“What are you up to now?!”
Zhu Xiaoxiao looked at Gan Cai’er warily.
Gan Cai’er smiled at her without responding.
Gan Cai’er’s idea was simple: if no one had seen the beauty of the new dress, then she would make sure people saw it.
But how could she make people see it?
Well, wouldn’t it work if Zhu Xiaoxiao wore it and strolled around the streets more often?
That was what she thought, and that was what she said.
Then, with a “thump,” an embroidered pillow hit Gan Cai’er squarely on the head.
“You want me, a young lady, to wander around the streets? Gan Cai’er, are you trying to get yourself killed?!” Zhu Xiaoxiao shouted angrily.
“If you want to stroll around, go yourself!”
“Exactly! What respectable young lady would show her face openly on the streets?” Huan’er chimed in indignantly.
Gan Cai’er rubbed her nose, feeling a bit embarrassed.
Oh, she had forgotten about that. Dànzhōu Fǔ wasn’t like Qingshui Town. Women from prominent families either rode in carriages or wore veiled hats when going out, rarely showing their faces openly.
Seeing her young lady being rebuked, Xiao Hong felt displeased and straightened her neck, saying, “If we can’t stroll on the streets, then we can go to banquets or gatherings instead.”
“My young lady thinks Miss Zhu looks beautiful in this dress. What’s wrong with wanting more people to see it?”
Gan Cai’er’s eyes lit up—this was a great idea!
“You want to attend gatherings among prominent families? That won’t be easy,” Yunniang said, shaking her head.
“Interactions within the Shijia Quan are fixed. Without an introduction, you simply can’t get in.”
“What kind of introduction would we need? Shopkeeper Zhang has been making clothes for Magistrate Qian’s family for a while now. Couldn’t he help?” Gan Cai’er asked.
“At most, he deals with the housekeeper or maids in the Qian residence. How could he ever get to meet the master or mistress? Let alone the young ladies of the household.”
“However, now that you mention the Qian residence, I do recall something.”
“Miss Qian, the third daughter, has reached marriageable age. Madam Qian has been looking for suitable matches for her recently. I heard they’re planning an autumn outing to Nán Shān. A few days ago, they even asked Shopkeeper Zhang to rush some new outfits for her.”
Hearing this, Gan Cai’er felt a surge of joy. Wasn’t this exactly what she had hoped for? It seemed heaven was on her side!
The only thing to worry about now was how to get an invitation.
What seemed difficult to Yunniang, Gan Cai’er was confident about.
Because she remembered that the Qian residence had approached Lan Tingzhou for paintings more than once. Exchanging one of Lan Tingzhou’s paintings for an invitation shouldn’t be too hard.
“You want to attend Madam Qian’s Nán Shān autumn outing?” Lan Tingzhou raised an eyebrow slightly.
Gan Cai’er nodded vigorously.
“So, you want me to agree to paint ‘The Harsh Cold’ for Qian Lang?” Lan Tingzhou laughed in disbelief.
“Do you even know why I haven’t agreed all this time? It’s because the azurite pigment required for this painting is extremely hard to come by. There’s none to be found in Dànzhōu Fǔ.”
Seeing Lan Tingzhou’s displeased expression, Gan Cai’er nervously fidgeted with her fingers and lowered her voice hesitantly.
“You could just agree to it for now. Whether you actually paint it or not is still up to you.”
Lan Tingzhou closed his eyes, feeling anger surge straight to his forehead.
“So, you’re willing to have me break my word just to get that invitation?”
Gan Cai’er fell silent.
Seeing Lan Tingzhou’s cold expression, she stopped talking, hung her head, and retreated to her bedroom in frustration.
Fine, if he wouldn’t paint it, she would think of another way! Gan Cai’er pursed her lips, tossing and turning all night, unable to sleep peacefully.
That night, Lan Tingzhou did not return to the bedroom.
Although Lan Tingzhou resided and studied at Lumíng Academy, he couldn’t bear to be apart from Gan Cai’er for long and would make time to return home every few days.
Each time he returned, though he didn’t always seek intimacy, he would invariably share the bed with Gan Cai’er, holding her through the night. This time, however, was an exception.
The next day, as Xiao Hong helped Gan Cai’er get dressed, she chattered about how the study lamp had been lit all night. Only when dawn broke did Gu Ye emerge from the room and head straight to the Academy, without even having breakfast.
Gan Cai’er was stunned. Had he been so angry that he stayed up all night? Over just a painting—surely not?!
Yet ten days later, a servant from the Qian residence suddenly arrived, delivering an invitation to Gan Cai’er. It was an invitation to the Nán Shān Autumn Outing, sincerely inviting Lan Tingzhou and his family to join the grand event.
Gan Cai’er was dumbfounded.
The Qian servant beamed with smiles, praising Lan Tingzhou in every word as a masterful painter.
It turned out that Minister Qian had presented one of Lan Tingzhou’s landscape paintings to General Wu two days prior, which General Wu greatly admired. Minister Qian was lavishly praised for it, earning considerable acclaim.
Only then did Gan Cai’er realize the truth. So that night, he hadn’t been angry—he had been painting all night?
She looked at the invitation in her hand, feeling a warmth in her heart, along with a hint of reproach.
Why was this man so silent, never saying a word?