Nan Xing tucked the note he had written into the small bamboo tube attached to the pigeon’s left leg. With a wave of his hand, the bird spread its wings and soared into the sky.
He stood there gazing thoughtfully at the full moon for a moment, only then realizing it was the night of the full moon. A thought struck him, and his expression grew somewhat grave.
A cold wind blew against his face, reminding him of Ji Yu’s warning that those with injuries should avoid drafts. He closed the window and walked toward his bed.
***
**Xunfang Pavilion**
“Brother Yiwen, why the long face when you have such beauties keeping you company? Could you find Miss Su’e lacking compared to Meirui?”
Faced with his friend Jiang Zhao’s teasing, Zhong Yiwen shook his head helplessly. Seeing this, the beauty beside him quickly brought a cup of wine to his lips and cooed, “Young Master Zhong, is it true what Master Jiang says? Do you think I’m not as charming as Sister Meirui?”
Zhong Yiwen drank the wine from her hand, glanced at her, but remained silent and gloomy, heaving sigh after sigh.
“If that’s how you feel, why don’t I call Sister Meirui over?” Su’e said, her delicate brows furrowing, her eyes glistening with tears, looking ready to cry at any moment.
Jiang Zhao was a soft touch for beauties; he couldn’t stand to see them upset. He chided his friend, “Yiwen, that’s not right. You should be grateful to have Miss Su’e with you. Why are you acting so picky?”
Zhong Yiwen shot him a glare. “When did I say I was dissatisfied with Miss Su’e? Stop talking nonsense.”
“Well, if you’re not dissatisfied with her, then why are you pulling such a long face? Are you annoyed with me?” Jiang Zhao’s expression darkened too.
He knew Zhong Yiwen had been locked up for over ten days by his mother to study. Finally, when his mother relented, Jiang Zhao had kindly brought him here to relax, only to be met with such a moody attitude.
“Fine! You’re a scholar aiming for the exams, you look down on people like me. Just go home then! Go back to the Zhong Manor and read your books!” Jiang Zhao stood up angrily, grabbing Su’e’s hand to leave.
Seeing this, Zhong Yiwen quickly grabbed his arm. “Who said I look down on you? Sigh…”
He let out a long sigh. “I really don’t dislike Miss Su’e. It’s just… My sister has been giving me such a headache these past two days. When you came to the manor today, she was actually arguing with me. I’m still in a foul mood because of it.”
Hearing this, Jiang Zhao recalled that when he had arrived earlier, he had indeed heard shouting and things being thrown. The noise was so loud he heard it before even entering the courtyard.
Tsk tsk. Zhong Ling’er truly lived up to her reputation as the most spoiled and shrewish girl in Qingzhou. Even with her breathtaking beauty, it was no wonder Young Marquis Zhao didn’t like her.
“I heard the Marquise is choosing a wife from the noble daughters of Qingzhou for Young Marquis Zhao. He couldn’t defy his parents, so he fled to Linzhou. Is Sister Ling’er upset about that?”
Zhong Yiwen sat back down and looked at Jiang Zhao, sighing again. “If only it were that simple. She’s being completely unreasonable. She complained that the portrait artist I hired painted her too ugly, claiming I did it on purpose so she would be rejected by the Marquise.”
The more he spoke, the more frustrated he became. “Brother Jiang, I’m her own brother! Why would I want her to fail? Sure, I think that Young Marquis Zhao is just a playboy and I don’t really want her to marry him, but I would never resort to such underhanded tricks.”
Jiang Zhao smiled. “I know your character, Yiwen. And I know how much you dote on her. But if she got that angry, the artist must have been truly terrible. Who did you hire anyway?”
“Yin Qiu. Master Yin.”
Jiang Zhao looked shocked. “Master Yin is a master of his craft! Especially portraits—he captures the likeness perfectly. Hardly anyone can get him to come to their house. How could she not be satisfied with his work?”
“Exactly! I paid fifty taels just to get him there! When I saw the painting, I thought it looked just like her. But she insisted it made her look ugly. She even had him caned ten times! He was so furious he swore never to set foot in the Zhong Manor again.”
“Sigh… the portrait is due at the Marquis’s residence in two days. She ordered me to find another artist immediately. But if even Master Yin isn’t good enough for her, who on earth is?”
Zhong Yiwen was at his wits’ end. She was his only sister, and the entire family spoiled her rotten. He loved her too, but this situation was impossible.
If he couldn’t find someone new, she would throw the whole household into chaos again, and he’d never get any studying done.
“Young Master Zhong, if you’re looking for an artist, I might know someone.”
“Who is it?” Zhong Yiwen grabbed her hand eagerly. “What is their name? Where do they live? I will invite them personally!”
Su’e placed her soft, pale hand gently over his. She smiled sweetly, poured another cup of wine, and held it to his lips. “If you drink this, I’ll tell you everything.”
A tingling sensation spread from his hand, making Zhong Yiwen blush. He looked up, met her captivating gaze, and quickly pulled his hand away. He looked at the cup, hesitated for a moment, and reached out to take it—only to find her pulling it back slightly.
Confused, he looked at her. Su’e giggled playfully. “You have to drink it directly from my hand.”
Jiang Zhao watched from the side, thoroughly amused. “Just do as she says, Yiwen!”
Blushing furiously, Zhong Yiwen leaned forward and drank the wine from her hand.
Satisfied, Su’e put the empty cup down and said, “We have an artist here in the pavilion named Ji Yu. He is exceptionally skilled at portraits. He doesn’t just capture a perfect likeness; he can also enhance the features, making the person look even more beautiful than in reality.”
“Hey, that’s exactly what your sister wants, isn’t it?” Jiang Zhao nudged Zhong Yiwen’s sleeve, grinning.
Zhong Yiwen frowned. “But when did such a talented artist named Ji Yu appear in Qingzhou? If he’s this good, why haven’t I heard of him?”
In response to his doubt, Su’e smiled softly and pointed ahead. “Young Master Zhong, why don’t you turn around and look behind you?”
Zhong Yiwen and Jiang Zhao turned around. Behind them were three large folding screens covered in paintings of beautiful women.
Zhong Yiwen looked back at Su’e in confusion. She swayed her slender waist over to the screens and smiled at them. “Please, take a closer look.”
The two men stepped forward. Suddenly, Jiang Zhao exclaimed, pointing at one of the figures, “That’s you! Miss Su’e!”
Su’e nodded with a smile. Jiang Zhao looked from the painting to the real woman and gasped in admiration. “It’s incredibly lifelike! It captures your beauty perfectly!”
“And this one… is this Miss Meirui?” Zhong Yiwen pointed at another figure beside Su’e’s portrait.
“Yes,” Su’e replied. “All the ladies painted on these screens are the courtesans here. Tell me, Young Masters… do they look like us?”
“Extremely!” Jiang Zhao praised.
Zhong Yiwen immediately cupped his hands in a salute. “Miss Su’e, please! Introduce me to Master Ji!”