Ji Junjiao’s hand paused.
He looked up at Qin Buwen.
As though oblivious to the scrutiny in his eyes, Qin Buwen continued on her own.
“The day I was taken hostage by the man in black, I panicked and grabbed at his arm. I think… I saw a black tattoo on it.”
Ji Junjiao’s fingers stilled for the briefest moment, though his expression remained as calm as ever.
“What did the tattoo look like?”
Qin Buwen frowned thoughtfully before gesturing with her hands.
“It looked… like a wolf? But it seemed to have only one eye. As for the rest… I was so frightened that I can’t remember clearly.”
Ji Junjiao pulled a sheet of paper from his desk and handed it to her.
“Did it look like this?”
Qin Buwen accepted the drawing and studied it carefully before nodding.
“Yes! That’s exactly it!”
“Although you’ve lost your memory, Miss, your recollection seems remarkably good.”
The moment Ji Junjiao said it, Qin Buwen knew he was testing her.
She smiled naturally.
“I’m not sure why either. I was just so frightened at the time that the image of the tattoo stayed with me.”
Ji Junjiao lowered his gaze.
After a long silence, he asked another question.
“Do you remember anything else related to this tattoo?”
The fish had taken the bait.
Qin Buwen suppressed the smile tugging at the corners of her lips and instead knitted her brows as though struggling to remember.
“I traveled here alone after fleeing the famine, so I didn’t dare stay with the other refugees,” she began slowly. “When I found the abandoned temple, I was afraid of getting into disputes with the others, so I hid in a secluded corner.”
She frowned, pretending to search her memory.
“While I was drifting in and out of sleep, I vaguely heard someone mention… the ‘Prince Chang’an’s Manor’… and something about the Northern Desert…”
Ji Junjiao’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly.
“Prince Chang’an’s Manor?”
Qin Buwen nodded.
“My lord, what is Prince Chang’an’s Manor?”
Ji Junjiao looked at her before answering evenly,
“It was the residence of a deceased prince. Nothing particularly noteworthy.”
Qin Buwen obediently nodded, wisely refraining from asking any further questions.
“My lord, I have one more request.”
“Please, go ahead.”
Keeping her head lowered, Qin Buwen spoke hesitantly.
“My lord… could you lend this common woman a little silver? I’d like to go into the city and purchase a few things.”
Ji Junjiao glanced at her.
“Your injuries haven’t fully healed. There’s no need to trouble yourself. If you need anything, simply ask Changqing to purchase it for you.”
The tips of Qin Buwen’s ears immediately turned scarlet.
She lowered her head even further.
“My lord… I’d rather go myself.”
Sensing the awkwardness in her voice, Ji Junjiao frowned.
“What’s wrong? Has Changqing made things difficult for you?”
“No, no!”
Qin Buwen hurriedly waved her hands.
“Not at all. It’s just… I’d like to buy some personal items. It really wouldn’t be appropriate to trouble Lord Changqing.”
For a moment, Ji Junjiao failed to understand.
“Personal items?”
Qin Buwen’s voice became barely audible.
“I… I’d like to buy some undergarments… a few underclothes… and menstrual cloths…”
This time…
It was Ji Junjiao’s turn to freeze.
Inside, Qin Buwen was laughing herself breathless.
Outwardly, however, she maintained the picture of a shy young woman dying of embarrassment, keeping her head bowed and refusing to meet his eyes.
An unbearably awkward silence filled the study.
After what felt like an eternity, Ji Junjiao gave a light cough and finally broke the silence.
“In that case…”
“You may simply ask the steward for some silver.”
“There is no need… to obtain it through me.”
His voice had become noticeably dry.
It was obvious he was struggling to maintain the composure expected of a proper gentleman.
Qin Buwen nodded gratefully.
“Thank you, my lord.”
Then, as though suddenly remembering something, she asked timidly,
“My lord… may Qingyue accompany me? I’m… not very familiar with Chang’an.”
Ji Junjiao nodded almost absentmindedly.
