her shoes were on fire."
Wenzhe let out a heavy sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose as the image of Sue Yueqing’s bright red, furious face flashed across his mind again.
"Don’t remind me," Wenzhe muttered. "That woman is a complete menace."
Wenzhe’s quiet moment with his sister vanished in an instant.
From the dark hallway leading to the front yard, Dong Li walked up with a small group of Wenzhe’s trusted guards. Their boots were covered in thick mud, and their faces looked cold, pale, and serious. The calm feeling in the yard disappeared immediately.
Dong Li took a step forward, his hand resting on his sword. He didn’t even wait to bow before speaking in a low, urgent voice.
"Young Master, we need to speak with you. Right now."
Lanyin’s smile vanished as she looked at Dong Li and the men. She could tell right away from their pale, tense faces that something serious was going on.
Wenzhe’s posture changed in a second, his dark eyes turning sharp and focused. He didn’t ask a single question in front of her. Instead, he turned to the group of servants standing nearby.
"Escort Lady Lanyin back to her courtyard," Wenzhe instructed his maids, his voice calm, deep, and firm.
Lanyin didn’t protest or ask what was wrong. She simply nodded her head silently, gathered her lavender skirts, and allowed the maids to lead her away down the quiet hallway.
Once his sister was out of sight, Wenzhe turned back to Dong Li and his guards, his heavy coat catching the cold night wind.
"To the study," Wenzhe ordered quietly. "Tell me everything."
As the men walked quickly toward his private study, Wenzhe looked back one last time toward the far side of the estate, where the warm lights were still burning bright in Sue Yueqing’s room.