Finally rid of those troublesome women, Wen Ning figured they wouldn’t be back to bother her anytime soon. Content, she went off for a midday nap.
The next two days passed in comfort and ease. Wen Ning even set herself some short‑term goals:
1. Earn and save money, preparing for a better future.
2. Lie low until the day Chen Jinfeng finally releases her from the household!
Once she had nursed this body back to some strength, she stepped outside the Protector’s residence for the first time. She didn’t rush to visit the Wen family, but decided to wander the vast city of Fenglin first.
The original Wen Ning had been reserved, a proper cloistered young lady who rarely left home except to visit her mother. From her memories, Wen Ning could glean little useful information about the wider world. Her first destination was Tongtuo Street in the western part of the city. Before leaving, she had done her homework: most of Fenglin’s medical halls and pharmacies were concentrated in Tongtuo Street to the west and Changle Street to the east.
Changle Street, near the residences of nobles and royals, was known for high‑quality, high‑priced medical services.
Tongtuo Street was the opposite.
After thinking it over, Wen Ning decided her business should start with ordinary folk. In a world where power could casually snuff out lives, she—an ordinary woman with no backing—dared not tangle with the nobility. Dealing with Chen Jinfeng alone was already more than enough. But first, she needed a point of entry.
She set out with a full entrepreneurial spirit. Yet when Chunxi heard she was going to Tongtuo Street, her apricot eyes widened in panic. “Mistress, you… you’re not still thinking about Young Master Wang, are you? I know you’re upset, but look at Concubine Cheng’s fate—you must never betray the Protector!”
Wen Ning blinked, recalling that the original had indeed grown up with a childhood sweetheart. He lived in the west of the city, and his family’s pharmacy, Shou’an Hall, was a famous old establishment in Fenglin, beloved by commoners for its affordable medicines.
The Wang patriarch had been a close friend of her grandfather. After the original Wen Ning’s mother moved to the capital, Grandfather Zhao even wrote to ask the Wang family to look after them. If not for Chen Jinfeng’s uprising, the original would almost certainly have married that young master of the Wang family.
Wen Ning remembered how kindly the Wang elders had treated her. Had she married into their family, none of this would have happened. But what was missed was missed. Though she remembered the childhood sweetheart, she had no intention of relying on his family to build her career. She shot Chunxi an exasperated look. “Do you think I’m so lust‑driven?”
Chunxi: “!!!”
What kind of words were those? Mistress, such tiger‑wolf talk!
“I have no interest in men right now.”
Wen Ning said earnestly: “I only want to earn money and support my family.”
Chen Jinfeng possibly releasing the concubines from the household was something Wen Ning hadn’t told her maid yet. Though she found the girl trustworthy, they had only known each other a few days—better to observe her longer.
Chunxi, stunned speechless by her mistress’s repeated “words of tigers and wolves,” temporarily forgot her original worries.
The carriage soon arrived at Tongtuo Street.
Tongtuo Street was one of Fenglin City’s busiest thoroughfares. As Wen Ning stepped down from the carriage, she was momentarily overwhelmed by the endless, bustling crowd.
Shops lined the street, vendors hawked their wares, passersby chattered, waiters shouted as they served dishes in restaurants—the lively sounds all blended into a vivid tableau of ancient city life.
For the first time, Wen Ning truly felt she had entered a completely unfamiliar world.
Chunxi, equally excited after so long indoors, turned to ask, “Mistress, where shall we go first?”
“I’ve heard there are many medical halls and pharmacies here. Let’s wander around first.”
Wen Ning smiled and stepped into the crowd.
Tongtuo Street was long, with many side alleys. At each medical hall or pharmacy she passed, Wen Ning lingered outside for some time. By the time they had covered half the street, it was already noon.
Seeing Chunxi discreetly rub her empty stomach, Wen Ning said kindly,
“Let’s find a place for lunch. I heard there’s a shop nearby that makes excellent soup dumplings…”
“Yaoyao!” A surprised voice rang out. Wen Ning paused, turned, and saw a young gentleman in a pale robe, neat and handsome, hurrying through the crowd. He stopped before her, face alight with joy. “What are you doing here? It’s been so long since we met!”
Wen Ning raised her brows and smiled. “Brother Wang, it truly has been a long time.”
What a coincidence—she had actually run into the original Wen Ning’s childhood sweetheart, Wang Cheng’an, son of the Wang family.
At her smile, Wang Cheng’an faltered. Since she had entered the Protector’s household, he hadn’t seen her once. Two years apart, and from this girl he had grown up with, he now sensed a trace of unfamiliarity. Looking closer, it wasn’t just the time apart. Yaoyao seemed changed—more composed, more confident. In his memory, she had been shy and timid, always hiding behind him when strangers appeared. A faint melancholy rose in his heart. He smiled gently. “Yaoyao has grown so much. You don’t even call me Brother Cheng’an anymore.”
Wen Ning coughed lightly. “After all… times are different now.”
Though his words sounded ambiguous, Wen Ning could tell they weren’t born of romantic feeling, but of the wistfulness of a brother whose sister had drifted away.
The original Wen Ning’s childhood sweetheart had always treated her well, but more like a protective elder brother. She had relied on him, but it had never been true romance.
“Yes…”Wang Cheng’an glanced at her, hesitating. He wanted to ask how she was faring in the Protector’s household, but he wasn’t her real brother, and such a question felt presumptuous.
Besides, rumors abounded that the mighty Protector, though he had taken five concubines, had scarcely visited them in two years, treating them as nothing. Even without asking, he could guess her life wasn’t easy. Why bring up painful matters?
So he changed the subject, smiling. “Though you’re married now, we grew up together. We’re like siblings. There’s no need to be distant with me.”
Wen Ning looked at his considerate manner and felt pity for the original. Even without romance, marrying such a man would never have brought suffering. She smiled and nodded. “Yes, Brother Wang. Half a year ago was your coming‑of‑age ceremony, and I gave no gift. I hope you don’t mind.”
After all, the Wang family had shown them much kindness.
Wang Cheng’an was momentarily dazzled by her smile, startled, and quickly cleared his throat. “Of course not. It’s rare to meet again. You haven’t eaten yet, have you? Tongtuo Street is my territory. Come—”
He stopped himself. Though they were like siblings, propriety still mattered. He changed his words: “Ahead there’s a stall selling lamb buns—they’re the best. Let me buy some for you to try.”