“Yes.”
Although Qin Buwen desperately wanted to stay a little longer and admire the rare sight of Ji Junjiao flustered and at a loss, she also knew that lingering any further wouldn’t suit the timid persona she had carefully built.
After thanking him once again, she quietly withdrew.
The moment the study door closed behind her, Ji Junjiao instinctively reached for his teacup.
His hand slipped.
The cup overturned.
Scalding tea splashed all over his robes.
He hurriedly stood, brushing the tea leaves from his clothes, only to notice that several books and memorials on his desk had also been soaked.
He immediately reached over in a flurry to rescue them.
Ji Junjiao had spent twenty-two years studying the Four Books and Five Classics, conducting himself with impeccable manners and flawless propriety.
Never once in those twenty-two years…
Had he been this disheveled.
…
Meanwhile…
Qin Buwen was in an extraordinarily good mood.
Teasing Ji Junjiao had been one of her lifelong ambitions!
Back when she had still been Prince Chang’an, she had been infamous for every sort of outrageous behavior imaginable—stealing chickens, sneaking into places she shouldn’t, causing chaos wherever she went, bullying anyone who displeased her.
Naturally, Ji Junjiao, then the Crown Prince’s Grand Tutor, had never gotten along with her.
Whenever the two crossed paths on Chang’an’s streets…
The atmosphere became so tense that even the mosquitoes seemed afraid to buzz.
More than once, Qin Buwen had wanted to teach him a lesson.
Unfortunately…
Ji Junjiao was the very picture of propriety.
She had assigned several people to shadow him continuously.
They watched him for two whole months.
And not once did they catch him making even the slightest mistake.
Instead…
Ji Junjiao was forever submitting memorials to the emperor accusing her of one offense or another.
According to the emperor himself, the memorials Ji Junjiao had written impeaching her could have piled high enough to make an entire mountain of books.
Ji Junjiao truly was an insufferable busybody.
In any case, a wish she had been unable to fulfill for years had finally come true today.
Needless to say…
She couldn’t have been happier.
After collecting some silver from the estate’s accounts office, Qin Buwen left the residence with Qingyue.
“Miss, if you’re buying clothes, then we should definitely go to Penglai Pavilion on West Street. Their silks and fabrics are the finest and most fashionable in all of Chang’an.”
Linking arms with Qin Buwen, Qingyue enthusiastically introduced the city as they walked.
Looking around at the familiar sights of Chang’an, Qin Buwen’s smile became genuine for the first time.
Come to think of it…
Counting from the year of her death, she hadn’t seen Chang’an in five years.
After the campaign against the Northern Desert, she had led the Chengping Army to Xunyang City.
It had been both her fief and the city closest to the Northern Desert.
She had remained there until the day she died, never once returning to Chang’an.
Now…
The people of Chang’an lived in peace and prosperity.
The city was lively and flourishing.
Along both sides of the main avenue, vendors displayed their wares while shouting to attract customers.
Some struck wooden clappers.
Some shook pellet drums.
Others rang small handbells.
Their calls blended together into a bustling melody, painting a vibrant picture of a nation at peace.
Qin Buwen and Qingyue wandered through the streets, stopping to watch the various spectacles before eventually purchasing several ready-made outfits from Penglai Pavilion.
The two linked arms as they headed back.
“Qingyue, do you know where I can find a bookstore in Chang’an?”
Qin Buwen asked casually.
“A bookstore?”
Qingyue blinked.
“Miss, are you planning to buy books?”
Qin Buwen nodded.
“I’d like to buy some paper and brushes to practice my handwriting.”
“Practice your handwriting?”
“Yes.”
Qin Buwen smiled faintly.
“His Lordship was kind enough to save me, but once my injuries have healed, I’ll eventually have to leave.”
“I don’t have many talents. The only thing I can truly do is read and write.”
“I was thinking that, when the time comes, I could make a living by writing letters and selling my calligraphy.”
“That way…”
“I won’t become a burden to His Lordship.”